Healthy Chicks

I whipped this recipe up for lunch this afternoon when I was in a rush to catch a train. It’s such a delightful combination, providing cooling effects with summer vegetables like leafy greens, tomato and cucumber with a savory touch from the walnuts and soft, goat cheese. A summer classic.

Goat Cheese Summer Salad

• 1 c. leafy greens like spinach, arugula and kale
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TB apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/4 lemon, fresh
• 1 small roma tomato, sliced
• 1/4 c. cucumber, chopped
• 1/8 c. walnuts, chopped
• 1 oz goat cheese

Mix vegetables together, and then add in lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and olive oil for dressing. Top with salt and pepper to taste.

[taken via Instagram]

This breakfast smoothie is perfect during a cleanse, a hot summer day, or anytime you need to cool down and clean up your diet. Start the day right with a generous serving of vegetables, fruit, and TLC!

• about 1/2 c. coconut milk, unflavored
• 1/2 banana
• 5 baby carrots
• generous handful of kale
• generous handful of mixed collard greens & spinach (choose one if you don’t have both)
• 1/4 c. frozen wild blueberries
• 1/2 c. frozen berries mixture (mine had cherries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
• 1/8 c. frozen strawberries
• 1 celery stalk
• about 5 cucumber slices (or the equivalent of half a baby cucumber)
• 1/2 TB flaxseed

~Blend together in a powerful blender and serve immediately. Dust with cinnamon if desired!

Seeing as though it’s mid July (the peak of summer), I’ve been advising my clients to cool down in all aspects of life, be it food, wellness or work. One of my favorite ways to cool down is by eating cooling, refreshing seasonal foods like watermelon, citrus, cucumbers, and herbs.

Last night, I decided to add a little Mediterranean flare to the dinner table by making a platter of Mediterranean-inspired eats. After all, I find that a diet rich in refreshing dishes with whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats fill me up most. I decided to go with a healthy trio: homemade tabouli + sauteed chicken + pita & hummus, a combo my sister and I can both agree was pure genius.

Refreshing Summer Tabouli

{makes 4-6 servings}

• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. bulgar wheat
• 1 medium organic cucumber, chopped
• 1 c. fresh parsley
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1/2 c. full fat feta, crumbled
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt & pepper to taste
• fresh mint for garnish (optional)

1. Boil water and pour over bulgar wheat. Stir and then let sit covered for 20 minutes.

2. Drain the bulgar wheat of excess water and then place in a large bowl. Add in cucumber, garlic, parsley and feta, and stir well. Then mix in olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh mint for an optional garnish for extra flavor.

Lemony Chicken

{makes 4 servings}

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 TB olive oil for cooking
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2  TB thyme

1. Coat large skillet with olive oil. Rub the chicken with parsley, thyme salt and pepper and then sauté on medium heat until tender.

2. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over the chicken, and allow the chicken to finish cooking.

~Serve with tabouli, pita, hummus and a glass of red wine (of course!)

As you know, I’m a big fan of experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, whether it be trying something new (like at-home sushi) or simply learning how to cook something in a different way by substituting ingredients.

Last week, I decided to take on both of those tasks by making something I’ve never attempted before, that is Asian Soba Sesame Noodles, and adjusting it based on my individual needs.

I followed a recipe from Tosca Reno’s The Eat Clean Diet Recharged! book, with a few simple adjustments and additions of my own. The recipe included a creative blend of delicious, lively ingredients like whole grain soba noodles, agave nectar, all natural almond butter, low-sodium tamari and more.

Instead of using the toasted sesame seeds as suggested, I kicked it up a notch by using Eden Food’s Seaweed Gomasio with Organic Whole Sesame Seeds, Sea salt and Sea Vegetables (Organic Dulse, Nori and Kombu) for a nutritional boost. I also added in some chicken leftover from a homemade Chicken Marsala my mother had made earlier in the week. I’d also recommend adding shrimp, fish, tofu, tempeh or extra veggies to make the meal a little more substantial.

I love cooking CLEAN with real, fresh ingredients and can’t wait to try more recipes from Tosca’s book. Why is that? My energy levels, physique, and overall mindset improves drastically when I put real, natural ingredients into my body, as will yours! After all, we are what we eat, so why not make that something wholesome and fabulous?

