October 08, 2012

@ my desk

October 08, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

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.

September 27, 2012

apple-chicken burgers

September 27, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

i threw some ground chicken in my grocery basket this week. there's more to life than ground turkey.

i love chicken/apple sausage for breakfast, so that combo would make a darn good burger. while training for my comp, if my meal plan called for apples that week, i would go get the BIGGEST ones i could find, lol. i have really grown to love red delicious apples- eat one every day now.

aminos! low sodium soy sauce alternative i use to marinate my proteins in.

i added the aminos along with my chopped apple, herbs, and seasonings into a mixing bowl with the chicken.

one more time close up. no reason.

mix it. real good.

then grill'em up. you can cook them in a flat iron pan too, or even bake them in the oven. i just have a thing for grill marks, that grilled taste, and it's the quickest method.

apple-chicken burgers

serving size: 2 oz patty

the stuff:

1 lb ground chicken
1 egg white
half a large apple (approx. 1 cup, diced)
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 medium shallot, diced
1 tbsp smokehouse maple or any seasoning of your choice
3 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite, you choose)

do this:

mix and grill. 4 min on each side should be perfect. watch them though.

cover the meat and let it rest for a few minutes afterwards.

i made a sandwich and used Prophet Ezekiel's sprouted grain sesame bread. sprayed a little 'i can't believe it's not butter' on the slices first, and toasted them.

i like how the sesame seeds get toasted too- gives your sammich so much texture and crunch when you bite into it.

the chicken is lean, but the apple helps keep the patty moist.

add your toppings. that's almond cheese- yep. this is a GREAT brand i found through an IG buddy, @spoonfulofit. it's Lissanti and i found it at Whole Foods. it melts and tastes just like regular dairy cheese, she was right!

topped it with plenty of spicy mustard, and there's some fig butter hiding under the tomatoes ;)

i shoulda let the cheese melt on the patties, what was i thinking? next time.

ok enough sammich pics, go make one.

Prophet's Ezekiel also makes great whole wheat pita pockets. the stats are better than Trader Joe's by far. only 100 cals compared to TJ's 160 (same size pita) and has a whopping 7 grams of protein!

have a happy, lean & clean friday in advance,

March 16, 2012

banana oat protein YUMmuffins

March 16, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

thanks a TON, Ogechi!!! a girl after my own heart. she knew i would be geeked over this recipe and she was exactly right. these muffins are great for breakfast or a snack. Ogechi also makes a FANTASTIC black bean/sweet potato soup i can't wait to share with you guys- she brought me buckets of it right after i got home from delivering my son. she is just awesome like that and no you can't have her cause she's all MINE!

Banana Oat Protein YumMufffins (or bread!)

the stuff:

(Dry)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein
3/4 cup quick oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (toasting always makes a difference)

(Wet)

1/4 cup coconut oil (in solid form)
1 whole egg 2 egg whites
2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup chia gel (mix together 9 tbsp water & 1 tbsp chia seeds then wait 10-15mins to turn into gel....it's quite interesting to watch )
1 tsp pure vanilla

do this:

preheat oven to 350 right now. also, go ahead and activate those chia seeds. the chia seeds replace the oil & the butter- neither are used or needed in this recipe!

put them in a small separate bowl and add the water.

measure out all dry ingredients in a bowl MINUS the walnuts. *tip* swirl it around a few times with a whisk to combine & break apart all the ingredients. set aside.

in another bowl, mix coconut oil, eggs, bananas, applesauce, chia gel & vanilla till well combined. here's another *tip*- make sure your wet ingredients are room temperature so your coconut oil doesn't harden on you when you mix them together.

Ogechi told me this stuff made a world of difference in the flavor department for these muffins. i found it in WF and prayed it was worth all 7 dollars. it was.

be sure you buy it in solid form. looks just like hair grease.

keep adding..

my bananas weren't super ripe, but if yours are, mash them all up.

i left my batter a little chunky, of course.

gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients till everything is combined. do not over mix!

fold in walnuts aaaaaaaaaand (optional): 1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips! will do that next time..don't have any right now:(

pour in a greased loaf pan or do muffins. this recipe makes 12 large muffins or 18 medium ones. top with any leftover nuts and bake.

i pulled the muffins out after about 20 minutes- look at those fresh banana chunks.

it was SUCH a beautiful Houston day! we were invited to my friend Joanna's potluck party in the park and the muffins were perfect timing. SO, because we were going to a party, i added some buttercream frosting on top and more toasted walnuts!! otherwise, no party, no frosting. keep them clean.