Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Strange But Good Breakfast

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If left to my own devices, my natural “awake” time is 10am to 2am.

I blame my mother.  It’s hereditary.

The only reason I get excited for morning to come is breakfast.  It’s the most delicious important meal of the day, you know.  With very little effort, it can also be the strangest meal of the day.

This weekend was the beginning of softball season.  I received a 6:30am wake up text from our team captain Sunday morning.  We had a tournament starting at 8.  It’s a good thing I had breakfast planned, because I am pretty sure I was still asleep on the drive to the field.

TVP OIAJ

 You’ve all heard of overnight oats in a jar, I’m sure.  I had an almost empty jar, but no oats!  No matter – I remembered my TVP “Oatmeal” and made Overnight TVP in a Jar!  Made just like a traditional recipe, but using TVP rather than oats.  Strange… but good!

I was going to eat this in the car, but was too tired so I ate it at the field… and earned a couple of strange but good stares.  That coffee was GONE by the time I got to the park though.  😉

Overnight TVP in a Jar

Overnight TVP in a Jar

  • 1/2 C TVP
  • 3/4 C unsweetened almond milk (or other liquid)
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 banana, mashed
  • Almost empty nut butter jar

Mix everything together in your jar and place in refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, remove from fridge and devour!  

Note: If you like your oats warm, you can pop it in the microwave for a minute.  You may need to add more liquid though.

 

Enough of my strangeness… one of my favorite Instragrammers and new blogger, Alina,  took my Oatmeal Cookie Shake and turned up the strangeness.  She made Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes… with the nutritional yeast from my original recipe!

Alina was kind enough to send her recipe to me so I could share it with you all.  Check this deliciousness out, and make sure to go to her blog – it’s full of creative, delicious dishes!

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes

  • 2 T coconut flour
  • 2 T pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 C egg whites
  • 1 T vanilla whey protein
  • 2 T mashed banana
  • 2 T almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp butter flavor/extract
  • 2 stevia packets
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Dash salt
  • 1 T mini Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (optional)

Mix all ingredients into a thick batter.

Scoop onto griddle or heated pan sprayed with some coconut oil. Yes, the batter is super thick but just spread pancakes to desired thickness and be patient while they cook up!

Flip once until cooked through.

Optional toppings: 2 Tbsp cottage cheese + 1 Tbsp chocolate pb2 , and Walden Farms chocolate syrup.

 

What’s strange but good in your kitchen 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.

 

Sprint 2 the Table

 

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



***

Another strange but good – going to have a gluttonous dinner with your trainer post-leg workout.  That happened last night.  #strangebutgoodshamelessness

When do you tend to make your strangest creations?

What is your favorite overnight oats combo?

Strange But Good Blues

By

Blues aren’t always bad.

 

Unlike pink… 😉

I’ve been going through a blueberry phase.  One that has resulted in some Strange But Good creations throughout the day.

 

Breakfast:

This was a new take on my Maple TVP Oatmeal.  I have been craving more savory foods for breakfast lately, and had just purchased fresh rosemary.  Why not with blueberries and a lemon twist?

 

Blueberry Rosemary TVP

Rosemary-Lemon TVP Oats

  • 1/3 C TVP
  • 3/4 C water (or milk)
  • 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 5-6 drops lemon liquid Stevia
  • Juice from 1/4 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 C egg whites (optional)
  • Blueberries

 

Add first 6 ingredients (everything before the egg), stir, and bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook about 10 mins, until mix thickens.  

Pour in egg whites.  Allow to cook for 2-3 more mins, stirring frequently so that the egg doesn’t form chunks.  The mixture should be silky smooth.  Swirl in blueberries.

Scoop into bowl and add additional berries to top.

Note: For a vegan option, add a flax egg, protein powder, or simply leave the egg out.

 

Lunch:

Again, I was feeling the sweet + savory.  I had made a bison burger as part of my Sunday food prep.  I  crumbled it up, mixed in some BBQ sauce and red pepper flakes, and warmed it in the microwave.  Then I stirred in the blueberries.

These 3 “Bs” sound strange.  The pic isn’t pretty.  But I SWEAR its delicious.  My BBQ sauce is a sweet & spicy, and the sweet hint complemented the berries perfectly.

Blueberres, Bison, and BBQ

 

Dessert:

I have a thing for sweet potatoes, even at midnight.  This midnight snack had me sleeping like a baby.  Until I had to get up to pee at 3am because I drink a TON of water.  I digress.

