Tag: Healthy Eating

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

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Hi friends! Whenever I post a pancake recipe it is a GOOD DAY, and these pancakes are high in protein, super easy to whip up and very delicious, so make that an extra good day:)

After being at the grocery store twice in two days I STILL managed to forget to buy Greek yogurt, which is usually a staple in my breakfasts. However we did have some cottage cheese in the fridge, and while I’d never really tried it before because usually I have an aversion to cheese (unless it’s melted), I decided to add it to some pancakes because it would mask the taste and texture- especially since I was blending up the batter. So in my blender I added the cottage cheese, oats, some banana, cinnamon, an egg, and baking powder to make a super smooth batter. I then let everything sit for about five minutes so the oats absorbed some liquid and the whole thing got a bit thicker, before cooking them up in a pan.

I’ve been making my breakfasts the night before lately, which really saves me time in the mornings! Let me tell you, having a big plate of these pancakes waiting for me when I came downstairs was very nice. I ate them with some frozen blueberries, apple chips, and peanut butter, but they would also be delicious with maple syrup and other fruits. Hope you enjoy!!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients

-1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used 2%)

-1/4 cup quick cooking steel-cut oats

-1/2 a ripe banana

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1 egg


Directions

1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes so that the oats absorb some liquid and the batter thickens.

2. Scoop the batter by tablespoon fulls into a pan over medium heat. Let cook for about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate and enjoy immediately, or freeze for a quick breakfast later!


Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta

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I’m loving my shrimp lately! It’s fast, easy, and so so good🙌 So I added it to this amazing pasta dish which uses a nice spring vegetable, the artichoke!

Artichokes can be a little scary to prepare because they’re not a super common vegetable. However, the flavour is DELICIOUS and they contain lots of antioxidants👌 I started by steaming my own artichokes and then using the hearts and stems, because the leaves are very fibrous. In the future I can do a whole post on how to prepare an artichoke. If you want to skip all the prep and get right to the pasta though, you can buy a jar of marinated artichokes. Either way, you’re getting lots of great flavour.

If you’re using marinated artichokes, then this dish comes together in a SNAP. We’re talking 15 minutes people. THAT’S A ONE. AND THAT’S A FIVE. I The artichokes are sautéed with some garlic, olive oil and cherry tomatoes, before the shrimp get added in with some salt and pepper. All of this together creates a really light sauce that is perfect to highlight the artichokes! I then tossed in some cooked lentil spaghetti, which is great because it’s packed full of protein. It’s also gluten free so that’s a win! Whole wheat or regular spaghetti works great too though!

Once everything’s tossed up, all that’s left to do is serve. This makes an amazing quick lunch or dinner, but it’s also kind of fancy so if your looking to treat yourself to a nice meal in, you’re all set. Hope you enjoy!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)

Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients

-1/2 tbsp olive oil

-15 medium shrimp, tails off

-2 chopped artichoke hearts, steamed or marinated

-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

-1 large clove of garlic, minced

-2 servings of cooked lentil, whole wheat or regular spaghetti

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic, tomatoes, and chopped artichoke hearts and cook for about 4 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and tender. Smash the tomatoes down during the cooking process to get the juices going in the pan.

2. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until they are light pink in colour. Season everything to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add in the cooked pasta, remove from the heat and toss everything together.

4. Serve warm and enjoy:)


Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Bowls

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Hey there! I took a bit of a break from posting for a while but I am coming back STRONG with these delicious Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Bowls.

I love shrimp so much- all seafood is so delicious! I was looking in the freezer the other day for an easy protein I could whip up for lunch and I locked in on the bag of frozen shrimp. I’ve never done much cooking of meat/fish/crustaceans, but I decided to give it a try! And you know what? Shrimp is probably one of the easiest proteins you can make. They’re super fast to cook and it’s not hard at all to tell when they’re done. They’re also full of protein with roughly 25 grams per 16 shrimp.

I used some frozen shrimp and defrosted them by running them under cold water, although it said not to do that on the bag. I would like to know what the problem with that is. (insert laughing face emoji here). If you know you’re going to be making these ahead of time though, you can always throw your shrimp in the fridge to defrost over night, or even use fresh shrimp.

To make these delicious bowls, I started by tossing the shrimp with a bunch of delicious spices, and then sauteeing them in some olive oil. They only need about two minutes per side, and are finished when they’re opaque and slightly pink. So easy! Next we have a bunch of veggies- we’re talking peppers, onions, olives and some carrot ribbons- that get cooked up with lemon juice, garlic powder, and some tahini for some extra flavour. Finally, for some green-ness there’s a tasty cucumber and avocado salad. Serve everything over quinoa and you’ve got a LUNCH.

Let me know how you like these bowls! I definitely want to keep making shrimp recipes because the deliciousness times the easiness factor is out of this world. Maybe I’ll venture out into some other animal proteins too?!? Who knows! Enjoy:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Bowls

Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Bowls

Ingredients

For The Shrimp:

-20-25 medium shrimp, defrosted or fresh

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp chilli powder

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne powder

-1/2 tsp oregano

-Salt and pepper to taste

For The Sauteed Veggies:

-1/2 tbsp olive oil

-2 small carrots, made into ribbons with a veggie peeler

-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

-1/4 of a white onion, sliced

-1 200ml can of sliced black olives, drained

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-Juice of 1/2 a lemon

-1/2 tbsp tahini

-Salt and pepper to taste

For the Cucumber Avocado Salad:

-1/4 of a long English cucumber, diced

-1/4 of a ripe avocado

-2 tsp tahini

-Salt and pepper to taste

Other:

-Cooked quinoa for serving


Directions

1. Add the olive oil for the shrimp to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add your shrimp to a small bowl and mix them with all of the spices. Dump the shrimp into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until the shrimp are opaque and slightly pink. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the olive oil for the veggies into the still hot pan. Add the veggies in and sautee until the peppers are soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the lemon juice, garlic powder, tahini, and salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Mash the avocado for the salad in a small bowl, mix in the rest of the ingredients, and set aside.

