Sugar-free PB & Chocolate "Milkshake"

Know this- the exact second that I tell myself I am eating healthy, the ONLY thing I have an appetite for is pizza and milkshakes. It is the truth and I am not ashamed. Buttttt with RK and I heading to the tropical paradise that is the Dominican Republic in just over two months (it's really closer to three... but who's counting....) I have to get ready for the 6 (yes, 6) new bikinis that I just ordered in anticipation! So, milkshakes and pizza out... healthy options in!

Last night I made the most delicious eggplant "pizzas" which will be coming to a blog near you very VERY soon.... but for now I will treat your taste buds with this pretty much calorie free "milkshake."

No, I am not kidding.... it is actually almost no calories. Only 64 calories to be exact (140 if you add the peanut butter) which is AMAZING and totally bikini appropriate!

Ingredients: 
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2-3 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter (the kind that is ONLY peanuts)
8 drops liquid stevia
1-2 cups of ice

Method:
Throw these few ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth, and voila! That's it!
A totally guilt free chocolatey treat!

Post Labor Day Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

I am blogging today from a very different place than usual. You see... we went to Palm Springs for  a pretty epic Labor Day weekend, and my brain has decided that it still needs a day or two of vacation before getting it together. Four days in a gorgeous house with a huge pool and 7 of your absolute favorite friends really takes it's toll on a girl. I am tired, extra freckly, and feel a little bit like a fish must feel when you deprive it of water... dead. So, we're just gonna roll with this and see how it goes....

Upon our return last night, the Mr. and I walked through our front door, explained to our dogs that the only kind of attention we were capable of was the cuddling kind (mostly of each other, while they watched, confused and sad), then planted our lazy (but nice) asses immediately on the couch with absolutely no intention of moving for at least 12 hours. We succeeded with flying colors because, well, let's be honest, we are very dedicated when we put our minds to something. We ordered not only one meal, but two. Yup, we had two meals delivered to our couch yesterday. It was more of a pre-dinner  and late dinner.

It really worked for us, but it got me thinking.... maybe since I am a chef (surprise!) and I put my body through a little more abuse than usual over the past four days, I could pull it together, lose the Chinese delivery guy's number, save a few bucks, and make my own crave-worthy Asian peanut noodles while keeping my waistline in mind (it is possible, both for me to think and for me to do). I finished that thought (and my second round of delivery food) and decided that, once again....this was a plan worth succeeding at. So, here we go....

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients:
Peanut Sauce-
1/2 cup chicken broth (or no-chicken, chicken broth for vegetarians)
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp organic honey
1 tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
3/4 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp siracha sauce (or more to taste if you like spicy)

Chicken-
10oz (2 small) chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 tbsp siracha sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, grated
1 tsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

8oz rice noodles (you can find them in the Asian section of your super market)
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
1 1/4 cups ribboned carrots (the original recipe called for shredded carrots, but I used a vegetable peeler and shaved mine into pasta like ribbons, which added a great texture when mixed with the noodles... and helps to cut carbs!)
1 cup grated broccoli stems (again, the original recipe called for shredded broccoli slaw, I used the stems of a head of broccoli and grated it. This worked great and I saved the crown for another use.)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
Sliced lime and cilantro for garnish (optional)

I know, this seems like a TON of ingredients, but the dish comes together super quickly!
And obviously, if you want to make these vegetarian... leave out the chicken.

Method:
Marinate chicken with siracha, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and tamari sauce. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

To make the sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir every few minutes and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is smooth and well blended. Set aside.

Prepare the rice noodles according to the package directions. Most likely, you will place the noodles in a large bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit for 8-10 minutes until tender.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Add shredded broccoli and carrot ribbons to the skillet and sauté for just two minutes. You still want them to be crisp!

Toss rice noodles, broccoli, carrots, and chicken together with the peanut sauce. Place on a bed of bean sprouts and top with sliced green onions, chopped peanuts. Garnish with lime wedge and cilantro.

Makes about 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com


P.S. (as in Palm Springs....)
I though about it and due to my braggy first paragraph, I feel it is only right to share a few photos from our Palm Springs getaway. I love photos and I love sharing, so here you go!

 

 

My friends are better than your friends. Well okay, I don't know that

for a fact. I just know that mine are pretty fantastic.

Lazy Monday Peanut Butter Smoothies

A very un-happy Monday to all. 

This is going to be short and simple y'all* It's a Monday and you know how I feel about them. Not. Good. Why must the weekend ever end?! I wasn't a lush (as usual) yesterday, so being hangover free today is a plus, I suppose. But man... I have the Monday bug BAD. On top of it being the worst day of the week it's also hot as _________ outside, making me feel even more lazy! (You can fill in the blank as you please.)

* I can say y'all because I am married to a southern boy. He doesn't actually say y'all,  but that's not important. 

am I a fan of baseball or a fan of not washing my hair....???

Lazy is actually an understatement. Today I did my hair by putting on a baseball hat. That's right... dry shampoo was actually too much work. And that lunch I promised Richard...... is a smoothie. Yup. Wife of the year. Here's the good news: this smoothie is delicious. The fat kid in me thinks I'm drinking a milkshake (hooray!) and my inner health nut is also satisfied. A creamy peanut butter shake full of omega-3's and fiber. Are you sold yet?

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla almond milk

2 frozen bananas

4 Tbsp all natural, chunky peanut butter. I buy Skippy because you don't have to stir it.

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

A couple of handfuls of ice.... because it's hot out.

Method:

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Yup. That's it. Lazy Monday. 

Makes 2 servings. 

Peanut Butter & Spelt Cookies

I have been on this sort of "health food" kick lately. Lame, I know. Maybe it's because my birthday is coming up (4 days.... I like presents) and I am starting to become more aware that what you put in your body really does make a difference. Maybe it's the charming few post-wedding pounds that have found a home with me.... or maybe it's because I spend way too much time at Whole Foods and I can't escape it. Who knows. But none the less... there has been kale in our fajitas, flax in our cereal and Rich is probably wondering why the white sugar and flour have suddenly disappeared from our home. 

Now, usually I would rather a full ban on tasty desserts than waste my time with ones that taste like cardboard. I have tried my fair share of "healthy" dessert recipes, whole wheat cookies (what a joke!) and gluten free nightmares.... but these cookies seriously take the cake.... like the full fat, calorie, sugar, diabetes inducing cake. And they have none of that in them! Ok, maybe a few calories..... but they are sugar free, dairy free, and egg free (Cindy Keith- these won't kill you!!) "Everything in moderation" have always been my words to live by...and they still are, but with these cookies you can totally have an extra one when nobody is looking.  I almost didn't want to admit how delicious they are.... but I am. The texture, which is usually the first thing to go with vegan cookies, is spot on. Now, you will have to make a Whole Foods run because even I didn't have spelt flour on hand, but 10 minutes in memorial day traffic is totally worth it! This is a super simple recipe that I feel like just became a staple for me. Delicious!

peanut better & spelt cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Heat your oven to 350 degree. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the spelt flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. 
In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the flour mixture and fold them together until combined, try not to over work the dough. If it is too loose, you can add some more flour to it. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. 
Bake for 10-12 minutes, don’t over bake or they will be dry. 


This recipe is from Greenkitchenstories.com and is surely not the last one that I will try from them!