Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies
Fuel your body. Feed your life!
Scroll down to watch the step-by-step video.
This simple, nutritious salad is hearty enough for the cooler, rainy days of spring yet light and fresh enough to work all summer long.
I love serving this salad with some grilled salmon for dinner. Enjoy!
Scroll down to watch the step-by-step video.
Have you ever had one of those days when you are suppose to bring a side dish to a friends house, so you look for the perfect recipe, write down all the ingredients, but then the day gets crazy and you never get to the store?
Yes? Well thats what happened to me a few weeks back and this salad was the result of using what I had on hand (and let me tell you, this was a very happy accident because I am now obsessed with this simple salad.).
The only step that takes a bit of time is cooking the lentils if you don’t already have them made. Which is simple enough; 1 cup lentil + 2 cups water, bring to a boil and then simmer until the liquid has been absorbed (takes about 20-25 minutes).
The grapes add a super fresh, juicy texture while the avocados bring their creamy, rich goodness. I found the avocados coated the lentils a bit once I mixed it together so there was no need for any added oil but if you’re avocado isn’t super ripe or if you just want to add extra richness, a glug of a high quality extra virgin olive oil would be just lovely.
This salad makes a great side dish but can also hold up on it’s own as a light summer meal. Oh, and by the way, lentils are packed with protein so this my be a good addition to your meatless Monday menu.
This recipe, along with my Colorful Corn + Black Bean Salad and Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad, is featured in my ‘Simple Summer Salads’ video. If you want to jump right to the step-by-step guide for this recipe it starts at 4:10.
[Read more…] about Minted Lentil Salad with Grapes + Spinach
CLICK HERE to watch the video.
While I’ve spent many years struggling with food and diet, exercise has always been a lot easier for me. I’m one of those people who really just enjoys a good workout. When I lived in California, my choice of exercise was mainly hiking and walking but now that I’m back on the east coast and the weather doesn’t always support that type of outdoor activity, I’ve been changing things up a bit.
One of the things I’ve been working on again is strength training, so I’ve also been trying to find some easy, delicious ways to work a bit more protein into my diet to support my workouts. This recipe was born from my desire to have a quick meal option that included protein and greens.
On it’s own, this meal is very light. In the video, I make this recipe with all egg whites but my favorite way to make it is with one egg and 1/4 cup of egg whites. If egg whites aren’t your thing, you can also use two eggs.
The key to this recipe is the spices. The combination of Italian seasonings along with a bit of garlic powder is what gives this meal all the flavor of a pizzeria pizza.
You can certainly change up the toppings by adding whatever fresh veggie you have on hand (my daughter loves this pizza topped with thinly sliced fresh mushrooms!).
To make this a full meal, I usually serve it along side some fresh fruit and/or my beloved Ezekiel toast topped with either coconut oil or almond butter.
If you want to see the step-by-step demonstration of how I make this recipe, CLICK HERE.
But now I’m curious, do you like a good workout? And if so, what is your favorite way to move? Or, do you find exercise to be a bore?
HELPFUL LINKS:
8-inch non-stick ceramic sauce pan: http://amzn.to/1GqpLMs
Yield: Serves 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
If you want to see the step-by-step demonstration of how I make this recipe, CLICK HERE.
Whisk egg whites together in a small bowl.
Heat an 8-inch sauté pan over a medium heat. Coat with cooking spray (or coconut oil or butter) and pour egg whites into the pan.
Gently pull the edges of the eggs to the center of the pan while letting the uncooked eggs roll out to the outer edges of the pan (see video to see the demo).
Season the eggs with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Once the eggs are 90% set and cooked through, top with tomato sauce, cheese, and spinach. Place a lid over the egg pizza and cook another minute or until the cheese has melted.
Slide out of the pan and enjoy!
Nutrients per pizza: Calories: 124; Total Fat: 4.7g; Carbohydrate: 5.2g; Fiber: 0.6g Sugars: 0.5g; Protein: 14.8g
Scroll down to watch the video!
It was just a few months ago when I discovered salad jars.
