Healthy breakfast: get your greens (and love it, too)

Eggs with extra egg whites -- add protein without adding fat

Arugula or spinach on top -- adds calcium, vitamins and flavor

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese -- for salty nutty flavor

salt & pepper

You can also grill onions, peppers and mushrooms with the eggs, as I usually do

Smoothie is 1/2 banana, 1/2 pear, 4 or 5 strawberries, some frozen raspberries, a handful of spinach, vanilla almond milk, a tablespoon of yogurt, and a few mint leaves.

The perfect breakfast.

Healthy snack: almond butter & fresh strawberry cruncher

I'm calling this a cruncher because rice cakes evoke thoughts of cardboard, which is SO far from the truth. Sure, they might have tasted like that in the past, but then Quaker got smacked in the face with Lundberg and the rest is history. If you still buy Quaker rice cakes then I'm sorry for you because you probably are still munching on cardboard.

So now that we've cleared that up -- lets talk about the cruncher. Almond butter is my downfall, so I have to just say a jar will last me 4 or 5 months. Really. Have no more than a tablespoon at a time, every few days or weeks... its a special treat for me. When I go there I want it to be super yummy, so I top it with fresh strawberries or bananas and a drizzle of agave. 

This is a terrific pre-work out snack because it provides carbs for quick energy and fat for sustained energy.

Spicy Vegetarian Tofu Curry

This is very simple to make but impressive to serve. You can substitute chicken, fish or beef if you dont like tofu, but I usually eat vegetarian once a week, and this is a great way to make a powerful vegetarian dinner for the family (ie my boyfriend).

Slice vegetables into strips and pieces that are about the same size. That means your onions, bell peppers, carrots and zucchini can be in strips, and your mushrooms, broccoli and other buttony flowery veggies can be in pieces. Grill them all together in a little olive oil and add some jalapeno peppers in strips if you (or your man) like the spice.  I take them out at the end and use as a garnish on his plate, that way I still get a little spice since they cooked down with the other veggies. 

Meanwhile heat up another skillet and arrange your sliced tofu (strips like sticks of doublemint gum) evenly in the pan.  Once they brown on one side (about 10 minutes) flip and sprinkle some cumin over the top of each. Keep stirring your veggies too, until they are soft but still al dente. I'm not a raw foodist, but I appreciate the theory behind raw food -- that when you overcook veggies you are turning them from alkaline to acid, and that our bodies are constantly looking for more alkaline.  Keep your green veggies fresh and green and your onions clear even while cooking.  

Once everything is nice and cooked, combine the tofu with veggies, and add a tablespoon of curry powder, a teaspoon of crushed garlic (I buy the glass jar from TJs) and a can of low-fat coconut milk.  Simmer and cover, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.  

I like to cook rice in chicken or vegetable broth instead of water, and I add herbs, spices and onions right before I cover it.  Enjoy!

Gluten free Veggie Pomodoro

My darling Italian friend made this for her fiancee the other night and he said he likes it better than pasta. So... 

Slice onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots, yams, mushrooms and anything else you love into long thin strips -- think like you're making linguini with veggies. Its fun. Sautee the veggies in a little olive oil until tender and al dente.  Pour your favorite tomato sauce into the pan and cover for about 5 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. 

This is the best low-cal Italian recipe and SO simple to make, especially after a long day, a hard yoga class or a cold run outside. Try it and let me know what you think!