Thai Meatloaf with Noodle Salad

That's right...meatloaf! You're either groaning in disgust or reminiscing about the comforting version your mom makes, right? My mom made really good meatloaf. Yet, meatloaf is often comprised of fatty meat than anything good for you, so how can this be on our blog? The geniuses at Clean Eating came up with a unique twist on this home-cooking classic and lightened it up. We made a few changes over two trials and we've got a perfect version for us. 

Because we cook for dinner and for lunch the next day, a 4-person serving is what we use. However, we made a double batch this time and wrapped up the second half (after cooking) and sent it to the freezer for a night off cooking! Lean ground pork mixes with whole wheat panko, cilantro, ground peanuts and fresh ginger for a zingy vegetable and protein packed dish that will blow your (and your mom's) socks off.

Keep in mind, meatloaf isn't a precise art. If it's too wet, add more panko. Too dry? Add some more liquid. There's no right or wrong way, you are looking for the mixture to be able to hold it's shape when patted into a ball.

Serves 4 (or double and freeze half for later!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 lb lean ground pork
• 1 cup whole wheat panko
• 1" pc ginger, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 5-6 mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 chili, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sriracha
• 1/4 cup peanuts, toasted and crushed
• 5 mushrooms sliced for garnish
• 4 oz egg or wheat noodle
• handful snap peas
• 1 carrot shredded or julinned
• garlic powder
• sea salt
• pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375'. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine all meatloaf ingredients from pork through sriracha. Mix to blend with hands. Form into log and transfer to loaf pan.
3. Top with sliced mushrooms and crushed peanuts.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Continue to bake until done, about 20 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, boil noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside.
6. In wok or pan, heat 1 tsp sesame oil over medium high heat. Add snap peas and carrots and stir fry until peas are tender-crisp.
7. Add 1-2 tsp garlic powder, a dash of salt and pepper and noodles.
8. Heat through and keep warm, covered, until ready to serve.
9. Slice meatloaf and serve with noodle salad.
10. Cooked meatloaf can also be wrapped tightly and frozen to be reheated later!

Pizza - Mushroom, Sausage & Onion

I saw this recipe on Ashley's fantastic blog The Edible Perspective and due to our recent forays into the land of buckwheat, I thought I'd give it a go! The crust is gluten-free and is a buckwheat-millet mix. What the Buck? No seriously, it's GOOD. I baked it in a pie pan, and it was a little too thick and muffiny/bready for us, so I think next time we will bake it on a flat baking sheet and aim for a thinner crispier crust. 
Since we're not gluten-free, we tossed a bunch of psuedo Italian sausage into the food processor and pulsed it until it was in sausagey crumbles. Those were browned lightly in a pan with onions and combined with canned diced tomatoes and a ton of herbs for a thick pizza sauce. A handful of mushrooms and bell peppers and a scattering of Daiya vegan mozzarella and we had a damn good dinner!
I liked the Daiya cheese, Adam did not. I kind of have a thing for processed fake cheese flavor (shh don't tell) so I thought it was okay. Plus, it's melty and it doesn't have dairy. Win! We'll definitely be making variations of this pizza over and over again!

Note: The recipe calls for grinding your own buckwheat groats and millet. It's super easy to do in a spice or coffee grinder and you get tons more flavor than pre-bought flours. 

Serves 2
Recipe from The Edible Perspective (link above)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2c raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw buckwheat groats]
• 3/4c millet flour
• 1c water
• 1Tbsp olive oil
• 1Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2tsp garlic powder
• 2tsp oregano
• 1tsp rosemary
• 1.5tsp basil
• 1tsp thyme
• 1/4tsp sea salt

Toppings:

• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced or diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 links (or about 1/4c each) vegetarian Italian Sausage (or chicken or pork or whatever)
• 14oz can diced tomatoes
• pinch each basil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper
• Daiya Mozzarella Shreds (or real cheese)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Whisk all crust ingredients together until well combined.
3. Grease a parchment lined 13x9 pan or baking sheet (original recipe calls for 8-9" round pan, but I like it thinner)
4. Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake on middle rack for 30min if baking thinner or 40min in round 8-9" pan.  Edges should be slightly brown and pulled away from the pan.  The top will be cracked.
6. Remove crusts from oven and gently remove from pan (invert onto plate and then invert back onto baking sheet.
7. Top with toppings and bake on your oven rack/baking sheet/etc until ingredients are heated through and cheese is melted.

Diet, Nutrition + Changes

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the recipes around here have been using some interesting ingredients! Chia seeds? Buckwheat flour? Non-dairy cheese? Greek yogurt in everything?! Where are the martinis and the french fries!!!!

What you're witnessing is our efforts to figure out what the heck is wrong with my stomach. We enjoy a wide and varied diet of all kinds of things, yet certain foods are losing their place in our diets. To make matters short (and not totally disgusting) I've always had a sensitive stomach that's prone to causing me quite a bit of problems. I'm lactose intolerant and  like to ignore this and eat copious amounts of cheese, sour cream and milk on occasion. A pesky stomach ache never got between me and a wedge of brie before, and I had no intention of ever stopping eating dairy.

