Popcorn Indiana giveaway + clean, shrimp fried brown rice

back to back giveaways?! WHY NOT!

if you're following me on Instagram, then you already know by now what was in that big box.

 oooh just one of my fave snacks ever-  POPCORN!!!! THANK YOU TONS, Popcorn Indiana!

they sent me two phenomenal flavors of their new Fit Popcorn:

i have my eyes straight PEELED for the onion & dijon flavor for sure. so far my Sprouts Farmer's Market hasn't carried it.  anyway, on to the contest rules!

• Instagram: share the Popcorn Indiana giveaway pic on your own IG page!  remember to tag #popig and @fitfoodiele in the comments so i don't miss your vote.

for multiple entries, you can:

• Facebook fan page: 'Like' it!
• Follow: www.fitfoodiele.com via email (top right corner of this page;))
• Comment: on THIS post telling me your absolute, hands down, favorite Popcorn Indiana flavor. mine is dark fudge chocolate chip kettle corn.... :shock:

 Fit Popcorn stats: ★approx. 40 cals per cup★ all natural, gluten-free ★whole grain ★zero trans fat ★and non-GMO.

I just want to make somebody else's tummy and face SMILE!!!!!!!!!!! please share!

this fine tuesday morning started out with a crazy Total Body Conditioning workout as it usually does.

then breakfast.  just an egg white omelette topped with alfalfa sprouts, low carb ketchup, greek yogurt, and dijon mustard.  pancakes were super ugly and did NOT make the cut. heck that omelette barely did.

oh and i wanted to post my baby bella almond cheddar grilled cheese sammich from yesterday's lunch as i received quite a few inquiries on what the heck almond cheese is and where can you get some!  it's a dairy-free cheese substitute that shreds and tastes darn close to dairy cheese IMO.  it will melt, just takes a little longer to do so.  i  learned about the Lisanatti brand via Instagram, and i have always stuck with it.  i'll have to do a product review on some of those other brands at a later date!  you can find Lisanatti almond cheese in the cheddar, jalapeno jack, and mozzarella varieties at Sprout's Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Central Market, and most other speciality food stores.  i just read on their site that they no longer ship orders out though :(

so my first chicken fried rice recipe is super old.... a revamped was needed.  so here it is!

i used shrimp this time though as you can see ;)

clean, shrimp fried brown rice

the stuff:

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 5 whole baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• handful of sprouts (bean, alfalfa, your choice)
• 2 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 egg whites
• 2 green onion stalks, chopped
• 1 medium shallot or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 lb shrimp, marinated
• 5 baby carrots, chopped thinly or shaved
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green peas (optional)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh, chopped pineapple (optional)

shrimp marinade

• 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning or 1 heaping tbsp Weber Boston Bay all natural seasoning
• 2 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

do this:

1.marinate your shrimp for at least 30 minutes in the spices, liquid aminos, cilantro, and garlic.

2.add them to a medium to high heated wok or skillet sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

3.they cook quickly, so about 3-4 minutes max will do.  remove them from the pan and set them aside for now.

4.add all onions (1 green onion stalk though)  garlic or shallots, carrots, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and aminos into the medium heated pan and cook covered until the onions are translucent and carrots are softened, about 5 minutes.

5.make a well in the middle of your wok and pour the egg whites into it.  let them cook and scramble as you continuously stir until they are done.

6.add the cooked rice, mushrooms, cooked shrimp, pepper, red pepper flakes, a little green onions, fresh pineapple, and green peas into the wok.

7. incorporate and mix well, then let it sit covered for 2-3 more minutes over low heat. chop the remaining green onion stalk and top your dish with it.

8. devourrrrrrrr!

 learn to look for the good in EVERY situation; i promise you it's there.  think positive, be positive, and positive things WILL happen.

le

fit eggplant parm

same concept when you apply it to your body, aka, your temple. put great stuff in, get great results right on out!

yesterday i had vanilla oat bran with banana slices, Walden Farms syrup, and Trader Joes cinnamon sugar,

and this morning it was rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, pure vanilla extract, and some cinnamon and granulated stevia stirred in.  some days i flip a coin! they are both great starts to the day.  this bowl was sooooo creamy.  i topped it with one strawberry cause that's all i needed since they are so dang GIANT this season.  and a small tsp of Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter. so, so good.

today's eggs weren't pretty at ALL so i didn't take a pic.  these were from yesterday and were topped with some alfalfa sprouts and pineapple salsa from Sprouts.  i love getting a little bit of charr mixed in with my eggs from the skillet- gives them extra flavor.

who's got some core exercises for you? I DO!  did'em this morning after teaching my total conditioning class!

i'm sure you're familiar with the basic high plank on your palms and toes. right? yeah you can do that one in your sleep.

but when you mount up on a medicine ball (any solid ball will work really) then you really put that core to work.  this is one of those exercises that looks uuuuber easy until you do it yourself.  so, grab yoself a medicine ball and do these semi-advanced core exercises that promote core strength and stability!

