september challenge

Frequently used recipes:

Side Salad

• 2 cups of greens (spinach, romaine, your choice)
• ¼ cucumber
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 slice of red onion
• 1tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Calories 87, Protein 3, Carbs 20, Fat 0

 

Vegan Yogurt * makes 3 4oz. servings

• 1 package of mori-nu silken tofu (shelf able tofu found in Asian section of grocery stores)
• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup (more to taste)

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Some discoloration may occur due to banana.

Calories 114, Protein 8g, Carbs 17g, Fat 2g

 

Tortilla Chips

To make tortilla chips, cut two corn tortillas into 8 pieces each and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Calories 100, Protein 2g, Carbs 20g, Fat 2g

 

Day 1

Breakfast

Peanut Butter Quinoa

• 1/4 cup quinoa (uncooked)
• 1-2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Ground cinnamon

Mix quinoa with 1⁄2 cup water. Cover,bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is fluffy, fully cooked and water has evaporated. Mix with remaining ingredients and enjoy.

Calories 269, Protein 10, Carbs 36g, Fat 11

 

Lunch

Leftover Veggie Lasagna (See Week 2)

Calories 330, Protein 6g, Carbs 25g, Fat 16g

 

Dinner

Stir Fry Vegetables with Brown Rice and Baked Tofu

• ½ package firm tofu (save other half for calzone)
• ½ 14oz. bag stir fry veggies
• ½ cup Brown rice cooked
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 2tbsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Drain tofu and wrap in dish towel. Place on counter with a heavy plate or pan on top of it to press water out of it. Cut into whatever shape you like and put into a container to marinade with soy sauce and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes, or until desired firmness, flipping once.  Stir Fry veggies in olive oil until desired tenderness. Place rice in bowl, top with veggies and tofu.

Calories 473, Protein 30g, Carbs 44g, Fat 21

 

Snacks

¼ Cup Almonds

Calories 207, Protein 8, Carbs 7, Fat 18

1 Cucumber, sliced w/ hot sauce and lemon

Calories 44, Protein 2, Carbs 11, Fat 0

 

Day 2

Breakfast

Tofu Scramble * makes 2 servings, save ½

• 1 package of firm tofu, press some of the water out by hand
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 3 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• ¼ cup Salsa
• 1 cup Spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to turn translucent. Add tofu, crumbling. Use a spatula to further break tofu up tofu. Add nutritional yeast, mustard, salsa and spices. Combine well and cook until heated. Add spinach and cook until desired tenderness.

Calories 338, Protein 27g, Carbs 16g, Fat 20

 

Lunch

Quinoa Black Bean Bowl

• 1⁄4 cup quinoa (uncooked)
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup black beans
• 1⁄2 cup pineapple salsa
• Green onions, sliced (optional)
• Avocado (optional)

In a saucepan combine quinoa with 1⁄2 cup water, cover and

bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer until water has absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, about 15 minutes. Just as quinoa finishes, add a light splash of water or vegetable broth (just a touch) and kale, and stir constantly until kale turns bright green and softens, or until the kale is as tender as you like. Stir in black beans, spoon into a bowl and top with pineapple salsa plus green onions and avocado (if using).  This can be made ahead and reheated at work. Keep pineapple and green onion separate until ready to serve.

Calories 411, Protein 21g, Carbs 75g, Fat 5g

 

Dinner

Spinach Calzones

• 1/8 (11.3 ounce) can refrigerated dinner rolls, at room temperature
• Cornmeal for rolling
• 3/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese*
• 3 tablespoons grated vegetarian mozzarella cheese*
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Your favorite marinara-style pasta sauce

*to make this vegan use tofu instead of ricotta, sprinkled with lemon juice and Italian seasonings to taste. Use vegan mozzarella as well.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto your work surface and separate rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while preparing filling. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion; saute until tender and golden.  Add spinach, garlic and nutmeg; sauté, breaking up large clumps with a spoon, until heated through. Add salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in ricotta. Let cool; stir in remaining cheeses. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle with cornmeal as necessary, roll out roll into a 7-inch circle. Spoon 1/2 cup of filling over half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border. With wet fingertips, moisten the bottom border. Fold dough over filling and press edges together. Thoroughly seal by using fingertips to crimp and flute the edges or by pressing with the tines of a fork. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with warm marinara sauce.

