Deactivated Fat Girl
Got this photo from one of my Herbalife family members!
Very easy snack option when you’re on the go and need something quick! For a healthier alternative to peanut butter, try PB2. It comes in peanut butter and chocolate. You can usually purchase it at Amazon.com or iHerb.com!
Hey you guys!
Okay, so let me apologize WAY in advance about this photo. YES, this pitiful, dark looking photo is mine. I was SO hungry that I went in my living room and sat in front of the TV, and thought “Oh wait…maybe I should take a picture??” LOL My ‘greedy’ fork was already all IN that plate!
I dunno why but here lately, I’ve been craving seafood and can’t seem to get enough of it. So I decided to hop online and find a recipe for crab cakes that didn’t require a lot of heavy stuff that I didn’t need since I’m still in the deactivating phase of my lifestyle change!
I ended up finding this wonderful recipe online that came out SO FREAKING GOOD that I have NO words! I only had two issues: First, I made them (I made more than one) way too big. Next time, I’ll be sure to make them about 3 or so inches, as the recipe actually suggests and two, I ended up quadrupling the recipe b/c I was making them for me PLUS another and thought “Hmm, well what if we want two?” Needless to say, WAY too much! I clearly have enough to eat tomorrow AND Sunday if I wanted to!
Nonetheless, the recipe can be found HERE and below! Hope you enjoy it and if you make it, let me know how you love it (PS: I made it with cauliflower mash and topped the mash with red/yellow peppers. SO good! PS2: If at all possible, please get REAL lump crabmeat and not some imitation. You don’t need the extra salt or preservatives. Oh and PS3: I didn’t make the roasted red pepper sauce).
Makes 8 three-inch cakes
Crab Cake Ingredients:
1 cup lump crab meat
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 Tbl parsley, chopped
1.5 Tbl coconut flour
2 Tbl coconut oil
Gently pick through the crab to make sure there are no shells or cartilage in the meat, and add to a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the egg, lemon juice, and dijon mustard, mixing until smooth. In a third bowl, combine the old bay, parsley, and coconut flour, mixing thoroughly. Gently add the egg mixture to the crab, folding until combined. Then add the dry ingredients to the crab mixture and gently mix in. Try not to break up/shred the pieces of crab too much. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a nonstick saute pan. Form 8 small cakes and place carefully in the hot oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels.
Thanks to Kae B. for sending me the link to this recipe! I absolutely LOVE California Pizza Kitchen’s ‘spaghettini’ and this recipe is the exact same thing, minus the pasta! Instead of using all those carbs that are typically found in pasta, you’re using SPAGHETTI SQUASH…a new obsession of mine!! Save the recipe HERE!! Enjoy!
PS: Make adjustments as needed. I’d likely not use the heavy cream or butter b/c technically, it’s not needed. But of course, adjust to your own health goals!
- 1 whole Spaghetti Squash
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, Divided
- 1 bunch Asparagus, Woody Stems Removed
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 pound Raw Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
- 30 whole Cherry Tomatoes
- ⅛ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking dishes with nonstick aluminum foil or coat the foil with nonstick spray. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (this may take a little bit of patience since they’re pretty large). Scrape away all the seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of each half of squash, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt each. Place one squash half into each baking dish, flesh side down. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until cooked and tender.
After the squash has been in the oven for about 45 minutes, start preparing the shrimp and vegetables. First, steam or blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes and allow it to cool. Once it’s cool enough to touch, cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces, then set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skilled or shallow pot, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add the shrimp, cherry tomatoes and asparagus to the pot, seasoning with freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the heavy cream and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until thickened. Then put it on warm until you are ready to serve.
Once the spaghetti squash is out of the oven and cooled, use a fork or large spoon to scrape out the noodle-like flesh and place it into a large bowl for serving.
To serve, first place a pile of spaghetti squash “pasta” on a plate. Spoon a portion of the shrimp and vegetable mixture over the spaghetti squash, making sure to add plenty of the sauce. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6 people.