 ★1st things 1st- engage your core by sucking your belly button to your spine, but DON'T hold your breath!★

• high plank (top pic) - start on your knees. grip the ball on either side and press your palms into it as you elevate your body up into a straight high plank balancing on your toes.  maintain a neutral spine while keeping your head and chest lifted.  even if you don't add the variations, you are still working to balance yourself without even moving! you'll see!  hold for 30-60 secs or for as long as you can take it. ***you can also go down a level and perform this on your knees keeping your body flat and pushing your hips and glutes towards the floor***

****

• high plank + leg lift (bottom pic) - keep your hips square, squeeze the heck outta your glute, and lift that leg up off the ground and hold it for 30-60 secs. repeat on the opp side.

****

• high plank + pendulum leg lifts - while that one leg is in the air, take it out to the side from right to left in a controlled swinging motion going no wider than shoulder width. repeat on either side for 30-60 seconds or until burnout.

what a :shock: BURN :shock: !

 this exercise works glutes, core, and your shoulders & back definitely feel the wrath of supporting your bodyweight the entire time. try'em at the gym or at home during commercial breaks.

well hello there, fit eggplant parm.  i whipped up a crazy good fit chicken parm that will be going into the you-know-what!  for now, enjoy this healthier classic, fit foodie le style.

fit egg plant parm

the stuff:

• 1 large raw eggplant, sliced into 1/2 in rounds (you can peel them if you'd like- i kept the skin on)
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 2 tbsp  unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup Lissanati almond cheese, shredded
• 3/4 - 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs*
• 28 oz Sprouts all natural low sodium crushed tomatoes with basil & garlic
• 1 tsp basil, dried
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1/2 tsp parsely
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• olive oil cooking spray
• 5 baby portabella mushrooms (optional!)
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

*homemade breadcrumbs: toast 4 slices of Sara Lee 45 Calories & Delightful Whole Wheat with Honey bread until crispy, and toss them in your food processor.  pulse until breadcrumb-like consistency.*

do this: * important S/N* this can totally be dairy-free if you use only almond cheese, (or rice cheese, or your fave vegan cheese) throughout the recipe. but then you'd have to call it fit eggplant almond.  or whatever. you know me- i needed some nutty, creamy parmesan in my dish cause cheese is my thing, so i added it.  just a little.  and you can too. if you want. also if you don't have the same brands i'm using and naming, no big deal!

1. lay the eggplant slices flat in a shallow baking dish and pour the liquid aminos all over them. let it soak in real good, about 10-15 minutes or so.

2.  in a shallow dish, combine the egg whites and unsweetened almond milk; mix.

3.  grab another shallow dish and pour in your breadcrumbs.  add: the finely grated parmesan cheese, pepper, basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley;  mix.

4. dip each eggplant slice into your egg mixture with one hand, then immediately drop it into your breadcrumb mixture. i only coated one side with breadcrumbs cause i was lazy and didn't want to have to flip them halfway through. lol. spray a flat baking pan with the olive oil spray and bake your slices for about 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

5. when the eggplant is almost done, go ahead and start the first layer of the dish by spooning some of the crushed tomatoes in the bottom of your olive oil coated baking pan. eyeball it.

6. when the eggplant is ready and cool enough to handle (surprise, i didn't wait), create the second layer. i know mushrooms are untraditional in this recipe, but so am i!  and come on- melted cheese and mushrooms just go together. so i added a few sliced baby bellas for the 3rd layer,

7.  top with 1/4 of the almond cheese. or more. way more.  

8. and finally, top that with more sauce and repeat until you run outta ingredients.  the last layer should be CHEESE! and lots of it.  now don't put those fresh basil leaves on there yet cause you will torch them in the oven. i put them there cause it looked pretty.

9.  back into the oven on 400 degrees for about 20 more minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melty and brown and stuff.

this made about 6 servings; stats are for 1:

we killed the pan but there are certainly a couple things i'll be doing differently from here on: take note!

