Post Workout Tropical Smoothie

In honor of my tropical vaca I decided to post one of my favorite snacks that always makes me feel like I'm relaxing on a beach: a mango banana coconut smoothie. Whenever the weather is warmer I always start craving smoothies and this summer was no exception. I keep my smoothies low cal by opting for soy or almond milk over low fat yogurt but if I want a bit more protein after a tough workout I add a little bit of greek yogurt for some extra substance. My favorite fruit is by far mango and I love all things coconut so this smoothie tasts more like a tropical treat than a healthy recovery snack!

You'll need:
A ripened banana (the riper the banana the sweeter they are)
Cut up mango
Ice
Soy Milk
Coconut Chobani Greek yogurt

How to:
Add the ice into your blender first, followed by the mango and banana. Add in a couple of spoonfulls of yogurt. I use about half of a Chobani coconut yogurt but if your looking for a heartier smoothie you can use the whole container. Pour in a bit of soy milk, blend, and slurp! 

Kale Chips

My personal weakness is potato chips. I could easily eat a giant bag in one sitting, which is why I generally avoid keeping them in my apartment. These kale chips have the same satisfying crunch and saltiness as my favorite junk food, but are high in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A. These "chips" are truly addicting and there's no guilt involved in eating a whole bowl!

You'll Need:

Kale leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Baking sheet

How To: 

Set your oven to 350 degrees. First step is to wash and cut your kale, you don't want any of the stalk attached to the leaves. Lightly grease your baking sheet and dust with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Make sure your kale leaves are mostly dry and lay out on the baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the kale leaves, making sure its evenly distributed. Add another dusting of seasoning. Pop in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until crisp. If you like more of a kick, I recommend adding some old bay seasoning.

Crunch away!

Low-Cal Iced Chai Tea Latte

One of my favorite spring drinks at the coffee shop is an iced chai tea latte. I generally avoid them and consider ordering one a treat because they can be pretty caloric and sugary. I recently decided to take matters into my own hands and try to recreate a healthier version of the iced chai. After some experimenting, I've finally came up with the perfect recipe that's under 100 calories! It's delicious, refreshing, and the black tea gives you a little caffeine boost.

You'll need:
Plain black chai tea bags (I've been using Yogi Chai Black)
Soy Milk
Artificial sweetener of your choice
Coffee Creamer
Cinnamon

How to:

Brew the tea and add your sweetener (I prefer mine on the sweeter side so I use two Truvia packets). Next add your soy milk and leave the tea bag in as you mix to really get that strong chai flavor. Add just a dash of coffee creamer and sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Refrigerate until chilled. Add ice and enjoy!

The Taste-Tester : Chobani Restaurant

I've decided to add a new section to my blog titled "The Taste-Tester" where I'll post about any special eats and treats I've discovered and where to find these delicious creations.

I first heard about the Chobani restaurant from a few friends of mine and was so surprised and excited to hear there was a restaurant centered around Chobani yogurt and fresh ingredients. I was fortunate to discover that this haven for yogurt and health lovers alike was a short walk away from my office in the heart of SoHo.

Chobani's yogurt bar is an inviting atmosphere with original yogurt bowl flavors such as pistachio and dark chocolate or peanut butter and jelly. I tried the Blueberry Power which is a mixture of Chobani plain yogurt, fresh blueberries, walnuts, chia seeds, and agave nectar. It was delicous and the perfect light lunch. Also the yogurt is served in a Chobani-labeled glass bowl which makes for a nice souvenir after your meal. If yogurt and fresh ingredients are your thing, I highly recommend it!

The Chobani restaurant is located on 150 Prince St, New York, NY

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

I am a sucker for cookie dough. It is impossible for me to resist licking a spoon (or three) while baking cookies. Honestly, I prefer cookie dough to the finished product. This is why I love my cookie dough greek yogurt. It tastes like dessert but is actually a healthy meal for only 200 calories!

You'll need:
1 container of fat free greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of reduced fat peanut butter
1 packet of sweetner (I prefer truvia)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips

Mix all your ingredients together and enjoy a great tasting "dessert" that won't leave you feeling guility.

Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna

So after my previous experimentation with Spaghetti Squash (see my Spaghetti Squash recipe here) I was ready to try another attempt at replacing pasta with vegetables. For me, the combination of carbs, tomato sauce, and cheese can do no wrong. There's something comforting and home-y about the beloved combination. Lasagna fits this category perfectly but it is a dish I usually stay away from due to its high calorie content. Therefore when my friends and I decided to cook our annual "Pinterest Dinner" I jumped at the chance to make zucchini lasagna.

