Magical Healthy Alfredo Sauce

Hey All! This is going to be a quick little post because I just created a new recipe that I'm 100% stoked about, and I don't want to forget what I did! You know those foods that you just kinda have to give up completely when you commit to eating healthy? Well, one of those foods is Fettuccine Alfredo. Sorry to burst your bubble if you didn't know....but the traditional ingredients are butter, cream, cheese and salt. A restaurant style serving is about 1500 calories. Yikes!!

Anyway, this doesn't happen to me very often, but the idea for a recipe struck me; healthy Alfredo! I had begun to experiment with skim milk based cottage cheese blended up as a base for things, and I had heard that cashews can be used to make a cheese substitute. And the Wheels started turning. So, here it is:

Ingredients:
1.5 cloves of fresh garlic ( I buy a big bag of the pre-peeled stuff each week)
1 cup cashews
2 cups water
3-4 tsp salt (salt to taste! I never measure this so its really hard to estimate)
2 tbsp fresh diced parsley
1 tbsp fresh diced chives
1 cup Nancy's organic low fat cottage cheese (this is the exact brand I used, organic makes a difference w/cottage cheese)
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice(once again add to taste based on your preference)
1 tbsp. parmesan cheese (optional)
very small amount of olive or canola oil

1.) Turn on oven to 400 degrees.

2.) Combine 1 cup of cashews with 2 cups of water and two tsp of salt in a small pot. Turn burner on high and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. No need to waste time babysitting this as you're waiting for it to boil; start working on the rest of the sauce!

3.) After starting cashews on the stove, peel garlic. Set aside 3 pieces. Take the rest and very lightly coat them in oil. Put them on a baking sheet, and insert them into the oven. (no need to wait for it to fully preheat, this isn't a precision game!). The purpose of this step is to roast the garlic and give the sauce a sweeter, fuller garlic flavor. This takes approximately 10 minutes.

4.) Drain water from cashews, and dump cashews into blender. Add parsley, chives, raw garlic (3 pieces you set aside) and lemon juice to the blender. Blend until mixture is smooth

5.) Add 1 cup of cottage cheese. Blend.

6.) Add 1 cup of skim milk. Blend.

7.) Take garlic out of oven and add it to blender. (it should be starting to turn golden brown). Blend until smooth.

8.)Pour mixture from blender into saucepan on low heat. Gently stir for about 5 minutes. Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Add 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese if you feel so inclined.

9.) Serve the magic!!

If you are trying to keep you calories down, serve on spaghetti square, however, spinach fettuccine noodles are my absolute fav! Enjoy! Let me know what you think if you try it, and any suggestions to make it better :)

Operation: #NoMoreCheatDays

So here it is, the totally unpredictable post where I pledge to improve my fitness in 2015.  Here's the thing: I'm extremely optimistic and confident because I last year I learned what it took to be healthy AND look good.  I also learned how great it was to feel like a little hottie again ;) No shame here, peeps.

I always have some sort of phrase that keeps on playing over and over in my head.  Last March when I initially started the kick, it was #NoMoreCheatDays.  I literally would say to myself "HASHTAG no more cheat days!"

Although I still follow that general train of though (because I have to just to keep my "cheats" to a minimum, my new motto is "#Operation:SkinnyBitch2015."   I apologize in advance for using profanity, but for some reason I find it a little ironic and catchy, and it's what is sticking.  It makes me smile and not take myself to seriously, but is still keeping me motivated.

The key factor I found to work for me was to make an effort to eat really healthy. I haven't really bothered with calorie counting.  Instead I focus on finding meals that are high protein, and also eating lots of fruits/veggies.  I also try to choose the lower calorie option if I have a choice, but I don't count my total calories throughout the day.

I basically prepare all of my breakfasts, and 4 out of 5 dinners for the week.  I can never seem to get to all 5 - I always seem to have some social activity come up that prevents me.  Also - I gotta eat the leftovers!

So, without further ado, here is my meal plan for the week!

Breakfasts:
Alternate as preferred between these three:
1.) 1/4 -1/2 cup scrambled eggwhites with salsa (scramble the salsa into the eggwhites for full flavor)
2.) Old Fashioned oatmeal made with Almond Milk (add some Agave and cinnamon for flavor)
3.) Greek Yogurt Posicles
Source: Fruity Greek Yogurt Popsicles by Nutritioulicious.com

Note: My go-to is egg whites and salsa.  Egg whites are protein packed, and I prefer savory foods for breakfast!

Snacks: 1 snack between breakfast and lunch, 1 snack between lunch and dinner every day.
Pick your favorite!
1 serving of health nuts (I usually choose almonds or cashews)
1 serving of Edamame
1 Serving of fruit (apples slices, stawberries, or raspberries are my favorite)

Dinners:
1.) Stir fried broccoli beef with classic brown sauce
Source: America's Test Kitchen Comfort Food Makeovers page 52
2.) Beef Tataki 
Source: Beef Tataki Recipe Eatingwell.com
3.) Cashew Chicken
Source: America's Test Kitchen Comfort Food Makeovers page 37
4.) Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini
Source: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Recipe Eatingwell.com


A few notes on these dinners - these are all healthy spins on the classics.  You must follow the "healthy" version of the recipe or there is a good chance they won't actually be that healthy.  I am obsessed with my Comfort Food Makeovers book/magazine.  Its so awesome and so worth the money!  The recipes can't really be found online anywhere because America's Test Kitchen has done a good job locking down the content.  Eatingwell.com is an awesome free resource, and one of my go-to's for recipe ideas and baselines.

Also for my vegetarian friends, recipes one and three can both have tofu, or fake meat in substitution for the animal meat.  Two is basically a no-go unless you are Carnivorous, but 4 is vegetarian!



Grocery List:
Meat:
1 lb chicken breast
1 lb thinly sliced flank steak
1 lb top sirloin steak

Produce:
1 small spaghetti squash
1 bunch broccolini
1 fresh ginger root
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup chopped scallions (can use green onions as substitute)
1 clove of garlic
3 red peppers
1 lb broccoli crowns
8 oz snow peas

other:
8 0z water chestnuts
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
red pepper flakes
lemon juice
hoisin sauce
soy sauce
1/4 cup roasted cashews
Cooking Sherry or Chinese Rice Wine
corn starch
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
italian seasoning
olive oil
salt and pepper

Hopefully I didn't forget anything! Wow that took a lot longer than I expected! I hope someone takes advantage of this :)
Don't forget your healthy breakfast and snack foods of choice!