Tag Archives: food

Healthy Recipe: Grilled Copper River Salmon with Garlic, Mustard Crust and Blasted Broccoli

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It’s officially Copper River Salmon season in Seattle, so my husband and I decided to make one of our favorite summer time salmon recipes the other night. It’s just a simply grilled salmon with a sort of marinade/crust that my Mom created made from horseradish mustard, chopped garlic and a squeeze of lemon. We top the salmon with the marinade/sauce a few minutes before putting in on the grill, and in no time we have a delicious, incredibly flavorful  dinner with that has just a touch of heat and spice. I’m not actually a huge fan of fish and have only been eating it for about a year (which is really a crime given that I live in Seattle a city brimming with amazing salmon), but I love this preparation. The marinade turns into a fabulous crust and brings out layers of flavor without masking the richness of the salmon.  I love serving it with blasted broccoli…to make it just heat garlic and olive oil over medium high heat in a pan and throw in partially blanched broccoli for 90 seconds, season with a little salt and pepper.

This dinner is so easy (especially when served with with a Whole Foods pre-made side pasta salad) and supremely healthy with all the antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids and protein. But most importantly…it’s delicious!

 

 

Healthy Recipe: Delicious Homemade Guacamole and Baked Chips

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When summer rolls around, I can’t get enough of sitting outside, relaxing and enjoying chips and guacamole. I always like to see if I can find healthier versions of my favorite foods, and I’m pretty picky about my guacamole (it has to have tomatoes, not too much lime and plenty of healthy chunks of avocado) so, I was really excited to try this recipe from Cooking Light. Now avocados have a lot of fat, but it’s good fat…I just have to be conscious of portion control so I don’t over do it on the calories, but at least I know  I’m consuming something better for me than most dips. The chips are simply baked corn tortillas, so I cut calories and unhealthy fats there, and they still have a great crunch and, most importantly, enough heft to hold the guacamole.

The recipe calls for tomatillos, which are used to make salsa verde, and they give the guacamole great flavor…plus, it has kick from the jalapenos making it utterly delicious! In fact, my husband followed me around, chips in hand, until I was done taking photos so he could dig in! This recipe makes a great al fresco dinner dip and it’s something you could bring to your next fiesta…I also love putting a little on a chicken wrap for lunch the next day! Hope you enjoy!

To make the chips just cut corn tortillas into 8ths, place them on a cookie sheet covered with cooking spray, sprinkle with course salt and chili powder and I like to give a quick squeeze of lime. The coat one more spay of cooling spray at put them in the over at 375 for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

3 Ways to have a Fit Fab Weekend

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Happy Friday! Here are three things I think will make this a Fit Fab Weekend!

  1. Try cuffing your jeans: Now that it’s getting just a little warmer here I’m kind of obsessed with this look. Celebs like Katie Holmes, Rachel Bilson and Rosie Huntington Whiteley rock their cuffed jeans on the weekend and I think it’s a great way to show off your favorite flats during the day and heels at night. Pair cuffed jeans with a menwear’s white button down and patent flats like the look on the left or with a blazer like the outfit  on the right (it’s from last month’s InStyle Magazine). Cuff boyfriend jeans for a more casual look or  try cuffing your skinnies for a night out.
  2.  Make a healthy Super Bowl snack: SuperBowl Sunday is here this weekend which means a Boston-New York showdown, awesome commercials and nachos, wings, beer and lots of other football friendly snacks! However, if you want to lighten things up a bit try adding hummus and some veggies to your SuperBowl spread. Just mix in some carrot stick and this healthy “dip” to avoid overindulging on the other stuff;)
  3. Add some plyometrics to your regular workout: Whether you’re running, sweating away on the elliptical or strength training try adding 3 sets of 10-15  jump squats and 3 sets of 15 flying lunges this weekend. Plyos add a fat burning bonus to any workout since they seriously raise your heart rate. Plus they’re great for toning your legs and (bonus!) your abs.
Happy Fit Fab Weekend!

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Weight Loss Secret: 9 High Fiber Foods…that actually taste good!

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Okay, ready for some really good news? Did you know eating is one of the best ways to lose weight. Yes, you read that sentence correctly…it says eating. The secret is to fill up on fiber rich foods.

