Al Dente Pasta Recipe #2 {Fish-and-Noodle Soup with Bona Chia Fettuccine}

Hey there, folks! I'm on a roll with blogging this morning! Guess that's what happens when you don't get a chance to post for a while and just keep holding everything in 'til the next chance you get to sit down and blog!

I've been meaning to put this recipe up for a while because: (1) I finally had the chance to experiment with Al Dente Pasta's Bona Chia Fetteccine, which, to no surprise, is everything I had hoped it would be, and (2) I think this is actually a unique/original recipe worth trying for the seafood lovers out there because it's simple, fast, and healthy (my motto when it comes to preparing a meal).

{Simple Fish-and-Noodle Soup}

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 4 fillets of fresh wild Alaskan salmon
• 2-4 C water or broth of choice (Depending on your preference of broth to substance ratio. I used 2 cups water.)
• Seasonings: salt, bay leaf, pepper corns, fresh fill (Lemon juice and fish sauce would also make great additions.)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

• Combine water and 1 tsp salt (or to taste) in a medium sauce pan
• Bring to boil
• Add fish fillets and 1 tbsp olive oil
• Reduce to simmer
• Add a bay leaf and a few pepper corns
• Cook for ~20 min or until the fish is cooked
• In the meantime, cook the noodles in a separate pan according to cooking instructions on the package (Bona Chia Fettuccine takes just 3 min to cook!). I also steamed some string beans for extra greenery.
• Top with fresh dill and enjoy! (Fresh parsley would also be quite wonderful!)

Bona Chia Fettuccine was incredibly soft and delicious - just like homemade fresh pasta! There was no chia crunch, however - I believe that's because it's made with ground chia. But! I could feel that smooth texture that chia gets when it absorbs liquid. If you've ever had chia, you know what I mean. One serving size is 1.5 cups and has 200 calories, 4 g of fiber, and 7 g of protein!

Why haven't others thought of using chia to make pasta?! It is used in baking after all. What a fantastic (and yummy!) idea! Once again, Al Dente Pasta gets two thumbs up. It is making the option of eating good ole' regular pasta not exciting at all. My family is loving Al Dente Pasta, too! My mom has already asked several times, Where can we get more? 

Hope you try this recipe! In all honesty, it's a very forgiving recipe that really allows you to use whatever spices and flavors you'd like. It's a great option for reusing leftovers, too. You can broil/bake the fish ahead of time, steam some veggies, cook some pasta or rice, use broth of choice, and just combine all the ingredients whenever you would like to have them in a soup version! Here is a fantastic-looking recipe I'd like to try soon.

Tell me: Have you ever made fish soup before? What seasonings/spices do you use?

#WIAW Happy Pi Day!

Hello my lovelies! Happy Pi Day! I hope your week is going well! Though I'm always busy with either school, work, or volunteering, the week never fails to fly by for me. That's why I always try to slow down the pace of my weekends, thought even they seem too short, too.

Today's WIAW was fantabulous, and filled with both old and new favorites. (Sadly, no pies were consumed...)

{Breakfast - 7:30am} Protein Oats with Fresh Strawberries. I made instant oats, stirred in 1/2 scoop of SunWarrior, added a pinch of salt (my trick to hiding the chalkiness of a protein powder!), and a dash of cinnamon. Topped with fresh strawberries and Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola. (The pumpkin seeds are my favorite! I always pick them out. Shhh, don't tell!)

{Morning Snack - 10am} A handful of pistachios! (not pictured)

{Lunch - 12:30pm} Cabbage Wraps with Sprouted Bean Trio and Shredded Carrots. A new creation! I am in love with TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio, which we found at - believe it or not - Costco! (We practically live there, haha). This trio consists of the nutritious and delicious organic sprouted lentils, mung, and adzuki beans. A hardy combo indeed! I simply cooked the trio according to instructions on the package, seasoned with salt and olive oil. I also microwaved a few cabbage leaves and shredded carrots (I used a potato peeler to turn it into "pasta"!) to soften them up. I then scooped some of the beans and carrots into a cabbage leaf, rolled it all up, and num num num... Need not say more :) A simple, clean, nutritious vegetarian meal.

{Afternoon Snack - 3pm} - (not pictured) For a much needed energy kick, I had a cup of coffee and some CHO love - I went with plain CHO and drizzled some maple syrup and crushed pistachios. An old favorite!

{Dinner - 7pm} - (1) A bowl of salad (lettuce-less but filled with all sorts of raw veggies and greens instead!) topped with grated black radish. The cool thing (in addition to its phenomenal health benefits), is that only the skin of the radish is black, while the flesh is a juicy white! (2) Pasta with turkey and sauteed red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. (3) Pumpkin pancakes for dessert with a cup of tea!

