Power Shake...

Need a quick and easy breakfast or night time meal packed with all the nutrients needed to boost your day or night? Well look no further than a quick shake or a power shake as I like to call it. As with most fit food bites, only a few simple ingredients and you've got yourself a tasty and nutritious meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup almond milk
1 heaping scoop protein powder
1 tbsp all natural peanut butter or 1/2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
cinnamon
vanilla
1/4 tsp True Protein's Java mocha flavour (optional)

Method:
Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth rich thick consistency is achieved. Pour int your favourite glass and enjoy.

Other options:
Replace peanut butter with 1/4 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
Add 1/4 cup oatmeal

Chicken Patty and Fries you say??

Who doesn't want a scrumptious meal that can be done in 20 minutes or less? I know I do. Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend hours in the kitchen making my meals. In fact THAT is the every reason why I like this lifestyle. Not much preparation but with just the right ingredients you can produce meals that are flavourful and delightful to the palette.

So here I've taken chicken mince, tomatoe sauce and sweet potatoes to make a meal that even my 4 year old niece would love. 

Chicken Patty with Sweet Potatoe Fries

Ingredients:

1lb sweet potato cut in 1/4" strips

splenda

cinnamon

1lb chicken mince

1/4 cup chopped onions

1tsp seasoning

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs or ground oatmeal

1 whole egg

1/2 cup tomatoe sauce

1/4 cup chopped red and green tomatoes

1 tbsp tomatoe paste, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sweetener or sugar

seasoning of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. Place sweet potato strips on baking sheet, mix splenda/stevia and cinnamon in a bowl, sprinkle over potatoes and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked.

While fries are being done, grease another baking sheet or glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Combine chicken mince, onions, salt, breadcrumbs, seasoning and egg in a mixing bowl. Form into round patties (to the size of palm), place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until patty is cooked through. Mix tomatoes, sauce and seasoning in a bowl, set aside. 

Remove patties and top with salsa and serve with potato fries.

Night cap...simple, sweet, so good

I am a big tea drinker, but occasionally, usually around bedtime, I get that urge for a nice hot cup of chocolate tea..aka hot chocolate. Of course for me lactose intolerance is a big issue so any dreams of milk infused chocolate tea is quickly dashed as I think about the side effects. Be that as it may however, I still think the same great experience can be had from a simple cup of night time decadence provided a few substitutes are used. I have come up with what has worked for me, giving me great flavour and the same 'feel' of rich, milky and sweet chocolate.

You'll need:
1 cup of Silk Pure Almond Milk (or Almond Breeze Unsweetened)
1 tsp of True Protein Flavour Pack (Java Mocha) or any unsweetened instant chocolate powder
vanilla & cinnamon (as much or little as desired)

Directions:
In a saucepan, heat almond milk just below boiling point (to avoid the film at the top) or heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes (time may vary depending on microwave).
Add chocolate powder, cinnamon and vanilla to the cup then slowly pour in hot milk, stirring continuously until completely combined. Sit and enjoy!

*This is also great anytime of day and for a morning/tea snack can be had with a few wheat crackers.

Pizza Anyone?

As a foodie, there is nothing in this world like a Big Ole Homemade Pizza filled with all the trimmings! The gooey cheese, tender meat and scrumptious veggies on a beautiful and freshly baked pizza pie is truly a sight to behold let alone taste! For some of us though, beholding such a sight is as far as we will get for the simple reason that we may not be able to handle the cheese, and in my case, be allergic to it. So what do you do if you are craving pizza, as I have many times throughout my last contest prep? You IMPROVISE! Not only do I save myself the allergic reaction, I also avoid a couple hundred unwanted calories.

So how do we construct this pizza? Well there are two ways: the protein rich, carb and fat free way or the protein rich, low-carb, low-fat way. Both ways appeal to the diet conscious individual who really still want sto enjoy a pizza without the 'issues'. 

For the Carb & Fat Free Option, you'll need:

4 large egg whites (for the pie)

dried herbs/spices of your choosing (i use mrs dash italian)

3 tbsp marinara or plain tomato sauce (no salt-added)

1-2 oz tuna (or whatever pre-cooked meat you desire)

1 tbsp onions chopped

1 tbsp peppers chopped

1 tbsp tomatoes chopped

Serves 1-2

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl whisk egg whites with herbs/spices . In a medium hot non-stick skillet (that can also be placed in the oven), coat with cooking spray then pour in eggs. Let the eggs sit in pan until slightly set but still slides easily when skillet is shaken. Flip over unto the other side and turn off heat leaving skillet on the burner.

Using a spoon, spread sauce over entire egg pie, sprinkle meat, then onion, peppers and lastly tomatoes. 

Remove skillet from stove and place in pre-heated oven for 2-3 minutes until veggies are cooked and meat is warmed throughout.

Remove skillet from oven. Pie should easily slide out of pan unto a plate but if thee is some sticking gently lift using a rubber spatula.

Slice up and enjoy!

For the Low Carb & Low-Fat Option, you'll need:

2 small whole wheat pitas

1/4 cup marinara or plain tomato sauce (no salt-added)

3-4 oz of any pre-cooked low meat you desire

1 tbsp onions chopped

1 tbsp peppers chopped

1 tbsp tomatoes chopped

dried herbs/spices of your choosing (i use mrs dash italian)

Serves 2

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pitas on a non-stick baking sheet or a foiled lined cookie rack. 

With a spoon, spread sauce over pitas covering the entire surface. Add meat, then veggies and sprinkle herbs on top of entire pie. 

Bake in pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes until pita is golden and crisp, veggies are cooked and meat is warmed throughout.

Remove from oven, slice and serve.

