Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Curry

Butternut squash soup is one of my favourite things.  I love it, I could (and have) eaten it every day for lunch.  When we were living in Ontario, I went to Panera Bread for lunch way too often and they had an incredible Autumn Squash soup that I've been trying to recreate since the first day I tried it.

This soup isn't as sweet as Panera's but it's got a great, complex flavour and is a little more 'grown up'.

I started with this recipe from Little Spice Jar, but tweaked it a little.

This recipe calls for minced garlic and grated ginger - for both of these I used my Pamperd Chef Microplane grater.  I haven't found anything better yet. I love it!


Butternut Squash Soup with Apples & Curry

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

2-2.5 pounds butternut squash, chunked (**See notes)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 granny smith apples, diced
2 carrots, chunked (or 2 handfuls of baby carrots)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon curry powder (more or less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups stock (Chicken or Vegetable)
1/2 Cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients (except cream) to a 7-8 quart dutch oven. I used the Pampered Chef Rock Crock - this thing is super easy to clean and does a great job,

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Let simmer for 2 hours or until everything is tender (it won't look pretty at this stage, but it'll smell amazing!

4. Pour soup into blender, if it's still hot make sure that the cover isn't on tight or that the vent is open.  Blend until smooth covering the hole/opening at the top with a towel (trust me - if you don't, there will be a BIG mess!) I used my Ninja, if you have one of these, you'll know it won't operate unless the lid is on.  I just opened the pour spout and covered with a towel to make sure I didn't make a huge mess everywhere and that the top didn't burst!
5. Add cream and blend until combined.

6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

**NOTES

1. I cheat on the squash.  I buy it pre-cubed in the freezer section at Costco.  I've nearly lost a finger too many times trying to cut those suckers, this just makes too much sense.

2. You could also make this in the slow cooker, 4-6 hours on High or 7-8 on Low

Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken

I've been seriously slacking in the kitchen department lately so I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. You can see my recipe wishlist here and recipes I've tried (along with my feedback on them) here.  I like to think that I'm a pretty good cook.  I come from a family of great cooks and I think I've learned a few things along the way.

Comfort food is my favourite, who doesn't love mac'n'cheese (besides my husband...but that's another story). As it turns to fall I've been craving home cooked comfort food.  Tonight I decided to try out a pinterest find - Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken.  There were several pinterest links to different recipes, I used this one as my starting point.

It's super easy.

Ingredients

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
- 4 tbsp light brown sugar
- 4 gloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees

2. Line Baking sheet with parchment paper or grease baking dish

3. Grate garlic into warm oil (or add minced) and cook until soft.

(TIP - I love my microplane zester for garlic, I have this one from Pampered Chef. It's amazing)

4. Add the brown sugar to the garlic and combine, remove from heat

5. Put the chicken in baking dish

6. Season with Salt & Pepper as desired

7. Add garlic & brown sugar mixture to chicken, distribute evenly

8. Bake uncovered for apx 20 minutes or until cooked through

I ate mine with roasted potatoes topped with some grated Grano Padano

It's September and that means time for comfort food and pumpkin everything!

It's September.  That means summer is ending, school is starting and Pumpkin Spice is taking over our lives again.  I fall into the 'I love Pumpkin Spice' category, I know it's not for everyone, but I love it.  I've been holding out on getting my first Starbucks PSL (the king of all things Pumpkin Spice in my opinion) just because at 150 calories and 0f/28c/9p it's a little carb heavy for my current macros (that's for a tall non-fat) when it's just a treat.  There will be a PSL in my near future though.

The beginning of fall also means comfort food.  Comfort food is often also calorie heavy and not so diet/macro friendly.  While the beauty of IIFYM is that you can eat whatever you want as long as it fits a big bowl of Macaroni and Cheese (not the box stuff, the REAL stuff) can quickly take up your fats and carbs for the day.

