People will eat anything.

I know I’m all #strangebutgood, but some take it way to far.  To the point of #strangebutnasty.

Pizza seems to be the most common canvas for strangeness.  Sometimes it works – I love a runny egg on my socca (it’s also delish on my cauliflower pizza crust).

However, some things just shouldn’t happen.  Like insane stuffed crusts.  I ran across this article listing the “12 Craziest Things Mankind Has Stuffed Into Pizza Crusts.”

That is a cheese burger crust.  A.K.A. Heart attack waiting to happen.

This next one I must admit is creative.  But come on.  Do you reallllly need buffalo wings in your crust?

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Moving on to something less nauseating… it’s another green WIAW!  Eating a high protein diet doesn’t mean sacrificing veggies!  I have a fruit or veggie with every meal, so I’m especially glad Jenn decided to rock out with her green out this month.

Check out my 7 veggie-laced, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is green-ing up their food this month!

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Meal 1:

Predictably, I began my day with a cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

This morning I went savory.  Remember this Spaghetti Squash Pie?  Today I made it Mexican and ate it for breakfast.  I prepped the meat and squash the night before, so it was easy to compose and throw in the oven first thing in the morning.  #strangebutgood 

I LOVE this combo.  It’s not so weird to have eggs, cheese, and salsa in the morning… so why not add some ground chicken and squash and call it a pie?

I used salsa in this version and added bulk using black beans.  After it cooked, I added fresh avocado to the top – I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step.

Recipe at the bottom.

Meal 2:

Spicy baked chicken had become something of an addiction.  I baked this with a TON of Indian spices – ginger, dry mustard, cinnamon, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and fenugreek.

Eaten with perfectly ripe mango.  Sweet + Spicy = Addiction  Strange but good?

Meal 3:

Lunch was a post-leg workout meal.  Let’s pretend I was more creative… but no.  I brought my old favorite to the gym.  Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  Made with french vanilla Designer Whey and topped with brown rice crispies.  After 100 hack squats, I would have eaten my first.  But this probably tasted better. 😉

 

Meal 4:

The salt-free deli turkey addiction continues.  Today I made little cucumber open-face sandwiches and topped them with avocado, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground pepper.

I mayyyyy have also done a little quality control for a cake I was baking.  This is my first attempt at gluten-free baking, so it had to be tested.  I made a mini confetti cake:

Meal 5:

You guys know my friend Kat who guest posts here every Thursday?  It was Kat’s birthday yesterday!  She had a potluck dinner at her place, so I enjoyed everyone’s home cooked dishes at dinner.  We had kale salad, roasted sweet potatoes, beet and orange salad, nuts, hummus, GF chips, and peanut M&Ms.  All the basic food groups.  And wine… heart health is important, you know. 😉

Plus cake.  Kat is gluten-free and requested a GF confetti cake.  I happily obliged and made a cake based on this recipe, plus some boozy hazelnut icing.

The flavor of the cake was awesome; it was just enough vanilla to have a distinct flavor.  I was especially happy that it remained moist.  However, the texture was a bit gummy.  Anyone know how to fix that?  Or is that just common in a GF cake? 

The icing was a win.  Nutty and creamy, it was just the thing against the vanilla cake.

Frangelico (Hazelnut) Frosting

• 3 C confections sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, room temperature
• 4 T Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)

Whip butter with electric (or hand) mixer until light and fluffy (~3-4 mins). Slowly add powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time  (adding slowly means it’s less grainy and requires less sugar to thicken).

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Frangelico and whip it until combined.  If this makes frosting too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar.

Meal 6:

Ha!  There were no more meals.  I ate 5-7 at the party, and enjoyed celebrating with Kat!

Kat is guest posting again tomorrow – don’t forget to come back by and wish her a happy belated!  Teaser: I think her post is going to be related to the Ultra Marathon she ran last weekend!

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Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

• 1 small spaghetti squash, pre-cooked (about 3.5 cups, easy microwave instructions here)
• 1/2 C egg whites
• 1/2 C fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp dried cilantro 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 8 oz. ground chicken
• 1/4 C red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 C salsa
• 1/2 C black beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a pie dish.

Stir together the spaghetti squash and egg whites.  Pour evenly into the pie dish as the crust (note: this will look too runny, but it isn’t – the egg will solidify in the oven).

Mix together the ricotta cheese, cilantro, cumin, and garlic powder.  Arrange evenly over the spaghetti mixture, leaving ~1/4 in space around the edge to preserve the “pie” look.

In a large pan, brown ground chicken with onion, jalapeno and garlic (can also use olive oil).  Add salsa and beans, allowing to cook over medium until warmed (~6-7 mins).

Evenly pour the chicken and sauce mixture on top of the ricotta layer in your pie dish.

Bake uncovered for ~45 mins, or until most of the “jiggle” is gone.

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The protein count for the day: I don’t know… I definitely did well but I wasn’t about to measure everything at a birthday party.  Let’s just say my leg day was fueled.

We all like brinner (breakfast for dinner), but do you ever eat dinner for breakfast?

Do you ever make a “tester” when you try new recipes?