Sounds like a pretty delicious WIAW to me!

And guess what?! Remember my recent review on Barney Butter? Thanks to all of you who've expressed similar excitement for this delicious healthy nutty creation, the kind folks from Barney Butter will give away a 16oz jar of Barney Butter to one lucky reader! Please head over to this post to read the review (if you haven't done so already) and to enter!

xoxo. Veronica

Breakfast Favorites

Hey hey there! How have you been??? The weather here has been unbelievably gorgeous! High 60s and 70s... Hope it's here to stay!

Last week I enjoyed a plethora (yea SAT word!) of delicious and nutritious breakfasts, so I thought I'd share with you! You already know how much I enjoyed the new protein muffin with Barney Butter, but I've come up with a few new additions to my breakfast menu...

I loved each one, and as you will soon see, each breakfast was unique in texture, flavor, and ingredients and required different preparation techniques. I surely kept things exciting in the kitchen at 7 in the morning...

So here are the Top 5 Breakfasts of the Week!

(1) Kiwi Vanilla Chia Pudding

Stir together: 2 tbsp chia + 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tsp vanilla + sweetener of choice+ pinch of salt

Allow to stand for ~15 min. Then, stir again and add more milk to achieve desired thickness (it will thicken up quite a bit the longer it stands!). Mix in fruit of choice. The kiwi was fantastic!

Though I've been a chia lover for almost a year now, I can't believe I've never made chia pudding before! Shame on me! I love adding chia in my oatmeal because it makes it thicker and fluffier, but quite honestly, I was a little hesitant about making this gel-like chia pudding. Hesitant no more! For those unfamiliar with chia, the texture may take some time getting used to, but I guess my years-worth of oatmeal nearly every day has prepared me well and I loved it. It's very filling, too!

(2) Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

Blend together: 1/2 large banana + 4 large strawberries + 1 scoop protein powder (I used SunWarrior Vanilla) + 1/2 cup water

Confession: This smoothie was inspired entirely by my recent love for the 2% Strawberry Banana Chobani Greek Yogurt.

(3) Fried Egg atop Sweet Potato

It was one of those mornings... I woke up and all that was on my sleepy mind was the delicious runny yolk. I love it when I know what I want! But the night before, I steamed some sweet potato that I was planning to mash into my oatmeal... Change of plans. Instead, I made my egg sunny side up, sprinkled with a dash of salt and peppa, and enjoyed it atop of the scrumptious, sweet, smooth sweet potato. The flavors and textures worked beautifully together!

(4) Banana Millet Bread (Please see original recipe by See Michelle Cook)

The stars were perfectly aligned for this bread. First of all, since my recent obsession with Barney Butter, I wanted another healthy option in place of my protein muffins to enjoy spoonfuls of Barney Butter with... Secondly, there were two overly ripe bananas eagerly looking at me from the fruit basket... But I didn't want to make the good ole' banana bread, which I consider to be a dessert. I wanted something more versatile, something that I could enjoy with different toppings, both sweet and not. Michelle's recipe was exactly what I was looking for. The millet added the perfect crunch, the banana kept it moist and subtly sweet, and the whole wheat and no added sugar(!) kept it healthy. Win-win-and win. We've been enjoying this baked creation with Barney Butter, strawberry preserves, Smart Balance, and as is!

(5) Manchego Cheese Omelet with Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower

Greens for breakfast, anyone? Yes, please! Unlike the mornings I had the chia pudding and the smoothie, this dish answered my salty ans savory morning call.

Omelet: (1) Whisk together 1 egg + 2 egg whites (2) Pour onto a heated and oiled skillet (3) Spread shredded cheese (4) and Cook until done!

Veggies: (1) Dice the veggies (2) Lightly oil or spray a frying pan (3) Roast the veggies until desired texture (I like mine crunchy, so it only took about 3min!)

*****

I hope you enjoyed my morning creations! Even though these may require slightly more time in the kitchen then the good ole' bowl of instant oats or cereal, standing by the stove and sipping on coffee while waiting for breakfast to cook is a relaxing way to welcome the new day. And a healthy, filling breakfast will keep my spirits high for the rest of the day!

Tell me: What is your favorite breakfast or brunch?

#WIAW with Ancient Grains

...and I'm back with my WIAW Numero TRES! I miss photographing every single one of my eats... I still find myself trying to make all of my food "look  pretty." I guess that's just a little joy in my life. Oh the love life of a foodie...

So let's recap today's eats & treats!

