The BEST No Bakes + Sweet Tooth Confessions

Oh hi again. So I improvised a no-bake recipe based on the ingredients in my house, and I came out with something pretty incredible. Had to share. I’m calling these Peanut Butter, Coconut and Nutella No Bakes. Yesssss please.

 Yields about 15 medium-sized no-bakes.

1/4 cup granola (or rolled oats)
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1.5 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup Nutella
2/3 cup ground coconut

Let chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Scoop or roll into balls, then place them on parchment paper.

I’m pretty familiar with the structure of no-bake recipes, so I can’t take all the credit. But I created from what I knew. The ratio of nut butters to coconut seriously knocked these out of the park. Or maybe it was the homemade granola that I used. I don’t know, but these were definitely the greatest no bakes I’ve ever eaten. Making again!

Speaking of sweets, I’ve had quite the sweet tooth lately. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been more conscious of my sugar intake, but I notice that I consume something sweet every day. It’s not a bad thing, though. But I did just have a few cavities filled sooo… ha. I usually consume sweets at breakfast or for dessert, though. Or you know, both.

But I digress. Here are a couple other sweet eats I’ve been enjoying lately. Finally had a chance to try out Peanut Butter Fingers’ Green Protein Pancakes!

They were the bomb dot com. I added some vanilla protein powder to the recipe, too. Don’t let the hue fool you. These are amazing.

I’m addicted to overnight oats now, guys. And once again, late on the hype. But it’s OK. I can’t wait to make them for mornings before work! Great to prep the night before.

Overnight oats with flax seed, chia seeds, almond butter, pecans, banana and blueberry.

This has been one of my go-to breakfasts lately. A green smoothie (with whatever I have in the house — usually spinach, banana, apple, celery and spirulina) paired with almond butter & banana toast. No complaints.

Angela and I went to this bar/restaurant yesterday called OTB Bicycle Club in Pittsburgh. They put local peanut butter on your burger, if you’re into that sort of thing. I totally was. You know how sometimes you discover something so great that you’re like… OK, everyone ever needs to know about this and enjoy it too. Well, this was one of those things. EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY THIS.

I’ll admit I was skeptical, but hot damn. That bacon on there doesn’t hurt, either.

 What’s in your favorite no-bakes?! When do you usually consume your sweets for the day?

Obsessed: Baked Sweet Potato, Avocado, Salsa & Fried Egg

I’m about to give Hummusapien some MAJOR blog props. I also share her obsession of sweet potatoes, eggs and avocados. Somehow, this creative blogger has found a way to enjoy all of these healthy and yummy foods all at once. Although the recipe is not mine, I had to share. And you HAVE to try this—despite your possible skepticism about the combination. Fear not.

The original recipe can be found on Alexis’ blog here, but I’ll give you a rundown.

You’ll need:

• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup salsa (I used Giant Eagle Market District Nature’s Basket Mild Salsa. Mmmm.)
• 1 fried egg (I like over medium).

1.) BAKE your sweet potato. DO NOT microwave it! This is the easy way out, but baking them really makes them taste better. After piercing the potato with a fork a few times, stick it in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. You’ll be glad you did.

2.) TOP IT with avocado, then salsa, then the fried egg. And then sprinkle some pepper on it. Omg.

THAT’S IT. It’s that easy. Perfect for a lunch in between classes or even a dinner the night before Thanksgiving. Whip it up! I will be making this again and again.

Crafting the Underrated Egg-In-A-Hole

You guys know how googly-eyed I get about eggs. I put them on everything. So why hadn’t I tried the egg-in-a-hole—a definite staple for egg lovers such as myself—until a few weeks ago? Beats me. It’s so simple. For those of you who haven’t yet taken a crack at this easy spin on a breakfast/lunch necessity, I walk you through how to make the perfect version.

1.) To begin, cut a hole in the middle of your bread. Let’s coat the pan in pam or olive oil, and then put the bread on the skillet. Fill the hole with a little slab of butter so the egg can cook evenly in there. Set your skillet to cook on medium-medium high heat.

