Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Bacon, Bloody Marys and Pumpkin Parfaits + WIAW

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How much bacon is too much?

Bacon coffee?  Add some protein powder and you could drink your hot breakfast!  Of course, then you would need to brush your teeth again.

Seattle’s Best Coffee hosted its Red Cup Showdown for the best coffee creations.  The winner created a  “How to Win a Guy with One Sip” drink that combined coffee with “caramelized bacon and subtle hints of pumpkin pie spice.”  Click here for the full story.

Not filling enough?  Have a Bloody Mary.

[Photo: Midlex / Reddit – click for link]

More than a Bloody, its hangover heaven.  This beast is adorned with pepperoncinis, jalapenos, tater tots, steak, a slice of toast, and a hard-boiled egg. you get all of that for $16… including a 6oz of pepper vodka and a Beef Strawto drink from.

This monstrosity can be found right around the corner from my building at The Nook.  No, I have not ever tried it.

Jenn is saving us from bacon mania with another heath-conscious  What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

I really love this idea because this time of year I have a tendency to slack a little.  The weather is cooler, the beer football is aplenty, and those first-of-the-year resolutions seem far away.

Fall doesn’t have to be like that!  This year I’m going to be inspired by Jenn to make fall a time for refocusing on my goals so that I don’t feel the need to desperately make resolutions for 2013.  My plan is for 2013 to be a continuation of good habits and a time for reaping the benefits of hard work.

Speaking of good habits, this WIAW was a successful day of protein-filled clean-eating in preparation for figure competition.  Check it out and then click here to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else is making their fall about good habits!

 

Meal 1:

As usual, I enjoyed my morning cocktail with the added 1 tsp of glutamine.

Fall  was in the air this morning – it was gray and rainy.  I actually got chill bumps when I stepped out on the deck!

Obviously, this means it’s time for pumpkin!  I took  my Tiramisu parfait idea, but created a special pumpkin cream filling to make a Pumpkin Tiramisu Parfait.

I added a few extra spices to make it more pie-like.  The creaminess of the pumpkin and yogurt mixture was like a legit pie filling.  Paired with layers of mocha-flavored oats… I actually prefer this to pie crust.  I can’t decide which version I like better, but you should be your own judge ASAP.

Recipe at bottom. 

Meal 2:

No, this isn’t yogurt.  This is the container left from my breakfast.  I was making my mid-morning snack while eat breakfast, so I just recycled the container.

What was in the container was no salt added cottage cheese, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, stevia, Sun Butter, and chopped up apple.  Cottage Cheese Apple Pie.  *swoon*

Meal 3:

I had good intentions of branching out more, but last week’s tequila-lime marinated tilapia was too good not to do again.

Eaten out of tupperware conference room-style with a side of Chipotle BBQ Beanitos (thank you Blend Retreat for introducing me to these) and raw zucchini sticks.

Meal 4:

Tuna salad is a great way to pack in protein without adding carbs or fat.  This isn’t your mom’s tuna – I mixed mine with Greek yogurt to add moisture (ewwww… moist) and even more protein.

Then I went crazy with my spice cabinet.  Paprika, tarragon, garlic, turmeric, and fresh lemon juice all went into the mix, along with fresh red pepper, broccoli, cucumber, and a little bit of pickle.  Adding all the veggies makes this tune truly a salad.

Meal 5:

On my Instagram last night I promised to post the toppings for this grab-everything-in-the-veggie-drawer Mexican Tilapia Pizza.  I had something completely different planned, but when I got back from the gym all I wanted was more of that Tequila-Lime Tilapia… this time with a tortilla.

I crisped a low carb tortilla in a pan and topped it with a mash of black beans and chipotle sauce, spinach, parsnip rice, sautéed portobellos and red pepper, heirloom cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and goat cheese.

Yep – cheese.  That was forbidden but because I need to gain more weight, I get an extra “cheat each day.  You better believe I’m using it well!

Meal 6:

I couldn’t go all day without the incredible, edible egg!  You guys know how I love my Carrot Cake Batter … and my PB & Jeggs creations are a favorite addiction.  Last night I decided to try for a marriage of the two: PB & Caggs.