I discovered a recipe on Simply Quinoa for 5-ingredient Quinoa Mac & Cheese and knew I had to try it.  I adapted the original recipe a little bit for a few reasons.
1) I want to know the weight of things so I get my macros right (1 small butternut squash is too vague for me).
2) I didn't have almond milk (not a big fan) but I did have some lite Coconut milk and figured that would work just fine (I was right).

So here's my version of the recipe and the delicious end result!

Quinoa Mac'n'Cheese

Serves 4 
354 calories/14g fat/43g carbs/14g protein

• 425.00g Butternut Squash (cut into apx 1" cubes) - this is a small squash
• 2/3 cup Lite Coconut Milk(I used A Taste of Thai)
• 114.00 g Cheddar cheese (this is a little less than 2cups of shredded cheese - I used medium)
• 172g dry weight Quinoa (apx 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (more if you like)
• Salt to taste

1- Peel & Dice the squash.  Put into a pot and cover with with water (about 1" on top).  Cover and boil until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

2- Cook your Quinoa.  The ratio is generally 2 parts water to one part Quinoa and it takes about 15 minutes on the stove.

3- Grate your cheese so it's ready (unless you bought already grated, then you're just waiting!)

4 - Once done, drain the squash and put into blender.  Add coconut milk - start with 1/3 cup and add more if needed to get a silky smooth consistency.  I needed about 2/3cup.

5 - Add the mustard.  Blend well.

6- Add the sauce to your cooked Quinoa and mix.  Add cheese.

7- Optional, transfer to ramekins and bake at 375° until bubbly (I didn't do this as I'm bringing it to work for lunches.

 Super delicious, getting some veggies and feeling like I just ate something super bad for me.

Sidenote - that squash, before you add the cheese...it could be eaten on its own as soup, it's SO good.  I might try that, a little more coconut milk to thin it out a little.  YUM!

Vegetable 'Fried' Rice

Finding make ahead food that I can prepare in bulk that hit macros targets is one of my biggest challenges.  I love Chinese food, but let's be honest - it's not very good for us.  Just because flexible dieting says I can eat anything If It Fits Your Macros, doesn't mean I want to be eating a ton of fatty foods or wasting calories on things that aren't as healthy as they can be.

I did some experimenting, and with some advice from my sister, I came up with this recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice.  I have made this with chicken as well - if you want to add chicken, just cook it ahead of time, dice, and toss in at the end.

Any time I'm meal prepping I start by getting everything out and on the counter.  It's happened to me before that I'm sure I have something but then when I'm at that point in the recipe wouldn't you know I'm actually all out.

 I love this recipe because it's so super easy - Rice, Veggies (I like using frozen blends, they're easier on the wallet), Egg Whites (you can use whole eggs if you prefer) & Toasted Sesame Oil - this is the trick to making taste like Chinese Food - regular oil just doesn't cut it

First things first - get your rice on to cook.  48g of dry rice.  I use white, but use whatever you're partial to.  I also like to undercook mine slightly - keeps it from getting mushy later in the process.

 

 I start by putting 200g of the frozen veggies in the frying pan over medium high heat - no oil yet.  I like to get them defrosted before I add the oil - I find it works better. 

One the veggies have thawed, add 15ml of toasted sesame oil, let the veggies start to get some colour on them.

Then add in your cooked rice.

 

Let the rice get a little colour and toasty, it'll absorb some of that sesame oil as well and get oh so yummy!  Shift the veggie and rice mixture to one side to make room for your eggs.

 Then add your eggs - I use 6 egg whites.  I always weigh them, I don't trust measuring cups.  More on that in another post!

 Pour the eggs in the space you created and let them cook, scrambling gently as you go.
 

Then toss it all together!

Once it's cooled down, divide it into containers for the week.  

I made this recipe into 4 - 145g portions.

 This is super easy, it's pretty quick (about 30 minutes including the rice) and it's really tasty!

 The macros break down like this
143 Calories
5g fat
21g carbs
4g protein

It's not super high in protein per serving, but it's also not really a meal on it's own, it's more of a side dish so pair this with some chicken or fish and you've got a great IIFYM meal!