They seem to be all over the world wide web and I just adore the idea of swapping out my tupperware for mason jars. I just love the way they look. And you know what they say, ‘we eat with our eyes first.’ I promise you, having some fresh, vibrant salad jars in your fridge will have you excited to eat a salad pretty much anytime of the day.
You will, however, need to get yourself some mason jars. You can use any size mason jar you like. The ones you’ll see in the video are 1-pint mason jars that I bought at Target. You can also buy them on amazon. And if you prefer a little more wiggle room in your salad jars you can certainly opt for a bigger jar, like this.
I use these mason jars for EVERYthing. Making pickles, overnight oats, storing dried grains and beans, as a a vase for my flowers, I even use one in my bathroom for all of my makeup brushes. In other words, they are easy to put to good use.
As for the salad, anything goes.
I just so happen to love spinach salad, so I started there, but you can make any salad you love inside of a salad jar. Just remember, heavier ingredients on the bottom and lighter ingredients on the top.
If you are a visual learner (like myself) be sure to watch the video below and then swing down in the comments below and tell me all about your favorite salad combinations.
Scroll down to watch the video.
*This recipe is from the archives. I had a lot of requests to make Linguini and Clam Sauce in a video, so I am updating the recipe with a step by step video as well. Enjoy!*
Linguini with white clam sauce has always been one of my favorite meals and I can say with confidence that this is one recipe I’ve mastered.
By making some very simple changes, this classic Italian dish is easily transformed into a C&D staple.
Here are my simple swaps:
1. Upgrade from white pasta to a whole grain pasta (there are tons of options out there).
2. Use some of the reserved juice from the clams in order to bulk up the “sauce” without using a cup of oil.
3. Thicken the sauce with a couple tablespoons of whole wheat flour in place of butter.
4. Bulk up the volume (and veggie content) by layering the bottom of your bowl with fresh spinach and tossing some tomatoes into the mix.
I also use a ton of clams, because I hate sitting down to a bowl of linguini and clam sauce and not getting enough clams; which is why I usually try to stock up on my canned clams when I see them on sale.
This pregnancy has been a little bit tougher for me than my first, and I definitely find myself turning to food out of pure boredom and for a little extra comfort. I haven’t been nearly as active as I was with my first pregnancy and have been eating a lot more sweets and carbs than my body prefers. All in all, things haven’t gotten too crazy… I am due on Monday (if you can believe that) and have gained 23 lbs so far. I honestly believe that choosing C&D comfort foods (like this recipe) have helped me to stay in check while semi-over indulging.
It’s no secret that extra lean ground turkey can be a little dry and tough once it’s cooked up. So the challenge with this recipe was to find a way to keep these meatballs lean without sacrificing moisture, tenderness, and taste.
And my friends, I’m happy to report, “Mission Accomplished”!
Here are my three ‘not-so-secret’ tips for moist and tender,extra-lean meatballs:
Do you guys have any tips for keeping lean cuts of meat tender and delicious? If so, please feel free to share them in the comments below.
And be sure to come back Monday to see the the Open Faced Meatball Parmesan Sandwiches that I like to make with leftover meatballs!
*Oh and by the way… I had a friend over the night I made these and he said (and I quote), “Wow, I have to say, these are even better than Whole Foods Turkey Meatballs, and theirs are really good”.
Yield: 6 servings
1.25 lb of extra-lean ground turkey
6 cloves of minced garlic
½ an onion, minced
½ cup of minced mushrooms
1/3 of cup of oat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 egg whites
1 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup of grated Romano cheese
1 tsp. of nutmeg
8 oz. of frozen, chopped spinach - drained really well
Big pot of marinara sauce (I used 3-28oz. cans tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, simmer a big pot of tomato sauce (you can either make home made or use store bought sauce - either works just fine). You will need about 8-10 cups of sauce (2-3 28 oz. cans of tomatoes if you are making your sauce).
In a large bowl combine turkey, garlic, onion, mushrooms, oat bran, flax seeds, Worcestershire, cheese, nutmeg, egg whites, spinach, salt and pepper. Work it together until everything is well combined. Smell it… maybe you want to give it a hit of red pepper flakes or a shake of Oregano… do what you like… make it yours☺.