This zucchini lasagna is completely pasta-free. The trick is to subsititue your pasta sheets with thinly sliced layers of zucchini. This lasanga is also vegetarian, but feel free to add ground beef or turkey if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 jar of tomato sauce
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
15 oz fat free ricotta
16 oz low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmegiano Reggiano
1 large egg
1 cup of broccoli
2 cups of spinach

How to:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a mandelin, thinly slice your zucchini so that they look like wide, thin noodles. Mix together your cheese, egg, brocoli, and spinach. In a 9x12 pirex dish layer your sheets of zucchini, tomato sauce, and cheese mixture until the pirex is filled.

 

 

Once fully layered, cook the lasagna covered for 30 minutes, then contine to cook it uncovered for about 15 more minutes. The result should be a delicious, healthy lasagna that can satisfy even the worst cravings for comfort food! 



Italian Style Spaghetti Squash

I have been meaning to try spaghetti squash for a while now. The new health craze caught my attention because I am a huge pasta lover and any way to make a healthier "pasta" dish has my attention. Sadly I don't think I will be able to replace my favored angel hair with spaghetti squash in the future. True the strands do look like spaghetti but overall the dish tasted like grated vegetables. I would be inclined to make it as a side dish in the future, for I found the taste to be rather repetitive as a main course.

Spaghetti squash is a great dish to make as a main meal or a side dish if your looking to lose weight. 40 calories a cup compared to the 200 calories in a cup of pasta is hard to beat. Try it and form your own opinion, for you have nothing to lose (but your waistline!)




Ingrediants:
1 (1 1/2 lb) squaghetti squash
olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
tomato sauce
capers (optional)
freshly grated parmesean cheese

How To:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut your spaghetti squash in half lenghtwise. Remove the seeds. Cook the squash on a baking sheet until soft, approvimately 1 hour. Let the squash cool slightly and srape out the inside of the squash with a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands.

In a pan saute the onion and garlic with the olive oil until lightly browned. Add the spaghetti squash and throughouly mix so the squash absorbs the flavor. Then add your favored tomato sauce and capers. Mix the "pasta" thoughouly. Add fresh parmesean cheese for flavor. Buon appetito!

Peanut Butter Banana "Frozen Yogurt"

One of my favorite snacks of all time no matter if its winter or summer, is frozen yogurt. Here in Italy, the focus is more on gelato than Pinkberry or 16 handles. As the weather warms, my cravings for fro-yo gets worse. I've decided to try out making my own "frozen yogurt" from a banana, having seen multiple attempts online. The result is a creamy, frozen treat that's both healthy and satisfying!

You'll need:
1 banana
1 teaspoon of peanut butter
A dash of cinnamon










How To:

Peel and break a banana into a small bowl or cup and then mash thouroughly. Make sure to rid the banana of clumps to ensure a better texture for your frozen yogurt.

Once thoroughly mashed, mix in the peanut butter and cinnamon and freeze. Some other possible ingredient options are cocoa powder for a nice chocolate-y flavor, walnuts, chocolate chips, or carob chips! Experiment with various toppings to find your new favorite summer treat!

Calorie count: 150 calories

*calories based on 1 small banana and reduced fat Skippy creamy peanut butter

Greek Yogurt Power Breakfast

One of the things I miss from Greece is my breakfasts. Every morning during my spring break I had an original greek yogurt with fresh fruit and honey. It was a delicious and nutritious way to start my day and I've been missing it. I've decided to try and recreate my greek breakfast fix back here in Rome. Part of what made my yogurt parfait so delicious was the fresh fruit. Unlike America, Europe tends to focus on fresh, seasonal produce only selling what is in season. This way you are able to ensure good quality food. My greek yogurt over break often had bananas, strawberries, kiwi, apples, and pears. I settled on fresh pink lady apples (my favorite!), kiwi, and a ripened banana.

You'll need:
Fresh fruit of your choosing
Greek yogurt (I prefer fage total 0% fat)
Honey

This breakfast will leave you satisfied and feeling good all morning. If you find you need a bit of a crunch or some carbs to leave you full longer, add a bit of granola or a fibrous breakfast cereal.

Vegetable Lasagna

It feels good to be back! These past couple of weeks I've been so overwhelmingly busy with moving back to school and getting settled with a routine. Since classes officially started yesterday it seems I'll have some semblance of a schedule now! Being a junior on campus now means that I've graduated dorm life, moved past the sorority house, and am now officially living on my own (well plus 4 other girls) in a house. Since I won't have access to the dining hall and my meals are no longer catered to me, I knew before going away that I would have to master some of my favorite recipes and create some new ones.

