August 22, 2021

meatballs with my mama♥️: Butterball Savory Coconut Curry Meatballs

August 22, 2021/ fitfoodiele

this recipe is super special to me cause i made it with my mommy ♥️. she was over visiting her grand babies and we did a “meatballs with mom” kinda thing for dinner one night!

May 14, 2014

updated Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships + we're registered!

May 14, 2014/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

had a bowl of organic rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla before heading to my (now weekly) OB appointment this morning. fresh blueberries, more cinnamon, more almond milk, and pure maple syrup went right on top. i had egg whites w/ salsa on the side too. fueling up for some kickboxing a little later today.

was running late and threw on whatever (but i was comfy though!) and we made it just in time for my group b strep test and routine check up. if only pap smears were that quick & easy-peasy! all is well @ 35 weeks and i thank Him for another great progress report. and yes, i smacked Chiso right after he smacked me.

on to our new hospital to registerrrrrr!

so the hospital where Chiso was born doesn't do L&D anymore. i enjoyed the experience there and was saddened after hearing that! however, the new hospital is literally 3 minutes away, so no biggie. AND my favorite OB in the entire universe will be there to deliver Odego this time, Lord willing. (she was out having her twins at the time Chiso was born :'( ) . i went ahead and registered juuuuust in case we have to pop up there sooner than expected, but i am coming back with Sonny to take a tour so we can be cheesy and take pics and stuff. a date i am so looking forward too, again. i hardly EVER buy overpriced convenience store food/snacks, but i was unprepared and Chiso got restless while i filled out paper work. so i got him this Sabra pretzel and hummus dip along with a banana.

enjoy this updated recipe of last night's dinner:

updated Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships

the stuff:

4 large, raw zucchini, halved & seeded
2 cups cooked and seasoned extra lean ground turkey
1 cup homemade marinara (add more if you'd like and the recipe is below)
8 turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips
1 cup shredded almond or rice cheese
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced into coins
2 tsp dried italian seasoning or parsley or fresh basil
sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking pan with foil and no-stick cooking spray.
after halving the zucchini, scoop some of the insides out using a small spoon. they should look like empty ~~canoes~~ cruise ships once you're done; arrange them flat and seed-side up on your baking sheet.
mix the cooked ground turkey and the marinara sauce together, then spoon the mixture evenly into/onto the zucchini.
sprinkle the turkey pepperoni, tomato, and italian seasoning on top of the cruise ships, and bake them for about 20 minutes.
remove them from the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. ( i used 2% colby jack cause that's all i had. to keep this recipe dairy free, use almond or rice cheese.)
let them bake once more for 7-10 minutes or just until the cheese melts to your liking.
top with fresh basil or parsley!

i thought i posted my marinara recipe in the Fit N' Crispy Chicken Parm post but maybe it didn't save like i thought?? can't explain that one. but here it is:

homemade marinara:

the stuff:

1 6oz can tomato paste
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (optional)
sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

heat a large sauce pan to medium-low heat; once hot, pour in your olive oil.
add onions & garlic and sauté until translucent...about 2-3 minutes.
add in the rest of the ingredients except sea salt and cracked black pepper, stir, cover, and let simmer for 12-15 minutes.
shut off heat; add mixture to your blender or food processor and blend on high until super smooth.

you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge to be used for pizza sauce, wing dip, breadstick dip, whatever!

happy hump day! hollaaaaaaaaa

October 25, 2012

light & lean black bean pumpkin chicken chili

October 25, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

this morning started out with an invigorating weight workout. every time i drive to the gym early in the AM feeling crappy from not enough sleep or just plain tired, i always, and i do mean always, end up feeling the complete opposite immediately afterwards.

then my day REALLY got started with some pancakes.

banana -oat surprise! pancakes.

surprise. i promise i'll use a different fruit sooner than later.

