Griddled Chicken & Grapefruit Pizza

April 19, 2013 By Laura

This will be shocking: the recipe was inspired by a recent meal at an Indian restaurant.

One day I’ll get over this Indian obsession.

In my defense, this #strangebutgood creation doesn’t actually involve Indian flavors (for a change). Unless you count cinnamon and ginger, but I put those on basically everything. Several weeks ago I enjoyed a meal at a new Indian restaurant, Chai Pani. New to Atlanta, I should say. They have a location in Asheville, NC. It’s an Indian street food concept, but it actually is a sit-down restaurant. And it’s good!

The inspiration for my pizza creation came from the Tandoori Fish Wrap I ordered. It consisted of “Tilapia seared with tandoori spices in a griddled wrap (brushed w/ egg) with onions, cilantro, rice, roasted lentils & chutneys.”

Tandoori Fish Wrap at Chai Pani

My non-Indian pizza version was a simple baked chicken breast. The sweet and tangy grapefruit against the plain chicken was refreshing.

The bit of basil on top was a nice green addition, both in terms of taste and looks. Of course I topped it with a little more cinnamon. The warm spice always reminds me of dessert!

This could so easily be made vegetarian with tofu. I absolutely love the way it puffs up when it bakes… that will for sure be my next version! I think you could even use a flax egg in place of my “real” egg whites for a vegan version. Someone let me know if that works.

Griddled bread. Coolest idea ever. It’s like French toast from the ‘hood. (Get it? Wrap? Rap? Blessed are those who amuse themselves…) See the crispy, egg-y goodness peeling back from the tortilla? That’s #strangebutgood heaven, friends.

Griddled Chicken & Grapefruit Pizza

2 T egg whites
1 tsp flax seed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 corn tortilla
1/2 grapefruit, sectioned
2 oz chicken, cubed
Basil

In a small bowl, combine egg whites, flax, and spices.

Place tortilla in a small pan over medium-high heat. Pour egg mixture on top.

Cook 1-2 mins, until egg starts to firm. Flip the tortilla, cooking 1-2 mins more.

Remove from heat and place on a baking sheet or pizza stone (or keep on pan if oven-proof). Top with grapefruit sections, chicken, and basil. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.

Place in oven under broil for 15 mins, until slightly browned. Watch closely so as not to burn.

Remove from oven, plate, and enjoy!

Who else has enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family (or the occasional restaurant worker) stare with strange but good creations this week?

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. 🙂

***

I’m headed back home today. I packed all that food, but now I have NO idea what I’ll eat until I get to the grocery store Saturday afternoon! Whoops!

Have you ever had a griddled wrap?

What’s been #strangebutgood in your life lately?

Yes, I Got Through Security + WIAW

April 17, 2013 By Laura

Traveling doesn’t have to be hard.

Step 1: Choose your companions wisely.

I’m 3 weeks out from my next competition. And I’m in Arizona this week. Trying to get in 7 lean meals a day is NOT an easy thing to do on the road. As I’ve described (in greater detail) before, I simply bring my own.

My diet changes this week mean no fat, no sodium, and a more limited list of fruits and veggies (to avoid bloating). I packed enough food to eat 6 meals per day, and I carried it ALL on. No checked bags. The unplanned meal is one I can get at the spa restaurant where we’re staying (I called ahead).

And yes, you can make it through security with a lot of unmarked powders. 😉

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We left after Meal 2 today, so 5 of my 7 WIAW meals were all eaten on the road. It was actually fun! This trip I rocked the desserts. Hard core.

Check out my 7 low fast, low-sodium, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how more normal people are eating!

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Meal 1:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). This is the one thing I haven’t figured out on the road since ACV is a liquid and that won’t fly. I savored my last one for the week.

Then I rocked a workout in one of my favorite race t-shirts in honor of Boston. I was a sweaty mess for breakfast, which was a cherry PB & Jeggs… on top of a corn tortilla. Not gonna lie, it would have been better on an english muffin.

Meal 2:

My last meal at home. This was straight up awesome – the best sea bass I’ve ever made. I don’t think it was my preparation so much as it was the freshness of the fish. I guess they’re in season?!