Calories 285, Protein 16g, Carbs 31g, Fat 11

 

Snacks

½ Sweet Potato

Calories 51, Protein 1g, Carbs 12g, Fat 0

½ Cup Grapes

Calories 31, Protein 0g, Carbs 8g, Fat 0

 

Day 3

Breakfast

Breakfast Burrito

• ½ recipe for tofu scramble (see above)
• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• Salsa or hot sauce as desired

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to turn translucent. Add tofu, crumbling. Use a spatula to further break tofu up tofu. Add nutritional yeast, mustard, salsa and spices. Combine well and cook until heated. Add spinach and cook until desired tenderness.

Wrap in a whole wheat tortilla adding more salsa or hot sauce as desired.

Calories 468, Protein 27g, Carbs 16g, Fat 20

 

Lunch

Veggie Sandwich on Whole Wheat

• ¼ recipe hummus
• 3 slices of tomato
• 4 slices cucumber
• ½ cup sprouts
• ½ bell pepper sliced
• 1 slice red onion
• ½ avocado (optional)
• 2 pieces of whole wheat bread

Spread hummus on bread, top with veggies.

With avocado: Calories 369, Protein 11g, Carbs 42g, Fat 18g

 

Dinner

Broccoli Red Pepper Curry *makes 2 servings

• 2 cup broccoli florets
• 2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 onion
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 2 cups coconut milk
• ¼ cup yellow curry
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked.

Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms and broccoli and cook for a few minutes, until broccoli becomes bright green and mushrooms begin to brown.. Add red bell pepper and cook another few minutes until it begins to soften. Mix curry powder with coconut milk and pour over veggie mixture. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until some of the liquid absorbs. Serve over rice.

Calories 353, Protein 7g, Carbs 39g, Fat 20

 

Snacks

½ Cup Grapes

Calories 31, Protein 0g, Carbs 8g, Fat 0

8 Celery Sticks (4”)

Calories 38, Protein 0g, Carbs 10g, Fat 0g

 

Day 4

Breakfast

Apple Banana Smoothie

• 1 apple
• 1 banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• ¼ cup unsweetened yogurt or mori-nu tofu
• ½ tsp. cinnamon

Blend until smooth.

Calories 251, Protein 5g, Carbs 53g, Fat 4

 

Lunch

Broccoli Red Pepper Leftovers

Calories 353, Protein 7g, Carbs 39g, Fat 20

 

Dinner

Veggie Burritos

• ¼ cup black beans
• ¼ cup mushrooms, diced
• ¼ cup zucchini, diced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• ¼ cup corn
• 1 tbsp black olives, chopped
• ¼ cup vegetarian cheddar cheese
• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• Salsa or hot sauce to taste

Heat ingredients in a skillet, cook as much as desired (cooking is optional, you can choose to just mix ingredients). Fill tortillas and top with cheese. Wrap.

Calories 512, Protein 22g, Carbs 62g, Fat 22

 

Snacks

½ Sweet Potato

Calories 51, Protein 1g, Carbs 12g, Fat 0

½ Avocado

Calories 113, Protein 2g, Carbs 6g, Fat 11g

 

Day 5

Breakfast

Berry Oatmeal

• 2 oz. yogurt (vanilla or vegan yogurt)
• 1⁄2 cup rolled oats (uncooked)
• 1⁄2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1⁄2 banana, sliced

Combine oats in 3⁄4 cup water (or more water if you like your oatmeal “soupy”) with frozen berries and cook, stirring regularly (the oatmeal will turn purple/red from all the berries). Top with sliced banana and yogurt.

