Hi all,
I decided to change the blog name, you can now find the new blog here including all the old posts:
http://sproutsnsquats.blogspot.com.au
Thursday 7 March 2013
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Eggplant fritters with yoghurt topping
Workout today
This mornings 12WBT workout consisted of legs and arm exercises. At the end was two x 4 minute Tabata rounds of 20 sec on/10 sec off. One of them was push ups and last week I skipped doing it because I knew I would struggle. This week I was determined to push myself to do it even though I didn't want to.
I was able to stay on my toes to about halfway through and then had to alternate between doing them on my knees and toes. At the end I felt like I wished I could have gotten through them all on my toes but I was glad I forced myself to do it this time as the only way to get better is with practice.
Dinner tonight
For dinner tonight I'm making Kasey's recipe for Lentil Sloppy Joes. Ever since I saw the recipe a few weeks ago I've been meaning to make it and tonight is finally the night. I'm planning on adding lots of extra vegies to mine in the form of capsicum and mushrooms as I will probably serve it with some bread not salad as she did.
Here's what my prep looks like so far:
Right now onto Eggplant Fritters. I am really into making vegetable fritters at the moment and wanted to experiment with different vegetables apart from corn and zucchini so decided to give them a go with eggplants. This recipe takes some prep at the start but that can be done in advance.
Eggplant fritters
Servings: 2, Serving size: 3.5 Fritters, Calories: 186 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
2 Large Eggplants
30g Wholemeal flour
1 Egg
2 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Bragg's Herbs & Spices Seasoning (or any general herb mix).
1/4 Cup Water
Salt
Pepper
1. Pierce whole eggplants with a knife.
2. Place whole eggplants on a tray to roast in a moderate to hot oven for about 45 minutes or until soft in the middle (should feel squishy):
3. Let eggplants cool and then peel the skin off and discard and then chop up the insides finely. (This is what could be done ahead of time)
4. Add the eggplant insides (I feel there should be a better way to say this!) to a bowl along with flour, egg, garlic, cumin, spices, water and salt and pepper. Mix well:
5. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
6. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time to form about 7 fritters. You don't have to measure but I just find it easier when I do.
7. Fry each fritter until golden brown on each side be careful when you turn them over.
Yoghurt topping
Servings: 1, Serving size: All of it, Calories: 56 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
75g Low Fat Greek Yoghurt
1 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon if you have it
1. Mix together yoghurt, cumin, garlic, lemon and salt and pepper.
3. Adjust the garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
I served my fritters and topped with the yoghurt sauce with a side salad and all up it was 285 Calories and it was yummy:
Do you have to push yourself to do certain exercises you don't want to do? What's on the menu for dinner tonight?
This mornings 12WBT workout consisted of legs and arm exercises. At the end was two x 4 minute Tabata rounds of 20 sec on/10 sec off. One of them was push ups and last week I skipped doing it because I knew I would struggle. This week I was determined to push myself to do it even though I didn't want to.
I was able to stay on my toes to about halfway through and then had to alternate between doing them on my knees and toes. At the end I felt like I wished I could have gotten through them all on my toes but I was glad I forced myself to do it this time as the only way to get better is with practice.
Dinner tonight
For dinner tonight I'm making Kasey's recipe for Lentil Sloppy Joes. Ever since I saw the recipe a few weeks ago I've been meaning to make it and tonight is finally the night. I'm planning on adding lots of extra vegies to mine in the form of capsicum and mushrooms as I will probably serve it with some bread not salad as she did.
Here's what my prep looks like so far:
Right now onto Eggplant Fritters. I am really into making vegetable fritters at the moment and wanted to experiment with different vegetables apart from corn and zucchini so decided to give them a go with eggplants. This recipe takes some prep at the start but that can be done in advance.
Servings: 2, Serving size: 3.5 Fritters, Calories: 186 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
2 Large Eggplants
30g Wholemeal flour
1 Egg
2 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Bragg's Herbs & Spices Seasoning (or any general herb mix).
1/4 Cup Water
Salt
Pepper
1. Pierce whole eggplants with a knife.
2. Place whole eggplants on a tray to roast in a moderate to hot oven for about 45 minutes or until soft in the middle (should feel squishy):
3. Let eggplants cool and then peel the skin off and discard and then chop up the insides finely. (This is what could be done ahead of time)
4. Add the eggplant insides (I feel there should be a better way to say this!) to a bowl along with flour, egg, garlic, cumin, spices, water and salt and pepper. Mix well:
5. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
6. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time to form about 7 fritters. You don't have to measure but I just find it easier when I do.
