Blueberry Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins

I've read that Oat Bran is a super delicious and nutritious food to try and I saw some Oat Bran recipes and I knew I wanted to join in all the fun.

I found a recipe to try on a bodybuilding.com forum, but I decided to really change it up a bit.  What I ended up with was a blueberry and chocolate chip muffin.  The muffins are pretty tasty and if you like oatmeal, you will like these muffins.  Fair warning: DO NOT EAT MORE THAN ONE!

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins
2 1/4 cup oat bran
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp flax seed
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425F.  Spray a muffin tin with Pam

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.

Divide the batter equally in the muffin tin. (For me, it was about 2tbsp per muffin)

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and eat!

All lined up!

Close up!

Sneaky Guacamole

If you're looking for a way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, may I suggest this guacamole?  This guacamole is delicious and creamy but has a little secret; Peas! Yes, I included some peas into my guacamole and you can't even tell.  What a great way to sneak some vegetables into your diet!  I used this guacamole to top tuna tacos, but you can use it with chips too!

Sneaky Guacamole

1/4 cup thawed frozen peas

1 avocado

1/2 jalapeño

1/2 tomato.

Juice from 1/2 lime

Salt

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl or food processor and chop until the consistency you want.  Enjoy!

(not the best picture, but you get the idea)

Tomatoes and Lentils

Lentils are very healthy and good for you, but are a bit plain by themselves.  I used lentils as a side dish with my Yogurt Marinated Chicken.  These lentils have flavor and were really good with the tomatoes.  Let me know what you think!

Tomatoes and Lentils

1 tsp oil

1/2 onion finely chopped (I used a food processor)

2 cloves of garlic minced (you can use the food processor)

1/2 cup of lentils

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.  Add the spices and lentils and cook for about a minute.  Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender.  About 15-20 minutes.  Yummy!

Homemade Indian: Round 2

Indian Round 2 includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated in buttermilk and spices all day, Chana Masala, Cauliflower Rice and Naan.  It was a lot better than my first round of Indian. The marinade made the chicken very moist and tender, the chana masala was perfectly spicy, the cauliflower rice is always good and I rolled the naan a bit thinner so it wasn't so doughy.

In sum, if a recipe doesn't work out the first time, regroup and do it again! Take note of what you learned and apply it and best of all, ask others for their thoughts and opinions.  

Spiced Buttermilk- Marinated Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup buttermilk, or enough to cover all the thighs,

2 tablespoons of garam masala OR *Ras El Hanout

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp cardamom,

Salt and Pepper

Put the buttermilk in a bowl and mix with the spices so everything is well combined.  Place the chicken in the bowl and cover with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

After the marinade time is over and you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450F, put the chicken in a baking dish and discard the marinade (If you cook buttermilk it separates and is really ugly). Bake for 40 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway through cooking.  Set to the side to cool and chop into bite sized pieces.  

*Ras El Hanout is a Morrocan spice blend, which to me, tastes very similar to indian spices, so I found that it works very well in my spin on Indian Food.  I've been unable to find Garam Masala in the local stores where I live, but was able to find the Ras El Hanout, go figure.  Try both and see which you like better!

Chana Masala

adapted from Kurry Leaves

1 tbsp oil
1 jalapeno

1/2 onion very finely chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp Ras El Hanout

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 14.5oz can drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Put the oil in a pot or pan over medium-low heat and saute the jalapeno and onion until soft (about 10 minutes).  Add the garlic and all of the spices and allow to cook for about 1 minute.  Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil and allow to cook together for about 10 minutes.  Simmer on low until you're ready to eat.

I included links to the cauliflower rice and naan in my opening paragraph.

Cauliflower "Rice"

Cauliflower "Rice" is one of these healthy discoveries that has changed the way I prepare healthy food.  It's amazing to think that such a vegetable can turn into something so similar to a starch! The "rice" ends up with a texture and taste more to cous cous, but that's perfectly all right.  The beauty of this is you can change the seasonings to accomodate whatever meal you serve it with.  

Inspiration comes from this delicious recipe found at  Nom Nom Paleo.