Take about two tbsp. of meat mixture and form into a ball about the size of a golf ball you should have 18 meatballs when you're done. Once you form all of your meatballs, one-by-one drop them into the simmering sauce.
Allow them to cook forty-five minutes to an hour…. enjoy!!
Serves 6.
Nutrients for three meatballs w/ one cup of sauce: Calories: 295; Total Fat: 4.2g; Saturated Fat: 1.5g; Cholesterol: 58mg; Sodium: 139mg; Carbohydrate: 34.8g Dietary Fiber: 2.7g Sugars: 2.1g Protein: 30.6g
I am not a vegan.
I’m also not a vegetarian.
But I do believe that the more plant-based foods we have in our diet, the better. So lately I’ve been experimenting; trying to find easy ways to swap out some of my animal based staples with some more plant based options.
My morning smoothie was an easy place to start.
I swapped my milk to almond milk and traded my whey protein powder in for a raw, plant based, GMO free, brand (Sunwarrior is the brand I’ve been using and really like it. You can buy it here if you’re interested).
The end result is no less delicious than my former shakes and I feel good about the choices I’m making for me and my family. With all that being said you can certainly make this shake with whatever ingredients work for you and your body.
Both of my little ones love this combo and I love that they love it because I add 2 spinach pops to each shake so not only are they getting the plant based proteins but a good dose of dark leafy greens as well.
If you have any hesitation about adding greens to your shake just know that frozen bananas make EVERYthing better – so this type of smoothie is actually a great place to dip your toes in the water.
When I make this for the little ones I split one recipe in two, but when it’s just for me I enjoy the entire serving;).
Do you ever make smoothies/protein shakes for breakfast? Have you experimented with any vegan protein powders? What are your thoughts?
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Pop everything into a blender and blend until you have a thick, rich, creamy shake. Enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.
Calories: 330; Total Fat: 13.3g; Saturated Fat: 0.6g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 37.3g; Dietary Fiber: 7.8g; Sugars: 16.9g; Protein: 22.3g
OMG – talk about a brain fart (yes I said fart on a food site – I hope you didn’t just lose your appetite.) this video was was suppose to post this morning.
So sorry for the delay.
This one is perfect for your summer berries (or whatever Sumer fruit you have on hand. really. they all work).
Now go watch the video and enjoy!! xo
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
If you want this salad to be dairy free and/or Paleo, be sure to leave the cheese out.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Balsamic & Honey Dressing
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss the spinach leaves and strawberries with ¼ cup of dressing.
Divide the spinach and berries amongst two plates and sprinkle each with 2 tbsp. pecans and 1 tbsp. cheese. Enjoy!
Makes 4 small salads or 2 large
¼ of the recipe: Calories: 171; Total Fat: 13.7g; Saturated Fat: 3.3g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Carbohydrate: 10.7g; Dietary Fiber: 2.8g; Sugars: 5.9g; Protein: 4.3g
We all know that dark leafy greens are the #1 ingredient missing from American diets so I am always looking for a new way to work them into my daily routine (which brings me to these clever little spinach pops!).
I have to send out a big cyber-thank you to Brittany from LittleB’sHealthyHabits, it’s because of her that I can now effortlessly add some greens to my protein shakes and smoothies any day of the week.
Brittany’s site is all about eating clean & fitness, her focus and determination are extremely inspirational. Definitely check her out for some clean eating inspiration and fitness motivation.
I haven’t tried yet, but I bet you could also add one of these to your morning bowl of oats to make something like this with a little less effort.
Yield: 28 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Pop everything in a high-speed blender and blend until you have spinach juice. Pour in to muffin cups. Pop in freezer and freeze solid.
Makes about 3.5 cups
28 mini muffins (2 tbsp. each)
Calories: 3; Total Fat: 0.1g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 0.6g; Dietary Fiber: 0.4g; Sugars: 0.1g; Protein: 0.5g
With all the ideas that swirl around in my brain it’s hard to believe that I have moments where my mind is blank.
No thoughts. No words. Nothing particularly interesting or relevant to this delicious recipe.
At least not in this moment.
So instead of talking (or int his case typing) simply for the sake of talking, I simply present you with my latest video -> Spicy Garlic Shrimp Over Spinach!
