Butternut Apple Bake

My husband and I are in a bit of a life season of ‘in betweens’. It has left me in a state of constant “vegetable drawer lurking”. I cannot explain to you the sheer pain it causes me to throw away vegetables. I hate, with a passion, reaching into my vegetable drawer only to find soft and soggy produce that has to be thrown into the trash. Lately, my family has been having to make a lot of decisions that require us to do some staying or leaving, starting or stopping, planning or improvising. And this has more or less messed up my everything come Monday of each new week.

One night in which a day full of all of the above had occurred, I threw the following in a baking dish, crossed my fingers and was more than pleasantly surprised when I ate it along side my husband come dinner. It was such a hit, that it has been consumed 4 more times in the last two weeks.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples
• 1 butternut squash
• 3 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 370*F.
2. After washing your apples, cut them up in chunks no bigger than a nickel.
3. Sauté you apples on medium-high for about 3 or 4 minutes, just long enough to get them to start releasing their juices a bit.
4. Place your apples in a baking dish and place to the side.
5. Take your butternut squash and peel it. I found the easiest way to do this was to use a potato peeler.
6. Cut up your squash into chunks no larger than a quarter.
7. Add your squash to your apples and mix them well.
8. Spoon your honey onto your apple-squash mix. I spooned 1.2 tbsp onto them in 6 areas.
9. Sprinkle your cinnamon all over.
10. Place your baking dish into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
11. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and stir well.
12. Bake for another 20 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven, let cool then enjoy.

I served this along salmon and blackened green beans and my goodness did I fall in love.

If you are like me, when you like a food you don’t stop eating it. So I took the liberty of finding you some recipes that have apples in them so we can bask together in their wonderful fall-ness. Because, you know, that’s a word.

– Simple Baked Apples – Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad –

– Bacon, Apples and Brussels Sprouts – Sauted Cinnamon Apples –

– Pan Fried Cabbage and Apples – Floral Apples –

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What is your favorite way to take the almost bad vegetables in your drawer and use them to incorporate into dinner or any other meal?

Are you currently enjoying all things apples, pumpkin and fall right about now? If so, share with us in the comments below!

 

Cauliflower

Today’s recipe was made on accident, but man oh man am I thankful that this ‘oops’ occurred.

Here is the back story… since getting diagnosed with Hashimotos, I have changed up my diet greatly and the result has been me in the kitchen dazed and confused. So I started ordering a few cook books. You see, as much as I love getting in the kitchen and creating deliciousness, I sometimes need a bit of a push in the right direction.

One of the cookbooks I got has a recipe for cauliflower style fried rice. Well, in the midst of holding A.J., chopping veggies and yelling at my dog to get stop barking at the neighbor, this was created.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp minched fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup minched fresh onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 12 baby carrots
• 1/2 yellow squash or zucchini
• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat coconut oil. Once warm, add the garlic and onion.

2. While your garlic and onion are cooking, chop finely the celery, carrots and yellow squash or zucchini.

3. Add your veggies to the pan and sauté on high, stirring often.

4. While your veggies are sauteing with the garlic and onions, cut up your head of cauliflower into large pieces and place it in your food processor.

5. Pulse the cauliflower until it looks like grains of rice.

6. Reduce the heat of the pan to low and add your cauliflower. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.

7. After 5 minutes, stir the veggie mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Cover again and cook on medium high, stirring occasionally.

9. After cooking for 12 minutes, remove the lid, pat the mix down into the bottom of the pan and then cook on high for 15-20 minutes to brown a bit. You will have to pay close attention in this stage and stir often.

10. Once the cauliflower is to your desire of “browned” remove from heat and serve.

I love making this recipe to go with dinner as a side dish but I have also found that this can be used as a replacement for bread crumbs in recipes such as meatballs or meatloaf and works great as a rice substitute in stuffed peppers.

I love how versatile cauliflower is, and it is quickly becoming a favorite veggie of mine. I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you decide to give it a try, snap a picture of it and share it on social media using the hashtag #tkr_food.

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Do you cook cauliflower often?

If so, how is your favorite was to prepare it?

Summer Recipe Round Up

Happy Summer….. In two days that is!

