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 which means tomorrow is Thursday!

How do you feel about Wednesdays? I used to love 'em because it meant Friday was just 2 days away! But medical school seems to have changed that a little bit... With Thursday usually being the hardest and longest day of the week (though undoubtedly theeeee most exciting because it's my only clinical day for me right now!), I find myself feeling a little more anxious on Wednesdays...

Exercise, good company, and delicious eats never fail at relieving any anxieties! So let's recap, shall we?

{Breakfast - 7:30am} Wild berry parfait!

Last night, I mixed together: 1/4 C plain Greek yogurt + 1 T water + 1 tsp chia seeds + 2 T instant oats + a few drops of Vanilla Stevia. I also defrosted ~1 C of frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)

This morning, I layered both mixtures and created this beauty! It was delicious, and I think I just might have to recreate it tomorrow!

{Lunch - 11:30am} I should call it... Russianized Gazpacho! It is probably the easiest "soup" to put together, and is filling and certainly takes care of your veggies for the day!

Are you ready for this very complicated recipe?

Chop up: 1/2 hard boiled egg (the other half went to my grandma!), radish, cucumber, red bell pepper, parsley and dill.

...add one small can of V8 vegetable juice... and Voila!

Second course featured last night's leftovers - Urbane Grain three cheese & mushroom quinoa blend. I also had some sauteed sour kraut with a small piece of pork... I have a feeling the sauteed sour kraut is a Russian thing, too... but I love it! We made it with yellow bell peppers, onion, and fresh dill. Yumz.

I escaped afternoon lecture and headed to the gym for a quick workout. I was still feeling a bit tired after yesterday's 5.5mi power walk, so I decided to go easy on the cardio and focus on lifting. I started out with 10min on the Stair Master, followed by TRX upper & lower body exercises, as well as some free weights. I'm certainly feeing it now... and it was totally worth it!

{Afternoon/ post-workout snack - 4pm} Deep Chocolate VitaTop with Cottage Cheese, and a cup of coffee. Vitamins, minerals, protein, and antioxidants - a successful snack, methinks!

{Dinner - 7pm} Russian Pasta with Meat, or "Mokoroni po Flotski"... This is a dinner that falls in the easy, cheap, satisfying, and delicious categories. Made with ground meat cooked with onion, garlic, and red bell pepper. Topped with parmesan cheese. It was thoroughly enjoyed with a bowl of salad and a side of string beans.

{Snack - 10pm} The juiciest pear of the season!

And there you have it, folks! Another successful What I Ate Wednesday! It's good to be back! :)

Tell me: What do you make when you are short for time?

Urbane Grain Whole Grain Quinoa Blend {Review}

Hi friends! Oh my goodness, what a week it's been! Life has been preoccupied with personal, family, and school-related ups and downs, and I am so sorry for not being able to do some blog updates! Thankfully, plenty of wonderful friends, comforting eats, gorgeous spring weather, and outdoor runs & walks have helped to keep my spirits up.

And so, I'm here, excited to share with you a yummy treat that I finally got to try today. Remember I told you about the "Top 5 Food Trends" news report I saw that highlighted the Al Dente Pasta products that I'm totally crazy about? Well, also on the list were products by a new, up-and-coming company called Urbane Grain. Urbane Grain makes a variety of Whole Grain Blends - a combination of quinoa, brown rice, and millet - already mixed with various spices and seasonings. These products take all the work and all the thinking out of preparing, and the blend takes 20-30min to cook! Easy, breezy!

You know I looove my quinoa and can eat it for any meal! A complete source of protein, gluten-free, slightly nutty in flavor, slightly crunchy in texture, and oh so nutritious, quinoa is truly wonderful and a crowd pleaser.

Urbane Grain was very kind to send me two samples of their Whole Grain Quinoa Blends to try - (1) the three cheese and mushroom and (2) the smokey bacon.

Yup, this label surely speaks the truth. Urbane Grain products are natural, clean, wholesome, and healthy, and tonight, they surely proved to be delicious, too!

Ladies and gents, I present to you the three cheese & mushroom blend!

[Yup - there are whole bits of dried mushrooms in there!]

