Finding the Bright Spots

August 3, 2012 By Laura

I’m going to go ahead and admit it.

I’ve had a shitty week. Work was frustrating, I didn’t sleep enough, my hamstring is pulled a bit, and I’m just grouchy. Last night I showed up at the gym out of habit rather than desire.

On top of all that, it was the dreaded leg day. I look forward to it because I love training with my coach, but I would honestly would rather work any other body part than my legs. It was raining and thundering when I left the house. I almost cancelled. Habit prevailed.

Coach said I’d have a revelation at the end of the workout. After squatting 2x my body weight and a set of leg presses with 8 plates on each side, I did have that revelation. Sometimes the worst days produce the best workouts. Mood = lifted.

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Bad weeks can also product some amazing food. It’s not on purpose, but I tend to eat “fun” food when I’m having a bad day. Like it’s my bright spot.

There has been a whole lot of mood-lifting deliciousness in blog-land lately. My three latest addictions are thanks to fellow bloggers:

This Cauliflower Pizza Crust inspired by Gluten Free Happy Tummy. It’s the only cauliflower crust I’ve been able to pick up and eat like a slice of pizza. Also, the egg I included in round 2 was sinfully good. I heart runny eggs.

Kristen’s “Stuft”which – I do mine on P28 Protein Bread with sugar-free strawberry jam… sometimes I add a little Diaya and spinach. It’s the jam. 😉

My Protein Breakfast Tart based on Tessa’s recipe has become a staple in my kitchen. This one topped with “melted” blackberries (berries microwaved for 20-30 secs with 2-3 drops liquid stevia).

I have an ever-growing list of recipes to try. Look for these on I nstagram and #WIAW next week:

Meg’s Chocolate Brownie & Raspberry Parfait
Alysa’s Oatmeal Pancake
JL’s Tempeh Patties
Lauren’s Beet Burgers
Heather’s Almond Butter Granola Bars
Ari’s 60-second Chocolate Chip Muffin

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A bright spot in my week was the photos you guys shared with me of your takes on some recent recipes I’ve posted. I always wonder if people actually try anything I make… so please do share when you do. ~~Unless you hate it~~. 😉

Meg tried her hand at the previously mentioned Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

Heather made some gorgeous Paleo Oat-less Oatmeal, subbing coconut flour for the protein powder:

Allie enjoyed the Oatmeal Cookie Protein Shake I made per her request:

Min tried my PB & Jeggs the DAY I posted it… and vouched for its odd deliciousness:

Heather (miss you!!!) made my Mexican Vegan Crustless Quiche, but did it in mini springforms and added smokey hot sauce:

Soben rocked a Tiramisu Parfait, adding chia seeds:

I swear I drafted this post before I saw Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli‘s post today… it’s titled “Sprinting with Broccoli.” This girl – my prom date – wrote an entire POST about recipes of mine she’s tried. I’m so flattered… I’m speechless and I could cry happy tears.

Thanks for making my week 100x better, Heather. 🙂

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The only thing I have left to say is TGIF.

What blogger recipes have you been loving lately?

What brightens your mood after a hard week?

150 Calorie Chocolate Protein Cake

August 2, 2012 By Laura

Kitchen failures are no fun.

Especially when they involve the microwave – an invention that is supposed to make things easier.

I’ve tried to make a good microwave protein cake over and over. And Over. And Over. My attempts failed repeatedly. God knows how much money I’ve wasted on protein powder. But I’m stubborn (and obsessed with desserts), so I kept trying.

And, just like Dr. Seuss 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed, I did succeed! Finally a winner!

My only requirements for this cake were that it must be low sugar, less than 200 calories, and have at least 20g of protein. The spinach was just the icing on the proverbial cake. One can’t live on green smoothies alone.

This ever-so-slightly green-tinted treat is light, fluffy, and wonderfully moist (yeah, I said moist). It’s sweet and chocolate-y. Not flavorless, dry, and/or oddly flat like some of my other attempts.