2.) Crack the yolk into the hole once the skillet heats up. Wah-la! We’re not done yet though. Wait 1-2 minutes for the egg to set.

3.) Flip your bread. I like mine a little overdone, but if you want to egg over easier (or to run more), flip it sooner. I wait 1.5-2 minutes, usually. I threw some peppers on the pan too for a little side snack.

Yep… that’s it! I tossed some celery into this meal, which I ate for lunch. The egg was a little runny inside the bread, but I loved it. Delicious and easy! I could do this every day.

What are your egg-in-a-hole secrets? Any ideas to take this simple hybrid up a notch?

Home for Lunch: Tuna Salad Sandwiches via Martha Stewart

I made it! I’ve officially moved out of my New York City dorm room and into my house at school in Athens, Ohio. Summer is still in session for one more week, but I’m already thinking about my off-campus-living diet and cooking plan for the year. I’ve decided that I want to try more recipes in general; I always stick to most of the same: fried eggs and steamed veggies. But in May, I picked up Martha’s American Food, a cookbook full of Martha Stewart’s favorite recipes for American food. This semester, I’m exploring it, so this post will probably be one of many from her fabulous hardback. This time, I take on tuna salad sandwiches… definitely an easy recipe I’ll come back to! Try it…

I’ve slightly modified this recipe from Martha’s, but its basis is the same.

Martha’s Tuna Salad Sandwiches (2 servings)

1 can (6 ounces) solid white tuna, packed in water, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (the original recipe calls for grated lemon zest, but I’m a college kid and you probably are too… we aren’t going to do this.)
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 slices of Sara Lee’s Honey Wheat bread

1. In a bowl, mix tuna, mayo, mustard, celery, onion and lemon juice with a fork until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Tuna salad can be refrigerated up to 1 day in an airtight container.

2. Spread tuna salad onto slices of honey bread. Cut the sandwich in half and serve. Wa la!

I definitely don’t eat tuna frequently, but when I get in the mood for it, I’m down for some tuna salad. I especially like this recipe because the lemon juice actually adds a perfect amount of sweetness in the flavor. I made 4 servings of the tuna salad and stored some of it in the fridge, and my roommate and I enjoyed it the next day, too. SO doable and great for lunch, right?!

TV dinners: How to choose the healthier ones

Ah, the frozen dinner. We’ve been eating these since the beginning of time, or least it feels that way (see above photo I took at the Smithsonian Museum of American History). Circa 1999, I used to chow down on my Kids Cuisine meal, watch Spongebob AND simaltaneously chill at a Little Tikes table. I still long for those days, as well as those dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. But now, during a point in our lives where we have to feign for ourselves for our last meal of the day, the frozen dinner is making a reappearance. And it shouldn’t involve fried chicken.

So, how does one choose among the endless abyss that is the aisle of frozen dinners—especially while avoiding the obvious choices: pizza, french fries and chicken fingers? To get the most nutritional value out of your last-minute meal, there are a few areas we should be eyeing on the label. And what are they? Here’s an alarming nutritional label and explanation of what NOT to eat when the clock hits that hour.

So let’s take a look at this dish from Trader Joe’s that I found in my freezer. One of my roommates had recently moved out and left this behind. Although it didn’t look that yummy, I didn’t want to throw it away, so I peaked at the nutritional facts. My eyebrows raised when I saw this…

When we’re choosing a frozen dinner to nosh on later, the most important factor we can consider is the amount of sodium the product contains. Trader Joe’s Chile Relleno has 1160mg, which is supposed to be 48% of the daily value that you should consume. However, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans should consume between 1,500 and 2,300mg of sodium per day. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the average American. For those age 2 and older, the average daily sodium intake is a whopping 3,436mg. Absorbing these facts, this one meal has a whole lot more sodium than it should (thank you, processed foods).

If you’re new to this, here’s the takeaway: most frozen dinners are less nutritional because the food is processed, not natural. That being said, companies also like to play the ‘low-cal’ card by producing a meal that’s 250-400 calories, but the sodium levels are skyrocketing as a result. Trying to pack this ‘nutrition’ into sodium and less calories is harmful to those who live off frozen dinners (I hope that’s not you!). While there are 22g of sodium in this meal, the sodium kills it for me. That’s a lot of salt.

