Eggplant Un-Parm #FoodieFriday #FitnessFriday

One of the things about changing up how I eat is to keep food fresh and flavorful, but healthier. After all, the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to create a lifestyle that you can live with every day.

I always watch a lot of cooking shows and one of the things the chefs mention is building layers of flavor. With that in mind, I tackled an update to one of my favorite meals: Eggplant parmigiana.

Eggplant is tough on several levels. It can be bitter although that doesn’t normally bother me. It sucks up oil like there’s no tomorrow. Plus there’s the frying in the parmagiana essential. So I decided to change it up by grilling and also, by not going heavy with sauce and instead also grilling the tomatoes. The grilling added a great smokiness to the dish that was offset by the tang of the goat cheese I used. I think you’ll love this!

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant sliced into rounds about 1/2 inch thick (I had about 20 rounds when I finished)
5 tomatoes sliced into rounds about 1/2 inch thick (I had about 10 rounds when I finished)
5-6 ounces of goat cheese
6 ounces of a mix of shredded provolone & mozzarella (Bought this pre-shredded and mixed)
4 garlic gloves
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Preheat your grill on high and brush/spray with oil.

Place 1/2 olive oil, garlic cloves, vinegar, parsley and basil into either a blender or food processor. Blend until you have a sauce (kind of like pesto).

Place eggplants in a tray and put about 3/4 of the pesto mixture over the rounds. Toss to coat each one. Place on hot grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes a side. Don’t worry about cooking all the way as you’ll finish this dish in the oven, but don’t undercook. Eggplant is squeaky and unappealing when not totally cooked!

Remove eggplant rounds and place on a tray. You can put two on top of each other for now if you’d like. I used a greased cookie sheet that I later used to bake everything. Why wash more than you have to?

Place tomatoes in the tray and put remaining pesto mixture on them along with remaining 1/4 cup oil. Tomatoes stick a lot more hence the extra oil. Coat well with the mixture and place on hot grill. Cook for maybe 1-2 minutes a side. Don’t worry if they break. Place tomatoes in another bowl and let cool until you can handle.

Put one eggplant round on the greased cookie sheet and top with one tomato round. Add a sprinkle of the shredded cheese mix. Top with another eggplant round. Place 1 teaspoon or so of goat cheese on this layer and top with a little more shredded cheese mix. Enough to cover the goat cheese.

Repeat until all rounds are done.

Cook in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese on top.

Serve with a little grated parmesan cheese on top and a side salad! It sounds like a lot of work, but it really only took about 20 minutes of prep time and it was DELICOUS!

April 13, 2018

Chia Seed Pudding #fitnessFriday #foodieFriday

Today’s post both helps you get fit and hopefully has you trying a new food. Chia seeds are one of the hot new super foods! They are packed with fiber, protein, anit-oxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and iron. For more on the benefits of chia seeds, you can visit http://bit.ly/2IRcyVd.

Today’s recipes are for chia seed puddings, but I also sprinkle dry chia seeds on salad for some added texture and taste. I make my chia seed pudding with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and I don’t add sugar or honey because I usually mix it up with fruit and sometimes a little yogurt. The recipes below show you just how versatile you can be with this superfood! Chia seed pudding will last for about 5 days in the fridge so one batch is enough to last you for an entire week of breakfasts or desserts.

Recipes

Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

March 28, 2018

#WellnessWednesday – Weight Loss Tricks That Have Worked for Me!

As some of you know, I’ve been on a roller coaster of losing and gaining weight for quite some time. I cut out carbs, work out and BAM I drop pounds until I hit some unseen barrier that throws me off the rails and has me gaining again. I was talking to a friend about it and was surprised to hear her say that she’d lost nearly 100 pounds over a few years. In truth, I had never really thought of her as that overweight and I guess because the weight came off gradually, I didn’t notice a drastic change, although I had noticed she seemed slimmer.

It occurred to me that instead of my BAM approach to getting healthier, I had to adopt a more subtle plan. One which I could maintain as a new lifestyle. The first thing I did was stop logging every food I ate. There was no way this was sustainable and what I really had to learn was to be more mindful of my eating. That meant understanding what was a reasonable portion and eating slower so that my brain could catch up to my mouth (something that goes for more than just eating! LOL!) Adding lots of good vegetables to my plate also helped create a feeling of fullness. When I did this I found that I was eating less and eating to satisfy hunger and not just because there was food on my plate.

I also cut our artificial sweeteners and instead started using raw sugar. I also didn’t use as much sugar. If I have a sugar craving, I try to eat fruit instead, but still allow myself the occasional piece of chocolate or other sweet.

I also didn’t totally eliminate carbs as that turned out to be a major fail. Instead I’ve learned to choose more complex carbs and have embraced new grains such as barley and farro instead of my beloved rice. If I have rice, I have brown with some quinoa thrown in!

