Category / Recipes & Yums

by tessbrennan

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

We are a health conscious family, and we still like and eat meat!  The trick is to find healthier ways to fix it! Many spices contain health promoting qualities and flank steak is a leaner piece of meat.

 

clip_image0021 12-16 oz Flank Steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2+ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray (we use olive oil in a pampered chef sprayer)

Preheat broiler (or grill) combine the spices & sugar in a small bowl; rub evenly over steak. Place steak on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 6 minutes on each side or until your degree of likeness.

Let stand 3 minutes, slice against the grain of the meat in 1/2 inch slices.  Serves 4

We like to eat this with large portions of fresh steamed broccoli and baked or grilled spiced sweet potatoes.  Left overs are used in burritos with pico de gallo! 🙂

(This recipe is modified from July/August 2002 Issue of Energy For Women Magazine.)

by tessbrennan

Grilled Cajun Maple Mahi Mahi

My hubby’s boss went fishing down off the keys and caught some dolphin fish.  Tim asked me to prepare it for the grill, so here is what we did, and in my opinion, it was FABULOUS!  Tell me your experience.

It did help that the fish was uber fresh, too.

Ingredients:

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp paprika 1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp onion powder
2 4 oz fillets mahi mahi, rinsed & patted dry 3 TBSP maple syrup

Directions to make Cajun Seasoning:

  • In a small bowl stir together salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme until evenly blended
  • Place extra in an air tight container for future use.

Directions for putting together the Mahi Mahi:

  • Heat the grill to about 300 degrees
  • In a bowl, stir the maple syrup and 1 1/2 TBSP of the Cajun seasoning.
  • Brush the Maple syrup mixture over the mahi mahi fillets.
  • Cook the mahi mahi on the grill until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes per side

We had chunks of the fish and that worked wonders as well!

by tessbrennan

Refried beans… MY way!

So, my 6-year old will eat many different foods, she just typically doesn’t want them on the night I prepare them.  The one exception is BURRITOS!!!!  I wrap anything in a tortilla (with the exception of the Avado- that’s new) and call it a burrito, she eats it.

When she was itty bitty she called refried black beans “brownies” and would suck them down like daddy’s shop vac.

So, here is MY recipe for Refried Beans.

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Ingredients:

  • EVOO – in a Pampered Chef mister
  • 2 cans of beans (Black, Red, Kidney, Pinto, we don’t care)
  • 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves shredded or chopped small
  • 3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup of minced carrots
  • 1/4-1/2 cup minced onion
  • (I have been know to shred zucchini and other veggies and include them as well—shhhhh, don’t tell my family)

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Directions:

  • Spray your iron skillet down with some EVOO (yes we always use cast iron – it is the ORIGINAL non-stick wear.
  • SautĂŠ your cilantro, carrots, onions, & garlic (feel free to add others) The goal is to soften them up, not brown them.
  • Pour in you beans with liquid (be careful they don’t splash out onto your floors)

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  • Smash your beans with your potato masher while they heat up in the pan.
  • Use a wooden spoon to mix up the mashed beans and to keep them from burning in the pan.

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  • Continue to stir intermittently with your wooden spoon, scraping off any bean mixture that adheres to the bottom of the pan. (That’s the tasty stuff)
  • When the beans become thick and no longer fill in the pan when you scrape it with your wooden spoon they are ready to eat.
  • Remove pan from heat and allow to cool some so as NOT to burn your mouth on molten beans.

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Sorry, the steam was very thick, you can just see the black stripe down the middle of the pan in the right picture… The beans are done.

Alternatives:

I usually prefer to use dry beans because there is less salt, no preservatives, and no BPA, but this night I had procrastinated and needed to get dinner done.

To use dry beans I typically pick a pound of beans (again, type is your choice – I don’t recommend green beans)  Rinse them off then allow them to soak in a large bowl over night with at least 3x as much water as beans.  In the morning, rinse them well, place them in a slow cooker, fill cooker with water and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Then just substitute for the canned beans above.  Easy Peasy!

How we use them!

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Can you guess who’s burrito is who’s?

