BLOG MIGRATION!

Hey everyone! Just so you know, I've transferred my blog to: http://healthyforhappy.tumblr.com/


Please continue to read up on it to get some healthy meal ideas!
Thanks all :)


Ange♥

Very Yummy Vegan Burger!

I am still on the quest to try and find the perfect recipe for a meatless burger. Tonight I tried something that came pretty freakin' close to perfection. It has a little bit of everything in it - making it totally balanced in macro-nutrients, as well as BURSTING with flavour. I swear it tasted a LOT better than it looks :)

Ingredients (2 BIG burgers):
1/3 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic
flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water)
1/3 cup oat flour (ground oats)
1/3 cup flaked oats
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 beans of choice, mashed (I used chickpeas)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tsp EVOO, divided
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin


Do this:
1. Saute the onions and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil for about 5 minutes. Medium heat.
2. Make the flax eggs (remember, this is a VEGAN recipe). Make sure they sit for about 10 minutes before you add them to the rest of the ingredients.
3. Once the onions and garlic are ready, add all of the ingredients together (except spices and flax eggs).
4. Add in the spices and flax eggs. Mix well.
5. Shape the mixture into patties. Make sure you mould them tightly!
6. Drizzle the other teaspoon of EVOO on a skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes each side. Depending how thick you've made your patties, the insides may take a bit longer to cook through.
7. Remove from heat, and ENJOY! :)


The Goods:
Since this recipe is made of calorie-dense foods, it's no surprise it's a bit high on the cals. However, all the calories are good calories! So don't be afraid!
400 calories
18g fat (from the EVOO & seeds mostly)
15g carbs (mostly from the oatmeal and beans)
12g protein


One of the reasons I realllly liked this recipe was because of the assortment of ingredients. Not only did they offers lots of different flavours, but they also gave it a variety of textures. I especially like the crunch from the seeds and carrots. Also, since I used EVOO to cook the burgers, the outer layer was crispy while the inside was really moist! You can play around with the spices too, to try out different tastes.


Try it out and be creative!


:)

Healthy Dessert!

I almost always want (need) to end my night off with something sweet. It's hard to find healthy ways of doing it! Most nights, I'm satisfied with a piece of fruit, or mixed berries and oatmeal. But sometimes, I just want to indulge!
So how do you do so without breaking the calorie bank?
Simple. Eat this:

Looks to good to be true, doesn't it? Well, believe it. This mountain of yummyness is HEALTHY.


Start by making a protein pancake. Here's the link to my blog post on it: http://angelastreats.blogspot.ca/2011/11/protein-pancakes-guiltless-dessert.html

And then LOAD ON THE TOPPINGS.
Tonight, I chose orange-vanilla yogurt mixed with a tbsp cocoa powder, mixed berries, almonds, walnuts, goji berries, cinnamon, and dark chocolate pieces.


The pancake itself is full of protein. And the toppings I chose are full of healthy fats, antioxidants, and fibre! The dark chocolate was added to satisfy my chocoholism. PLUS! 1 oz of dark chocolate a day has been proven to be good for health (and fights depression). Talk about a fantabulous dessert.


:)

Making Grocery Shopping Easy

While I was studying *coughPINTERESTcough*, I came across this grocery shopping flowchart. It's kinda funny, but true nonetheless. 

Crispy Kale Chips

I am by no means the first person to attempt this recipe, so I take no credit for the amazingness of these! However, I do feel it is my duty as a citizen to inform others of a healthy chip recipe. You heard me - HEALTHY. Everyone craves chips every once in a while (or more...). The crunchiness, and saltiness, and the oil - YUM!.. But your arteries don't think so. So what alternative is there for this craving? KALE CHIPS.

Ingredients*:

- 100g Kale, stems removed

- 3/4 tbsp olive Oil

- Seasonings (I used cayenne pepper, no-sodium salt, and a Thai seasoning)

*100 grams of kale makes about a single serving. It is EASY to chow this all down in less than 2 minutes. So make more accordingly, and add the appropriate amount of olive oil.

To do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces (about the size of potato chips), and throw them in a bowl. Discard the stems.

3. Drizzle the olive oil and add the seasonings into the bowl. Get your hands in there and mix it all up (olive oil is good for your cuticles... just throwing it out there). Make sure the leaves are covered as evenly as possible.

