It was tough to leave everyone and my routine there behind but now I am back in Salt Lake City, sitting outside in the sun, sipping some iced peach green tea and relaxing after two semesters of tough work. This year I learned that I love to read and learn. That is something I really thought I would never love or want to do. In fact, I've been having a tough time sitting around all day and not going to class to learn something new. But I guess that's what books, TED talks, and conversations are for! Do you guys have any favorite books you recommend I read?
It has been nice, though, getting back into my groove at home. I get up around 8-8:30 every day and have my morning coffee and bowl of cereal with banana and peanut flour. Then I hit the gym to either lift or do a class. Classes at my gym are amazing. I really connect with the instructors and have created a network over there. I may even start teaching classes soon! I am excited to see what happens with that. After my exercise class or lift I come back home to my wondrous kitchen and whip up my new favorite breakfast known as cauliproats!
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 1/2 cup oat bran or old fashioned oats
- 1-1.5 cups hot water
- 1 packet stevia
- Extracts of choice (I typically use vanilla, almond, maple, or butter)
- 1/2 a sliced banana
- 2-4 T egg whites or one large egg white
- 1 cup cauliflower "rice"
- 2 T protein powder
- Water to thin
Instructions
Measure out 1/2 cup oats or oat bran in a bowl. Then add 1-1.5 cups of hot water to the bowl and let it soak for a few minutes. Microwave for 2:30 minutes. Then stir in a packet of stevia, extracts of choice, half a sliced banana, 2-4 T egg whites, and 1 cup of cauliflower "rice". Make the cauliflower "rice" by putting cauliflower in a blender and pulsing a few times. The texture should resemble rice… you don't want to puree it! At this point you may need more water. Don't be afraid to add it! Stick your bowl back in the microwave for thirty seconds. Stir it up. Microwave another 30 seconds. Stir it up. And then microwave again if needed. Once the egg whites are thoroughly cooked, stir in 2 T protein powder of choice. I like to use cellucor brand the most.
Then go crazy with the toppings and enjoy your never-ending bowl of protein fluffy carby goodness! (Except the bowl of goodness does eventually end… sorry for the buzz kill)
Being home has also meant getting creative in the kitchen! One of my all time favorite Thai dishes is a pad thai.
I saw these noodles at the store and knew I had to do something fun with them!
I decided to try and cook a bowl of pad thai up one night and it ended up being a sweet, salty, and tangy success! I didn't have all the ingredients I needed for the recipe I was following so I decided to ditch that recipe and just make it up on my own! I urge you all to try and do that in your own kitchen. It's crazy how your creative juices will get flowing. And it's a lot of fun!
Here's my creative spin on the traditional pad thai dish:
Single Serving Pad Thai
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: fry saute stir-fry entree low-carb sugar-free healthy dairy-free chicken Thai
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 1/3 raw daikon (julienned)
- 1-2 raw carrots (sliced in rounds)
- 1/3 raw yellow squash (julienned)
- 1 serving kona berry or kelp noodles
- 4-8 oz. cooked chicken
- 4 T egg whites
- 1/2-1 t ground ginger
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
- 3 T rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1/4-1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
- 2 packets of stevia
- 2 T fish sauce
- 1 T low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 t ground black pepper
- Tamarind substitute (chop up and mash 2 pitted dates, 1 dried apricot, and 2 prunes)
Instructions
For the Sauce
First, make the sauce, and let it sit for a few minutes so the flavors combine. To make the sauce, simply add all the ingredients together, mix well, and make sure to really mash the dried fruit. Add more lime or lemon juice if it is too sweet for you. Note that a pad thai sauce should taste sweet at first, followed by sour, and then salty.
For the Base
1. Rinse your kelp or kona berry noodles. Then soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with coconut oil or spray with pam then add in the minced garlic, chopped onion, and ground ginger. Stir fry for about one minute, releasing the fragrance.
3. Add in the rest of your vegetables and 1-2 T of your prepared pad thai sauce. Keep the heat high so you are stir-frying, rather than steaming, your vegetables.
4. Add in your cooked chicken and 1-2 T more of your prepared pad thai sauce to keep the ingredients frying nicely.
5. Push the ingredients to the sides of the pan and pour in your egg whites. Stir so the whites quickly scramble.
6. Add your prepared noodles and 3-4 T of the pad thai sauce. Stir and incorporate the noodles with all the other ingredients. Keep adding sauce and stir frying until the noodles and vegetables are cooked to your liking. The sauce should get absorbed and everything should be cooked thoroughly but not too cooked, or else it will be a mushy dish.
7. Remove from the heat, garnish (some ideas for garnishes: green onion, crushed peanuts, sweet chili sauce, thai chili sauce, sriracha, peanut sauce), and serve immediately.
I hope you guys get around to trying this recipe and let me know if you do by posting a picture on instagram and tagging me (@eatburnbalance) in it!
Now to wrap it all up… I am happy to be home.
I mean look at this place! It's gorgeous! Yes, I am missing my friends and time in Portland but I am excited to get to spend the summer in Salt Lake, working out, cooking, laying at the pool, and possibly working at LuluLemon! But I can't get too comfortable in the glorious kitchen of my home… because we move to our new condo in just 2 weeks! Big life changes are coming up but I am excited to take them on with 110% positivity and effort.
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