I had Sunday off work and decided to come up with a quick egg recipe that I could have left overs for this week. I work 9-7 and I find it really hard to eat breakfast before I go to work. Therefore, on Sundays I usually prep my food for the following week.
This recipe is super simple and tasty!!!
First I took 4 eggs and 6 egg whites and put them in a bowl
Next I took the left over ground chicken burgers I had and sauteed them up with salt and pepper
While the chicken was cooking I cut up my vegetables. Use whatever veggies you have in the fridge, anything will work. I used spinach and mushrooms!
Next once the chicken was cooked through I broke it up with a spoon and added some garlic. I let it cook for about two minutes.
Then I added my spinach and mushrooms to the pan. Cook the ingredients until the spinach wilts.
While that was cooking I whisked my eggs with about 1/3 cup of fat free milk. I added fresh basil and oregano with some salt and pepper. Add whatever seasonings you like!
I added 1/4 cup golden flax meal to the eggs along with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Once the spinach wilts (below) the vegetables are done. Don't over cook them because they will be going into the oven!
Next I sprayed a casserole dish with some PAM and added the chicken and mushroom mixture to the pan.
Top with the eggs!
Easy!!!
I had some Tuscan goat cheese left so I topped off the egg bake with slices of it!!! So Yummy!!
Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes!
VOILA!
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Cross section shot!
Another one!
I paired my egg bake with a multigrain light English muffin and an apple! I was already for breakfast!!
Paired with a glass of water and some coffee
This breakfast took no more than 30 minutes and no provides me with breakfast for the rest of the week! Prepping is always key when trying to eat healthy. Pick one day during the week and try to prep as much food as possible for the week ahead. You will feel better knowing you have nutritional choices and you won't have to rush something together mid-week!
This week I am starting my half marathon training plan (I will try and post it for everyone!) Lately I have been having trouble running, been a bit unmotivated. Therefore, I found a half marathon in Raleigh on November 6th that I am going to sign up for! My half marathon training plan forced me to increase my mileage substantially and I need to properly fuel myself before going out for the runs. I usually hate running on a really full stomach so I came up with these granola bars to eat before I go!
Dry
2 c oats
1 1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c pumpkin seeds
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c chia seed
1/2 c flax meal
1/3 c JR's cinnamon drops
1/3 c dark chocolate chips
WET
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c honey
1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt
2 very ripe bananas
1 tbsp apple butter
Put all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.
Mix the wet ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients slowly mixing as you go.
Mix all the ingredients together.This will take a little bit of muscle work!!
I sprayed a baking dish with PAM and added the granola mix into the pan. Make sure it is spread evenly for baking! Once the bars were uniform I sprinkled them with a dash of cinnamon!
Bake in the oven at 320 degrees for about 20-25 minutes
YUMMY! I took a small bite when they came out to taste test them :)
Close up!
After they cooled I cut them up into small squares and placed them in little baggies. I left four out and then threw the rest in the freezer so they wouldn't go bad. Now I can just take them out and let them thaw the night before my run!!
Packed full of tasty goodness!
Cross section view...
They are perfect. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough!
Today was a long long day. I worked until 5 and it was absolutely dead for a good part of the day. However, we did get a huge rainstorm which seems to have made the humidity drop a bit (thank God!) When I got home I was starving and needed something quick to fix.
I took 2 Perdue ground chicken patties and threw them into a preheated pot with a little olive oil.
I threw them in frozen. I didn't have time to thaw them so whatever :)
Next I put milk, spinach, basil, and oregano in my blender (the base of my cream sauce)
Once the chicken starts to cook make sure you crumble it with a knife. You want chunkier pieces.
I blended the milk mixture for about three minutes. It is going to be pretty frothy but don't worry it will decrease as it cooks.
Next I added 3 tbsp of whole wheat pastry flour to the olive oil and chicken. I cooked it for about two minutes and then added my milk mixture. The flour will act as a thickening agent for the sauce.
Nice and green!
Cook the sauce on medium heat until it begins to boil. While it is cooking start another pan full of water to make pasta. Use whatever pasta you like. You could use elbow macaroni or small shells and make this into a green mac and cheese and finish it off in the oven. Kids would love this recipe because it tastes just like mac and cheese, its green, and it provides them with a serving of vegetables! They will never taste the spinach!! For my dinner I used the spelt pasta I bought at the Dutch Farmers Market last week (my new obsession!!!)
One the sauce begins to bubble add your cheese. I used a variety of cheeses. If you are looking for a more traditional mac and cheese you could add 2 cups of cheddar and a tbsp of cream cheese. The cream cheese will make the sauce really thick and creamy like a traditional mac and cheese. I decided to throw about an ounce of the Tuscan goat cheese I had, 1 1/2 of 2% mozzarella, about a small handful of Parmesan cheese, and about 1/4 cup of the soft ricotta crumble cheese I had.
Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt into the sauce. Add whatever seasonings you would like. I added some crushed red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.
Cook the sauce for an additional 5-7 minutes. As you can see from the pictures below the frothyness wears off towards the end.
Close up!!!
