Asian food is addicting.
Even without the MSG.
I am a sucker for Italian food. And Mexican. I could eat them every day. Asian food… I don’t crave it daily but when I want it, I need my fix NOW.
When I got Skinny Noodles’ new kale shirataki noodles in the mail, I knew they called for a good Asian dish!
…
I’m ahead of the “trendy” curve.
This is a first.
According to this article, sriracha may be the new pumpkin. Many of you saw the chips. They have now gone so far as to turn it into a vodka flavor.
Why does EVERYTHING good need to be turned into vodka? I like a good drink, and I admit that a sriracha Bloody Mary sounds good… but PB&J? Really?
The point was going to be that I like sriracha before it was cool. Before the pumpkin obsession. Before even the bacon obsession. So there. Pass me a pumpkin-bacon-sriracha martini.
________________________________________________________________________________________
This WIAW felt like it was going to be “meh” after a rushed food prep. Looking back it didn’t turn out too badly. I’m pressed for time, but having quick proteins has helped – on busy weeks I rely on no-salt deli turkey and rotisserie chicken. With a few simple flavor adds, semi-homemade tastes pretty good! 
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!…
Don’t you hate feeling repetitive?
Don’t you hate feeling repetitive?
Yes, I do amuse myself… hahaha! 🙂 Seriously though. I’ve done quite a few #strangebutgood breakfast posts. It’s just so easy to be strange in the morning! Maybe I dream about it since I typically fall asleep thinking about breakfast?
I have a few (more) atypical breakfast ideas for you today… but they could double as dinners or even a dessert!
This was inspired by my Griddled Chicken and Grapefruit Pizza. I told you I’m being repetitive. #sorryimnotsorry
I’ve been eating more savory breakfasts lately. My sweet tooth is legendary, and I find if I don’t start the day off with a sweet meal it helps keep it in check. At least until lunch.
I prepared this just like in this post, except my toppings were crab, kale, salsa, and avocado.
For some reason I think it’s more acceptable for me to use the word “porn” if I hashtag it. Hmmm…
You may remember this from Wednesday (again with the repetition!), but I wanted to go into more detail. Because it was that good. I wanted french toast and a runny egg… so I just combined the two! That delicious local egg yolk made of a fantastic savory syrup on my toast.
Adding the blueberries on top with a touch of toasted coconut added the slightest sweetness, completing each delectable bite.
I prepared a healthy french toast just like in this PB&J French Toast recipe, using P28 Protein Bread for extra protein. When I cooked my egg, I just added blueberries and the coconut to the other side of the pan to be warming. Looks fancy, but it was quick and easy!
My last repetitive meal was created from Wednesday’s dinner leftovers. I had tried the Skinny Noodle Shirataki “Rice” for the first time. I loved the Israeli couscous-like texture! Perfect for breakfast, no?
One package is 2 servings. Since I’d already prepped the whole package (you MUST rinse and warm to avoid the funky flavor), I used the second half to pre-make breakfast. What resulted was reminiscent a thick, creamy bowl of peanut butter rice pudding. Incredible. I sampled a bite before bed and it was all I could do not to house the whole thing right then and there.
Mine was topped with a fresh Georgia peach, but I think any fruit would be good here. Like banana… mmmm… breakfast tomorrow…
Mix together all ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge at least one hour, or overnight.
In the morning, remove from fridge and stir. You may need to add additional liquid to thin it out to your preference.
Top as desired and enjoy!
Note: I order my peanut flour from iHerb – I like it better than PB2 because it is less processed and doesn’t have the added sugar and sodium. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!
____________________________________________________________________________________
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. 🙂
***
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!!! We got drenched but made the very best of it.
When was the last time you felt repetitive?
Does a more savory start to the day help curb your sweet tooth?
Patience is a virtue.
That’s what I keep trying to tell myself.
Monday I was cleared by my surgeon to begin light exercise. Good thing because I had already scheduled an appointment with my trainer for that night. 😉
Going back to working out after surgery (or any long break) is humbling. I started with a leg extension weight 100 lbs lighter than I did 3 weeks ago.