I absolutely love Italian food. Anything with tomato sauce and cheese I instantly adore. Though I knew back at school that I couldn't get away with making myself pizza and baked ziti every single night. So I tried to come up with a new recipe that would allow me to get my fix without the guilt. Introducing Veggie Lasagna. This dish is vegetarian and gluten free and can be used as a meal or simply a side dish. It is so easy to prepare and is so incredibly healthy.

You'll need:
Any mix of vegetables you like. I used:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Squash
Brussel Sprouts
Onion
Tomato Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil
Seasoning (sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning)

How to:
Wash, cut, and clean all the vegetables properly. Next spread them out on baking sheets and mix the veggies with a nice coating of olive oil, salt, pepper, and some garlic powder.

Cook all the vegetables on 350 until they start to tenderize. I finished my vegetables off with a broil for about 2-3 minutes so they have a bit of a crunch. When they're all cooked, mix them all into a baking pan with the tomato sauce and any extra seasoning you feel is needed.

 Lay the mozzarella on top and let it cook on a low heat until the mozzarella is fully melted.

 Bon Appétit!

Petite Apple Pies

Sorry for the delay in posts, this weekend has been crazy with ending my last week of work and getting in the mindset for back to school. To de-stress I went into a baking frenzy whipping up all sorts of treats. There was a dessert on pinterest that caught my eye that I was dying to replicate and its the perfect fall dessert. Its a pie crusted apple-stuffed apple. Sounds impressive, right? I first started out by making my own homemade gluten free pie crust (I just substituted gluten free flour) in my pie crust recipe, but you can just use store bought to make things easier.

You'll need:
6 apples
1/2 cup of sugar (I used nustavia for a healthier version)
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
pie crust
melon ball scooper
apple peeler

How to:

Cut the top off of 4 apples and scoop out the insides with a melon ball scooper. Be careful not to pierce the skin of the apple!

The hollowed apples

Next peel the skins off the 2 extra apples. When all peeled chop up the apples into small pieces. In a large bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add the apples and mix until all the apple pieces are covered in the sugared mixture. Scoop the apple mixture into your hollowed out apples

Fill your apple shell to the brim, but not so that its overflowing

Finally cut your pie crust into 1/4 inch strips and lattice over the apples. Place the finished apples in a glass pan and fill with just enough water to cover the bottom of the apples. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes on 350. I put my oven on broil (425) for the last minute or two to get that gorgeous brown colored crust. Enjoy and happy fall feasting!

Add some powdered sugar for some extra sweetness!

Low-cal Ready to Eat Cookie Dough

The only thing better than chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chip cookie dough! But knowing that the cookie dough will end up surrounding my tummy instead of in it, has deterred me from scarfing a whole bowl of the gooey stuff everytime I whip up a batch. I've come across a single serve recipe for ready to eat cookie dough that will save you from any food poisoning (bye-bye salmonella) and tweaked it into a low-cal version that is the perfect guilt free dessert!

You'll need:
1.5 tablespoons of butter (I used Smart Balance)
3 tablespoons of flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)
1 tablespoon milk (skim)
2 tablespoons of sugar (I used Splenda because it has a fine texture that blends well into the dough)
splash of vanilla extract
chocolate chips or carob chips (or andy topping of your choice!)

How to:

Mash the butter. Then add all other ingredients excpet for the milk and additional toppings to end up with a dry, crummy mixture. Then add the milk and toppings and enjoy!

The dough makes about 4 balls and totals to 100 calories before adding toppings

(with 2 tablespoons of carob chips or 1 tablespoon of regular semisweet chocolate chips the total is 170 calories)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I am a huge foodie and I absolutely love Italian food! But since discovering I was gluten intolerant this past year, the way I've done Italian has slightly changed. Pizza is one of my all time favorite foods and I think it's just the quintessential comfort food. I've noticed a lot of hype about these new healthier versions of pizza that are gluten free. The secret? Cauliflower! I was skeptical at first because how can a pizza made out of vegetables be as satisfying as the real thing? But I was pleasantly surprised after making it for a dinner party with friends. The crust is nice and cripsy and the center is just deliciously gooey. Since making it with my friends this pizza has become a staple for me and since its made mostly from cauliflower there is a lot less fat and calories, making this dinner a non-guilty treat!

