Foodie Friday: Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce {Giveaway}

If you ask me, peanut butter goes with everything. Sweet, savory, salty, spicy. Let’s do it!

As part of the Peanut Butter & Co. Yum Squad, I was given the opportunity to create a recipe using their peanut butter and a mystery ingredient. That mystery ingredient just so happened to be a staple in my house—Sriracha.

Peanut sauce fits right in with our typical meals around here and I had a recipe on hand I’d been wanting to try. Adding in the sriracha was the right pop of flavor that I knew would be perfect.

Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce

Serves 4 as a side dish
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
– 1 large head of broccoli
– 1 cup shelled edamame
– 1/2 cup sliced green onion
– 1/2 cup peanuts; chopped
– 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flake
– Sesame seeds for garnish
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. The Bee’s Knees
– 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 1 tbsp lite soy sauce
– 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil
– 1-2 tbsp sriracha
– 2-3 tbsp hot water to thin the sauce

Directions
Boil a large pot of water, add the broccoli florets, and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the broccoli and add the edamame, green onion, peanuts, and coconut flake.

For the spicy peanut sauce, mix the remaining ingredients together, except the sesame seeds. Pour half of the sauce over the broccoli and mix well. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over top of the broccoli and top with sesame seeds.

Feeling a little extra saucy? Drizzle some more sriracha on top! What could be bad?

Giveaway Time!

Click here to win a #MysteryIngredient package from Peanut Butter & Co!

Food for Thought

What would you make with the mystery ingredient?

Foodie Friday: Proscuitto-Wrapped Cheesy Brussels Sprouts #Sponsored

I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by Cabot Creamery and am eligible to win prizes. I was not additionally compensated for my time.

Superbowl Sunday must be one of the biggest snacking days of the year. All of the chips, dips, wings, pizza, beer, and then some.. it’s amazing to see just how many calories people can consume in a short 4-hour game!

As a part of Recipe ReDux, I took on the challenge of creating a lighter snack for the big game. As I thought about what kind of poppables I love to snack on [whether it’s weird or not..], brussels sprouts came to mind. I could eat a whole tray of roasted brussels right out of the oven without giving it a second thought! And cheesy brussels? Oh yes!

I received a shipment of a variety of Cabot Creamery cheeses but knew that I wanted a bold cheddar to stand up to the flavor of the proscuitto and brussels. Seriously Sharp sounds about right, yes?

Proscuitto-Wrapped Cheesy Brussels Sprouts

Makes 48 bites

Ingredients
– 24 brussels sprouts; halved
– 4 oz. Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese; sliced
– 4 oz. proscuitto
– 3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– EVOO
– Black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the brussels sprouts with EVOO and black pepper, place sliced side down on a sheet pan and into the oven. Roast the brussels for 15-20 minutes until they begin to crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

Turn the oven down to 350°F. Once cooled, place a small slice of cheese on the sprout and wrap with a slice of proscuitto. Place the wrapped brussels onto a baking wrap on top of the sheet pan. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the proscuitto crisps up.

Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven, skewer with a toothpick, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. If you’d like, add a little more shredded cheese to the top of the brussels sprouts and serve!

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite game day snack?

Don’t forget to enter my She’s Losing It! giveaway!

Foodie Friday: Protein Peanut Butter Cups with TastyWHEY

A few weeks ago I received an awesome shipment from Adaptogen. They must know me because I didn’t even choose my protein powder flavor and they sent me Chocolate Peanut Butter. How perfect!

I’m always on the lookout for a delicious protein powder that’s good, not only mixed in a smoothie, but simply mixed with water or almond milk too. The name, TastyWHEY, hinted that it would be meeting my requirements and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Ironically enough, I had an afternoon workout planned that day, as opposed to my normal morning routine, so I scooped it into my new blender bottle immediately after with some coconut almond milk. It was so creamy and tasted like a peanut butter cup! It was nice and smooth too; there’s nothing worse than a gritty protein shake, am I right?

