Joe was eating Kashi cereal for breakfast and found it to be high-calorie, high-sugar and not very satisfying.  So, he decided to tinker with his morning routine.  He reduced fat, calories, sugar, cholesterol and just made the morning better.  He now enjoys his parfait “on-the-go” or at his breakfast table.  With a little tinkering, he’s made huge improvements to his everyday meal.

One quick note on Joe’s re-do.  I recommend replacing Splenda with Stevia.  Stevia is a natural herb (don’t go with Truvia…not the same thing) that you can find at your local grocery in the organic section or at specialty stores like Natural Pantry.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you’ve redone or would like to re-do?  Send it to us at info@alaskafit.com or post it below.

Here’s what I did last night. Dinner called for:

Broccoli: 2 spears
Garlic Powder: 1 TBSP
Lentils: 1/2 cup boiled
Onion : 1TBSP choopped
Spinach : 1 bunch
Tomato: 1 small

Since it didn’t specify what kind of lentils, I used red baby lentils.  They have a milder, slightly sweeter flavor and cook very quickly. I sauteed the onion in a shallow pan, and added a bit of Tumeric (it’s a spice that’s good to use while on a cleanse).  I added the lentils, garlic and then about a cup of water for them to boil in.  When the lentils were almost done (about 10 minutes), I added the broccoli and some spinach.  To be honest, I didn’t use an entire bunch of spinach, only about half of it.  And since I missed having asparagus at lunch, I added in 3 spears of asparagus, too.

The green veggies got a little steaming and the garlic/tumeric/onion combination was yummy.   Feel free to experiment with other spices each day.  Good for a cleanse are tumeric, cumin and cayenne.

Share some of your tips below!

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Ingredients:

Coconut Oil:  1 teaspoon?  I didn’t measure…use it like olive oil…just enough to saute with.
Red Thai Chili Paste: as spicy as you like it
Onions: I used half of a large one
Fresh Ginger:  2-inch section, chopped
Low-sodium soy sauce…3 splashes
Tiger Prawns:  I used 6
Broccolli: Lots of it, chopped
Brown Rice Medley:  I usually cook up brown rice on Sundays and keep it in the fridge for times like this.

Directions:

In a frying pan/saute pan/wok, melt the coconut oil (it’s solid at room temperature).
Add the chili paste.  Let them warm up and mix together
Add onions and ginger.  Saute until soft (2 minutes?)
Add shrimp, cover the pan and let it steam (30 seconds).
You may need to add shots of water or soy sauce to add moisture to steam the shrimp & veggies.
I used frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, so as they thawed, the moisture worked to steam everything.
About a minute after adding the shrimp, add the broccoli, cover and steam for a minute or so, til
the broccoli is bright green.
Add another splash of soy sauce and the rice.
Let it all steam together (2-5 minutes).

That’s it.  Quick, easy, yummy.  Give it a try, experiment with your own version of this and
let me know how it goes…post your comments below.

Oh, and it’s all in one pot…or pan as the case may be.

To your health!

Additional tips from Joe:

I recently decided that if I’m going to call myself the Queen, I should put my money where my mouth is so to speak and share my one-pot masterpieces with my clients and friends of AlaskaFit.

So here you go.

I got home tonight at 8pm. I did have an apple and a peach for snacks as I made my way down the Seward Highway, so I was able to walk into my home and not feel the need to eat the walls.

I opened my fridge, to find some black beans and some rice that I had made on Sunday. These are staples that I often have in my fridge. They’re inexpensive, easy to make and keep forever. And did I mention easy?

I didn’t have enough rice to make a meal, so to be fair, tonight was technically a 2-pot meal because I made pasta to go with my black beans.

Here’s the one-pot recipe for black beans with tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1/2 Small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1TBSP Olive Oil
2 tsp Cumin
1 Can chopped tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 Cup cooked black beans (or 1 can of beans)
Hot Sauce to taste
Please note that all ingredients are to my taste and not scientifically formulated, so if you like more spice, go for it. Less spice, use less)

1. Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil til soft.
2. Sprinkle in Cumin, stir til onion and garlic are coated with Cumin.
3. Add black beans, stir til coated in Cumin
4. Add tomatoes
5. Add hot sauce if you like it spicy.
6. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes (or until the pasta you’re making in the other pot is done)
7. Serve over rice or pasta.

10 minutes start to finish, including dicing the onions and garlic. If you already have the pasta or rice made, it’s even less. And, it’s a healthy vegan meal. You’re getting fiber and protein in the beans and whole grain pasta or brown rice, energizing carbs, lycopene in the tomatoes, anti-coagulation benefits from the onion and garlic.

Do you have a 1-pot meal you’re proud of? Post it below. Some day when I create a cookbook, I’ll be sure to add your recipe.

And, of course, what would a recipe be without a picture of the final product? Taken on my iPhone.

Veggie Pita Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

½ whole wheat pita – whole pita, sliced in half and lightly toasted

Ingredients:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 can (or box) low sodium, organic chicken broth
1 8oz can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can black beans
1 bunch cilantro
8-10 tomatillos
1 TBSP olive oil
Fresh grated cheese

Directions:
Cook chicken breasts, chop into pieces, set aside. Rinse diced tomatoes and black beans, strain in separate bowls. De-stem and rinse cilantro.

Peel and slice tomatillos, then sauté them in olive oil until translucent.  Add broth, tomatoes and chicken and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add black beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve with fresh grated cheese.

Tip 1: For a creamy version, add a spoonful of strained, non-fat plain yogurt to your bowl. It’s as tasty as sour cream. You can even buy yogurt strainers in your grocery store.

Tip 2: Add  some grain to your soup! Toss in a handful of cooked rice and a squeeze of lime for zest!

Full of vitamin C, folate (the vitamin B that creates red blood cells) and fiber, strawberries are an amazing, and tasty, fruit, but did you know they also contain anthocyanidins, which help protect against heart disease?

Here’s a quick recipe for a healthy, and deliciously different, salad dressing that would pair beautifully in a wilted spinach salad with grilled chicken breast, toasted almonds, and crumbled feta. Whether you like salty and sweet, or creamy and crunchy, the savory pairing of strawberries and balsamic vinegar can’t be beat!

Ingredients:
1-cup strawberries (sliced)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tspn ground pepper
¼ tspn sugar or stevia
¼ tbsp salt
2 tbsps almond oil

Directions:
Place all ingredients, except oil, in a blender or food processor; blend until pureed. Add oil and process again until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Optional:
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
To make dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

For tender wild rice, cook using an extra cup of water, then drain, and cool.  Toss rice with dressing.

Wash greens, and then remove all stems and ribs. Roll greens length-wise and chop in thin strips.

Combine greens with diced peppers, thinly sliced fennel bulb and chopped green onion. Just before serving, toss veggies with dressed rice. Serves 6.