Quinoa dish with lots of veggies!

To believe I came up with this while taking my Bikram yoga class! Yes!!! Instead of focusing on me & the instructors voice, I came increasingly excited about getting home from yoga & cooking this dish for dinner! lol. 

Ingredients


1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup uncooked lentils 
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups kale
1 medium sweet potato
4 purple potatoes
1/2 cup portabello mushrooms
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


-Put water, quinoa & lentils in a pot & bring to a boil, then simmer (covered) for approx 15-20 mins or until the water has been absorbed. 
-While that's going on, heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat (I would fluctuate between medium & medium low)
-Once oil is heated, toss in everything else (except for the ground flax seed) & fully cook (you're going to LOVE the smell of sweet potatoes!)
-Once the quinoa & lentils are done, the veggies should be cooked; add the quinoa & lentils to the pan with the veggies & then add the flax seed.
-Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then serve.


Makes approx 5 cups. Nutritional information was calculated at calorie count & is based off of 1 cup.


Calories 436
Total fat 10.3g
Saturated fat 1.2g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 30mg
Total carbs 69.5g
Dietary Fiber 14.6g
Sugars 2.3g
Protein 18.0g


The following is based off of a 2000 calorie diet.


Vitamin A 172%
Vitamin C 78%
Calcium 11%
Iron 33%


Good points


Low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Very low in sodium
Low in sugar
High in dietary fiber
High in manganese
High in magnesium
High in phosphorus 
High in Vitamin C
Very high in Vitamin A


NO BAD POINTS!!!


Bon appetite!


xo,
Nancy

Yummy Pasta Dish

I swear, this has got to be one of the easiest dishes I've ever done; and all in ONE pan!!! As always, the nutritional information was calculated over at Calorie Count. The only item that it wouldn't allow me to calculate was the hemp milk.

Ingredients:

4 oz whole wheat dried pasta

2 cups kale

1 cup carrots

1/2 cup portabello mushrooms

1/8 cup scallions

2 laughing cow wedges (I used garlic & herbs)

1/8 cup ground flax seed

2 Boca Chik'n Patties

-Cook the Boca burgers according to the pkg (I just use my toaster oven at 400 degrees for about 12-15'ish mins)

-Cook the veggies & the pasta in the same boiling water for the time indicated on the pasta pkg.

-When pasta is done, drain & add the laughing cow wedges & mix to melt.

-Then add the hemp milk, ground flax seed & chopped up "chicken" patties.

Makes 3 servings. Info below is based off of one serving. It was so yummy!!!

Calories 290

Total fat 6.8g

Trans fat 0g

Cholesterol 10mg

Sodium 401mg

Total carbs 43.4g

Dietary Fiber 9.3g

Sugars 4.2g

Protein 18.1 g

This is based on a 2000 calorie diet:

Vitamin A 262%

Vitamin C 94%

Calcium 19%

Iron 21%

Good Points

Low in cholesterol

High in dietary fiber

Very high in Vitamin A

Very high in Vitamin C

And I can not wait to make this dish again!!! Enjoy & bon apetite!

xo,

Nancy

Black Rice Dish

This was the very first time I ever cooked with kale & black eyed peas; I am glad to say it came out super delish! After analyzing this recipe over at Calorie Count, I discovered that this recipe has NO BAD POINTS! I seasoned it with ginger, thyme & rosemary, but then again I like to experiment with spices & herbs...so go wild with it! Below is the recipe & the nutritional information. This recipe makes approx 4-1 cup servings.

Ingredients:


1 cup uncooked black rice
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 cup shallots
1 cup black eyed peas (I buy them dry & soak them in water overnight)
3 cups kale
1/4 cup ground flax seed


-Cook rice like normal (I have a rice cooker, so I just set it & forget it)
-While rice is cooking, saute all the other ingredients (except the flax seed) until everything is cooked.
-Once it's all cooked (the rice should be ready at this point) toss in the rice & the ground flax seed.
-Let it simmer for a couple of minutes while you blend everything together.


It's a super easy recipe & so good for you! Below is the nutritional information based on a 1 cup serving.


Calories 460
Total fat 6.8g
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 62mg
Total carbs 94.8
Dietary Fiber 18.9
Sugars 5.9
Protein 20.9g


Vitamin A 377%
Vitamin C 122%
Calcium 14%
Iron 31%


Good Points


Very low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Very low in sodium
High in dietary fiber
Very high in manganese
Very high in Vitamin A
Very high in Vitamin C


NO BAD POINTS!!!


Obviously at the end of the day, you can substitute veggies & carbs...Just have fun & bon apetite!


xo,
Nancy

Healthier Sweet Potatoes

I know! Don't they look yummy?! Well, not only were they yummy, they are slightly healthier then the regular version (especially if you're a butter fan!)

Believe it or not, this entire dish was made out of a gigantic sweet potato that weighed almost 2 lbs (1 lb 15.2 oz to be exact) and wasn't the easiest to chop up, but I got it done.

The recipe was calculated with the calculator over at Calorie Count.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of sweet potato

1/4 cup of stevia

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/2 cup of applesauce

1 1/2 cups marshmallow

-Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

-Peel, chop & boil the sweet potato.

-Once done, mash the sweet potato.

