Tag: greens

Addictive Roasted Brussels Sprouts (RECIPE) – only THREE ingredients!

Brussels Sprouts are amazing. They are nutritious, all kinds of bite-sized cute, and incredibly versatile.

Versatile, indeed. And, yes, these are the actual sprouts used in today’s recipe. Because multitask (and pigtails).

I’m not going to go into some story-time shpeel before sharing this recipe. It is so delicious and so easy that I am sparing you any pre-recipe childhood memory or suspenseful read before I share the goods. I also like typing out Brussels Sprouts like it’s someone’s proper name. The cuteness wins over being grammatically correct.

Brussels Sprouts are nutritious, with tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber – but many people miss out because, well, how do you make them tasty? Steam them and they will likely turn into mush, making you feel like you’re eating baby food. Same goes for boiling. Pan-fry them and you may get a crisp outside, but likely a still-raw-ish inside.

People either love cruciferous veggies (like Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) or they don’t. I don’t care what your preference is. If you try this recipe, which has only THREE main ingredients, it will blow your previously-Brussels-Sprout-hating mind.

Get ready for some yummy, candied cruciferous nuggets you will find yourself eating like popcorn.

20151018_160158Brussels Sprouts for dayssssssssss…

 

SWEET, MAPLE-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUT POPPERS

You will need:

1-2 stalks of Brussels Sprouts, for best flavor (or enough Brussels Sprouts to cover a large, rimmed baking sheet)

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 Cup high-quality, pure maple syrup

Salt & Pepper (to taste, preferably fresh ground)

Easy-peezy Directions:

  1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  2.  Rinse Brussels Sprouts well. If cutting from stalk (as I did for this recipe), rinse sprouts on stalk before cutting. Then proceed to *cut the sprouts off the stalk, halve them, and I also suggest cutting out a bit of the thick stem part from the base to prevent any bitterness once they are cooked. To do this, cut out a “V” of the firm white “heart” that would have been the base of the Brussels Sprout (you can peep this in the photos). Collect all your sprouts in a large bowl after the cutting.
  3. In a liquid measuring cup, pour in olive oil and maple syrup (measuring as you pour… win-win for less dirty dishes) and whisk well. Pour all over the Brussels Sprouts in the bowl and mix around until they are all coated.
  4. Pour the sprouts on your large, rimmed baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper (I suggest freshly ground Himalayan Sea Salt & black pepper). Give another quick toss, and add a touch more salt and pepper. Sprouts should be in a single layer on the sheet, for even cooking.
  5. Place in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, making sure to toss half-way through the cooking time to get everything evenly roasted. Sprouts are done when most have a dark brown, crisp outer leaf and the larger ones are fork tender.
  6. Enjoy your insanely delicious cruciferous candy. Eat them as a side dish, pop ’em as a lone snack, mix them into a creamy soup (like my Simply Creamy Butternut Squash Soup), or share them with your veggie-loathing friends to convert them to the dark (leafy green) side.
20151018_160152
Withholding the excitement of such a winning recipe was 98% impossible, as proven by the blurriness (and the fork).

*Careful cutting those things off the stalks, especially if you are really excited and halfway paying attention… and just bought shining, new, sharp specialty knife from Costco. And your name is Jasmin. Yes, I nearly sliced my thumb clear off whilst preparing this recipe. However, the end result was clearly totally worth it.

Fun fact: Brussels Sprouts is commonly misspelled as “Brussel” Sprouts. Who’s guilty?

Kale & Quinoa Bowl: Easiest, Filling, Nutritious Go-To Meal (RECIPE)

I introduce you to my latest obsession:

 

Nom nom nom....

 

 

You can’t really tell by the picture, but that bowl is HUGE and it’s holding 1 cup of cooked quinoa and 100g of chopped kale… along with an insanely delicious dressing that I will share below. This simple whole food duo is the perfect, delicious, filling, hearty base for so many different things – the list is nearly endless.

You can go savory, sweet, or spicy; you can add everything from more vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, or pumpkin – to fruits like chopped dates, figs, berries, or apples.

