The beginning of 2016 looks more like a ringside boxing fight between the heavyweight champion of “Super Size Me” vs. the new lightweight champion of the “Mini Size Me”! Often times resolutions in the area of weight loss tend to seem like a drawn out boxing fight, between being knocked down by those old self defeating habits that for some often mimic the documentary of processed food “Super Size Me” (processed food and heavy dishes) vs. the new lighter and airy version of what we are all striving to be, the “Mini Size Me” (whole food dishes in healthy portions)! Dodging ose tiny swings and hits along the way and knocking out the “Super Size Me” to win the title of the lightweight “Mini Size Me” begins when you discover an integrated balance between the mind, body, and spirit, and part of that comes down to finding healthier alternatives like recipes or foods to your favorite “Super Size Me” meals! That’s why at #Zenonaplate I’m all about taking those old time meals that hit a super soft spot in your tummies and make them healthier with a twist! Here are some “ Mini Size Me” recipes and food ideas to help you win the light weight champion belt of “Mini Size Me”for 2016!
#ZENONAPLATE SWEET AND CRUNCHY VEGGIES (GF, Dairy Free)
Sometimes veggies like broccoli and cauliflower can be hard to eat by itself but at #z\Zenonaplate I’m all about making healthy whole foods a bit tastier and yummy with my delish recipes! This vegan, dairyfree, and glutenfree recipe is super simple to make and adds a bit of crunch and sweetness to any veggie. Two versions of this recipe:
*The sauce mixture is to coat the veggies to be dipped or made into a pie as the center, and can be made vegan using maple syrup
INGREDIENTS
One carton plain almond yogurt
1/2 cup of French vanilla coconut creamer
1 tablespoon of raspberry vinegar or you can use white vinegar if you don't have a flavored one
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup or Honey
Veggies of your choice
Gluten free muesli (I used bob's)
TOPPINGS
Cinnamon
Maple Syrup or Honey
Shredded coconut flakes
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium size bowl combine dairy free yogurt, creamer, maple syrup and fruit vinegar until even. Pick your veggie of choice and I did it with broccoli and cauliflower. Dip veggie in mix and then coat on a separate plate in the muesli mix and then spread on a baking pan that has been oiled down. Do this until you finish all veggies. Then sprinkle lightly each veggie with cinnamon, honey or maple syrup, and shredded coconut flakes.
Mini Pie: I took a cup in half of mixed chopped veggies and mixed with the remaining mixture. I coated the mini tray with muesli as the crust and then put the veggie mixed in the sauce in the middle, and then topped with a little of muesli to balance the dish. I added unsweetened applesauce, and cinnamon. Pop in oven for 15 minutes and take out. This is a great idea for kids who hate eating veggies.
#ZENONAPLATE TUSCAN INSPIRED ITALIAN DISH
(Great replacement for pizza and white pastas)
If you love Italian food then this recipe is for you and is a great replacement for white flour pizza and pasta lovers! This Tuscan inspired dish will bring you back to Italian inspired food and can easily be made with chicken, or tofu too! Eating Italian food doesn't have to always be heavy, rather it can be easy, healthy, and bursting of flavor and it can be done in your kitchen with this easy recipe! The sauce has white beans which is a great replacement for heavy white carbs which are going to provide that essential carb to satisfy your appetite and steady your blood sugars.
