Zoodle Scampi.

January 13, 2016Leave a comment

Thank you Just a Taste for this recipe! I was browsing Pinterest yesterday and came across this recipe. If you have read my posts before you know I love Pinterest! Even if you don’t make exactly what is shown it is nice to have a platform to gather ideas from and make whatever it is that you like. I love zucchini and squash (and usually have it in my fridge all the time) so I went to Target last night after my workout and picked up this gadget to make the “Zoodles”! You guys, this was so easy. If you don’t like prawns, use chicken or just add extra veggies. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck on your Newtritionsavvy quest!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles (See Kelly’s Notes)
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them, stirring as needed, until they are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking the wine and lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, garish with parsley and serve immediately.

NOTE: I did add a little parmigiano reggiano when the white wine/olive oil was done reducing and veggies were added. *butter optional (don’t get crazy with it)

5 Things This Week.

January 8, 2016January 8, 2016Leave a comment

5 Things This week.

5.New Year, First Week. We survived! I hope all of you have had a chance to get your goals in tact because I have. This is definitely a perfect opportunity to reflect on all the thing we can ADD into our lives to be more successful on a daily basis.

4. Made some yummy cannellini bean soup. It’s been raining this whole week so if you’re in a rush for the week soup is a great meal to have for leftovers.

3. Mushroom medley tacos. Add some cumin, salt, pepper, lime and garlic powder and BOOM! They were bomb.

2. I will have managed 5 workouts this week. Some circuit, one yoga class and I will hit up Soul Cycle on Sunday to end my week on a positive note! Feels good to start off the year on the right note.

1. “Don’t Be Busy. Just Be Productive.” It’s such a thing that we create this “too busy” for our lives, tasks and people around us. Are we really too busy, or just wasting time on non essential things? I am going to go with the ladder. New goal: Be Productive! Get things done NOW!

Hope you all had a great week!

Veggies on Veggies.

December 8, 2015December 8, 20151 Comment

veggies veggies1 pre veggie veggies2

Thank God for Pinterest. I was driving home from the gym last night wondering what to make for dinner so I hopped on pinterest and Wala! WE had a recipe. This one was “HELL-A’ Good. Veggie lover or not…this would be a great dish with some chicken if you need extra protein.

What you’ll need:

olive oil
yellow onion [chopped]
minced garlic
zucchini
potato [I used rustic can use red or sweet]
tomato [sliced/in half]
dried thyme
salt/pepper/garlic powder
1 cup shredded italian cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Side note: I also added a little bit of dried oregano along with the Thyme.

Good Luck!

Countdown to Thanksgiving.

November 24, 2015November 24, 2015Leave a comment

{Last Year’s Stuffed Mushrooms}

{Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mushrooms}

{Parmesan Roasted Cauilflower}

Happy Almost Thanksgiving! Crazy to believe #1 that it is already the end of November, and #2 that the holiday season has begun! Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday considering I have a slight obsession with all things food: grocery stores, prepping, cooking…and well the vino of course! I have been browsing Pinterest the last couple of days trying to find some vegetarian side dishes that I am usually responsible for. Last year I made stuffed mushrooms, beet salad, brussels sprouts and I think if my memory serves me right I did a pumpkin cheesecake as well. YUM! I am salivating just thinking about it. This year I am leaning towards a slow cooker recipe for the mushrooms and roasted cauliflower with parmesan cheese (pictured above).

Since I don’t have a lot of time off on a regular basis (2 jobs, gym, traveling etc.) it will be nice to soak up 2 full days of rest and relaxation. Catching up with the fam bam will of course be an added bonus! Do you guys have any fun plans for Thanksgiving?? What are you making? I want to hear! Maybe we can feature some of your recipe newtritionsavysarah.com

Thanks Pinterest for helping me search for the perfect Thanksgiving recipes!

Mexican Quinoa.

July 8, 2015July 8, 20152 Comments

Hey friends! After my crazy hard workout last night I jumped on Pinterest and found this recipe. Mexican quinoa is EASY ( I am all about easy) and damn good at the same time! Nothing like a recipe that kills it in the taste department. Score! I have made different variations of this salad, but adding the cumin was a hit). I have vowed to myself for the next 6 weeks there will be nothing but clean eating. (Well, majority- let’s be realistic). I am all about moderation including moderation, but I know for a fact that the daily habits we do add up so with a few changes here and there between food and working out I should be seeing some results coming my way! Here is another easy recipe sent from me to you. I try to make/look up different dishes and use the ingredients I already have on hand. This alleviates any time constraints or any additional trips to the grocery store than necessary. Baby steps like replacing pasta and rice with quinoa can really add up when it comes to minimizing refined carbohydrates. Think you don’t eat a lot of a certain food? Start by jotting down and the truth finally comes out. All is fun and games until your jeans don’t fit! What are you doing to replace your habits with healthy ones?