Here’s what I learned in my experimentation:

It will work with 2T of applesauce or 2T of pumpkin puree
It will not work with Xylitol, but Stevia is delicious in it
Use high-quality cocoa powder (the Kroger brand is terrible)
You may need to add another tablespoon of cocoa powder depending on your protein powder
Make it vegan using a flax egg rather than egg whites… be warned that it won’t be quite as fluffy
It can be made in advance and transported to work for an afternoon delight
Yes, the spinach is optional 🙂

Did I mention it’s under 150 calories and packs 24.5g of protein? Can I get a gold medal?

Another pleasant discovery was the baking powder I used. My training plan has me watching my sodium intake, and typical baking powder has a TON of it. I was lamenting this fact when Sarena located this Hain sodium-free powder! I ordered it online and was thrilled when it worked just as well as the full-sodium stuff. (If you aren’t concerned with sodium, the standard stuff work too.)

Microwave Chocolate Protein Cake

2 T chocolate rice protein powder (~22g)
1 C fresh spinach (optional)
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 C egg whites
2 T applesauce (no sugar added, can also use pumpkin puree)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp butter extract (optional)
~5-6 drops chocolate liquid stevia
Optional: vanilla protein powder, cherry on top

Place all ingredients in your blender of choice and mix until smooth. If not adding spinach, there is no need for a blender to mix.

Transfer to a large, greased (I use PAM) coffee mug and microwave for 3-4 mins (mine took 3:21).

Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired. My cake was topped with a sprinkle of vanilla protein “powdered sugar” and a cherry. I also really like to use melted cherries (cut into pieces and microwaved for 20 secs).

Makes 1 cake.

Approximate Nutritionals (will vary based on protein powder brand used; this is with Sun Warrior): 148 calories, 3g fat, 219.3mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 3.6g fiber, 3g sugar, 24.5g protein.

I was blown away by the positive responses when I posted this on the Chick-fil-a controversy. The Dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business (my graduate alma mater) wrote a great op-ed piece for the New York Times on individual freedom. I respect his opinion, and hope you will take a second to read his thoughts. Click here to read.

What is your most memorable kitchen failure?

Have you reached microwave cake perfection? Do share!

Vegan Protein Sources + Recipes

July 27, 2012 By Laura

I’m not vegan…

…but I’ve dabbled in the vegan space, and I do acknowledge that my body loves a plant-based diet.

Since I’ve started training for a figure competition, I’ve introduced more diary, eggs, and fish into my diet. I have to get ~150g of protein per day, so I felt it was the best decision for me to add those items back in. (I have not added back in meat, which I think is the biggest offender when I felt like I was dragging in the past.)

That’s not to say that the average person can’t get enough protein on a vegan diet though! Most people only need 0.7-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. If you are strength training to gain moderate muscle tone, try to get 1g per pound.

Much of my protein does still come from vegan sources, so I was excited to be asked by Kevin (@instagramfitness) to help put together a “clean eating” guide to vegan protein sources. With input from myself, @_mr_nice_watch and @petitefi, Kevin designed this awesome chart:

Buckwheat clarification: 1C cooked = 6g protein. The 24g number is uncooked. Sorry!

Some of my favorite ways to incorporate the vegan proteins above:

Ginger-Lime Edamame and Black Bean Burgers

Cherry-Balsamic Chickpea Salad

Sweet Potato Asian Lentil Loaf

Seitan Chorizo

Salade Niçoise

Check out Kevin’s Tumbler site for more clean eating ideas – there are a few of great charts and info on the following topics:

Nuts & Seeds, Dairy, Oils & Fats and Condiments & Minerals
Veggies, Fruits, and Grains
Hydration and (Non-Vegan) Protein
How to estimate the protein, fats, carbs you should strive for each day

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I would be remiss if I didn’t give shout out to my favorite vegan protein powder, Growing Naturals, and my favorite protein-rich “condiment,” peanut flour, from iHerb.