We did a lot of lower body – mostly body weight stuff – and then 2 isolated bicep and 2 isolated tricep exercises. It was really light, but I realized I’d have to go slow… especially when the twins got hot and swelled up. It was crazy!
I’m going to do something similar on my own today. Being careful. It’s really hard knowing what I could do before, and seeing how much I lost in my arms in such a short time. BUT it’s not forever. I got there before, and I can do it again. *deep breaths*
________________________________________________________________________________________
This WIAW was fun for me because I was actually hungry from working out! It’s a totally different feeling than regular hunger, one I didn’t fully appreciate before!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.
________________________________________________________________________________________
My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) was of course the start to my day.
For my meal I wanted something sweet… but I also wanted a runny egg. Remembering my favorite Waffle House meal, I decided to try something similar (but much healthier) at home – french toast topped with a runny egg! I also added some warmed blueberries and toasted coconut.
Who needs syrup when you have #yolkporn?
No Salt deli turkey and an orange. I ate these with my fingers while I bottled my latest batch of kombucha. I was trying to get out the door for my first run post-surgery… ain’t nobody got time for silverware!
The curry leaves in the background went into a kombucha bottle with some of the orange.
I was running to get my race number for Thursday’s Peachtree Road Race. It’s the world’s largest 10K and I was cleared by the doctor to run/walk it since it’s actually going to be cool outside thanks to the deluge of rain we’re getting. The expo is only 2.5 miles from my place, so it was an easy jog, followed by a long break to browse the expo and buy new shoes before 2.5 miles back (shoes in hand).
New Newtons!
It was NOT cool yesterday. Boob sweat is a whole new thing… whoa.
By the time I got back all I wanted for lunch was a smoothie bowl. Big, green, and topped with muesli, this hit the spot while I sat on the couch icing the twins. Almost remembered the pic too late!
Does anyone else have to think before they type kabocha vs. kombucha? Kabocha is what I had for snack. I have pre-roasted it in cubes, but I like to do a second roast to re-heat and crisp it up. Before the 2nd roast I tossed it in cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne (my favorite flavor combo).
The sauce is my go-to: peanut flour, unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon, a couple drops of vanilla liquid stevia, and a splash of almond extract.
Note: I order my peanut flour from iHerb – I like it better than PB2 because it is less processed and doesn’t have the added sugar and sodium. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!
This is what happens when I get bored. I made a dinner requiring more thought than usual. People comment that sometimes my meals seem elaborate or strange… but they typically don’t take very long and I prepare certain foods similarly. Last night I tried something new-ish and inspired by a treat in the mail from Skinny Noodles (soy-free shirataki):
The item I couldn’t wait to try was the rice. I dislike rice… but non-rice? That I can get on board with! I never said I was normal. The “rice” is really more like Israeli couscous… but that’s a plus in my book.
Tip when using shirataki: make sure you rinse it really, really well and follow the instructions to heat it in the microwave to get rid of the funk (it smells fishy when you open the package).
What I came up with was a herbed rice with veggies, which I topped with salmon. It was really, really good. One of those meals you make for yourself and then get a little sad there’s no one else there to taste it!
There’s not real recipe – I didn’t measure anything – but here are the ingredients:
This is one of my all-time favorites to end the day – Carrot Cake Protein Batter. I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve had one of these. After surgery I couldn’t use the grater for the carrots, so making my favorite batter wasn’t possible!
I was starving so I loaded up on the toppings: muesli, walnuts, and cacao nibs. There was also a unpictured scoop of PB. 😉
***
Thank you all so much for the supportive comments on my Instagram and Facebook posts about being able to get back in the gym. The encouragement means a lot as I (patiently) work my way back.
Don’t forget – one more day to enter the Designer Whey Sustained Energy giveaway!
Have you ever made something so good you were sad not to share it? What was it?
Are you a victim of the kabocha craze? I propose we rename it Crack Squash.
Summer is here in earnest.
Convenient since I’m not supposed to get hot.