What You’ll Need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapenos, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
Serve immediately.

This recipe was found here. Thanks, Pinterest!

Summatime Ceviche.

June 26, 2015June 26, 2015Leave a comment

Now that summer has officially hit, it’s time to lighten things up a bit with some fresh and easy recipes! It’s been in the high 90’s the last couple weeks, so what better of a way then to tap into some yummy Latin dishes. I am a vegetarian for the last seven/eight years but I do eat fish on occasion. This particular dish is only jumbo prawns, but you can add other white fish if desired.

What you’ll Need:

tomato (diced) (2)
organic jumbo prawns 2/3 lb
cilantro
white or red onion (chopped)
lemon (2)
lime (5)
avocado
ketchup (1 teaspoon) (Sounds weird but it’s for the cocktail flavor)
salt (dash)
pepper (dash)
jalapeno (diced-I used half)
Hot Sauce (tobacco, or I used Whole Foods 365 brand Jalapeno Hot Sauce)

Dice up your ingredients, throw in a bowl and add lemon and lime. (Yes, it’s that easy!!) For this one, I added about 5 limes- and 2 lemons. There was extra juice so depending on the juiciness of the limes you could probably use 3 or 4. I always make more than I need to (my portions are frequently off while cooking for one) but I would say this feeds about 4 people. I let the ceviche sit in the fridge (covered) for about 45 min. The seafood cooks pretty fast so I would suggest checking depending on the color from uncooked fish to cooked. It’s also recommended to cook the seafood in the lemon and lime as it loses flavor if you cook before and then add. You can eat this by itself, with a corn tortilla, chips or on a tostada. Hope you enjoy!

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

October 6, 2014October 6, 2014Leave a comment

These peppers were soooo delicious! I am so fortunate to have great friends who love to donate to the newtritionsavvy cause. I work near a local farmers market and every Sunday I am lucky enough to be given bags and bags of fresh produce…Sometimes it’s more than I can consume so I end up cooking for my friends. The great thing with stuffed peppers is that you can add just about any vegetable in your fridge and even add some meat for extra protein. In my opinion, they were just as great without it. Go ahead and give these a try…..I would say prep time about 15 min, and cook time 30. Enjoy!

Bell Peppers Prep:

Large Bell Peppers
Mushrooms (whole or sliced)
Zucchini
Garlic clove (minced)
Tomato (roma or heirloom both work)
Jalapeño (optional for more spice)
Chopped Dill
Salt/Pepper
Lemon juice
Grated Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions:

Slice the bell peppers in half/clean out seads (set on baking tray)
Slice mushrooms, zucchini, tomato
Heat sauté pan to med heat
Saute olive oil and garlic together
Add zucchini and mushrooms and jalapeño with lemon juice, salt and pepper (only sauté to get a little softness to vegetable (you don’t want to overcook here because the veggies will finish cooking while baking.
When veggies are done I add tomato (these will cook in the oven)
Place the rice in the bell pepper, with veggie medley over the top
Bake on 400 for 30 min (if they aren’t cooking fast enough you can up the temperature to 450)
The very last minute you can throw some mozzarella cheese on top and bake until cheese is just melted

Lemon Dill Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried dill/or fresh (I prefer fresh)
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/2 lemon lemon zest (finely grated)
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper (to your liking)
2 cups water (chicken broth optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan
Saute the chopped onion for 1 minute
Add rice and “parch” over low heat, by stirring until the rice turns white again. Do not let the rice brown
Add the rest to the ingredients and bring to boil.
Lower heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff well with a fork, replace the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

Eat Your Greens.

January 29, 20143 Comments

I made this last night for dinner. Green beans, asparagus, and mushrooms over quinoa.