At 160 calories per scoop, this protein powder is a bit higher than what I normally use but the ingredients more than make up for it. TastyWHEY uses a proprietary combination of exceptionally high quality whey protein, along with MCT’s [want to learn more about MCT oil?], low glycemic index carbohydrates, and micronutrients that make the awesome taste that much better. Knowing that what I’m eating or drinking is made from high-quality ingredients has become so much more important to me in the past few years. There’s no doubt that the quality of ingredients has greatly impacted my health and the way I feel on a daily basis.

Back to the taste, though. I couldn’t help but make myself some peanut butter cups. It only seemed appropriate with the flavor I received!

Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 3 Cups

Ingredients
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp Adaptogen TastyWHEY Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Powder
– 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
– 1 1/2 tsp peanut butter; divided

Directions
In a small bowl, microwave the coconut oil and maple syrup for 15-20 seconds until liquid. Mix in the protein powder and cocoa powder until smooth. Spoon 1 tsp of the mixture into 3 mini cupcake tins and place in the freezer for 5 minutes until hard.

Once the chocolate mixture has hardened, spoon 1/2 tsp of peanut butter to the center of each cup and cover with the remainder of the chocolate mixture. Place the cups back in the freezer to set. Once set, carefully remove from the cupcake tin with a knife and devour. Or store in the freezer.. your choice 😉

Nutritional Information
Per cup
81 Calories / 6g Fat / 4g Carbs / 1g Fiber / 3g Sugar / 2g Protein

Need Some TastyWHEY?

Of course you do! Purchase your own tub o’ protein or connect with Adaptogen!

Adaptogen TastyWHEY – http://adaptogenscience.com/tasty-whey
Adaptogen on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Adaptogen-Science/pages/default
Adaptogen on Instagram – http://instagram.com/adaptogenscience

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite way to use protein powder?

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Adaptogen Science.

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Foodie Friday: Citrus Capone SMASH

It’s Friday! We made it! I think you deserve a beverage, yes? Yes. Just so happens I have a delicious [and strong!] one up my sleeve.

Tomorrow, Al Capone turns 116 [that old fart!] and Templeton Rye wanted to celebrate it the right way. They kindly sent me a bottle of their delicious spirit and a recipe for disaster a tasty drink. I decided to brew one up of my own, too so you get a 2-for-1 special today!

When prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, many enterprising residents of tiny Templeton, Iowa, population 350, came together to create an American classic known as Templeton Rye Whiskey, or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know.

Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became Al Capone’s whiskey of choice, quickly finding its way to the center of his bootlegging empire. Speakeasies in Chicago, New York and as far west as San Francisco poured Templeton Rye as the “Best Whiskey in the House”.  Later legends suggest that a few bottles even found their way inside the walls of Alcatraz to the cell of prisoner AZ-85.

Available legally for the first time, the infamous rye whiskey returns. Aged in charred new oak barrels and based on the Prohibition Era Kerkhoff recipe, Templeton Rye provides a smooth finish and a clean getaway.

First up, I’m sharing The Capone; this is the drink created by Templeton Rye for Al’s [we’re on a first name basis over here] big birthday bash!

The Capone

Ingredients
– 3 oz. Templeton Rye Whiskey
– 1 oz. Grand Marnier
– Splash of Champagne
– Dash of bitters

In case that’s not enough to get your weekend off to a great start, my Citrus Capone SMASH will knock you off your feet. In a good way!

Citrus Capone

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients
– 2 oz. Templeton Rye
– 1 oz. fresh orange juice
– 1/4 oz. maple syrup
– A few dashes of bitters
– about 2 oz. sparkling water [enough to fill the glass]

Directions
Mix all of your ingredients together, except the sparkling water. Add 1 large or a few small ice cubes, then fill the rest off the glass with sparkling water. Clink with your neighbor and enjoy!

Like I said, just the right way to kick off the weekend 😉

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite drink?

Foodie Friday: Baked Cajun Haddock & Veggies with Sizzlefish

One thing I love about going out to eat is getting seafood. I rarely cook it at home because Nathan doesn’t eat it so it’s a big treat for me. That said, sometimes I just crave a nice piece of fish at home. That’s where Sizzlefish comes in. A few weeks ago, I was sent a beautiful shipment from Sizzlefish that will surely satisfy all of my seafood dreams!