Yet, my body is changing. I think part of it is age, but I think a huge part of it is triathlon training and our squeaky clean daily diet. Everything about what we put into our bodies has changed. Everything about what we're asking from our bodies has increased exponentially. On the upside, we both feel fantastic, energetic, healthy and ready for life every single day. On the downside, my stomach reacts so strongly now to anything not healthy that I finally dragged myself to the doctors and have taken a bunch of tests to try to figure out what is wrong with me. I'm pretty certain it's all food related and that I can be free of pain through diet alone.

So far, we've discovered that I:

• Can't eat dairy (including milk, cream, whey protein, soft cheeses, sour cream)
• Must limit alcohol intake 
• Selectively choose and/or limit chocolate intake (no white chocolate/milk chocolate)
• Can't handle fried foods (learned that after indulging in egg rolls and a Vietnamese crepe)
• Can eat non-fat Greek Yogurt, some goat cheeses, and eggs
• Must be wary of what I eat when I go out or feel like treating myself 

It's not surprising that as we are pushing our bodies to become these clean-fuel burning, healthy, endurance machines that our bodies are pushing us back demanding decent fuel. It's not rocket science! I'm continuing to test and sort out what works and what doesn't. Will I go 100% vegan, gluten-free or vegetarian? Probably not, but we do like to experiment with food and our bodies tend to know what they want. What our bodies want is nutritious whole food, easy to breakdown and use energy, more plant-based sources of complete proteins, and fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

If you have any questions or have stomach troubles yourself feel free to email me or post comments below!

Blueberry Muffin Cake

If you're not making breakfast cake where have you been?

Amazing. Nutrient rich. High in fiber, protein, nutrients and low in fat. Gluten-free, diabetic-friendly and easily made vegan (use egg sub)!

No time for fancy pictures these days, so a quick snapshot at work is all you get! I did some tinkering on the original recipe and made a phenomenal blueberry muffin style cake!! You can use a ramekin, a soup crock, a small casserole dish, a mini loaf pan, anything you can think of to bake it in. We use a 4" ramekin.

Next up? Finding a healthy struessel topping for it!

We make these the night before and then reheat for 45 seconds in the microwave at work.

Serves 2- easily halved for one!
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup low sugar applesauce
• 2/3 cup soy or almond milk
• 3 tsp almond extract
• 2 Tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp raw buckwheat groats (ground in spice or coffee grinder into flour)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp xlyitol
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Line baking dish with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray
3. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Divide between two baking dishes.
5. Bake for 33-35 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

Yogurt Frosting - Perfect for Breakfast Cake

Yesterday we brought you a jaw-dropping Breakfast Chocolate Cake. Today, a delicious (and low-cal!) frosting to smear all over it!

Yes, I said frosting! And we're still talking about a healthy, nutritious breakfast meal. It's only 68 calories for a huge serving, no fat and, oh YEAH, it has 6 grams of protein!! This stuff is magical! Incidentally, we are in love with Chobani fat-free greek yogurt. It's incredibly versatile, and we use it in creamy salad dressings, as a mayo substitute, in pancakes, in desserts, and now as cake frosting! It's thick, creamy, and delicious, and you'd never guess it's fat-free! Heyyy Chobani - we're totally open to sponsorship!!

Frosts one Breakfast Cake generously (makes 1/4c)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup Chobani greek nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup freeze dried fruit (we used bananas today, tomorrow...strawberries!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blitz freeze dried fruit in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or bash the heck out of it until it's powder.
2. Stir into yogurt.
3. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hr or overnight).
4. Spread like frosting :)

Breakfast Cake

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKEEE!

This cake is phenomenal. It's healthy. It will make your life complete.

(c) Hyperbole and a Half

First, have you seen Hyperbole and a Half? Have you read her post on The God of Cake? If not, get your butt over there and bask in the hilarity.

Then, pop back over for a recipe.

Back? Hilarious, no?! I keep a firm grip on our weekly menu, so when I told Adam we were having not only cake for breakfast, but chocolate cake, he thought he was dreaming. A friend referred me to Edible Perspective's genius Buckwheat Bakes. I scanned the recipe and then double checked her nutritional math. No WAY cake could be good for you. Yes, yes, it is.

It's good. It's filling. It's healthy. Easily veganizable (use an egg substitute or flax egg). Top with a huge assortment of things! Coconut and dried bananas, tart marionberry jam, yogurt frosting... Not sure what chia seeds are or what the health benefits are? Check here. In short form- they are magic. More omega-3s than flax seed, high fiber, staunch hunger, loaded with antioxidants, and more!

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2c ground raw buckwheat groats [grind to soft powder in blender or spice/coffee grinder]
• 2 Tbsp raw buckwheat groats
• 1 large banana, mashed 
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3c unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
• 4 tsp maple syrup
• 5 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 egg white or 1 flax egg [2.5T warm water + 1T ground flax meal, whisked]  
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. If making flax egg - whisk flax egg together and set aside for ~3-5min.
3. In a small bowl mash banana. Mix in all other ingredients.
4. Mix in flax egg or egg whites.
5. Lightly grease a small oven-safe dish, add mixture, smooth, and bake for 30 minutes. I used two large ramekins lined with parchment paper, but any soup crock or bowl will do. These are approximately 4.5" round.
6. We made these the night before and re-warmed in the microwave in the morning! Enjoy!