Tomato, Bacon & Onion Crustless Quiche

I love quick, easy, portable meals.  They make things so much easier when trying to plan meals and stay on track.

Crustless Mini quiches, also called egg cups, are quick to make, packed with protein, and super portable.  There are lots of recipes out there and I love coming up with my own.  This recipe is for egg cups with Bacon, Ham, Onion and Tomatoes.  They also use a lot of egg whites to reduce the fat content.  These also don't have any cheese - and I don't even miss it!


Tomato, Bacon & Onion Crustless Quiche

Makes 12 Cups

4 Large Eggs
378g (1.5 Cups) Liquid Egg Whites
35g (7 tbsp) Real Bacon Bits
70g (4 slices) Sliced Black Forest Ham (Diced)
30g Yellow Onion, Diced
85g Tomato, Diced
1.25 Cup 1% Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1tsp (8ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil to grease muffin tins

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

2. Grease muffin tin (I use EVOO, you can also use a cooking spray)

3. Measure and whip eggs together

4. Add Milk, whip

5. Add Salt & Pepper (If desired)

6. Dice Tomato & Onion, add to bottom of muffin tins

7. Dice Ham, add to muffin tins

This is why I weigh everything - 4 slices = 70g

4 slices = 67g

8. Measure Bacon bits - I find they can sometimes be too large, dice if needed, add to bottom of muffin tins.

9. Pour egg mixture into muffin tins, about 4tbsp per cup

10. Bake for 30 minutes or until set.

11. Let cool for 5 minutes & enjoy.  (if saving for later in the week, let cool completely before placing in an airtight container and putting them in the fridge)

Based on MyFitnessPal - these are the nutrition details per serving.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 65
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	5 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 67 mg	22 %
Sodium 226 mg	9 %
Potassium 85 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 1 g	0 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 8 g	16 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	2 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	2 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Red Grapefruit & Pineapple Smoothie

I'm always looking around for new smoothie recipes.  Sometimes I make them exactly as written, other times I'm inspired by what I see elsewhere.  Today's smoothie is inspired by one I found on another blog.  You can see the original at Happiness is Homemade.  I actually changed this one a fair bit, but it was inspired by her and I always give credit where credit is due.

This smoothie is a little tart, a little tangy, and definitely less sweet than many of my others.  I find it very satisfying for breakfast - and it has a lot of the traditional citrus flavour that many of us associate with breakfast.

Red Grapefruit & Pineapple Smoothie

100g Red Grapefruit (I don't have a fancy blender so I make sure to remove as much of the pith and white bits as possible
100g Frozen Pineapple Chunks
115g Plain Yogurt (I use Liberte 2%)
1 Scoop protein powder (I always use vanilla flavour but unflavoured would be great with this)

Combine & Blend

100g Red Grapefruit - about 3/4 of a regular sized one

(this is what was left over)

100g of frozen pineapple

Ready to consume!!

The info (these numbers are using Kaizen Whey Protein Powder - they will vary depending on the powder you use)
Calories: 274
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 33g
Protein: 30g

Mango Pineapple Smoothie

This smoothie is a break from my normal - there's no berries and it's not pink!

It's still delicious (and simple)

75g Frozen Pineapple
70g Frozen Mango
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
Water as needed for desired thickness

BLEND
That's it, super delicious.
How it breaks down...

 202cal/24g carb/0g fat/24g Protein

Big Batch Curry Cayenne Chicken

In order to make Flexible Dieting/IIFYM work, meal planning is a must.  Trying to wing it will generally leave you trying to find foods with 10g of protein, 3g of fat and 16g of carbs at the end of the day and that can sometimes be difficult.

I like to prepare a week of lunches at a time (if at all possible) and I will often eat the same thing - or very similar things - every day for a week because I don't mind doing it and it makes my life easier.

This is one of my go to chicken recipes.  It works on its own or in a salad or with a side of pasta.  Versatility is also key.