The basics of this recipe are:

1) chop cauliflower into small pieces and pulse in a food processor. Put aside in a bowl
2) chop some onion and pulse in a food processor. Put aside in the same bowl as the cauliflower
3) Add whichever spices you want to go with whatever meal you're eating!
4) Sautee the cauliflower and onion in a preheated pan with a little bit of your fat of choice.
5) Cook for about 10-15 minutes and enjoy!

This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique. Once you start chopping and pulsing the cauliflower you can be as creative as you want! This is really a great way to sneak in and incorporate more vegetables into your diet.  Enjoy!

Jamaican Beef Balls and Red Beans and "Rice"

I wanted to do a slow carb version of jamaican beef patties and use this recipe for cauliflower rice that I had see on the internet.  After googling various search terms, I discovered a recipe for Jamaican Beef Balls that looked really tasty, but not spicy. 
The Jamaican Balls I made were incredibly tender, moist and flavorful.  They were to be served with a "gravy" but instead it became a sort of bell pepper chutney almost.  I served these balls with red kidney beans and cauliflower "rice" and it was all quite tasty together and not as spicy as you might think. This is a great little introduction to Jamaican cuisine and it's a weeknight meal! The entire meal was ready in less than an hour. 


Jamaican Beef Balls
(adapted from Cook Like a Jamaican)
1 pound ground beef. (I used 80/20)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used homemade)
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped finely (I chopped it in my food processor)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Worcester Sauce
2 tsp Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp BBQ Sauce in
2 Tbsp Ketchup
1 egg
Cooking Oil for frying
1. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix all of the ingredients together with clean hands.
2. Form beef balls out of the mixture into the size ball you desire.
3. Heat some cooking oil on Medium-High heat in oven-safe pan.
4. Turn on oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees; In the meantime, sear beef balls in pan turning until all sides are browned. Place into preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Once the balls have finished cooking take them out of the pan and move to another plate or holding area and make the gravy out of the remaining oil in the pan.
Gravy
1 large Onion, chopped
1/4 each, red and green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 tsp Hot Sauce (I used Tapatio)
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/2 to 1 tsp Salt (to taste)

1. Add the chopped onion and peppers to the hot pan over medium heat.  Allow the vegetables to cook until soften (about 10 minutes)
2. Add hot sauce and ketchup to the pan and stir; taste gravy and add salt to taste and cook until everything comes together.  

Cauliflower "Rice"
1/2 head of cauliflower
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
Salt and Pepper

1.  Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and pulse in a processor.  Set aside in a bowl
2.  Chop the onion into small pieces and pulse in a processor. Set aside in a bowl
3. Add the spices to the cauliflower and onion in the bowl and mix together.
4. Sautee the cauliflower and onion in preheated pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil.  Cook for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

To serve
Take some balls, take some gravy and take some "rice" and dig in! 

Homemade Slow Carb Indian-Inspired Feast

As I wrote about on my naan post here, I wanted to make green lentils taste better and found that Indian would be a great way to try and accomplish that mission.  I did quite a lot of google searching to find the perfect recipe that I could create at home with my basic array of spices.  

I found a recipe, and made it but it still needs a little help so here's the recipe from the Jewish Week and below are my changes and additions.  Let me know what you think!

Chana Masala with Lentils and Chicken

Feeds 4-6 (or two and lots of lunches for the week)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced
1 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt and Pepper
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained1/2 cup green lentils, cooked
1 1/2 cups of frozen vegetable medley (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low  heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sautee until soft  for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the ginger, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika and curry powder and stir until combined. Cook for about a minute and then add the chopped chicken and cook until all pieces are browned.  

Add the chopped tomatoes and chickpeas and stir to combine.  Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to pick up any spices that have accumulated. 

Add the lentils and frozen vegetables and mix until combined.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add a splash of lemon juice and stir together and enjoy with naan if desired.

Slow Carb Breakfast Bake

Slow Carb is honestly a great eating lifestyle, but breakfast is hard if you're going for make ahead meals.  After searching the internet it seems as though there aren't a lot of options out there.  There are dozens of clean eating and paleo and low carb, but nothing "slow carb".

I wanted to create a tasty casserole that incorporated all of the slow carb features and that could be made ahead.  I was inspired by the breakfast casseroles seen on the internet and came up with this adaptation, loosely based on this recipe at Paleo OMG.