Man, oh, man! You guys will probably pick up on the fact that I’m a serious lover of sweet potatoes…and a food mixer. There are people out there who don’t like their foods to touch, but I’m the girl who says MIX IT ALL.
I was browsing the web for recipes as I usually do these days and came across this amazing recipe for quesadillas that includes chicken, spinach, and…you guessed it…sweet potatoes! Party in my mouth!
The recipe below calls for a red vinegar and sugar mix for the onions. If you want to cut down on the calories (and the extra sugar all together) but still want the onions, sautée them with good ole olive or coconut oil. I’m definitely going to leave that part out! If you decide to try it, please let me know how it is!
Via SweetToothSweetLife.com:
Chicken, Sweet Potato, & Spinach Quesadillas
Cook Time: About 40 minutes
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
2 small (or 1 medium) sweet potatoes
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 black peppercorns
1 medium onion, sliced
4 whole wheat tortillas (*I used LaTortilla Factory Low Carb Whole Wheat)
2 small (or 1 medium) chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2-3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 teaspoons olive oil
Directions:
Microwave potatoes on high until tender (about 10 minutes). Split cooked potatoes open with a knife and allow to cool.
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and peppercorns; bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar.
Place onion slices in a medium bowl; pour hot vinegar mixture over onion and let stand 10 minutes. Drain onion slices and transfer to a plate to cool.
Remove flesh from sweet potatoes, transfer to a bowl, and mash with a fork, adding salt and pepper to taste. Divide potato filling between 2 tortillas. Top each tortilla evenly with spinach, pickled onions, cooked chicken, and 1/4 cup cheese.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, heat 1 teaspoon oil and transfer 1 quesadilla to skillet; cook until quesadilla is crisp and cheese is melted (about 3 minutes per side). Transfer cooked quesadilla to serving plate. Repeat with remaining oil and quesadilla.
Cut into quarters and serve with salsa and/or sour cream/plain Greek yogurt. ENJOY!
You guys know that I’m LOVING all these new recipe ideas that I’m finding. One of my weaknesses is SPAGHETTI! Of course you can go the route of whole wheat pasta but it’s still a heavy carb (if you’re not careful). I recently saw someone on Instagram (don’t forget to follow me there @DeactivatedFatGirl) who made a spaghetti dish out of squash! I’m 100% with it. In case you didn’t know, spaghetti squash is loaded with vitamins and fiber….all good for the belly (and body). Check out this recipe that I found over at Steamy Kitchen! I AM trying this before the weekend is up!
As a small aside, I’d likely remove the butter from this and go easy on the cheese. Maybe use coconut oil or olive oil.
ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.
2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.
Tomato & Kale Frittata
This is an awesome, healthy and super quick recipe my friend whipped up for those of us on the go! Especially college students living on a budget. Doesn’t it look amazing? And only 3 main (and clean) ingredients! The Jason’s-Bites recipe here.
![Paleo banana nut bread :o)
3 eggs, separated (keep the yolks and whites separate!)4 or 5 tbsp honey (up to you!)4 tbsp olive oil3 mashed bananas (3 small, or 2-3 big)1 tsp vanilla1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp ground cinnamon2 cups almond flour1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional, and likely broken into smaller pieces if you use them)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy. I use a hand-held mixer for this. It takes about five minutes.
3. Add the olive oil, vanilla, and mashed banana to the bowl, mixing well.
4. In a smaller separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, baking powder and almond flour and sift well. You don’t have to do this, honestly, before you add it to the big bowl, but an even distribution of the spices and powder never hurts.
5. Add that mixture of spices and powder to the bowl and stir well.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. A hand mixer is champion at this. Stiff peaks are vital.
7. Fold the egg whites into the banana mixture to pull it away from the sides before gradually folding the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.
8. If you’re the nutty type, go ahead and add your cup of pecans or walnuts to the mixture and stir well.
9. Lightly butter 2 foil bread loaf pans and pour the banana mixture in.
10. Place in oven for 40-45 minutes
[SOURCE]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_madtwtixiz1rg6xyuo1_400.jpg)
Paleo banana nut bread :o)
3 eggs, separated (keep the yolks and whites separate!)
