Healthy Recipes | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

#LEAN14: creamy avocado spaghetti squash {+ how to cook spaghetti squash in the microwave}.

5 March, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

This is about as simple as it gets. 2 ingredients, can be made in less than 20 minutes, and no oven or pots/pans necessary.

inspired by Creamy Avocado Pasta from Oh She Glows

ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
1 (very ripe) avocado
seasonings of choice – I seasoned simply with salt and pepper

directions:

Cook spaghetti squash either in the oven (will take much longer) or microwave (see instructions below). Place cooked squash in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.

In a separate bowl, mash avocado with the back of a fork. You can add your favorite oil to thin it out, but I like leaving it a bit on the chunky side.

Add mashed avocado to spaghetti squash, and combine well. The squash should still be hot and melt the avocado almost into a sauce. Season to taste.

5 steps to microwaving spaghetti squash:

1) Poke squash about 10 times with a fork. Place it on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 6-8 minutes (the larger the squash, the more time needed).

2) Once the squash is softened, remove from microwave and cut in in half long ways. Be careful, it will be hot!

3) Let squash cool for a few minutes, then scrape out all of the seeds.

4) Place halves skin side down back in the microwave, and heat for 8-12 minutes (once again, depending on size of squash and how soft you want the “spaghetti” to get).

5) Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then scrape out the “spaghetti” with a fork into a bowl.

I LOVE this meal. It’s simple and healthy, but so filling and SO tasty! It would be great with some grilled chicken thrown in too.

Don’t get me wrong – I love myself a nice big bowl of real pasta. But I also really love the taste and texture of spaghetti squash, so it’s a great healthy alternative…especially when smothered in avocado. So if you’re an avocado freak lover like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this too.

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What’s your favorite way to eat avocado? Do you ever make spaghetti squash?

{no bake} white chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

4 March, 2014 by Gracie 9 Comments

I’ll be honest – I almost didn’t post this recipe because it’s not quite perfected. There’s probably just one or two small tweaks that need to be made to make these no-bake cookies set better.

BUT…they’re so delicious that it wasn’t worth holding out on sharing!

No Bake White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

yields 20-25 cookies. Gluten free*

ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oats (quick or rolled will work)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

directions: In a large pot boil sugar, butter, and milk for 1 minute. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats to the pot and mix well. Let mixture sit for 20-30 minutes (you’ll notice it’s pretty liquid-y and needs to set!).

Mix in the white chocolate chips, then drop 2-3 tablespoons of the cookie mixture onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Let cool for another 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator before eating. Store in the refrigerator.

* if using gluten-free oats

Although these aren’t necessarily the most beautiful of cookies, they’re really good. Like, really good.

The flavor combination of peanut butter and white chocolate, paired with the ooey gooey (almost fudge-like) consistency of these cookies makes it difficult to stop at just one. But they’re gluten free so that’s like, totally okay 😉

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Are you a fan of no-bake cookies/recipes?

#LEAN14: coconut banana chocolate chip cookies.

21 February, 2014 by Gracie 22 Comments

Full disclosure – this is the third time I’ve posted about these cookies.

They’re just that good. Not to mention the old pictures were crap. But let’s go with the former.

I haven’t made these in about two years and honestly forgot about them, but they recently got all sorts of buzz on Pinterest, so I figured it was a good time to make them again. You know, to make sure they still taste good.

They do.

coconut banana chocolate chip cookies.

grain free, paleo*, can be made vegan**
yields 10-15 cookies

dry ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

wet ingredients:

1 large banana, mashed
1 tablespoon honey OR maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil OR canola oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

mix-ins:

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
other options: nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit

* depending on how strict you are with honey/maple syrup and chocolate
** if you use maple syrup and sub carob chips

directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, except for the milk.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together. Then add the milk 1/4 cup at a time and combine (it will seem like a lot of milk, but coconut flour is very dry and needs the extra moisture). Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Form cookies (about 1-2 tablespoons of dough) and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 23-25 minutes until edges begin to turn golden brown. Immediately transfer to cooling rack, and allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Baking with coconut flour can be tricky, but I think the addition of the banana and extra milk really works with these cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and a great healthy alternative to regular chocolate chip cookies.

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Have you ever baked with coconut flour?

#LEAN14: a full {sick} day of eats.

17 February, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

I hate to be all “woe is me,” buuuuut basically I feel like death. Fever, chills, congestion – the whole nine.

I woke up on Saturday with the worst sore throat of all time and knew right away it was going to be a bad one. Thankfully my parents had come up that day to see my new apartment, and I had already planned on going back to Pennsylvania with them for a few things.