This dish has the perfect amount of creaminess to the eggs, spice from the chorizo and other added yummies and of course is healthy! This is a great way to incorporate all of the slow carb principles without having to have anything green for breakfast.  This is a great way to start the day.

Here's what I came up with!

Slow Carb Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

5 eggs

4 egg whites

1/4 lb chorizo

1 onion diced

1/4 lb Jimmy Dean turkey breakfast sausage crumbles

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with juices drained

1 can reduced sodium dark kidney beans

Pinch Cayenne

Pinch Cinnamon

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Add the chorizo and sausage and onion to a preheated, large non-stick skillet.  Allow the onion and chorizo to mingle and cook together until the chorizo is cooked through and crumbly (about 15 minutes).

Add the kidney beans and spices and allow to cook together for about 5 minutes.  Add the drained tomatoes and an extra layer of salt and pepper and allow to cook for another 5 or so minutes.

While the meat, bean and tomato mixture is cooking whisk the eggs, egg whites and salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Turn the heat off of the pan and little by little add the mixture to the eggs to gently warm the eggs so they don't cook.

Place the egg mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and toss in the oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture doesn't jiggle any longer.

Let it cool, slice into individual pieces and toss in the fridge! Microwave for a minute or so the next day and enjoy!

Cross Section photos! 

(Almost) Slow Carb Cajun Fish

What started as a way to use up already cooked lentils turned into a version of Cajun etouffee.  The inspiration for my cajun fish started as wanting to use some fish, but not make the normal pan fried or baked fish.  This meal was actually quite easy and pretty tasty and made some good leftovers.  Leftovers that didn't smell like fish in the office microwave! Talk about a good fish meal! What makes this almost slow carb is because I used a bit of butter and a bit of flour.  This recipe is very rich and creamy, without having any cream in it. That's the beauty of making a roux for your dishes!

The source recipe comes from here.  Below are the ingredients I actually used.

1tbsp butter
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 an onion chopped

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp old bay

1 tsp paprika

pinch cayenne

2.5 tomatoes

1 cup clam juice

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 cloves garlic

2tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp tabasco

2 fish filets (rubbed with old bay) and chopped into bite sized pieces.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the butter and coconut oil in a dutch oven, add the onion and green pepper and saute for about 10 minutes.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux and stir for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the spices. Slowly add the liquid (clam juice and chicken broth) while stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil and then to a simmer.  Add the tomatoes and garlic, worcestershire and tabasco.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes (or 15 in my case) and add the fish.  Cook the fish until it flakes with a spoon (about 10 minutes).  Finish with salt and pepper to taste and serve with cooked green lentils and your choice of slow carb approved vegetables.

Slow Carb "Sloppy Joe" Chicken and Lentils Casserole

Slow Carb can be tasty and fun which is why I created/ modified a recipe I found in a google search.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find the recipe again when I went to make my version, but I think it's far off enough and common enough to not necessarily credit the idea for the recipe.

The idea for this recipe was to make a slow-carb and completely different version of a favorite Martha Stewart recipe found here.  Obviously, this recipe is not slow-carb friendly so instead of using orzo (my favorite) I used red split lentils. I left out the cheese entirely and added completely different spices to make this slightly reminiscent of sloppy joes.

I cooked the lentils and the chicken ahead of time, but just until barely done. I only baked for about 15 minutes just to finish cooking the lentils and chicken and to allow the flavors to come together in a nice saucy bath in the oven.

Slow Carb "Sloppy Joe" Chicken and Lentils Casserole

1 cup red split lentils
2 1/4 cup chicken broth, or beef broth or water or a combination of all 3
1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut if you wish)
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
3 chicken breast cut in bite-sized pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400F

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan.  Saute the onion and garlic over low heat until soft (about 10 minutes).  Add the chicken and spices and allow to cook together until almost cooked through (about 15 minutes).  Add the ketchup, maple syrup, mustard and balsamic vinegar and mix through until a sauce comes together.

At the same time, cook the lentils according to the package.  Cook the lentils until almost all the liquid is absorbed.  Pour the nearly cooked lentils into a baking dish and set to the side.

Once the chicken has nearly finished cooking and the sauce ingredients are mixed, pour over the lentils and place into the oven.  Bake for about 15 minutes. Take out, let cool and enjoy!

