Cleaning Up My Act + WIAW

April 2, 2014 By Laura

It is time I clean up my act.

Let’s be real – it’s beyond time.

It’s generally pretty easy for me to keep my diet in check during the week. The weekends… it’s another story. Since I’m not competing this year I haven’t been following any real nutrition plan. ~~Of course~~, I took that to the extreme.

What I know about myself is that I love to indulge. I also know that when that starts happening too much, I feel like crap. It affects me physically and mentally. I’ve been struggling lately, and I know it’s time to reign it in.

For a few years now I’ve been doing my own version of a cleanse… it’s really more of a jump start though. Basically, it’s eating super clean and eliminating common allergens like eggs, dairy, nuts, and gluten. The first 10 days is meatless. The last 11 days include chicken and deep sea fish.

I’m only through Day 1, but here’s my first reactions:

Not taking pre-workout is hard
I’m going to need to buy a lot more veggies
Some of the dishes I made when doing this previously are really good – I’m excited to bring them back
Fruit can make a fun ice cream dessert
Good lord, I miss meat

This WIAW is my first on the 21 clean(se). I’m still working out the best foods to bring and when to time protein and carbs to get the energy I need.

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!

Breakfast:

My morning cocktail had to be modified. The Aminos I usually use aren’t really clean, so I modified by using ACV and juice from half a lemon. It wasn’t too bad.

Cleanse meal #1 was chia pudding. It’s been a long time since I’ve made a chia pudding, but I used to eat them all the time. Today’s was a berry theme, with my favorite pea protein for added stay-power. I served myself in a martini glass… 2 cocktails in one morning! 😉

Berry Chia Pudding

Mashed berries, to taste
1 T chia seeds
1/3 C unsweetened coconut milk
1 scoop Growing Naturals vanilla pea protein
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a small bowl, mash berries until they are a chunky puree. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2-3 hours).

In the morning, uncover and stir. Add additional liquid or sweetener as needed.

Mid-Morning Snack:

This happened in two parts. My new pre-workout was dates stuffed with tahini. It was delicious, if not a little messy. It was slow to get going on my workout, but I felt better once I got into it.

Post-workout I made sure to get my protein and carbs in. Can’t lose my gains!

This is my Liquid Sweet Potato Pie made with a date instead of Stevia (Stevia is permitted, but I’m trying to limit it), no extract, and – knowing I have a lot of greens coming my way – I left out the spinach.

Lunch:

Salad of epic proportions and a creamy red pepper soup. See what I mean about the greens?

Afternoon Snack:

Roasted veggies from my trusty Tupperware. Brussels, shiitakes, broccoli, and eggplant with coconut oil, cumin, and cayenne. Coconut oil is a very, very good idea when roasting things. Why do I always forget to use it?

Dinner:

I was starving. Not gonna lie. I forgot my quinoa at home, so I missed my delicious, filling carbs. The better to fuel with when I got home!

Sautés are a quick and easy hanger cure. I tossed some red pepper in a pan to soften while I washed and chopped kale. Then, I added the kale and some pico de gallo to the pan, cooking until the leaves were just beginning to wilt. Lastly, I mixed in the pre-cooked quinoa and a bit of lime juice to warm. Toss it all in a bowl and top with avocado and freshly ground pepper.

Dessert:

Super clean, #strangebutgood dessert. I made protein ice cream by mashing together half a banana, some avocado, pea protein, cinnamon, and unsweetened coconut milk. I froze it for a couple of hours, then blended it in my Vitamix. Topped with cinnamon-honey coconut flour fluff and cacao nibs.

Color = questionable. Taste = good!

***

Day 1 done. 20 to go.

Have you ever needed to clean up your act?

What is your favorite pre-workout? Do you keep it clean?

5 Benefits of Drinking Water + WIAW

March 5, 2014 By Laura

How much water are you drinking?

Some days I get half my steps in walking to the bathroom.

When I first met my trainer, he told me I needed to drink at least 124 ounces of water a day. I’m not sure what I was drinking before, but it probably was barely half of that.

It was really hard at first, but after about a week my body adjusted. I went from feeling like I was going to float away to finding myself craving more!

Original art by Allie Brosh

…

Strange But Good: Creamy Blue Cheese & Wasabi

January 10, 2014 By Laura

I struggle with brevity in recipe-naming.

Funny, because I’m always telling my mom she uses too many words.

I really wanted to name this Wasabi-Avocado-Blue Cheese Massaged Kale and Broccoli Salad. Despite my restraint, the title is still too long. How does one communicate all of the delicious elements of a dish in 3-5 words?! I feel so trapped.

In writing out my original title, you probably already have an understanding of what this salad is. Wasabi and blue cheese dressing was a strange combo to me when I first had it in Portland, but it was so good that my sister and I couldn’t stop eating it.

Naturally, I had to recreate it at home. I used Lighthouse Blue Cheese (a Greek yogurt-based dressing). Maybe not the cleanest ingredient, but it’s good and not too bad for you as far as dressings go. I amped up the cream-factor (I can’t re-read that without laughing) by mashing avocado into it. The wasabi I used is a paste, but you could also use the powdered variety. Adjust it to your liking… I like it really hot.

What you are left with is a delicious tangy, spicy coating for your kale salad. You’ll also love the texture contrast between the sturdy kale and the creamy dressing. I added some broccoli and grapes in mine, and topped it with fish (you know I need my protein).

The best part is that, because kale is so hearty, you can make it a day or two in advance and take it to work!

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Creamy Blue Cheese & Wasabi Kale Salad

2 T blue cheese dressing
1/4 fresh avocado, mashed
Wasabi paste, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
~2 C Kale

In a small bowl, mix together blue cheese, avocado, wasabi, and pepper.

Place kale in a large bowl and massage the dressing into the leaves.

Can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in fridge.

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, 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.

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

***

Between the shock of being back in the office after the holidays and the insane weather, I couldn't be happier for this week to END.

What is your favorite salad dressing?

Are you on a greens kick? I can't get enough after Dessert December!

Strange But Good: Roasted Grape & Kabocha Kale Salad

January 3, 2014 By Laura

Luck and wealth are good things to start 2014 with.

We certainly ate like lucky wealthy people on New Years Eve.

This salad would be good at any time, but it’s ingredients make it especially good for NYE. Grapes for luck and greens for wealth. We also had the black-eyed pea hummus. This year should be extra lucky!

The part that may be strange is that I roasted the grapes in this salad. You know how blueberries warmed from oatmeal burst in your mouth? How decadent and sweet and juicy they are? Roasted grapes are like that, but better because they’re bigger. (Insert dirty joke here.)

When roasted, grapes become even more delicious. Their sugars caramelize a bit, the skin softens, and the native sweetness shines. The thick, savory balsamic and rosemary balances the sweetness perfectly. Make this once and you’ll never be satisfied with dried fruit on a salad again.

The thick, jammy juice that forms during roasting is the perfect thing to use as a dressing. Combined with olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, it makes a fabulous warm coat for the kale.

Salads are so easy to make larger or smaller, so below is hardly a recipe. There are no measurements for anything besides the dressing. Even that is just equal parts oil and vinegar, so you can adjust that up or down to suit your needs.

You don’t even have to bother with the salad if you aren’t feeling it. Just pop some grapes in the oven and you’ll have a simple, decadent snack in 15 mins or less.

Roasted Grape and Kabocha Kale Salad

Grapes
Fresh rosemary
Aged balsamic vinegar
Kabocha squash (or other winter squash)
Shallot, diced
Olive oil
Kale
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C champagne vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Reserved juices from roasted grapes
Salt & pepper, to toast
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss grapes on a foil lined pan with vinegar and rosemary. On a second pan, toss kabocha with shallots and a bit of olive oil. Roast each for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. The skin of the grapes should be slightly crisp but the inside still soft. Note: the kabocha may take longer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Strain excess grape juice into a small bowl to reserve for dressing.