For my side I had a quick salad of cherry tomatoes, raw zucchini, basil, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar.

Meal 3:

Lunch on a plane. I packed up my version of a chopped salad – chicken baked in Ethiopian spices, cauliflower, celery, celery leaves, and cubed sweet potato.

Meal 4:

Bison on a plane! With cauliflower and snow peas by the light of my laptop.

My mom was staring at me in disbelief. She even said “I can’t believe you were the kid who wouldn’t eat anything but bologna every day.” My, how times have changed… and she was jealous because all she’d had time for that day was a shake and a bar. Bwhahaha!

Meal 5:

We were both famished when we reached the hotel. Our room wasn’t ready, so we enjoyed dinner on the patio looking out at the mountains.

I ordered a simple salad (that dressing wasn’t used) and then added my own no-salt turkey and a side of sweet potato. I wanted to leave the ‘tater on the foil… I thought it was funny… but Mom got embarrassed and told me to put it on the plate. LOL!

Meal 6:

We went for a long walk and checked out the spa (where I’ll be all day – OMG their gym is NICE). On the way back we swung by one of the restaurants at the property where I obtained a plate and silverware. Eating out of a baggie isn’t the end of the world, but if you can have a real plate… well, that’s just better.

Mexican baked chicken with cauliflower and snow peas. I had cauliflower to use, can you tell? 😉

Meal 7:

This is part of my dessert creation success. I took individual containers of non-fat Greek yogurt and mixed them with oats, a fruit, and various flavors. Then I cover them in foil and place them in the freezer. This way, when I pack them, they also act as an ice pack for my other food.

Tonight’s selection was mashed blackberries, cinnamon, stevia, and cocoa powder.

Just as good as the creations I make at home, my friends!

***

Sitting on that patio at dinner in that dessert spa atmosphere I wanted a margarita so bad. I texted my trainer to beg. He said no and that I would appreciate it on competition day. He’s right… ~~but damn.~~

Did you #workitout for Boston yesterday?

Have you ever whipped out your own food at a restaurant? I’m shameless.

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

April 15, 2013 By Laura

Curry leaves have been a mystery to me.

This only means it’s a #strangebutgood creation WAITING to happen.

This actually isn’t so strange. It’s just outside of my culinary comfort zone (yes, I do have one). I’ve always loved using Indian spiced in my dishes. Ginger is a staple – I once made this Ginger Tempeh Stir-Fry every night for a week.

At restaurants, I love to order the curry; however, I’ve never tried my hand at making my own. Having seen curry leaves at my local farmer’s market, my curiosity finally got the best of me. Curry dinner = ON.

Curry leaves sort of look like bay leaves. This begs several questions: Do you eat them? Are they just for flavor? Do you decorate with them? Can you dry them?

It turns out, you can eat them. And they don’t have to be fried in oil first (a popular preparation in Indian restaurants). I also read that you can freeze them. I’ll have to report on that later.

Back to my dish. It was amazing. I know it’s wrong to brag… but seriously. I wish I had made 3 pots of this stuff. Actually, I kind of did. This is by far my most-tested recipe. ~~How come research wasn’t this much fun in college?~~

I worried about the flavors – there are a lot of spices in this! Too much of this, not enough of that… and finally… juuuuust right! I was amazed. The list is long, but it does come together quickly. Just line up your spices and dump ’em in the pot! The curry leaves add an awesome dimension, but if you can’t find it don’t worry. These spices are enough to stand alone.

I’ve made this several times now, with full-fat coconut milk and with the light stuff. It is still ok with light, but it’s 100x more flavorful with the real deal. You can also use different veggies and protein. I’m a huge cauliflower fan, so that’s been my favorite. The recipe below uses Swordfish, but I like it just as much with Escolar (fish) , chicken, and tempeh.

Like all good meals, this is best enjoyed with a good friend (who gave her stamp of approval) on a patio followed by a walk in the sunshine. Spring has sprung.

These leftovers are what’s making my Monday Marvelous.