Enjoy!!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add half of the garlic along with a pinch of salt. One the garlic is fragrant, add the spinach and toss until all of the spinach is shiny and beginning to wilt down. Shut off the heat and place pan on the back burner (the residual heat in the pan will finish cooking the spinach while you make the shrimp).
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add in the rest of the garlic along with a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes. Once the garlic is fragrant toss in the shrimp.
Stir periodically as the shrimp begins to turn opaque. They cook quickly and will be done in about three minutes – once they all turn opaque, turn off the heat and finish them with lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.
Plate up the spinach and top with the shrimp and garlicky sauce. Enjoy!!
Serves 4.
Calories: 234; Total Fat: 12.1g; Saturated Fat: 1.4g; Cholesterol: 155mg; Carbohydrate: 12.9g; Dietary Fiber: 8.8g; Sugars: 0.2g; Protein: 25.5g
I love ANY meal that I can make once and eat twice (or several times for that matter), especially meals that seem to get better the second time around, like this Spinach, Feta, & Brown Rice Pie.
This recipe is similar to a Summer Squash Frittata or a Potato Crusted Swiss Chard Quiche except, it’s heavier on the ‘fillings’ and lighter on the eggs.
I originally saw this recipe in Eating Well Magazine and immediately thought it would be a great ‘make-ahead-lunch-idea’.
It’s one of those recipes that works hot, cold, or at room temperature and can be eaten with a spoon, fork, or fingers (because we all know that as much as we try to avoid it, sometimes lunch has to be eaten on-the-go, in the car!).
If you think of the recipe as a blueprint you can make this dish 101 different ways simply by changing up the fillings. I’ve got quinoa, broccoli & cheddar on the brain right now but I bet a black bean, tomato, corn, and spicy jack cheese version would be great too!
Would love to hear if anyone gives this a try with some new flavor combinations… be sure to come back and let me know in the comments!
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 40
Pre heat oven to 425. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray or olive oil.
In a medium bowl beat together eggs, eggwhites, milk, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes or until they are translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and spinach and cook for another couple of minutes.
Transfer veggie mixture to a large bowl and stir in rice and Feta cheese and egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and then transfer everything into the pie pan. Smooth out the top using a spatula.
Bake the ‘pie’ for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes before cutting up. Enjoy!
Makes 6 servings.
Calories: 260; Total Fat: 9.9g; Saturated Fat: 4.6g; Cholesterol: 82mg; Carbohydrate: 29.9g; Dietary Fiber: 2.7g; Sugars: 3.4g; Protein: 11.8g
Skillet meals are far and wide one of the simplest ways to pull off a quick, nutritious dinner using whatever ingredients you may have on hand.
The general rule of thumb is veggies, veggies, veggies (and sometimes, even fruit), some form of protein, and spices. From there you can add a little ‘smart-carb’ to the meal (ie. quinoa, brown rice, spaghetti squash, etc.) and you’re ready to go!
The inspiration for this combo came from a new spice mix I discovered…
Penzys Italian Sausage Seasoning
Not sure if I’ve ever shared this little fact about myself, but I LOVE sausage (especially hot Italian ones) so when I discovered this little spice blend a light bulb went off in my head!
I could combine the Italian Sausage Seasoning with a leaner cut of meat and create a sausage-like dish that would embody all the yum-factor of sausage with having to indulge in the ‘high-fat/processed-meat’ thing. It’s all about balance in my world – so I thought this was worth a shot.
So my next train of thought was, “Hmmmm, what flavor sausage do I want to have?” And that’s when I remembered a turkey, mango, spinach, sausage that I liked (I think from Trader Joe’s) and Voila, a new skillet meal was born!
It’s certainly not a gourmet meal but it is a Clean & Delicious meal that is packed with flavor and takes all of 20 minutes to make from start to finish.
You can literally take this dish a 101 different ways by switching up the meat, fruit, and veggies so be sure to have some fun with it. Fresh herbs would also be a welcome addition to this skillet as would a little crumbled feta cheese.
Enjoy it as is OR served over some whole wheat pasta or brown rice… mangia!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Push veggies to one side of the pan and add turkey to the other.