Prepared with a side of pan-roasted Brussels sprouts, cooked with garlic, onion, and fresh tomatoes... You know me by now... when in doubt/short-for-time/out-of-culinary-ideas - I make Brussels sprouts! They never disappoint :)

The quinoa blend was perfectly seasoned and flavored with cheese and had a hint of that subtle, heavenly mushroom aroma. It reminded me of risotto - both in flavor and in texture. I must say, the combination of the three different grains, each with a subtly different texture, worked quite well together!

Urbane Grain has made it so easy to put together a wholesome meal in a short time. While the quinoa is cooking, you have just enough time to put together a quick salad, roast some veggies or tofu in the oven, or pan-roast fresh fish on the stove top. And because the quinoa blend is so flavorful and satisfying, it totally works as a meal on its own!

Eating a healthy and clean diet can't get simpler than that! :)

Urbane Grain is growing, and if you are lucky, it may already be at a store near you!

Check out the locations, and here are all of the flavors to drool over... ;)

• Sun Dried Tomato & Basil
• Three Cheese & Mushroom
• Miso with Edamame & Scallions
• Smokey Bacon
• Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt
• Roasted Garlic and Fine Herbs
• Southwest Black Bean
• Indian Coconut Curry
• Thai Red Curry

More info on Urbane Grain can be found on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter! Show some love and mention that you heard about them from me! :)

P.S. Eeek! I haven't yet posted the winners of the two recent giveaways! Thank you all, for your incredible patience! I'll do it ASAP, promise!

Al Dente Pasta Recipe #1 {Whole Wheat Linguine with Chicken and Apple Sausage in Garlicky Tomato Sauce}

TGIF! TGIF! TGIF!

If you watched my vlog earlier this week, you know how excited I was about the samples of Al Dente Pasta I received. I love pasta, but unfortunately it doesn't have the greatest rep among the many other wholesome carbohydrates. (Buckwheat, quinoa, millet, barley, wheat berries: I'm looking at you!)

For me, pasta is a treat that I love to have on occasion (I'm talking about the original white processed goodness that is just so comforting). Most of the time, my family makes whole wheat pasta, and as good as it is, it just isn't the same... It's kind of "heavy"-tasting, if you ask me.

But it looks like Al Dente Pasta is about to change all that... Call it Al Dente Revolution? Methinks so!

I decided to begin my Al Dente culinary adventure with the Whole Wheat Plus Flax Linguine.

1+1/2 cup serving size?! 5g of fiber?! 8g of protein?! YUP!

Short for time because of school, and with a growling stomach, I grabbed the package of Applegate Farms Organic Chicken and Apple Sausage that I spotted in ShopRite last weekend.

A quick fix turned into a delicious, healthy meal...

{Whole Wheat Linguine with Chicken and Apple Sausage in Garlicky Tomato Sauce}

I began by sautéing 1/2 yellow onion in olive oil with a dash of salt. I then added 3 chopped cloves of garlic and sauteed a little more. Finally, I sliced up 4 sausage links, and also added about 2 tbsp ketchup + about 1/4 cup V8 juice.

[I've never had Applegate Farms sausage before, but was so happy to discover it. It's all natural and organic! The Chicken + Apple combo was a savory treat!]

Served over a bed of linguine...

...and

...it took just one bite to realize that I will never go back to the plain-white-pasta-eating-days.

Now, I've had fresh pasta made from scratch before, so I know what the real stuff tastes like... (And by real I mean fresh pasta made at home by an Italian mom) So please believe me when I say, this pasta tastes so real, so fresh, so wholesome, and SO GOOD.

[Do you see the little specks of whole wheat in the linguine? That's how you know it's real!]

Yes, I'm talking about whole wheat pasta - the stuff that I thought is supposed to taste un-pasta-like. And no, not an exaggeration. My taste buds now understand the meaning of high quality gourmet pasta, and (for better or for worse) they now have seriously high expectations... Good thing I still have more Al Dente pasta left for future culinary experiments! ;)

Wish it didn't take me this long to realize that pasta can be both wholesome and delicious, and that my pasta-lover-appetite didn't have to be suppressed all these years... But surely better later than never!

