Taco (Salad) Tuesday!

When I got home from lacrosse tonight, I was exhausted and didn't want anything to do with cooking.  But if I didn't cook tonight, I'd be forced to eat out tomorrow.  That's not in my diet plan. Time to use my backup quick meal I had saved for this week - Taco Salad.   I had some leftover hamburgers from this past weekend in the fridge, but fresh ground beef would be just as quick.  I could have just heated up those plain old burgers in the microwave tomorrow, but that sounded less than appealing.  This is a good example of turning one meal into another when you're sick of it.

I broke up my hamburgers into tiny pieces in the pan, reheated it with the recipe below.

Cook Time: 15 min

1/2 lb Laura's Lean Ground Beef (92/8)
3/4 cup Pico de Gallo (Pre-made from the store, or make it yourself below)
1/2 can Black Beans (Organic) (I'll save the other half in the fridge)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Cayenne pepper (less if you're sensitive to heat)
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Quinoa (optional)
2 cups Spring Mix

If you don't have Pico de Gallo -

1/2 cup chopped roma tomatoes
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
2 squirts lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
Use a food processor for faster results - My mom got me a small Ninja for Christmas that's perfect for pico.  Thanks Mom -

QUINOA-
I like to cook a cup (dry) of quinoa and keep it in the fridge to use throughout the week. It takes about 15 min.  I use chicken broth instead of water to add a little more flavor. There are tons of benefits to this stuff from protein content to its gluten-free properties.  Check it out here. 





Directions-

Brown the ground beef in a teaspoon of olive oil along with the spices above.  Once its cooked through, add Pico de Gallo and Black Beans.  Lower heat and let simmer for 10 min.

I don't have a finished picture of this dish (sorry) because I'll be taking the toppings, and lettuce separately to work tomorrow to keep my salad from getting soggy.  Just add your taco toppings along with some quinoa, and reduced fat mexican blend cheese over a bed of spring mix. Instead of sour cream, try a teaspoon of greek yogurt. Instead of chips, try half of a whole wheat tortilla ripped into little pieces. 

Taco (Salad) Tuesday is yours.  Downloadable Recipe Card Here

Nutrition Info

Calories 726

Protein: 55g
Carbs: 90g
Fat: 17g
Dietary Fiber: 14g

Macronutrient split:
Protein: 30%
Carbs: 49%
Fat: 21%

Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey

You've heard it before, but it's true.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body and brain have just gone hours without nutrition.  Carbs are good to consume as your glucose tolerance is at its highest in the morning .  Just make sure these are slow absorbing, complex carbs like oatmeal.  Sugary cereals, big bagels, and muffins won't cut it. 

My breakfast of choice is the Ron Swanson special, slightly modified.

1 cup coffee (black)
2 egg whites
1 whole egg 
(Scrambled)
2 Slices Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon

Oatmeal
1/2 cup raw oats
16 oz water
Pinch of salt

This turkey bacon is awesome.  It tastes like one of those big turkey legs at the fair.  Two slices will give you 12g of protein, and just 3g of fat.  

Eating egg whites will get rid of the cholesterol in the egg yolks, but I keep one whole egg to keep them from tasting like an old rubbery tire.

Oatmeal gives me the slow digesting carbs I need to power my brain in the morning. 

Here is the nutrition breakdown for this meal.

605 Calories

Protein: 41 g
Carbs: 34
Fat: 12 g
Sugars: 1g
Dietary Fiber: 4g

Macronutrient Split

Protein: 43%
Carbs: 30%
Fat: 27%

This is an almost perfectly balanced breakfast and it took me about 7 min to cook which is why this is my breakfast of choice almost every morning.

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Everyone gets a sweet tooth when they're eating clean.  These cookies satisfy that sweet tooth without spiking your insulin levels.  They're a great pre-workout snack packing 9g Complex Carbs, 5g protein, and 2g healthy fats. 

1/2 cup egg whites
2 cups oats
3 tsp Stevia
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 scoops of Chocolate protein powder 
2 tsp coconut oil
1 cup reduced sugar craisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
Form into cookies with a spoon and bake for 20 min

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Mondays are especially hectic for me.  As soon as I get home from work, I have about 30 min before I drive to play lacrosse, and don't get back til 9:30pm.  If I don't have a ready-to-go meal in the fridge Monday after work, I can't trust myself to avoid Wendy's on the way home from lacrosse.

Spaghetti and Meatballs is just one of those things that everyone loves.  But I don't need all the carbs from pasta.  A good alternative is spaghetti squash.  To me the taste is similar to a sweeter angel hair pasta. It reheats great so I'll have enough for lunch tomorrow too.

Directions:

Squash:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and take out the seeds.  Season with salt and olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and place open face up in the oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes, uncover and then bake for another 35 min

Meatballs: 

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 lb Laura's Lean Ground beef (92/8)

1/4 onion (finely chopped)

2 egg whites

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp parsley flakes

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp rosemary leaves

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp fresh basil (chopped)

1/2 jar Spaghetti Sauce

Combine all ingredients except sauce in a large bowl and form into balls.  Use 1 tsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Brown the meatballs on all sides, then add sauce, cover and let simmer.

Use a fork to scrape the flesh of the squash into strands and toss with finished meatballs.   garnish with a teaspoon of grated parmesan.

This Week's Meal plan For Around $100

Sundays are made for rest.  I'm a firm believer in that.  When I get the chance, I like to relax on Sundays - catching up on TV shows and laundry to help me mentally prepare for the week ahead.  (Currently stuck on Sons of Anarchy)  It's also when I do my grocery shopping.  

I've found that making a plan and shopping for the week saves me time and money.  When I have meals prepared, I'm not forced to spend money eating out.  Making a list also helps me stick to a budget.  Most of my grocery trips end up around $100 for the week.  If you do the math, thats around $14.28 a day for 3 meals plus snacks.  Go ahead and try to eat out for that.  Of course this doesn't include supplements but thats a post for another day.

Grocery shopping shouldn't be a chore.  It's a way to get creative about what you're going to eat for the next week.  Try to incorporate ingredients from other recipes to save money.  Last week I made two excellent Indian dishes using most of the same ingredients.  This week will be mostly Italian.

Here's a list of a few dishes I have in mind for this week.

Cottage cheese pancakes

Oatmeal cookies

Chicken parmesean

Chicken salad tortillas

Taco salad

Stuffed peppers

Tortilla pizzas with ground beef

Salmon

        Spaghetti squash and meatballs

I've attached a grocery list here in .PDF format for most of the ingredients I'll need.  Many of these recipes will call for spices or staples that I have in the pantry.  If I don't have something, I'll usually come up with a quick alternative. That's my guy style of cooking. I'll keep you updated along the week with recipes and tips along the way. 

Grocery List 3_30_14

WELCOME

Welcome to Built in the Kitchen - A blog dedicated to promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle.  I'm starting this blog as a way to share recipes and nutritional information with friends and family.

I do not claim to be a nutritionalist or a dietician, and some of the posts on this blog may not be 100% accurate.  I'm sharing my interpretation of my own research into nutrition for my personal goals.  Your goals will be different - but hopefully the posts here can help you to achieve them, whether you're looking to eat healthier or just steal some delicious recipes.