Allow the turkey to brown as the veggies continue to cook. Season with Penzey’s Italian Sausage seasoning, salt and pepper and then mix everything together. Stir in spinach until wilted. Finish by tossing in the mango and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 246; Total Fat: 10.6g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 80mg; Carbohydrate: 16.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.8; Sugars: 8.4g; Protein: 23.3g
If my daughter could drink all of her meals, she would be a happy camper. Especially if she could drink them in the in form of SMOODIES (as she would say).
These are hands down Katie’s favorite way to ingest food and great tool for her Mommy to load her up with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies!
And surprisingly enough, she doesn’t even care what color they are!
I mean, c’mon… look at that Green Smoodie, not exactly palate appealing but she doesn’t seem to mind one bit. As long as it’s cold, creamy, and sweet (which it is thanks to the frozen fruits) Katie is all in!
Just take a look for yourself, she couldn’t be any happier with her army green drink:
(*Side note to all Mommies out there: if you don’t want your child to have elmo stamped on their daily apparel DO NOT buy any articles of clothing with Elmo on them. She will find these dingy elmo p.j.’s where ever they live, clean or dirty, every night of the week!)
Smoothies are a great meal for kids (and Mommies & Daddies) b/c you can load them up with tons of fresh fruit and veggies and they still manage to taste like ice-cream. Only instead of a nutrient-void, calorie-dense, cup of sugar and cream, you get to enjoy a Clean & Delish, nutrient-rich, feel good meal (or snack).
Not to mention that the kids LOVE to help! I usually pull out the ingredients and let Katie pop them into the blender herself. A GREAT way to get the kids cooking and CONNECTED to their food!
And just look how pretty everything looks before it gets blended (I just love that):
And we haven’t even touched upon how eating a nutrient dense diet keeps us looking super young! I mean, check this out; Katie will be two in June and I swear she doesn’t look a day over 18 months! Wouldn’t you agree?
So tell me… what’s your fave morning smoothie combo? Do you have a concoction that you stick to or do you simply blend up whatever you have on hand? Inquiring Mommies wanna know.
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
When I make this recipe for Katie I use whole raw milk which is higher in calories in fat. If you want to lighten it for yourself swap in some almond milk or low fat cows milk.
Place everything into your blender and blend until you have a thick and creamy smoothie. Enjoy!
Calories: 365; Total Fat: 9.8g; Saturated Fat: 5.2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 62.9g; Dietary Fiber: 9.5; Sugars: 40.2g; Protein: 11.4g
If you haven’t been over to Cara’s blog yet you really must pop over and take a peek – this woman has mastered the art of combining creativity with nutritious ingredients and her results are one clean and delicious dish after the other!
Hello Dani fans! Cara here, from Cara’s Cravings. I’m a big fan of Dani myself and always enjoy seeing what she’s offering up for clean, creative recipes. She and I seem to share much of the same food philosophies: that meals should be comprised of simple ingredients, bursting with good nutrients, and never compromise on flavor.Upon learning that I love cooking and that I highly value health and fitness, people often ask how I balance that. They assume I must drive myself crazy every day by cooking up fattening dishes that I don’t eat. And I’ve been approached by friends asking, “I really want to lose weight and I know I need to eat healthier, but I love to cook! How can I give that up?” You don’t have to. My response is always the same: a love of cooking and good food is a huge advantage when it comes to eating healthy.
If you enjoy cooking and trying new things, you’ll be much more likely to experiment in the kitchen and never get bored with your food. If you still believe the stigma that healthy food is boring (baked chicken and steamed veggies every single day) I invite you to come take a peek at my blog or any of the other hundreds out there brimming with recipes so eclectic and delicious, you’ll want to eat them regardless of being healthy.
Earlier this fall, Dani tweeted asking for some spaghetti squash ideas. I immediately thought of spaghetti squash lasagna I had created a few years ago. Unfortunately, I had never blogged the recipe and the ingredient and instructions I had written out for myself were at best a rough draft. I quickly added this to my list of things to make and blog this autumn. And then, a couple weeks later, Dani tweeted again asking for guest posters. I instantly responded that I would be interested, and I knew that this would be the perfect opportunity to make my spaghetti squash lasagna.