Aside from being downright delicious, fish has so many important health benefits—one of the biggest being the Omega-3s that it provides. Straight from the Sizzlefish website:

Think of Omega-3 fats as Nature’s best performance enhancers. They give cardio-pulmonary and anti-inflammatory benefits to athletes, while actually improving long-term health. They can help you manage weight.

In addition, Omega-3s can provide great benefits to athletes such as muscle recovery and joint health. But enough about the health benefits, let’s get to the cooking!

Baked Cajun Haddock & Veggies

Serves 2
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients
– 2 Sizzlefish Haddock filets
– 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
– 1/4 tbsp raw sugar [sub brown sugar]
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 1/4 tsp dried thyme
– 1 lb brussels sprouts; halved
– 1 tbsp lite soy sauce [sub tamari for gluten-free]
– 1 red bell peppers; chopped
– 1/2 onion; chopped
– 2 cloves garlic; minced
– 1 14 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
– EVOO

Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix seasonings from cajun through thyme. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of the seasoning mix and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tbsp EVOO. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet and saute 5-10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. While that is cooking, coat the haddock filets in the spice mix and place the filets on another lined baking sheet. Place the fish in the oven.

When the veggies are soft, stir in the garlic, and add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven [try not to eat all of them straight from the sheet pan..] and toss them with the rest of the veggies. At this point, the haddock should be fully cooked through; it only takes about 10 minutes! Spoon a scoop of veggies on a plate, place the fish on top, and spoon a little more of the veggies on top.

Serving Suggestions

I served my portion over spiralized beet noodles and Nathan’s [with chicken] over brown rice. It would also be good over pasta, other veggie noodles, or just on its own. Additionally, you could swap out the haddock for another white, flaky fish like Atlantic Cod, Sablefish, Rainbow Trout, or even shrimp!

Food for Thought

Have you tried Sizzlefish yet?

Foodie Friday: Basil Cotija Stuffed Chicken with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Sometimes dinners just work, even when they’re a little different than what you had originally planned. I had a last-minute request last night to stuff “maybe stuff some herbs under the chicken skin” so into the fridge I went! I knew I had a nice, big bunch of fresh basil and right next to it happened to be some cotija cheese—one of Nathan’s favorites lately. Add a little garlic and we’ve got ourselves a delicious chicken. I told you, we eat a lot of chicken here!

This mixture is different from what we normally go for but it was nice to shake it up a bit. And it came out so well, I had to share it right away!

Basil Cotija Stuffed Chicken with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Serves 2

Ingredients
For the Chicken
– 2 chicken leg quarters [can sub bone-in, skin-on chicken breast or thighs]
– 1 bunch fresh basil; chopped & divided
– 5 cloves garlic; minced
– 1-2 oz cotija cheese; crumbled & divided
– Salt, pepper, & garlic powder
– 1 tbsp EVOO

For the Honey Balsamic Glaze
– 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
– 1 tbsp honey
– 1/2 tsp dried basil
– 1/2 tsp garlic powder
– Salt & pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F and heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Combine the minced garlic with half of the fresh basil and half of the cotija cheese. Stuff this mixture under the skin of the chicken and season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Once the pan is hot, drizzle in the EVOO and place the chicken skin side down. Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes, or until it lifts up easily. Flip the chicken over and place the whole pan in the oven. The chicken will cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, but be sure to adjust cooking time if you swap the leg quarters for breasts or thighs.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small pot over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, allowing it to thicken up. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest about 5 minutes. Plate it up with a drizzle of the honey balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of the leftover fresh basil and cotija. Serve with your favorite veggies [we had roasted carrots, tomatoes, and portobello caps] and enjoy!

Hope you have a great weekend, friends!  And don’t forget to head over to Laura’s blog to check out all of the other #strangebutgood creations.

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite cheese?
What’s your favorite way to flavor chicken?

Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Protein Bites

Yep, back on the pumpkin wagon! I guess I never really fell off. But you all know how I feel about my bites and I couldn’t let pumpkin season pass without making a new bite. These are different than my other bites though.. the base is a bit out of the ordinary. Usually I use gobs of peanut butter but this time I went for a different legume—beans.