4. To construct your bowls, start with some cooked quinoa, then add the veggies, shrimp, and cucumber salad. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice if desired and enjoy!


Cactus Cut Sweet Potatoes

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Hey guys! I have a SICK recipe for you tonight- these Cactus Cut Sweet Potatoes are here to play. I love the version they have at restaurants, but today we’re baking pies and also using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes because sweet potatoes are amazing😍

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are actually pretty similar in nutritional content, but potatoes are higher in potassium while sweet potatoes are higher in vitamin A. So it all comes down to which potato you prefer- and I think you already know which kind of tater has my heart😂

These cactus cut sweet potatoes are get super crisp and delicious in the oven, and are perfectly spiced! They may not look orange to you, but that’s because I used a Japanese sweet potatoe. I actually really like this variety, and they’re a bit smaller which is good for the recipe🙌 But regular ol’ orange sweet potatoes will work just fine as well.

This super tasty snack/side is also very easy to make. Start by truly slicing your sweet potato- I would say to about 1/8 of an inch. The average thickness I got was this:

Although I definitely need to work on my knife skills because my cuts were a lil all over the place😂

Next you’re going to toss your taters in a bag with some olive oil and all those delicious spices that make these cactus cuts shine! Paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper all make and appearance, and of course you’ve gotta have that cayenne for spice.

The final step before the oven is to lay the sliced potatoes down flat on a parchment lined baking sheet- making sure it’s not too crowded so they have room to reach their full delicious potential! After roasting for 20 minutes, you’re going to flip em and them bake for another 5-10, keeping a close eye on those little suckers so they don’t burn. And then voila! You’ve got some warm, seasoned cactus cut sweet potatoes that are AMAZING with hummus, tzatziki, or just by themselves😍

I love this recipe because it’s perfect for a party (when we can have them) and also for snacking! I also had them as a side with my egg scramble for dinner and they were👌 Hope you enjoy!!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Cactus Cut Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

-1 small japanese or regular sweet potato, cut into 1/8 inch slices

-2 tsp olive oil

-1 tsp paprkia

-1/2 tsp chilli powder

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne powder

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Add the sliced sweet potatoes into a large ziploc bag with the rest of the ingredients. Shake everything up until the potatoes are coated with the oil and the spices.

3. Lay each slice on a parchment lined baking sheet, being careful not to over-crowd the pan. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and flip over all of the potatoes with a fork. Place them back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until crispy and cooked through, watching to make sure they don’t burn.

5. Remove the potatoes from the the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy!


Eggs Benedict with Avocado Hollandaise

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What’s this?!? A savoury breakfast?!?! It’s true, this weekend I thought I’d shake it up a bit and ditch my usual oats or yogurt for this GORGEOUS Eggs Benedict with Avocado Hollandaise. And I’m glad I tried it out because it was delish. (I did have a yogurt bowl later in the day to make up for it though. Let’s not get too crazy).

Eggs Benedict is pretty tasty- usually you’ve got a perfectly poached egg, a toasty English muffin, and some Hollandaise sauce, which can be a bit rich. So today we’re lightens up the whole thing by making an AVOCADO Hollandaise because avocados are awesome and versatile like that✌️ All you need is avocado, some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and paprika. And some water. That’s it baby. Then everything gets mixed up and your “Hollandaise” is ready to smother an amazing egg and a nice piece of whole grain/sprouted wheat toast.

Poaching eggs is actually really easy; there are just a few simple steps to follow:

  1. Bring a deep pan full of water to a boil.
  2. Add in 2 tbsp of vinegar.
  3. Turn the heat down so that the water is at a heavy simmer. Crack your egg into a small bowl and then carefully add it to the water.
  4. Let the egg patch for 4 minutes.
  5. Scoop out gently with a slotted spoon!

Not too bad! The vinegar in the water adds a bit of seasoning and helps the egg whites firm up faster so they don’t go all over the place in the water. But yeah, if that sounds easy, that’s the hardest part of this whole shebang.

When to enjoy this recipe? Um, pretty much whenever because it’s so easy and SO GOOD. But it works very well for brunch, weekend breakfasts, a fun lunch, or even a breakfast for dinner situation. I love how the bright lemon works with the rich yolk and you can mop everything up with the toast- so good!

Hope you enjoy this rare savoury breakfast sighting! Have a great week:)

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Eggs Benedict with Avocado Hollandaise

Ingredients

-2 eggs

-1-2 slices of whole grain or sprouted wheat bread, toasted

-1/4 of an avocado

-3 tsp lemon juice

-10-12 tsp water

-1/4 tsp paprika

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1.Poach the eggs according to the steps above and set aside on a plate with a paper towel on it.

2.In a small bowl, mash the avocado until little to no lumps remain. Stir in the lemon juice, water, paprika and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you may blend thses ingredients together in a blender.

3.Place one egg on each piece of toast (or both on one, you do you) and cover with the “hollandaise” sauce. Enjoy!