Slow Carb Chili, or just my standard chili

Chili
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 bell pepper diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 jalapeno diced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinammon
salt pepper
1 tsp or more of cayenne
1 can black beans
1 can pinto (or red)
1 pound 85/15 organic ground beef
1 jar of tomato sauce (I used ragu)

Heat the olive oil in a medium to large size pot over medium low heat.  Add the onion, celery and pepper and cook until soften, about ten minutes.  Add the garlic and jalapeno and allow to cook for about two minutes.  Add the spices and allow to cook for about a minute.  Add the beef and let it cook all the way through, about ten minutes.  Add the beans.  Allow the vegetables, beef and beans mingle for about 5 minutes.  Add the jar of tomato sauce.  You can allow this to simmer for as long or as little as you want. I haven't noticed the flavor change much by allowing it to sit longer or now.  If you're not slow carb, serve with tortilla chips. If you are slow carb, serve with avocado and tomato. Enjoy!

Cheat Day and Post Cheat Day

As possibly predicted, the Cheat Day was hard! I went all out on breakfast with biscuits, bread, eggs and a muffin.  I felt awful! I felt slightly lightheaded and it didn't taste as good as I imagined it would.  The thought of eating more food throughout the day seemed to be way too much to handle!

I continued on though and eventually became hungry and had pasta for basically the rest of the day.  I think having a cheat meal, might make more sense, but we'll see how it goes this week.

The post cheat day, I did not wake up hungry and so only had a "detox" raspberry smoothie for breakfast and lunch, supplemented with fruit and carrots.  I thought that having all of those yummy nutritious snacks would benefit my body. It may have, but I was very hungry all day!

Dinner was good, but not quite according to the diet since I had some dairy, but other than that I followed the diet! 

Day 6 on Slow Carb

I still feel amazing on this diet!  I've had some hunger pangs at work, but I remedied that with water and an apple. I know fruit isn't allowed, but it's my life and if I want an apple (or banana), I'll have an apple!

In terms of willpower, I've done very well! We had sandwiches at work and I respectfully declined and ate my own West Indies chicken leftovers.  I'm not really "craving" anything, so I feel that this is a very sustainable diet.  I am looking forward to my cheat day tomorrow because I have a feeling it's going to be a huge eye opener.  The apple (and bananas) I've had this week have tasted incredibly sweet and I actually understand what an apple and banana are supposed to taste like.

Friday afternoon was the hardest because typically, the end of the work-week means pig out time!  That adjustment has been difficult, but remembering what the goal is and having will-power and self-control is the key.

Since my last post, I've joined pinterest and am now obsessed with that.  There are a lot of good ideas for anything on there!  

I've made a few recipes including an easy, steak, spinach, black bean, steak, avocado and tomato salad. Breakfast was a black bean, tomato and avocado egg/egg white omelette.

Workouts have been going well too, so I definitely think this is a sustainable life style; at least as of day 6 it is!  Hard to believe, I've kept up 6 days on one diet! Let's do this!

West Indies Chicken and Red Split Lentils

After google searching recipes with "chicken and red split lentils" I noticed that a lot of recipes were soup or curry. I did not want soup and I did not have all the ingredients for curry so I decided to make my own West Indies Inspired meal.

It starts with celery, red pepper and onion sauteed until soft in coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a healthy fat and I wanted to use something that was not olive oil.  I added a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne for some subtle, "what's that in the background?" taste.  Curry was to make it a little West Indies and peas was to add more green veggies.

West Indies Chicken and Red Split Lentils
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 red pepper diced
pinch cinnamon and cayenne
1 tsp curry
3 chicken breasts chopped into bite size pieces
salt and pepper
1 cup peas
1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery garlic and red pepper.  Cook until soft (about 10 or so minutes).  Add the spices and allow to cook for about one minute.  Add the chicken and cook until done (about 10 or so minutes).   Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes. Voila! You're finished!

Lentils
1/2 cup lentils
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp curry powder

Add lentils to a pot, our chicken broth on top and add the curry powder. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

I added an avocado and tomato salad for additional vegetables.