This was made just like the Jeggs, but with grated carrot.  In my peanut sauce I used a full teaspoon of cinnamon, some fresh nutmeg, vanilla stevia, and a bit of brown sugar extract (ordered online).

I’ve done this in a spicy-savory way before too… it’s hard to say which is better.  I guess it depends on your mood!

Meal 7:

The blog world is abuzz with the onset of Starbucks’ seasonal pumpkin beverages, but I’m hosting my own pumpkin fest over here.  Thank you, Vitamix, for completing my life.

Pumpkin Pie Casein Protein Ice Cream

  • 1 scoop GNC vanilla casein protein powder
  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • Handful spinach (optional)
  • 1/3 C vanilla unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 in piece fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp guar gum
  • Ice, to taste
 Topped with Kashi Cinnamon cereal, cinnamon, and peanut flour fluff (peanut flour and almond milk).

Pumpkin Tiramisu Parfait

For the Oats:

  • 1/3 C rolled oats (use gluten-free to make GF)
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 cup strong brewed, cooled coffee
  • 8 drops liquid stevia (adjust to desired sweetness) 
For the Cream:
  • 1.5 oz plain Greek yogurt (use soy or almond yogurt to make dairy-free/vegan)
  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • 5-6 drops vanilla stevia 

For the Oats:

  • Combine the oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, extracts, and water in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until the liquid is (mostly) absorbed.
  • Add coffee and stevia. Stir to combine.
  • Cover and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours). 
For the Cream:
  • In a small bowl, combine yogurt, pumpkin, stevia, protein powder, and spices.
  • Stir until well combined.
  • This can be done the night before, or at time of serving. 
To Assemble:
  • Place a spoonful of the oats in a cup, followed by a spoonful of the yogurt mixture.
  • Repeat until you’re out of each.
  • Optional: Top with fruit of your choosing. I chose melted blueberries (cherries microwaved with a few drops of lemon stevia for ~20 secs). 

***

Protein count for the day: 190.2g from good, clean eats!  That’s record!!!

Bacon.  Is it really the ultimate flavor? I know even my vegan friends dig tempeh bacon and bacon Torani syrup.

What good habits are you going to “fall” into?

Apple Peanut Butter Socca Pie

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When the moon sun hits your eye like a big socca pie…

I’m having a serious love affair with breakfast foods like these PrOATein Pancakes or this Tiramisu Parfait.

With fall fast approaching, each week the apples are more and more delicious.  The Galas I bought at the Farmer’s Market this weekend are almost dessert-like.  Almost.

All they need is a good pie crust.  

Filling and full of protein, this breakfast could masquerade as dessert.

Sweet Gala apples topping a creamy peanut butter “frosting” could make me happy after any meal, but as a guilt-free dessert breakfast it’s even better. 

I really loved the socca as the base.  It’s pancake-like texture was perfect with the juicy crunch of the apple.  The warm spices in the socca make it even more reminiscent of apple pie.

If you haven’t made socca before, this is the time to try it.  It’s not hard – easier than pancakes!  I should know – half of my pancakes become pancake scrambles.

Don’t you want to dive into that creamy deliciousness?!  

For my dairy-free and vegan friends: This can be easily made a vegan treat.  Just replace the Greek yogurt with a non-dairy yogurt.  Be sure to adjust for the added moisture (Greek yogurt is thicker than the regular stuff); you will probably not need the tablespoon of almond milk.  Alternatively, you could leave out the yogurt completely and simply have a peanut flour frosting!

Note: I always spring for organic apples.  Apples are the top offender on the Dirty Dozen list!

 

Apple Peanut Butter Pie Socca

For the Socca

  • 1/4 C chickpea flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4-5 drops liquid stevia
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract (optional)

For the Topping

  • 2 oz Greek yogurt (use soy/almond yogurt, or leave out completely to make dairy-free/vegan)
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2-3 drops liquid stevia
  • 1 small apple

For the Socca:

Preheat oven to high broil.

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour batter in a small, well-oiled (I used PAM) oven-proof skillet over med-high heat.  Allow to cook until nearly done, 4-5 mins.

Set aside, allowing to cool slightly while mixing the topping.

For the Topping:

In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except the apple).  Spread across the room-temp socca (still in the skillet).

Thinly slice the apple, and arrange pieces atop the socca. 

