Oscar-Worthy Creamy Pesto Dip

February 28, 2013 By Laura

I don’t like movies.

I know, I know… you’re looking at your screen like I said I kill puppies.

They are just SO predictable/disappointing/over-acted/etc. I do make exception for movies based on true stories. Zero Dark 30, for example, was incredible. I also liked Les Miserables… even thought it was a musical and it was long. ~~It could have something to do with the bottle of wine we snuck into the theater…~~

Either way, I DO love the awards shows. I like to ~~judge~~ check out the dresses, and love the performances between awards. How awesome is Adele?!

When Special K contacted me about trying their new Sweet & Salty Popcorn Chips and sharing them with friends at an Oscar party, I jumped at the chance. I love a party! 😉

The awesome party package they sent included the chips, nail polish, a game to guess the winners, and…. a red carpet!!! ***I received this product and party kit at no cost from Special K; however, all opinions are my OWN!***

I invited over some of my favorite movie buffs and prepared a spread of meatballs, Creamy Pesto Dip, Brown Beer Hummus, veggie sticks, cheeses, and Red Wine Chocolate Cookies. And the chips, of course.

The chips were totally addicting. How can it get better than sweet & salty? We inhaled 2 boxes. Which really isn’t bad considering a serving is 28 chips. Only 120 calories AND I can pronounce every ingredient on the (short) list.

Our favorite performances were – of course – Adele and Les Mis. I can’t believe they got the whole cast on stage! I also laughed like a 10-year-old boy at the “We Saw Your Boobs” song. #sorryimnotsorry.

Did I mention it was a pajama party?

Back to the spread. The dips were fantastic with the chips. I shared the Beer Hummus on Monday, but today I have the Creamy Pesto Dip for you. This recipe was inspired by this recipe created by my girl Kierston. She is a Canadian figure competitor and I have LOVED following her journey!

I lightened it up a bit to meet my dietary needs by eliminating the pine nuts and parm and using nutritional yeast. Because nutritional yeast has a cheesy-nutty taste to it, it made a fabulous pesto and packed in the B-12 and protein.

Citrus and spice are a couple of my favorite ways to add depth and a bright punch to recipes. I added lemon juice and red pepper flakes to accomplish that here. After combining the first ingredients in the food processor, I transferred the mix to a bowl to stir in the Greek yogurt (more protein – woot!). I couldn’t believe how light and flavorful the result was!

Vegan or dairy-free? Make your protein-packed pesto creamy by adding tofu to the blender!

Creamy, fluffy and packed with protein. And it got the thumbs up from Carol.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Creamy Pesto Dip

1 C fresh basil leaves (packed)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C Greek yogurt

Place basil, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and peppers in food processor. Process until combined.

With processor running, slowly add in oil.

Transfer to a bowl. Stir in Greek yogurt.

Enjoy!

Makes ~1 C.

***

I wish I had an excuse to throw a party every weekend! It’s fun… and a great motivator to clean the house. 😉

What is your favorite party dip?

Do you like movies? What was your favorite this season?

Brown Beer Hummus

February 25, 2013 By Laura

I make a lot of strange stuff.

Relatively speaking – I think it’s totally normal! 🙂

I must confess that there ARE certain things that intimidate me. Heather’s Meatless Monday A-Z ingredient this week one of them. Yeast. I am inexplicably intimidated by the thought of using yeast to make bread. Bread seems so complex to me! It’s only a few ingredients, I know.

For this week’s recipe I decided to be sneaky with the ingredient and use beer. Beer has yeast. It counts, right?

This was actually created for another reason: I had an Oscar party! I wanted to have food in the theme of the movies this year, and this killed two bird with one stone. Hummus for the Middle Eastern-set Argo and Zero Dark 30, and beer for the tailgate theme of Silver Linings playbook!

What resulted was a funky hummus, with the nutty tahini and cumin flavors we all love, combined with hoppy, brown sweetness from the beer.

The beer I used is a limited release. Laguanitas came out with a seasonal beer – Brown Shugga’ – a few years ago and apparently it was SO good that when they didn’t bring it back the following year due to capacity issues people were outraged. Laguinatas Sucks is their apology.

It’s awesome. It says brown shugga,’ but it has notes of citrus and pine that make for a really interesting marriage of flavors with the more tadtiional lemon and tahini in the hummus.