INGREDIENTS
SAUCE
1 Can of Crushed Fire Roasted Tomatoes (Muir Organic)
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ tsp of pepper
1 Can of kidney beans
8-10 sliced green olives
Fresh Oregano 2-3 Tablepoons
Basil
1 cup of Mediterranean Sweet Peppers (chopped up)
FISH
2 Filets of Salmon
1 lemon
Italian Seasoning
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Anne’s Tuscany Italian Dressing.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean the salmon and put in a plastic bag that has around 4-5 tablespoons of Tuscany Italian Dressing or any Italian dressing that is natural and gluten free. Squeeze for the juice of half a lemon on the fish in the bag and put a slice of the lemon in the bag, and the let the fish marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except the herbs. Next, get out a small baking pan and make sure it’s oiled before pouring the sauce in the baking pan. Pour the sauce in the square baking pan, and then place the fresh basil and oregano evenly on top of the mixture before popping in oven. Next, get out the fish and put on a small tray that has been greased up or you can use foil if you don’t want to grease it with oil. Put the salmon filets on the tray or on top of the foil and season lightly with a salt and pepper and put a lemon slice on top of each salmon. Put salmon in the oven for 25 minutes, and the sauce mixture for 20 minutes. Then take out and serve fish with the sauce mixture and garnish with basil and lemon.
#ZENONAPLATE WINTER SALAD (GF, VEGAN, DAIRY FREE)
This salad is a great replacement for restaurant or store processed salads that use heavy amounts of cheese and butter cream dressings. The Avocado Oil, and Avocados are great replacement for saturated fat dressings and heavy dairy.
This Zenonaplate winter salad is made of whole food ingredients and this salad is super easy to make and consists of whole food ingredients
INGREDIENTS
3-4 cups of baby organic spinach
1 ½ cup of sliced baby corn
1 ¼ cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
½ cup can organic pears with the natural juice
Half an avocado or a whole Shredded
Dressing
1-2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil
1 Lime Squeezed
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients of the salad and toss around until even. Then add dressing last and mix around in the salad.
#ZENONAPLATE RASPBERRY MINT CHICKEN (DAIRYFREE, AND GLUTEN FREE)
With so many versions on chicken in today’s food industry, from fast food’s most notorious culprit in knocking down the Mini Size Me, aka Kentucky Fried Chicken, to just plain boring broiled chicken, this whole food recipe finds a great balance between not going overboard in the Supersize Me, or too extreme so your bored with the Mini Size Me!
INGREDIENTS
Natural Boneless Chicken Breasts (3-4 individual breasts)
1 Cup of sliced Raspberries
Lite Raspberry Dressing (Gluten Free, I used Annie’s)
3-4 tablespoons of cut up fresh mint
3 Limes
Raspberry Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Honey
Olive Oil
DIRECTIONS
Clean and Wash Chicken. Then in a zip lock bag pour 5-6 tablespoons of lite raspberry salad dressing (natural brand) and season chicken lightly with salt. Put chicken in bag and squeeze half a lime for juice on the chicken. Put in the fridge for 25- 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next chop raspberries and mint into small pieces along with limes. Next take out the chicken, and on a baking tray that has been oiled up place chicken pieces next to each other. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Then place raspberries and mint , and one slice of lime evenly on each piece. Then Squeeze half a lime on top of the chicken, and pour around a Tablespoon of raspberry vinegar on top of each chicken. Then Drizzle honey lightly on top of the raspberry and mint mixture. Once your finished decorating each piece of chicken with flavor, then pop in oven for 30 minutes. Check chicken around 25 minutes in the middle to see if it’s fully cooked because depending on the thickness of the breast will determine how long it takes. Cooking times vary usually depending on thickness of the meat. Serve with a salad and rice. I served this dish with the salad above and wild black rice.
#ZENONAPLATE MINT CHOCOLATE FONDUE (VEGAN, GF)
It's that time of year where new year resolutions with giving up sweets start to look harder and harder to keep! The good news is you can make healthier whole food desserts that you can eat in moderation without giving up that sweet tooth completely, and this one is for you.