Add oil to small skillet and allow to warm over med heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min). Stir in grape juices and champagne vinegar, cooking 2-3 mins longer to allow dressing to thicken a bit.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper to preference.

Place kale in large salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over the kale and massage the greens to soften. Add grapes, kabocha, and fresh parmesan (if using).

Enjoy!

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

***

I’m thinking I need to do these for breakfast on a biscuit or coffee cake thing…

What is your favorite salad topping?

Have you ever had roasted grapes?

Thanks for Bacon + Easy Cranberry Kale Salad

December 1, 2013 By Laura

I spoke too soon.

I’ve often said I need a 5 second delay on my mouth.

This Thanksgiving I ate turkey, and I liked it. My uncle brought the most deliciously moist (yeah, I said it) smoked turkey. So partially I take back what I said about not liking Thanksgiving food. I still passed on the green bean casserole and the stuffing.

First let’s back up. I headed to my mom’s house on Thanksgiving morning to drive the family to my grandparents house in north GA for the festivities. They said they were ready to go, but when I got there only the dog, Honey, was ready.

We finally did get on the road and made it the party without incident (I did have to swerve to miss a kitten in the middle of the road).

The good thing about being late everywhere is that everything is ready when you arrive. We had quite the spread! The turkey didn’t fit on the counter so it’s off to the side, along with a table this size filled with desserts. I’m lucky my whole family likes food as much as I do!

After pre-gaming with cheese crackers, I stacked round 1 with my kale salad, turkey, mac ‘n cheese, sweet potato souffle, pumpkin beer bread (recipe coming!), and had a side of my grandmother’s turnips and ham and a glass of rosé wine I brought back from Napa.

Round 2 looked about the same, but with a deviled egg someone had forgotten in the fridge. 😉

There was PLENTY of dessert too… I brought 4 different desserts, so I’m going to be sharing some fun sweet recipes just in time for Christmas. Yes, I use Thanksgiving to test desserts for Christmas parties.

Today’s sweet treat is from Gabby’s recipe for a gluten-free Apple-Bacon Crisp. I followed her recipe, but added a twist… where she sautes the apples in the bacon pan, I also added 2 tablespoons of whiskey.

The whiskey I used, Balcones Baby Blue, was a smooth addition. The blue corn whiskey from Texas is one of my favorites with its slightly sweet vanilla-caramel taste and notes of candied citrus and baking spices. My other modification was to use hazelnuts in the topping. The rich taste played well with the coconut flour.

It. Was. Awesome. I am thankful for Gabby and her #strangebutgood bacon idea. I scooped it on to my dessert plate with glee.

The leftover whiskey was great to have on hand for the weekend, too. I went to the Tech–UGA game with my cousin and friends Kathleen and Matt. We were all smiles at the tailgate and the first half of the game.

Then the second half happened, and we realized Tech is as bad at football as we feared. ~~It’s a good thing they’re smart.~~

Kathleen and I, pre-loss

Whiskey is a good wound heal-er. 😉

If you’re like me, you need a ~~very short~~ break from the heavy food, so today I’m also sharing the easiest kale salad you’ll ever have. It’s simply dressed, and you can make it the night before. It’s pretty marvelous.

This was my healthy contribution to Thanksgiving, but kale salads are also one of my favorite things to make during my weekly food prep. Their hearty leaves only get more delicious as they soften in the dressing and the flavor soaks in.

This dressing is light, but doesn’t lack in flavor. It is zesty and garlicky with a little heat on the end. If you really like it hot, add red pepper flakes to the top. I did.

Cranberry Kale Salad

2 medium bunches destemmed kale, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves
Juice from 1 lemon
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1-2 handfuls dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish
Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste (omit if dairy-free)

In a mini food processor, process the garlic, lemon, oil, marjoram, pepper, and cayenne until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors, if needed.

