Tabbouleh & Soujoukh

This meal is one of my all-time favorites, which is why I am so excited to be posting it today! My mom and I made this last night for dinner and it totally hits the spot when you want something delicious, nutritious, and light, yet filling! Let's start with the yummy tabbouleh recipe :) 

Makes about 4-6 servings:

2-3 bunches parsley

1.5 cups diced tomatoes

3 stems green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fine bulgar wheat (or quinoa if you are gluten intolerance...or you can omit the grain all together to make it grain free, paleo, whole30, etc...I've tried this salad all 3 ways and it tastes delicious each time!)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 t salt

1/4 t red pepper

Pinch of black pepper

Pinch of all spice

Chop the parsley and place in food processor. Pulse until the parsley is minced. Place parsley in a bowl along with the chopped green onions and tomatoes. I usually pour the bulgar on top of the tomatoes at this point and let the juice from the tomatoes soften up the bulgar for about 5-10 minutes. While you wait for this to happen, you can season and start cooking the soujoukh (or Armenian sausage).

Makes 15-18 patties

1 lb ground beef (we used 96/4 from Trader Joe's, but make sure that when you use a meat this lean, you add some olive oil to the pan before grilling the sausage patties!)

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t cloves

1 t cumin

1 t all spice

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 t red pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

Mix all the seasonings in with the meat and form little sausage patties. Heat a skillet with 1 T olive oil and start grilling! These sausages cook up pretty fast so be sure to watch them!

While the sausages are cooking, you can mix in the seasonings, olive oil, and lemon juice into the tabbouleh salad. You can eat this tabbouleh on its own, with pita bread, or with lettuce leaves, which is how we did it last night!

 nce the sausages are done, your meal is ready to go!

There you have it! One of my favorite dinners EVER. The leftovers taste amazing too! The tabbouleh gets better the next day, and you can always use to leftover sausages in an omelet or rice bowl with some steamed veggies! Hope you all enjoy this meal!

Oatmeal Breakfast Biscuits

Before limiting my gluten intake, I used to love spreading peanut butter on whole grain toast or tortillas as a pre workout meal. I looked forward to it nearly every morning! Well now, I have a gluten-free option for this as well! These oatmeal biscuits are healthy and delicious and are perfect for spreading peanut butter, jam, or anything else you may want to! They taste great fresh out of the oven and can be reheated in the toaster for a few days after!! Here is my recipe for Oatmeal Breakfast Biscuits!  

Makes 9-10 biscuits

3/4 cup gluten free pancake and baking mix (I use Pamela's...the BEST!)

1 cup gluten free rolled oats

1/4 cup almond flour

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup applesauce

1 whole egg

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

stevia if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry, then wet ingredients into a mixing bowl. The batter should resemble a muffin-type drop batter consistency.

Drop the batter onto a lined and sprayed cookie sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the biscuits because these spread!!! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. These turned out sooooo huge and unbelievably delicious!

I stored them in a tupperware container and have been reheating them in the mornings in my toaster, then spreading some peanut butter on top! YUM-O!

I hope you all get to try this recipe soon! It's easy, delicious, and the perfect pre workout treat!!!

Nutrition facts per biscuit: 125 calories, 4g fat, 17g carb, 8g protein

*Don't fear the fat people! It comes from the egg and almond flour...both good sources!! :) And the combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrate in this biscuit makes it the perfect fuel before your workout! I hope you all get to try out this recipe soon! Have a great Monday!

Spanish Rice

My husband is a huge rice lover. I mean he will eat it every day for every meal and not get bored. Spanish Rice, Asian rice, rice pilaf…he doesn’t discriminate. But one of our favorites is definitely Spanish rice. I’ve always been intimidated by it and usually leave it to our favorite Mexican restaurants. BUT, in an effort to eat out less and eat homemade food more, I experimented a bit and finally came up with the perfect recipe! My husband couldn’t get enough of it, so that’s a win in my book! 