If you’re interested in making Tosca’s Sesame Soba noodles at home, the blog Kahakai Kitchen posted the recipe here.

Enjoy,

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful, determined mother’s I know. Guiltlessly treat yourself to some of these No Bake Brownie balls, that take just minutes to make yet have a rich, decadent taste similar to truffles. While I altered them a bit, I owe a big thank you to SnackGirl for the recipe inspiration.

The best part? These little bites of joy are 100% gluten free (we have a couple gluten sensitivities in the house) and contain only a few ingredients – roasted almonds (which I roasted myself), pitted dates, organic cocoa powder, a handful of organic dark chocolate chips, and agave nectar – with a shake of powdered sugar on top for decor.

Next time I make these, I’m going to play around with them even more, trying out different combos like figs and maple syrup or cherries and honeys. More recipe combos to come…

Enjoy…I’m off to spend the day with my family on Fisher’s Island!

I have a huge crush on granola. I absolutely love the taste, crunch and satisfaction it brings on a dull weekday afternoon. However, I do not love the nutritional content in many store-bought varieties.

While you may be tempted to buy the brands that claim they’re “low fat” or “sugar free” or “zero grams trans fat!” I highly encourage you to read the ingredients and nutritional value on the back of the box. If you look carefully, you’ll see that many contain unnecessary added ingredients, artificial sweeteners, a heaping amount of sugar, and ultimately a huge disappointment.

Take Kellogg’s Lowfat Granola with Raisins for example, which contains whole grain rolled oats, whole grain wheat, sugar, rice, corn syrup, raisins, almonds, glycerin, palm oil, molasses, modified corn starch, salt, cinnamon, nonfat milk, malt flavoring, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, BHT for freshness, and guar gum. A 2/3 c. serving will tally up to 230 calories, and 17 grams of sugar.

When you look above, you can see that sugar is the third ingredient listed (after oats and wheat) making it one of the main ingredients in this granola. Not to mention the added corn syrup (a relative of high fructose corn syrup with similar initial processing), molasses, modified corn starch (physically or chemically treated starch) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), a potentially dangerous, hard-to-digest additive to lengthen shelf life of food and even makeup.

After being appalled by some of these findings, I decided to take matters into my own hands (and my own kitchen) by making homemade granola. I control the ingredients, nutritional content, and essentially what’s going inside my body. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Homemade Blueberry Flax Granola*

*Makes about 7 cups granola

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oats
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup coconut water (I used Original Vita Coco)
• 1/3 cup raw agave syrup
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup pure vanilla
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup dried blueberries (natural, without any added sugar) You can also use fresh blueberries, or add any other fruit of choice

~makes about 7 cups

1 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In large mixing bowl, stir together oats, nuts, flaxseed, salt and spices.

2. Slowly add in olive oil, agave, water, coconut water and vanilla, mixing in evenly.
Toss until well combined.

3. Spread the mixture evenly on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking or burning.

4. Let the granola cool and mix in the dried fruit.
Store in an airtight container for snacking the entire week for yourself, your family or your friends!

Enjoy as a snack, or add to your yogurt, milk or fruit for a delicious treat.

I’m totally a simple girl when it comes to gifts, meaning I’m perfectly happy with a handwritten card, dinner and a bottle of wine. Being the sentimental, romantic gal that I am, I live for those gifts that come from the heart.

So what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t like said gift from boyfriend? You see, The Boy had given me several gifts this past Valentine’s Day, one being a bracelet that wasn’t quite my style at all. Let’s just say, I’d probably never wear it and I truly felt terrible for not liking it. I tried to, really I did but it just wasn’t me. So I did what I felt I had to do at the time: lied. “I love it! It’s beautiful! And it has pearls!”

But when weeks went by with me not wearing it, and The Boy questioning why I didn’t have it on, I could only use the “It doesn’t match my outfit” excuse so many times. I had gotten myself stuck in a huge rut. I just had to tell him, someway, somehow that I didn’t like his gift…but how? (Ha, that totally sounds like something Dr. Seuss would say)

I decided to ask nearly every person I know and love what to do about the darn bracelet. (Thank you for those who listened to me and gave your opinions.) I received every piece of advice from “Suck it up!” to “Break it!” but after all the tips and tricks, I decided to follow my heart and just be honest.