Calories 282, Protein 9, Carbs 56g, Fat 4g

 

Lunch

Tomato Soup with Side Salad

Soup: (makes 2 servings, save half)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 16 oz. can of tomatoes, pureed, diced or whole
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 large bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. fresh basil
• 1 tbsp. honey

Heat oil in a small pot.  .  Add the onion to the pot, stir well and saute for 5-6 minutes before adding the garlic.  Again, stir well and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, baking soda, parsley, bay leaf and salt and pepper.  Bring up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so over medium low heat.  The baking soda will foam up, just make sure your pot has a couple inches of extra room until it calms down.  The baking soda will help neutralize the acids from the canned tomatoes and you won’t taste it at all.  Remove the bay leaf from the soup and puree. Use an immersion blender, or transfer the soup to a blender to blend it until smooth. Once blended, stir in the honey and fresh basil and check for seasonings, adding salt as needed.

Serve with side salad

With salad, no dressing included:  Calories 265, Protein 6, Carbs 47g, Fat 7g

 

Dinner

Vegetarian Chili with Avocado *makes 2 servings

• 2 onions, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup pure pumpkin (canned)
• ½ cup green chilies (canned)
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 15 oz kidney beans (canned), drained and rinsed (or black beans)

Line a skillet with a thin layer of water and sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin, stirring to coat onions, and continue to cook until all liquid has cooked off. Add broth, pumpkin, green chilies and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add beans and stir. Reduce heat to low and cook until beans are warm.  Taste, adding salt and pepper if desired. If it’s too thick, thin out with water or vegetable broth.

Calories 262, Protein 18, Carbs 48g, Fat 2g

 

Snacks

1 cup Broccoli Florets

Calories 25, Protein 3, Carbs 5g, Fat 0

1 Apple

Calories 72, Protein 0, Carbs 19g, Fat 0

 

Day 6

Breakfast

Neapolitan Parfait

• Overnight Oats:
• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
• 1-1.25 cup non-dairy milk
• 1.5 tbsp carob powder (or sweetened protein powder)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder

Directions: Mix together in bowl and place in the fridge overnight. Stir well in morning & add maple syrup to taste.

Banana Soft Serve:

• 1 large frozen banana, chopped
• 2-3 frozen strawberries (to make strawberry soft serve)

Directions: Process frozen banana in food processor. Remove half and place in bowl. Now add a few strawberries into the processor and process to make strawberry soft serve. Now you have both vanilla and strawberry soft serve.  Layer chocolate, strawberry and banana.

Calories 398, Protein 14, Carbs 68g, Fat 11g

Credit: Recipe from “Oh She Glows” blog

 

Lunch

Leftover Chili

Calories 262, Protein 18, Carbs 48g, Fat 2g

 

Dinner

Black Bean Enchiladas *makes 2 servings

• 3/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 3/4 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 2 (6 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 1/4 cup shredded vegetarian Cheddar cheese
• 2-1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a small baking dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir green pepper, onion, and garlic until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes, hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Fold in rice and 1 cup Cheddar cheese; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place enchiladas seam side down in baking dish; spoon salsa over each tortilla. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cilantro and 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Calories 322, Protein 12.8g, Carbs 44g, Fat 11g

 

Snacks

3 oz. Baby Carrots

Calories 35, Protein 1g, Carbs 6g, Fat 0

¼ cup raisins

Calories 118, Protein 1g, Carbs 31g, Fat 0g

 

Day 7

Breakfast

Breakfast sweet potato

• 1 Sweet potato
• 2 tbsp. Peanut butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Raisins

Microwave or bake sweet potato until soft. Mix peanut butter and applesauce.  Cut open and top with applesauce mixture and remaining ingredients.

Calories 387, Protein 10g, Carbs 56g, Fat 16g

 

Lunch

Leftover Tomato Soup with Side Salad

Calories 265, Protein 6, Carbs 47g, Fat 7g

 

Dinner

Raw Zucchini Pasta

• 1 large zucchini
• 5 oz. Grape, cherry or mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup Arugula
• Juice from one lemon
• Jalapeno, thinly sliced and seeds removed (optional)

Sauce:

• 1 medium avocado
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thick
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp white pepper or black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• A few large leaves of basil (optional)

Calories 372, Protein 12g, Carbs 44g, Fat 22g

 

Snacks

¼ Cup Almonds

Calories 207, Protein 8, Carbs 7, Fat 18

½ Cup Corn with Lime and Hot Sauce

Calories 66, Protein 2g, Carbs 15g, Fat 1g