Spanish Rice (makes 6-8 servings…cook in bulk, it’s so much easier!) 

2-3 T olive oil 

1/2 medium white onion 

1/2 medium green bell pepper 

2 cups rice 

2, 8 oz cans of tomato sauce 

5 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth or water) 

2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp garlic salt 

1/2-1 tsp red pepper (depending on how spicy you want it!) 

A dash of cumin (probably 1/4 tsp…not much!) 
Start by heating up the oil in a pot. Chop the onion and bell pepper finely, the smaller the better! Saute the onion and bell pepper in the oil until they are nice and soft. Then add the rice, and saute that in the oil as well, just for a minute or so.

Add the tomato sauce, water/broth, and spices. Mix well and bring everything to a boil, then let the rice simmer on low heat for 35-40 minutes, or until all the water disappears. It’s a slow and steady process, but this is what makes the rice sticky and so restaurant-like! Then, enjoy! 

We served ours with some tilapia, but I’ve also made it with a side of carne asada or chicken. You could even add black beans on top and turn it into a beans & rice bowl! So versatile! 

Hope y’all enjoy this recipe! Happy Wednesday! 

Spicy Garlic Green Beans

Hello world!! Today I am sharing a recipe that even the most veggie-hating person will enjoy! I made these yummy green beans last weekend, and they were such a hit! So I thought I'd share!

Makes 4-6 servings 

4 cups string beans or french beans (I used a combination of both!) 2 T Olive oil 2 t crushed garlic Salt, back, and red pepper to taste 

Heat up the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans, garlic, and spices. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of water to the skillet, reduce the heat, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the beans are cooked through! I added a pretty good amount of garlic and pepper, so these definitely had a kick to them! 

A word on fat: most people are afraid of using fats and oils because of the calories and tend to steam or use spray oil when cooking veggies. DON'T DO IT! Okay do it once in a while, but please don't be scared of healthy fats. Our bodies need them! The vitamins in veggies, mostly vitamins A and C, are actually fat soluble and need fat to be absorbed properly!! So make sure to use a high quality fat, even coconut oil or grass fed butter, to cook your veggies! And add olive oil and yummy avocado to your salad; I promise you will be fine!! :)

Pumpkin Blueberry Protein Pancakes

I've decided to make Wednesdays a waffle/pancake day. I am a huge waffle and pancake lover. I also love me some eggs, but once in a while, you need a break and a nice treat to start of your day. I start work later on Wednesdays which gives me the perfect opportunity to make a nice big breakfast. Good thing I make my pancakes/waffles gluten free, high in protein, and healthy! This morning, I wanted to combine pumpkin with blueberry and came out with this amazing breakfast which was super filling and delicious! Here is my recipe for Pumpkin Blueberry Protein Pancakes!

Makes 2 servings, or 4 pancakes 

1/4 cup Pamela's gluten free pancake and baking mix 1 scoop Jaime Eason's Lean Body for Her vanilla whey protein (I can honestly say that this is the BEST tasting protein powder I have ever used, and made with clean and simple ingredients!) 1 egg 3 T pumpkin purée 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 1/4 cup fresh blueberries Coconut oil for the pan

Mix all the ingredients together except for the blueberries and coconut oil. Add some water until the batter becomes a pancake-like consistency. Then, melt some coconut oil on a skillet over medium heat. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter on the skillet and drop in some blueberries while it's cooking. When the top starts to form bubbles, flip and cook for about 3 more minutes. Repeat until all your batter is done! These would also make excellent waffles if that is the route you choose to take. Either way, they are easy and quick to whip up and taste delicious without that heavy carb-flu like feeling after breakfast! 

Hope you all enjoy!