That plus a hair cut and a clean house (a.k.a. best money I ever spent). 😉

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp fenugreek
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 C red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
10 curry leaves
1/2 C tomato paste
1/2 large eggplant, diced (~1.25 cups)
8 oz Swordfish (or other protein)
1/2 C coconut milk
200 g cauliflower florets (~1 small head)

Place the dry spices in a medium-size pot and toast over medium heat until fragrant, ~2-3 mins or until they start to pop.

Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger. Stir to coat in spices and cook until the onion is soft. Stir in the curry leaves and tomato paste.

Add fish and eggplant to the sauce. Pour in the coconut milk and cook until the eggplant is soft and fish is cooked through (~7-8 mins).

Finally, add in the cauliflower florets. Season and cook for a few more minutes until tender.

Spoon into plates and enjoy!

Makes 2-3 servings.

Note: This could easily be made vegan by eliminating the fish, or using lentils or tempeh instead.

***

Last week is was Indian Bison Burger creations, this week curry… my sister’s in India and it apparently causes me to crave Indian food. LOL!

What recipe have you worked the hardest on to perfect?

Do you like Indian food? Have you ever had curry leaves?

Strange But Good: Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

April 12, 2013 By Laura

My sister is vacationing in India.

She won’t let any of us forget it. I’m not jealous. I don’t need a vaca…

I would say I made the burgers I’m sharing today in her honor… but really I was inspired after seeing Madelyn’s recipe. Before I start, a note: I realize this is a meat-centric post and many of you don’t eat meat… these flavors/ideas would also work well with tempeh, lentils, beans, or soy meat crumbles.

The burgers themselves aren’t so strange (other than the fact that I’m confident there are no bison in India), but I think what I did with them might qualify. I wanted pizza. Bison is sort of like sausage. Bison for breakfast… why not? Sometimes I feel like this in the morning:

He doesn’t look so nice, but I wanted a hit of sweetness (read: fruit) with this creation. I decided mango was a perfectly acceptable topping. It works really well with Indian spices and provided a little cooling effect against all the extra red pepper flakes I added.

A corn tortilla made for a delicious, crispy crust. And it’s fast – there is no way I’m making dough before noon!

Mango Bison Breakfast Pizza

1 corn tortilla
Tomato sauce*
Bison burger
Spinach, steamed
Cherry tomatoes
Mango
Basil

Spread the sauce across your tortilla and add toppings. Place under broil for 5-7 mins, watching closely.

Remove and enjoy!

*The sauce might be the strangest part to some of you. I mixed fire-roasted tomatoes with nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and cinnamon. Yes cinnamon. It’s awesome with tomatoes.

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Or how about crumbling a perfectly good, already cooked bison burger and using it to stuff a kabocha squash? With coconut milk. And curry leaves.

Curry leaves do not taste like curry powder. They are actually a little bitter and have a hint of lime to them. More on that when I post the curry recipe I promised on Instagram Tuesday. 😉

I roasted half a kabocha while I prepped my green stuffings. This was an important ~~distraction~~ step for me because I am normally way to impatient to wait for a squash to roast.

I had to add the coconut and some Indian spices to go with the burger. So glad I did because this won the prize for meal of the week!

Indian Bison Stuffed Squash

1/2 kabocha squash
1/4 in pieces fresh ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 C broccolini
3 Brussels sprouts
1/2 carrot
8 curry leaves (optional)
1 T coconut milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp garam masala
Red pepper flakes and pepper, to taste
1 bison burger (recipe below)

Place the kabocha in the oven to roast at 400 degrees for about 20 mins, or until tender.

Meanwhile, saute the veggies, adding the coconut milk, ACV, and spices at the end to preserve the moisture.

Crumble the burger and toss with the veggies. Remove squash from over and stuff with your mixture.

Place the stuffed squash back in the over to bake for 10 mins.

Devour.

At the end of the day… I wonder to myself why I make burgers if I’m just going to crumble them. It is a little strange. Then I remember and important lesson: don’t question a good thing.

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Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

1/2 lb ground bison (or sub in your protein of choice)
2 T cilantro, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Mix everything together and divide into patties.

Cook in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 mins on each side, or until desired temperature is reached.

Allow to cool slightly so the juices soak in before you dig in.

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Who else has enjoyed making co-workers, friend, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

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.