What is your favorite plant-based protein source? Do you have any recipes to share using these protein sources?

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Pick-Me-Up, a Tiramisu Protein Parfait

July 26, 2012 By Laura

Breakfast is the only reason I get up in the morning.

Not really. I get up because I have to go to work.

Breakfast is the only reason I get up without too much grumbling. Unless you count the grumbling in my stomach, which has been intense ever since I started training.

That’s a whole other topic. I eat my last meal around midnight. In theory that would hold me over. Notsomuch. I wake up so hungry you’d think I hadn’t eaten in days.

What’s really fun is waking up starving and remembering you have something really delicious prepped for breakfast. Remember Meal 1 from yesterday’s WIAW post? This is it – a Tiramisu Parfait.

The oats are cooked and soaked in coffee and cocoa overnight to produce a light, spongy pudding. In the morning, I mixed up some Greek yogurt with vanilla protein powder to create the decadent, creamy layers in this Tiramisu Parfait.

Did you know that Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian? Rightly so. This breakfast rendition was so good it had this night owl up early and eating breakfast with a smile.

The Italian dessert certainly couldn’t be passed off a breakfast (not that it hasn’t happened in a moment of weakness…). This is a much healthier version is perfectly acceptable in the morning, and you won’t be missing a thing with these flavors. Espresso-soaked ladyfingers are easily replaced with coffee-cocoa overnight oats. The sweet, tangy Greek yogurt mixture is the perfect sub for the mascarpone and heavy cream that layers a traditional Tiramisu.

If you’re feeling frisky, you could shake it up and top the breakfast treat with melted cherries.

A traditional Tiramisu can run upwards of 500 calories, 30g of fat, and 30g of sugar. Never fear. Depending on your protein powder, this Tiramisu Parfait is around 200 calories, 2g fat, 4g sugar… and 20g of protein!

I never wanted it to end.

Tiramisu Protein Parfait

Inspired by this recipe.

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 rum extract (almond would also work here)
1/4 cup strong brewed, cooled coffee
8 drops liquid stevia (adjust to desired sweetness)

For the Cream:

3 oz plain Greek yogurt (use soy or almond yogurt to make dairy-free/vegan)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2-3 drops orange stevia (optional, you could also use orange zest or extract of you want the hint of citrus)

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, then cover and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours).

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, orange stevia (or zest,/extract), protein powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg. 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 cherries (cherries microwaved with a few drops of lemon Stevia for ~20 secs). ~~Whipped cream would always be amazing.~~

Makes 1 serving.

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This first time I made this, I couldn’t wait ’til morning and ate it as Meal 7 (dessert).

Would you eat this parfait for breakfast or dessert?

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Peanut Butter & Jeggs + WIAW

July 25, 2012 By Laura

Two things make me euphoric: good food and hard workouts.

Yesterday I was on the receiving end of both. My spreadsheet delivered today!

Breakfast was mind-blowing. Meal 2 is a new go-to protein source. Lunch – although it was inhaled – was delish. Meal 4 wasn’t exciting, but the GNC Vanilla Whey tastes cake batter-ish when mixed with water. Dinner… well, if it was legal to marry pizza I would. Meal 6 was fun and close to being a new staple. Dessert was a new (to me) recipe from one of my fav bloggers.

On the training front, I had a GREAT workout with my trainer. I squatted 1.5x my body weight. That’s a HUGE jump in just over a month of training.

Click for source

During a workout it can be overwhelming to push and go all-in. That’s when you know you’re doing it right – when you are out of your comfort zone and breathing hard (provided you are using a good form and common sense). I hit that point during my 4th drop sets of horizontal leg presses.

I looked up at my trainer and said “I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” Then, with his encouragement, I just kept going.

Click for source

It was HARD, both physically and mentally. I was careful not to say “can’t,” but I won’t say the thought didn’t cross my mind. I shoved it out of my mind, and after the workout was incredibly proud of myself.