-Mix in the stevia, cinnamon, applesauce & ground flax seed.

-Top off the dish with the marshmallows.

-Bake for 10-15 minutes (I like my marshmallows crisp, so I left it for a few minutes longer)

Makes approx 6-1 cup servings. Nutritional info is based off of 1. 

Calories: 213

Total Fat 3g

Trans fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 64mg

Total Carbs 43.9g

Dietary Fiber 7.6g

Sugars 16.4g

Protein 4.4g

Good Points:

Very low in saturated fat

No cholesterol

Low in sodium

High in dietary fiber

High in manganese

High in potassium

Very high in Vitamin A (581%!)

High in B6

High in Vitamin C (50%!)

Bad Points

High in sugar

Sooo much good stuff going on with this recipe. Hope everybody enjoys it & bon apetite!

xo,

Nancy

Half way to my goal weight

Okay, so I am a lb off, but you get the idea. This past weekend I weighed in & have lost a total of 79 lbs & only 81 more to go!!!


When I started this journey, I knew it was not going to be a quick journey & dreaded the idea of having to keep up with it for a year or more. Now I don't count how long I've been on it (but if you are, since Sept) or how much more time I am missing. I now keep track by weight & I am have 81 more lbs to go. 


I refuse to buy new clothes as of yet (except undergarments of course!!!) & have been "living off" the clothes I currently have that, even though are slightly big, still fit somewhat decently. However I broke & went on a Goodwill "shopping spree" and spent a whopping $12.72 on 2 "new" tops & a pair of black slacks.


Ever since I was younger, I had envisioned the idea of fashion in my head. Matching this piece with that & so forth, but never had the courage to go out dressed like that. Even though present day society is a bit more accepting towards the plus size community, when I was in high school, not so much.


Although my junior year, I went out on a casting type call with my sister for plus size models. In reality, I was just taking her but I decided to go for the ride & "interview" To my surprise, I was one of the few who got called to join this huge casting party back in the United States (I was still living in Puerto Rico at the time) and due to lack of funds, was unable to go. I guess that kinda stuck with me; like an unfulfilled dream of being a plus size model.


Enough with that...however I did want to show a before & after picture, along with a picture of my "shopping spree" finds. As I progress with my weight loss journey, I hope to find more & more courage to go out of what is comfortable for me & explore!!!

Some people say that I look like a totally different person. I never realized it until they mentioned it. I know the before picture is me, but it's me in another lifetime when I was fat, unhealthy & unhappy. Now I am ready to go & conquer the world with whatever challenge comes in front of me!

The grey is a DKNY top with these cute pockets on the side. I love the hot pink & the buttons remind me of a peacoat. And I bought a pair of black slacks. Now to accessorize & mix these up with what's already in my closet!


xo,
Nancy


P.S.


If you're on a weight loss journey too or have been hesitant to start one, feel free to join my weight loss group on facebook!!!

Whole Wheat Hemp & Flax Seed Corn Muffins

I agree! That is a mouthful, but they are also super yummy! And yes, you read right; this recipe is made with hemp milk. You can find it in the aisle where they sell all the other non refrigerated milk (although not all stores carry it).


I tried to do a nutritional analysis of this recipe, however the calculator I use at Calorie Count wouldn't recognize hemp milk or stevia. I will still post what it will calculate though. It was quite frustrating to find a calculator that is easy to use that will recognize it. No such luck & so far, the Calorie Count recipe calculator has been the easiest to use so far. 


This recipe makes 12 mini muffins & nutritional information is based off of 1 out of the 12.


Ingredients:


1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/4 cup stevia (natural sweetener with no calories!)
3 tbsp egg whites
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup ground flax seed


Mix the ingredients & bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.


Calories 60
Total fat 1.6g
Sat fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 7mg
Total Carbs 10g
Dietary Fiber 1.6g
Sugars .6g
Protein 2g


Total calories in this recipe from the hemp milk is 30 calories/6 = 5 more calories/muffin. Adding hemp milk & stevia does alter the rest of the nutrition just a bit, but it's all good! :~) Just to give you a rough idea of what's in it!


Good points


Low in saturated fat
No cholestrol
Very low in sodium
High in dietary fiber


And NO! You won't get high off of these muffins! If you want to read up on hemp milk, I suggest you google it; there is a ton of information on the web about it.


Hope you enjoy & fyi, they taste pretty much like regular corn muffins!!!


Bon apetite!


xo,
Nancy

Forbidden Rice

We finally took a trip up to Native Sun in Jacksonville & bought a few goodies; one of the goodies was Forbidden Rice or black rice.


Yes! It is very good *and good for you* despite the odd color. However you can read up more on all the benefits of the black rice here.


So, along with Forbidden rice, we also bought locally caught Mahi-Mahi & I roasted a ton of veggies & had such a wonderful dinner!


This really isn't a recipe post, but more of a post to show different alternatives of food that is available to you. The black rice has a nutty flavor to it, but it was so good!


By the way, don't the veggies look delicious?

And I managed to do the nutritional value on this meal & even though it is a little over 500 calories (320 come from the rice), it has no bad points - and 34% Vitamin A, 10% Calcium, 265% Vitamin C & 32% Iron!!!!

Bon appetit!!! Eating healthy can be fun!

xo,

Nancy