Place in oven on high broil for 3-4 mins.  Watch carefully – it will go from perfect to burnt very quickly (not that I would know…).

Remove from oven and transfer to plate.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Approximate Nutritionals: 3.7 g fat, 37.1mg sodium, 29.9g carbohydrates, 6.3g fiber, 13.6 g sugar, 19.3g protein

***

I need to place an order on iHerb for more peanut flour… any suggestions for new things to try while I’m at it?  

FYI: iHerb.com is a great place to find healthy ingredients your grocer may not have (like peanut flour).  Use the code USO924 for $5 off your first order!

Have you ever made socca?

What  are you most looking forward to bringing back to your menu rotation this fall?

French Elvis Toast

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My love affair with breakfast continues.

I couldn’t choose between something peanut butter-y and French toast.  Like a true healthy-living blogger I want nut butter at every meal, but I’d been thinking about french toast ever since receiving a loaf of P28 Bread.

French toast was my favorite childhood breakfast.  Mom used to make it on challah bread with lots of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.  She would then warm syrup with butter to pour over the decadent toast.

Obviously that’s not on my training diet, and I had not attempted to make a healthy version due to my protein requirements.  There’s no way French toast would pack 20g of protein… until I received high protein bread.

You may have seen me mention P28 bread in previous posts.  I absolutely love it.  One slice packs 14g of protein!  Count me in.

P28 bread is chewier than regular bread.  Some people (Lee‘s husband) like that.  I don’t mind it, but prefer the bread toasted.  The toasting turns it perfectly soft with a nice crunchy exterior.  Note: Due to the whey, it toasts faster than regular bread, so keep an eye on it.

Now about the french toast…

Peanut butter-coated and topped with caramelized bananas, I had to name it after The King.

You know how good warm, runny nut butter is?  Imagine that, but soaked into bread.  A little vanilla and cinnamon makes it almost like eating dessert for breakfast.  Dessefast?  Deckfast?

For my topping, I sliced the bananas and let them briefly caramelize in the pan.  Arranged atop of the peanut-y toast and drizzled with cinnamon-lace syrup, those bananas added just the right amount of richness and creamy texture.

No peanut flour?  No problem!  Just use regular peanut butter.  (It will be easier to mix if you warm it just a bit.)

But really, you should order this peanut flour via iHerb.  Use coupon code USO924 for $5 off your first order.  It’s awesome, and it’s made in Georgia. 😉

Let’s pretend I didn’t lick my plate clean like a little kid…

Recipe at the end.

And now for the fun part.  P28 has offered an opportunity for 3 readers to try their bread!

P28 is made with 100% Whole Wheat, Whey Protein Isolate, Oats, Flaxseed, Sunflower Seed and Millet.  It’s 100% Natural, and is a great source of Omega 3s and 8 essential Amino Acids needed for growth, energy, and vibrant health.

Want a loaf of your very own?  Receive up to 4 entries by:

  1. Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
  2. Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win a loaf of high protein bread from @P28bread with @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1uR #giveaway
  3. Be Social: Twitter Follow P28, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
  4. Comment: What would you make first with your bread?

Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry!

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST Thursday night,  August 9th.  The winner will be announced here on Friday, August 10th!

Open to US Residents only.  If you’d like to try these bars but didn’t win, check out their website to find a local retailer, or to order your a sample pack.

French Elvis Toast

  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C egg whites
  • 2-3 T milk (I used unsweetened almond)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 drops liquid stevia
  • 1slice P28 Bread (or bread of choice)
  • 1/2 banana, sliced

For Syrup:

  • 2 T sugar-free maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract

For the Toast:

Combine all ingredients in wide bowl.  Dip bread in mixture until saturated.

Cook in pan over med-high heat until golden brown on each side.

When almost done, place banana slices in pan and allow to caramelize slightly (they will turn a bit brown on top).

For the Syrup:

Pour syrup in small bowl.  Mix in cinnamon and butter extract.  Microwave for ~20 secs, until warm.

Plate your toast and top with caramelized bananas and syrup.

Makes 1 serving.

Note: If using regular bread, you may need 2 slices.  P28 slices are large and more dense than a standard slice.