I decided to revamp it a bit. The combination of ingredients I had used in the past I remembered being so delicious, ricotta, pecorino Romano, chicken sausage, mushrooms, and spinach, remained the same, and did not disappoint. But it turned out even better when baked as a torta in a spring form pan rather than plain old lasagna.
This meal delivers all the best qualities of lasagna, but in a much healthier, guilt-free form. Whenever a meal is so delicious and hearty that I am already looking forward to leftovers the next day before I’ve even finished my first serving, I know it’s a success.
We cut it into four very large servings, but it could easily serve six with a salad or vegetable on the side.
*Please note – when my sister made this recipe she accidentally put the veggies on top of the sauce – Cara’s recipe calls for the veggies to be layered under the sauce – Enjoy!
Yield: 4-6 servings
Makes 4-6 servings.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook the onions over medium-low heat for about 10 minute, until softened. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes, until they release their moisture. Add the garlic, chicken sausage, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat a bit, and cook for another minute, until garlic is fragrant. Finally, add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring until wilted. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, mix together the spaghetti squash, egg, ricotta cheese, half of the grated pecorino romano, and Italian seasoning.
Lightly coat an 8"or 9" spring-form pan with cooking spray. Place half of the spaghetti squash mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the vegetable mixture and half of the sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top of the sauce.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until top is browned.
Let stand for 10 minutes, then un-mold and slice.
Recipe Notes
- Spaghetti squash can be roasted, microwaved, or slow-cooked prior to preparing the recipe. To roast the squash, preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce the squash all over with a sharp knife and place in a baking dish with about 1" of water. Cook for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and then use two forks to remove the stringy flesh.
- Chicken sausage can be a great low-fat alternative to traditional pork sausage, but it's important to read the ingredients and nutrition facts. Try to choose one without unnecessary additives. As a rule of thumb, I read the ingredient list and only buy it if I can easily pronounce all the words and know what everything is. For this recipe, I used Sam's Club Spinach and Asiago flavored chicken sausage.
- Similarly, with jarred marinara sauce, I look for a brand with as few ingredients as possible and no added sugar. For this recipe, I used Classico Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce.
1/4 of the recipe: Calories: 400; Total Fat: 17.2g; Cholesterol: 153.1mg; Carbohydrate: 33.2g; Dietary Fiber: 5.5g; Protein: 29.4g
Don’t ask me why, but the idea of starting the day with a handful of greens mixed into my breakfast makes me really excited. Not to mention looking down into this colorful bowl seems to be another “feel good” way to start the day, it just looks happy.
It’s like my breakfast bowl is smiling at me. And I’ll take a smile any and every place I can get one:).
Now let me begin by saying that I can not take the credit for blending spinach into my morning oats. This bright green bowl of oats was inspired by Polly over at Yoga is Yummy (UPDATE: no longer exists).
I used my standard recipe for some quick microwaved oats (which I demonstrate in my Oats 101 video) and then using a hand blender, mixed in the spinach. And you know what, you can’t even taste the spinach… you seriously don’t even know it’s in there.
It’s basically the same concept as adding a few greens into a fruit smoothie, the color changes a bit, but as long as you don’t get too carried away with the amount of greens you use, you’ll never know they’re there. You could really use this little technique with any bowl of hot breakfast cereal.
Do you guys have any good tips or tricks when it comes to getting some greens into your morning meals? I would love to have a few more ideas in my back pocket.
Yield: Serves 1
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Place oats, water, egg whites, and salt in a big microwave-safe bowl and pop in the microwave for one minute. Give it a good stir and pop it back in the microwave for another minute or so OR until your oats are fluffy and cooked through.
Toss the spinach into the oats and blend with a hand blender until all of the spinach is broken down and you have a brilliantly beautiful, bowl of green oats.
Stir in the maple syrup and top with your favorite fruit and (or) nuts. Enjoy!
Serves 1.
Green Oats w/out any toppings; Calories: 157; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 86mg; Carbohydrate: 24.1g; Dietary Fiber: 2.8; Sugars: 7.1g; Protein: 10g