Let’s just say a cozy coach, big screen TV, and doctor Mom definitely help make being sick a bit more bearable.

I’ve been getting a handful of requests for more “full day of eats” posts since starting LEAN14, so I had that scheduled to post today, and even though I’m sick - the blog must go on.

Breakfast - Koala Crisp cereal with sliced banana and coconut milk.

(Yes, Koala Crisp. I’m mature like that.)

Lunch – sandwich of mashed avocado and a fried egg on brown rice bread.

Snack – a big green smoothie.

Dinner – all day I was looking forward to having the slow-cooked pulled pork my mom made, but when dinnertime rolled around the thought of eating meat was just really unappetizing. Regular old rice and beans was all I could seem to stomach Not so pretty, but it did the job.

Dessert – a few squares of dark chocolate.

Oh, and there was tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea.

For the most part, this is pretty standard for what I’ve been eating lately. Normal days usually include more veggies and more protein – both of which seem to be the most unappealing when sick…

What do/can you eat when you’re sick?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: a month in review.

31 January, 2014 by Gracie 20 Comments

I can’t believe January is already over! It was definitely an interesting month – taking on January Jumpstart while also planning a move, launching a new company, and keeping up with other life stuff.

Overall I would say that January Jumpstart was a success for me. Even though I didn’t stick to all of the goals 100%, it really held me accountable to keep up with healthy choices instead of letting them fall by the wayside a week in. I’m excited to keep up with LEAN14 for the rest of the year.

But for now, here’s a recap of how I did with my January Jumpstart goals.

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day – YES

2. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables each day – YES

3. Exercise 3 days a week (30-60 min combo of strength & cardio) – Eh, not so much. Some weeks I did great, others I did 1-2 workouts, or none at all. With the move and Speakable launch, life has been crazy!

4. Squats, squats, and more squats – see above

5. Eat more clean, whole foods – YES

6. Eat balanced meals and less snacking – Yes and no, I definitely cut down on the snacking, but not entirely.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night – YES

8. Limit soda/energy drinks to 3 per week (an improvement for me) – YES! I actually did way better with this than I thought. I haven’t had a single soda or energy drink all month.

9. Allow more time to walk/take the subway instead of cabs – Nope. I blame the Polar Vortex.

10. Track more of my meals/workouts here on GML – Not as much as I wanted to. At least I still have all year 😉

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And to wrap things up, here are some of my favorite #LEAN14 posts from January:

(Click the image to go to the post)

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Did you do a January Jumpstart of sorts?
How is LEAN in 2014 going for you so far?

#LEAN14: how to not hate vegetables.

24 January, 2014 by Gracie 15 Comments

I must pat myself on the back for doing really well with regularly eating tons of vegetables so far this year. I’m really planning on keeping it as a habit throughout Lean in 2014.

My “secret” to doing so is pretty simple – I’ve learned how to make vegetables taste as good as possible. And I’m not just talking about salads (because – let’s be real – you can make anything good by covering it in salad dressing).

In the past I would just force myself to eat veggies in any form because I knew it was good for me, but that never lasted. So instead of making vegetables just bearable, I’ve realized what a difference it makes to have vegetables taste delicious - something I actually want to eat!

Here are my 5 tips for making vegetables tasty (and not hate eating them).

1. roast them.

Roasting vegetables is hands down my favorite way to cook them. Here’s a great guide to roasting vegetables:

My favorite roasted vegetable is definitely butternut squash with a bit of salt and cinnamon. It gets all caramelized and sweet!

2. add avocado.

I love adding avocado to just about everything. It adds great flavor, a buttery texture, and healthy fats. I actually prefer avocado over salad dressing – if you use a really ripe avocado you can mash it up into a “guacamole dressing” of sorts.

3. add butter.

Butter seems to have gotten a really bad rep, but I’m a huge fan of it. First of all, just a little bit of butter goes a LONG way and can add incredible flavor to vegetables. Secondly, I fall in the camp that believes saturated fat is not bad for you. Not to mention that fat helps your body absorb nutrients, and you want to get the most out of those veggies, right?

4. “pizza-fied.”

One of my favorite ways to enjoy vegetables is to PIZZAFY them. Simply add:

* marinara sauce
* Italian seasoning
* parmesan cheese

This works especially well with steamed greens, roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spaghetti squash. Obviously this is no replacement for real pizza, but it’s still delicious!

5. in soup.

Most soups already have vegetables in them, but I like to take it up a notch by adding my favorite greens (spinach or kale) in the mix. I actually prefer chunky over thin/watery soup, so extra vegetables help bulk it up while adding nutrients at the same time.

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What’s your favorite way to eat vegetables?