Portobello Pizza

Pizza is the end all cheat meal. It’s carbs, dairy, grease, and fat all rolled into a delicious, handheld treat. While many feel like it’s the hardest thing to give up while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, there’s variations that deliver the taste without the trash.

Ingredients: Portobello mushrooms, tomato paste (preferably organic), chicken tenderloins, low fat shredded mozzarella cheese, peppers, onion, kale to garnish

Directions: Scoop out inside of portobello caps (a melon baller was used here), saving the extracted mushroom. Make sure to be CAREFUL while still insuring that a large amount of the inside has been removed. No one wants a holey pizza! Lightly sprinkle with salt to absorb moisture. Bake on 350 for about 15 mins.

Slice peppers and onions. Slice chicken to fit size of portobello cap and lightly season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Sauté the removed mushrooms and sliced veggies first. Once browned, add chicken. Cook for about 10-15 mins.

Once portobello caps have cooked, remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, spread a layer of the tomato paste on for your sauce. Then add chicken and cooked veggies. Finish with mozzarella.

Bake for about 10 mins and broil for 2-5 minutes. Watch carefully!

It’s important to remember that all bad food is based off of good, nutritional ingredients (like a bad movie derived from a good book)😜. Don’t think about what you’re giving up, but what you can spin into making healthy!

Cucumber Wrapped Salmon Sushi Rolls

You either love sushi or you hate it. Some people can’t handle raw fish. Some can’t take the helping of rice, veggies, and fish all at one. Well, these are cooked, light and palatable so that even the pickiest of eaters will be lunging for the chop sticks.

Ingredients: .67 ounces of salmon (makes about 10 rolls), 1 cucumber, quarter chopped onion, bunch of grated carrots, whole avocado, grated ginger, soy sauce

Rolls: Cut edges off cucumber. Peel layers of cucumber. Each roll should be about 2-3 “sheets”. For a thicker product, make sure to apply pressure on peeler.

Salmon: Season with garlic powder, onion powder, sesame oil, pepper, and salt. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

To form rolls, layer veggies and salmon. Roll forward. If cucumbers unravel, use avocado as adhesive.

We have paired it with leftover caulirice, but it will also go well over greens. For moisture, add a dash of soy sauce. The rolls are refreshing and filling. And they will keep you from throwing a dish at the wall out of frustration from keeping a stagnant diet. And who wouldn’t want to prevent that? 😛

Pesto Steak Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is the answer to your pasta craving. While a bit thicker, it has a similar consistency to angel hair pasta and can be prepared just as many ways. The problem is, people tend to think the direct opposite of this blog’s purpose: I’m eating healthy, so all I can eat my squash with is bland, old tomato sauce.

WRONG! Truth is, tomato sauce (at least to this blogger) is kinda boring without the heartiness of pasta and flavor of Parmesan. So, we will be creating a variety of spaghetti squashes that are anything but bland and ordinary, starting with this one.

Ingredients: 2 Spaghetti Squashes (feeds 5-6), 2 bell peppers, 1 yellow onion, 3 6-ounce steaks (round used here, if looking for a leaner cut, go with sirloin).

Pesto: Bunch of Basil, Parmesan cheese (go with the block, not the pre-grated), handful of walnuts (pine nuts are traditional, but cashews or walnuts work about the same), half clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Half the spaghetti squashes down the middle and deseed. IMPORTANT: Lightly dust the inside with salt. This is crucial to remove moisture and prevent a soggy squash (horrible). Bake at 350 for 45- 60 minutes. Allow to cool. Use fork to remove squash “meat” into a bowl.

Pesto: Blend all pesto ingredients in food processor. Check that final product is moist enough. If not, add a little more olive oil and reblend.

Steak/Veggies: stir-fry onions and peppers in pan. After cubing steak, add to pan. We did not heavily season or marinade the steak because the pesto will do the talking. Lightly season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes. Test steak to make sure it is to liking (do NOT overcook).

Chewy Steak=Ruined Meal.

The meal is full of flavor and will make to forget about pasta, carbs, and that you are eating healthy altogether.

Avocado Chicken Salad

As I’ve said before, even the most delicious of meals can get boring day in, day out. But, any protein can be spun a different way (#leftoverremix). And given the good feedback that was received for the Avocado Egg Salad, as well as the leftover roasted chicken, Avocado Chicken Salad just seemed like the perfect thing to share. First, every last morsole of chicken has been picked from the bones. I have spared the photo of the chicken carcass (very visceral and Game of Thronesy). Next, the shredded chicken has been seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. For the cream factor, about 3/4 of a very large haas avocado was used. Also, to give it a little bit of a twist, yellow mustard and a pinch of hot sauce has been added, as well as onion and about 2 teaspoons of chia seeds. While chia seeds don’t exactly add any flavor, they do give a bit of extra moisture. When diluted in liquid, the seeds omit a gel (don’t freak out, you won’t even notice it) that is beneficial for your digestive tract. Why not include that in your meal?

Also, if you’re looking to avoid carbs, the chicken salad can work well as a dip with carrots or zucchini.

One Pan Meal: Roasted Chicken

Sunday is meant to be a day of leisure so don’t let meal prep consume it! There are plenty of meals that cook all together and don’t demand too much time. Above is roasted chicken with red potatoes and veggies.

One pan=one dish to wash=more couch time:)
The veggies chosen are Brussels Sprouts and Eggplant with Mushrooms and Onions thrown in. We have selected these because they make great absorbers and there’s a lot of fat (and flavor) to catch! They have been lightly seasoned with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Make sure to throughly clean and then season your bird. We used the same flavor assortment (EVOO+lemon+oregano). Also, position is key to make sure your veggies get maximum drip.

The rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound (this chick is about 6lbs). The end result is a delightful aroma, a quick cleanup, and meals for the week.