It went a little like this:

Me: I have to tell you something, but I feel bad. But I have to tell you, but, eek, I can’t!

The Boy: What? Just tell me!

Me: No, I feel bad. I can’t. I just won’t tell you. (covering my face)

The Boy: C’mon, just tell me. Hit me while I’m vulnerable! (He had been out drinking the night before and had a massive hangover)

Me: Fine…OK. It’s about the bracelet you got me, you know the one you got me for Valentine’s Day.

The Boy: It broke?

Me: Not exactly.

The Boy: You don’t like it?

Me: Well…kinda…yea. It’s just really not my style. I like simple things and I feel bad for not wearing it all the time because I know you put a lot of thought into it, but it’s really just not me.

{lots more word vomiting followed}

The Boy: OK. That’s fine, but can you make me one of your famous breakfast sandwiches?

And so I did.

mmm herb-a-licious!

Sauteed Mushroom Egg Sandwich with Fresh Herbs

• 1 piece Ezekiel bread
• 1 large organic cage-free egg
• handful baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 TB Vidalia onion, chopped
• 6 arugula leaves
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TB balsamic vinegar
• feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. fresh dill
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil on medium heat. Add in balsamic vinegar, and bring to a simmer.

2. Return heat to low, and crack an egg over the vegetables. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until to desired consistency and then top with fresh herbs and sprinkle of feta cheese (about 1 TB). Flip egg to ensure cooked through. Note: I like to leave my egg yolk a tad runny.

3. In the meantime, toast the bread, and top with arugula, followed by egg mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This sandwich = one happy boy.

Oh, and the best part of the story? I found out a couple days later that The Boy had known I disliked his bracelet the night before I told him, but couldn’t help to watch in entertainment as I awkwardly confessed. How did he find out? His best friend simply told him, “Dude, she hates your bracelet. It’s not her style.” Now, why can’t I be that blunt? Hey, at least he got a free egg sandwich out of it.

Have you ever received a gift from your significant other that you didn’t like, even though you tried really hard to like? How did you break the news? Is your style white lies or blunt honesty?

{Roasted veggies make for a wonderful side dish or small dinner when paired with soup or salad}

The other day in yoga class, the teacher – as always – had us dedicate the practice to someone we love or care about. I habitually began to think of someone in my life who needs a little extra hug or warmth, and then it hit me. Why don’t I dedicate this practice to myself?

Then it got me thinking. How many of us really give enough credit, dedication or time for ourselves? In a fast-paced, highly competitive environment, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in the day-to-day stresses, leaving the one person who matters most (yup, that’s you) lost in the trenches. Trust me, many of us women are culprits of this, and that’s why a huge focus of my health counseling is on stress relief and taking care of yourself and your body.

Sometimes it’s OK to be a little selfish, to put yourself first, or to not let anything or anybody get in the way of your dreams. Let your dreams be your dreams, and by all means do whatever it takes to get there.

So as we unwind on this Thursday afternoon, remember to give yourself a little “me” time today. I’m not saying to go spend $200 on a haircut & blowout, but even something just a simple as shutting down your work phone when you get home to spend quality time with your husband, or taking a long, hot shower and appreciating the beautiful women you see in the mirror is enough. Love and appreciate your beautiful, wonderful, fearsome self, rather than comparing yourself or trying to please others all day long.

For starters, why not prepare something different for dinner tonight for yourself/roommate/significant other to enjoy? These Roasted Balsamic Vegetables are packed with nutrients and disease-fighting antioxidants, making them a wholesome side dish or meal. I fell in love with these vegetables the moment they hit my taste buds; the balsamic gives them a sweet, savory flavor like no other and the garlic & lemon adds a subtle kick.

Makes approximately 2 servings as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 4 broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 c. mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bella but any kind is fine)
• 10 brussels sprouts (or about 2 cups), halved
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TB high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 clover garlic, crushed
• lemon juice
• Fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375. In the meantime, prepare the veggies as mentioned above. When chopping the brussels sprouts, be sure to chop off the tip on the end, which can tend to be bitter.

2. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and lay the vegetables on top. Coat with olive oil, balsamic, and crushed garlic, tossing to be sure all pieces are covered fully.