What you’ll need:

sliced mushrooms
asparagus
fresh green beans (I prefer fresh over canned)
fresh minced garlic
salt/pepper
garlic powder
chili flakes (optional)
quinoa
vegetable broth
white onion
olive oil

Start by trimming the green beans. Fill a large pot with water and when the water has reached a boil- put green beans in. If you have ever cooked green beans before you know that they take a while to cook. Boil only for a couple minutes, strain and leave in strainer while putting ice cubes over to stop the beans from cooking. This process is called blanching. In a separate pan, use oil of choice (I use extra virgin olive oil), fresh minced garlic and chopped white onion on a med heat. When the onions and garlic look like they are cooked add about a cup or less of veggie broth- and then add the asparagus, mushrooms, green beans along with salt, pepper, chili flakes and garlic powder. Let simmer on low heat until finished. The veggies won’t take long to cook- I prefer my asparagus with a little crunch.

In a separate pot cook the quinoa. It’s the same as rice, for every cup of quinoa two cups of water, veggie or chicken broth. I used veggie broth to add a little more flavor. Boil water, pour in quinoa and then reduce heat to simmer.

This recipe is easy and you can easily add chicken to it if you would like more protein! Let me know how it turns out.

Lentil + Barley Soup.

January 22, 20142 Comments

This was my first time cooking with barley and needless to say it was delicious! I found this recipe and I altered it a little- the recipe called for a crock pot and simply put, I am impatient.

Lentil Vegetable and Barley Soup

1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 medium summer squash (or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 C carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 C red lentils
1/2 C yellow split peas
1/2 C barley
celaery (diced)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 C vegetable broth (or chicken or beef), plus ~2 C extra water
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t black pepper
fresh or dried basil to top (optional)

I opted out for the split peas and instead of vegetable broth I used the water that I used to boil the lentil beans in. Start by dicing up your carrots, onion and celery. Meanwhile, in a pot boil 1/2 cup of lentil beans. In a separate pot, boil 1/2 cup barley. Even though it seems like it’s not a lot- the both expand and should be enough for about 4 people. When the veggies are done cooking on med-high heat add can of diced tomato. When the beans are done cooking (they will split if overcooked) drain water. I added the bean water as a veggie broth instead of store bought. I added salt, pepper, dried oregano, 2 bay leaves and let simmer. The barley took over an hour to cook so be patient. When the barley is done cooking- add to soup. Let the soup simmer and allow all the flavors to combine. After the soup is done I added some lemon for extra flavor. This recipe is fairly easy but if cooking raw beans it might take a while so allow time for those to cook! Hope you enjoy!

You can find the original recipe here.

Veggie Enchiladas

January 9, 20141 Comment

I made these vegetarian enchiladas the other night and they were AMAZING! Often times when you try and recreate something vegetarian it turns out to be a bigger hit than the original. Dinner time for me is full of excitement. I LOVE going to the grocery store and figuring out what it is that I am going to make. I know this can be dreadful for many, and usually I would recommend planning ahead, but when your schedule is busy it can be hard, I get it. I decided on these after scouting recipes on the internet. Sometimes you might catch a recipe but it is full of too many things (I see this all the time). If this is ever the case- you can tweak it a little bit and use what works for you. I used a couple different vegetables and the were still amaze. If you have a chance- make these!

Ingredients

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 pieces
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 med red onion, roughly chopped
1 med sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 container button mushrooms, halved or quartered (don’t cut too small they will shrivel)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and black pepper
8 tortillas (flour or corn- your choice)
1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (I prefer green sauce)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese (I used cojita as well for a sprinkle)
optional garnishes: fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream

Directions

Prehead the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, toss together the yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, sweet potato, red pepper, mushroom and olive oil until evenly mixed. Season generously with salt and black pepper. I also added organic taco seasoning to the mix. Spread the mixture out evenly onto the covered baking sheet. (Vegetables should be mostly in a single layer. If you’re baking sheet is small you may need to spread these out over two baking sheets.)

Bake for 30 min, or until the edges of the vegetables begin to crisp and they are tender. Remove and set aside to cool. After the veggies were cool, I added tofu and black beans to the mix. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare your enchilada assembly line. Lay a tortilla on a flat work surface, then spread the top of it with a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Sprinkle down the center with veggies and cheese (optional). Roll the tortilla up to close, then place it seam-side-down in a greased baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Then spread any remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas in the dish.

Bake at 325 for 20 min. Then remove the dish and sprinkle extra cheese on top (optional/I used cojita). Bake for 5-10 more inures until cheese has melted and the tortillas begin to brown slightly around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, garnish if desired.

This recipe based off of this one.