Cauliflower Hummus

California is so beautiful.  I had the opportunity to travel there last week for work and although I did not make it to the beach, the weather and scenery is absolutely gorgeous.  I was able to visit with my sister, and her constant reminder that I should move to California makes me think “Why not?”  But then, I drive on the roads and there is traffic at 8 pm at night, wth?!?  I decided I will move to California if I do not have to drive anywhere, ever.  You may wonder how that would be possible and I guess my plan would be to live and work in a city, maybe San Diego, I love it there!  Honestly, it was 95 degrees outside and felt absolutely amazing with the breeze from the Pacific.

Just an FYI for everyone, I really dislike coconut water.  While in CA, I went into a health food store and was talking to the cashier, and somehow we started talking about coconut water.  I told her I really did not like it, and she assured me I have just been drinking the wrong kind/brand.  She suggested one and told me I would love it.  Well, I didn’t.  It was gross and my sister drank it for me.  So in case you were thinking of buying me a case of coconut water for my upcoming birthday, please don’t!

Anyways, back home to GA finally.  Only for a few days though, then I will be traveling once again.  This time though, I am going to be a little more prepared with healthy snacks.  I had coffee for breakfast on Friday, because I was rushing to get to my flight.  Haha, whoops!

I attempted making cauliflower hummus.  I even made my own tahini paste.  It turned out pretty yummy!  Next time, I am going to add roasted red peppers and maybe a few additional spices, just for something different.

Cauliflower Hummus

Ingredients

1 Head Cauliflower

1/3 cup Tahini

1/4c EVOO

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt, Pepper to taste

Toasted sesame seeds which I turned into tahini

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Chop up cauliflower into florets.
3. Place florets on greased cookie sheet and also spray florets with a little bit of olive oil.
4. Cook florets for about 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so and moving them around so they do not burn.
5. Once cauliflower is roasted, remove from oven and allow to cool (I waited 15 minutes).
6. Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend together.
7. Let the cauliflower hummus cool and enjoy with vegetables, crackers, on a wrap, etc.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Almond Butter Zucchini Bars

I hate mosquitos.  They are really annoying!  I was outside gardening yesterday with pants and a long sleeved shirt and somehow, some way, those little jerks bit me through my pants.  How does that even happen?  I was so mad, I went to Home Depot and bought about $50 worth of mosquito sprays, candles, torches, basically anything they had that said it would get rid of mosquitos.  When I was checking out, the cashier asked me “Trying to get rid of the bugs.”  Haha, yup!

And guess what??!!  Whole Foods is opening soon in Savannah, and according to their Facebook page that I stalk like crazy, they are opening August 13^th, less than a month away!!!!  I marked it on my calendar.  I drove by the store and it looks done to me, just put all those yummy groceries in there and let me shop, pretty please.

I must admit I have not been cooking as much lately.  I have been traveling all over, and cooking has not been in the cards.  However, my husband is in his bulking phase…. Yes, it is as annoying as it sounds.  He is eating 2 dozen eggs a week and whole milk and keeps asking me if he looks bigger.  Haha.  I told him that is one question I will never ask him.  He eats all day and packs a daily lunch which seems as though it would contain food for a week.  I decided he needed a quick protein snack, which would be good calories, but have the protein and fat you want in a snack.  End result = Almond Butter Zucchini Bars.  Zucchini is in season right now and it seems as though I can find so many uses for it.

Almond Butter Zucchini Bars - From http://www.hummusapien.com/paleo-zucchini-almond-butter-bars/

Ingredients

¾ cup creamy almond butter

1 heaping cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)

1 egg

¼ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)

1 tsp vanilla

¾ tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

¼-½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Stir together almond butter, zucchini, egg, maple syrup and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.

Add in the rest of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) and stir.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for thirty minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Happy 4th of July and DILOMF

Happy 4^th of July to everyone.  I finally have a day off!  Work has been quite busy lately and I have been making my US tour…. Georgia to California, Georgia to New York, New York to Washington and Virginia, and now I am finally home to Georgia.  I was able to meet up with my parents while I was staying in Virginia and my mom and I always take about nutrition and fitness when we are together.  She has been an aerobics instructor for over 20 years so we always like to catch up on the latest new classes sweeping gyms across the US.  This time though, our discussions centered more on nutrition than fitness.  One question that came up is “What do I eat in a typical day?”  I post a lot of different recipes, but of course, my eating is pretty routine throughout the week.  And now, I present to you “DILOMF” or “Day in the Life of My Food.”  J  Enjoy or if you don’t care, I will be posting a new recipe soon.  

Date: 07/02/13

Morning (7 am): Bulletproof Coffee (Coffee blended with coconut oil, cinnamon and grassfed butter)

Lunch (11 am): Spinach with tuna and guacamole

Afternoon snack (2 pm): Steamed broccoli with olive oil, ½ cup diced chicken and a hard-boiled egg (Not all mixed together!)

Dinner (7 pm): Turkey burgers with avocado over salad

Breakdown:

Calories: 1,156

Carb: 39g (14%)

Fat: 74g (57%)

Protein: 97g (29%)

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal