Pizza Dough "Fingers"

A fun and easy appetizer for halloween parties. My grocery store doesn't carry pizza dough but I was able to get it from an Italian deli.

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tbsp. sliced almonds
Olive Oil Spray

Directions:

Preheat over to 450. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Working with about 2 tsp of dough at a time, roll dough with your hands to form 2 to 3 inch long "fingers." Place on baking sheet: press a sliced almond at the tip of each to resemble a fingernail. You'll have about 40 pieces in all. Spray with oil spray and bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Top with marinara sauce.

Barbeque Tacos

Tempeh is a great meat alternative for vegans/veggies and those trying to "Tone It Up." It's especially good in tacos and taco salad since the texture is similar to ground beef or turkey when cooked.

Ingredients:

4 oz tempeh (crumbled)
1 tbsp barbeque sauce
1 whole grain tortilla
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 sweet potato
pinch salt

Directions for Taco:

Combine tempeh with bbq sauce and heat in a small skillet coated with oil of your choice.
Fill tortilla with tempeh mixture, spinach and yogurt.

Directions for potato chips:

Cut sweet potato into thin slices
Toss with 1/4 tsp ground cumin and pinch of salt
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Linguine with Tuna (and wine!!)

This is a sneaky way to smuggle wine into work...;) For a low(er) carb option sub spaghetti squash for linguine.

Ingredients:

1 cup artichoke hearts
1 tbsp chopped olives
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 tbsp white wine
3 oz can chunk light tuna
1 cup whole grain linguine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried rosemary

Directions:

Prepare pasta or spaghetti squash as usual.
Saute artichoke hearts, chopped olives, garlic and olive oil for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and white wine. Simmer until wine is slightly reduced (about 5 minutes.)
Toss artichoke mixture with tuna, linguine, lemon juice and rosemary.

Voila!!

More apples!

I'm a huge fan of Panera's Fuji Apple Salad but if you don't have a Panera nearby you can easily make this salad yourself:)

Ingredients:
3 cups lettuce
1 cup spinach leaves
1 Fuji apple (or apple chips)
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tbsp. walnut pieces
Optional: 4 oz grilled chicken
Optional: freshly ground black pepper, light vinaigrette dressing (or any low-cal dressing)

Directions:
If using a Fuji apple cut apple into quarters and remove the core, seeds, and stem. Thinly slice, and then cut the slices in half widthwise.

Toss together all ingredients except the walnut pieces. Plate your salad, and then sprinkle walnuts evenly on top. You can add some pepper and/or dressing if you like, but this salad's so flavorful you may not even need 'em.

Enjoy!!!

Apples to Apples

With 4 grams of fiber, 14% of your daily allowance of vitamin C and only 95 calories apples are a great snack or addition to any meal. They also satisfy hunger so they are a healthy way to curb your appetite:)

Here are two great recipes for crisps mornings and chilly evenings....

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped Fuji apples (about three apples)
1 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon, plus pinch
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

Directions: In a large bowl, mix apples with 1/2 tbsp brown sugar and pinch cinnamon. Stir to coat apples well. Transfer to the crock pot.

In the empty bowl, combine oats, almond milk, 1/2 tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add 1 cup water and mix well.

Add oat mixture to the crock pot, and gently stir. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours. (It microwaves well if you want to cook it the night before.)

Baked Apple (serves two)

Ingredients:
2 large apples (cored)
2 tbsp melted butter (or butter spray)
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp quick oats
1/2 tsp chia seed
nonfat plain greek yogurt

Directions:
In a small bowl combine butter, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and chia seeds. Spoon the mixture into each apple. Place on cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 mins. Serve warm with a dollop of greek yogurt on each apple.

Kettlebell Training

If you subscribe to the Tone it Up YouTube channel you've seen their recent "Saved by the Bell" series. I've been training with kettlebells since March (did I discover something before Tone it Up?;) and I absolutely love it.

As I've mentioned I need high intensity, high energy workouts to stay motivated. Traditional weight training with its slow, controlled movements doesn't offer that. But as muscle burns more calories than fat (in the active AND resting state) I knew I needed to start weight training.

I had heard of "kettlebell" weight training but I didn't own one and wasn't going to invest in something that I might not enjoy. Instead, I enrolled in a kettlebell bootcamp in West Hollywood. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the session was high energy and included all the things I love -  cardio intervals, plyometrics, TRX - as well as weight training. And unlike traditional weight training, kettlebell training involves momentum which keeps it fun.

As high intensity interval training (HIIT as it's known to Tone it Up members) also contributes to fat burning I think kettlebell training is the perfect weight loss tool. I lost 6 out of 10 lbs while doing it so I highly recommend it!