I start with 1kg of boneless skinless chicken breasts (hitting it bang on a kg can be hard, but get it as close as you can!)

I then create my spice blend
1 tbsp onion powder (8g)
1/2 tbsp curry powder (3g) - If you're not a big curry fan you may want to reduce this, it can be intense!
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (4g)
3/4 tsp salt (9g)
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil (20ml)

I let the whole thing marinate for about half an hour or so and then grill it on my indoor grill.  Once it's cooled enough to handle I slice it and break it out into 100g portions.  Doing this makes it really easy to grab an go and know that it's a perfect portion.

Most of the time I buy frozen chicken breasts at Costco - huge cost savings.  I will often season the meat as it thaws.  I generally try to avoid putting the meat on the grill before it's completely thawed, but sometimes it happens...

This recipe makes 6 perfect 100g servings (well...it did today.  Depending on how much moisture cooks out of the chicken you may end up with more or less)

They breakdown like this

192 calories/1g carbs/5g fat/32g protein.

Berry Yogurt Smoothie

When I started my new nutrition plan one of the things she changed was my beloved breakfast smoothie.  She reduced the berries and added yogurt.  I was not convinced, I liked it the way it was, who is this woman messing with my breakfast and how on earth was this tiny thing going to be enough.

Well...surprisingly, it is.  This smoothie is about half the size of what I was making but it's extremely satisfying and creamy and delicious.  It also keeps me satisfied for about 3 hours which is just about right.

100g Berries (Strawberries are my favourite)
4oz (about 110g) Plain Yogurt (I use Liberte 2%)
1 scoop protein powder (I use Vanilla)

and that's it, blend until smooth (I find adding a little water helps) and enjoy.

I don't have a picture of this one right now but I promise to come back and share!

Super Pink Smoothie for 2

I'm calling this smoothie 'Super Pink' because, well, it's really really pink.  It's also really yummy. This recipe is a double batch and makes the perfect amount for 2 breakfast smoothies (or 4 snack smoothies).  It's not too sweet and a little tangy.

Super Pink Smoothie

140g Frozen Mango (apx 3/4cup)

224g Frozen Raspberries (apx 2 cups)

140g Frozen Strawberries (apx 1 cup)

250ml Cold Water (1 cup)

2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder (or whatever 2 servings of your brand of choice is) - as always, this is optional.  If you choose to omit the protein powder, I recommend using vanilla almond milk in place of the water so you still get the vanilla flavour.

Put all ingredients in a blender, blend & enjoy!

The Details (per serving)

Calories: 261 

Fat:             3g

Carbs:       37g

Protein:     27g (using Leanfit Vanilla)

Mango Berry Smoothie

If you can't tell already - I like smoothies.  They're such a quick and easy breakfast on the go. They're cold, refreshing, and with the protein powder they keep me full until lunch.  I put protein powder in all my smoothies, but you don't need to use it.  I would add vanilla yogurt instead, or you could use vanilla almond milk in place of the water.  The hint of vanilla gives them a little something extra.

This is my Mango Berry Smoothie.  It's not as sweet as the Strawberry Mango but not as tart as the Mixed Berry.

Mango Berry Smoothie

140g    Frozen Mango (apx 3/4 cup)
56g      Frozen Raspberries (apx 1/2 cup)
70g      Frozen Blueberries (apx 1/2 cup)
125ml Water (1/2 cup)
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

Put all the ingredients in your blender & blend.  Adjust water to achieve your desired thickness (the amount is use makes a fairly thick smoothie)

Nutritional Information

This will vary depending on the protein powder you use.  I used Leanfit Vanilla in this recipe

Calories:  283

Fat:          3g

Carbs:      43g

Protein:    27g

Great for Breakfast or a Healthy Desert

This recipe doubles as breakfast or a desert - seriously!

When I don't make a smoothie for breakfast, this is my backup plan.  It's amazingly easy and incredibly delicious.  The trick to this is to make it the night before.  If you forget, microwave the blueberries for about 30 seconds to a minute to thaw them and get the juices flowing.