Sweet potatoes are also part of my Sunday prep.  I roast them in the oven to have on hand for a quick, healthy carb.  I heated this one up and topped it with no-salt cottage cheese, cinnamon, bacon “sprinkles” (thank you, Heather for my new favorite term), and blueberries.  Sweet, creamy, and a teensy bit of salty bacon goodness.

Sweet Potato, Cottage Cheese, Bacon, and Blueberries

Strange doesn’t get any more delicious than this!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

So what’s strange but good in YOUR ‘hood?

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.

 

Sprint 2 the Table

 

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



***

All these berries... I just bought strawberries yesterday (on sale for $3 at Whole Foods!).  I must be craving spring...

Do you like fruit with traditionally savory foods?  I love it with salmon!

Are you a savory or a sweet breakfast person?

 

Spiced TVP Breakfast Squash

By

Universally good food.

The stuff you’d eat regardless of your “diet.”

I’m really excited to be able to participate in Heather’s Meatless Monday’s A-Z!  I’m almost as excited to use this month’s ingredient, nutmeg, in one of my go-to universally good breakfast foods: TVP oatmeal.   I still ate it on my “break” from my nutrition plan!  Translation: it’s really, really good.

Nutmeg is one of my favorite “winter” spices.  I say winter because it has such a warm quality to it.  the smell of it brings to mind spiced desserts, fireplaces, and red wine.  (Ok, ok… I think of red wine no matter what.)

I prefer to use freshly grated nutmeg.  I always recommend keeping fresh spices on hand because they store longer and are more flavorful.  Whole nutmeg can be found in the spice section of your grocery store.  It looks like a little round nut.  All you need is a microplane and you have fresh nutmeg to top your dishes.

Click for source

Squash takes a little time to roast, so I didn’t want to spend any more time making the TVP oatmeal.  Yes, I realize this is extreme laziness and I could have been making them simultaneously.  Something good came out of my laziness – the discovery that TVP can be cooked in the microwave like oatmeal.

After a quick cook in the microwave, I stuffed my squash and popped it back in the over to brown a bit on top and allow some of the spices from the TVP to soak into the squash bowl.

If you like fruit in your “oatmeal,” you can stir in your favorites before putting the stuffed squash back in the oven.  I stirred blueberries into mine – I love the way they burst in your mouth when they are hot.

I also grated a little extra fresh nutmeg on top for the picture an added punch of flavor.  Annnnd… I had to top the whole thing with peanut butter.

This also makes for a fabulous brinner.

Spiced TVP Breakfast Squash

  • 1 Kiri squash (or other small squash)
  • 1/2 C TVP
  • 1 C water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 5-6 drops liquid Stevia
  • Optional: fruit to stir into or top TVP (I used blueberries)
Preheat oven to 350.

Cut squash in half and gut (remove seeds).  Place on a baking sheet , cut side up, and roast until tender (~15 mins),

Add TVP and water to a medium-sized bowl.  Make sure the bowl is big enough because – like oatmeal – TVP will explode in the microwave.  

Microwave for ~2 mins, until tender.  Allow to rest and soak up any remaining water before stirring in vanilla and spices.

Remove squash from oven.  Stuff with the TVP mixture (stirring in fruit, if desired) and return to oven for ~5 mins, until slightly browned on top.

Place on plates and add toppings of choice.  I topped mine with a dusting of  fresh nutmeg, blueberries, and peanut butter.

Note: If you’re sensitive to soy, this would also be good with regular oatmeal in place of the TVP.

Makes 2 servings.

***

Speaking of Heather… I get to see her on Friday!  This week is going to draaaaag. 

Have you tried TVP oats yet?

What is your favorite “winter” spice?

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken + WIAW

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You don’t realize how much you love something until it’s gone.

I only endorse this statement as it relates to food. 😉

This week’s diet change s to seriously cut sugar to help my abs come in. *crossing fingers*  This means I go from 3 servings of fruit a day to 1 serving of berries (they are low in sugar) at Meal 1.

Next week I cut fats, which will suck.  I’m cherishing my nuts (#thatswhatshesaid) and salmon while I can this week!

In other news, I finally bought and hung my pull up bar!