"Grilled Cheese" Sandwich

Neither the cheese, nor the bread, is grilled in this sandwich. In fact, the only thing that's grilled is the red peppers. But it will curb grilled cheese cravings for cheese lovers like myself!

Cutting back on cheese was the hardest thing about starting the Tone It Up diet (even harder than ditching the beer!) A "domino sized slice" per day?? I had consumed more than that by breakfast most days!

Now I only eat "real" cheese on rare occasions. Soy cheese can be sub'd for real cheese in almost every recipe. And the best way to keep from taking a block out of the fridge and cutting yourself a slice (or five) is not to buy it!

When I do eat real cheese I prefer goat cheese. It's lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than cow cheese and has the same amount of protein.*

To make this sandwich cut half a red bell pepper into slices and saute with olive oil. Toast two slices of whole wheat/multi-grain bread. Spread goat cheese on each slice. Top one slice with fresh spinach and the bell pepper slices, then top with the other slice.

Enjoy!

* Calories per oz:             Cholesterol per oz:
Cow cheese: 100             Cow cheese: 30mg
Goat cheese: 80               Goat cheese: 20mg

Fat per oz:                       Protein per oz:
Cow cheese: 10g             Cow cheese: 5g
Goat cheese: 6g               Goat cheese: 5g

Tempeh Taco Salad

I had never even HEARD of Tempeh before I started Tone It Up. Now this taco salad is one of my favorite things!

Tempeh is described as "a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor" which, I admit, sounds pretty nasty. But if cooked right it can be delicious! It can be found next to the tofu at Trader Joes and, like tofu, it's a cheap meat alternative. (So you get double the benefits!)

To make this salad crumble the tempeh into a frying pan and cook with the oil of your choice. Once it begins to brown add taco seasoning following the instructions on the back of the packet. While that's cooking I make a "salsa" using fresh tomatoes & mushrooms and canned artichoke hearts. Add a little salt and pepper and it makes the perfect dressing.

Top greens with the taco filling, "salsa", low fat or soy cheese and, for sour cream fans, a dollop of non fat plain greek yogurt.

Enjoy!

Glowing Green Smoothie

I am AMAZED by this smoothie. It's 100% natural and is the equivalent of eating a pear, an apple, a banana*, half a bag of lettuce, half a bag of kale and three stalks of celery. More nutrients than some people get in an entire day (or week!) and I got it all in one glass. Thanks Brooke!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 bunch kale
3-4 stalks organic celery
1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon
optional:
1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems okay) (if you know me you know I passed on the cilantro;)
1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)

Directions:
Add the water and chopped head of romaine to the blender. Starting the blender at low speed, mix until smoothi. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley, if you are choosing to add them. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

Blend until smooth. This may take several minutes and, as smoothies tend to get warmer the longer you blend, be sure to serve over ice. (It makes enough for two smoothies so you can keep the other half in the fridge and won't need ice the second time.)

* Just as olive oil and avocado are "good fat" fruit is "good carbs" and is much healthier than other sources of carbs like rice, bread and pasta. However, for those who prefer to get less sugar from fruit use the chart below to substitute.

Low to Medium in Sugar:
Strawberries, Papaya, Watermelon, Peaches, Nectarines, Blueberries, Cataloupe, Honeydew, Apples, Guavas, Apricots, Grapefruit Fruits

High in Sugar:
Plums, Oranges, Kiwi, Pears, Pineapple

Very High in Sugar:
Tangerines, Cherries, Grapes, Pomegranates, Mangoes, Figs, Bananas

Mojito Shrimp and . . . Mojitos!

This is a great recipe for the Indian Summer we're having in CA! The mojito recipe is low calorie and I sub'd quinoa for rice in the shrimp dish so it's low carb and high protein:)

Shrimp (serves 2):

Ingredients:

1 bunch mint
1 lime
11 oz shredded unsweetened coconut
1 13.5 oz can unsweetened Coconut milk
2  cups quinoa
1 1/2 lbs shrimp (shells and tails removed)
White rum
Agave syrup
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Prep:
Rinse and dry the mint. Pull off the leaves. Chop 1 cup leaves, reserve the rest.
Juice and zest one lime. Cut the other one in quarters and reserve.
Combine mint, 1/3 cup Agave syrup, 1/3 cup rum, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp lime zest and 1 tsp salt in a non reactive dish or bowl. Add the shrimp, place in the refrigerator and let marinate 15 minutes.
Put quinoa in a saucepan with 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp shredded coconut, and 1 tsp salt and place over medium high heat.