Before you click the big “X” in the corner, hear me out. When you blend up beans, they become super creamy and because northern beans are mild in flavor, they easily take on the flavor of whatever you mix them with. On top of that, beans are a great source of iron, fiber, potassium, and protein. Sounds like a pretty good base now, huh?

Pumpkin Protein Bites

Makes 55 bites

Ingredients
– 1 can northern beans; drained and rinsed
– 3/4 cup pumpkin [not pumpkin pie filling!]
– 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
– 1/2 cup pumpkin protein flour [I used MyOatmeal PB Lean but you can sub regular peanut flour]
– 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder [optional—can sub coconut flour or more peanut flour; I used Vega Vanilla Performance Protein]
– 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp sea salt
– 5 Trader Joe’s cinnamon graham crackers; crushed [can sub another graham cracker, but will only need 2 1/2 – 3]

Directions
Place beans and canned pumpkin in a blender or food processor and blend until totally smooth. Remove the mixture from the blender and hand mix in the rest of the ingredients except the graham cracker. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

After the mixture has cooled, it should be sticky, but easier to roll. In a medium bowl, crush up your graham crackers. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and roll your bites in the graham cracker crumbs. Place the bites in an air tight container and store in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

20 Calories / 1g Fat / 3g Carbs / 1g Sugar / 1g Fiber / 1g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you ever made sweets with beans?

Full Body Resistance Band Workout + Pumpkin Protein Mug Cake

It’s Friday! And it’s ALCS game 1 day! It’s unfortunate that I’m not at all excited about the Orioles 😉

Yesterday was a fun one. It started out slowly [no complaints here!]; I took my time getting ready for the gym, only to decide to pack it in after 20 minutes on the elliptical. I was just not feeling it so I went home and snuggled up with a bowl of oatmeal on the couch. It was a good trade, I’d say. I also had lunch with this gal..

If you don’t know Danica, get with it! She just moved to the bay area a few weeks ago and it was great to finally meet in person. Hooray for transplants! Haha 🙂

Onto the big Friday fun.. Usually I’ll stick with Fitness Friday or Foodie Friday but since I have a couple goodies for you, I decided to pack it all into one post. Boom!

I put this workout together for my client today; one of my biggest challenges with her is creating lots of workouts that she can do at home with little or no equipment. Because I’m a big fan of using weights in a gym, rather than doing body weight workouts at home, this is a bit out of the norm for me. That said, I’m really happy to have this workout now because not only is it great for small spaces [hellooo watching the O’s game in my tiny apartment!], but it’ll be a great workout for when we head home next month too. Pack your bags and get to sweatin’!

Start out with the push ups and make your way around the circle doing 12-15 reps per exercise. Once you get back to the push ups, do a round of the cardio burst. Complete 3 rounds total for a 30-40 minute heart-pounding, sweaty workout.

• Upright Row
• Pull Aparts
• Overhead Press
• Band Curls
• Triceps Kickbacks
• Squat with Abduction
• Plank Jack Jumps – on every 5th plank jack, jump your feet in
• Scissor Kicks
• Leg Lift –> Toe Touches
• Mountain Climbers

If the resistance band isn’t feeling quite tough enough for you, there are a couple of options to make it more difficult. First, you can cross the bands in front of you so they make an “X”. If you still want more resistance, step your feet apart a bit. Make sure you feel the burn!

And if you’re hungry after that workout [which you will be!], make yourself a little snack.

Pumpkin Protein Mug Cake

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder [I used Vega Vanilla Performance Protein]
– 2 tbsp pumpkin spice peanut flour [I used MyOatmeal PB Lean but you can sub regular peanut flour]
– 2 egg whites
– 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
– 1 tbsp canned pumpkin [Not pumpkin pie filling!]
– 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– Pinch of salt

Directions
Spray a microwave safe mug with cooking spray. Mix all of your ingredients together and microwave for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, until the cake is just set. Top with your favorite toppings [like nut butters] and enjoy!

Nutritional Information
Per mug cake, without toppings

169 Calories  /  1g Fat  /  11g Carbs  /  1g Fiber  /  8g Sugar  /  24g Protein

Now that I’ve jam-packed some sweat and tasty treats for ya, get your booty movin’ and enjoy your weekend!

