Hamburger Chef Jamie Oliver Proves McDonald’s Burgers “Unfit for human consumption”

Hamburger Chef Jamie Oliver Proves McDonald’s Burgers “Unfit for human consumption”

Clean Chicken Nuggets

I always loved chicken nuggets as a kid and an adult. But store brought, fast food or restaurant chicken nuggets aren't good for you. That breading and deep frying can do a number to your stomach and, let's face it, your weight line. I have been on a oat bran kick lately, just experimenting with different types of ways to bread things besides using whole wheat flour all the time. Oat bran I found was a great sub.

I used oat bran, ground golden flax seeds (4 to 2 ratio oat bran to flax), cumin, ground mustard and mixed it up to make a breading. I dipped chicken pieces in almond flour then in egg whites mixed with a little water, then in the breading. Place breaded chicken pieces on a foil lined cookie sheet and put in the oven. Take spicy mustard and mix with honey to make the dip for the nuggets while they are in the oven. I served these with slaw and sweet potato fries. This was really delicious and so healthy I hope you guys try this recipe.

Clean Pop Tarts

If you were a kid in the 80s then you know about Pop Tarts. My brothers loved these things, me not so much, but when I found this recipe online I had to try it because it sounded interesting. Instead of making the traditional square shape I folded it like a pastelillo because I felt that it left more room for the raspberry jam in the middle. And I sprinkled it with cinnamon and put it in the oven. OK so here it is.....

This recipe makes 4 pastelillos. Filling: First, take 4oz (a nice hand full) of fresh raspberries and smash them in a small bowl. Once all smashed add 1/2 tsp of ground flax seed. Mix that together really well and then add your sweetener (agave or stevia to your tasting). Set aside while you make your dough it well turn into a jam.

Dough: Take one cup of oats and place in a food processor, grind into flour. Pour into a medium bowl and measure out 1/4 cup of coconut butter. Mix these two ingredients until crumby and well combined. Add 6 Tbsp of ice cold water. Mix with hands (it will be sticky just keep mixing with hands) until you form a ball. Let it sit while you get ready to roll out the dough. You will need a rolling pin, two pieces of parchment paper, a glass of ice cold water, a fork, a cutting board and a parchment lined cookie sheet.

     

Rolling and forming the dough: Take the dough and form 4 equal balls. Take one and press down to form a small disc. Take your parchment paper and place one on the cutting board, dough disc, then parchment paper and roll into a circle. Make sure dough does not get stuck on the paper (takes practice but it works). Once rolled to your liking, added raspberry jam in the middle and use the paper to help you fold the dough over to form a pastelillo. Have a glass of ice water and a fork handy to seal it up. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and repeat 3 more times. Once all four are done, sprinkle with cinnamon and place in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 mins or until light brown and crispy edges. Let it cool before moving them because they will fall apart.

Enjoy!

My Story

If you want to lose weight or just be healthier it is so easy to do so. I started eating better and exercising and I never felt better. I eat really good whole some foods. I don't diet or starve myself. I simply don't eat garbage/fake foods.

I started this in January of this year. I started with a 21 day detox. I always start my "wanting to eat healthy again" routines with a detox. It was really hard but I have done it before but it had been a while and the first and second week in was killer. I kept thinking about greasy burgers and fries. Sometimes I would have to sneak a potato chip here and there but as the days went by my taste for foods began to change. It was in February when I noticed that a lot more people were into the detox diet, more then when I first discovered the book at Borders in 2007. I would do this diet twice a year just to rid my body of toxins. I liked this diet because I always felt so good and energetic. Basically this diet is vegan protein shakes for breakfast, steamed veggies and brown rice OR vegan lentil soup for lunch and for dinner 4 oz fish, brown rice and 2 cups of steamed veggies plus a bunch of supplements in between meals. And there is a list of seasonings you can use for example different herbs and lemon juice. 21 days is the max amount of days that you can eat this way after the detox you can re-introduce foods hopefully good ones. I can go on and on but what I found out this time around that people that did detox diets also eat clean. So, I was like what is clean eating? I read everything I could on it like a sponge trying to soak up all this great information all leading to the same thing DO NOT EAT PROCESSED FOODS! READ INGREDIENTS CAREFULLY! If I did this and exercised I could be healthy instead of working out hours at the gym and eating fat free processed crap and other things my body cannot process. It was the light at the tunnel. It all made sense now. Well let me tell you, I have never felt better I wish I knew this years ago. It is NOT ABOUT DIETING it is about EATING REAL FOODS and making it a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

This is how I did my workouts. At first I got discourage because I was trying to workout hard like I used to but I couldn't keep up with Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred level 1. I said to myself not to be discouraged, that I will work up to it. I was overweight and I had just stopped smoking cigarettes. So I had to start from the bottom and work my way up. I walked around the neighborhood 2 miles every day in 20 degree weather. I mixed this up with kundalini yoga 3 times a week. And I did work my way up to the third level of Jillian's exercise video. Now, my exercise routine is walking thru the trails at the park here and then sprinting on the fields after and weight training at night. I am so proud of myself. That is dedication right there. I am also proud of my workout partner and trainer.

I am not a nutritionist, I/m just someone who does a lot of research and loves reading about new things.