For more information on eating healthy and improving your health through diet, feel free to contact me.

by tessbrennan

Healthier Fruit Pizza

In a world of quick options, we frequently “don’t have that option” so I make things from scratch.  Since I’m making it from scratch, I may as well kick the nutrition up a bit as I go… So here is my recipe for healthier Fruit Pizza.

Start with the crust:

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  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 3/4 cup natural sugar
  • 1 1/4 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup instant protein
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp salt

In a large bowl with your mixer:

  1. Beat butter for 1 minute
  2. Add sugar and beat another 3 minutes
  3. Beat in vanilla and eggs – mix 1 minute
  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed
  5. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  7. Spray down your stone baking dish with olive oil (very well)
  8. I divided dough between two pans (see photos below) and spread it out with my hands.
  9. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned
  10. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

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For cream topping:

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  • 8 ounces Neufchatel Cheese (WARM & SOFT)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  1. Beat cream cheese with mixer 2 minutes
  2. Mix in sugar & vanilla for 1 more minute
  3. Beat in sour cream until mixture is smooth
  4. Mix in zest of the orange
  5. Spread 1/2 of mixture onto each baked cookie crust and smooth around
  6. Arrange fruit around on the pizza top as desired.
  7. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes and slice to serve

 

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Fruit pizza with a bit of protein to stabilize blood sugar, no preservatives or artificial anything! Great for a pot luck or just as a special treat for cleaning your plate of all the veggies and protein!!!

by tessbrennan

Turnaround Smoothee Recipes

My friends and clients have requested it, so, here goes nothing.  A few Smoothee recipes to mix and match your mixes in. Smile

Always add your Smoothee Mix LAST! Smile  Learn from me.

Laura’s PiĂąa Colada
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Smoothee Mix
6 oz. nonfat milk or light soy milk
2 oz. pineapple juice (feel free to use ½ cup of fresh pineapple chunks instead of juice)
Âź tsp coconut extract
Ice as desired
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy. Enjoy!

Dr. Jamie’s Mocha Latte
1 scoop Shaklee 180 Chocolate Smoothee Mix
1 scoop Shaklee 180 Café’ Latte Smoothee Mix
8 oz. nonfat milk or light soy milk
½ tsp instant coffee
Ice as desired
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy.

Roger’s Strawberry Lemonade
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Strawberry Smoothee Mix
6 oz. light soy milk*
2 oz. natural lemonade
Ice as desired
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy.

Liquid Cinnamon bun
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Smoothee Mix
8 oz. nonfat milk or light soy milk
1 tsp ground organic cinnamon
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a blender until frothy.

Chocolate Orange Smoothie
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Chocolate Smoothee Mix
10 ounces of water OR unsweetened Soy Milk *
1 snack-size container of mandarin oranges (about 1/2 c.)
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon **
Directions: Mix together well with a blender and enjoy!
* dairy not recommended due to its adverse reactions with citrus.

Berry Good Yogurt
ž cup fat free plain yogurt
2 scoops Shaklee 180 strawberry smoothee mix
couple of drops vanilla, orange or almond extract
Âź cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Âź cup fresh or frozen strawberries
If using fresh berries, add a few cubes of ice and blend. Blend it all up in a blender.
The fruit in this will count as 1 fruit serving on your Cinch ™ plan.

Change it up! Almost like Reese’s ™ yogurt
ž  cup Fat-free plain yogurt
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Chocolate smoothee mix
1 tsp cocoa baking powder
2 drops vanilla extract

Raspberry Chocolate Dream Shake
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Smoothee Chocolate Mix
1 C fresh or frozen raspberries (unsweetened)
1 C nonfat milk or low-fat soy milk
4–6 ice cubes
Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a tall glass and enjoy!
Pom-Berry Morning Smoothie
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Vanilla Smoothee Mix
1 C nonfat milk or low-fat soy milk
1/2 C fresh strawberries
1 stick CinchÂŽ Energy Tea Mix Pomegranate Flavor
4–6 ice cubes
Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until creamy.
Nel’s Peach and Mango Cinch Indulgence
2 scoops Shaklee 180 Smoothee Strawberry Shake Mix
1 C frozen peaches (unsweetened)
1 C frozen mangos (unsweetened)
1 C water
Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on low speed until fruit is blended in. Pour in a tall glass and enjoy!
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM NEL: “You may have to periodically stop the blender and mix in the fruit so it’s well blended and in small chunks. It should look like sorbet with small chunks of fruit. It’s my favorite 180 indulgence!”