Vegan Option: First, use a vegan bread source.  Second, replace the eggs with more almond milk and add a tablespoon of flax.  Let it sit for 10 mins to thicken before dipping your bread.  Proceed to cook.

Approximate Nutritionals (without syrup or bananas): 223 calories, 5.9g fat, 342.5mg sodium, 16.2 carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 4g sugar, 28.8g protein

***

I’m have a double serving for breakfast today.  Last night was leg day with my trainger and I sort of want to die after  those hack squats.

My trainer posing with his torture tool: the hack squat machine.

What was your favorite breakfast as a child?

Have you even done hack squats?

Seasonal Baking: Fluffy Fig Scones

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Seasonal baked goods are worth a cheat meal.

As if I need an excuse…

When a friend brought me figs from her dad’s yard, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.

These are not your typical dried out coffee shop scones. They are quite moist, flaky, and full of rich figgy flavor.... and they're healthier!

You could use dried figs to make these scones, but why?  The juicy sweet fruit-candy is plentiful right now.

This recipe for fig-laced scones is one of my all-time favorites.  I make a batch once a year when figs are in season… it’s self-preservation, really.  If I make them, I eat them.

Over time I have lightened the recipe up a tad, but not to the detriment of taste or texture.

These are not your typical dried out coffee shop scones.  They are quite moist, flaky, and full of rich figgy flavor.  These free-form scones could masquerade as a muffin top in a pinch.

To sweeten these I used some “real” sugar, but also incorporated a NuNaturals Stevia blend.  Using a mix rather than replacing all of the real thing avoids any problem of aftertaste.

Maple extract is another great addition – you can achieve that rich maple flavor without having to add sugary syrup.  If you don’t have maple extract, try adding a vanilla or almond extract.

If you make these now, you’ll have them ready to eat while you cheer on the 4th of July race-runners.  Or to inhale after YOU run your own race.  I’ll be cheerleading for the world’s largest 10K with one of these and a cup of coffee in hand.  Stupid knee injury.

[Tweet “These Fig Scones are 100x better than anything in a coffee shop!”]

Fluffy Fig Scones

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Keywords: bake breakfast brunch snack figs spring summer

Ingredients (14 scones)

  • 4 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/4 C NuNaturals Fiber Baking Blend (or more regular sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 stick (1/2 C) salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 pound fresh figs (~6 large)
  • 1 C buttermilk (I made mine with just under 1C almond milk and 1T lemon juice)
  • 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 tsp maple extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 T cream
  • Palm (or raw) sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until you have pea-sized pieces. I find it’s easiest to just use my (clean) hands to do this.

Once combined, dice up your figs into 1 inch pieces and toss them in with the dry ingredients/butter mix.

Add milk, cream applesauce, and extract and briefly stir, just enough to bring the batter together. Do NOT over-mix.

the batter is moist, so I just make these free-form scones. Scoop ~1/4 C blob of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Mix together your egg yolk and cream to form a wash. Lightly brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Powered by Recipage

***

Totally off subject, but I laughed so hard when a friend posted this on Facebook that I have to share:

“NBC Gymnastics Trials Announcer: ‘This young lady has certainly turned into quite the confident beam-worker.’
If I said that about a 14 year-old girl, I’d be arrested.”

What are your plans for the 4th?  Any race-runners?

What is your favorite scone flavor?

Mexican Crustless Chickpea (Vegan) Quiche

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In my constant quest for protein, I’ve become obsessed with chickpea flour.

I’ve always loved socca.  Chickpea flour is also quite good in Seitan Chorizo.  But what other uses are there for the protein-filled flour?  I need a lot more in order to get my daily 150g of protein!

I’ve been teasing you guys all week on the blog and on Instagram with pics of this dish:

It’s a vegan quiche!  Even if you are not vegan, you’ll love this one.  I’ve been noshing on it for lunch all week.  The Mexican-inspired ingredients of cumin, onion, and peppers give it a ton of flavor (which only gets better on days 2 and 3). 

 It lacks the traditional quiche crust, making it gluten-free.  However, it doesn’t lack a crust!  The chickpea flour forms its own thin crust around the edges and bottom of the quiche, giving you something satisfying to bite into.

