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! :)

Barney Butter... What are you doing to me?! {Review... And giveaway?}

A while ago the very kind folks at Barney Butter were quite generous to send me the most wonderful "care package" (I call it a care package because it came during exam week and immediately brightened up my life!). A 10oz jar of Crunchy Barney Butter and 2 squeeze packets of the Creamy Barney Butter!

Because I still hadn't finished my MaraNatha almond butter, I convinced myself to wait to try Barney Butter... Since my excitement was too high to stay away, I asked my grandma to hide it from me... Good thing she did because I finally had some today, and now I'm seriously worried... It's way too good to be true... And by "way" I mean it's dangerous for me to be near this jar... because it might not be around for much longer...

It's crunchy (which made me realize how much I love and miss chunky nut butters!). It's slightly sweet (a product of natural sweetness of almonds and the addition of evaporated cane juice). And of course, it has a hint of salty...

The texture is phenomenal... Apart from the chunks of almonds, the butter is soooo smooth. And there is something caramel-like about it, too! I want to say it's a whole lot like peanut butter disguised in the healthier version of almond butter! ...oh dear...

And apart from its deliciousness, what some of you may find to be especially notable is that Barney Butter is peanut-free and made in a peanut-free facility! So if you or someone you know is allergic to peanuts, not to worry! Barney Butter has come to the rescue! :)

So after begging my grandma to finally give it to me (I still haven't finished MaraNatha but didn't want to wait any longer), I finally enjoyed this spoonful of heaven atop my fave, one and only, protein muffin...

But not the good ole' banana vanilla protein muffin that started my protein muffin revolution...

Meet the Vanilla-Apple-Hemp seed Protein Muffin!

Dry Ingredients:
1 scoop of SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Nutiva hemp seeds(!!!)

Wet Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water; mix and allow to stand for ~3 min)

Directions: Mix the wet into the dry, and stir until mixture forms batter. Microwave for 3 min in a microwave-safe dish and allow to stand for another few min. Remove from the dish and enjoy with any toppings of choice! I went for that Barney Butter right away. :)

A fantastic, filling, delicious, and healthy breakfast. I was thinking about it as I was falling asleep last night. I wanted something protein-packed because I went running and lifted last night and needed better recovery today.

So while I bragged about this incredible new almond butter discovery, I'm sorry if I made you jealous!

Just take a look at these nutrition facts, and if you weren't impressed before... something tells me you'll want to try Barney Butter now...

[Click on the image for more details!]

So... was I right or was I right? ;)

Tell me: would you like to try Barney Butter, too?

If yes, comment below and I'll see what I can do about a giveaway! :)

I hope your weekend is going well! Thanks for stopping by, as always.

#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!

This Week's Protein Favorites & Chobani Giveaway Winner!

I recently rediscovered my love for egg white omelets... They bring back so many college memories. While I was there, my university had already begun to make great efforts toward conscientious and sustainable eating by offering farm-fresh & cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and local organic produce. By the time senior year rolled around, there was an entire vegan salad bar resembling that of Whole Foods! Roasted beet salad with clementines... Merinated mushrooms... Roasted tofu... And even seitan!

In the mornings, I would often let the chef get creative with my omelets. Each time, I would find a different combination of veggies in my omelet and the absolutely best was when there was ooey gooey cheesy goodness. When I gave up meat and then dairy, the chef embraced the new challenge - he would add tofu or smokey tempeh (amazing!). On some mornings, I would bring my own container of Daiya or nutritional yeast, and he would recreate the cheesy goodness. Of course, this was truly special... and happened only because I was one of theee first students to come to the dining hall as soon as it opened at 7am (I was always an early bird, with early lectures, and looked forward to waking up early to start my productive day!)

I recently shifted my focus from cardio (mainly in the form of running) to strength-training (all done at home with resistance bands! I'm dreaming of a gym membership because I'm getting bored of working out at home), and have been trying to make some appropriate changes in my diet, too.

I have always loved eggs, and you know I'm especially obsessed with runny yolks! (Check out all of my Happyolks posts!). The yolk unfortunately has a bad rep because of its cholesterol content, but I surely hope ya'll don't think that it's bad for you! The egg as a whole is the perfect source of complete protein, folate, B vitamins, and lecithin (one of my fave bloggers, Sarah, just wrote a wonderful post on the incredible, edible egg yolk), and the cholesterol is actually good for for blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels! So, don't fear the happyolk! Embrace it :)

Because I always do, it's important that I don't over-do on my happyolks, and on some days I do choose to go with the egg white only. However, I don't believe in letting the beautiful egg yolk go to waste. Instead, I've invested in liquid egg whites!

Today's egg white omelet was filled with fresh veggies - my fave combo from the college days: broccoli, cauliflower, and red pepper.

A side of ketchup is a must.

My other recent protein-licious creation, as you may have noticed, is the protein muffin, inspired by the very awesome Chelsey. I've been making one nearly every day, and now that I've got the hang of it and know the recipe by heart, I decided to get creative with the flavors...

Today's protien muffin: {Chocolate - Almond Butter Swirl Lava Protein Muffin}... okay, that's too long...

Swirl? Because it has two layers - bottom is the regular vanilla, top is chocolate, but it came out swirled!

Lava? Because it has an almond butter center!

Yup, I'm proud of this one :)

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

• 1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla protein powder


• 1/8 tsp. salt (helps to balance the "chalkiness" of protein powders! works like magic!)


• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon


• 1/8 tsp. baking soda


• 1/4 tsp. vanilla


• 1/4 cup fruit puree (i.e. banana, pumpkin, apple, pear, carrot - in fact, you can use baby food!)


• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. warm water, left to sit for ~3 minutes)


• cooking spray


• 1 tsp. cocoa powder


• 1 tbsp nut butter

Directions:

1. First combine the dry (except the cocoa powder), and then add the wet ingredients.


2. Stir until you have a "batter" - it will be sticky and thick!


3. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray.


4. Scoop 1/2 of the batter and spread to cover the bottom of the baking dish.


5. Make an indent in the middle and scoop the spoonful of nut butter.


6. Stir in the cocoa powder to the remaining 1/2 of the batter, and add to the baking dish to completelyy cover the nut butter.


7. Microwave for 3min and allow to stand for a minute or so.


8. Use a butter knife to loosen the muffin away from the edges.


9. Enjoy! I love to top my protein muffin with more nut butter or fruit preserves, or to crumble it on top of Greek yogurt for even more protein!

Last but definitely not least, the Chobani Champions has also made it to the Top 3 Protein Favorites of the Week! Indeed, Chobani Champions is the first Greek yogurt for kids, but who says an adult can't enjoy this delicious and healthy goodness? I'm a total fan!

These are smaller than the "adult" Chobani - 3.5oz instead of 6oz, and contains 8g (16% DV) of protein, about 100 calories. Creamy, smooth, and sweet (but not too sweet), they are a perfect afternoon snack. I've only tried the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk and the Orange Vanilla flavors. You can actually see the chocolate and the orange zest. Yup - that's what I call real food with real ingredients! Looks like there are also 2 other flavors! Honey Nanna and Verry Berry. YUM!

...Speaking of Chobani... Thanks to everyone for entering the Chobani Giveaway! The lucky winner will be getting an assortment case of Chobani Greek Yogurt!

...AND THE WINNER IS...

PARISA!

Congrats, girl! With just one comment entry, you're one lucky duck! Please check your email!

TGIF! Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

xoxo. Veronica

P.S. Please share your favorite sources of protein! Would love to hear from you! 

#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! ;)

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!