Broiled Salmon & Lemon Caper Spaghetti

This is a great recovery meal. Loaded with protein, omega-3's, fiber, & B vitamins. I made this last week when I came home from an extra tough boxing class. It was just what I needed.

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I happen to love portabella mushrooms, however, this dish can be prepared with any vegetable that you prefer. Recommendations would be broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, summer squash or zucchini. (or all of the above).

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I always keep a jar of capers in my fridge. If you have never cooked with them, think of piccata sauce. That is the salty/briney flavor you will get from this easy mash up.

Here's what I used to make the sauce:  

- Extra virgin o/o

- Garlic

- Lemon  

- Crushed red pepper

- White wine

- Capers

- Salt

 

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Put your oven on broil and drizzle extra virgin o/o, salt, and a squeeze of lemon on the (WILD) salmon. (Try to avoid farm raised fish at all costs) Let it broil for about 10 minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water (you know I use Barilla protein plus - always). It is loaded with protein, omega-3's, and fiber. It is a staple in my cabinet at all times.  

While the pasta boils and salmon broils, bring your saute pan to medium low and toss in the above listed ingredients. Once the mushrooms are about halfway cooked, toss in some white wine and let it saute down for a few more minutes. (need to let the alcohol burn off)

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Everything should be done around the same time (yes this is pretty much a 10-15 minute meal.  Quickly toss the pasta into the saute pan. It's ok to let some pasta water get into the mixture, in fact it is usually a good thing.

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Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, drizzle with lemon and you're done!

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Have a great day! xo

Faux Fried Buffalo Chicken

I love boneless buffalo wings. This recipe for boneless buffalo chicken is perfection And, it's baked!

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Beat egg with a small amount (tsp or two) of Cindy's Boneless Buffalo Wing sauce. This sauce is amazing. I have been searching high and low for buffalo wing sauce that doesn't have preservatives in it. The closest to this is Frank's original hot sauce. Frank's has a great flavor and no preservatives, but, this is 'buffalo' and its flavor is spot on. Frank's 'buffalo' sauce has preservatives (no bueno).

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Dip chicken in egg mixture and then dunk in panko bread crumbs.

Try to go with organic chicken and eggs. Otherwise, you are likely eating GMO, preservatives, & who knows what else. (I added some crushed red pepper to the crumbs for an extra kick) TIP: Usually this process calls for flouring the chicken first, I don't see the need. They come out perfectly without the extra breading.

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Arrange on a greased baking sheet. I cover a baking sheet in foil and spray with extra virgin o/o.  If the chicken is a little frozen (mine was). Bake on 375 for 8 minutes, turn chicken, then put back in for another 6 minutes. If chicken is not frozen, take that down by two minutes. (check it though!)

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Toss the nuggets in Cindy's Buffalo Wing sauce. (I do it right in the foil) Top a healthy salad and enjoy. TIP: Blue cheese dressing can be high in fat and calories. Fat free dressing, though, is not an option. It's filled with sugar and preservatives. Instead, mix the full fat version with white vinegar so that it thins out. You won't have to use as much. OR, you can buy a yogurt version, just watch the ingredients.

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Happy Thursday! xo

Scenes from the Lunch Room

When I started working at my job about a year ago, I quickly recognized that I have extremely healthy coworkers.  Most days, everyone brings their lunch, we take a break outside or in the kitchen, and then continue to ruthlessly make fun of each other for a solid half hour. There is no - holding - back.

Today I decided to take a picture of everyone's lunch and share the health benefits of each. You'll see I wasn't kidding (I didn't even warn them I was doing this today).

Some were excited to share (Maddy), others not so much (Souc). All kidding aside, being in such a healthy environment every day keeps us consistently motivated to eat well and exercise. When in an environment that is not as healthy, it makes it much more difficult to stay healthy, yourself. There have been quite a few studies regarding this thought. My advice to those who are in a less-healthy environment is to be the trendsetter. Tell yourself that you need to be the role model. Stick to it for multiple days at a time and see what starts to happen. Sure, you'll probably get asked why you 'eat rabbit food' or 'oooohhh you're so healllthy'. Those comments can be frustrating, but, know that you are doing your health and your figure a favor. Provide these folks with the facts and why it tastes good. Eventually, some should catch on. If not, keep up the good work and know that you are strong.

Avocado, roasted garlic, olives, mustard/vinegar dressing. Fiber-rich, anti-inflammatory, loaded with Omega-3's. Awesome choice.

Avocado, roasted garlic, olives, mustard/vinegar dressing. Fiber-rich, anti-inflammatory, loaded with Omega-3's. Awesome choice.

Carrots, romaine, buffalo chicken, no dressing. Berries. Good choice here. The buffalo chicken was fried but he balanced it out nicely. Protein, fiber, Vitamin C & antioxidants are the main players in this meal.

Carrots, romaine, buffalo chicken, no dressing. Berries. Good choice here. The buffalo chicken was fried but he balanced it out nicely. Protein, fiber, Vitamin C & antioxidants are the main players in this meal.

Romaine, snow peas, carrots, almonds, cranberries, goat cheese, radishes. Dressing was mustard/vinegar blend.  Packed with antioxidants, vitamin d, omegas, and B's. Needs an egg or some chicken on it for protein. I didn't have time to boil one …

Romaine, snow peas, carrots, almonds, cranberries, goat cheese, radishes. Dressing was mustard/vinegar blend.  Packed with antioxidants, vitamin d, omegas, and B's. Needs an egg or some chicken on it for protein. I didn't have time to boil one up this morning so I added more almonds.

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Red
pepper, onion and garlic – then to make it a bake – egg, milk and cheddar
cheese. Adapted from Krista’s Peruvian bake. (Krista is in Canada today but usually she's got a great balance of protein, veg, and enough fruit to feed an army.)

Red pepper, onion and garlic – then to make it a bake – egg, milk and cheddar cheese. Adapted from Krista’s Peruvian bake. (Krista is in Canada today but usually she's got a great balance of protein, veg, and enough fruit to feed an army.)

Good choice from Sebastian's downstairs.  Whole wheat wrap with spinach, onions, ham, turkey & cheese.  Small bag of chips (I think they are between 100-120 cals so not terrible). Protein, fiber, and calcium are the stand-outs here.

Good choice from Sebastian's downstairs.  Whole wheat wrap with spinach, onions, ham, turkey & cheese.  Small bag of chips (I think they are between 100-120 cals so not terrible). Protein, fiber, and calcium are the stand-outs here.

We all sneak in a little chocolate after lunch. Usually we have dark chocolate squares in the 'hidden' drawer, but, somebody brought these in today! Oye. I cannot resist an M&M, but, we all kept it under control.  Moderation is key.

We all sneak in a little chocolate after lunch. Usually we have dark chocolate squares in the 'hidden' drawer, but, somebody brought these in today! Oye. I cannot resist an M&M, but, we all kept it under control.  Moderation is key.

So how does you office compare to mine? Let me know.

Have an awesome night and GO BRUINS!!!! xo