  I did 100 pull ups UNASSISTED yesterday.  Don’t be too impressed – I did 10 sets of 10 and it took a while. 😉

I didn’t do so well at making my eats Halloween-themed for  What I Ate Wednesday.  It’s getting harder to do anything super-creative, but I did my best!   Check out my “special” low sugar, low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below (it makes me tired just listing all that), and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how normal people ate in spirit of Halloween this week!

Meal 1:

I’m repetitive.  Yes, I had my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). Followed by TVP Protein “Oatmeal.” 

Today’s was a vegan version (no egg whites).  To get a little more protein, I used Greek yogurt to make it Strawberries ‘n Cream.  All I did was mash up strawberries with the yogurt, stevia, ginger, and vanilla.  Simple and delicious! 

Meal 2:

I made Cinnamon-Flax Chicken!  Does this count as #strangebutgood?  If you don’t eat meat, I would bet money that this would be delish with tofu.  Recipe at the bottom of this post.

It was good, but the sides were even better.  Kale chips coated in a sugar-free simple syrup and apple pie spice.  Simple syrup sounds fancier that it was.  I mixed together some sugar-free maple syrup and water so it was thin enough to coat my kale, then added apple pie spice.  I also tossed in some zucchini, which was also tasty!

Meal 3:

Once again… the steak of the sea makes an appearance in my kitchen!  Every Sunday I make a big batch of protein, and Swordfish is my #1 favorite.  It is such a rich fish that it tastes buttered.. but it’s not!  This was grilled with Herbs de Provence, garlic, paprika, and lime juice.

Eaten with pre-roasted calabaza squash with sage and onion, portobello slices, and parsnip “rice” with celery leaves. I would eat this competition diet or not!

Meal 4:

I had to attend a conference, so into a cooler went a salmon salad.  This week’s salmon was baked with lemon juice, mint, and sage.  I chopped it up and tossed it with chopped celery, beet, and zucchini. 

Meal 5:

It was legs day, so I had a date with my trainer to do my hack squats (blech), followed by posing practice.

I took a liquid dinner to go. This shake is a combo of my Sweet Potato Pie and Carrot Cake shakes.  Sweet potato, carrot, tofu, protein powder, spices… and some celery for good measure.  Oh, and I hand mixed in some oats.  The Vitamix will blend anything.  Literally. 

Meal 6:

Is it weird to crave brussels at 9:30pm? That’s what I wanted, so that’s what I had.  Roasted in a sauce of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, paprika, garlic, and a little coconut extract.  The coconut was the perfect pair with my (low-fat) coconut-curry marinated grilled chicken.  Fun-flavored protein, ftw. 

Meal 7:

Dessert!  No more fruit at night… I’ve missed my cherries on top, but this didn’t disappoint despite the fact that it looks like a giant poop.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding

  • 1/2 slice no-sodium Ezekial bread, ripped into tiny pieces
  • 1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese, 
  • 1T peanut flour
  • 1T cocoa powder
  • 2T pumpkin puree 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cocoa extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Stevia

I added some water to mix it, then microwaved it for a few seconds.  Warm chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding.  It looks odd… but I assure you it tasted incredible.  New protein dessert staple.

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 2 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

 Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection).

Rise your chicken, and place on a hard surface to pound with meat tenderizer.

Mix together flax, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Coat chicken with the mixture.  It should be wet enough from rinsing for the coating to stick without using an egg.

Place in oven for 8 mins, then flip to bake for an additional 6-8  mins.  If using convection, simply bake ~10 mins.  The chicken is done when it is white all the way through.

Note for my plant-based friends: This would rock with tofu too!

Serves 1, easily doubled (I made 4).

***

The protein count for the day: 170.9g.  The sodium count: 574.9mg.  And my new one to watch – sugar – was 28.6g.

I also want to thank everyone for your encouraging words on Monday’s post.  It’s a little scary, but all of your support means the world.  I did feel much calmer after your comments and tweets! XOXO

Do you pay attention to the sugars in your diet?

Have you had any delicious Halloween treats yet?  Let me live vicariously through you!

Maple TVP Protein “Oatmeal”

By

Eggs have a lot of sodium.

Since my sodium intake is now limited to 500 mg a day pre-competition, I had to find a way to get protein at breakfast without relying solely on eggs.  Apparently eggs have a ton of sodium… how, I have NO idea.  

There is no way I can eat seafood for breakfast without puking, and my trainer doesn’t want me eating protein powder all day so it was time to get creative.