4. Spread the leaves onto the cookie sheet.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the leaves start to brown.

6. Let them cool, and try not to eat the entire batch! (or do...)

Before going into the oven...                                            After coming out of the oven...

Once these come out of the oven, you'll notice your 100g of fresh kale has shrunk to about 20 grams of kale chips!

These are not only great because they're lighter than regular chips, but they also only contain healthy oils (olive oil). Also, since you get to flavour them yourself, you can make them exactly how you like them! Not to mention the loads of vitamins you get from the kale. What's not to love?

:)

Creamy Curried Soup

So I'm on a bit of a curry craze! I just love the stuff! So, naturally, I had to find more ways to sneak it into my diet. I came up with this creamy soup. It's quite delish! Not only does the soup taste great, but it's also super low cal and easy to prepare - making it a favourable side dish to an entree!

Ingredients (for about 6 cups of soup):
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 red onion, diced- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups baby shrimp

- about 200g asparagus (about 15-20 medium-sized spears), diced

- about 200g broccoli (about 2-3 cups), chopped

- Curry powder (to your preference)

- Thyme, to taste

- Coriander, to taste

- 1/4 cube bouillon cube (optional)

To Do:
1. Remove the leafy part from the cauliflower. Microwave the cauliflower for about 4 minutes.
2. Boil one cup of water in a pot. 

3. Remove the cauliflower from the microwave and cut into pieces. Add to the pot.
4. Add the onion to the pot. Stir in the bouillon if you've chosen to use it.

5. After about 5 minutes, blend what's in the pot in a food processor (or Magic Bullet).

6. Return it to the pot once blended.
7. Add the milk, thyme and curry. Stir.

8. Mix in the shrimp, broccoli, and asparagus.

9. Keep over the heat until the veggies are soft (or to your preference).
10. Continue to add curry to your preference (aka a lot for me!)

11. Cut the coriander, and add it to the soup. Stir.

12. Remove from heat and VOILA.

Nutrition, for about 1 cup:

110 calories

1 fat

35g carbs (veggies, veggies, VEGGIES)

26g protein

This soups makes a nutritious and filling side dish. It's creaminess makes it the perfect (and guiltless!) comfort food!

:)

Cashew Nut Chicken Made Healthy

I absolutely love love love love LOVE cultured foods. I am obsessed with the spices and explosion of flavours. I've recently discovered (and perfected) a delicious and healthy version of Cashew Nut Chicken - a popular Thai dish.

How can you NOT want to dive head first into that??

Gather what you'll need (enough for 3 servings):
- 8oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked measurement)
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cups of broccoli florets
- 2 cups bok choy, chopped
- 1 sweet red onion, sliced 
- 1.5 cups bean sprouts
- about 10 asparagus spears, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1oz cashews
- 3 tbsp natural peanut butter, divided (you can use cashew nut butter instead... but it's more expensive)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- coriander to taste (I used a whole stalk... I love coriander)


What to do:
1. Prepare the quinoa.
2. Over medium-high heat, cook the chicken.
3. Once the chicken is browned, add all the veggies to it (except the bean sprouts). Stir in the oyster sauce, and 1.5 tbsp of the peanut butter. Lower heat to medium-low. 
4. Once the quinoa is ready, stir in about 1.5 tbsp of the peanut butter into it.
5. Mix the cashews into the veggies. Mix.
6. Add the quinoa into the veggies. Mix well.
7. Chop the coriander, and mix it into everything else.
8. EAT IT ALL UP :)

What's so good about it?
One serving of this has the following:
560 calories
25g fat (from the nuts and nut butter... HEALTHY)
51g carbs (from the veggies + whole grains from the quinoa... HEALTHY)
37g protein (lean protein from the chicken and nuts... HEALTHY)


There is no reason NOT to eat this. Nutritionally, it's amazing for you. Taste-wise, it's INCREDIBLE. When you go to Thai restaurants, the dishes are usually loaded with added sodium and sugars from the sauces. Try cooking this meal at home. You get to control exactly what goes into it - making unnecessary calories DISAPPEAR!

This is definitely a dish that I turn to when I want to "spoil" myself. I think of it as a treat even though it's 100% healthy. I probably think it's a cheat-meal since I'm addicted to nut butters and nuts. Hehehe.


:)