Inspired by Janet ‘s Mediterranean Crustless Quiche.  If you haven’t check out Janet’s blog yet, please do.  I’ve made many of her recipes verbatim and they have all been outstanding!

Mexican Crustless (Vegan) Quiche

Mexican Crustless Chickpea Quiche

  • 4 C loosely packed cups spinach, destemmed and chopped
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1/4 C red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 C cilantro, rough chopped
  • 2 C chickpea flour
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T avocado oil (can use olive oil)
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • S&P, to taste
  • 3 C water

Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9″ spring-form pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the vegetables and cilantro.

In a large blender (I used my Vitamix), combine the chickpea flour, oil, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic and water.  Blend until smooth and frothy.

Combine the chickpea mixture with vegetables and stir to combine.  Pour mixture into greased pan, making sure it is evenly distributed.

Bake at 475 for ~50 minutes, of on the convection setting at 450 for 40 mins.  The quiche should brown on top, and a cake tester should come out clean.  Allow to cool slightly before removing from spring-form.

Serves 6.

Approximate nutritionals (per slice): 175 calories, 4.8g fat, 24.1 carbs, 5g fiber, 5.7g sugar, 8.8g protein

***

Don’t forget to click here and enter to win 2 boxes of Special K’s new granola bars!  Contest ends Monday, July 2nd.  (Side note: Can you believe it’s almost JULY?!)

Have you ever made a vegan quiche before?  I want to try one with tofu, too!

What are your favorite quiche or savory pie fillings?

Monday Mentions

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In typical fashion, I spent the weekend on the go.

 

Between the summer-ish weather and having to sit in the office all week, I couldn’t get enough of the great outdoors.  All of the St. Patrick’s festivities and running events made it feel like spring festival season!

Here’s a little highlight reel:

 

1. Dining Out Vegan

I’m still rocking the vegan thing and have gotten some cool meals.

 

 

The first pic is from the best Thai restaurant in Atlanta – Panita Thai.  It looks like a shack from the outside, but the food is incredible.  I ordered my eggplant-tofu dish “Thai hot.”  Cindy, the owner/our server looked skeptic but did as requested.  That may be the last time I order something THAT spicy… but my ego I ate it.  Cindy was impressed.

 

The bottom 2 pics are from ONE Midtown Kitchen.  The service-level was absolutely incredible.  Chef Drew VanLeuvan created a custom appetizer and entrée for me.  Or server, Bernadette, even brought out apple slices and asparagus stalks for me to munch on pre-dinner since I couldn’t eat the bread sticks!

My app consisted of roasted apples with ginger sorbet and roasted cabbage.  The entrée that Chef created was an asparagus salad with pickled strawberries, orange segments, toasted hazelnuts, sugar snaps, micro greens, and a balsamic reduction.  It was a lot of apples and asparagus, but it was fantastic.

Note: Chef Drew is leaving soon to start is his own restaurant.  Sad news for ONE, but very exciting for the talented chef.   I’ll be frequenting his new spot (and ONE, of course).

 

2. Baking Bender

The baking bug hit me.  I made Sarah’s Sweet Potato Soda Bread (with just a little creative recipe-license – sooo good), a new oatmeal thing (recipe coming tomorrow!), and my Chewy Granola Cookies.

Who says you have to be running to carb-load?!

 

3. Summer in the Winter

Technically this is still winter.  Atlanta didn’t get that memo – it was in the 80s all weekend!  Some dude in the condo across from me was in the pool (see evidence below).  I went on a long walk in the park with a friend on St. Patrick’s Day.  As you might imagine, we saw many entertaining things.  The pic below is some sort of photo shoot that was happening.  Doesn’t it look like the guy is photographing her butt?!

 

 

4. Cheerleading

The Publix Marathon & Half Marathon were this weekend.  I rolled out of bed early to cheer on fellow bloggers Heather, Lindsay, Lee, and Tina.  It was my first time cheerleading a race, and I was surprised at how much fun it was to spectate and encourage the runners.  I somehow missed Heather and Lindsay.  Tina waved and she powered by in her hot pink socks… I was busy stuffing my face like a fat kid with a muffin and missed the pic.  Fail.

I did get Lee!  She claimed she was struggling, but she looked fantastic!

