Health-i-fied Egg Rolls

There's nothing more I love than variety. Boredom hits me pretty fast so my favorite thing is to find new and fun ways to keep not only my attention span in tact, but my appetite thriving. Today it was egg rolls. Random as hell and I'm hooked!

It's super easy and definitely the farthest thing from Panda Express. They sell egg roll wraps most places but I always look for the most natural brand with the least amount of crap in it. If you are looking to spruce up your meals, you've got to give these bad boys a shot. You'll thank me later. 

What you'll need:

12-14 oz of shredded chicken breast 

2 cups of cabbage

2 red bell peppers

2 large zucchinis

1 cup of mushrooms

1 cup of broccoli

1 cup of carrots

1 cup of bean sprouts

One egg

1 tbsp of minced or crushed garlic

Expeller pressed canola oil 

Teriyaki sauce ( I used San-J brand which is gluten free and free from most all CRAP)

You can add any veggies you want to this. It's completely up to you. 

Chop the veggies up and throw them in a pan. Add in the garlic, shredded chicken and the veggies in a tiny bit of coconut oil and some teriyaki until it's a little cooked through. There is going to be quite a bit of liquid from the teriyaki so may need to strain it a bit to get rid of the excess sauce. (Note: If the mixture has too much sauce, when you add it to the egg roll wrapper it will tear as it will be too heavy, hence the straining)

Crack an egg in a bowl and beat it with a fork. Take the egg roll wrapper, put a dollop of the veggie and chicken mixture in the center, then fold the left and right sides in. Before sealing the final side to close it, dip your finger in the egg and spread some of the egg on the ends of that final side and close it. The egg will bind it and keep it in place. 

To fry, you put some canola oil (Expeller Pressed!) in a heated pan and add in a few egg rolls at a time until crispy. Towel off excess oil with a paper towel and you are good to go.  

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I used a trio of sauces: Regular mustard, BBQ sauce and Teriyaki. The best thing about these is the recipe makes a ton so you can put them in a plastic bag and freeze them for later if you don't inhale them all in one sitting. 

Enjoy! 

Cauliflower Risotto? Yes, please!

I love love carbs. I just do. I could pass on dessert any day and house an entire loaf of french bread in about 4 seconds. I really could. However, I don't want to be an unhealthy slob SO I'm constantly looking for ways to get my "fix" without forgoing taste and creativity. 

I eat the crap out of veggies but sometimes I need something more. I recently came across this amaaaazing recipe for cauliflower risotto and it literally almost killed me. I got it from http://www.forkandbeans.com/ 

It's a super easy recipe and doesnt take much time at all. I discovered it about two weeks ago and I've made it three times. I'm tellin ya, it's damn good. Added bonus? It's vegan, grain and gluten-free. Uh-huh. 

What you need:

1/2 medium head of cauliflower, chopped in a food processor (or a blender)
2 cups spinach, chopped

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained, divided (I used Great Northern Beans)

1/2 c. vegetable broth

1 large shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb sundried tomatoes

1 Tb capers

1/2 tsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

toasted pinenuts, optional

                                                

• In a medium-sized pot, heat 1 Tb olive oil on medium heat until warmed.

• Place the shallots, garlic, and Thyme inside and saute for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and translucent.

• Place 1/2 the can of beans and vegetable broth into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Blend all of the contents together until creamy and smooth.

• Add cauliflower, sun-dried tomatoes, remainder beans and spinach.

• Cover with a lid and allow to heat through for a good 5 minutes.

• Add the capers before you serve and garnish with toasted pinenuts.

**I also added a tiny bit of Himalayan pink salt!

I ate the risotto as a meal but you can also have it as a side with some grilled chicken or shrimp. Pretty ridic. 

 

Ice cubes con BERRIES!

I'm a HUGE water drinker. Like it can be classified as an addiction. The amount I consume daily to some may even be considered dangerous. HA. No but really, I pound water all day long. It's not so much because it tastes amazing because well, it's tasteless. It's mostly because it's extremely beneficial keeping your body hydrated all day and I try and do whatever I can to treat the ole thing with some love whenever possible. The biggest challenge for me, however, is drinking glass after glass of plain H2O can be quite boring and uneventful.

I decided to start making my ice cubes with berries. It leaves a tiny hint of flavor in the water and if you don't drink it in enough time (shame on you) and the ice cubes melt, you have luscious berries to consume after the last gulp. I highly recommend this and think it will definitely help you get that water down! Just make sure to always use purified water and grind up the berries just a little so there aren't huge chunks and so it will fit in the ice cube tray somewhat evenly. And that is all my friends. Easy and glorious!