Who would have thunk it...an Egg White Wrap!

Something dawned on me today, and no it wasn't a way to get buff and ripped while sitting on my couch...but I digress...back on topic. I was saying..oh yea. I realized that my journey into blogging about 'fit food' (my version of it) was largely motivated by my Saturday visits to the market.

Usually after Boot-camp in the park, I make the 10 minutes drive to the Coronation market downtown to buy fresh vegetables, ground provisions and occasionally some fruit, all under 40 minutes. Once I get home, the bag is immediately unloaded and I review all that I have bought. And like clockwork, the moment I start doing so I begin to wonder how I am going to make broccoli and cauliflower into more than just a side dish.  Or what else can I do with egg whites besides frying, scrambling or boiling without adding unwanted calories or veer off the diet (reminder that I am still in pre-contest mode)? Of course no new ideas come to me immediately but I proceed to pack away and then reach for the typical ingredients to make a quick and easy breakfast...eggs.

With just 5 egg whites mixed with some sea salt and pepper, the intention was to do my usual egg white pancake (egg whites poured into hot skillet, cooked on one side and then flipped over for the next).  But as soon as the pancake slid unto the plate, I thought of a wrap! IS it possible? Well with just a few additional ingredients, and a quick return to the hot skillet for a few seconds, I came up with a tasty and totally prep-diet friendly breakfast.

Additional ingredients: cooked callaloo (left over - reheated), small piece of avocado (cubed/sliced), hot pepper sauce.

Method: Place veggies and sliced avocado closer to one side of the pancake leaving just 1/2 inch from edge; top with hot sauce or additional condiments (optional); gently fold 1/2 inch edge up and over veggies and roll tightly (if big enough gently tuck open ends into the roll) until it forms a wrap. Gently slide wrap back into the skillet, seam side down and sear until you feel it is closed. Avoid pressing on roll as it may break. Remove from skillet, cut in two and dig in!

This may be enjoyed with a hot cup of green, peppermint or ginger tea.

Chopped Inspired Din Din

It is a rare thing for a Saturday night to see me at home before 8 pm doing nothing but watching tv. And on such a rare occasion, I would be equally lucky for there to be a Chopped marathon on! For those true Food Network lovers out there, a Chopped episode is never short of mystery, mishaps, near misses, drama, laughs and most importantly unique and unusual food combination/concoctions. Of all these elements, it is the unpredictability, of the mystery basket ingredients and the final 'dishes' that keeps me on the edge of my seat and tuned in. In fact seeing these chefs professional or otherwise struggle or soar, in as little as 20 minutes with an unknown set of items to create beautiful and tasty or sometimes ugly and horrid looking dishes, I got inspired to try it myself.

So with my timer set to 20 minutes, my own 'mystery basket' of ingredients, I proceeded to create my own chopped inspired Saturday night meal as quickly as possible.

Mystery ingredients were:
1 can chunk light tuna,
green beans & carrots
1 slice avocado
1 can sprite zero

Strategy:

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash and peel veggies, breaking off green bean tips and cutting carrots into thin strips. Toss veggies together with salt, pepper and mrs dash (or seasoning of choice). Place veggies on spray coated baking sheet and put in oven for 8-10 mins
Drain tuna dry and place in a cooking spray coated glass pie dish or plate seasoning with salt and pepper (or seasoning of choice). Place in oven with veggies for 5-6 mins
In a bowl, mash the avocado with 2tbsp sprite zero, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp yellow mustard and a splash of lemon juice. Use less sprite for thicker mash.

Remove veggies and tuna at the same time from the oven. Layer veggies, then tuna, then avocado mash. Garnish with lettuce on top.

Pour remaining sprite zero with a 1 tsp lemon juice in wine glass to create a simple no calorie spritzer.  All done in 18 minutes!

Sit down and Dig in!

The Chicken & The Egg

Which one came first? To be honest, I have absolutely no idea nor am I even attempting to explore it. What I am attempting however is how to use BOTH of these clean protein sources to create a very simple yet tasty Frittata.

What is a frittata you ask? Well simply put, it is an open faced omelette. However, unlike making an omelette with the additional ingredients added to the already 'cooked' egg mixture, the frittata egg mixture includes all the necessary toppings before it is cooked. In addition, the frittata is cooked on stove top low heat only until the bottom is set (top remains runny) and then placed into an oven to be bake until completely cooked through. Another major difference: while an omelette is usually best served immediately and to 1 person per 2-3 eggs, a frittata can be made and served hot or cold to more than 1 person as slices much the same way a pizza is.

So technically a frittata is an Egg Pizza and with the most important base ingredient in hand, you can make this into a pizza you'll fight to share.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1/4 cup chicken (i used tuna but you can substitute with meat of choice)
1/4 cup cooked green beans & carrots chopped (substitute with veggies of choice)
1 tbsp red or yellow onions (diced)
2 tbsp tomatoes (diced)
1/2 tsp garlic
 1 tbsp evoo i.e extra virgin olive oil (olive/canola oil can be used )

Method;
In a skillet that can be used in the oven, heat evoo and add garlic and onions and cook for 1-2 mins. Heat oven 325 degrees F. Mix egg whites, tuna and all other ingredients and pour over onions until it covers base of skillet completely. Turn heat to med and let egg mixture cook by checking (with a spatula) the bottom for being 'set/firm'. Once it is set, transfer skillet to pre-heated oven for 3-5 minutes until top is set, making sure edges do not burn.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly. With a plate face down on to top of the skillet, flip to turn out frittata unto plate. Slice up and serve with your favourite salad, piece of whole grain toast or have by itself!

My very own Egg Pizza