Brown Beer Hummus

1 can no salt added chickpeas
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 T fresh rosemary
1 T tahini
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/3 C beer (I used Lagunitas Sucks, a hoppy beer)

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Add additional beer for a thinner dip.

Serve with chips and veggies.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

***

I wish they wouldn’t do these shows on Sunday nights. I’m SO tired… but how awesome was the Les Mis performance?!

Did you watch the Oscars? What was your favorite performance?

What are your thoughts on yeast? Does bread intimidate you?

Butternut Banana Protein Shake

February 18, 2013 By Laura

There is something in the water.

Ok, there are probably lots of things in our water… I don’t think about it.

This weekend I must have been drinking the ‘roid water because I was hitting PRs all over the gym. I don’t feel any different in terms of ability, but for some reason the weights were lighter these past few days.

My Saturday PRs were: (unassisted) dumbbell chest press, include bench press with a twist, and pullovers. Then on Sunday I PR’d on the read delt machine. I’d been stuck at the same weight forever… but I turned up the music and told the thing is was going to move ~~Cee Lo-style~~.

The only thing I’ve changed is to make sure that immediately following a workout I have whey protein with a complex carb. That works for me because my favorite post-workout snack is a protein shake.

I had not been making many – it’s too cold – BUT Heather gave me a good reason to being them back into my life with her Meatless Monday A-Z ingredient: Xanthan Gum!

Xanthan gum is a thickening agent and it prevent separation. These qualities make it a perfect smoothie/shake addition! If you read the ingredient list for most ice creams and milkshakes, you’ll find Xanthan gum, as it gives these desserts a fabulous creamy texture.

Bananas are often used to make shakes thicker in the healthy-living community. I used it in my Oatmeal Cookie Shake! Never one to settle for “normal,” I began using alternatives like butternut squash or sweet potatoes to thicken my protein-laced creations. What I never thought to do until this weekend was use BOTH.

Sweet banana and butternut make for one fabulous combination. It’s almost like a cold pie filling! I loved it with the almond extract – it makes everything taste like cookies to me.

This shake is especially good to have post workout – you get your 20g of protein from the powder, carbs from the banana and butternut, potassium for muscle recovery from the banana, and anti-inflammatory benefits from ginger and cinnamon.

A little bit of Xanthan goes a long way here with the already-creamy banana and butternut combo. What results is a treat so fantastically thick you’ll need to eat it with a spoon.

If you’re so inclined – and I am ALWAYS inclined – you can toss in some spinach for an extra serving of greens. You can’t taste it. Don’t be scared.

Yes, I put this back in the blender after taking pics the “normal” colored shake.

Butternut Banana Shake

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/3 C butternut squash, pre-cooked
1/2 banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2-1/4 in piece fresh ginger
1/8 tsp Xanthan gum
6-7 drops liquid Stevia (optional)
Spinach (optional)
Ice + water, to taste

Place everything in a high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.

Transfer to a glass and enjoy!

***

I know some one will ask… that spoon is from this Etsy shop. ~~Good luck. I spent an ungodly amount of money on spoons.~~

Can you name a food that starts with an X? I think I can name 2… I have NO idea what Heather’s going to do for the next few rounds!

Have you ever used thickeners for before?

Strange But Good Spinach Dip

February 15, 2013 By Laura

Green food has my heart.

Next year I may revolt and turn Valentine’s Day into an ode green food.

Dip is always good in my book. Well, almost. I’m sure there have been nasty dips made. One of my favorite dips – Spinach – is beautifully green. The problem with most spinach dips is that they are loaded with cheese/fat/salt/other stuff I can’t have. And where’s the protein?!

I went back to my vegetarian days for the solution. Tofu and nutritional yeast. I swear there is nothing these two ingredients can’t do.

Blending the two together with my favorite spices created a creamy, cheesy base for my spinach dip. Cinnamon and nutmeg may seem like strange additions, but they are really good with greens! They complemented the smoked paprika to give this dip a fabulous depth.

Of course I then I un-veganized the recipe. Twice.

For lunch I made a crust from 2T Kamut flour, 1T coconut flour, 1T apple cider vinegar, and just enough water to make it pancake batter consistency. Then I cooked it a pan like a pancake before topping it with my Spinach Tofu Dip, zucchini, and balsamic chicken and placing it under the broiler to brown.

Then for Meal 6 I mixed my dip with shredded chicken in a ramekin and baked it for 10 mins to make a creamy spinach-chicken treat. The dip alone would be awesome wamred in the oven and eaten with crusty bread.

It tasted even better because my chicken was FREE! Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods took much longer than promised to get the Naked (read: no salt) rotisserie chicken out of the oven. I waited SO long to get it that they comped my whole chicken! They may be pricey, but Whole Foods has the BEST customer service. Amazing Valentine’s Day present. 🙂

______________________________________________________________________________________

Cheesy Spinach Tofu Dip

9 oz firm tofu
3 cloves garlic
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 C frozen spinach, thawed

Place all ingredients except the spinach in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.

Squeeze excess moisture out of spinach, then add to blender.

Pulse until just combined; there should still be large pieces of spinach.

Makes 1 3/4 C.

___________________________________________________________________________________

I want to see YOUR strange but good food!

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above.

In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Single’s Awareness Day isn’t so bad. I visited to my two loves: the gym and Whole Foods. Good workout + free chicken = happy blogger.

When was the last time you experienced excellent customer service?

Did you do anything strange for Valentine’s Day? Keep it clean, ya’ll… 😉

Happy Singles Awareness Day

February 14, 2013 By Laura

I like being ~~married to the gym~~ single.

I couldn’t even handle having a cat in my life.

What I can handle is eating red food. I’ve been traveling too much to make anything special, but if I make it to the grocery store today I may eat something red.

In the meantime, I did manage to round-up my favorites… and separate them into courses. ~~This is what happens when you blog on an airplane.~~

Then I couldn’t help myself – I made a new sugar-free, high protein microwave cake when I got home from the airport. It was late, the pics are dark… but this is what happens when you are without chocolate cake and Nuttzo for days. Cravings must be satisfied! Recipe at the end.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast

Raspberry Baked Oatmeal (To-Go!)

♥

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

♥

Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

♥

Mains

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

♥

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

♥

Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce

♥

Dessert

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

♥

Strawberry Smoky Almond Tart

_______________________________________________________________________________________

This last dessert is the one I made upon arriving home last night. I had a fierce peanut butter and chocolate craving, and this sugar-less treat fit the bill. And did I mention it has 30g of protein???

If you stop the microwave while it still looks a tad jiggly on top, you’ll have a gooey, molten cake. Which is exactly when I did, and highly recommend. Then I topped it with a healthy serving of Nuttzo (which I am obsessed with), and a festive strawberry heart.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Microwave Cake

2 T peanut flour
1 scoop (2T) chocolate protein powder
1 T cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 T pumpkin puree
1/4 C egg whites
1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 drops chocolate liquid stevia (I used NuNaturals)

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and stir to combine.

Transfer to a small, greased bowl (I used coconut oil). Microwave until just done, ~ 45-60 secs.

Transfer to a plate, top as desired, and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritionals: 180 calories, 4g fat, 150.8mg sodium, 11.2g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1.5g sugar, 31.5g protein

I received this jar of NuttZo free of charge through participation in a FitFluential campaign. I was not otherwise compensated; all opinions on the product are my own (I already ate the stuff religiously). Check out NuttZo on Twitter and/or Facebook!

***

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I think this is the perfect night to curl up with a glass of red wine, some popcorn, and dark chocolate while watching Grey’s.

Do you have big Valentine’s plans?

What is your favorite Valentine-themed food? I dig those Reese’s hearts… the shapes have more PB!

More Strange, Still Good

September 28, 2012 By Laura

It’s a theme in my life.

Except in the dating scene. Strange = bad.

Two Fridays ago I wrote a post of some of my favorite Strange But Good concoctions… and 2 weeks later I of course have more to share!

Before we dive into the realm of odd: there is an Atlanta blogger potluck meet up this weekend. If you want to come and haven’t received an email, send me a note and I’ll forward the invite to you! The more the merrier. 🙂

Ok. Back to the ~~strange~~ fun stuff:

1. Salmon + Blackberry Salad

You guys may have seen this on WIAW…

I mixed 4oz salmon, 2 T fat-free ricotta, a little cinnamon, a little unsweetened almond milk, and blackberries. It was strange but oh-so-good.