***

I got lazy this week and took all my pics with my iPhone. #sorryimnotsorry

Have you ever eaten bison? Do you like it or ground beef better?

Do you prefer using a smart phone or a "real" camera?

Healthy PB&J French Toast

April 11, 2013 By Laura

PB&J isn’t just for kids.

Confession: I ate that or a bologna sandwich for lunch every single day from K-5th grade.

To this day PB&J is one of my favorite sandwiches. One might even say It’s my jam. I pass on bologna though.

My mom used to make grilled PB&J. She buttered the bread, and the peanut butter would get all runny and hot… it was pure awesomeness. Something about a mamma-made sandwich just taste better, right?

Mom also used to make this incredible french toast on homemade sourdough bread. She’d make it in the morning and bring it up to my bathroom as I was getting ready for school (yes, I realize how ~~spoiled~~ lucky I was!). ~~I’ll never know how i wasn’t obese.~~

This recipe combines two of my favorite things, transforming a couple of less-than-healthy childhood treats a guilt-free breakfast.

Lightening up this combo-treat doesn’t mean it’s less delicious. The PB&J part takes a little creativity, but it can be done! I replaced jam with a homemade version by mashing and then heating fresh raspberries. The peanut butter is a low-fat, high-protein peanut flour creation, and – even better – the bread is high protein too!

The French toast part was easier to lighten up – all you really need to make it are egg whites. You could eat it open-faced with the PB&J as your only topping. Or you could go all the way and add syrup. For me, French toast requires (sugar-free) syrup. Go big or go home.

Note: I realize a lot of sugar-free syrups have scary stuff in them. I recommend trying to find one sweetened with Stevia or Xylitol (check your health food store!) if sugar-free is important to you.

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but it comes together quickly. I get my toast ready and place it in the pan to cook while I mix up the PB&J. I had this done in 10 mins, max.

If you haven’t tried peanut flour yet… I cannot recommend it enough. Peanut flour is simply defatted peanuts in powder-form. Super high in protein and they don’t add the sugar and sodium that PB2 has. It can be ordered online through iHerb.com. Use discount code USO924 for up to $10.00 off any order!

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PB&J French Toast

For the Toast:

1 large or 2 small slices of bread
1/4 C egg whites
1/8 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
5-6 drops liquid Stevia (or other sweetener)

For the Jelly:

1/4 C raspberries
1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
2 drops lemon liquid stevia (optional)

For the Peanut Butter:

2 T peanut flour
2 T liquid
1 tsp ground flax
1/4 tsp almond extract
2-3 drops vanilla liquid stevia

For the Toast:

In a wide bowl, beat together egg whites, water, cinnamon, extracts, and sweetener.

Over medium-low heat, heat pan coated with a thin layer of oil or PAM.

Place the bread into the bowl, letting it soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side.

Transfer bread slices to pan, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side.

For the Jelly:

In a small bowl, mash berries until only small pieces remain. Add sweetener and gum (if using), and mix together.

Microwave until warm, ~10 seconds.

For the Peanut Butter:

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Plate the toast and top with your PB&J. Add syrup, if desired. Devour.

***

Apparently I’ve been on a French toast bender. The Hummus French Toast and now this. I guess mybody knew it wouldn’t be having this again until after the competition! There will be NO asparagus toast. 😉

What did you eat for lunch in elementary school? Do you still eat it today?

Have you even had homemade bread? It’s divine.

Mango-Coconut TVP Oatmeal + WIAW

April 10, 2013 By Laura

Can there be too much of a good thing?

I’m not sure I could tire of dark chocolate.

How about Nutella? Can you imagine having 5.5 tons of it? Thieves in Bad Hersfeld, Germany have made away with a trailer loaded up with just that much of the hazelnut-chocolate-y ~~crack~~ spread. According to this report, that’s about $20,700 of Nutella.

Seriously. What would you do with all that nutella? What are they going to do with it?! More importantly… will this cause a shortage? 😉

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On to healthier, less-alaming things. It’s WIAW time! This is probably the last day of normal (for me) eats pre-competition. Cheat days are gone and I’m back to being super-strict. How do people do this for 16+ weeks?!

Check out my 7 low-sodium, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how more normal people are eating!

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