I absolutely love summer.  Between the warm weather, opportunities to be around friends and family more, and the bright long days, I truly do thrive this time of year. The only downfall to summer is the amazing food that seems to be every where we turn in ridiculous amounts. Can I get an “Amen” here? Since I am a big believer in moderation, I don’t think we need to make a harsh commitment such as a “No Sugar Summer” just to stay healthy this time of year. Instead, I think it’s best that we all eat healthy foods as much as possible so that when treas and snacks are available, we can eat them (proper portion sizes anyone) without feeling guilty and/or sick.

I thought that the best way to do this would be to round up some of the healthiest, yummiest and most summer-like recipes here at The Kitchen Revolution so that we can all have them at our disposal for our summer.

Chicken Fajita Salad

Fruit Infused Coconut Water

 

 Healthy “Fried” Chicken

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Burgers

Pesto Chicken Salad

Smoothie Recipes

 

Strawberry Slushie

 

Sweet Potato Fries

Twisted Sangria

I hope that we can all enjoy this summer and all of the fun that comes with it! And please share with all of us some of your favorite summer recipes. If you have any recipes that you would like to have me make over into something a bit healthier, let me know in the comments below and I’ll be happy to give it my best shot!

The Best Broccoli Ever!

I’m not sure why, but so many people don’t enjoy eating broccoli. I personally think it is the best vegetable… it is full of nutrients (including fiber), taste delicious and almost always available. This makes it a staple in my house.

Recently, I have been attempting to cook foods in ways that require as little clean up as possible. It was this drive that motivated me to create this recipe. Let me please say at this point that I am sure this recipe is out their somewhere on the internet, however I’m sharing this with you both because I truly love it and want you to try it out and also with an honest conscious that although I didn’t take this recipe from someone else, I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to ever make broccoli this way. So let’s get to this recipe!

Ingredients:

• One Head of Broccoli
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 tbsp. of Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. of Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Directions:

1. Place cut broccoli florets on a baking sheet (I line mine with foil).
2. Sprinkle on top salt, pepper, garlic and Parmesan.
3. Bake at 350* until the top of the florets are a dark green color with hints of golden brown.
4. Remove from oven (or convection oven) and enjoy after letting cool.

 

This recipe is most definitely one that falls into the category of “Real Food Diet Approved” which is what we have spent the last 2 weeks discussing here at The Kitchen Revolution. If you missed out on the post’s that were apart of the last 2 weeks, you can check them out below.

 

Real Food 101

What a Day Looks Like Eating a Real Food Diet

Strawberry Slush Recipe

A Real Food Diet on a Budget

Making Baby Steps to a Real Food Diet and Lifestyle

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the warm weather that so many of us are finally getting!

Strawberry Slush

During my Freshman year of college, I took a sociology class and we had to read this book. Since then, I have slightly fallen in love with learning about cults, the occult and other minority groups whether religious or cultural. I often read blog that are written by Mormon women as well as Jewish women because I am simply fascinated by them and wish so badly I could live their lives for just one day. I also love to watch shows such as Sister Wives, 19 Kids and Counting, Braking Amish and even Southern Charm. I am terribly aware of the fact that my life is so very, VERY different than so many other people’s in this world and I quite frankly cannot get enough of watching these people and their lives unfold in front of a camera.

I was recently bored, and found the show Big Love OnDemand. Guys, I can-NOT stop watching it. It is similar to Sister Wives, but different in that it is not reality. I will justify my love for reality T.V. by saying that it is better to watch drama than to partake in it! And I will justify watching non-reality T.V. by suggesting that it is helping me learn and grow. Now, I understand that these are terribly weak arguments but I will stand by them. I will also add to them that I am having a baby soon and I will be so sleep deprived that my ability to plop in front of the T.V. and veg will be long gone so I should probably enjoy it while it lasts 😉

On to today’s post… it is a delicious recipe to show you just how easy switching from a Standard American Diet to a Real Food Diet can be and is!

Anyone love slurpees? Actually I should rephraze that… after living in the south, I came to realize that unlike Michigan, 7-11 stores cannot be found on most street corners. So, perhaps your “slurpee” is actually called a “freezy” or a “ICEE”. Whatever it may be, they are a life saver in the summer heat and quite the delicious treat. Unfortunately though, they don’t do much of anything for our waistlines. They are also more likely than not loaded with chemicals that are far from being healthy or considered food.