Al Dente Pasta - welcome to my life! :)

#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

#WIAW New flavors & treats

Hello hello! Long time no blog! I hope you don't think I haven't been eating or exercising in the time I've take off! On the contrary, there have been plenty of culinary experiments in the past few days. That includes both successes and failures :)

For the past week, I've started what hopefully will soon become a habit. Following the advice of a dear blogger friend, Pre, I now start each day with simple sun salutations while I wait for the coffee to brew. These moves awaken my body and get me moving, breathing, and thinking for the day. At the same time, I have noticed I am more focused and calm throughout the rest of the day. Not a bad habit to start, eh? Thanks, Pre! :)

Today's WIAW eats & treats consisted of entirely new concoctions, and all entirely delicious and nutritious!

I am one of those people who goes to the kitchen first thing! I'm always hungry and ready to get creative. It's my favorite meal of the day. But today, I actually started by prepping my lunch because I had no leftovers to bring to class. I recently got a whole case of sweet potatoes from Costco, and was excited to make roasted sweet potatoes and carrots!

And so, I slices up one sweet potato and two carrots, tossed in olive oil, and roasted them at 350F for about 20 min, flipping them over half way through. Once they were in the oven, I did my sun salutations. :)

...And then it was time for breakfast!

{Breakfast - 6:30am} (1) Omelet (with garlic powder, salt, and pepper = so simple!) (2) Whole wheat flat bread with avocado and a dash of salt and peppa (= wow! ).

I have to admit - the avocado on toast is now a new favorite, and one I could have at any time of day. Why did it take me 23 years to realize this?!

While I love to "compartmentalize" my meals when putting everything on a plate, I usually end up combining everything when eating. The mashed avocado on the flatbread topped with the omelet was a magnificent "breakfast sandwich."

By the time I was done savoring every bite, my root veggies had finished roasting. Just look at these beauties!

P.S. As I'm sure most of you know, sweet potatoes and carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A (they are ranked at top #2 and #3!!!). However, being fat-soluble, you must consume it with something containing fatty acids in order for your body to effectively absorb and utilize it. So please don't fear adding healthy fats! In my case, the olive oil will do the trick! [I'm all for consuming healthy fats in the form of nuts, seeds, and oils! I don't believe in nor promote a low-fat diet.]

...Anyway... Got off-track here :)

{Morning Snack - 10am} - Strawberry Banana 2% CHO! OMG. I've never had this flavor before, and this was theee last one from the assortment pack that Chobani generously provided a few weeks ago. It reminded me of a strawberry banana smoothie. I expected to find chunks of banana, but instead if was more like mashed banana on the bottom, and I loved every spoonful. I actually didn't know Chobani made 2% Greek yogurt (I don't think my local supermarket has it), and I found the texture creamier. Oh Chobani, how I love thee.

{Lunch - 12pm} - Consumed with the besties, N & M! Nothing better than great company and great food!

I knew that the lovely roasted veggies would by no means be enough for lunch, so I created this - a product of three leftovers: cooked wheat berries, hard boiled egg white, white beans, and sauteed onion. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Not bad, actually! I also had a salad.

{Run - 5pm} It was 61 degrees when class finished, and though I was feeling tired, I wasn't going to let such a gorgeous day pass by! I drove home, put on my running gear, did a few stretches, and off I went for my fave 2.8-mile loop. In the middle, I stopped to stretch and did 50 lunges (25 on each leg). Tomorrow is supposed to be a high of 66 degrees, but unfortunately I'll be stuck indoors and/or driving from 7am to 10pm... Yup, that's my typical Thursday!

{Dinner - 7pm} Oh my goodness. This is what happens when I leave my grandma home alone... She watched Russian cooking shows and got creative... without me! [tear] Not only was there this gorgeous salad and side of quinoa, she also cooked pork chops in the juices of sauteed onion, garlic, apple, and prunes! Flavored with salt, pepper, and rosemary. The meat was incredibly tender, and the flavors were dancing on my palate. I went for seconds :)

I decided to have a small cup of decaf coffee with a few crackers for "dessert."

Ah, what a great day of great meals and moves!

Hope your week is going well!

Tell me: Have you tried any new recipes recently? Would love to hear about your inspirations and creations!

#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! ;)