High fiber foods leave you feeling more satisfied and fuller longer which means you end up eating fewer total calories. In fact one study from the US Department of Agriculture found when women double their fiber intake to 24 grams per day they eat about 90 fewer calories per day. That translates to about 9 pounds in a year! Bottom line, eat more fiber and soon you’ll be very excited about your bottom line:) (FYI the recommended amount of fiber is 14 grams per 1,000 calories. So that’s 28 grams of fiber per day for a 2,000 calorie diet). Eating enough of the stuff is also a sure fire way improve your health since fiber lowers cholesterol,  acts like a sponge in your stomach absorbing carbohydrate, fat and protein molecules and it decreases your risk of diabetes and colon cancer.

Whenever I make a meal or grab a snack I try to be conscious that what I’m choosing has a good amount of fiber in it…but let’s be honest whatever I grab also has to taste good. Full disclosure, I’m pretty much always tempted to reach for a cookie so I need to make sure my fiber friendly food is easy to make and tasty enough to make me choose it. That’s why I love these nine foods. They are so simple to make for breakfast or grab on the way out the door or pack for a healthy midday snack. Each one is loaded with healthy, figure-friendly fiber and most importantly each one is delicious!

  1. Rolled Oatmeal: 8 grams of fiber. One of the fastest, easiest breakfasts known to man. You can even pop this in the microwave for two minutes so there is really no excuse to skip breakfast. ( I tell my husband this everyday as he runs out door)
  2. Pears: 6 grams of fiber. These babies are one of the highest fiber fruits.
  3. Kashi Go Lean Cereal: 10 grams of fiber. Do you ever find that sometimes eating cereal in the morning actually leaves you feeling hungrier? Well not with Kashi! This stuff tastes great and can you really beat getting almost half your daily fiber before noon?
  4. Raspberries: 8 grams of fiber for 1 cup. Imagine if you put these on your oatmeal? Oh, it’s like a fiber paradise!
  5. Popcorn: 4 grams of fiber in 3 cups. The movie theatre stuff gives popcorn a bad rap when in fact it makes a really great healthy and filling snack. So pop away…unbuttered of course:)
  6. Black Beans: 14 grams per serving: Make them into a soup, put them in a wrap or serve them as a side dish..black beans are the superheroes of fibrous legumes.
  7. Spelt Bread: 2 grams per slice: I love putting some almond butter on spelt as a quick snack, it’s incredibly filling. It’s also a nice alternative for turkey sandwiches!
  8. Guacamole: 11 grams of fiber. Okay, be a little careful here since guacamole also has a lot of fat, good fat, but a lot of fat none the less. Avocados, the main ingredient in guacamole, have tons of fiber which I think makes the happy hour menu a little happier.
  9. Apples: 5 grams of fiber. Let’s face it the old saying holds true…an apple a day really does keep the doctor away. It also keeps you in your favorite jeans;)

Healthy and Delicious Recipes to Jazz Up Your Morning Oatmeal

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Oatmeal is one of my go to breakfasts. It’s a healthy choice with fiber and protein that keep me full all morning plus it’s pretty fast and easy to make. That being said…plain oats can get pretty boring which is why I love some of these recipes I found on Pinterest. These variations include fruit, peanut butter and jelly, spices and plenty of ways jazz up your oatmeal so your breakfast will make you feel good and look good but it will also taste amazing.

By the way, have I mentioned my undying love for Pinterest yet? It’s one of the coolest new sites where you can post, share and follow pictures of things that inspire you from fashion to photography, food , fitness, pets, home inspiration and DIY projects. It’s kind of  like a vision board and it’s a great way to explore and share things that inspire you..plus I find it’s also a great motivation tool. Try it…love it…share the obession:) You can check out my Pinterest boards here….http://pinterest.com/fitfabcities/

And definalty give the recipes pictured above from some favorite food bloggers a try if you want to jazz up your morning oatmeal!

Homemade Oatmeal 9 Ways from ABeautifulMess.typepad.com.

This is the large photo with 9 bowls above and is my favorite because it shows several simple things you can add to make your oatmeal super delicious.

Click here to get her amazing recipes that include pumpkin spice, coffee cake and peanut butter and jelly. Plus she has some amazing pictures on her site.

Apple Pie Oatmeal from OhSheGlows.com.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup regular oats
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger + pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 + 1/4 cups Almond Milk
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1-1.5 tablespoon pure maple syrup + more for drizzling
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, for sprinkling on top

Click here to go to OhSheGlows.com for the rest of the recipe.

Baked Apple Spice Oatmeal from TheCurvyCarrot.com

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 cups peeled and chopped apples (variety of your choice), plus slices for garnish
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup dried cranberries, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Click here to go to TheCuryCarrot.com for the rest of the recipe.

Happy Oats!

-Cait