Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

Exercise

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Date Energy Balls

Date energy balls are the perfect healthy snack. Finely ground dates and walnuts are shaped into little bites, and enjoyed as an easy treat.

Servings: 15 energy balls

Calories: 92kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor or Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup nuts
  • 1 1/2 cup dates
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

  1. Remove any pits from the dates, and shells from the nuts.
  2. Then, add the dates and walnuts to a food processor/blender. Process for about 1-2 minutes, until you achieve a fine grain mixture.
  3. Pick up a small amount and try to press it into a ball with your hands. The grains should form easily.
  4. Shape the mixture into 10-15 energy balls with your hands.

Notes

  • Nuts: Use any nuts that you like, such as walnuts, cashews, peanuts, or pecans.
  • Store at room temperature for up to 4 days, in a refrigerator for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g

You can find original recipe from Hint of Healthy here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Greek Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

  • 2, 15 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped cucumbers
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ cup fresh basil and/or parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Dressing
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • juice of 1 lemon about 3 Tablespoons
  • 2 small garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Make dressing: place all ingredients for the dressing except olive oil. Blend and then slowly add in olive oil while blending on low. You can also do this with an immersion blender. Set aside.
  • Prep salad: Add all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss again. Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of recipe | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g

Read the original recipe from Eating Bird Food here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Healthy Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

  • 16 large eggs beaten
  • 1 1/2 lb ground turkey
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 2 green onion finely sliced
  • 1 can 14 oz artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, plus extra for the top
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • salt and pepper

optional

  • cheese (ex, fresh parmesan and goat cheese)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Heat the oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and give it a quick stir. Add the ground turkey and use a large spoon to break up the turkey.
  3. Add the spices, salt and pepper and stir to combine everything. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until there’s no liquid in the pan and the meat is cooked through and browned.
  4. Add the spinach to the meat mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach just starts to wilt.
  5. Transfer the meat to a 9×13-inch casserole dish and evenly cover the bottom. Top with the artichoke hearts and beaten eggs. Optional: you can add some cheese at this stage.
  6. Sprinkle the green onion and a handful of spinach on top.
  7. Cook the casserole in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through.
  8. Before serving, garnish with parmesan cheese (optional) and an extra sprinkle of pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 184.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.2g | Protein: 13.9g | Fat: 11.7g 

Find the original recipe from Down Shiftology here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Balsamic Chicken and Roasted Veggies

You can cook it on one pan in the oven in an hour or less!

 Prep Time: 15 minutes

 Cook Time: 1 hour

 Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

 Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs skin on, bone in
  • 24 oz baby gold potatoes halved
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, remove the leaves
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes

Marinade

  • 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. Turn on your oven to 400° F
    1. Mix the marinade together and add the chicken, toss it around to coat it and put it in the fridge.
    1. Get out a half sheet pan. You can line it with parchment for easy clean up.
    1. Toss the halved potatoes and onions in a small amount of olive oil, and then place the potatoes only on the sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Put the onions to one side.
    1. After 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan and add the red onion and the chicken along with the marinade, then sprinkle on the chopped rosemary and thyme and a little salt and pepper, and put it back in the oven.
    1. Cook for a further 25 minutes, then take out the pan again to add the cherry tomatoes, and cook for 20 minutes more.
    1. After 45 minutes the chicken thighs should be fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F
    1. Plate and enjoy!

Note: You can use skinless boneless thighs, or skin on boneless variety too. The skinless boneless thighs will not take as long to cook as the bone in versions so you will need to adjust the cook time to compensate for that.

Calories: 394 cal

Total Fat: 23g

Total Carbs: 22g

Sugars: 5g

Protein: 22g

You can read the original recipe from Skinny Taste here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Yields: 20-22 balls

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons paleo mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
    1. Mix the ground chicken, green onions, hot sauce, egg, mayonnaise, salt, and almond flour into a large bowl
    1. Using a cookie scoop or small spoon, dish out the ground chicken mixture and mold into balls (this will be easiest with a cookie scoop)
    1. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet or cast iron skillet
    1. Bake for 20 minutes then drizzle with more hot sauce, and add additional green onions and blue cheese if desired

Find the original recipe from Physical Kitchness here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Zucchini Tater Tots

Yield: 3 servings, Serving Size: 5 tots

INGREDIENTS:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 packed cup grated zucchini
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 medium onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per Serving:

  • Calories: 108
  • Total Fat: 4.3g
  • Sodium: 262mg
  • Carbohydrates: 11.5g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Protein: 7g

The original recipe from Skinny Taste can be found here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, set aside.
  2. Combine peanut butter, honey salt and coconut oil in a saucepan and heat, stirring continuously, until melted and well-combined.
  3. Stir in vanilla and cocoa powder.
  4. Add quick-cooking oats and mix well.
  5. Add coconut and stir until completely combined.
  6. Drop 1 TBS portions of mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Continue until you’ve used all your cookie mixture.
  7. Let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until hardened.
  8. Serve cold or frozen!
  9. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 80 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 4 g

Find the original recipe from Joy Food Sunshine here!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

Serves 4

Ready in 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 2½- to 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch broccolini, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F.
  2. Place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)
  3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccolini, garlic and red pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring, until the broccolini is tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into the bowl. Place the shells in a broiler-safe baking pan or on a baking sheet. Stir ¾ cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the squash mixture. Divide it between the shells; top with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
  5. Bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Move to the upper rack, turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Serving size: ½ stuffed squash half Per serving: 194 calories; 11g fat; 2g fiber; 15g carbohydrates; 11g protein; 5g sugars

Find the original recipe from Eating Well here!