I love pesto sauce, just as much as the next guy, but so many of the recipes out there call for a copious amount of oil, that I feel I can’t really enjoy it.

Agree?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of healthy fats, as I know we all need a degree of it in our diets, but like anything, it needs to be in moderation.

I was inspired by a recent recipe in Whole Living Magazine, that involved sweet potato!  You know me, I love most ANYTHING that involves sweet potato.

So as I’ve now been having fun re-working recipes to play with the flavors and the nutritional content, I took the concept from the magazine – Parsley, Lemon & Walnut Pesto on Sweet Potato and mixed up the ingredients to create an oil free pesto, as this particular recipe, called for 7 tablespoons of olive oil!  WHAT??!  That’s a TON of olive oil, even for 4 servings.  I knew I could dumb that down a bit.

Here’s what I came up with:

2 cups organic basil

1 clove garlic

2-3 tbsp of lemon juice

1 – 2 tbsp of water

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 can cannellini beans

1/3 cup of raw walnuts

sea salt & course pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Add more water as needed for consistency.  Place in fridge to chill or serve immediately with desire dish.  Great with spaghetti squash, chicken, sweet potato, on toast, etc.

I think the real secret ingredient to this recipe that gives it a more “creamy” consistency, is the cannellini beans!  That and with the nutritional yeast (gives it that “cheesy” appeal) there is a great source of protein and Vitamin B12!  WOOP!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!  And when you do, come tell me how it turned out on my Facebook page.

As much as I’m ready to kiss the Winter good bye and say HELLO to the Spring and Summer months, nothing beats a good hearty bowl of soup!

I’ve been having a blast experimenting with a bunch of different soups and stews, including continuing to improve upon our family Easy Homestyle Chili recipe, but I need to be better at posting the final presentation and the recipes!!

I know, I know, I’m getting there.

So, as a typical Perry family evening goes, the kids are going here, there and everywhere, the time to make a gourmet 5-course meal wasn’t in the cards.  With a little inspiration from The Gracious Pantry and her delightful Soup & Stew recipes, I rifled through the fridge and threw together this masterpiece:

CLEAN EATS: Chicken n’ Veggie Lentil Soup

3 cups of Low Sodium Organic Free Range Chicken Broth

3 cups water

2 fully cooked chicken breasts (or Rotisserie chicken works too)

1 medium chopped onion

4 carrots

4-6 stalks of celery

2 sweet potatoes – skin ON, chopped

1 cup of lentils (pick your poison)

1 tbsp of marjoram

1 tsbp of garlic powder

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of celery seed

salt & pepper to taste

What to do with all that:

Pour 1 cup of chicken broth is large sauce pan, add onions, carrot and celery.  Add all spices (except salt & pepper). Bring to a slight boil.  Add chopped sweet potato & lentils, place heat on medium.  Once all veggies & lentils are soft, simmer heat.  If using rotisserie chicken, pull apart and add to soup.  If cooking chicken from start – bake separate in oven for approximately 25 mins @ 425.  Keep eye on soup, as once veggies and lentils are all cooked, you just want the flavors to marinate, so if using a gas stove like we have, you may want to turn it off and let set.  Serve warm with side salad or artisan bread.

You could also plan ahead and make this in the Crock Pot as well!

With the heaps of snow we recently got here in Seattle, it forced us to get creative with indoor activities in between our sledding stints.  Ainsley is always so creative with projects and what to make, so I have to give credit where credit it was.

Her idea to make healthy homemade jam to give to her friends (first recipient was our pregnant neighbor friend).  It was super fun and SUPER easy to make.

Here’s the recipe:

(Makes 1 12 oz Mason Jar)

2 cups frozen Organic Blueberries (thawed)

2 tsbp Organic Chia Seeds

1/8 to 1/4 cup Lakanto Sweetener

Thaw frozen blueberries in a shallow bowl on counter for about an hour.  When soft, mash with a fork.  Transfer into medium mixing bowl, add chia seeds (acts as a “thickener” to jam) and Lakanto.  Stir and taste.  Add more Lakanto for a sweeter flavor.  Spoon jam into Mason Jar and refrigerate for a few hours before enjoying on spelt toast, crackers, waffles or pancakes.