4 or 5 tbsp honey (up to you!)
4 tbsp olive oil
3 mashed bananas (3 small, or 2-3 big)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups almond flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional, and likely broken into smaller pieces if you use them)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy. I use a hand-held mixer for this. It takes about five minutes.
3. Add the olive oil, vanilla, and mashed banana to the bowl, mixing well.
4. In a smaller separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, baking powder and almond flour and sift well. You don’t have to do this, honestly, before you add it to the big bowl, but an even distribution of the spices and powder never hurts.
5. Add that mixture of spices and powder to the bowl and stir well.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. A hand mixer is champion at this. Stiff peaks are vital.
7. Fold the egg whites into the banana mixture to pull it away from the sides before gradually folding the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.
8. If you’re the nutty type, go ahead and add your cup of pecans or walnuts to the mixture and stir well.
9. Lightly butter 2 foil bread loaf pans and pour the banana mixture in.
10. Place in oven for 40-45 minutes
I have got to do better with trying to take a pic of the stuff I make BEFORE taking a bite of it and ruining the presentation lol! I just made somewhat of a late lunch and wanted to share with you what I did! This pizza was so freakin’ good and if you only eat HALF of it, it will definitely be under 300 calories (give the other half to a friend or save it for later and have fruit or salad as your “side”). You’ll need:
whole wheat pita bread (the smaller sizes that are about the same size as a personal pan pizza)
1 chicken breast
feta cheese crumbles (abt 2 tbsp, brand doesn’t matter so much)
fresh spinach (no limit…use as much or as little as you’d like)
onions (not pictured but again, as much or as little as you’d like)
extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
First, take a single chicken breast and cut it horizontally so that you have two pieces of chicken but in thinner pieces. Season to your liking (I used pepper, a little sea salt, and garlic powder) and cook in the oven at about 350-375 for about 10’ish minutes (this depends on your oven but watch it closely. Since the pieces are thinner, they cook faster). As a small aside, I always put a little water in the baking pan with my chicken and cover it with aluminum foil, as it leaves the chicken really moist. Maybe you knew that already but for those who don’t…
While the chicken is baking, take your spinach and onions (tomato would also taste really good on it) and sautée it in a small pan with a little olive or coconut oil. Careful not to over do it bc it’s going in the oven. Once that’s done, put it to the side and begin prepping your bread.
Take your pita bread and lightly sprinkle it with olive oil. If you have one of those fancy smancy kitchen brushes, use that to evenly spread the oil on your bread (I don’t have that so I went hood and used my finger lol but for those who are more classy, use the back of a spoon).
Next, sprinkle the garlic powder on. I LOVE the taste of garlic (but am always too lazy to deal with real garlic) so I go a little hard with sprinkling it on. For fun, I also added some parsley and basil to it.
Add the spinach/onion mix to the pita bread and spread it around it evenly. By this point, your chicken should be done. Cut the chicken up in smaller pieces (you will NOT need both pieces. Remember we cut it in half?) and add it to the top of your pita bread.
From there, sprinkle the feta cheese on top of your “pizza” (you can also use a little low fat mozzarella instead of the feta but I had a taste for feta). Put it back in the oven for about 8 minutes. Although the pizza is small enough to eat in one sitting, save some calories (and carbs) by cutting it in half and saving the other piece for later. Add a side of grapes, strawberries, cherries, or even a small salad and there you go!
I didn’t follow a specific recipe for this BUT it tasted soo freakin’ good that I had to share! I promise to get better about sharing actual pics of my food in the future! If you decide to try it, tag me in a photo!! 😃
Healthy Snacks!
I’ve never been a HUGE snacker but a few weeks before I got on into my lifestyle change (cuz we don’t diet around here), I began reading up the importance of constantly fueling your body every few hours to keep your metabolism in check and optimize your ability to lose weight.