Pour the dressing onto the kale and massage it into the kale with your hands. Allow to soften in fridge at least 30 mins, or overnight.

Just before serving, top with cranberries and cheese.

***

I’ve been craving greens after the brown fest that is Thanksgiving!

What was the best dish from your weekend?

Are you punctual, or are you the last to arrive? I’m trying to get better… but it hasn’t taken yet.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

August 29, 2013 By Laura

Quinoa is one of the easiest things I never make.

Maybe it’s not strange enough?

After complaining about the lack of fresh tabbouleh available in restaurants, it was brought to my attention that I could just make my own. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Traditional tabbouleh uses bulgur, but I’m not traditional. I use quinoa for the added protein. And because that’s what was in my pantry. 😉

I really loved the bright lemon in this. It compliments the parsley perfectly and helps make this salad last several days in the fridge. It also nicely complimented the sea bass I ate it with.

One of the reasons I had not made tabbouleh before was the overwhelming thought of mincing that much parsley. Then I remembered my kitchen shears.

Best short cut ever. In fact, I even cut the onion with them!

This dish is a fantastic way to get more parsley in your diet. Why should you eat more? I’ll tell you…

Parsley Benefits:

Rich in Vitamin C, B 12, K and A (good for immune system, bones, and nervous system)
Acts as a diuretic, helping flush out excess fluid
Can help control your blood pressure due to the folic acid content
Rich in luteolin, which eradicates free radicals, promotes carbohydrate metabolism, and is an anti-inﬂammatory
May impede growth of cancerous tumors.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

1 C cooked quinoa
1 large bunch fresh parsley, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1/4 C red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground garlic

In a large bowl, toss together parsley, chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Add chilled quinoa to bowl and mix together. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

***

It’s also a great way to use those massive bunches they sell. Who can eat all that so fast?!

Do you eat much parsley? Tabbouleh?

What’s your favorite herb? Keep it legal (in most states 😉 )…

Weekend Update + WIAW

July 10, 2013 By Laura

I get behind in my over-sharing.

Thank god for Instagram!

There has been a lot going on lately that I’ve just run out of time to blog about! Hump Day seems the perfect time for a download.

I’ve been getting some good runs in (between all the summer storms). This is taken on the GA Tech campus. Saturday marked 5 years since my dad died. Without intention, I found myself heading to his alma mater for a run.

It was nice to run by all the places we used to walk past on game days and relive some of my own memories from grad school. The rain didn’t hold off for long – about 5 mins after I took this pic the sky turned black and it started pouring.

Sunday I met some of my favorite Atlanta bloggers for lunch at Dough Bakery, my favorite local vegan spot. That’s (very pregnant) Alayna, Tina, Lee, me, and Heather. Heather is former Atlanta blogger… she left us for Colorado. 😛

I always have so much fun with these ladies. We talked and ate for a long time before I had to run back home to get ready for dinner. That’s right – I said run. I ran a total of 6.65 miles there and back thanks to Atlanta’s new Beltline trail! ~~I’m lucky my friends would be seen with me sweaty and dressed like a bum.~~

The dinner I was running home to was at one of Atlanta’s best new restaurants: King + Duke. I’m too lazy to write full review, but let me just say… if you are in ATL or are coming to visit make a reservation. So. Good.

Their wine program is excellent, which you know makes me happy, and the food is even better. Don’t skip the roasted beet and carrots with feta and harissa, the roasted bone marrow with smoked mushrooms, blackberries, and short rib marmalade, and the “Dates & Ale” (a fantastic sticky toffee pudding with Sweetwater IPA cream).

Meat butter

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This WIAW was less indulgent than this weekend. Thank god. I love going out to eat, but whoa. I was dragging on Monday after eating half my meals out over the weekend. I jumped back on the healthy eating train with reckless abandon.

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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