Which leads me to the 4th installment of the Fitness-themed What I Ate Wednesday. If you’ve been following, I’m aiming to get ~150g of protein each day as I train for a figure competition (hopefully in NOVEMBER!!!).

In an effort to vary my protein sources, I try not to repeat meals throughout the day (ex: I don’t want to have 7 protein shakes, or 4 servings of scrambled egg whites). Today’s eats included a whopping 5 different sources of protein!

Check out my vegetarian protein-loaded day below; then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness foods!

Meal 1:

Like I do every morning, I enjoyed a glass of my aminos mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water. I swear it gives me more energy than a cup of coffee… in fact, I no longer make coffee in the morning.

30 mins later I did enjoy a coffee-laced breakfast parfait:

It was a fabulous as it looks. No joke. Recipe tomorrow because I cannot hold this one in much longer.

Meal 2:

A new go-to: Peanut Butter & Jeggs. I do enjoy savory eggs, but sometimes you just want a PB&J. Meal 2 doesn’t get a carb, and PB&J doesn’t pack 20g of protein (the minimum I need at each meal)… so I got creative.

Egg whites, peanut flour, berries… it’s not as weird as it sounds. Really. Recipe at the bottom.

This might be weird: dose anyone else like the little crunchies left over from scrambles? They’re especially good when they are laced with PB.

Meal 3:

Lunch was wolfed down. I was slammed at work and running out the door for a lunchtime appointment with my trainer for the afore mentioned leg day.

This was a tasty combo… but I spent the drive to the gym wondering if eating all this so close to a workout would make me hurl.

On my plate:

Thai baked tofu
Spinach
Sweet potato
3 bean mix

Thankfully, I didn’t vom during my workout.

Meal 4:

This is what eating for fuel looks like:

GNC Whey Vanilla Protein I received as part of this Fitfluential protein powder review, mixed with water to form a “pudding.”

Followed by a giant carrot when I got home.

Meal 5:

I’m still swooning over this meal. It’s one of the best I’ve had in recent memory… and that’s saying a lot.

Cauliflower pizza perfection (recipe here).

Topped with baby bellas, red onion, garlic, red pepper, French sorrel, and purple basil, and drizzled with nooch “sauce” (1 T nutritional yeast + 1 T water) before placing back in the oven for 15 mins.

Once cooked, I topped it with a balsamic reduction, red pepper flakes, and this KASS vegan grated parm (which is actually really good!):

Meal 6:

After being corrected by Coach last week (seriously… he busted me in the comments section), I did NOT skip meal 6. This is a new creation… one I’m still working on. As soon as it’s 100% I’ll share. 🙂

No coach, these aren’t protein macaroons.

Served with celery sticks and “honey” mustard. I say “honey” because it’s just Dijon with a drop of lemon Stevia.

I read this one someone’s blog but now I can’t remember where… please claim it if it’s your idea. Sorry!

Meal 7:

Dessert was this Blueberry Protein Microwave Cake I’ve had bookmarked from my friend Sarena @ The Non-Dairy Queen.

Just a couple of modifications: I left out the oats, reduced the egg whites to 1/4 C, and used just 1/8 tsp of baking soda. I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and used lemon stevia in the coconut “frosting.” Mine only needed 4 mins in the microwave.

It was friggin’ fantastic.

Peanut Butter & Jeggs

1/2 C egg whites
2 T peanut flour
2 T water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5-6 drops liquid stevia
1/2 C berries

In a greased pan on med heat, scramble egg whites until 3/4 done (still a bit runny, ~2-3 mins).

Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, water, cinnamon, and stevia to form your peanut butter (note: you could always use 2 T of your favorite nut butter here).

Add peanut butter and fruit to the eggs. Scramble together and allow egg whites to complete cooking (~1-2 mins).

Plate and enjoy!

Serves 1.

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This day of eats was entirely vegetarian, and I managed 156g of protein. And it included 2 of the best meals ever. OMG.

Have you made a cauliflower pizza?

Any guesses about what meal 6 is?