Purty and hydration all in one :)

Kris Carr's homemade marinara sauce!

Anyone who knows me knows my obsession with Kris Carr and her recipes. She is such a huge inspiration for me and her ability to create the most delicious but healthy recipes blows my mind. One of my favorite meals to make, especially recently, is turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash and roasted veggies. Super easy and YUM-MY. The only problem I ever run into is the sauce. It's very hard to find a good sauce that isn't loaded with crap. There is usually one brand, maybe two, to choose from. So I have made it my mission to make my own. Well...with the help of a rockstar (a.k.a. KC). I made this marinara sauce a few days ago and almost died it was so good. I had to share!!

What you will need:

1 cup cherry tomatoes ( I used heirloom the first time)

1 yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt to taste

dried thyme to taste

dried oregano to taste

red pepper flakes to taste if you like it spicy

Blend all the ingredients and then heat it up on the stove- All set!

 

Spaghetti squash, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms, pesto turkey meatballs and the lusciously decadent sauce to top it off- Killer!

 

Day 3: Done-zo

I want to throw a party. You are all invited. The occasion? Well it’s the end of day three and I’m still on this planet, I didn’t physically assault anyone for food, and I feel Damnnnnn good. My mind is clear and my body is pretty impressed with me. 

The first two days were very challenging and I wasn’t a very happy person. I was cutting people off on the freeway, snapping at people for asking me how my juicing is going and wishing harm on people eating real food in front of me. However, I can tell you now that it was all worth it. I believe it’s safe to say I have that “glow” everyone talks about. Flooding your bod with nothing but organic cold pressed juices and water for three days does the body good. I feel so much better on day three and really feel a huge difference in my body. I highly recommend juicing to everyone. It doesn't have to be three days, even one day would help detoxify your body and give your digestive system a break. Even replacing a meal with some juices would be an option. 

That being said, I can’t wait to eat real food tomorrow. In fact, the loaf of bread I bought is right next to my bed. Weird? Maybe. Everything in moderation. I told myself if I finished this cleanse and stuck with it 100%, no slip-ups, that I could have a piece of toast with peanut butter for breakfast tomorrow. It's all about balance, right? 

I must say I think I’m going to miss the rainbow colored bottles of juice in my fridge. Maybe more so because it looks so pretty? ;)… Anyway, my focus now will be to slowly reintroduce foods back into my diet and make my way back to cheese plates, bread and wine. Just kidding. I just made a huge batch of Kris Carr’s Harvest soup to get me through tomorrow and Friday. It's so easy to make and tastes amazing! Hope you have enjoyed my very raw description of my experience on the 3 Day Suja Cleanse. It was fun sharing the adventures. Cheers to a healthy body mind & spirit! 

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-Kate xo

Suja Day 2!

Day 2 (yesterday)

Today I woke up feeling a little off but was supposed to go for a walk with my roommate so I thought a little fresh air and some exercise would help. I filled my coffee mug with tea (boo!) and got my butt movin. To me, tea just doesn't do it like coffee does. I'm still in mourning for my daily bold blend. Until we meet again...

I drank my first juice on the way to work and that helped curb my hunger a bit. The rest of the day was a little easier. I indulged in half an avocado with some cinnamon sprinkled over it. That helped a ton! I also pounded water throughout the day and had a few caffeine free teas.

When I got home I had my dinner and an hour later my dessert. I have to say I look forward to the Vanilla Cloud as the last juice of the day. It’s very good and feels a lot girthier (for lack of a better word, and I don’t even think this is a word but today it is.) than the others. I had some tart cherry juice to help me sleep and I was out. By 9pm. I have found going to bed early helps with the urges. Otherwise I start to pace around the kitchen like a hungry bear looking for scraps.

Drinking my Vanilla Cloud in style because I CAN. Cheers to the end of Day 2!

I survived my first day

(From yesterday) I just had my second “snack”, the Fiji, and I’m feeling more satisfied. Thank God! I’m still foaming at the mouth at the sight of anything even slightly edible but I’m feeling a lot less deprived. Things are looking up.

As soon as I got home from work I drank the Green Supreme, my dinner, and went for a long walk. When I got back I had some dessert i.e. Vanilla Cloud and it was SO good. That’s probably my favorite one. I was pretty hungry still so I had two bites of some leftover sweet potatoes I had. After that I was stuffed (Not really) But I felt pretty good at that point.

The best thing about Suja is they taste amazing. If I had to drink something all day long for three days that tasted like crap it would be so much harder! I’m hoping tomorrow I feel even better and that my hunger pains cease!