{Breakfast - 6:30am} Ancient Grains Oats

Stir together:

• 1/2 cup Instant oats


• 1 scoop SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder


• 1 tsp Chia seeds


• 1/8 tsp Salt


• 1 cup Hot water

Topped with (& ultimately stirred in):

• 1/4 cup Cooked wheat berries


• 1 tbsp Popped quinoa (yes! popped! here is how - be sure to cover the skillet or else you'll have quinoa everywhere!) >>> LOVED the crunch!

{Morning Snack - 10am} 1 Hard-boiled egg + 1 Egg White, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

How do you hard boil your eggs? Here is how I do it, and it couldn't be easier! Comes out perfect each time. The egg is such a wonderful nutritional source for anythingarians! Don't fear the yolk, please. It's packed with omega-3s and folate, which are not found in the egg white, by the way. And just like the beloved egg white, it's loaded with protein.

{Lunch - 1pm} Mixed green salad with salmon, steamed string beans, and a little bit of more popped quinoa for more crunch!

{Afternoon Snack - 4pm} Borsht and whole wheat flat bread with a slice of Lite Swiss. I love this cheese. All natural and with 50 calories, 7g of protein, and 4% total fat (8% DV saturated) - you can't get much better than that!

...and last but not least... {Dinner - 7pm} Mixed salad, pasta with grass-fed beef, onions, and mushrooms, and Russian Salad "Vinegret" (made of cooked beets, potatoes, dill pickles, and sour kraut)... I admit to helping myself to probably 3x the pictured portion of Vinegret... I never put a limit on my veggie intake :)

And a litt bite to satisfy a sweet craving... I made these chocolate chip cookies the other day for my friend's birthday! I followed Liz's recipe, and yes, I used my CHO, too! These cookies were wonderful. My modification: I added chopped toasted almonds!

P.S. How do you like my new nailpolish? It's actually dark brown, bu turned out burgundy in these photos (and my skin looks red?!?!).

P.P.S... speaking of CHO... There is just a few hours left to enter my Chobani giveaway! Hope you did it already! There is nothing better than a company that makes good quality, good-for-you products... or perhaps there is! A company that does both and is super kind, supportive, and generous! Chobani donates 10% of its profits to charity, and constantly sponsors events. The reasons to love Chobani seem to be endless. :)

P.P.P.S. Today's strength-training featured the following:

• 3 sets of 12 squats


• 50 alternating lunges


• 3 sets of 12 wide-armed pushups (2 sets done on knees... I'm getting there!)


• 3 sets of 25 sec wall squats (these really made my thighs burn!)

And that's a wrap, my dears! Hope your week is going well! And thanks to everyone for your support of some of the changes that I (and my blog!) am going through. You da best! ;)

Very Berry & Sweet Saturday {Wheat Berry Cereal}

Those leftover wheat berries had to be eaten, and quite promptly (and deliciously) they were! I loved today's creation - totally delicious, totally original, totally healthy!

Blueberry Wheatberry Cereal

• 1/2 cup Wyman's Wild Blueberries (give time to defrost - I did so overnight!)


• 1/2 cup cooked wheatberries


• 1 tsp chia seeds


• 1 tsp brown sugar


• 1/8 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract


• 1/2 cup milk


• Adorned with Honey Nut Cheerios for sweetness and light crunch :)

Lunch was wonderful! Do you notice my usual arrangement - a bowl of soup on on my fave square plate? I like plating all of my food rather than serve as I eat. It's helpful to visualize the portions (and it looks totally pretty!). Of course, this doesn't mean I don't go for seconds...

Lunch included cauliflower potato soup with fresh herbs; sauteed zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, and carrot (with a squirt of ketchup - adds amazing sweetness and creaminess to the mix!); and "imitation crab meat" (Alaskan pollock) cooked with onion, celery, and leek.

...Now, what was consumed the rest of the day was (unfortunately) a picture-less but a sweet bliss...

Afternoon snack included my fave CHO, 1/2 of mini whole wheat bagel, and coffee.

We had family friends over for dinner, for which we made mixed salad (with cranberries and walnuts = love), mashed potatoes, and "мясо по французски " (pork chops a la French... though I don't actually think the French make this...). Pork chops are beaten until tender, rubbed with salt + pepper, and then topped with red onion, a small dallop of mayo, and grated cheese. Baked at 350F for ~20min, until done. This is a treat that we only make for special occasions (my family rarely makes pork), and oh my goodness, it was delicious! I haven't had it probably in... 4 years... Oh, and we also had freshly made crepes with tea for dessert.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had special plans to meet up with my girlfriends to attend a gymnastics competition! It was so fun! I was in awe, and there were so many times when I felt like my heart had stopped as I watched the gymnasts do crazy flips and jumps. I have so much respect for professional athletes... And these were not only full-time athletes, but also full-time students! Incredible.