INGREDIENTS
1 oz of Nibmor brand Dark Chocolate Mint (The whole bar)
¼ cup of Lilly’s Chips
½ cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa
1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup for vegan
1 Teaspoon of coconut flour (thickening)
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
TOPPINGS
Chopped Nuts
Gluten free flavor cereal mashed up
Granola
Dried fruit
DIRECTIONS
Turn burner on to medium and put tablespoon of coconut oil. Spread over pan and wait a minute until pan is hot, and then put the Nibmor brand of dark chocolate. Once that is melted add the chips, and let that melt before adding the cocoa powder and almond milk in, and then mix around until the sauce is even and add the coconut flour and then mix that until even, and then add honey. Next, take fruit and dip one side of each fruit in the chocolate and put on a tray. You can either sprinkle your chosen topping or dip the chocolate side on a plate of nuts or the your specific topping. Once you put on a tray put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to cool.
#ZENONAPLATE SUNDRIED TOMATO PIZZA SHRIMP (GF, DAIRYFREE)
Forget ever falling off the bandwagon of new year’s resolutions when it comes to succumbing to those dangerous unhealthy foods! At #zenonaplate I'm all about taking your favorite foods and creating healthier alternatives with a bit of a twist! For some it may be the carb-alicious food of Italian food , while others it could be the excessive salt and cheese of Mexican food , the good news I'm all about making your favorite cuisines like Italian , Thai , or Mexican food a lot skinnier, and made with whole food ingredients. If you are craving pizza, for example this #shrimp Italian inspired sundried tomato pizza sauce will satisfy that craving a bit!
INGREDIENTS
12-15 ready to cook shrimp ( Can sub tofu or Chicken for this recipe)
1 Cup of Organic or Natural Pizza Sauce I used Cucina antica
1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
3 teaspoons of sundried tomatoes
2 teaspoon of sundried tomato sauce
1 lemon
salt
pepper
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Olive Oil
Tuscany Italian Dressing used Annie’s Natural Dressing to marinate the shrimp
DIRECTIONS
In a ziplock bag pour 5-8 Tablespoons of the dressing, and put the shrimp in the baggie and move around until the dressing has spread around the bag and onto the shrimp. Put the bag in the fridge for 30 minutes. While in the fridge, take a medium size bowl put the pizza sauce, and sundried tomato paste and mix around in the bowl. Next, put the cherry tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes, and mix around until even, and set aside. Then take shrimp out of the fridge after 3o minutes and heat pan with olive oil. Put the minced and diced garlic once the pan has been heated and then put the shrimp. Season lightly with salt and pepper and squeeze the juice from half a lemon on the shrimp. Cook for around 7-8 minutes until the shrimp begin to really turn pink. Once the shrimp have fully cooked put the shrimp on a separate plate. Next on a new pan start over with a tablespoon of oil and spread over pan. Once the pan has heated up, then pour the sauce. Cook for a minute before adding the shrimp to cook in the sauce. Cook the shrimp until most of liquid of the sauce has reduced greatly and thickened up, so that the shrimp is soaking in flavor from the sauce. Once the shrimp are done serve on a bed of spinach with quinoa, and cashew cheese.
#ZENONAPLATE SWEET BUTTURNUTSAUSH MASH
Forget Buttery Mash Potatoes, or French Fries, or heavy desserts, because this whole food recipe is a great sub for French fries, starchy breads, or buttery casseroles, and the best is that it puts a kabash off dessert cravings for good! Eating this dish will do a double duty for your waistline in both dinner and dessert! This vegan, glutenfree, and dairyfree fruit inspired dish consists of a butternut squash full of super foods like coconut, chiaseeds, honey and has natural sugar and fiber to satisfy your sweet tooth during dinner and keep you satisfied for hours after.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups of Butternut Squash Cooked and Mashed
1 Cup of Coconut Milk Yogurt Greek Style
2 teaspoons of Honey or (Maple Syrup for Vegans)
3 Tablespoons of Raisins
1 5 oz unsweetened Apple Sauce
½ tsp of salt
2 Tablespoons of dried Cherries
DIRECTIONS
Boil the cubed butternut squash(been cut up or buy cubed) until soft enough to mash with you’re a cooking utensil over a blender. Combine all the ingredients except the cherries and raisins. Then once it’s mixed up fold in cherries and raisins and garnish with coconut flakes.