7. Fry each fritter until golden brown on each side be careful when you turn them over.
Yoghurt topping
Servings: 1, Serving size: All of it, Calories: 56 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
75g Low Fat Greek Yoghurt
1 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon if you have it
1. Mix together yoghurt, cumin, garlic, lemon and salt and pepper.
3. Adjust the garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
I served my fritters and topped with the yoghurt sauce with a side salad and all up it was 285 Calories and it was yummy:
Do you have to push yourself to do certain exercises you don't want to do? What's on the menu for dinner tonight?
Monday 4 March 2013
Cardio Monday
Last week I felt like I was verging on getting sick so on my cardio days I took it easy and didn't do my 12WBT workout as I listened to my body rather than pushing myself.
Today I feel back to normal and so I completed my workout as normal. This workout was no joke, it included the cross trainer, steady state running, running sprints, rowing, burpees and mountain climbers. By the end I was ready to fall in a heap but I was feeling good that I got to the end especially after not feeling like I could give it my all last week.
Whenever I do running sprints I always need music to help get me through. I usually just repeat the same song over and over as it helps me just get on with it. At the moment my favourite sprinting song is Spectrum (Say My Name) by Florence & The Machine. I pause it at the chorus on my breaks and then press play when I have to sprint so that it is blasting in my ears and I can just focus on the music instead of my mind trying to talk me into stopping the sprint early.
My favourite workout tracks at the moment are:
Do you have a go to song for when your workouts are at a tough part? What are your favourite workout songs right now?
Today I feel back to normal and so I completed my workout as normal. This workout was no joke, it included the cross trainer, steady state running, running sprints, rowing, burpees and mountain climbers. By the end I was ready to fall in a heap but I was feeling good that I got to the end especially after not feeling like I could give it my all last week.
Whenever I do running sprints I always need music to help get me through. I usually just repeat the same song over and over as it helps me just get on with it. At the moment my favourite sprinting song is Spectrum (Say My Name) by Florence & The Machine. I pause it at the chorus on my breaks and then press play when I have to sprint so that it is blasting in my ears and I can just focus on the music instead of my mind trying to talk me into stopping the sprint early.
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| Image courtesy: Google images |
My favourite workout tracks at the moment are:
- Spectrum (Say My Name) - Florence & the Machine, Calvin Harris remix
- Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Trouble - Taylor Swift
- Scream and Shout - Will.I.Am & Britney Spears
- Don't you worry child - Swedish House Mafia
Do you have a go to song for when your workouts are at a tough part? What are your favourite workout songs right now?
Sunday 3 March 2013
Circuit Workout Sunday
This morning I had very limited time to workout before heading out to meet a friend for brunch (one of my favourite things to do) so I decided to put together a quick circuit to work hard in a short amount of time.
I've loved circuit workouts every since I first did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred dvd about a year ago. Once I'd done it I started doing circuit workouts all the time. Now however for the most part I follow the Advanced Lean and Fit exercise component only of the 12WBT but I always add extra workouts to it or mix it up with my own stuff like longer runs and pilates. I'm currently reading Jillian Michael's new book that I'll post a review on soon and she talked all about the benefits of circuit training and it made me crave wanting to do one today.
Here's the circuit I put together for today:
I love adding in some Tabata training to get me really working hard. I use one of the free Tabata apps on my phone that counts the 20 sec on/10 sec off for you and it makes doing these workouts that much easier. All up it took me just under 24 minutes to complete:
Once I was done it was off to brunch:
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Poached eggs on top of a field mushroom served with buckwheat, lentils, grapes and goat's cheese, delicious!!
Do you like doing circuit workouts? What's your favourite quick go-to workout?
I've loved circuit workouts every since I first did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred dvd about a year ago. Once I'd done it I started doing circuit workouts all the time. Now however for the most part I follow the Advanced Lean and Fit exercise component only of the 12WBT but I always add extra workouts to it or mix it up with my own stuff like longer runs and pilates. I'm currently reading Jillian Michael's new book that I'll post a review on soon and she talked all about the benefits of circuit training and it made me crave wanting to do one today.
Here's the circuit I put together for today:
Once I was done it was off to brunch:
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Do you like doing circuit workouts? What's your favourite quick go-to workout?
Saturday 2 March 2013
Sweet and Sour Tofu
My boyfriend absolutely cannot stand tofu so I'm always trying to come up with new ways to cook it to try and entice him to eat it. This recipe I'm hoping will do that but I'm yet to try it out to confirm whether it will get his seal of approval. Even if it doesn't I'm definitely going to keep making it just for me on nights when he is out or has to work back.
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Servings: 1, Serving size: All of it, Calories: 123 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
125g Firm Tofu chopped into cubes
1 tsp Garlic
2 Tbs Tamari (or soy sauce would work too)
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
2 Drops of Stevia or other sweetener (You could also substitute some honey)
Spray oil
1. Spray a small pan with oil and cook Tofu until golden brown on each side.
2. Whilst Tofu is cooking combine garlic, tamari, apple cider, water and stevia in a small bowl. Mix well.
3. Add the mixture to the pan and make sure the tofu is coated thoroughly.
4. Turn the Tofu over once it has started to soak up the mixture.
5. Once the sauce has cooked down, enjoy! I served mine up with some Quinoa, alfalfa, grated carrot, coriander and mushrooms with a drizzle of sweet chilli:
Simple but delicious!