2. Mexican Hot Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

Hot ice cream? Why yes… there is cayenne in it! this sweet-heat treat was a fantastic midnight snack. The green tint comes from spinach… but that’s standard, not strange.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon (or 2 sticks)
1/2 in piece ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne (can adjust to taste)
1/4 C unsweetened chocolate almond milk
2 C spinach
5-6 drops liquid stevia
1/8 tsp guar gum (optional)
Ice, to taste

It’s topped with Walden Farm’s Sugar-Free Caramel… but honestly… that’s more strange than good.

3. Bacon-Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Potato

After news of the impending bacon shortage… I was craving bacon. I stuffed a locally-grown pre-cooked sweet potato with with ricotta and then crumbled a small piece of pre-cooked bacon on top. Then I placed it int he oven under broil while I made a quick vegan tempeh stir-fry.

Vegan + Bacon = Tasty Dinner.

4. Zucchini Bread Protein Batter

This is Strange But Good PROOF! Debbie @ Accidentally Delish gave it a try for WIAW:

From Debbie: “You don’t even taste the zucchini. I promise.”

Click here for the full recipe.

5. Lightlife Portobello Burger with Sweet Potato-Chipotle Spread

This was strange but good on 2 counts. First, this Lightlife Portobello Mushroom Burger tasted downright meaty. I was shocked – I even went back to check the ingredient list. All vegetarian!

The best part? It has a full 20g of protein. 🙂

Second, the sweet potato as a condiment. It’s addicting… I’ve topped my salmon tortilla pizzas with it too. I love sweet with a little heat (as if you couldn’t tell from the Mexican ice cream), and that was perfectly balance here with the sweet potato and chipotle. Cumin added a warm, earthy flavor that was especially good with the meaty ‘shroom burger.

My dinner guests and I enjoyed the burgers in a very green way – on a field of spinach, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, cilantro, and a few cannellini beans.

***Disclaimer: As a part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, Lightlife provided me with a stipend and product for sampling. All opinions are MINE. 🙂 ***

This series is brought to you in partnership with Lightlife, Live long. Travel light. To learn more, click here http://www.lightlife.com.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Sweet Potato-Chipotle Spread

1/4 C pre-cooked sweet potato, mashed
1 tsp chipotle in adobo
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or curry powder – both are good here)
1 T unsweetened almond milk

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mash to combine.

Use as a condiment on burgers, pizzas, sandwiches… or a dip for your favorite veggie sticks or chips!

***

I just realized how much sweet potato I’ve been eating. These local ‘taters are just so tasty!

Do you have a favorite veggie burger?

What is your #strangebutgood this week?

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

August 23, 2012 By Laura

I’m terrible at making nut butter.

Does that get me kicked out of the blog world? The only one I’ve ever successfully made was a Spiced Almond Butter.

Until today. I found a workaround.

One my training diet, I can’t have a ton of fats. However, I do get to have a handful of almonds or seeds each day. I’m forever searching for a way to maximize the nutty deliciousness. What can I say – I’m a volume eater.

With this low-fat peanut almond butter, I can have a heaping 2 tablespoons of the good stuff. I’ve been taking full advantage – smearing it on toast, stirring it into Greek yogurt, dipping apple slices in it… name your favorite way to eat peanut butter and this is a worthy sub!

For a protein-filled breakfast, I slathered it on a piece of P28 high protein bread and topped it with fresh peaches.

The true test was when I craved it on a cheat day. On a day when anything goes, I still slathered a piece of toasted bread with this butter and happily snacked away. Of course, that “bread” was a slice of chocolate pound cake. 😉

Recipe at the bottom, after a quick, unrelated review…

You may have seen Energy Bits reviews floating around the blogs lately. At 64% protein, I REALLY wanted these to live up to the hype.

Spirulina has been gaining popularity lately. These bits are made from 100% organic spirulina algae. It’s super high in protein, low in calories, and will supposedly “boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out.“

Sounds almost too good to be true, right?

Well…. it was for me. I didn’t notice the slightest difference.

Ideally you are supposed to chew them. I tried one and nearly gagged, so I opted to swallow the rest. I waited a good 45 mins to let it hit my system before working out, but no dice. Maybe they’d work if you took them more consistently?

I received these at no charge through the Fitfluential Ambassador program. This is my honest opinion. I wanted to like them… but I can’t see spending $115 on this product. Thank you to the Energy Bits crew for allowing me to sample the product!