Cook:
Let the liquid in the rice boil until bubbles form on top of the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to medium and let cook 10 minutes. Do not remove the lid, until you’re ready to serve it.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the shrimp.
Cook 2-3 minutes and turn over and cook another 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and just begin to brown.
Remove the cover from the quinoa and fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large serving platter.  Add the cooked shrimp to the platter and scatter the rest of the mint leaves over everything, garnish with the lime pieces.

Mojitos (serves one):


Ingredients:
1.5 oz rum
12 mint leaves
1/2 lime
7 oz club soda
2 tbsp. Stevia

Directions:
In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, Stevia and lime juice. Add crushed ice. Add rum, soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint.

For more healthy cocktails try Tone It Up's Cosmo-Goes-Beach and Coco-Colada!

Microwavable Meals

When one starts eating healthy there are many things to adjust to. The obvious adjustment is to actually eating healthy. But there is also the time involved in preparing meals. This can mean having to wake up a little earlier than usual or, if you’re also exercising in the morning, a LOT earlier than usual. I am a self proclaimed "morning person" and this was still tough. But after a few weeks making my breakfast and lunch post-workout became my favorite part of the day.

That said, there are still mornings where I can’t do everything. A late evening the night before, an early meeting, errands to run etc. That’s where the following recipes come in handy.

Denver Omelet “Egg Mug”:

Spray a microwavable to-go mug with non-stick spray

Microwave chopped onions and green peppers for one minute

Add egg whites and microwave for one minute

Add chopped ham and fat free cheddar cheese and microwave for 45-60 secs.

Portobello Chicken Burger:

Place a precooked “Roasted Chicken Patty” from Trader Joes between two Portobello mushrooms and microwave for three minutes. Let sit and press out excess moisture between paper towels. You can also create your own turkey patties using the Tone It Up recipe.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti and “Meatballs”:

Microwave a veggie patty for 1 min 45 secs to 2 minutes. Let cool, then use your fingers to create “meatballs.” Add to cooked spaghetti or penne pasta. Cover with sauce of your choice and microwave for two minutes.

Variety . . . the Spice of Weight Loss

As weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise I figure I'll spend 20% of the blog talking about exercise.

One thing I should mention is that I never stopped running. Even during my “fat phase” I was running regularly. In fact I ran a ½ marathon at my heaviest (138 lbs.)

There are two reasons why I continued to gain weight while exercising regularly. The first is that I wasn’t eating right. It’s a myth that you can eat whatever you want as long as you work out (or it at least becomes one after the age of 25;) That’s why I give the Tone It Up meal plan so much credit for my transformation.

However, I also did a bit of research to determine how it was possible to burn all those calories and not lose weight! It turns out that your body adapts to your regular routine (there is a scientific explanation involving the body’s desire to maintain homeostasis but I will avoid getting into that here.) As it adapts the workout becomes less challenging and, unfortunately less effective.

The secret is to vary your routine every week, if not every day, so your body doesn’t become accustomed to it. (An added benefit is that it makes your routine more fun and increases the likelihood of sticking to it!) I don’t know how this was possible before “Groupon” like vouchers (especially in la where studio gyms charge between $20-$35 per class!) But with vouchers I can do spinning one day, boxing the next and kettle bell the day after that. All for the price of a monthly gym membership (in Los Angeles:)

Today I tried a pilates reformer class . . . for the first time! I have no idea what took me so long, especially considering all the “trendy” classes I’ve tried (trx, piloxing, antigravity yoga etc.). It was extremely difficult and a great workout. But I was disappointed that it wasn’t “fun.” I prefer high intensity, high energy workouts. (There’s a reason the only yoga I do is hip hop yoga!) So while I will use the remaining classes provided by the Groupon, I probably won’t stick with pilates long term. Which is ok. Afterall, it’s all about variety...;)

Bulgur Greek Salad

I’ve been doing Tone It Up more than six months and, although it’s one of the alternative protein sources the girls recommend, I hadn’t tried bulgur until last night!

The Bulgur Greek Salad is easy and delicious, although the term “salad” may be misleading since there’s no lettuce. Oh and the term “easy” may also be misleading since I was missing a few ingredients. Feel free to correct me:)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups bulgur

3 cups boiling water

¼ cup and 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided

1 ¼ cup cooked chicken breast (or dry fried tofu http://laralostlbs.blogspot.com/2011/09/tofu-not-as-scary-as-it-sounds.html)

1 ¼ chopped cucumber

½ cup cherry tomatoes halved

1/3 cup greek olives

¼ minced fresh parsley

¼ cup roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped

¼ cup chopped red onion

3 tbsp minced fresh basil and olive oil

¼ tsp dried oregano and pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp salt, divided

Directions:

Boil bulgur in 3 cups water, ¼ cup lemon juice and ½ tsp salt for about 30 mins (or until most of the liquid is absorbed.)