i drizzled them with my precious Walden Farms syrup. i now have a small inventory of bottles in my pantry. ever hit the store and the one (or few ) item you need is completely gone!? that's been happening to me lately. Hunt's reduced sugar ketchup....GONE. every other freakin kind of hunts ketchup is just sitting there collecting dust, untouched. rows perfectly straight. Mc Cormick smokehouse maple seasoning... nowhere to be found. the entire row! coincidence?!? vegan whipped topping... :roll: do all my readers live in this area or what LOL

well HEB did have fresh salmon on sale and plenty of it. i always keep my eye on it and 3.97 is the lowest i've ever seen it go. so, i got a few pounds. large shrimp were also going for that same price, so that went in my cart too. i seasoned a hunk of salmon with garlic and herb seasoning and roasted it in the oven along with some zucchini for lunch today. healthy, fresh, and light. clean eating makes you FEEL that way too. i also had two slices of sprouted grain sesame Ezekiel bread along with it.

i also bought some 99% lean ground turkey and cooked it up with cilantro, onions, shallots, curry, chili powder, pepper, and liquid aminos last night for dinner. i had just come in from the gym and had a craving for some cheesy enchiladas!!!

so i used that turkey mix and combined it with fresh spinach, La Tortilla Factory white-wheat soft wraps, Trader Joe's organic pizza sauce, plenty of shredded rice cheese, and fresh avocado. healthy, low-fat, low-carb, delish, and GUILT-FREE.

so as i was checking out of HEB, the best grocery store ever in life, this caught my eye. look at all those special options!!

did i mention i was still inside HEB?

who puts a mini self-serve fro-yo shop complete with not only low/no fat options but gluten and dairy-free as well inside a grocery store!?

it doesn't matter. *sheds a tear or four* two of my fave things under one roof.

did you know that a red bell pepper is green first? it doesn't grow red. did you know that? i didn't. i believe my co-worker told me that a while ago. now, it's happening on my kitchen island. cool.

nugget of info about red bell peps:

'These are more mature than green, orange or yellow bell peppers. They are rich in carotenoid phytonutrients and contain almost eleven times more beta-carotene than green bell peppers as well as one and a half times more vitamin C. Red Bell Peppers have a sweet, almost fruity taste. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.'

must be why they are so expensive :shock:

almost done, last thing!

light & lean black bean pumpkin chicken chili

the stuff:

1/2 cup sweet corn
2 medium chopped tomatoes
4oz lean ground chicken breast
2 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
1 can pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked papripka
1 4 oz can no salt added tomato sauce
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
1/2 cup no salt added black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 medium-large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
couple sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
1 cup mushrooms (optional)

i split the entire pot into 5 bowls of chili.

1 serving = 1 bowl

do this:

chop up the onions, shallots, and half of the cilantro, and cook it in a medium heated pot until translucent. throw in your ground chicken along with your spices and liquid aminos and cook it until there is no more pink. dump all your vegetables, canned pumpkin, tomato sauce, beans and chicken stock in...everything except the cilantro and salt. bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat. add more chopped cilantro and stir. now, taste it, and add the appropriate amount of salt to your liking. this will taste EVER better the next day!

i made a bowl for myself and topped it with fresh avocado, goat cheese, and corn thins on the side.

Sonny had a nice big helping of it too.

i'm so excited- i had a cooking date tonight with one of my dear friends!! can't wait to share what we created- good times and good food.

nite!

March 13, 2012

leaner & cleaner meatloaf + something you should know!!