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

1/4 cup almond flour
3 T peanut flour
1/4 cup almond milk
6 drops vanilla liquid stevia
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mix nut flours and almond milk until combined. You may adjust liquids to desired consistency. If too thin, place the mix in the fridge to thicken. Add sweetener and cinnamon, if desired.

Makes ~8T.

Approximate Nutritionals (per tablespoon): 32 calories, 2.2g fat, 5.6g sodium, 1.6g carbohydrates, 0.8g fiber, 0.3g sugar, 2.3g protein

***

Today my dad would have turned 57. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone 4 years… but he is forever my inspiration. Happy Birthday, Daddy.

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch Albom

Are you a successful nut butter maker? (Sarah, you can’t answer, #nuttybutter )

What is your favorite nut butter pairing?

Chick-less Nuggets + Sweet ‘n Spicy Mustard Sauce

August 14, 2012 By Laura

Nuggets of gold, I tell you.

Who needs Chick-fil-a?! These tasty vegan treats all the flavor and finger food deliciousness of the fast food treat, but without the MSG, high fructose corn syrup, ammonium sulfate, yellow 5, blue 1, etc. (I only wish I were kidding about that ingredient list.)

Maybe they missed the memo:

Isn’t this awesome? I ordered this tee from Callie @ Rawxy. Her cookies are good too, IMHO. 😉

Growing up I thought my mom was so mean because we were rarely allowed to stop for fast food. I wanted a toy with dinner! Looking back I am grateful – to this day I have never eaten a fast food hamburger!

However, I did enjoy the occasional chicken nugget from a certain Southern chain. Today I wouldn’t dream of buying them, especially when there are clean alternatives like these:

My chick-less nuggets are TVP-based and are vegetarian/vegan.

After a quick pulse in the blender, mix in some chickpea flour and an egg (a flax egg works here) to bind them. This creates a nugget-like texture that… well… tastes like chicken.

You can make the bites any flavor you’d like, but I went for the classic blend of paprika, red pepper, onion, and garlic. Lay off the red pepper and these would be ideal for kid meals! Sorry, toy not included.

Dunked in a healthy, quick sweet ‘n spicy mustard sauce, you’d almost swear these were from a drive-thru… a thought you’ll quickly push aside because these clean bites are better.

Chick-less Nuggets

1 C water
1 no-meat chicken bullion cube
1 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
2 T chickpea flour
1 egg (flax egg or the “real” thing)
1 tsp spice blend (I used a mix of paprika, red pepper, onion, garlic)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or 475 convection.

Heat water in medium bowl and stir in bouillon until dissolved. Add TVP, stir, and allow to stand for 5 mins.

Pulse soaked TVP in food processor; you want larger pieces broken up, but not a puree. Add egg and flour and mix well. Season with your favorite spice blend.

Form “nuggets” with the TVP mix (heaping 2T per nugget). Drop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place in oven and bake for 10 mins, until golden. Flip nuggets and bake for an additional 5 mins. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 10 nuggets.

Note: Use a flax egg to make vegan.

Approx Nutritionals (per nugget): 47 calories, 0.8g fat, 20.7g sodium, 3.7g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 5.8g protein

Sweet and Spicy Mustard Sauce

1 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp mustard
2 T water
2 drops lemon liquid stevia (or sweetener or choice)
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Mix together and dip away!

***

I added a mini “about” section to my side bar with a pic, but am unsure about it… too much?

Do/did you ever like fast food?

What is your favorite dipping sauce?

Oscar-Worthy Creamy Pesto Dip

Creamy Pesto Dip

Brown Beer Hummus

Brown Beer Hummus

Butternut Banana Protein Shake

Butternut Banana Shake

Strange But Good Spinach Dip

Cheesy Spinach Tofu Dip

Happy Singles Awareness Day

Breakfast

Mains

Dessert

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Microwave Cake

Happy Valentine’s Day!

More Strange, Still Good

1. Salmon + Blackberry Salad

2. Mexican Hot Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

3. Bacon-Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Potato

4. Zucchini Bread Protein Batter

5. Lightlife Portobello Burger with Sweet Potato-Chipotle Spread

Sweet Potato-Chipotle Spread

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

Chick-less Nuggets + Sweet ‘n Spicy Mustard Sauce

Chick-less Nuggets

Sweet and Spicy Mustard Sauce

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!