• NOT burning the breadcrumbs in the toaster smh - it made the eggplant darker and harder on the eyes. i didn't want to waste it and used it anyway
• using the small side of the grater for the parmesan cheese cause the large shreds don't stick to the eggplant as easily
• pan frying the egg plant instead of baking (however i'm not sure the cheese in the breadcrumb mixture would hold up in the hot skillet...i'll just have to see)
• OR, roast the eggplant solo first,  assemble the dish, and save the breadcrumb mixture for the topping only. <------i really like that idea!!!!! if you try it this way, upload a pic to the Fan Page or tag me on IG (#fitfoodiele #fitclean2013).  i'd LOVE to see your creations.

cooking is ALL about having fun and trial & error for me. get in there and make your own masterpiece!

i'd like to give a big THANK YOU to Bragg for sending me a few samples of their seasonings recently!  i'll be testing the nutritional yeast, the sea kelp delight seasoning, and the 24 herbs and spices seasoning this week. 

ooooh the joys, blessings, and lessons of good ol' parenthood :lol: it was just one of those days.

thank God for electronic devices!!!!!

le

p.s., if you haven't entered to win some FREE FOOD, then click there and go see what's up! contest ends this saturday.

cajun crusted tilapia

cajun crusted tilapia sandwich on sprouted grain sesame Ezekiel bread for one of my meals last week. or two weeks ago.  oh whenever that was, idk. it was good though.  i grew up eating deep fried catfish sandwiches on white bread.  you remember those fish fry fundraisers at church lol!  the best.

  i said on IG that i thought this recipe up while i was on the elliptical.  i get some of my very best ideas and recipes while i'm working out. it's usually in the middle of cardio when i have a lot of time to just THINK.  if that's what i need to do to get my inspiration, so be it!

Cajun Crusted Tilapia

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Corn Meal
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sweet dried basil
• 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 egg white

that's supposed to be sweet basil on top of the onion powder, not curry. sorry.

do this:

combine the egg and the liquid aminos in one bowl, everything else in another bowl.  with your left wet hand, dip the fillet into the egg white/amino mixture, then drop it into the dry mixture bowl.  using your right dry hand, press the fillet into the mixture, flip it over, and ensure it is covered on both sides or to your liking.  spray your low/medium heated pan with Pam (or any no-stick spray)  if you haven't already, and lay the fish on one side to cook until done, then flip it (about 5-7 minutes on each side.) cooking times and temps vary, so watch it!  *s/n: you can add a tsp of coconut oil to your pan as well, but you'll have to adjust the nutritional stats accordingly.*

don't want a sandwich?  plate your fillet up and pair it with some sides.  i made a sandwich cause i had plenty of Ezek bread to spare and sandwiches are fun to make, eat and take pictures of.

now, about these nutritional stats....i tend to make things way more difficult than they should be so there is prolly an easier way to do this.  i know there is.  and someone will comment on this post and make me feel really dumb.  i'm counting on you.  anyway,  i didn't figure out how to do this before posting and didn't want to wait. i totaled the ingredient list up, then divided it by 4 (fillets).  you never really use ALL the breading when you're dipping stuff, you know? at least i don't.  so you can't include that in the total calories.  you really only use about 2-3 tbsp of the breading, if that.  so the stats below are a little higher than they should be cause it's for 1/8th a cup of breading (dry + wet) + the tilapia fillet. i guess i could figure out what 2 tbsp of breading equals but my head hurts already.  so here are the stats for 1/8th a cup (includes both wet and dry ingredients).  did that even make sense?

serving:  1 crusted tilapia fillet

i love finding ways to eat more food!!!

i got wind of these corn thins via Facebook last week and picked some up at WF this past weekend as well.

i switched sides on ya.  rice cakes on the left, corn thins on the right.

