#health blog

I have been trying to perfect this recipe for years now, and after searching and sifting, I think I finally got it pretty nailed down.

The Perfect Baked Sweet Potato Fries

preheat oven to 450 F

1 large sweet potato, cut into ¼ inch fries // toss with 1 tbsp corn starch // toss into colander and remove excess // toss with 1 tbsp olive oil // add pinch of cinnamon + pinch of chili powder // toss toss toss 

spread on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. use two bakings sheets if necessary - it’s important the fries have enough space in between them so they don’t steam each other and they can get crispy

bake for 20-30 minutes on 450

sprinkle with sea salt 

Horrible blogger award of 2014 // I try so hard not to feel pressured to post but it’s what I love to do. IF I was going to make a New Years resolution it would be to cook for myself more and if i happen to photograph the occasion and post it, that would be good too #iheartfood

Hulled Hemp Seed Salad w. Apple Dressing

• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 ½ Teaspoons Nakano, Seasoned Rice Vinegar,
• Balsamic Blend
• ¼ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Mustard
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Light Sour Cream
• 2 Heaping Tablespoons Light Mayo

• Spring Mixed Greens (or use arugula, spinach, etc)
• 1 Green Apple, chopped
• ½ Cup Craisins
• ¼ Cup Hulled Hemp Seeds (Bob’s Red Mill)

http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/2012/08/hulled-hemp-seed-salad-w-apple-dressing.html

Cherry & Pomegranate Sangria

• 2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 punnet fresh cherries
• 1x 750ml bottle Moscato
• 500ml pomegranate juice
• ice cubes

http://simply-delicious-food.com/2014/06/18/cherry-pomegranate-sangria/

Homemade Wholegrain Vegan Crackers

• ¼ cup almond meal
• ¾ cup whole spelt flour - whole wheat flour works, too!
• 1½ Tablespoons vegan buttery spread, melted
• 1¼ Tablespoons sugar
• ⅓ teaspoons salt
• about ¼ cup of water
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

http://theprettybee.com/2014/03/whole-grain-vegan-cracker-recipe.html

Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Turkey Chilli

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 very large sweet potato, peeled and diced (or two smaller sweet potatoes)
• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 2 cans black beans
• 1 32 ounce box chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• fresh cilantro for garnish

http://theprettybee.com/2014/02/black-bean-sweet-potato-turkey-chili.html

Roast Leg of Lamb w. Tzatziki & Tabbouleh

6 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp coriander
1 ½ tbsp salt
1 tbsp red chile flakes
1 (6 lb) leg of lamb (bone-in)

Tzatziki
2 cups Greek yogurt
juice of 2 lemons
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced shallots

Pomegranate Tabbouleh Salad
 2 cups water
1 cup bulgur
½ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup mint, chopped
¼ cup green onions, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
¼ cup sliced almonds
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup feta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon jucie
1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

http://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2011/03/roasted-leg-of-lamb-with-tzatziki-and-pomegranate-tabbouleh.html

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Detox Water: 6 Things You Can Add To Your Water To Improve Digestion

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Easily Paleo-ified with some tweaks to the stir-fry sauce.

Love healthy food & fitness? Follow Awesome Fitness Recipes on Instagram

Love healthy food & fitness? Follow Awesome Fitness Recipes on Instagram

Supergreen Power Salad

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups lacinto kale, chopped
• 4 cups arugula
• 2 cups shredded carrot
• 4 small steamed beets
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ½ cup chopped hazelnuts
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Orange Agave Vinaigrette

• 1 orange, juiced (about ⅓ cup)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or maple syrup)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by cooking ½ cup dry quinoa per package instructions if you don’t have any cooked on hand.
2. In addition, prep by steaming your beets. Allow the beets to cool and then slice them thinly into matchsticks.

Power Salad Assembly

1. Remove the ribs of the kale and chop the leaves. Add the kale to a bowl with arugula, shredded carrot, and sliced beets.
2. Chop snap peas into 3-4 pieces each and add them to the salad.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Toss well to combine.
4. Add the quinoa mixture to the raw salad ingredients and toss to combine.
5. Serve immediately or reserve additional salad in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Creds

Under 250 Calorie Chicken Wraps

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 4 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 1 cup)
• 2 Kirby or small cucumbers, chopped
• 6 tablespoons plain hummus
• 6 (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas

Directions:

Place tomatoes, olives, feta, juice, oregano, oil, pepper, chicken, and cucumber in a large bowl; toss to combine.

Spread 1 tablespoon hummus over 1 side of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with about ½ cup chicken mixture. Roll up wraps; cut in half.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 wrap

Per serving: Calories: 243; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 12mg; Sodium: 509mg; Carbohydrate: 30g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 10g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 161mg; Iron: 12%; Vitamin A: 7%; Vitamin C: 16%; Calcium: 11%

5 Tips to Control Overeating!

Alcohol and Weight Gain

It’s that time of the year again where there’s endless parties and celebration. And of course, alcohol. Before you decide on sipping on your wine glass or taking another shot, think about the consequences and how you’ll feel the next day. I’m not just talking about the horrible headache or the messy hair, I’m talking about the guilt. Now, I’m not trying to say don’t have fun because there’s always those days that we just need to let loose and forget about the calories. Just remember to keep it in the back of your head on what you intake and how it’ll end up affecting you. 

The Facts: 

• One gram of alcohol is 7 calories whereas one gram of carbohydrates and protein is 4 and one gram of fat is 9. 
• Excess calories unused by the body will turn into fat
• Unlike carbohydrates, protein and fat, alcohol doesn’t burn any calories for your body to digest because it’s so easily absorbed by your bloodstream. 
• Alcohol will drop your blood sugar making you crave carbs
• Once alcohol is ingest, your body will stop metabolizing fat to metabolize alcohol.

Tips:

• Eat a healthy meal before you go out to keep you full
• Grab a healthy snack
• Avoid the heavy sugar drinks (eggnog, margaritas)
• Drink water between alcohol beverages to keep your consumption of alcohol down
• Best drinks to order: Vodka & soda, light beer, red wine, gin & tonic