Green Goodness
1 cup (handful) of green chard (you can find it in the fresh produce section near the lettuce)
1/4 cup frozen or 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 medium banana
12 oz cold clean water
2 scoops Vanilla Shaklee 180 Smoothee Mix
5 Ice Cubes
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a Commercial Blender until creamy. Garnish with a fresh strawberry and drink up!

Tess’s Favorite Green Breakfast
1 cup lowfat milk or soy milk
4-5 pieces of pineapple
1/2 banana
1 tsp of coconut oil
1 handful of spinach
2 scoops of vanilla or strawberry Shaklee 180 Smoothee Mix
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a blender, enjoy!
by tessbrennan

Homemade Vanilla Extract

With my daughter’s allergy to corn and my efforts to avoid preservatives and unknown ingredients, we have ventured out on a new adventure.  Making my own Vanilla. (I make everything else, it seems, why not give it a try.)

Here is what I have done.  I have chosen the smoothest Vodka I could find, Organic Froggy B Vodka.  Purchased an organic vanilla bean from the health food store.  Washed out an empty Maple Syrup flask.

Put it all together and wait 4-6 months and there you have it. Organic, homemade vanilla extract.  Here are some photos for you to see our progress.

 

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              Feb 2, 2013                                                    Feb 9, 2013

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March 11, 2013

Can’t wait to begin using this!  My longtime family friend says it is the BEST!

by tessbrennan

Chocolate Covered Protein Bites-With a Sense of Humor

My darling daughter turns 6 on Friday. Saturday is her birthday and I am opting for non-traditional birthday fare…of sorts.

  • Fruit Salad with homemade organic whipped cream
  • Chocolate covered protein bites
  • Brownie pops
  • Fruit smoothies from Fresh Planet.

Tonight it was time to make the protein bites. I haven’t made chocolate for dipping in a long time, so I got to learn a valuable lesson tonight… that I will share. SmileDON’T ADD LIQUID TO YOUR CHOCOLATE!

Adding liquid to your chocolate causes it to seize and become a granular solid mass of useless schtuff!  LOL

The_Good_and_the_Bad_Chocolate

Here’s the Good the Bad and the ugly of tonight’s cooking lesson.

Instead, use 1 TBSP of grape seed oil for each cup of chips that you are using.

I melted 1 cup of white chocolate chips to coat 40 protein bites, as seen below.  I use two tiny spoons to swish them in the melted chocolate, then move them to a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  I refrigerate them for 15-30 minutes, then move them to a container for storage.

These are a nice snack/treat because they pack a nice protein punch.  I only coat them in chocolate for special occasions, but love them!!!

Click the protein bites link for the basic recipe, then just roll them in your melted chocolate or white chocolate for a tasty, special treat!

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For more information on healthy treats, contact me. I’m happy to share ideas!

by tessbrennan

Healthier-Corn Free-Reindeer Cookies

Well, Christmas is almost here, less than a week. My darling daughter has been begging me to make cookies for Santa so we did. Smile

I always try to kick the health up a bit when I bake or cook for my family, so this recipe has a few healthy changes as compared to most other recipes.  (Like 1/2 the sugar, mixed flours, and protein powder)

What it takes:

1/4 Cup Instant Protein
1     Cup oat flour
1     Cup unbleached flour
1     tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (sometimes I do less than this-like a 1/4)
1     Cup (2 sticks) organic butter – softened
1/2 Cup cane sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2     tsp Vanilla extract
2     Eggs
1     Bag of Un41’s (Unreal Candy)
1     Bag Pretzel Crisps (flavor your choice)

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  • Preheat oven to 350* F.
  • Stir flour with baking soda and salt; leave for later.
  • Beat softened butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy.
  • Add vanilla then eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed. Mix it all up good.
  • Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamy mixture.
  • Scoop out into rounded balls (I use a pampered chef cookie scoop so they are all the same size.)
  • Place the Un41’s, 3 per cookie, in a close triangle. These will spread as the cookies bake.
  • Place 2 broken pretzel crisps in the side of the dough ball, over the eyes.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on your oven.

