Healthy Turkey Meatballs and Zoodles

I really did a lot of work over the last year to figure out healthier versions of the foods I love. What I love to do most now is help people with finding healthier swaps that may work well for them too! So this recipe is for you pasta lovers out there and those who love Italian food and are afraid that you'll have to "give it all up" now that you're trying to be healthier!

I'm not a supporter of completely cutting things out of my diet. In fact I don't diet. I find foods that are healthier versions of what I used to love- foods that will give me  more energy, make my skin glow and help fuel my metabolism. All of this is really important and by having just a few swaps that you love, it can make all the difference. So for example- I LOVE pasta! But I know I can't eat it all day, every day. It makes me bloated and not to mention sluggish. So a GREAT alternative is zoodles. You can get a zoodler online (through Amazon) or you can take a peeler and carefully make noodles that way.

I used a peeler for my zoodles of this meal and sautéed the zucchini in 2 tsp of olive oil with a splash of water a little pepper, basil and oregano to season. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until softened up a bit- but not mushy!

The turkey meatballs are a great crockpot meal that you can use as part of your food prep. You could also make a double batch of meatballs and put the other batch in the freezer for another meal at a later time.

Here's the recipe for the turkey meatballs:

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs (I used gluten free- you could also toast up some bread and and make into bread crumbs in a food processor!)
• 1 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos 
• 1 tsp each of basil, oregano, onion and garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

• Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together
• Combine turkey, egg and liquid aminos and mix together well
• The add dry ingredients to turkey and mix well
• Form into balls (should make about 10-12 meatballs)
• Pan fry meatballs for about 4-6 minutes in skillet with cooking spray to get a nice golden brown color- turning every 1-2 minutes.
• You can then put into crockpot on high with tomato sauce and cook for about 2-2.5 hours
• Another option if freezing right other batch or if eating immediately is to cook meatballs in oven at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until cooked completely through.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

I was really craving some banana bread, but also didn't want to go through the "production" of making it and really didn't want to wait that long for it to bake LOL So, I decided that I needed to come up with a cookie that satisfied the banana bread craving and only take about 10 minutes to bake! Win-win right there!

Hopefully you will love these as much as I did! They are awesome for a treat paired with a little unsweetened Vanilla almond milk or have two for breakfast with some coffee and a piece of fruit to round things out!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix, I would count these as a yellow treat for the week. The good news is that I made a small batch recipe that makes just 4 cookies at a time, so you don't over do it and turn into the cookie monster! :) #thestruggleisreal But if you are making these for the family- you can easily just double the recipe and make 8 cookies etc.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies 
(Makes 4 cookies, 2 cookies per serving)

Ingredients 

• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 tbsp almond butter (you could use Peanut Butter, but that may change the taste up a bit)
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1/2 banana (mashed)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• a few chocolate few chocolate chips sprinkled on each cookie

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350
• Mash the banana until smooth for the base of your batter
• Add the 2 tbsp of almond butter
• Add vanilla extract and incorporate all wet ingredients together
• Then add ground flaxseed and oats and finish mixing
• Spray some cooking spray on a non-stick pan and measure out 4 cookies or 8 if you are doubling the recipe
• Top with a few chocolate chips for each cookie
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes and enjoy!!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

With it being closer to the Super Bowl, there will be more opportunities for parties and with parties...ultimately comes chances of over-indulging!! Ahh! haha There are definitely ways around this and ways to still be able to join in the fun and still stay on track with your health and fitness goals!

Buffalo Cauliflower bites are one of my fave go-to's for any game days or just for one of those nights where you really really want to order food and just need that quick little fix! PLUS these are so simple to make, you'll be making these a regular at your get togethers!

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower OR you can buy pre-chopped cauliflower at places like Whole Foods
• 1 bottle of wing sauce (I used Wing-Time Sauce from Whole foods)
• Green onion for garnishing

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash, dry and chop up cauliflower into flowers
• Eyeball it :)...use about quarter to half the bottle of sauce
• Mix around until evenly coated in a bowl
• Place cauliflower onto a sprayed pan
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and slightly still a bit crunchy

If you are looking a healthy alternative to a dip you can pair these with:

Lemon Garlic and Dill Greek Yogurt Dip

• 1 cup Fage greek yogurt
• Season with pepper, 1 teaspoon of dill and chives, 1/2 teaspoon of onion and garlic powder 
• A little squeeze of lemon

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Microwave Mug Cake

I can't tell you how many times I have tried to make a mug cake and it either came out way too dry or was cooking a ton on the sides, but not enough in the middle! Maybe you can relate??

I decided to make one yesterday because I was due for a snack and figured this would be a great way to get a protein serving, healthy fat and fruit in and let's be honest...I wanted CHOCOLATE...bad. There's always a healthier alternative to your cravings...you just have to get a little creative!

I don't know what it is, but sometimes when I'm hangry, I come up with some pretty awesome recipes haha So I hope you enjoy this one. It's a guilt free way to cure your chocolate craving!

There are a few helpful tips that I discovered that I'll share with you first...