My love for slurpees has been growing lately and I decided that this is an area of eating that could be tweaked to become a bit less quilt ridden. The results…. well it actually took me a while to get this recipe the way I wanted it, BUT the end result is ridiculously good! In fact, I have to stop myself from eating/drinking one of these everyday. So here it is…

Ingredients…

• 1 Cup of Frozen Strawberries
• 2 Tbsp of Lemon, Lime or Grapefruit Juice
• 2 Cups of Ice
• 1 Tsp Sweetener (I used honey)

Directions…

1. Place all ingredients in a blender
2. Blend for approximately 2 minutes on high**
3. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy

** Blending thoroughly is crucial, it is the difference between a bland smoothie and a slush. This make take stop stopping and tasting to get the right consistency based on what type of blender you use.

I hope you guys really enjoy this recipe. My goal is to give all of you the confidence and information so that you can try and love eating a Real Food Diet so that ultimately you can feel better and live a more fulfilling life.

 

Have you ever watch any of the shows that I mentioned above?

Do you have any T.V. shows that you watch that are a bit of guilty pleasure?

Have you tried yet any of this weeks steps to clean up your diet and live a more Real Food lifestyle?

 

#tkrgoesveg week 4

Happy Monday friends! If I am being completely honest with you, then this last week was an absolute bust as far as eating vegan or vegetarian goes. And the reason behind it is all vanity. What can I say, I’m human.

With my wedding shower less than 2 weeks away, I have been watching what I eat. And although vegan and vegetarian lifestyles can be healthy, they usually are not that low carb. When I gain and lose weight, it goes directly to and comes directly from my mid section… if I omit carbs from my diet, the latter happens. So I have been doing just that!

Although I didn’t come through this week with a beautiful college of pictures all of vegan and vegetarian meals, I do have a recipe for you that is in fact vegetarian as well as delicious!

 

 

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Cooked and Rinsed Quinoa
• 1/2 of a Large Cucumber
• 1 Medium Tomato
• 1 Large Yellow Sweet Pepper
• 1 Small Purple Onion
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Garlic
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1/8 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese (Optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse all ingredients and lay out.
2. Chop all vegetables and mix together.
3. Add quinoa to the mixed vegetables.
4. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and add garlic.
5. Cover bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. If you are going to use feta, sprinkle in right before eating.

This salad is delicious, travels well and can be made then eaten all week long, because it honestly get’s better with time. It is a great source of fiber, protein and magnesium. I know that this salad will be making it’s way to the beach and pool with me many times this summer and I love than I can eat it and after still feel light yet full.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a great Monday!

————Did you know that quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain!—————

 

 

 

 

Directions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coconut Water

Happy Wednesday friends… how has your week been going so far? Mine has been extremely busy but absolutely wonderful. In fact, today I am off to the zoo with little miss for her end of the school year field trip. I love the zoo and am very excited to be going, especially with all the cuties that will be in my group!

Today, I wanted to talk to all of you about coconut water. In yesterday’s post (found here) I had mentioned that I use coconut water in my smoothies. I got some feedback regarding coconut water that I wasn’t terribly surprised to hear, people aren’t loving the way coconut water taste.

So why then is “everyone” drinking it? Because of the massive health benefits that coconut water has to offer.

I don’t want to lose you guys at this point because you think I am going to just suggest you suck it up and drink it up… that really isn’t the case and after I throw some facts at you, I am going to give you a stellar coconut water recipe that will help make drinking this nutrient power house drink more than just do-able.

Let’s dive in…

• Coconut water has all of the benefits of sports drinks without the sugar and sodium all the while giving off a bigger punch in the potassium category.
• The sugar that is found in coconut water (naturally) is in the simplest form and readily available to the body for energy.
• Coconut water is packed with Vitamin B & C to help aid in immunity.
• Coconut water aids in anti-aging efforts as it is full of lauric acid and cytokines. These elements also help in balancing your bodies pH levels.
• Regular consumption of coconut water is suggested to help raise your metabolic rate – all this means is that long term you can potentially burn more calories throughout the day by just living and breathing.
• Since coconut water is rich in Magnesium and Potassium, it is the perfect team mate to anyone trying to fight off cardiovascular disease.

I really could go on and on… but the point is, coconut water is worth drinking.

So how then do I stomach this thick and sweet drink that so many people pass up? It’s easy… I fix it up a bit!