Next just add the pasta to the sauce.
Cook for another minute so the flavors can melt together.
Next put some on your plate and enjoy!! I garnished my with some fresh cracked pepper and Parmesan cheese. One of my favorite things to eat with a cheesy pasta dish is green beans! I steamed them in the microwave with some water for about three minutes. When I was eating them I ended up cutting them up and added them to my pasta for a little crunch!!!
My look a little weird, but it came out great. Like I stated before its a great way to sneak in a vegetable serving without anyone noticing!
Close up again....sooo yummy...
After dinner I relaxed for a little bit and started researching some websites for free yoga videos. I used to take Yoga last summer and absolutely loved it. I have back problems and since I started running again this summer I feel like I have a lot of pressure between my shoulders. I wanted to start doing Yoga again, but to be quiet honest it's a bit ridiculously expensive!!
My favorite yoga is Yin Yoga. Unlike traditional flow yoga where you transition positions at a fast pace, yin yoga has a variety of poses that you hold for 3-5 minutes each. It is supposed to help the connective tissue in your body. I always feel great after a yin yoga class so I wanted to do one tonight because my legs were tight from running.
I found this video on You Tube that focuses on the Yin Yoga poses that work your back and hips-exactly what I needed to stretch out for running. I suggest at least trying the video. It's pretty simple, she shows you the move to hold and you hold it for 3-5 minutes. The annoying aspect is that you have to keep pausing the video but I am a visual person so I like seeing someone show me the move before doing it.
If you are looking for a SUPER relaxing yoga video try this one! It has you go through a Sun Salutation a few times and then has you go through sleep yoga! Sleep yoga is literally where you lie down and she talks you through how to pace your breath and how to relax. I almost fell asleep during this one! It's not a super active Yoga but I felt super refreshed afterwards!!!
Well I am off to relax for a little bit. I have been super tired lately (hopefully I am not getting sick) so I am trying to take it easy. Have a nice night :)
Good Morning All! My Saturday morning started off with a 2.1 mile run in about 23 minutes. Slow pace, but my legs were tired from my four mile run yesterday! However, tomorrow is my day off and I am ready to relax! After my run I had a nice protein shake. I combined:
1 cup cinnamon hazelnut coffee
1 cup skim milk
1 scoop Muscle Milk Light Whey Protein Powder
A few ice cubes
Blend for about 2-3 minutes. I like blending it for a long time because it makes the milk nice and frothy and makes me feel like I get more out of the shake!
Thrown in my to-go cup and ready for work. I even had extra for another cup!!! At work I enjoyed a great breakfast of overnight oats. I got this recipe from Kath Eats Real Food. The recipe is pretty simple:
1/3 cup oatmeal (I used strawberry flavored)
1/3 cup skim milk
1/3 cup non fat greek yogurt
1 tbsp chia seed
Dash of cinnamon
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit overnight. You can eat it right out of the fridge or I heat it for around 30 seconds to make it a little warm. You can add anything you want to the oats. My friend Christina does banana and coconut in hers, sometimes peanut butter! I crumbled some of my homemade granola bars on top (recipe will be posted today) to add some texture to the oatmeal.
With my oatmeal I had some of the Youthberry Tea I bought a few months ago from Teavana. Super fruity and doesn't need an ounce of sugar!!
Well I am off for the day. Going to do a mid-afternoon workout with Christina to break up our day from work a little! Have a lovely Saturday!!!
Happy Friday Everyone :) I started my morning off with a nice 4.02 mile run!!! It has been really hard for me to run since my 9K disaster on fourth of July. I signed up for an 8k that was thrown by a local running group and was super excited because it only cost me $8 and it was a small group of about 250 people. Well 4th of July came and it was HUMID! I was sweating just standing there. On top of that the running group screwed up the path and we ended up running 5.75 miles instead of the 8k (4.97 miles). I had at most ran 5 miles to train for the 8k so I was not prepared. Also, the running group FORGOT TO PUT A WATER TABLE OUT! WHO DOES THAT???? When I ran a 5k in June they had two water stops for 3.1 miles! The run was absolutely miserable and ever since that day I have had difficulty with running past 3 miles.
However, this morning I broke free of the 3 mile rut!!! I am not where I want to be, but it is a start. I am contemplating signing up for a half marathon that is being hosted in Raleigh in November! I have looked up a training plan (have an application on my phone) so I believe I might do it!
After my run I enjoyed a nice thick smoothie. In my smoothie there was:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup frozen mixed berry fruit
I needed some texture to my super thick smoothie so I crumbled up some of my homemade granola bars (recipe coming soon) on top :)
The purple color matches my room!!! I love purple!!!
It was delicious! Sweet yet tart. Perfect way to start off my morning. Plus it is full of protein and vitamin c which is great because I think I am coming down with a cold..not good
My great boss stopped and got me a venti Passion tea from Starbucks to make my morning brighter! She is so nice.
Well I am off to start my lovely day. Long day today and tomorrow, but I have Sunday off! Christina and I are planning on hitting up the Farmers Market in Dupont Circle. So excited :)