Blueberry Parfait

175g Plain Greek Yogurt (apx 3/4 cup) - I use either Liberte 2% or Kirkland Greek Yogurt
140g Frozen Blueberries (apx 3/4 cup) *
10g Hemp Hearts (apx 1tbsp)
18g Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal (apx 1/4 cup) **






*I use frozen because the juices mix with the yogurt better and give a great flavour.  They're also usually cheaper than fresh.  You can absolutely use fresh if you prefer.

** This cereal is high in protein and has a great cinnamony sweet flavour with a granola texture but without all the fat that usually comes with granola.

Quick and Easy BLD (Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner)

Finding meals that are quick and easy is important.  We all know how easy it can be to fall into the trap of grabbing take out or opening a box of instant max & cheese instead of making a meal just to save time.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing those things once in a while, but we were doing this several times a week - not good for the wallet or the waistline.

Since we started going to the gym, something I've learned is that protein is extremely important. As my pictures show you, I've been pretty tiny in the past, but for a good portion of that time I was what you would call 'Skinny Fat' - I was really small but I has very little muscle.  Protein is the key to building muscle (so I'm told).

One of my post gym go to meals has become Egg White Omelettes, they're quick, they're easy, and they're delicious.  Simple Ham & Cheese is one of my top choices - lots of protein and it's a classic.

(You'll notice that the majority of my recipes give measurements by weight and not volume. Measuring by weight is much more accurate for many things, I suggest investing in a food scale, but if you don't have one, I'll give the approximate volume amounts as well).

Ham & Cheese Egg White Omelette

5g Butter (yes - I said butter.  You can also use a non-stick spray or cooking oil if you prefer)

189g Liquid Egg Whites (apx 6 egg whites or 3/4 cup) 

20g Medium Cheddar Cheese (this is about two-thirds of a serving according to the package in most cases)

3 slices Black Forest Ham Diced

Siracha Hot Sauce to taste

1. Melt butter in frying pan over medium low heat

2. Pour in egg whites, allow to partially cook - should be white all over but still liquid on top

3. Add cheese and ham - cover frying pan with lid until set, about 3 minutes.

That's it.  Less than 10 minutes to a quick and easy meal great for Breakfast, Lunch of Dinner.

My Omelette with a side of baby carrots.

Some Ingredient Tips

- I buy the boxes of liquid egg whites at Costco, I find them less expensive than the major grocery stores.

- I like Pillers Simply Free Sandwich meats.  I know there are many people who will argue against eating sandwich meat but I find them quick and convenient and they are reasonably healthy.

Mixed Berry Smoothie

It's time for another smoothie recipe.  This is another one that's great for breakfast or as a snack.  I should mention that my smoothies are big - 500-600ml.  I drink them as a meal so it makes sense for me.  If you want a smaller one feel free to cut the recipe in half or share it with someone.

Mixed Berry Smoothie

140g (apx 3/4cup)   Frozen Blueberries
70g (apx 1/2 cup) Frozen Strawberries
112g (apx 1 cup)  Frozen Raspberries
125ml (1/2 cup)      Cold Water
1 Serving Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Leanfit)

Combine in blender & blend until smooth!

Nutritional Information (this will vary depending on the protein powder you use)

Calories: 315

Fat:         3g

Carbs:     48g

Protein:   28g

Strawberry Mango Protein Smoothie

Smoothies are my go to breakfast and this is one of my favorites.

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

140g Frozen Strawberries (apx 1 cup)
140g Frozen Mango (apx 3/4 cup)
1 serving Vanilla Protein Powder (whatever kind you prefer, check out my reviews page for my favorites)
1/2 cup of water (adjust to get desired consistency)
Blend!

Nutritional Info (using LeanFit Vanilla Protein Powder - numbers will vary depending on what you use)

Calories: 261

Fat:         2g

Carbs:     39g

Protein:  26g