 (this is about 1/2 way through the recipe)

Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce with Peas and Avocado

For dinner tonight, I thought it would be fun to have eggs! I had roast chicken for lunch and really didn't want to have chicken again.  I wanted to try baking the eggs in tomato sauce because that just sounded really good and I've seen it around before.  My version of Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce includes peas (to keep it Slow Carb friendly) and pinto beans. I would've preferred black, but already had eaten those this week and wanted to change it up.  I chose to serve with avocado because the homage to Mexican flavors screamed for a perfectly ripen avocado.  I thought the avocado would also add a nice (healthy)  richness to the dish. I decided to double dip on this recipe and added boneless skinless chicken thighs for lunch tomorrow.  Double Duty!   So here is my Slow Carb version of eggs baked in tomato sauce!

Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce

(adapted from Closet Cooking)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 an onion diced

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp of cumin

Cayenne, Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup tomato sauce

2 eggs and 2 chicken thighs

1 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in a pot or skillet over medium-low heat.   Add diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until nice and soft.  Add the garlic and spices and cook for about 1 minute.  Turn the heat up to about medium/medium high. Add the chicken thighs and allow to sear on both sides.  Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and put the peas in. 

In one small baking dish, put the chicken thighs in it and enough of the sauce to cover them.  In another small baking dish put sauce in it and crack two eggs over the sauce.  Make sure you cover the egg whites! Covering the egg whites allows them to cook in the same amount of time as the eggs.  Place the two dishes into a preheated 350 oven.  Cook the chicken thighs for about 30 minutes and cook the eggs for about 20-25 minutes until the egg whites are set, or until a white cloud has passed over the yolks.  Serve with sliced avocado and enjoy!

I think this recipe would've been better with a can of crushed tomato, but overall this was quite delicious. I thought the peas would be weird too, but it added some nice variety and went well with the beans. Next time though, will definitely be using crushed tomatoes.

Slow Carb Black Beans and Steak

This is a super easy and quick meal; perfect for when you need to quickly get something on the table.  This is also super satisfying and compliant with the Slow Carb diet. I used a small portion of steak to make the steak I bought last longer.  I can't remember what I bought, but it was a nice, very lean slab at about $3.50 for the whole thing.  It was pretty tasty, but could've used a bit of a marinade for tenderizing.  I chopped my steak because then I wouldn't have to cut it later :)

Black Beans and Steak
1/2 can black bean rinsed and drained
Steak- a decent serving.  I probably had about 4 oz, maybe less. 
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Splash of lemon juice (if you'd like) 
Baby Spinach

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the cut pieces of steak.  Let the steak cook for a few and add the black beans.  Smash a few of the black bean to make them easier to grab. Add the spices and let everything mix together. Splash some lemon juice and serve over baby spinach.

I didn't take a picture, because it wasn't that exciting to look at.  To repurpose for another day I added 1/2 bell pepper. That will likely be breakfast for tomorrow.

Approaching Day 3 on Slow Carb

Days 1 and 2 have felt amazing on the Slow Carb diet. I'm so full and have not felt hungry one bit!  

Day 2 was my first day on the diet while at work.  Lately there have been many temptations at work (cookies and doughnuts mostly) so I was expecting the worst. I didn't see any temptations, but I really didn't want them anyway.  The idea of waiting for one special day to savor all of those delicious and unhealthy foods makes you want to hold off, or at least makes me want to hold off. 

I went to the gym as well and chose to walk/ jog the 1.5 mile round trip to the gym. I lifted weights and I never felt that my energy levels or low or that I needed more food. I even went to the grocery store afterwards and still wasn't hungry!  This diet is an amazing approach to eating. You don't have to eat calories and you just eat until you're full.  Lentils and beans are so filling!

At the store, I did purchase some bananas and chocolate almond milk to blend into a post-workout smoothie, because it should be allowed after a workout to refuel the muscles. I'm going to investigate if chocolate almond milk has the same benefits as dairy chocolate milk for post-lift refuel.  

So, this diet is pretty amazing so far. At the end of the day, do I want to lose weight? Of course, but having such a regimented way of eating is also really nice! It's sort of reassuring that you have to follow a structure and not have to worry about the plethora of "stuff" in the store.