1- the art getting these mug cakes to bake evenly is getting a wide coffee mug. A lot of  coffee mugs are short and more slender, but if you have one that is wider- it works wonderfully. Like a big hot cocoa mug. I think it just helps the liquid evenly cook better.

2-It comes down to timing. You should microwave the cake for 1 minute 30 seconds and then check it every 10 seconds thereafter. I microwaved mine for about 2 min 10 seconds, but yours may vary.

3- a recipe that has the right consistency of both dry ingredients and liquid ingredients- which I have!

Ingredients

• 1 scoop protein powder (I used vegan chocolate Shakeology)
• 1/4  tsp baking powder
• 5 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 drops of liquid stevia (or 1 tsp honey to sweeten)
• 1 tsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 5 dark chocolate chips

Directions

• In a separate bowl, combine Shakeology and baking powder, then all wet ingredients and mix until smooth like cake batter. 
• Melt 1 tsp coconut oil in mug in the microwave for about 20 seconds
• Swirl the melted coconut around in the mug to make sure the edges are oiled to bake in the microwave.
• Pour in half the batter and then add in chocolate chips (you could even add in a tsp of nut butter too if you wanted!) then add remaining batter
• Microwave the mug cake for 1 min 30 seconds and then 10 second intervals from there until firmly set. 
• Take a butter knife and move it around the outside of the cake edges. 
• Take a plate and place on top of the mug and flip over. (The cake should come out easily!)
• Garnish with whatever your heart desires! I used 1/2 cup mixed berries and 1 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes :)

Enjoy! Xo

Lean Green Smoothie

I'm really on a smoothie kick lately. I don't know what it is. There is just something really kind of fun when it comes to something that may seem like it should be meant for just summer time and having it in the winter! Living on the edge lol Living in Boston you have to get creative to get through the long winters and I'm bound to do just that with my food this year!

Although the seasons tend to dictate our food choices...why not change that up a bit and have more of a "summer diet" in the winter? I'm all for savory dishes, but if you are looking to have more energy and have a leaned out look- having more plant based foods incorporated in your diet are definitely going to help you achieve that.

I notice such a shift in my energy and overall mood when I have something that is light and fresh and full of antioxidants and superfood goodness. Not to mention since incorporating more greens in my diet, I've noticed much less bloating, which I'm not going to complain about that one bit!

So I'm making smoothie bowls and smoothies for my snacks most days and it has been super fun! Plus I start of my day with a superfood meal replacement shake. I have a few go-to recipes for that, but every other day I bounce back between the same 3 recipes that I love. Variety is the spice of life!

I loved this green smoothie that I made yesterday- isn't it gorgeous!? I mean talk about instant mood booster! I added just a 1/2 cup of spinach. It's a great way to sneak in greens...and you can't even taste it them :)

So here is the recipe for you all to enjoy! Let me know how you like it!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain 0% Fage Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup pineapple- fresh or frozen (plus a few for garnish on top- optional)
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish (optional)
• a few blueberries for garnish (optional)

Directions

Add ice first then all other ingredients in a blender and blend up. Serve up in a fun glass and colorful straw and enjoy!

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

I searched everywhere for a healthy Snickerdoodle recipe and decided to come up with my own and the results were too good not to share! Admittedly my cookies came out super big and I made 8 haha, but really this recipe would yield 12 servings. These would be great for a breakfast cookie or as a snack and out of this world when paired with some unsweetened almond vanilla milk :)

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Almond flour
• 1 packet of Vanilla Protein powder (I used Shakeology)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sweetner (I used a half and half blend of maple syrup & honey)
• 1 egg or 1/4 cup egg whites (I used egg whites)
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• For topping- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp coconut sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls and combine. Once all mixed together, spoon out 12 cookies on non-stick cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Take out of oven and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar topping.

Enjoy!

Cran-Apple Granola Bites

Are you a snack person? The type of person that could literally eat snacks for meals all day long and perfectly ok with it? Love little bites or appetizers? Meee too! We are going to get along together just fine :)

I'm always in search for those types of snacks that won't leave me hungry in 30 minutes wondering when the next meal is. I try to avoid a case of the #hangrys at all costs! I have to say this snack...really hits the spot! So I have to tell you, my fave juice when I was little was cran-apple juice. SUPER high in sugar though and not on the list of things I drink these days, BUT this little snack does the trick and brings me back down memory lane.

I aim to eat 5-6 times a day with 2-3 of those times being snacks. This snack is perfect for a post workout meal- it has a good amount of fiber to keep you satisfied until your next meal which is key! Plus these little apple bites just look so cute! Something about it when you make a meal and not only does it taste good but it also looks good too!

Cran-Apple Granola Bites



 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Medium Granny Smith Apple
• 2 tsp peanut or almond butter
• 2 tbsp. granola (I used Kind granola- Honey Oat & Coconut)
• 1 tsp craisins
• a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

 

• Cut the apple into discs (should just be half the apple for 1 serving size (save the other half of the apple in a storage bag for later and put in fridge with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep fresh!)
• Measure out 2 tsp of nut butter and spread on the apple discs
• Sprinkle granola on top
• Garnish with a few craisins and enjoy!

Until next time friends Xo,

Katie