We then went out for dessert at Old Man Rafferty's to celebrate one of my friend's birthday! Being indecisive and clearly in love with sugar, we ordered FOUR pieces of different cakes... Exact names escape me, but one was topped with salted caramel, another was infused with bailey's espresso, another had apples, and the last but not least was a chocolate blackout cake. To say we were sugar high does not do it justice...

It was so fun to finally spend time with my girlfriends. We are all so busy and stressed out with our studies, that these moments are always truly special!

I hope you all find the time to spend with your friends and loved ones, no matter how busy life is... At the end of the day, it's the moments with the people you care about and those that care about you that truly make life worth it. Stress isn't worth it, however.

More fun get togethers are planned for Sunday! Gosh, I'm such a social butterfly this weekend (for once...)

No more lemons!

[...for some reason this post didn't publish last night, so I apologize for the delay!]

A mah-velous mornin' to you! Last night I prepared a batch of wheat berries, but when I woke up this morning, all I wanted was the original good ole' whipped banana oatmeal that I haven't had in ages.

And so, whipped banana instant oats it was!

• 1/4 cup instant oats


• 1/4 cup boiling water


• 1/2 mashed banana


• 1 tsp chia


• 1 tsp chocolate PB2


• dash of cinnamon and salt


• sprinkled with a few wheat berries for extra chewiness


• and colorful strawberry slices to beautify and brighten!

voila!

...and because my stomach warned me that it wasn't satisfied just yet, I had a teeny tiny piece of whole wheat flat bread with a tsp of MaraNatha Creamy Almond Butter, sprinkled with coconut flakes and chia. And then tummy was pleased.

A few hours later (during class) I snacked on a cutie - gosh darn they are so sweet and juicy! A perfect (and easily portable) snack.

Lunch came on the earlier side because (1) I came home earlier than expected since lecture got out early, (2) my stomach was ready for it, and (3) grandma had it all made already!

Russian Dill Pickle Soup "Rassol'nik" and sauteed vegetables with more wheat berries! (I rarely cook a batch of anything ahead of time. I prefer to make things on the spot. But since my wheat berries were made and ready to be eaten, I rather consume them as soon as possible to keep them fresh!)

They are so cute and round. Love their chewiness! And the nutrition facts are a-mazing | 7g protein, 6g fiber (22% DV!), and 10% DV iron! AWESOME.

Just as I was wrapping up my lunch and ready to leave the table, grandma pulled out roasted sweet potato from the oven. Sweet potatoes. One of my many foodie weakness. So in went a few slices. No regrets. There was still room. Ah, the beauty of leaving a table feeling 90% full :)

But just an hour later, and incredible sweet + chocolate craving kicked in... and for better or for worse, I had one recipe on my mind that clearly I couldn't get rid of... Chocolate-Covered Katie's Cookie Dough.

It looks like cookie dough. It takes like cookie dough... But it's actually chocolate chip hummus! haha. I love Katie's chocolate creations - she always adds a unique and healthy spin to the classic.

Among my mom, grandma, and me, it was devoured in its entirety... Looks like I'll have to make it again ASAP. No problem ;)

The cookie dough was consumed with a cup of tea... I made the mistake of not only infusing my tea with lemon, but also eating the entire lemon slice... Surely you recall that I love lemons and do eat them whole... My poor teeth, however, paid the price... I couldn't chew anything non-soft for the rest of the day... So that gorgeous salad you see right there... only the soft veggies (tomatoes and beets) were consumed... Instead, I had to rely on additional servings of the other dishes, which I didn't mind because they were delicious... Fried potatoes with mushroom, more sauteed veggies, and a teeny tiny pork cutlet (pasture raised!)

Late night snacking featured fresh pineapple - my favorite tropical fruit! Teeth were still sensitive, but I suffered through it. The pineapple was so worth it. :)

Happy Friday Night!

Tell me: Do you have any exciting travels, get-togethers, eats or treats planned for the weekend? Tomorrow night I'm going to a gymnastics meet with my friends from school!

Wheat Berries For All

Last night, I realized that (1) I needed an especially filling breakfast because my Thursday mornings leave no room for a morning snack, and (2) I haven't had oats in a while! Not sure how I let the latter happen... Must be my recent pancake craze.

I'm still oh so in love with my SunWarrior Protein Powder (Vanilla), and was happy to experiment with a new protein-packed SIAB recipe (smoothie in a bowl).