Sorry if this offends… I thought it was funny. Because it’s true… #sorryimnotsorry

Oatmeal is great, but it doesn’t come close to meeting my protein needs.  I had to think of something to add to it.  Enter: Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP).

TVP is made from soy flour after the soybean oil has been extracted.  It’s then cooked under pressure and dried.  It is a great source of protein and fiber.  It’s gluten-free.  In short, TVP rocks.

I’ve used it in savory dishes – like my Chick-less Nuggets – but never thought to use it in something sweeter.  Necessity is the mother of invention!

Today’s creation is like a creamy bowl of oats, but with fewer carbs and a ton of protein.  I did use one egg white (3T) to make it super-silky, but that’s a negligible amount of sodium compared to the entire CUP of whites I was eating before.  There is also a bit of rolled oats in this.  If you are cutting carbs, you can leave that out and reduce the liquid a tad.

Flavor-wise this is a massive bowl of fall.  I added apple pie spice (you could also use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) and maple extract.

In my kitchen it smelled like a pie was baking as this cooked on the stove top!

Aside from the taste and creamy texture, my favorite thing about this is that is makes a MASSIVE bowl of “oatmeal.”  The TVP expands as it re-hydrates, which makes this volume-eater very happy.

I topped mine with fresh raspberries, but it would be great with any fruit or even a healthy scoop of peanut butter (23 more days until that returns to my diet… not that I’m counting…).

 

Maple TVP Protein “Oatmeal”

  • 1 C water
  • 1/3 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
  • 2 T rolled oats
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp maple extract (can use vanilla)
  • 4-5 drops liquid stevia (or other sweetener)
  • 1/4 tsp brown sugar extract (optional) 
  • 3 T egg whites
  • My toppings: sugar-free maple syrup, raspberries, and cinnamon

Add first 8 ingredients (everything before the egg), stir, and bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook about 10 mins, until mix thickens.  

Pour in egg whites.  Allow to cook for 2-3 more mins, stirring frequently so that the egg doesn’t form chunks.  The mixture should be silky smooth.  

Scoop into bowl and add your favorite toppings.

Note: For a vegan option, add a flax egg or simply leave the egg out.

Approximate nutritionals (without toppings): 0.8g fat, 102 mg sodium, 13.8g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 3.2g sugar, 19.9g protein

***

Unrelated: I really like casein protein at night for recovery, but they all seem to have a lot of sodium.  Anyone know of a low sodium (<50 mg) brand?

Have you ever used TVP?

What is your favorite hot cereal topping?

Chick-less Nuggets + Sweet ‘n Spicy Mustard Sauce

By

Nuggets of gold, I tell you.

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Who needs Chick-fil-a?!  These tasty vegan treats all the flavor and finger food deliciousness of the fast food treat, but without the MSG, high fructose corn syrup, ammonium sulfate, yellow 5, blue 1, etc.  (I only wish I were kidding about that ingredient list.)

Maybe they missed the memo:

Isn’t this awesome? I ordered this tee from Callie @ Rawxy. Her cookies are good too, IMHO. 😉

Growing up I thought my mom was so mean because we were rarely allowed to stop for fast food.  I wanted a toy with dinner!  Looking back I am grateful – to this day I have never eaten a fast food hamburger!

However, I did enjoy the occasional chicken nugget from a certain Southern chain.  Today I wouldn’t dream of buying them, especially when there are clean alternatives like these:

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

My chick-less nuggets are TVP-based and are vegetarian/vegan.

After a quick pulse in the blender, mix in some chickpea flour and an egg (a flax egg works here) to bind them.  This creates a nugget-like texture that… well… tastes like chicken.

Chick-less Nuggets! These meat-free nuggest easy to make and high in protein thanks to TVP.

You can make the bites any flavor you’d like, but I went for the classic blend of paprika, red pepper, onion, and garlic.  Lay off the red pepper and these would be ideal for kid meals!  Sorry, toy not included.

Dunked in a healthy, quick sweet ‘n spicy mustard sauce, you’d almost swear these were from a drive-thru… a thought you’ll quickly push aside because these clean bites are better.

Vegan TVP Chick-less Nuggets

Chick-less Nuggets

  • 1 C water
  • 1 no-meat chicken bullion cube
  • 1 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
  • 2 T chickpea flour
  • 1 egg (flax egg or the “real” thing)
  • 1 tsp spice blend (I used a mix of paprika, red pepper, onion, garlic)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or 475 convection.