While I believe that weight loss/gain is 75-80-% diet, I’ve made sure to work out to keep myself strong. I do cardio at least 2 to 3 times a week and strength training the other two days. On the weekends I strive to do long strolls on the boardwalk in lieu of the elliptical. Exercise helps to boost your metabolism which in turn helps burn calories. Muscle also uses more energy than fat, so it too burns more calories. A win-win.

So far, that’s all working for me, more slowly than before, but hopefully in a way that will help me not only lose it, but not gain it back!

I hope these tips help you in your quest for a healthier life!

March 5, 2018February 17, 2021

#ManCandyMonday – Joe Wicks The Body Coach

Every week I scour the Internet for Man Candy worthy candidates. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! Today’s choice is Joe Wicks also known as The Body Coach. Joe is regular presenter on TV and an author of several cooking and fitness books. Joe preaches lean eating and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. You can check him out on his website at https://www.thebodycoach.com/. Thanks to Joe’s Instagram for this post!

A post shared by Joe Wicks (@thebodycoach) on Sep 17, 2017 at 2:09pm PDT

February 23, 2018

#FitnessFriday – Get Fit! 5 Tips that have worked for me!

My goal for the last year or more has been not only to lose weight, but to get more physically fit so that as I get older, I’ll be healthier. With that in mind I started eating healthier and being more active. That’s proven successful for me and I feel so much better and stronger. So today I’m sharing some of the things I’ve done that I think have help me get more fit.

2. Try to do at least 10,000 steps a day of walking. I stay true to that thanks to my Fitbit. Disclosure I own some stock for it, but I bought the stock because I loved the product. If you want to join me on Fitbit, you can find me here: https://www.fitbit.com/user/3GZT48. I’m friends with several people and we often challenge each other to a Workweek Hustle or Weekend Warrior challenge to inspire us to be more active.

3. Find an exercise/walk buddy. If you’ve got a partner to do it with, you help each other stick to it. Hubby and I hit the Y together almost every day and then do walks/workouts together on the weekend.

4. Find something you like to do. I like to walk and lift weights. Also like the elliptical and biking. My sis loves yoga. If you stay active with something you like instead of something you have to do, you’re more likely to keep it up.

5. Develop a habit of being more active. Whether it’s going to the Y or for a walk around the neighborhood, make it part of your daily schedule.

I hope these tips help you too to become more fit!

January 16, 2018

Spaghetti Squash #TuesdayTip

It’s not unusual for hubby and me to have a meatless meal during the week. We’ve always found it filling to load up on a lot of veggies, usually over pasta. We still do that fairly regularly, but try to make the pasta healthier by using whole grain versions of buckwheat soba noodles instead of traditional pasta. Another thing that we do when time allows is to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta or as a side dish instead of a carb like rice or potatoes.

Spaghetti squash is packed with folic acid, potassium, carotene, vitamin A, and fiber and is only 42 calories per 1 cup serving (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_squash).

I usually start off my spaghetti squash by nuking it in the microwave and then roasting it in the oven. Once it’s cooked, you remove the seeds, shred the insides and top it with spaghetti sauce, pesto, or any other kind of sauce that you like! You can even be decadent and make a nice cheese or alfredo sauce since you are saving some calories by using the squash.

Here are some cooking suggestions and recipes for you to try:

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/properly-prepared-spaghetti-squash-162765
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-in-the-oven-178036
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spaghetti-squash-with-marinara-recipe-1950473
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52327/cheesy-baked-spaghetti-squash-recipe/
https://www.marthastewart.com/275670/spaghetti-squash-recipes

January 9, 2018

Overnight Oats #TuesdayTip

Like always I’m working on eating healthier and losing weight. One of the things I’ve been trying to focus on is eating a healthy breakfast since studies show that helps in balancing your blood sugar levels and recharges your metabolism.

One breakfast item I’ve always loved is oatmeal, but if you’re like me and running around in the morning, you oftentimes forget to get it ready to take to work, which is were I usually eat breakfast since I get into the office early. I resolved to do better by packing the oatmeal at night and for good measure, adding in my unsweetened vanilla almond milk (saving those animal fats for cheese!).

Making the overnight oats made sure I wasn’t forgetting them, but I got to wondering if there was any benefit to them versus hot oatmeal. Voila, apparently there is! Not cooking the oats allows for the absorption of more nutrients, the overnight oats can be creamier, and they swell more which means the same dry amount will be larger in volume. That will lead to feeling more full. All pluses. For more on the benefits of overnight oats, check out:

http://www.eatthis.com/health-benefits-overnight-oats/
https://drhealthbenefits.com/food-bevarages/food/health-benefits-of-overnight-oats
http://www.bistromd.com/articles/why-you-should-be-making-overnight-oats

Add some fruit or even some chia seeds for extra anti-oxidants and protein!