Tzatziki Chickpea Tuna Salad + Giveaway Winner

July 19, 2012 By Laura

I did something I haven’t done since I was in middle school.

I ate canned tuna. My mom used to make tuna salad every Sunday after church. She mixed in pickles, apples, onion, mayo… it was a hodge podge. Every Sunday. One day I decided I no longer liked seafood, and that was the last of the tuna for me.

This was not me.

The Chicken of the Sea (canned tuna) is a cornerstone of the bodybuilding diet. In my quest for new ways to add protein to my diet, it was only a matter of time until tuna salad had to return. It’s easy to make, portable, and is actually better on day 2. It’s also filled with protein, fat-free (if you get it packed in water), and has virtually no bards. The perfect lunch to take to work.

When I decided to give it a go, I knew I had to do something different (no offense, Mom).

In my salad, I incorporated smashed chickpeas for a variation in texture. The ‘peas were easier for me to think about eating than tuna.

If you are vegetarian, this would be a great salad with just the chickpeas!

Mayo is (of course) not permitted on my nutrition plan, so I opted for a version of tzatziki sauce to stir into my salad. This slimmed-down version of the Greek classic is Greek yogurt-based, adding even more protein. It is also full of flavor from the herbs and garlic, leaving no trace of fishiness in the salad. ~~Watch out for garlic breath though!~~

The verdict? I’ve taken this for lunch twice this week. Apparently I really like tuna salad. Winner, winner… chicken-of-the-sea dinner!

Note: I made my chickpeas from dried peas rather than canned to keep the sodium low. If you do this and have left over, try roasting them for a fun snack like I did here.

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Before the winner dinner recipe, I suppose you guys are more interested in the winner of The Simply Bar Giveaway?

Congratulations to….

Layla!!!

You are the winner of a sample pack of Simply Bars. Send me an email with your address and I’ll pass it along to the Simply Bar crew. 🙂

Thank you all for entering, and for sharing your goals. Click here and read through the comments – they are really inspiring!

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Tzatziki Tuna Chickpea Salad

For the Salad:

1 can of tuna (packed in water)
1/2 C chickpeas, smashed
1/2 C red pepper, diced
Cilantro (optional, for garnish)

For the Sauce:

1 container Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves
1T chopped yellow onion
1/4 C fresh dill
1/4 C fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 large jalapeno
1/2 large cucumber, finely chopped

For the Salad:

Combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

Place all ingredients except cucumber into blender and blend until smooth.

Stir in diced cucumber and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings, with some sauce leftover.

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I saw on Nightline last night that chin implants are the fastest growing plastic surgery procedure… because people don’t like the way they look online. Wow.

Is there a meal from your childhood that you still can’t/won’t eat as an adult? Meatloaf, anyone?

Would you ever get a chin-plant?

Indian Ginger Tempeh Stir-Fry + WIAW

July 18, 2012 By Laura

Something very strange happened yesterday.

I woke up not wanting to eat anything. That’s not too odd. Often I prefer to wake up and hit the gym first thing, without breakfast. That has had to change for two reasons:

My heavier lifting, longer workouts mean I’m hungry about 3/4 of the way through
My 7th meal would end up being at midnight since meal 1 wasn’t until 930 or 10a (way too late for me)

That’s why this morning I ignored the part of me that wanted to skip breakfast before my workout and shoveled down my “oats.” When I returned from the gym it was time for meal 2 and I still didn’t feel like cooking or eating. Nothing sounded appealing, and that didn’t change throughout the day. I reworked my spreadsheet at each meal just trying to find something that sounded tasty.

This never happens. I always at least enjoy the process of cooking. Maybe I’m getting sick? I hope not!

Sorry for the blah intro to the 3rd installment of the “Food, Fun, and Fitness” What I Ate Wednesday. I’ll bust out of this funk by next week. I can assure you that (most of) my food still tasted good… I just didn’t feel like eating it.

Check out my vegetarian protein-loaded day below; then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness foods!