This recipe allows for great taste, half the sugar, a slight protein punch and mixed grain flours to up your fiber a bit. Unreal candy is from whole foods with no artificial ingredients, corn syrups, or preservatives. The pretzel crisps only have 3 ingredients.  Enjoy!  

It IS still a cookie, but it is also just a step healthier.

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Just to keep it real… They didn’t all look this cute! Smile

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by tessbrennan

Water alternatives–how to drink tasty water

I run into people all the time who tell me I don’t like water. I have to ask:

  • Why?
  • What is it about the water you don’t like?
  • What water are you drinking?
  • Do you know what is or is not in your water?
  • What do you drink instead?

We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t drink soda-pop. Or diet soda-pop. How about why not to drink “energy” drinks. (Because people are dying from drinking them?)

I would rather focus on what you CAN drink.

  1. Begin with Cool, Clear, PURE water. Bottled water is much less regulated than the tap, however we know from many reports, the tap frequently misses the mark as well.  An answer:Get_Clean_Water
  2. Add a little “spice” (I recently heard something that resonated with me. God made fruit juice so we would eat the fruit.)
    1. Sliced strawberries & lemon
    2. A few, fresh spearmint leaves
    3. Sliced cucumbers
    4. A splash of your favorite (no sugar added) fruit juiceFruit_infused_water
  3. or Add a straw of Energy Tea with Nothing artificial and only 5 calories.Energy_Tea

    1. Never more than 2 straws in a day.
    2. This product uses natural extracts of EGCG to boost your metabolism and your energy levels.

So, there you have it.  3 different ways to “like your water” and drink it too!

Contact me for more ideas and ways to begin to Feel Good Fast, improve your health and increase your energy!

by tessbrennan

Grilled Sweet Dumpling Squash & Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Time to try something new!  I bought this little beauty right after Halloween because I liked the way it looked and thought it would be a nice fall decoration.  Then, as it sat there, I thought… wonder what it would taste like. (reverting back to my 2 yr old self)  So, last night I grilled it and it was great!

healthygreasemonkey.com Sweet Dumpling squash

Along with 2 grilled chicken breasts on the grill, I made the whole dinner out on the lanaii on the hubby’s awesome grill. Time to completion was 50 minutes for the meal.

Sweet Dumpling Squash

  • 1 Sweet Dumpling Squash
  • 2 Tbsp of butter (you can use olive oil, but I was feeling indulgent)
  1. Cut a hole in the top of the squash and with a spoon & your hand clear out all the “squash goop” and seeds. (Just like a pumpkin)
  2. Drop the butter down in there.
  3. Preheat the grill, I used 2/3 burners lit in our gas grill
  4. Put the squash in the grill, but NOT over the lit burners. (I actually placed it on the top shelf of the grill so it could bake)
  5. Check it periodically. I cooked ours for 50 minutes and it was great. (Not to squishy, yet not hard and chewy)
  6. Remove from the grill, snap your quick photo with your smartPhone, and serve.
  7. I just took a sharp knife and cut the back side out, then scooped the squash out with a spoon to serve.

I am looking forward to trying this again with olive oil and some seasoning.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

  • 6-7 Large, Fresh, Brussel Sprouts
  • 1 Tbsp of olive or grapeseed oil.
  1. Wash your brussel sprouts and remove a few outside leaves.
  2. Cut the end off the sprouts and quarter them.
  3. Drizzle the oil on a large piece of aluminum foil or an iron skillet (one with a lid)
  4. Drop your quartered sprouts into the cooking vessel. (If foil, wrap it up and roll the edges to seal it up.)
  5. Place on the grill fro 15-20 minutes.
  6. Serve ‘em up and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy these two fall favorites.  Let me know how yours come out!

What a great way to add an extra veggie you your meal and not mess up the kitchen!