Another super bonus? If you’ve put yourself into a nutritional category box – I bet this fits into it. It’s all the “free’s” (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, nearly fat-free, egg-free) and all the “friendly’s” (Paleo-friendly, Vegetarian–friendly, Vegan-friendly, Carb-friendly, Allergen-friendly).

And when it comes to macro-nutrient ratios, this particular serving size has:

272 Calories

11g Protein

39g Carbs

5g Fat

7g Fiber

56g Sodium

Adding even more benefit? Both of these foods are incredibly nutrient dense in not only the macros above, but the micros such as: tons of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals ranging from B-vitamins to Vitamin E and zinc, body-loving fibers, and more.

Basically, quinoa and kale are soul mates in my book.

Like I said, there are ENDLESS directions this two-ingredient base can go; but let’s start with one of my favorites these days…

Creamy Southwest Spice Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • .5 to 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 heaping tsp Tahini (sesame seed butter, in Middle Eastern section of most markets)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tsp Mrs Dash salt-free Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt (I just fresh grind in to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Scant Tbsp Garlic Powder OR 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder OR 2 Tbsp minced red onion
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste… I like quite a bit)
  • Half a dropper of liquid Stevia, OR 1/2 Tbsp honey, OR 1 Tbsp Stevia in the Raw

Directions: Put it all in a bowl, whisk together, and toss with quinoa and kale…. That’s it. (Hint: make ahead of time by at least 30 minutes to let the flavors all soak up and merry. Nom!)

I always have a few cups of cooked quinoa in the fridge that I prepare in bulk in my rice cooker, one or two days a week. As for the kale, get 2-3 BIG handfuls, remove any stems (they tend to be a bit bitter sometimes), and chop up well before tossing.

Coming soon:

The True Health Trifecta Nutrition & Recipe Book:

Simple Salads, Soups, Sauces, & Dressings Edition!

This is turning out to be the perfect collection for everyone; from those beginning their health and fitness journey, to those well on their way and looking for new, EASY, healthy go-to meal ideas!

It will include TONS of crazy-easy yet healthy recipes like the one above; plus photos, nutritional facts & tips, kitchen & pantry basics and recommendations, my Macro-Nutrient Cheat Sheet, Pre- and Post- workout meal ideas, Soups, Salads, Dressings, and more!

Not to mention, unless you are allergic to a specific food, this book is EVERY-diet friendly! So whether you have put yourself in the Paleo box, Vegan category, High-carb-low-fat, Low-carb, Gluten-free, 80/10/10, intermittent fasting, carb-cycling… I purposefully made this a compilation of nutritious options that can be enjoyed by the majority of dietary lifestyles out there!

And, I know most people don’t have the time or interest to become the next Iron Chef in the kitchen… especially with the hustle and bustle of every day life. That’s why I made sure the recipes and tips in this book aren’t incredibly elaborate or time consuming. These are some simple basics to help anyone successfully achieve their goals without spending hours preparing and while getting in nutrient-dense foods that taste flipping amazing.

Can you tell how mega excited I am to be putting this together for you guys?! :)

Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and like the True Health Trifecta Facebook page for word on when it is available for sale in the shop! :)

The Ultimate Chopped Spring Salad

This Healthy Recipe of the Month is probably my favorite go-to salad. It’s just perfect to fulfill a craving… it’s filling but still refreshing as a salad should be. I’m a huge texture person and my perfect meal usually has a mix of different bites; crunchy, soft, crispy, creamy, salty, and sweet. This salad definitely has all of that rolled into one. Not only that, but as you can see, it is ridiculously easy to put together AND can be served as a main dish or side salad to accompany a meal.

 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

Nom nom nom .........
Nom nom nom ………

 

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, this is an easily printable format that I provide for health clubs like Anytime Fitness in Ormond Beach and Anytime Fitness in Winter Park, both in Florida. If you would like to receive a Healthy Recipe of the Month for your fitness club or gym, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to add you to the list! :)

 

Question of the week:
What is the BEST salad, homemade or restaurant, that you’ve ever had?