You'll need:
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 egg
1 cup of finely blended cauliflower
toppings of your choice
(serves 2)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Blend the cauliflower until you get it nice and fine. Then microwave the cauliflower for 8 minutes to dry it out. After it lightly cools, add the egg, cheese, and mix. Press the mixture onto an oiled pan or baking sheet making the shape of the pizza. The "dough" will not rise so make sure the pizza is not too thin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Take out the dough and add your desired toppings and bake for another 3 minutes or until your cheese on top is nicely melted and browned.

Calories for margarita pizza: 298 calories for half

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Apple Pie Oatmeal

My mom and I are big oatmeal fans often going out of our way to pick up our favorite steel cut oatmeal from Brasserie, a cute local restaurant. The oatmeal was so delicious, I found myself often craving it. I decided to try to make my own variations of gourmet oatmeals. Oatmeal has a bad rep for being bland "health food". Oatmeal does have lots of health benefits such as being high in fiber which is good for your digestive system and helps keep you full longer. I decided that just because foods are healthy does not mean they can't taste delicious! In my family apple pie is one of our favorite desserts so I thought to combine the two to make apple pie oatmeal. This dish is now a staple in my house and my mom and I will often have it for a quick meal on the go.

You'll need:
1/2 cup of oatmeal (I prefer Stteel Cut Irish Oats by John McCann's)
1 apple (I like gala because they're usually sweet)
cinnamon (as much as you'd like, I generally use a heavy hand)
sugar (I use 3 packets of truvia all natural sweetner-1 for the sauted apples and 2 for the oatmeal)
1 tsp of butter (I use smart balance)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
*chopped nuts and whipped cream are optional

How to:

Boil 1 cup of water and once the water boils add the 1/2 cup of oatmeal (some people prefer to use milk since it adds an extra creaminess). While the oatmeal is cooking slice up some apples and chop them into very small bite sized cubes. Saute them in a pan with a little bit of butter. Once the apples start softening up (you'll notice this due to a more yellow color change) add in some sugar and cinnamon, stirring often to make sure the apples are all evenly sauted and coated in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Once the oatmeal starts to gain more substance add the vanilla extract and the apples. I alwasy like to add some redi whip to my finished oatmeal, which really gives it that apple pie feel!

Raspberry Mint Iced Tea

Last weekend when I was in the Hamptons I found my new favorite summer drink, a raspberry mint iced tea! I saw this drink advertised in my favorite West Hampton bakery and it was so delicious and refreshing I knew I had to try to duplicate it at home!

You need:
Any raspberry tea (I used Celestial raspberry tea bags)
A few mint leaves
Fresh raspberries
Ice

Make the tea was you would normally do and let it sit in the fridge until it gets nice and chilled. Cut the mint leaves into small peices (so they wont clog up your straw) and add them to your tea. Next chop up some raspberries and add it to your mixture (you want them chopped so you can get some of that fresh raspberry juice). Add ice, a straw, and enjoy!

Summer Smoothies

This heat wave has been the perfect opportunity for me to try out some new smoothie recipes! Summer is the perfect time for something light and refreshing and what better than a nice cold smoothie?? I've a strawberry and bannana girl at heart but I've found a few ways to tweak my old time favorite...

Soy Banana Strawberry Sipper:

1 ripened banana (the riper the banana the sweeter the smoothie)

1 cup of strawberries (frozen or fresh, whatever you have on hand!)

1 cup of soy milk

1 cup of ice

and blend away!

The soy milk is my secret ingredient for all smoothies because it instantly give your smoothie a nice creaminess that I find skim milk lacks. Try yours with almond milk or greek yogurt for some variation!

Peanut Butter Banana Slammer

This smoothie is a great meal replacer of an excellent pick me up after a hard core workout. I instantly love anything with peanut butter so this tastes like a delicious dessert for me but its high in protein and the protein/carbohydrate combination is great for rebuilding muscle after some strength training.

You'll need:

1 ripened banana (the riper the banana the sweeter the smoothie)

1.5 tablespoons of peanut butter (I like skippy's creamy reduced fat)
1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup of oats

1 cup of ice

The oats make the smoothier denser, helping you stay full longer!

Summertime Treats

During the summer I always find myself craving a refreshing dessert. A few weekends ago my friends and I stumbled accross this place in New York City called Forbidden Fruit. They had a huge assortment of different fruits that could be dipped in different types of chocolate with various toppings. Since they were so good, I attempted to recreate my own version at home the next night! I used bananas, dark chocolate (its good for your heart!), and some rainbow sprinkles for a fun pop of color!