Month: February 2016

Chia Pudding- Protein + Coffee

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In my book, Sundays were designed for those if only I had time for… wish list items. For me this often means making up new and extensive recipes. However, if the Sunday somehow slipped away, this chia pudding recipe is a quick way to snack plan and make the rest of your week a breeze.
chia puddingWhat you need:

  • Protein Powder: Vanilla SFH Pure if you want to get like me, or any will do
  • 8 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup coffee (let it cool)
  • 1-1.5 cup almond milk (I prefer original over unsweetened)

Hit it:

Mix dry ingredients together, mason jars work amazing for this exact step. Then add in 3/4 cup chilled coffee, stir or shake. Fill the remainder of the jar with the 1-1.5 cup almond milk and stir or shake once again. Be sure that there isn’t any chia seeds or powder chunks sticking to the side.

Leave in the fridge overnight and then celebrate come snack time Monday morning! This amount is good for 2-4 servings, depending on how excited you are about chia pudding. So while you’re at it, make enough for the whole week.

Why I love it:

  • Get a mix of sweet and bitter with the vanilla, cocoa, and almond milk paired with coffee and chia seeds. Tasty enough for dessert but healthy enough for a daily snack. Win-win.
  • Chia seeds are rich in fiber, omega-3 fats (hard to get outside of fish and nuts), protein, and vitamins. Yes. Please.
  • It truly is as easy as it sounds to make, and is healthy snack to grab and go. Granola bars and flavored yogurt, we’re onto you.

Enjoy!

Zoodle + Shrimp Pad Thai

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Yes, please. If you haven’t heard me talk about my zoodler, you aren’t asking the right questions. I am obsessed. If you aren’t familiar, I’m referring to a handy tool that can make noodles out of any vegetable. {Zucchini noodles–> zoodles –> zoodler} Technically it’s called a veggetti…but that name has obvious issues that the entire marketing team somehow overlooked. If you want to convince anyone that your dish is better than regular noodles, I recommend staying away from that word.

Let’s hit it:IMG_4491

What you need (Prep 20 mins)
-First and foremost, a Zoodler! Aka a vegetti…but that name has obvious issues that the
entire marketing team somehow overlooked. So I call it a zoodler. Rice noodles could be used if you aren’t convinced this tool will change your life.
-6 zucchinis (on the smaller side)
-3 eggs
-15 shrimp, defrosted
-1 can chickpeas
-3 tbsp garlic
-Simmer sauce (Trader Joe’s Red Thai Curry is my fave)
-Crushed red pepper
-Lemon & pepper seasoning

IMG_4492How to (Cook time 15 mins)
-Start boiling the water and zoodle all zucchinis into a large bowl, set aside.
-Sautee shrimp and season with lemon & pepper spice, set aside.
-Add zoodles to boiling water, cook for 5-7 minutes; drain
-Chop shrimp into thirds, add to zoodles with drained chickpeas, garlic, and stir in simmer sauce to cover mixture. Low heat for 5 minutes.
-Scramble the 3 eggs, and stir in.
-Add crushed red pepper to taste, and serve!

Serves four. Or in my language, bring to work in a large tupperware and have with salad for four days 🙂 Why Zoodle?

  • Zucchinis are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins (A, B6, C & K), potassium, magnesium, and folate. This is true for zucchini squash as well!
  • Sweet potatoes are an amazing source of vitamin A (shout out to that beta-carotene), vitamin C, copper, magnesium, fiber, vitamins B1 & B2, and phosphorus. And then you get to say sweet patoodle. My kind of perk.

Compared to pasta, which usually has at least 200 carb-dense calories/serving. For me, the main differentiator is that vegetable noodles have one nutrient-rich ingredient going into their production, while pasta is processed and preserved.

I can tell you from my four months of living in Italy that all of those ingredients, preservatives, and coloring agents do make a difference. Fresh and homemade pasta was not reserved for the most gourmet restaurants, it is just how Italians make pasta. As a result, Americans who are gluten-intolerant/sensitive tend to not experience issues.

If a trip isn’t in the near future, start experimenting with fresh zucchini noodles! Have a favorite zoodler recipe? Please share!

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