Blueberry Vanilla Protein SIAB:

Overnight: (the classic combo) 1/4 cup old fashioned oats + 1 tsp chia + 1/2 cup water

Morning: Reheated on low heat + 1 scoop protein powder + somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup water (enough for a smoothie consistency) + 1/4 tsp salt (combat's protein powder's sweetness)

Adorned with defrosted wild blueberries! (from Costco) Wild blueberries have nearly 2x the amount of antioxidants!

Dear self: how many times do I have to remind you to not go crazy over blueberries on days when having purple teeth isn't exactly professional...

...And now... welcome to the wheatberry craze...

I can't believe I completely forgot about the wheat berries I bought several weeks ago! Especially since I loved them so much. I surely made up for the deficit with today's meals (and tomorrow's breakfast... hint hint)

Somehow, time was on my side today... I finished my clinical off-site 30 min early, which meant I had time to stop home for lunch on my way back to school. I had prepared this delicious wheat berry salad last night thinking I would be downing it behind the wheel (only at traffic lights, I promise!) or at school. Instead, I got to eat like a normal human being - seated, at a table, with food on a plate instead of a container. So. Much. Better.

Wheat Berry Salad with Chicken, Chickpeas, Corn, and Fresh Vegetables | Last night I cooked the wheat berries according to instructions on the package. | In the morning, I mixed in 1/3 chicken breast, 1/4 cup canned chickpeas, 1/4 cup canned sweet corn, and raw veggies (cucumber, zucchini, yellow bell pepper, tomato, broccoli, and parlsey). | Drizzled with balsamic vinegar + olive oil + salt + pepper.

Eaten in entirety with a small loaf of whole grain bread. Delicious.

An afternoon snack in the form of more whole grain bread with cheese (melted in the toaster oven! yum!!) and coffee followed lecture (and a marvelous and much-needed one-hour nap). And then I was off to the clinic to volunteer!

DIAB (dinner in a bowl, haha) awaited me when I got home. This time, I combined my leftover wheat berries with stir fry veggies. For flavor, I stirred in ketchup ad nutritional yeast. For greenery, I sliced up a tomato and zucchini. My family had salmon, and left a piece for me, too!

A sweet and colorful dessert/ late night snack followed! A sweetie and an orange! A perfect combo!

Ah! The weekend is almost here at last! Gotta love Fridays! Do you have any exciting plans?

On the road to Vermont!

I'm currently on the road to Vermont! I'm so excited for this little getaway. There is nothing more beautiful than Mother Nature. The mountains. The snow. The sunshine. The fresh winter weather. I love it all.

So while I'm on the road, I thought I would post an update for today's eats!

Remember my kefir overnight oats?? We discovered Lifeway's Blueberry Kefir at Costco and it's wonderful! Still tangy and tart - which I love - but the blueberry flavor sweetens it up a little.

Overnight: 1/2 cup kefir + 1 tsp chia + 1 tbsp water.
Morning: Topped with 1 tbsp raw instant oats and crushed almond cranberry brown rice crisps.
Result: Yummm!

I also had an orange and coffee, duh!
During morning lecture, I snacked on carrot and celery. Hope I didn't annoy anyone with my crunching!
****
Lunch was protein-licious!

Going along with my attempts to increase my protein intake, I decided to combine the best of both worlds in this protein muffin - Chelsey's pumpkin protein muffin + Mama Pea's banana protein pancakes!

I followed Chelsey's recipe but substituted mashed banana for pumpkin puree and added a pinch of salt... The result? Veronica's banana protein muffin! :)

I'm so making these again! There is nothing better than a single serving recipe that uses simple real ingredients and requires no cooking. Especially on a busy day like today.

No mixed salad for lunch today! Instead, I decided to give these Indian lentils a try! Another one of my finds from Costco. :)

It was a little on the salty side for me and definitely soupy, but I was overall happy and full (probably because I ate 2 servings, but that also means a whopping 14g of protein! Plus about 20g from the muffin!)
Oh! And did I mention I made these little fellas? I love Averie's sweet treats and have had my eyes on her peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough for way too long!

As you know by now, I'm the queen of substitutions when it comes to cooking... I used almond butter instead of peanut butter, halved the amount of brown sugar, and didn't use any of the white sugar the original recipe called for. And it was exactly the kind of sweet treats I was looking for! N taste tested and agreed! Thanks N!
*****
After napping and packing, I made myself a baked sweet potato and a cup of coffee to stay awake during our 5-hour road trip.

It's now almost 9pm and we still haven't had dinner :( I am munching on a KIND bar to get rid of the talking in my stomach... Rest stop, can you please be here already? me needs food now.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Please enter the Chobani giveaway if you haven't yet!