I am a sun baby, so not being able to be outside playing makes me sad. The follow-up with the surgeon is July 1st… I have a leg day scheduled with my trainer that night. If the Dr. doesn’t clear me to do it, I may cry. Restlessness is in FULL force. I do take walks, but have to be careful to keep them to the early morning or late evening when it’s (supposedly) cooler.
On my walks I have learned it’s impossible to “act natural” while taking pics of yourself along a busy street.
This WIAW marks my first day back in the office post-surgery. I actually was working last Monday, but there was NO was I could get dressed and be in an office all day. Thankfully, being a consultant means it’s really easy to do your job from anywhere – including the couch.
Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.
My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) remains a staple. I’ve taken to adding a shake of cayenne too. Because I’m hard-core.
I took my walk in the early morning coolness. Walking should be relaxing, but really all I could think about was breakfast. Inspired by Kammie’s guest post last week, I decided to turn Red Velvet Cake into a breakfast item. In the form of a cheesecake bowl.
I found beet powder at Whole Foods which gave this its red tint. If you can’t find that, you can use beet puree or simply omit it (Red Velvet cake is just cocoa cake with red food coloring anyway).
This high-protein, low carb, sugar-free bowl of cheesy cake is guaranteed to put a smile on your face to start the day. I’ve had it 2 days in a row. I used cottage cheese to cream it up, but Greek yogurt would work too. Make it vegan by using almond or coconut yogurt!
I love my seafood and fruit combos. This was salmon baked with lemon juice and fresh rosemary, then mixed with blueberries and red pepper flakes. Sweet with a little heat and hint of citrus.
Meal prep Sundays make it possible to bring food that my coworkers openly stare at. I was asked to explain what everything on my plate was, and then was told I bring “elaborate” foods. I was flattered.
Doesn’t everyone eat spinach shirataki noodles topped with ground turkey, broccoli slaw, and a sauce of nutritional yeast, spices, and apple cider vinegar? No?
I ordered these Keto Slim bars from iHerb.com after reading the good reviews they received. I’m pretty pleased! the sodium is a bit high (200mg), but the sugar is low (2g) and it contains 21g of protein!
It does have sugar alcohols. I don’t watch that too closely (it’s pretty rare I eat processed foods), but if you have problems with them you won’t want this bar. It also has fun stuff like almonds, spirulina, kelp, and beets greens!
Note: iHerb is also where I get my peanut flour and a lot of fun extracts/vitamins/random other things. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!
It was a long day at work. I struggle with one co-worker in particular and it was a major source of stress today. I wanted a drink. To sooth my nerves, I made pizza and took a twilight walk.
The pizza crust was my cheese-less cauliflower recipe. For a sauce I mixed together beer mustard, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and liquid smoke.
To top it, I sautéed onion and garlic, and wilted some arugula briefly at the end. I put than on the crust with crab and my sauce. Back in the oven to warm before adding cilantro and a drizzle of fig balsamic glaze to finish it.
You can pick it up and eat it by the slice!
It looks like a lot of effort, but I had dinner on the table in under 30 mins. AND I made a second crust to keep in the freezer. Who needs store-bought frozen pizza?!
Still wanting to treat my nerves, I broke out my Quest bar stash! I cut half a Chocolate Brownie bar into squares and baked it on a piece of parchment paper at 350 for 12 mins. I added a schmear of peanut butter to each bite before adding them to part 2 of my dessert.
Part 2 was a bowl of cinnamon–raspberry cottage cheese. I mixed no salt cottage cheese, cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla Stevia, and mashed raspberries together in a bowl. Then I microwaved it for ~15 seconds to warm it a bit.
Yes, I’m on a cottage cheese bender.
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and place in the fridge overnight (or at least an hour).
In the morning, remove from fridge and stir again. If too thick, you may add more milk.
Enjoy!
***
Don’t forget! Click here to enter the giveaway for a FRS Healthy Energy trial kit. Winner announced tomorrow. 🙂
Do you have to wear yourself out in order to go to sleep?