 

 

5. Refuel

Refuel brunch without running is totally acceptable, right?  I joined the runners for brunch at Stone Soup Kitchen.  Heather found this gem – they had several vegan options, all delicious.  Heather and Kirk (her husband, who also ran) ordered Vegos Rancheros that looked to-die-for.  I had a tofu scramble with green peppers, red onion, jalapenos, mushrooms, arugula, and red hot sauce.  It was SO good.  I also had a side of grits, but discovered that vegan grits aren’t my favorite.

 

L to R: me, Tina, Lee, Kirk, Heather, Lindsay, and little Clara

 

You may have noticed the coffee.  The caffeine break is officially over. 🙂

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The workouts were pretty good this week.  I was missing my weight workouts.  CrossFit means I don’t have the time or energy to do both most days.  Friday and Saturday I decided to skip the CrossFit and return to my trusty weights. I was shocked to find during Saturday’s P90X Chest/Tri workout that I could actually do more push-ups!

 

 

The BodyRock videos continue to get better and better.  I love that they are adding “bonus” rounds and using some weights now!  That makes some of these solid 30-45 mins workouts.  It may seem like I slacked on the push ups, but between BodyRock ad CrossFit I got my fill. 🙂

 

Workout Recap (3/5 – 3/18):

 

***

There’s something about this weather that makes me believe I shouldn’t have to go to work tomorrow.

Did you run a race the weekend?  How did it go?

Does it feel like summer where you live?  Are you happy about it, or missing a true winter?

 

Raw Sweet Potato Hummus + WIAW

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Can eating too much orange food really tint your skin?

I think I may be in danger.  

Between the carrots and sweet potatoes I’ve been eating today, I’m going to look like a Jersey Girl.  GTL!

For real – it’s called Carotenosis.

 

Luckily Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday doesn’t go green until March.  Orange fits perfectly with the February vegetable theme.

 

Breakfast:

This morning I met my boss for breakfast a “famous” local breakfast spot, The Flying Biscuit.  While boss-man is used to my picture-taking, my stomach wasn’t used to waiting so late to eat.  Totally forgot to take a picture.

No matter.  My tofu scramble wasn’t that great.  I would have rather had my homemade Indian-Inspired Tofu Scramble:

Lunch:

My Foodie Penpal, Laura, has created a monster.  I made another round of Bibimbap using the ingredients she sent me in this month’s package.

It’s an addiction.  That crunchy rice and  spicy sauce ain’t whack.

Click here to check out the recipe I posted yesterday.  The only change today was that I served it with cucumber rather than carrots.

Snacks:

First us was my first juice creation in the Vitamix.  It was all veggie and all delish!  This was a post workout snack, so I added my Sun Warrior protein powder.  I was worried that would make it a weird consistency, but it was quite pleasant!

In my juice:

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1 C spinach
  • Handful of wheat grass
  • 1/4 C parsley
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 in piece of ginger
  • 3-4 drops stevia
  • 2 in piece of cinnamon (I tossed a real stick in and it WORKED!)
  • 1/2 C water

Snack #2 was a recipe I’ve had marked from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen.  Can you guess what this deliciousness is?

RAW Sweet Potato Hummus.  It was insanely good, and an embarrassing amount was consumed… much of it straight from the blender.  I made a few modifications (recipe at the end of this post).

The only difference in using a raw sweet potato is that it isn’t quite as sweet as it would be if it had cooked and caramelized a bit.  To me, this makes it a perfect hummus candidate.

The liquid smoke added a neat dimension with the nutty-sweet tahini, and the spices were just enough to give it a kick on the end.  Even cooler was the addition of Meyer lemon and miso.  These added some sweetness, along with a little tang and saltiness!

Of course, I also had my daily Kombucha!  Served from my growler of Buchi Fire from Whole Foods.

Dinner:

The orange didn’t stop at snack time.  Even post-cleanse I have been craving an increasing amount of raw food.  For dinner I ate the rainbow in the form of this giant salad.

In my salad:

  • Spinach
  • Broccoli and radish sprouts
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Cucumber
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Tomato
  • Onions
  • Sweet Potato Hummus Dressing (1 T hummus + 1 T apple cider vinegar + 2 drops stevia)
  • Angela @ Oh She Glows’ Endurance Crackers

Angela’s Endurance Crackers have been on my list to try for a long time as well.  I needed something to go with all that hummus, so today seemed the perfect day to try them out!  My only modification was to use 2 tsp of the Ras al Hanout spice blend made for my Babaganoush Soup rather than her onion-salt-herb blend.