You can use any frozen or fresh berries to make the jam…get creative and have fun!  Next project for us will be decorating the jars to give to friends!

Good, clean family fun!

The crisp Fall air has been upon us, Halloween has come and gone (we survived the sugar hangovers, right?), but the great flavors of the season are still in full bloom!

For me, that triggers a small obsession with PUMPKIN!

I love the look, smell and taste of all things PUMPKINS!

Not only do they look and taste good, but pumpkin is incredibly healthy as well.  Pumpkin is packed with vital anti-oxidants vitamins – such as the A, C & E. . This jack-o-latern vegetable we eat is also very low in calories yet good source of fiber, flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants like leutin, xanthins and carotenes. Click here for more information on all the nutrient dense properties to our beloved Fall vegetable.

I’ve been having fun making stews, soups and smoothies with it, so have to share what I had for breakfast this morning:

TARYN’S PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup canned Pumpkin Puree (organic if you can)

1/2 medium banana

4 tbsp of coconut milk (the pure canned stuff!)

6oz water 

ice (optional)

cinnamon, pumpkin spice (clean, no added sugars), nutmeg to taste

10 raw almonds

Put all ingredients in your blender and mix until frothy and ENJOY!

I’ve also thrown in 1/2 cup of pumpkin in my  Shakeology and that’s a delicious treat as well!

If you try it, I’d love your feedback below in the Comments section, or if you have made a clean one you care to share….please do below!!!

Your partner in health & fitness.

As I’ve taken my own personal challenge to stick to a 28-day nutrition program, I’ve had some fun playing around with food and been amazed at how many options there are to make CLEAN, healthy, eats!!

Not that I have a ton of belly fat left to lose, however, this is a great recipe to compliment your goals to lose that baby weight!

This is a hummus dip that I made in my favorite staple, my beloved Vitamix, as all the hummus I could find on the shelves, had canola oil in it, which is NOT apart of my 28-day nutrition program.

So here’s what I came up with:

2 – 15 oz cans of Organic Garbonzo Beans (no salt added)

4 tbsp of raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp of Organic extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove (could use more if you love garlic!)

sea salt

1 tsp of paprika

Add entire contents above, in order, although drain 1 can of garbonzo beans before putting into blender or food processor.  Garnish with paprika, herb sprig or fresh garlic and serve with raw or roasted veggies!

** You can get really creative with adding clean ingredients, such as, green onion, chives, cracked pepper, fresh jalopenos, etc.

This was so easy and made a ton to last us a few days and serves well as an appetizer with company.  They’ll never know you hand made it…although, personally, I think deserves bragging rights!

Please share below, your favorite homemade hummus dip!!

Your partner in health & fitness.

There is NOTHING better a hearty, healthy home cooked chili, on a crisp fall or winter day.  Agree?

This recipe has been in my family for years and has yet to be messed with, other than swapping out the meat between ground beef or ground turkey.  Too each their own, but regardless, so simple to make and is even better on Day 2.

Get a big ol’ pot out and get ready for some salvating glands as you cook it:

Serves roughly 6-8 people or 4 with LOTS of leftovers (again, DELICIOUS on day 2 and cold).

2 packages of lean (grass fed) ground beef or turkey 

1 medium onion

1 1/2 package of mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 150z cans of kidney beans (low sodium)

1 large can of stewed tomatoes

1 Family Size of Tomato Soup (not the pre-made kind)

1 tbsp of chili powder

1 tbsp of crushed red pepper (or more if you like it spicy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat, onions and garlic in a large sauce pan, over medium heat.  Add mushrooms once meat starts to brown.  Add one can of kidney beans with juice and one can of drained kidney beans.  Stir well.  Add can of tomatoes, tomato soup and stir well. Finally, add chili powder, crushed red pepper and salt/pepper.  Stir ocassionally and let simmer for approximatey 45 minutes to an hour to allow all flavors to marinade.

Serve with sour cream (or greek yogurt), fresh chopped green onions and shredded cheese.

Enjoy!!

Your partner in health & fitness.

As you may (or may not) know, I’m a HUGE fan of snacks!  I have at least 2 of them a day, as I’m one that eats anywhere from 4 to 5 small meals a day.

Since I tend to be on the go, the easier the better….right?!  I don’t think I’m alone on this one!  Hence, why I love relying on the library of nutritional guides I have from my favorite Beachbody workout programs – P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire and Asylum.

This new one I tried is from TurboFire, so can’t quite take credit for it’s creation…just for how it turned out!

Here’s what you need:

1 medium apple (the crispier, the better, for me!!)

2 tbsp of water

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of chopped walnuts or sliced almonds

1/2 cup of 2% cottage cheese

Slice apple into thin pieces, removing the core.  Saute the sliced apples in the water, until tender, yet crispy.  Place cottage cheese in a flat bowl (think pasta bowl), place sauteed apples on top, sprinkle cinnamon and nuts on top.

This gives you that sweet afternoon snack that will tie you over until it’s time to fuel your body with your final meal of the day!

Enjoy!  As always, I encourage you to comment below, if you try it and how it turns out for you!

Your partner in health & fitness.

My kids have always been happy with healthy snack options, but when they were begging me to make Kale Chips…I knew we were on the right path!  So when my daughter offered to be the camera girl, I thought it was a great way to showcase a “How to Make Kale Chips” quick clip.

These are the quickest and easiest healthy snack to make, so I figured I’d through it in a quick video so you can see how I put them together:

QUICK TIP: Buy organic (if you can) and be sure the Kale is washed and dried thoroughly.

These are a great substitute to potato chips, crackers (empty calories) or any other snack that may not provide any decent nutrition.  No feeling guilty about inhaling the entire batch here!

Have questions or want to share a recipe?  Please share it below in the comment box or email me: taryn@choose2befit.com so I can share it with others that are always looking for new things to try!

Your partner in health & fitness.

These are my favorite go-to when craving pancakes and needing that, all important, protein!!  The kids even asked for their own batch.

So simple…even a busy Mom can whip them up:

Serves 1:

1 egg (or Egg Whites – aff.)

1/8 cup of cottage cheese

2 tbsp of unsweetened apple sauce

2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder (chocolate or vanilla are delish)

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Makes 3 pancakes.  Whip together in a bowl with a hand mixer.  Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour on griddle.  Add sliced bananas and/or a few raw nuts and Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar to top it off!

Enjoy!

Your partner in health & fitness.

Who doesn’t love chocolate and/or fudge as a little dessert treat?  Especially when you know they are heart healthy and have a secret ingredient that packs more protein and fiber, than traditional brownies ladened with milk, sugar and traditional fudge.

So what’s the secret ingredient?  Black beans, of course!

You might be scratching your head saying, “HUH?  Why on earth would I want to call anything with black beans in it, as dessert?  Well, you’ll be surprised, you can hardly taste them!

These guilt free brownies are SUPER easy to whip together and is DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN FREE, NUT FREE (unless you choose to add some), SUGAR FREE, which is right up my alley.  I tend to have very little dairy in my diet as it is, and since I *HEART* sweets, this is a great marriage for me!

Ready for it?

Makes 12 servings (or 24 pieces)

1 15-ounce can of cooked black beans, drained & rinsed (or 1 3/4 cups of cooked beans)

3/4 cup carob powder

6 tbsp. melted coconut oil

4-6 tbsp. maple syrup OR agave nectar

1 tsp. organic or non-alcohol vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. sea salt

* Walnut pieces (optional)

Place all ingredients in a food processor or Kitchen Aid with the “S” blade and blend until smooth.  Mixture should be thick.

Line an 8” X 4 “ loaf pan with plastic wrap and transfer the mixtures to the pan, spreading to the edges. Refrigerate until totally firm.  Use plastic wrap to list the brownies from the pan.

Cut into squares and serve.  Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition per serving:

146 calories

6.9 grams fat

2.5 grams of protein

18.4 grams of carbs

4.9 gram of fiber

101 mg of sodium

Want to add some variety?  Try these easy tricks:

Mint fudge brownie: add 1/2-1 tsp mint extract along with other ingredients, and blend as directed
Nutty fudge brownie: add 2-4 tbsp chopped nuts to mixture after blending or substitute 1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil with nut/seed butter

Your partner in health & fitness.