We'll see how day 3 goes and onward!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Roasted Broccoli served over Lentils

I wanted something that sounded luxurious for dinner so I opted for braised chicken thighs with roasted broccoli. I adapted a recipe I found online because I could easily omit the butter from it and many other recipes called for flour to thicken a sauce.  This recipe is fairly easy, but it makes for a better weekend meal rather than weekday, just because it takes a bit of time to cook the thighs.

Braised Chicken Thighs
(adapted from Stella Culinary)

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400F

Heat olive oil in a skilled.  Add the thighs and sear until golden brown and season to taste. Once seared, remove the thighs and place on a plate.  Add balsamic vinegar and reduce by 1/2.  Add the garlic cloves and the thighs to the pan.  Once the liquid comes to a simmer, turn off the heat and place the pan in the oven to finish cooking for about 30 minutes.

When the thighs have braised, pull the pan out of the oven and remove the chicken thighs setting them aside for later.

Place the  pan back on the stove top and turn your burner to medium-high heat and allow the braising liquid to reduce by about 3/4 or until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Roasted Broccoli
3 bunches of broccoli- chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 cup balsamic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, spread onto a baking sheet and throw in the oven along with the chicken.  Roast for about 20 minutes or until you can see some browned bits on the broccoli.

Lentils
Cook the Lentils according to the package.

Serve the chicken and broccoli over the lentils, or you can make three sections on the plate.  Drizzle the braising liquid over the chicken.

Red Split Lentils and Steak over Baby Spinach "Nachos"

For lunch, I decided to try Red Split Lentils.  I had these lentils sitting in my cabinet for awhile and thought that this new diet would be a perfect use for them.  I adapted the recipe that was on the back of the bag and served over baby spinach. I added my remaining 1/2 tomato from breakfast to add more vegetables.   I think 1/2 cup lentils is too much for one person, so be prepared for leftovers!  

The reason I added "nachos" to the end of the post title, is because oddly enough, this recipe reminds me of nachos! Don't call me crazy, but I mean it! The baby spinach adds a delightful crispness to the slightly mushy lentils, sort of like tortilla chips!  The spinach acts as a bed of crunchy tortilla chips, the lentils act as the heavy meat concoction that tops the chips. No, it really isn't nachos, but sort of a healthy tribute to nachos. 

Red Split Lentils
(adapted from Red Split Lentils recipe on back of bag from Trader Joe's)

1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup red lentils
1 1/4 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

Heat oil in pan; add lentils, toss to coat; about 1 minutes.  Add broth and seasoning.  Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat until tender and the liquids almost absorbed, about 12 minutes.

Steak
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb flank steak chopped
1/2 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
Pinch cayenne
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Heat oil in skillet over low heat.  Add peppers and onions and allow to soften.  Add chopped steak and seasoning. Cook until steak is cooked through.  

For this meal I had about 1/2 cup steak leftover.  I added the leftover steak to the cooked lentils to heat through.

For the dish:

Serve steak and lentils over a bed of baby spinach and top with chopped tomato.  Enjoy!

Slow Carb Black Beans and Eggs

Good Morning!

For my first slow carb meal ever, I decided to try and keep it simple with a quick breakfast.  Today is a Sunday and I'd rather have pancakes or biscuits, but that's not going to be allowed on this diet unless it's a cheat day.  

I decided to go with eggs and black beans.  I like eggs and I like black beans! I thought black beans seemed more breakfast friendly than pinto.  I had some tomatoes that were very ripe and I wanted to include those too.  I took out the seeds, because I didn't want my eggs to get too wet.  Here it is, my super tasty black beans and eggs!

Slow Carb Breakfast Beans and Eggs
1/2 tomato diced
1/2 cup rinsed black beans.  (I used reduced sodium).
2 egg whites
2 whole eggs
Pinch cayenne (or more if you like it hotter)
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Add the tomato to a preheated non-stick skillet.  Let the tomato cook for about a minute or so, just to become even sweeter.  Add the black beans and let them warm up with the tomatoes.
2) Add the spices!  Add more cayenne if you'd like it hotter. 
3) Add the eggs and egg whites.
4) Scramble all of the ingredients until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  I prefer my scrambled eggs to be fully cooked.  Some like them a bit softer so it's up to you. 

Eat and Enjoy!

For next time, I will put this on a bed of spinach to get the vegetable portion of the diet in and a squeeze of lime juice would be really delicious.