I will definitely say that I eat a frozen dinner at least once every 2 weeks, and that’s okay. As I’ve said before, life happens. It’s hard to always have fresh food and lots of time to make it. So when you’re scouring the frozen dinner aisle next time, aim for a dinner that…

1.) Packs no more than 700mg of sodium
2.) Contains 400-550 calories (don’t forget to check the serving size! they can get you here)
3.) Holds a substantial amount of protein to keep you fuller longer (above 10g is great!)

Anyone have some suggestions for healthier frozen dinners than this one? I’d love to hear them!

The Easy-Dinner Series: Steamed broccoli + potatoes topped with a fried egg

It has come to my attention that I’m notorious for throwing together random, unexpected foods and calling them a meal. Most college students and 20-somethings can say the same thing. Even if we actually know how to cook, we’re not going to take the time to prepare something deemed “gourmet.” At least I’m not.

So. In this easy-dinner series, I’ll be posting my most delicious and spontaneous combinations.

The simple meal I made this week took less than 20 minutes. It included steamed broccoli, cooked potatoes and an egg cooked over hard. And, of course, plenty of extra salt + pepper (my favorite on ANYTHING).

I took what was in my fridge and ran with it. But, if I had my way, I would have made this with sweet potatoes. How yummy would that have been?! Comment and let me know if you tried it. I’m super curious.

While the place you buy your groceries is irrelevant for something like this, I would like to point out how important portion sizes are. The bigger your plate is, the more inclined you will feel to fill it. Use a smaller plate or bowl if this a problem for you (I definitely tend to feel that I need to fill my plate). I also like using plain, white plates (the ones I bought are square and from the Better Homes and Gardens line at Walmart) so that I can have a higher contrast between my plate and the bright colors of my food. There have been a few psychological studies about this, so I’ve made the change and found that the contrast, which is essentially an optical illusion, may help me eat less when I want to scarf down more. Read more about this study here.

Be inspired! And let me know what your unexpectedly-great and random dinner combinations include. Anything I should be dying to try?

Healthy, quick and delicious: Kale + avocado lime chicken salad

I used to think that I wasn’t much of a cook. But since my health craze has turned into more of a passion, I’ve found myself messing around in the kitchen more often. The problem? I’m a senior in college with an unpaid internship for the summer, and I’m literally scraping up whatever money I can to buy groceries. Basically, I try to create something yummy with whatever I have in my apartment. And of course, I try to make sure that I eat clean during most of the week. That’s where this scrumptious, improvised salad comes in. It literally took me 15 minutes to make. Let me share so you can try it too!

Trader Joe’sis my go-to for groceries. The store has great quality foods and is reasonably priced. I’ve actually never tried kale before, but this product had me sold. I’m hooked.

I always, always add protein to my meals. I’m neither a vegetarian nor a vegan (although I wish I had the willpower for either), but it’s still so important to make sure you’re getting from 40–70 grams of protein a day, depending on your weight. The only meat that I happened to have in my apartment when I made this was these chile lime chicken burgers. Sounds odd, but when I cooked it and cut it up, it worked perfectly on my salad!

Kale, avocado and lime chicken salad – Serves 1

2 cups raw kale
Half an avocado
1 chile lime chicken burger, Trader Joes
3 teaspoons olive oil
Salt + pepper to taste

Fill a medium-sized skillet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Toss in the kale and cover it, setting the heat to medium. After 5 minutes, mix and add avocado if it’s been in the fridge and you want it cooked.

Use another skillet to make the chile lime chicken burger. Use olive oil or spray it with pan and cook the patty on medium–to–high heat for 4 minutes, then flip it for the same amount of time.

Combine the kale, avocado and lime chicken patty onto one plate. Cut up the burger if you want to get fancy (I did.). Drizzle that last teaspoon of olive oil on top and you’re golden! Enjoy, my health-crazed friends. So, so simple. And so yummy!