Clean Garden Vegetable Sauce with Chicken Parm

 So as promised this is the recipe to my yummy pasta sauce and chicken parm dinner. I have video tutorial clips of me making this meal up on our Twitter, if you have Twitter you can check out how I did this delicious meal. This was really good and filling but you do not feel sluggish after eating this clean pasta meal!!

This meal is for two but you will have leftover sauce to freeze for another meal or use throughout the week. First you need: one can of whole peeled tomatoes -- no sugar no salt added or DIY --, one green pepper chopped, one medium/large onion chopped, one whole clove of garlic chopped, parsley, basil, oregano, course black pepper -- with the herbs I put 1 tsp of each and 1/4 tsp of black pepper but you can add more to your taste and can use dry or fresh or both --, and olive oil. Prep all your veggies, herbs and tomatoes. In a large pot, heat up 2 Tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic, when fragrant add peppers and onions and cook until translucent. Pour in the tomatoes and stir with veggies. With your wooden spoon, break up the whole tomatoes. Add herbs and black pepper and a pinch or red pepper flakes -- if you like it spicy --. Let the sauce simmer covered. Now time for the chicken.

I used one large chicken breast which I cut in half and sliced those 2 pieces in half sideways to get 4 pieces of chicken breast. I used 2 pieces and put away the other 2 for another meal. On a cutting board pound the chicken. Breading recipe: 1/4 c oat bran, 1/8 c ground flax seed, 1/8 c almond flour, one egg white -- beaten with a little water --, 2 heaping Tbsp of finley grated Bel Gioioso Parmesan cheese -- when you buy cheese make sure you buy block cheese and read the ingredients first --, 2 tsp of parsley, pinch of course black pepper. In a small bowl whisk oat bran, flax, cheese, parsley, pepper and sea salt -- a pinch. On a small plate spread out the almond flour and in another small bowl whisk egg white and water. So you should have 2 small bowls -- egg mix and breading -- and 2 small plates -- flour and chicken and a foiled lined cookie sheet. Take your chicken and dip into flour and cover, then dip into egg and then in the breading mix. Make should it is nicely coated and then place on the foil cookie sheet. Do the same with the other piece of chicken. Put in the oven at 400 for 15-mins. Boil your water for the pasta. I used Barilla whole grain pasta and their ingredients are whole grain durum wheat flour, semolina, durum wheat flour, and oat fiber.

Now back to the sauce, stir and check it. I used a hand mixer to puree it but if you do not have one you can pour the sauce into your blender and puree it there. I served this meal with a great salad of Romaine lettuce, radish, wine vinegar, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, course black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl and pour over lettuce and radish and toss. I hope you guys try this recipe and enjoy it because I did!

Morning Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are great for a quick breakfast before the start of your day. It is great for before or after a workout. You can make a high calorie shake to fill you up for a long day or an intense workout. Low calorie shakes are good for snacks between meals or a quick breakfast before work.

This is the protein shake recipe that I usually have mornings. Vanilla protein powder -- I bought this brand at Sam's for $20, it is not vegan and it does contain a little sweetener in it. I used to use NutriBiotic Rice Protein Powder but it was getting a little pricey. I just do not use the full amount of the Pure Protein because it tastes a little too sweet but it is fine to use --, 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed -- it is cheaper to buy in bulk the seeds from a whole foods store and then grind them in a coffee grinder. Remember if you are using a coffee grinder to grind seeds make sure you are not grinding coffee and spices in it as well. Use separate grinders. Then put them in a Ziploc bag. I just recycled a bag --, 1 cup almond milk or filtered water -- 1 1/2 cups of almond milk if you are using a frozen banana --, 1 cup of frozen fruit -- any fruit you like -- 1 banana frozen or not -- the banana makes it a higher calorie shake. When you use a frozen banana you get a milk shake consistency and taste. I do not usually use banana in my shake but I had a crazy cardio workout this morning and I need this -- and, one good blender. Add all the ingredients in your blender and blend well. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Clean Chicken Broth

Chicken broth is pretty much clean, for the most part. Skim the fat once it cools and do not add a lot of salt. Canned low sodium or no salt chicken stock is fine (remember to check ingredients) but homemade is always better. I was making chicken tacos last night and I needed some chicken broth and I did not have any canned broth so I decided to make my own because I had all the ingredients here to make it and it is fun. We always get our meats and fish in bulk. We cut them cut into portions and freeze. We also freeze the chicken scraps from trimming and cutting the chicken because it is great for making stock. So I pulled out from my freezer some chicken scraps, grabbed one large carrot, medium onion, kale stalk (I did not have any celery so any green would do plus it changes the flavor and makes it interesting), couple bay leaves, course black pepper and sea salt. In a large pot I poured 5 cups of water and put it on the stove on high temp. I chopped the veggies roughly and put them side until the water was boiling rapidly. Then I dropped in the veggies, chicken scraps, bay leaves, lots of black pepper (because I like it) and a little bit of sea salt.



 

I just wanted a plain broth but if you wanted to make soup or wanted a more herb-y broth this is were to would add parsley, thyme, etc. This continued to boil until it reduced and the veggies are soft to the touch. I shut off the burner and poured the broth into a strainer. You can freezer this stock to use at a later time. Oh and if you want a veggie broth just add more veggies and leave out the chicken, obviously. Enjoy!