If you haven’t tried this recipe, I highly recommend it.  I’d love to try a sweet-cinnamon version in the future!

Dessert:

Cinnamon-Vanilla Ice Cream.  The Vitamix was me on a wintertime ice cream bender.  I was working late and felt yet another treat bowl was in order.  Thank god it can be made healthy!  This purple bowl inefficiently hides a “secret” ingredient.

The ice cream blend is really easy – unsweetened vanilla almond milk, vanilla, stevia, cinnamon, and ice… and the secret ingredient.  Purple Cabbage.

I know you think I’ve lost it, but I swear on my shoe collection that not a trace of cabbage taste could be detected.

 

Sweet Potato Hummus

Modified from this recipe from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen

  • 1 medium sweet potato (raw and unpeeled)
  • 2 T tahini
  • 4-5 drops liquid smoke
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 Meyer lemon
  • 1 T water
  • 1 tsp yellow miso
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 T fresh thyme

Toss everything in food processor or blender and until smooth.

Note: If using Vitamix, toss the whole lemon in; otherwise, only use the juice of the lemon.

Make 1.5 cups.

***

Spicie Foodie’s “Your Best Recipe” for the month of Feburary is up today!  Hop over to her site to check out my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes and everyone else’s awesome contributions!

Do you ever intentionally try to eat more raw food?

Do you watch Jersey Shore?  I’m amazed at how passionate people are about it!

Underground Eating

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Atlanta is the place to be if you like to eat in secret locations.

It seems like there is an event every weekend!  

This Sunday was the first brunch edition of the Atlanta Underground Market.  The previous markets have been in the evening and didn’t have themes.  Brunch was fun because it forced the vendors to try something new… and who doesn’t love brunch?  I met Lee, Felix, and Heather there for a gut-busting good time. 🙂

Dr. Sweets Cake Emporium was serving up mini, gluten-free pancakes.  They were ok, but the sauce is what got me excited.  Apple-Jalapeno Jelly and Raspberry-Lime Jelly.  I could have eaten the raspberry by the spoonful.

Next up was a Bloody “Maria” Cupcake from S’More Cupcakes.  Whoa.  The mini cupcake included tomato juice, clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, fresh horseradish, and Silver Patron tequila, and was topped with cream cheese, celery, and a cherry tomato.  A risky dish, this turned out to be everything I hoped it and more.

Ciao Bocca offered a Zucchini Frittata with tomatoes, arugula, and fresh mozzarella was a tasty bite.  I was impressed that the quality of the mozzarella!

One of my favorite items was a Margarita Cookie from Cookie Underground.  We also tried the Mimosa and Strawberry Margarita cookies.  All fantastic.  I took a couple of Chocolate Sweet Potato cookie thins to go. 🙂  Vegetable in cookies, FTW.

The runaway hit was Arepa Mia.  We waited in line for a solid 45 minutes to get the most incredible arepa I’ve ever had.  Today’s was eggplant, black beans, collards, and butternut squash.  It was supposed to have a fried egg (for brunch), but they ran out.  I was a little sad… however this didn’t stop me from scarfing my arepa down in record-time.

This next item I have to introduce by assuring you that I did NOT try them.  “Dad’s Nads” were cleverly named testicles by The Original Yay Yay.  As much as I talk about balls on this blog, these were no-go-nads for me!

All of that food makes me glad I had a good week of workouts!

__________________________________________________________________________________

My modified to cardio-a-day / Mile-a-Day Challenge has been a success!  Two more days and I will have completed it with only a couple of missed days.  Sometimes you just need to rest though. 🙂

I’m officially addicted to shorter workouts – between Body Rock and Pinterest workouts, there is no excuse not to move for at least 15 mins every day.  This week I did this Pinterest find 2x through:

Workout Recap (1/23 – 1/29)

***

Busy weekends are lots of fun… but they sure go by FAST.

Would you have tried Dad’s Nads?

What was the best part about your weekend?

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