What is your favorite protein bar? Did you try Kammie’s Red Velvet Bars from last week?
Wicked.
Last night I went to the Fabulous Fox Theatre to see Wicked with my mom. It was wicked good!
The Wizard of Oz was filled with political undertones (ex: the yellow brick road refers to the gold standard), and this “rest of the story” play delivers on that level as well. It was actually a pretty dark play!
I’m always impressed when playwrights that are able to parallel what’s going on in society in such creative ways. For instance, at one point the Wizard says to Elphaba:
When I came here, there was discord and discontent. And what better way to bring people together than to give them a common enemy?
Sound familiar?
But this isn’t a political blog. Let’s talk about food, baby.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Yesterday I posted a dinner pic for WIAW. You are probably sick of hearing about how I’m only using what I have this week BUT… but I am always amazed when these garbage hodge podge recipes deliver. Everything But the Kitchen Sink Stew, for instance.
This bake was a winner. Like whoa.
Doesn't everyone take their pans outside to photograph... errrr... cool..?
For those of you who have been turned off by shirataki noodles in the past, believe me when I say NONE of the sea-like smell remains after this dish bakes.
My “lazy” tomato sauce turned out well too – it’s amazing what sauteing some onions and garlic can do for the jarred stuff. Capers and artichokes were a great add with the lemon-y “ricotta.”
Yes, “ricotta.” I would not have believed it if I hadn’t tried it for myself, but this vegan tofu variation of the creamy Italian cheese is actually good.
To summarize: Vegan (that is, until I grated what was left of my French sheep’s milk cheese on top). Gluten-free. Low carb. Delicious. The secret’s in the sauce.
It also tastes good leftover… eaten straight out of the pyrex.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Tofu Ricotta
Tomato Sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Press tofu for ~20 mins (I do this by placing a stack of cookbooks on it). Crumble into a bowl and combine with remaining ricotta ingredients. Using your hands, break up mixture until it reaches a “ricotta-like” consistency.
Meanwhile, saute shallot with a bit of olive oil in a medium saucepan until just turning translucent (~5 mins). Add garlic and artichokes, sauteing 4-5 mins long until garlic is beginning to brown.
Add pasta sauce to saucepan with the capers and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Bring to simmer, tasting and adjusting flavors as needed.
While sauce warms, prepare noodles according to package instructions. Mix noodles and tofu ricotta.
Place noodle mixture in 9 x 11 pyrex dish. Top evenly with tomato sauce.
Bake at 325 for 15-20 mins, or until heated through.
***
Leftovers for lunch. Perfection.
Have you tried any of the homemade vegan “cheese” variations?
Do you like to go to the theatre? What is your favorite play?
The leftover gods smiled upon me.
I still had Moroccan Carrot Salad leftover and I was anxious to use more of the delicious peanut flour I ordered. Then I spotted a red jalapeño about to go bad in the fridge. In the same drawer was the end of a red onion. Right next to the shiitake mushrooms I forgot I purchased. This could only lead to a peanut sauce stir-fry.
Side note: Did you know that once jalapeños turn red they become more sweet and less spicy? It still had a kick, but I could eat a raw piece without needing to chug a glass of milk.
This was one of the best quickie meals I’ve done in a while. I love the way peanuts pair with spicy ingredients, and the way a creamy sauce coats noodles. The crunch of the raw carrots and almonds made the texture, and the earthiness of the mushrooms was perfect with the nutty, amino-laced sauce.
I wrote the recipe below without detailing the Moroccan part of the carrots (that recipe can be found by clicking here). You can easily make this without the spices I used there – the peanut sauce is plenty flavorful!
There are also substitution suggestions for the hard(er)-to-find tofu noodles (my Publix carries them), peanut flour (order online), and liquid aminos (Whole Foods carries it in a nifty spray bottle).
It’s a stir fry… a great opportunity to get creative! This would be great with snow peas, sesame seeds, and/or red pepper.