Ancient Grain & Apple Porridge

It was a busy night, pardon the cell photo ;)

You've heard about ancient grains such as quinoa, millet, kamut and spelt, but you're not too sure what do with them, right?! You're not alone!

What makes them special? Unlike most of the refined grains in the American diet, these grains (actually, seeds) have serious nutritional value. Quinoa, for example, is an amino acid-rich more closely related to kale and spinach than a grain! Not only high in protein, but it has all nine amino acids making it a plant based complete protein. Millet, quinoa and amaranth are also high in minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus which aid in muscle tissue repair and metabolizing fat. Hello, my new best friends.

Eating a healthy, high fiber, high protein, low fat breakfast is just a good idea. We're crazy and had an hour swimming and an hour bike before breakfast, so desperately needed a hearty breakfast - this porridge definitely provided it! I like to make a batch up the night before, so it's ready to go in the morning with a quick reheat.

Side Note: Most recipes require the quinoa to be rinsed and drained and rinsed again, but I'm lazy and I can't tell the difference so I just put it all in a pot with the water. :)

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2c quinoa
• 1/8c millet
• 1/8c amaranth
• 1/4c soy milk
• 1 cup-1.5cup water (start with 1c add more if too dry)
• 1 medium red delicious apple, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp xylitol
• 10 pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine water, soy milk, millet and quinoa in pot. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
2. Add apple, amaranth, cinnamon and xylitol and cover. Simmer on low for 8 more minutes or until apple is softened and quinoa is cooked (should be tender with only a slight crunch to it). Stir occasionally.
3. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly. Divide into two containers (or bowls if eating immediately) and top with 5 pecan halves each.
4. Refrigerate (and reheat later) or enjoy while warm!

Nutritional per Serving: 400 calories, 12.5g protein! , 10g fat, 14g fiber

Banana Oat Muffins

No time for the fancy camera last night! 

The word muffin sounds dirty doesn't it? Like you're really getting something good. These muffins will not only trick your mind into thinking you're getting a treat, they will trick your palate too!

I came across this lovely site and have been pleased with the recipes so far. I made added in plain soy protein powder to increase the value of these muffins a bit, but the possibilities are endless. I love that there is no added fat and no added refined sugars. If you're not using xylitol already, give it a try! It's a natural sugar derivative and is easily swappable for refined white sugar (a.k.a. The Devil).

We need a quick snack in the mornings before our swim sessions and something to staunch the hunger-panic after a two hour workout. These delicious muffins are the perfect solution! They are even better when warmed up a touch.

Makes 1 dozen regular sized muffins
INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed in bowl
• 1 cup soy milk (or almond, etc...)
• 3 cups old fashioned or rolled oats (I used McCann's Quick Cooking Oats)
• 3 scoops plain soy protein powder
• 1 Tbsp xylitol
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp dark organic chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375'. Line muffin pan with parchment paper squares, liners or cooking spray
2. Mash bananas in bowl, add all other ingredients except chocolate chips and stir to combine.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin pan
5. Bake 20-30 minutes until lightly browned and firm to touch. Remove from oven and cool.

Per 1 Muffin: 150 calories, 7g protein, 11g fat, 3g fiber

Etouffee with....Alligator

Etouffee with alligator??? Somehow we wound up with frozen alligator in our freezer due to a frozen item swap with a neighbor. Being from Southern California, I've never encountered alligator, but that didn't stop me from trying it out! I've discovered some delicious foods by being daring (escargot, spot prawn heads, tiny baby squid, uni, etc...) but I can firmly say that alligator is not really my thing. We sliced and pounded the meat thin, so while I could get through the chewy texture, I couldn't handle the swamp flavor.

Tastes like chicken...that's sat in dirty mud for days.

The etouffee, on the other hand, was phenomenal! I took my scissors to the original recipes (that call for not one, but TWO sticks of butter) and lightened the whole thing up a bunch. Spicy and ideal with shrimp (or chicken) and rice! It's not a traditional recipe, but for the low calorie, low fat bunch of you, this is a keeper.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup shrimp, fish or chicken stock (we used homemade fish/shrimp stock)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce       
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp minced parsley
• 1lb peeled, deveined shrimp

Creole Seasoning:

• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/3 tablespoon paprkia
• 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/3 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large skillet over medium high. Add celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper and green onions. Saute until fragrant and softened, about 7 minutes.
2. Whisk in flour and cook 3-5 minutes.
3. Add creole seasoning and stir to coat. Stir in a little stock at a time, just enough to form a paste.
4. Whisk in the rest of the stock slowly, stirring continuously until all stock is in.
5. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
7. Simmer 30 minutes until thickened to your liking.
8. Add shrimp and parsley and cook until shrimp are cooked through and pink (about 5-6 minutes).
9. Serve over white rice or with a baguette. Garnish with extra parsley!