Heat water in medium bowl and stir in bouillon until dissolved.  Add TVP, stir, and allow to stand for 5 mins.

Pulse soaked TVP in food processor; you want larger pieces broken up, but not a puree.  Add egg and flour and mix well.  Season with your favorite spice blend.

Form “nuggets” with the TVP mix (heaping 2T per nugget).  Drop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place in oven and bake for 10 mins, until golden.  Flip nuggets and bake for an additional 5 mins.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 10 nuggets.

Note: Use a flax egg to make vegan.

Approx Nutritionals (per nugget): 47 calories, 0.8g fat, 20.7g sodium, 3.7g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 5.8g protein

 

Sweet and Spicy Mustard Sauce

  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 2 T water
  • 2 drops lemon liquid stevia (or sweetener or choice)
  • Tabasco sauce, to taste

Mix together and dip away!

***

I added a mini “about” section to my side bar with a pic, but am unsure about it… too much?

Do/did you ever like fast food?

What is your favorite dipping sauce?

Vegan Protein-Packed Ancho Bean Burgers

By

Sad, but true:

 

 

We are so lucky to have the knowledge we do about clean eating.  I am continually surprised by how many people legitimately have no clue how to make good food choices.  Not to mention those who just don’t care.

Remember then craziness most of us ate growing up?  Ding Dongs, Pop-Tarts, orange soda… I wouldn’t even think to buy those things now!  (Note: there is a restaurant in Atlanta that makes homemade Ding Dongs… those, I would buy. 🙂 ).

 

In my adult life, I shop the perimeters of the grocery store.  When I do buy packaged food, I read labels to ensure the ingredient list is recognizable.

 

Source: http://www.inshapeindiana.org

 

No one is perfect.  I’d be lying if I told you there weren’t a couple of questionable items in my freezer.  The point is to eat as clean as you can most of the time.

One of the items I’ve become more aware of are frozen veggie burgers.  I try not to eat many processed foods, but in my constant quest for protein I picked up a box of the burgers for a quick fix.  Then I realized I could quite easily make my own and keep them in the freezer for those times of need.

 

 

Beans are one of the top sources of vegan protein; however, I cannot eat enough beans to get my 25g required per meal.  I CAN mix them with other protein sources to amp it up though!

Note: I am not vegan, but I am striving to continue to eat as plant-based as possible while I train for a figure competition.

 

 

These ancho chile burgers combine beans, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and vital wheat gluten to deliver a homemade, protein-rich vegan burger.  The chili power and ancho chili pepper in chipotle give it a nice heat (if you’re sensitive to heat simply leave out the ancho chili).

I served one for dinner with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spinach.  The remaining patties were wrapped up for later meals.

 

 

Between the liquid smoke and the grill marks (thanks to Mr. George Foreman and his grill), these bean burgers have turned my cubicle into a lunchtime picnic.  Ok, I exaggerate… but they are tasty! 

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Ancho Bean Burgers

Inspired by JL’s Chickpea TVP Burgers.

  • 1/2 C fava beans, cooked
  • 1/2 C cannellini beans, cooked
  • 1/4 cup TVP
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 C Vital Wheat Gluten
  • 1/2 C fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 C onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ancho chili pepper in chipotle, diced
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • S+P,  to taste

 

In a food processor, pulse the cooked beans (leave some larger pieces).

Combine the TVP and vegetable broth and let stand for 10 mins.  Stir in the Vital Wheat Gluten.

Add the TVP and all remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined.

Refrigerate 1 hour (or overnight).  Form the patties, making them fairly thin so the middle get “cooked” on the grill. Return to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or over night.  At this point you may place in the freezer for future use.

Set out at room temperate about 30 minutes before grilling.  Cook on a grill pan (or grill if you have one) for ~6-7 mins on each side, or place in George Foreman grill for 6 mins.

Makes 5 4-oz burgers.

Approximate Nutritionals: 116 calories, 0.5g fat, 144mg sodium, 13.6g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 1.7g sugar, 14.3g protein

***

In 5 days I will be 29 years old.  The last year of my 20s.  How did this happen?!

Is there anything shameful in your freezer or pantry? Make me feel better… lol!

Have you become more health conscious in your “old age,” or did you grow up eating clean?

 

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