Is there anything you absolutely refuse to eat?
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Servings: 1, Serving size: All of it, Calories: 123 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
125g Firm Tofu chopped into cubes
1 tsp Garlic
2 Tbs Tamari (or soy sauce would work too)
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
2 Drops of Stevia or other sweetener (You could also substitute some honey)
Spray oil
1. Spray a small pan with oil and cook Tofu until golden brown on each side.
2. Whilst Tofu is cooking combine garlic, tamari, apple cider, water and stevia in a small bowl. Mix well.
3. Add the mixture to the pan and make sure the tofu is coated thoroughly.
4. Turn the Tofu over once it has started to soak up the mixture.
5. Once the sauce has cooked down, enjoy! I served mine up with some Quinoa, alfalfa, grated carrot, coriander and mushrooms with a drizzle of sweet chilli:
Simple but delicious!
Is there anything you absolutely refuse to eat?
Wednesday 27 February 2013
What I ate Wednesday
This is my first ever What-I-Ate-Wednesday post.The concept comes from the blog Peas and Crayon linked below:
Inspired by other blogs who do it on a regular basis I want to expand my
regular posts to include more than just recipes and I thought this was a
great way to start.
So here it is:
To start the day I needed a berocca to get me going. I don't have them everyday and I usually have the tablets ready to go but this morning I woke up super tired so needed a kick start.
I had a slice of homemade Sultana/Apple Bread that I made which uses a similar recipe base for my Healthy Banana Bread. I had it with a cup of tea and some Mixed Berry Chia Jam using the recipe from Powercakes blog which can be found here.
I had a much needed Chai latte to keep me going mid morning.
For lunch I had a salad made with spinach, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, seeds and sweet-n-sour tofu that I will post the recipe for soon.
I had a Pink Lady apple in the afternoon for a snack along with multiple Vitawheat and cups of tea and a few rice crackers.
Dinner was one of my favourites - Pita Pizza. I made it with mushrooms, olives, artichokes and topped it all with Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce.
I finished the day with Mango/Banana Yonanas ice cream topped with coconut flakes, delicious!!!
So here it is:
I had a Pink Lady apple in the afternoon for a snack along with multiple Vitawheat and cups of tea and a few rice crackers.
I finished the day with Mango/Banana Yonanas ice cream topped with coconut flakes, delicious!!!
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Sweet and Sour Calamari
I would love to say that I'm the type of person that loves all kinds of seafood but some like oysters and mussels I just don't enjoy. They have an 'ick' factor that I just can't get past. However I do very much enjoy squid/calamari when it is done right and when I don't have to prep the whole squid from scratch.
This recipe is really quick and simple and one that I've made again and again.
Sweet and Sour Calamari
Servings: 2, Serving size:1/2 Recipe, Calories: 232 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
300g Celery, chopped finely
1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
1 tsp Garlic
375g Calamari (In large pieces preferably not rings)
125 ml (1/2 Cup) of Stock, Fish or Vegetable
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2.5 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water
2 Drops of Stevia or other sweetener (You could also substitute some honey)
Salt
Pepper
Oil Spray
1. Chop calamari into pieces around 4cm each:
2. Spray a large pan with oil and heat to medium.
3. Add garlic, onion and celery. Let it cook for around 5 minutes:
4. Add the calamari and stock and stir. Cover with a lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, water, stevia and salt and pepper.
6. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it cook for another 10 minutes until the calamari and celery are tender.
7. Serve up with either brown rice or as I did the other day some nice crusty sourdough rye bread, just make sure to add on the calories for these additions.
More recipes to come.
Are there any recipes you would like to see healthified?
This recipe is really quick and simple and one that I've made again and again.
Sweet and Sour Calamari
Servings: 2, Serving size:1/2 Recipe, Calories: 232 Calories per serve
Ingredients:
300g Celery, chopped finely
1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
1 tsp Garlic
375g Calamari (In large pieces preferably not rings)
125 ml (1/2 Cup) of Stock, Fish or Vegetable
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2.5 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water
2 Drops of Stevia or other sweetener (You could also substitute some honey)
Salt
Pepper
Oil Spray
1. Chop calamari into pieces around 4cm each:
3. Add garlic, onion and celery. Let it cook for around 5 minutes:
5. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, water, stevia and salt and pepper.
6. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it cook for another 10 minutes until the calamari and celery are tender.
7. Serve up with either brown rice or as I did the other day some nice crusty sourdough rye bread, just make sure to add on the calories for these additions.
Are there any recipes you would like to see healthified?
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