Leftover leftovers make for a tasty next-day lunch at work! 🙂
______________________________________________________________________________________
For the Sauce
Prepare tofu noodles according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms, onion, and jalapeño in a pan with a bit of oil over med-high heat until tender (about 7-8 mins). Add noodles and carrots, stirring briefly to mix (~1 min).
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients for peanut sauce, adjusting aminos or soy sauce as needed.
Add sauce to the pan and and toss together briefly. Add salt and pepper as needed, plate, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!
Serves 2.
***
I’ve been really bad about using up leftovers in the past – this creation has inspired me to try harder!
Do you re-purpose leftovers?
What has been you biggest leftover success?
Jen’s WIAW is becoming my favorite weekly feature.
I get SO many great ideas reading other people’s posts! Head over Peas & Crayons to check them out.
I was fortunate enough to receive samples of the new So Delicious Greek-style yogurt. The flavors include blueberry, raspberry, chocolate, and plain. Made with coconut milk, the Greek-sytle yogurt is VEGAN.
The nutritional information overall is good. The fiber contect is awesome – 8g! For those who prefer flavored yogurt, it only has 11g of sugar. That’s a lot for my taste, but it is pretty low compared to others on the market. It also have a ton of Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Magnesium.
Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed with protein. One of the reasons I love Greek yogurt so much is the high protein content. This coconut version only contains 2g.
I tried the blueberry version first. While I did like it… it was very different than Greek yogurt. The texture wasn’t as creamy and it didn’t have the tartness.
Recognizing that this may be a plus for some of you (especially if you don’t like/have never had Greek yogurt), I like the “real” thing better.
Had I tried it expecting a traditional yogurt, I would have been happier. I think it’s better than “regular” yogurt! (Disclaimer: I don’t like regular yogurt.)
I gave it some more “oomph” with my new love: Peanut Flour. Why didn’t you guys beat me over the head to order this sooner?! It’s life-changing!!!
It’s incredible. Just add a little liquid and salt and you have a protein and fiber-rich peanut butter substance with less fat. Did I mention it’s also gluten-free?! I cannot wait to make pancakes and cookies with this.
I’m not sharing – order your own here: Protein Peanut Flour (woo hoo for this hometown Georgia company!)
From a galaxy far, far away...
PBJ Vegan Yogurt Deliciousness
In small bowl, mix together first 3 ingredients to form a peanut butter-like substance. Swirl in yogurt. Inhale bowl of deliciousness.
Moroccan Carrot Salad is even better a day or 2 later! I made some extra so I could eat it through0ut the week and I thoroughly enjoyed it in a wrap today. I used a Rudi’s spelt tortilla and stuffed it with hummus, carrot salad, cucumber, celery, spinach, and green pepper.
With lots of water throughout the day in my Georgia Tech glass. (16 days until the beginning of the GT football season!!!)
Insert 4 mile, music-less run here. Silly Shuffle was out of juice. 🙁
Do you see that sweat?! It was so flipping hot. No music. 630pm. I think I ran fast just to get ‘er done.
I fantasized thought about dinner the WHOLE way.
More carrots! This time with Shirataki tofu noodles and peanut sauce (yes, more peanut flour!).
Tomorrow you get more details on this! This post is getting loooong… it was a fantastic throw-together-meal. You should check back. Everybody’s doing it.
I cannot believe I FORGOT to take a pic of my snack today.
Pinkberry yogurt. Sheer deliciousness. I got the watermelon (only in stores until August 19th!) with mango and toasted almonds on top.
I also sampled the Salted Caramel. It was good, but I prefer yogurts in fruity flavors. “Dessert” flavors (like chocolate and caramel) are reserved for ice cream treats. Clearly I don’t mind a fruity tart! (That’s what she said.)
My nighttime snack doubled as dessert – a chocolate-peanut butter protein shake. With spinach, of course.
Almost forgot the pic. Lucky me – I was chatting with the famous Jen while drinking it and remembered just in time.
In my shake:
***
I have dinner plans tonight and it’s making the day dragggggg.
Do you have dessert preferences in terms of what you like fruity vs. chocolate-y?
What is the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?