In a large bowl combine the chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, red peppers, onion and basil. Stir in bulgur.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, oregano, pepper, cayenne and remaining lemon juice and salt. Pour over bulgur mixture, sprinkle with cheese.

It makes about 4 servings. (The picture above is two servings, one saved for lunch today:)

Spinach and Kale "Pizza"

I have a confession to make. . . . I don't like Kale. And it's not that I don't like greens. I LOVE spinach, broccoli and even brussels sprouts. But Kale is too rough to eat raw (in my opinion) and doesn't cook well. For this reason I've resigned to hiding it in smoothies with one exception . . . the spinach kale "pizza."

Unlike traditional pizza this is very low carb, as well as wheat and gluten free, since I use a brown rice tortilla (Trader Joes or Whole Foods) as the crust.

Start by drizzling a tiny bit of olive oil on both a handful of spinach and a handful of kale. ("Massage" the oil into the kale to soften it a bit.) Place a tortilla on a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a thin layer of shredded skim mozzarella, or dairy free mozzarella, on top. Cover with spinach, then kale, and sprinkle with romano cheese.

Place under the broiler (on low) for several minutes. Check periodically. The edges should turn up slightly and the kale should get crispy. Cut into four slices using kitchen scissors and enjoy!

Italians + Pasta. The way God intended.

Since my mom’s family is Italian, pasta is all I knew growing up. In fact I think I was in high school before we added a turkey to the rigatoni at Thanksgiving dinner.   

 The thought of giving up pasta (at least temporarily until I lost the weight) was daunting. Especially since it’s so easy to make.

Luckily for me I discovered spaghetti squash which I think I may even prefer to pasta these days.

To make buy a spaghetti squash at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. (They’re HUGE so you can’t miss them!) This part of the recipe is courtesy of my friend Libby and is much easier than cooking in the oven: Poke holes in the squash with a sharp knife and toss in the microwave for 10 minutes, then let sit for 2-3 mins. Slice in half and remove seeds with a fork. Then, use the fork to peel the “meat” of the squash from the rind. It should look just like spaghetti.

You can prepare using marinara sauce or, my preference, olive oil with browned onions and garlic. Keep in mind that olive oil is “good” fat!*

Enjoy!

*Other sources of good fat include fish & fish oil, flax-seed oil, coconut oil, peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, pecans and avocado.

Not Quite Coney Dogs...

As my friends know I'm a huge baseball fan and as my coworkers know there's a Wienerschnitel across the street from my office. Based on the above one almost can't blame me for developing a "hot dog problem." Which is why they were the one thing (aside from hamburgers) that I vowed to eliminate from my diet.

I can proudly say I haven't had a burger since January (unless you count Tone It Up's turkey burger with portebello bun or homemade veggie patty.) However, I admit I've made two exceptions for hot dogs. The first was on a trip to Michigan back in May. My Michigan born boyfriend Dave will tell you it's sacriligious to leave Michigan without having a Coney Dog. The second time was when a Coney Dog restaurant opened on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood in June.

On Friday night Dave and I had plans to watch the first ALDS game at Coney Dog. I couldn't make another exception to the hot dog rule so I decided I would just wait until after the game to eat. But I didn't have to. For one thing the game was rained out in the second inning (damn east coast and their "seasons") but for another they had a VEGAN dog on the menu! (At a hot dog restaurant... from the midwest!!)

I searched online for a recipe as soon as I got home and found a great one. You can top with sauerkraut to save on calories or splurge by topping with Hormel Chili (the closest thing you will find to Coney Dog sauce outside of Michigan.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pinto beans
1 cup cold vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/4 cup vital what gulten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
1 tsp red pepper flakes, paprika, oregano
Several dashes black pepper

Directions
Boil water in a large pot with steaming basket, prepare 6 sheets of foil
In a large bowl mash the pinto beans until no whole beans are left
Throw all other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork
Divide dough into 6 even parts, place part of dough into each piece of foil and mold into 5 in log
Wrap dough in tin foil like a tootsie roll
Place wrapped hot dogs in steamer and steam for 40 minutes

The recipe suggests BBQ'ing on the grill after steaming but, as I don't have a grill, I cooked under the broiler (about 4 mins on each side.)
Enjoy!