March 13, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

another recipe for those ground turkey (or lean beef) logs. i have never thought of meatloaf as a healthy dish, ever. it even sounds like anything but healthy. every now and then i want it though, so every now and then i make it. i know you'll enjoy and appreciate this flavorful, lighter, healthier, yet filling recipe. lean turkey meat loaf

the stuff:

meatloaf:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 minced yellow onion
1 med shallot or 2 cloves of garlic
3 slices of double fiber wheat bread
2 lbs of ground turkey 97% or 99% lean (i used one of each)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp liquid aminos
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 whole eggs, 1/2 cup egg whites
few squirts of low sodium worcestershire sauce

sauce:

1-1/2 cup low carb ketchup
1/4 cup coconut crystals
1 teaspoon dry mustard or yellow mustard
sriracha chili sauce to taste

do this:

pre-heat your oven right now before you forget @ 350 deg.
soak the bread in the milk for a minute or two.
chop up the shallots and/or garlic, yellow onion, parsley, and cilantro.
in a huge bowl, throw everything in (soaked bread, veggies, meat, eggs, seasonings).
make sure those hands are scrubbed clean, then dive on in and mix and mold.

i stuck with the boring, classic loaf shape and put it on my broil/grill pan. i'll be more adventurous next time.

as you can see, i like my veggies nice and chunky. you can dice/mince them if that's too big for your liking.

top the loaf with only half the sauce for now, and let it bake for 45 minutes. that'll produce this:

go ahead and sauce it one more time, and pop it back in the for last 15.

i fished out my meat thermometer and stuck it right in the center of the loaf- that little dial shot up so fast!! it was definitely overdone and i worried that it might be dry as i was already using lean meat.

nope, it was still juicy, flavorful, and moist. even still, i suggest you check the temp after about 35 minutes in.

2 lbs makes plenty- we ate off this thing for about 3 days for sure. tasted better and better each time.

instead of the usual mashed potatoes and peas, i did cabbage. cabbage is a nutritious veggie that is cheap and produces A LOT. it doesn't wilt down so much like spinach does.

i sliced up 1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, and a few slices of bacon for flavor (2-3). before topping the pot and letting it simmer on med-low for about 20 minutes, i pour in about 1/2 - 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth to help get the steaming process going. i like my cabbage with a little crunch to it, but you'll just have to taste test it along the way. oh don't forget to add fresh cracked black pepper and as little salt as necessary. i was able to get 12 generous slices out of the loaf.

stats per serving:

cals: 140 (w/out sauce)

165 (w/ sauce)

fat: 1.6g

protein: 6g

fiber: 1g

last thing i HAD to share! no matter how much i love a product, i never trust their (or anybody's) portion sizes. i was getting snacks ready for the week and although i didn't want to lol, i put that chocolate drizzled popcorn to the test....i just had to know. the bags says 1.5 cups is one serving, and that there are 6 servings total in the bag. that equals, yes, 9 cups of popcorn.

um...

...

i only managed to scoop out 6 cups. barely. more like 5 and 3/4th.

to be honest, i was expecting the exact opposite so i could tell you to be careful about taking in WAY MORE cals than what the label actually says!!!

...not this.

i don't know whether to be happy there are 400+ cals less than i anticipated in the entire bag, or to write a letter to Popcorn, Indiana about my 3 missing cups!! regardless, a lesson was learned. read the label and do your own measurements.

when's the last time you ate or even made meatloaf?

February 19, 2012

6 days to go

February 19, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

6 days to go until my 10k and how about i didn't run AT ALL last week. i am the worst when it comes to training for my races, goodness. it rained all day friday and saturday, but sunday we woke up to the exact opposite. i got suited up and did my 7 miles- so glad that's over with.

i need to invest in one of those arm band thingies for my ipod. i always feel like it's going to drop but it hasn't yet. i got my hair permed thursday, so after two days off lol, it's time to sweat. i did the best i could and wrapped it before my run. i sweat in my head and there is really nothing i can do about that:(

leaving my head uncovered and pinning my hair down so my head can breathe has been working for me so far.

i wear the headband to help my headphones/ear plugs (whatever they are called ) stay put. when i get sweaty, they tend to pop out and mess up my run flow.

however it does a number on my edges. sigh...i'll find a solution to this someday. what do you do with you hair when you exercise? advice please!

anyway here are some trainings:

you get a free jar of HEB's holy pasole when you buy the tortilla soup. so i had two jars waiting to be used. we have company coming over a little later so i made another one of their featured recipes: