Tomato Orange Swai

This is a simple recipe that is packed with flavor. You can use almost any white fish for this dish. Comes together really quickly for an easy, healthy, and delicious meal!

Tomato Orange Swai

1 (4 oz) Swai filet
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 large orange (2 large wedges), chopped
1 teaspoon orange zest
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Ginger
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes).
2. Add the tomatoes, oranges, orange zest, salt, pepper, and ginger. Add spices to taste; I used a dash each of salt and pepper and a few dashes of the ginger. Cook together for about 10 minutes.
3. Season the swai with salt and pepper. Add to the pan with the sauce and cook until the fish is cooked through (it will flake easily with a fork).

Orange Glazed Scallops and Zucchini Carrot "Noodles" with Avocado Edamame Pesto

This dish is so fresh, flavorful, AND healthy. The textures and bright flavors of this dish are deliciously satisfying. The sweet nutty taste of edamame and creamy avocado makes this pesto a fabulous topper for almost anything!

Note: If you have a spiralizer for your vegetables then use it, otherwise just use a vegetable peeler like me!

 

Zucchini Carrot "Noodles" with Avocado Edamame Pesto

For the "Noodles":

1 medium zucchini
1medium carrot
Dash of salt

For the Pesto:

1/2 ripe avocado (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup steamed edamame beans
1/4 cup cilantro
Dash of salt
Juice of 1/2 a small lime
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the carrot and zucchini. Peel each vegetable separately, turning as you go, to form ribbon-like noodles.
2. Set you vegetable "noodles" aside and sprinkle with salt. Let sit about 10 minutes.
3. Add all pesto ingredients into a food processor. Blend until combined.
4. Heat a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Saute "noodles" until softened. Top with pesto.

Note: You don't HAVE to heat and soften the noodles. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Orange Glazed Scallops

Ingredients:

5-6 large sea scallops
2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon chile garlic sauce (optional)


Directions:

1. Rinse scallops and pat dry. Combine the Bragg's (or soy sauce), orange juice, ginger, rice vinegar, honey, and chile garlic sauce in a shallow bowl.
2. Add the scallops to the sauce. Marinate about 4-5 minutes each side.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
4. Add scallops to the pan, reserving marinade. Cook scallops about 2-3 minutes each side until they are cooked through and start to brown nicely on the outside. Remove from pan.
5. Add remaining marinade to the pan and lower the heat. Allow marinade to reduce slightly and start to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Pour the sauce over the scallops and serve!

Orange Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp chill in the air, light sweaters, and the cozy feeling when you walk inside a warm house or store. Most of all, I love the flavors of fall- pumpkin, squash, apple, cinnamon, warm spices, and warm drinks (pumpkin coffee)! This morning my pancakes reminded me of fall, and I was seriously sad when they were over. The flavors of orange and cinnamon are beautiful together, and kind of make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

I made these with my brand new Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder. I've been meaning to get this protein powder for months. Not sure why it took me so long. I love the fact that this protein powder is non-GMO,  allergen, soy, and dairy-free, and has a complete amino acid profile. It is easily digestible which makes it a great powder for those who have issues with whey protein. If you decide to replace whey protein with Sunwarrior in your recipes, be aware that you might have to increase the amount of liquid ingredients you use- Sunwarrior absorbs more liquid than whey protein.

If you'd like to try Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder, iherb.com has the best prices! Use code ZSG766 to get money off your first order!

Orange Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

3/4 scoop Vanilla Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 tablespoon psyllium husk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup riced cauliflower
3 tablespoons egg whites
3 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
15 stevia drops, or to taste
Water as needed 

Directions:

1. Microwave your cauliflower for 30 seconds (To make "rice", just place raw florets in a food processor- I used my Ninja). Set aside.
2. Place oats in a food processor and blend until it becomes oat flour. Add Sunwarrior, psyllium husk, and  baking powder, to the oat flour. Pulse until combined.
3. Add egg whites, almond milk, orange extract, and stevia to the dry ingredients. Blend until combined. You may need to add some water if it's too thick. I added about 2 tablespoons.
4. Place batter in a bowl and stir in your riced cauliflower.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add batter by the spoonful. Flip when the edges set and bubbles start to form.

I layered my pancakes with PB2 and sugar-free apricot jam- HIGHLY recommend this combo!

Macros: 2.8 g fat, 21.5 g CHO (7.1 g fiber), 20 g protein

Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffins

This recipe has been one of my go-to's for the past few weeks. I love breaking them up and adding them to my protein fro-yo! They are also delicious toasted up with some peanut butter, or served with some egg whites for breakfast. I love to make a batch in the beginning of the week for a quick, grab-and-go snack. Plus, the macros are pretty awesome. I originally made these muffins for my brother. He had just bought MusclePharm Combat Powder in Orange Creamsicle and wanted me to come up with protein-packed treat. Little did I know I'd be making them again and again! I've switched up the flavor of the muffins by using different protein powders, but I still like using MusclePharm the best.

Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffin

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat Bran (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 scoops MusclePharm Orange Creamsicle
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
3. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tin (my muffin tin makes 6 muffins)
4. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
5. Remove from the muffin tin. Place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool.

I store these in my fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them.

Nutrition Info (1 muffin): 85 Calories, 1.6 g Fat, 9.7 g CHO, 5 g Fiber, 12 g Protein

Vanilla-Scented Orange Almond Protein Pancakes

When I was picking up my usual items at Trader Joe's, I slipped a tub of ricotta cheese into my basket. I figured if cottage cheese and yogurt made protein pancakes moist and delicious, why not ricotta cheese? After some experimenting, I finally achieved a great texture using ricotta cheese- and the fresh orange zest and juice were a killer combination in this recipe. And look how pretty they are!

Orange Almond Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese (I used Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup egg beaters
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1/3 an orange (save a little for the topping!)
2 tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder
2 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon psyllium husk
Truvia and cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Blend the ricotta cheese, egg beaters, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla (I used my Ninja).
2. Mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Place batter by the tablespoon onto the pan. Cook until the edges set and the pancake starts to form bubbles. Flip.
4. Layer with greek yogurt mixed with a little orange juice and Truvia. Top with slivered almonds and orange zest. YUM!

Nutrition Facts (without the filling):  223 Calories, 6 g Fat, 14 g CHO, 6 g Fiber, 27 g Pro (!!)

Fun Fact: New research regarding the calorie content of almonds!!

    Did you hear that whole almonds provide about 20% fewer calories than originally thought? A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a one ounce serving of whole almonds (about 23 almonds) provides 129 calories versus the 160 calories currently listed on the nutrition label. The purpose of the study was to determine the energy value of almonds in the human diet and to compare the measured energy value with the value calculated from Atwater factors. The Atwater system is one of the methods used to calculate the calorie content of foods by assigning nutrients a specific caloric value per gram. For example, carbohydrates and protein both have about four calories per gram, while fat has nine calories per gram.

        Eighteen healthy adults participated in this study which consisted of a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial consisting of three different phases. Each phase was 18 days in length. The participants were administered a controlled diet containing almonds at either either 0  ounces per day, 1.5 ounces per day, or 3 ounces per day. During the last nine days of the study, volunteers collected all urine and feces which were analyzed for macronutrient and energy contents in order to determine the metabolizable energy content of almonds.

        According to the authors of the study, "When an 84 g serving of almonds was incorporated into the diet daily, the energy digestibility of the diet as a whole decreased by ~5%. Therefore, for individuals with energy intakes between 2000 and 3000 kcal/d, incorporation of 84 g of almonds into the diet daily in exchange for highly digestible foods would result in a reduction of available energy of 100-150 kcal/d. With a weight-reduction diet, this deficit could result in more than a pound of weight loss per month."


I have a feeling more studies like this one will follow . . . what other foods have been overestimated?!

References:

Novotny JA, Gebauer SK, Baer DJ. Discrepancy between the Atwater factor predicted and empirically measured energy values of almonds in human diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96(2):296-301. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.035782.