1. In one large mason jar, mix 6 oz. of coconut water and 6 oz. of white tea – preferably freshly brewed.
2. Place the lid on the mason jar and close tightly. Shake the water and tea for about 1 minute to make sure this is mixed well.
3. Open the mason jar and add many (6-8) ice cubes.
4. Slice up fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple and/or kiwi and add them to the mason jar.
5. Stir the drink well and enjoy!

The lightness of the white tea breaks up the thickness of the coconut water and the ice cubes make this drink extremely refreshing. By adding the fruit, you are giving some natural sugars (that your taste buds are used to) to this drink, so that you can slowly adjust to this new flavor. Over time, you can decrease the amount of white tea in the drink and increase the coconut water, or you can enjoy it how it is since both drinks are very beneficial to your health.

Have you ever drank coconut water? If so, how do you serve it up? In general, what is your favorite healthy drink to have during the warm summer months?

Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies are an absolute favorite of mine. They are refreshing, filling and quick which are always “musts” for me in the summer. I love that by mixing fruits and veggies you can get in your servings of fresh produce and I find them to help immensely my running during the hot months.

I have been getting many requests on facebook for some smoothie recipes and ideas, so today all of those requests get answered! Also, if you do not have a blender that you love, here is a review of the one I received from my sister-in-law for Christmas. I HIGHLY recommend it.

The Tropical: Not only is this smoothie delicious, it is also full of Vitamin C and Iron. Add to your blender 6 oz. of water (if you can, use coconut water), as well as a large handful of spinach, 1/2 Cup of frozen pineapple and 1/2 Cup of fresh or frozen blueberries. Blend on high until you reach the consistency that is your preference.

The Classic: I like to eat-eat-eat, apples and bananas… and strawberries! Most Strawberry-Banana smoothies you buy from the stores/restaurants use apple juice. But in this recipe we will cut out that added sugar and instead use real apples! Who would have thunk? It’s like this… 6 oz. water (again, coconut would be fabulous), 1/2 of an apple diced – combine these first, then add… 2 tbsp. of plain, non-fat greek yogurt, 1/2 banana and 4-6 Strawberries. If this is to thick for you, add more water until your desire consistency is reached.

The Sweet Tart: Cranberries, Bananas, Raspberries and Lemon! Seriously, it’s delish! Add to your blender either 6 oz. of Almond Milk (you can use regular milk if you’d like) or water and then plop into the liquid as follows: 4-5 Cranberries, 5-6 Raspberries, 1/2 Banana, 2 tbsp Lemon juice. Once everything is combined, you can add some ice if the smoothie isn’t thick enough. topic.

The Perk Me Up: I hate coffee…. ahhhh, I feel so much better getting that off my chest. Unfortunately though, much of the world does not feel the same way I do. So, to please all of you (because seriously, I hate it…. this recipe literally does NOTHING for me), this recipe has been born. Not only will it please your taste buds, it will also please your nervous system as well as your coworkers. So here is the scoop, combine in your blender 4 oz. of almond milk, 4 oz. of cold coffee, 1/2 of a banana and 4-5 almonds. You can relieve your little heart and time schedule and not blend heavily and it will be frappuccino like… this may require a bit of ice as well. If you need a bit more “starbucks” to the taste (a.k.a. sweetness), add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and thank me at 9 a.m. 🙂

The Berry Blast: 4 oz. of Almond Milk, 1 Cup of fresh Blueberries, 1/2 Cup of fresh Strawberries, 1/2 Cup of fresh raspberries and 1/2 Frozen Banana. It’s as simple and delightful as that!

Ok all of you smoothie lovers… I hope you enjoy these and if you find similar versions of these on this bad-boy we call the internet, well I’m not a thief, smoothies are just ridiculously popular! Blend on friends!

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Burgers

I like to eat meat, red meat to be specific. So every time I heard about someone taking on a vegetarian lifestyle, I think with everything within me… How are they possibly living without meat?

At times, I feel a tiny bit guilty about my meat consumption. The reason for this guilt is not because I feel bad for animals, but because I know the reality of the meat production standards in this country, the constant manufacturing of meat isn’t the best for the environment. And I’m also a big believer that the quality of said meat is more or less garbage and quite frankly it isn’t a good financial decision for many families.