 1 serving = 2 cakes

ingredients for both:

corn thins- whole grain popped corn, sea salt. (gluten and fat-free)

rice cakes- whole grain brown rice, sea salt.

verdict: eat 3 corn thins and STILL come out lower in every stat category compared with the rice cakes.  awesome!!  sure they are a little thinner, but still filling after being topped with some PB2, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt.

look what i found. oh just another item i wasn't even looking for, a yogurt maker!!!

 i actually received this as a baby shower gift.  i sure do appreciate it!  perfect timing.

i was reading the instructions and all that and noticed one of the ingredients required to make yogurt is yogurt :shock: huh? so i have to go buy some yogurt to make yogurt. oh, ok.  riiight... SO, after i google a good homemade yogurt recipe, i'll be trying my hand at *drumroll*

 almond yogurt!!!! i saw some at Whole Foods while i was there and had no idea almond yogurt even existed yet.  the nutritional stats were surprisingly high for one serving though.  i'll see what i can come up with.

guess who had banana pancakes this morning? we all did. everybody. duh :lol:

Chiso tackled his three and so did i.

my random lunch sandwich today:

i just wanted to eat my cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread really bad, lol. i threw some grilled chicken, cheddar almond cheese, avocado and spicy mustard on it and it WORKED.  it fit my macros perfectly, too! that sweet and salty combo can't be beat. i chilled on any fruit butter this time since the bread was already sweet though.

have you ever made homemade yogurt? 

le

@ my desk

no more start/stop- catching up NOW.

good monday that is almost over to you!!

this will be crazy random but just stay with me.

i hope you guys are using and being creative the IG food pics- that's definitely some of my motivation for posting.

this was lunch @ my desk last Friday:

100 calorie multi-grain english muffin, grilled chicken breast, avocado, spicy mustard, and a crispy red bell pepper.  since my job is waaaaaaaaay closer to Trader Joe's than my house, i stopped by there to get a few specialty items on my lunch break that day.

more eggplant humus wish it came in a big TUB.

i can pronounce everything. that's the kind of ingredient list i like to see and the kind you should look for as often as possible.  also, natural, no additives or preservatives means eat it sooner than later! won't last but a few days.

also got some sweet sugar snap peas for dipping! in the car.

 i walked into TJ's with intent to restock my fig butter, but as soon as those double entrance doors parted, i walked straight up to a tower of pumpkin butter.  clever is that seasonal marketing. they also had honey apple butter and i couldn't leave without it.  i did leave the mango butter for next time though.

i hit up HEB, Whole Foods, and Sams this weekend to do my real shopping.  i got my sample on of course,

  *high five*, HEB.  but zero points for presentation.  steak pizzaiola, italian chicken sausage soup, and creamy potato casserole was served at one of their live sample stations. oh God, those potatoes though :shock: . i always grab a recipe card to see just what they put in those samples and they never fail to freak me out.  full-fat heavy cream and cream cheese is what made those potatoes so darn good!  but they were sample size sooooo i proceeded to enjoy.

i got outta there with my usual stuff plus a few specialty items.

my kitchen island stays just like this for the most part.  i like to keep my produce out where i can see it cause i'll forget about it in the fridge and it's more likely to spoil.  gonna go ahead and add 'personal grocery shopper' to my resume, seriously!!! i could do this every day.

i've been using the sesame Ezekiel bread for the past few weeks, so i picked up the cinnamon raisin loaf this time.

i have sweet and savory dishes in mind for this puppy.

fat-free feta and goat cheese are still two dairy cheeses i won't be giving up (will expand on that shortly), but i was inspired to try almond cheese from a fellow health and fitness IGer.  i figure i love almond milk, so i'd prolly like the cheese too. uh, yeah! it melts, grates, and tastes just like dairy cheese and nutritional stats are awesome.  i'm impressed and sold.  gonna try some rice cheese too.

i've been a fan of Blue Diamond brand almond milk since Hungry-Girl introduced me to it a few years ago, but decided to try the Silk brand because of the lower calorie count.

it is so much more creamier than i was expecting! i may have been converted indefinitely...

I picked up some of Sonny's fav granola from Whole Foods - pumpkin flax.  it's the best granola (nutrtion-wise) in the bulk aisle line up.  140 cals and 5g of sugar per serving. read your labels- granola is more like a treat/dessert as the sugar content can be super high for some of them.  a few spoonfuls over some cottage cheese or yogurt or a small serving of it is just enough.

 granola + almond milk = one great bed time snack.  if only i could stop eating bowl after bowl.

lunch today @ my desk:

seeing red today for meal 2-  grilled chicken breast, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, spicy mustard and honey apple butter.  wrapped all up in a La Tortilla Factory white-wheat soft wrap with some strawberries on the side.

i snuck in some sugar snap peas and eggplant humus too.

we had some GORGEOUS weather in Houston today!! Sonny hates the cold and is already griping about having to stop his outside runs.  he still has time to take advantage though cause it will be hot again like tomorrow.

cajun crusted tilapia recipe coming up next.

le