Food for Thought

Do you prefer body weight workouts or sweating it out with some weights?
Any fun plans for the weekend?

Pin It Party #5

I mentioned before that I’m going to be working at Truve, a pretty awesome new private wellness center, as a trainer [if you’re looking for a trainer, hit me up!]. The building has been under construction but the keys were finally handed over and yesterday some of the team got together to put together the brand new pilates equipment!

Source

Source

Source

I’m bummed I was already working and couldn’t be there, but we’ll be all moved in soon enough! I can already tell it’s going to be a fun place to work. In the meantime, if you’re in the bay area, there are free Saturday classes by the columns at Lake Merrit every week until we open.

Another thing to be excited about is Lindsay’s Pin It Party! It’s been a few months since she hosted the last one and I can’t wait to look through all of the fun posts from the other bloggers. If you missed the last 4 that I participated in, get yourself up to date!

Pin It Party #1
Pin It Party #2
Pin It Party #3
Pin It Party #4

And if you’re not following me on Pinterest, what are you waiting for?! Without further adieu..

Cardio + Pull Circuits Workout

Apple Pie Protein Bites

Spiralized Cinnamon Apple Chips

Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

Sesame Carrot Noodles with Beef, Broccoli, & Asparagus

This last recipe is a current fave. I made it the other night with chicken instead of beef and lots of extra broccoli! The carrot dressing is what really makes it [so I made lots extra!] Hope you enjoy the pins 🙂

Food for Thought

What kind of recipes or workouts do you want to see more of on the blog?
Any big plans for the weekend?

Foodie Friday: Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

You all know how much I love my bites. They’re pretty much in every WIAW post and I’ve racked up quite a few recipes! A few weeks ago I was contacted by Skoop asking if I’d like to review one of their 3 powders—A Game, B Strong, or B Lovely. Seeing as I’ve had the chance to try a handful of protein powders, I decided to go the other way and asked to try A Game, their superfood powder.

On their website, they list some of the benefits of this superfood powder including:

• Probiotics for gut health
• Fights inflammation
• 10 servings of fruits and vegetables
• Fiber to buffer sugar
• Phytonutrient rich
• Adaptogenic herbs
• Clean all-day energy
• Antioxidant rich
• Immunity boosting
• Speeds recovery

I’d never tried anything like this before and it’s hard to argue with those benefits. They offer a Sweetgreens flavor as well as Chocofresh. Skoop not only generously sent me a bag of the Sweetgreens to review, but also a couple samples of B Strong and B Lovely to sample as well [definitely have to try the Chocofresh soon!]. I was surprised to find out that the Sweetgreens A Game, while has a green hue, tastes very much like blueberry/acai. I knew it would be a great addition to some bites and when I saw Lindsay’s Blissful Blueberry Oat Cobbler Healthy Bites [she is the queen of healthy bites, after all], it was a done deal! I put a little twist on the recipe and it came out great.

Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

Makes 46 Bites
Adapted from Cotter Crunch

Ingredients
– 3/4 cup granola [I used 1/2 cup Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight & 1/4 cup Udi’s Blueberry Cashew Granola]
– 1/4 cup dried blueberries
– 2 scoops Healthy Skoop A Game
– 1 scoop vanilla protein powder [I used Healthy Skoop B Strong]
– 1/4 cup coconut flour
– 1 tbsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
– 2/3 cup nut butter [I used Peanut Butter & Co. The Bees Knees]

Directions
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add in the applesauce and nut butter and mix until well combined. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and shape the bites. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional Stats
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

46 Calories  /  2g Fat  /  6g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  2g Fiber  /  2g Protein

I may say this every time, but I think these might be one of my favorite bites yet! I think because of the amount of peanut butter I used, they’re extra creamy, even right out of the freezer. And, as always, they’re a great pre-workout snack.

To top it all off, Skoop is offering all of you 10% off your order! Just enter the code BARR10 at checkout for your discount. Enjoy!

Did you miss my other bite recipes?

• Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs
• Dark Chocolate Dreamy Powerballs
• Blueberry Lemon Cookie Dough Bites
• Apple Pie Protein Bites
• Dark Chocolate Berry Protein Bites
• Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried a superfood powder?
What’s your favorite bite flavor combo?