I am a fan of endeavors such as “Meatless Monday” and going a bit “greener” with my meat consumption. I also have a good friend who is a vegetarian and I realized that I just don’t know that much about cooking to meet this lifestyles expectations which I should be aware of considering my profession!

All of this **feeling** and *thinking** lead to a very fun Wednesday afternoon in which my friend and I got creative in her kitchen! We came up with these bad boys and my goodness are they delicious.

 

We actually have 2 other versions of these but I wanted to get them out to all of you guys one at a time.

So here are the reasons I am so terribly in love with these burgers.

1. They taste amazing!
2. They cost next to nothing.
3. They macro-nutrient stats on these are perfect for filling you up in a good way.
4. These make for an excellent pre or post-workout meal.
5. They definitely are good to the environment but still pack in your nutrient needs.

So let’s get down to business because I’m sure you are drooling a bit over that picture!

Mediterranean Quinoa Burgers

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Can (15 oz.) of White Beans
• 1 Cup of Cooked Quinoa
• 1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs – substitute according to your needs (GF)
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Green Olives
• 2 tbsp of Freshly Chopped Garlic
• 1 tbsp of Minced Onion
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Banana Pepper Rings
• 1 tbsp of Lime Juice
• 1 tbsp Olive or Coconut Oil
• Dash of Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. After your quinoa has been cooked and rinsed, mash well into the white beans.
2. Add your egg into the mixture and combine well.
3. Cover your bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour
4. Add your breadcrumbs to the mixture as well as all other ingredients.
5. Form mixture into balls and then flatten to patties.
6. Cook in a pan on medium-high for about 5 minutes on each side*.
7. Enjoy burger on or off a bun!

Serving Size : 1 Patty

Calories: 149     Carbohydrates: 28     Fiber: 5    Protein: 8     Fat: 1

That is it my friends! These burgers are out of this world and definitely leave you feeling satisfied and somewhat accomplished if you are looking to taste a bit of the vegetarian world.

I hope you enjoy them and I hope you have a great start to this new week.

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Are you a vegetarian? If so what is your favorite vegetarian recipe?

If you aren’t a vegetarian would you ever consider becoming one, why or why not?

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*Cooking time may very depending on your pan, I was using a cast iron pan.

 

 

 

The Perfect Snack

If you are anything like me, you would rather graze all day then eat actual meals.

With much effort, I have gotten to the point in which I eat only 1 snack a day and 3 actual meals. This has taken time and I’ve learned a few tricks along the way. One of my favorite ways to trick myself into only eating 1 snack a day is to make sure my snack hits all my taste buds… yes, I’m talking about eating a snack that is sweet, salty, spicy and a bit sour all at once.

I know this sounds disgusting but there is definitely a reason for the madness. I personally feel like when I allow myself to taste everything, I feel more satisfied. Since our taste buds are broken up into categories including sweet, salty, spice and sour, the following recipe does my waist line and my mouth a whole lot of good!

Spice Chickpeas and Pistachios

Ingredients:

• 1 Large can of Chickpeas (32 oz.)
• 1 Large bag of Pistachios (16 oz.)
• 3 tsp. of smoked paprika
• 3 tsp. of red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp of parsley flakes
• 6 tsp. of garlic powder
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 3 tsp. of black pepper
• 6 tbsp. of olive or coconut oil
• 2 tsp. of lime or lemon juice

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry off your chickpeas.
2. Combine all spices with olive oil and set into a medium bowl.
3. Take off any loose skin from the chickpeas.
4. Place chickpeas in medium bowl with spices and toss well.
5. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Pre-heat to 350*.
7. Place chickpeas as well as any marinade into a large baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
8. After 40 minutes, remove from the oven and adjust temperature to 450*.
9. Add Pistachios into the chickpeas and toss thoroughly to make sure the pistachios are well covered in all spices and oils.
10. Baked for 15 minutes, stirring every 5.
11. Remove from the over and let cool.
12. Once cooled, enjoy!

Besides this snack tasting amazing, I love that as I go along, I have to take the pistachios out of their shell. This slows down my snacking a bit which helps me stay conscious of how much I am eating.

I eat only 1/4 Cup of this at a time because it is high in calories… very good and nutrient dense calories, but calories non the less. Be aware of this if you are attempting to lose or keep weight off.

What is your favorite snack to reach for during the day to really satisfy cravings?

Do you find yourself to be more of a “meal eater”, or a “snacker”?