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

Sometimes, you can get sick of healthy food. It happens, and it's normal. Chicken is one of those dishes that can get boring fast. Grilled chicken and salad is a meal one of my best friends and I joke about, because we ALWAYS have it. However, there are many ways to make even the blandest food a little more exciting. This week, I made a chicken dish that was so different and SO delicious. The parmesan and garlic combination was amazing, and kale was a great supplement to the meal! This meal was also super easy to whip up! Here is my easy and tasty chicken recipe!

Makes 2 servings

6 chicken tenders 2-3 T olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed Garlic salt Parmesan (I used about 2-3 T grated) 2 large handfuls of kale 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Crush the garlic cloves, and sauté the garlic with the oil for a few minutes. 

Cut the chicken tenders into cubes. Add the chicken to the oil and sprinkle some garlic salt on top. Once the chicken is cooked through, add 2-3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Lastly, add a few handfuls of kale to the skillet and sauté everything together until the chicken starts to brown and the kale is wilted. 

I let these cool in two small containers so they would be ready for my lunches! This chicken was such a treat and a meal I looked forward to instead of dreaded! I highly recommend you all trying this dish if you feel yourself getting bored of your usual chicken meals!

Banana Oatmeal Nut Muffins

Good morning all and happy Tuesday! How was everyone's Monday? Mine was a busy, stressful, but great one all at the same time! It started with a wonderful run and leg day workout, busy day at work, yummy dinner, yoga, and hanging out with the fiancé! All in all, I'd say a pretty successful start to the week. And I got home to beautiful red roses my fiancé had left for me earlier in the evening...it doesn't get much better than that! This morning, I thought I'd share my banana muffin recipe. This recipe turned out pretty amazing and makes the perfect quick morning snack before hitting the gym. It's healthy and delicious and I know you all will love it. Here is the recipe! 

Makes 12 muffins 

3/4 cup Pamela's gluten free pancake mix 1/2 cup oatmeal 2 T coconut flour 3 scoops vanilla whey (I use Jaime Eason's because it's THE BEST) 2 mashed bananas 1/2 cup applesauce 1 T olive oil 2 eggs 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 t Baking powder 1/4 cup walnuts Dash of cinnamon 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

For your muffin pan, either spray or brush some melted butter or coconut oil to grease the muffin pots. I used melted butter since our home as become a no-fake-spray zone, and it worked beautifully!! Drop about 1/4 cup batter in each muffin pot. 

Bake for 20-25 mins until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, enjoy!

Quick & Easy Tzatziki

Hello everyone! We are one day closer to that lovely weekend of ours, which is reason enough to celebrate today! Yesterday's post was pretty heavy for me, so today, I thought I'd share a quick and easy recipe with you all! I've never really been a yogurt person. Fro-yo...YES. A million times, yes. But not tart, plain yogurt. Basically, I've never liked the healthy kind of yogurt. I have never even been a fan of the flavored yogurts, which I am relieved about since they are often loaded with sugars and who knows what else! There is only one way I can eat yogurt, and that is as my own homemade tzatziki sauce. On Tuesday, I posted this yummy snack on Instagram, so I thought I would share the recipe today! This sauce/dip is high in protein and so light and refreshing. It really helped keep me full in the morning until lunch time and hit the spot with the flavors of garlic and mint. Here is my quick and easy tzatziki recipe!

Makes 1 serving

1/2-3/4 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

1 Persian cucumber

1/2 t crushed and dried mint

2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 clove crushed garlic

sprinkle of salt (optional)

Wash and chop up the cucumber into little cubes. I like to keep the skin on for my cucumbers, but whatever you like is fine. Then, add all the ingredients together, including the yogurt, into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon until all the flavors are distributed evenly.

This dip tastes great on its own, but I also like to dip my carrots or any other veggies in it as well! Protein and veggies all in one neat package. I can't wait to make this again as my morning snack for tomorrow!

Hopefully you all have the 4 minutes it takes to try this recipe out! Let me know what you think! I love quick, easy, and healthy recipes that are whipped up in no time. Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!