Pad thai chicken buddha bowl

Truth - Before I got Cancer I rarely ate vegetables. Any Person who gets Cancer and takes the battle seriously knows how many veggies they need daily. Our blood needs to stay alkaline and that takes plant power! Turns out I liked veggies all along, I just don't like canned veggies or over-cooked veggies which was all I had really been exposed to. 

After Cancer and all the education in nutrition... I am a veggie lover. In fact, my veggies take up over 75% of my plate now, and I am always FULL after a meal, because veggies KEEP you full, and you can really have an unlimited amount of them. So people who are dieting, are doing it WRONG. EAT MORE, just eat more plants and cut out PROCESSED food. For the love of GOD, please stop taking out your carbs. YOU NEED CARBS. Carbs are NOT the devil... processed carbs are. People who tell me they gave up carbs just get an eye roll because they are showing me how little they know about what the body uses to burn fuel and what the BRAIN uses to function. Healthy carbs can be found in things like chickpeas, beans, legumes, whole grains like quinoa, jasmine, brown, or basmati rice. You NEED those in your daily diet or you will have problems down the line.

So back to my hate turned to love for veggies. One of my staples is Buddha Bowls. They really changed everything for me. When I go out to eat I look  for places that serve them because they are PACKED with nutrients and I can never finish the whole thing even though it is very low in calories. The thing I love about Buddha bowls is that you can put whatever you want in them. You just need a bunch of your favorite raw veggies and roasted veggies. You really can't go wrong! 

For these bowls I used 1/2 cup each of: 

Cooked Jasmine Rice

Raw Shredded Red Cabbage

Raw Shredded Kale

Bean Sprouts

Raw Shredded Carrots

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Broccoli

Raw Sliced Red Onion ( I only used 1/4 cup of this)

You can sub out anything you want here for something you like better. Possibilities are endless:

Jicama

Cucumber

Spinach

Beets

Romaine

Brown Rice

Quinoa

etc....  you get the idea. No processed anything, and the grain needs to be a whole grain. Otherwise you would have seen rice noodles in this pad thai, but the goal here is no processed food ....period.

It took me 20 minutes to prep for my buddha bowls for the next 3 days for 4 people. Grate the veggies and store them in the fridge at the beginning of the week and it makes for super fast meals you can throw together. Just add your protein of choice. Tonight I chose free range organic Chicken with Thai flavors. Pad Thai Buddha bowl it is... In addition to the veggies I listed above...here is how I did it:

1 1/2 tablespoons red chile paste
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
Sea salt to taste

FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce ( I recommend Braggs amino acid or coconut aminos)
1 TBSP pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons red chile paste

2 TBSP water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together chile paste, maple syrup and lime juice; set aside. This is your marinade.

Slice your chicken breast into bite size pieces or cubes. ( I prefer thai cut- diagonal on the bias)
In a large baking dish add chicken breast and the marinade and place in the oven for 12 minutes (larger pieces of chicken will require more time). 

While chicken is in the oven, make the spicy peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, chile paste and 2-3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside. 

Divide into bowls your raw and cooked veggies and grain. I do 1/2 cup of each ingredient. Top cooked chicken and then add the spicy peanut sauce on top and serve! 

Healthy Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta

Earlier this week I shared my Healthy Guilt Free Greek Pasta Salad  that was a HUGE hit in the house. So much so that they asked that I make it again. It kept great overnight in the fridge so it is a new favorite for picnics and lunches to our outdoor events, and for my husbands lunch at work. I use meal prep containers. You can make a double batch ahead of time when company comes. This would also be great to bring to potlucks or tailgates. Balance the fun out with some healthy yummy options.

Since the Penne Cauliflower Pasta was so great...I wanted to work more with this brand. As a reminder Veggiecraft Cauliflower pasta only has 3 ingredients:

Cauliflower - Which is full of fiber, plant-based protein, and vitamins including vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and omega-3s, but it is low in carbs, sodium, and sugar as well.

Lentils - Packed with energy-sustaining plant-based proteins, lentils are a great source of folate and magnesium, which contribute to heart health and lower cholesterol. They are also full of dietary fiber, which helps with digestion and stabilizes blood sugar, in addition to being low in calories and fat.

Peas - A great source of vitamin A which aids in eye health. They contain high levels of iron, fiber, and plant-based protein in addition to being low carb. Peas are also rich in antioxidants and maintain a low glycemic index, which controls blood sugar levels.

That is it. That's ALL that is in this pasta. 

It is

High Protein

Gluten-Free

Non-GMO

Dairy Free

Vegan ( although this recipe has cheese you can easily sub for nut cheese)

So yeah... since it was amazing I wanted more. Tonight I decided to work with the Spaghetti Cauliflower Pasta tonight. I have been craving Pesto. It is one way I LOVE to get in my greens. Tastes so good I never realize its full of veggies. You can use Pine nuts, or walnuts in place of pumpkin seeds if you wish. I have a sensitivity to some pine nuts so I just steer clear of them when I can. I love Pumpkin seeds and they are so good for you so that is why I chose them.

Healthy Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta

For the Pesto:

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (shelled, roasted)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Pink Himalayan Salt to taste

Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin seeds (reserve the other 1/4 cup for topping) along with the rest of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until fully incorporated. It will look like green wet sand when done. Set aside. This can be put in a jar in the fridge if you want to use at a future date.

1 lb chicken sausage (optional)

1 8 oz package of Pasta

Cook pasta according to directions.

Cook sausage. I made mini meatballs with mine by rolling before cooking. I didn't eat mine with meat, I ate it with just the pine nuts. Husband LOVES his meat so I cooked it up for him. You can add whatever protein you like, or if using the HIGH PROTEIN Pasta You can leave it as is. Since it has 23 grams of protein already!

Add Pesto you made to the pasta and stir until the pasta is fully coated. 

Add protein if you desire. Top with toasted Pumpkin Seeds and serve. 

It is good hot or cold.

HEALTHY Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Happy 2nd day of April! Spring has arrived and that means so many are starting to finally work on their summer body. Even though I believe EVERY body is a Summer body, I LOVE to help people get HEALTHY. So that is the focus for me.

This dish goes out to all of those people that struggle to get in all their veggies. Also for people like me that LOVE to have their eggs on top of hashbrowns or toast... or if I am being honest ... BOTH!
Nothing wrong with that from time to time, or every day if you want to carb load in the morning and need a nap after. I am all about FUEL and getting ENERGY. So these bad boys go perfectly under eggs, or on their own on the side and yep... they are veggies! Kids like them too. My daughter has gobbled 4 of these since I made them yesterday and her VERY finicky husband likes them too! Even though they are adults, they eat like kids lol!

Give them a try then come back here and tell me what you think!

Healthy Spaghetti Squash Fritters
(yes of course gluten free too)
adapted from fixate 2

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash - well drained
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 TBSP chives finely chopped
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix/stir well.
Form Mixture into 12 1/4 cup patties. Place patties on prepared pan.
Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the pan and bake for another 10 minutes.

If you are following my nutrition plan 2 Fritters have:
1 Green
1/2 blue
1/2 orange

If you WANT to get in on my nutrition plan... send me an email!