3. Spritz with a squeeze (or two) of fresh lemon juice, and pop in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy. While baking, it’s helpful to toss the vegetables every 10 minutes to reduce burning and ensure all pieces cook thoroughly.

~Garnish with fresh parsley and serve alongside some lean meat or fish & brown rice for a well-balanced meal. If you’re looking for a lighter dinner, serve with salad or a big bowl of homemade Lentil soup, as I did.

If you could pick any combo of three veggies to roast, what would they be? Have you made time for yourself today? How do you pamper yourself?

Enjoy,

Good afternoon ladies.  I hope you all had the chance to get outside today for your lunch break, as it’s absolutely beautiful outside. High 60s/low 70s is my ideal springtime weather; it’s not so hot that all your makeup drips off but it’s just warm enough to get a lil sunshine and keep you feeling happy.

Speaking of happiness, I’m in a much better mood today regarding my skin dilemma. I think whatever I’m doing has been working so far, including focusing on my dietary choices, sipping Yogi Skin Detox Tea to help purify and rid my body (and skin) of toxins, as well as being gentle with my skin-care routine. The lovely lady at Whole Foods actually gave me a few samples to take home last night that help reduce redness/inflammation while calming the skin. I’ll let you know how that goes! I also bought a gentle On-The-Spot treatment called Pure & Clean Acne Treatment Gel which has tea tree oil in it to aid natural recovery.

Anyway, this afternoon I whipped up a delicious Turkey & Artichoke wrap for lunch which I wanted to share with my readers. I usually don’t eat tons artichokes, but as I mentioned in yesterday’s post my esthetician friend had recommended them for skin health so I’m giving them a go. I can’t believe all these times I’ve been missing out – artichokes are an absolutely delicious vegetable that I’m hoping to continue as a regular part of my diet.

Turkey & Artichoke Wrap

In the Mix:

• 1 100% whole grain or brown rice wrap (found at your local health food store)
• 2 medium slices natural turkey breast; I used oven roasted from Whole Foods
• 2 artichoke hearts, diced
• Feta cheese to your liking; I used a little less than 1 TB
• drizzle of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TB each extra virgin olive oil and hempseed oil  (may substitute flax oil) Omega-3 fatty acids are great for skin, hair and nails!
• Thin layer of hummus
• 6 super-thin slices of cucumber
• 1 romaine leaf, chopped
• season with herbs of choice, particularly parsley for extra cleansing benefits

~Spread whole grain wrap with hummus mixed with Dijon mustard. Add turkey, romaine, and cucumber then top with feta cheese crumbles, herbs, and olive oil mixture. Roll wrap & enjoy paired with some fresh fruit or a side of veggies and hummus.

I enjoyed my wrap with a Peach & Mango Vita Coco, which I recieved a delivery of today. As you know, I’m a huge fan of coconut water, and really enjoy Vita Coco’s Peach & Mango and Original flavor (with a naturally sweet flavor without any added sugars), and am also a sucker for ZICO’s Chocolate.

Coconut water is a great way to stay hydrated during the day, and works especially well for those of you who dislike the taste of water. Water is still SUPER important to stay hydrated and naturally cleanse the body, but coconut water is a good option in addition as it’slow in calories, has wonderful hydrating benefits and is packed with electrolytes & nutrients. Stay tuned for a post coming soon on the benefits of drinking coconut water, especially for athletes.

Disclosure: While I did receive a complimentary delivery of Vita Coco coconut water to sample, I was not asked to write this post/promote them in any way, and of course ALWAYS share my honest opinion with my readers.

Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday afternoon,

{as you can see, I couldn’t resist drinking some before the picture}

In the Mix:

• 4 small to medium carrots, organic if possible
• 1 small apple, organic (I used Granny Smith because that’s what I had on hand, but any juicy apple works)
• handful of mixed greens (I used a blend of arugula, spinach, and romaine)
• one inch cut of fresh ginger
• juice of 1/2 small lemon

Use your juicer to blend the carrots, apple, greens and ginger. Add lemon juice at the end for an extra zing!

My Top Four Benefits of This Juice: Anti-aging from the beta-carotene in carrots (which works as a powerful antioxidant), skin-clearing (from vitamin A and liver detoxification properties of carrots), Cholesterol Control (the pectin in apples can lower LDL, your “bad cholesterol”), de-bloating (from the ginger and lemon, especially in the a.m)