Clean eating smoothie: part 7

Good morning, fit people!

Today's clean eating recipe is a pineapple and berry smoothie. It's simple, it's packed with vitamins and other antioxidants and it tastes wonderful.

Now, before I reveal the simple recipe, I want to share the health benefits of the basic ingredients of my smoothie.

Health benefits of pineapple
Pineapples are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and B-complex group of vitamins like folates, thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese. Potassium (K) is an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper (Cu) is a helpful cofactor for red blood cell synthesis. Manganese (Mn) is a trace mineral your body needs to build bones and connective tissues, and it also is a co-factor for an enzyme which battles free radicals.
Since pineapples have these anti-inflammatory qualities, eating pineapples can greatly ease the pain of arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and gout.
Pineapples are also the source of bromelain (a mixture of protein-digesting enzymes). Bromelain helps regulate the secretions in the pancreas to aid in digestion, and it neutralizes acidic fluids in the gastrointestinal tract.
Pineapples are 94% carbohydrates, so if you're on a carbohydrate-restricted diet, keep your pineapple intake at one cup per day.
Always go for fresh pineapple when you have the chance. Here's a great seven-step wikihow article on how to tell if a pineapple is ripe.


Health benefits of lingonberry
Lingonberries are supposedly one of the richest sources of polyphenols. The little red berries are an excellent source of vitamin A, B and C and are packed with minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, sodium and potassium, and also flavonoids, especially quercetin. Quercetin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but it also has antihistamine properties that help alleviate allergy symptoms.
Lingonberries contain tannins that help boost the walls of blood vessels, resolve mineral metabolism and neutralize toxins. Like other dark red and blue berries, lingonberries boost the levels of good cholesterol and improve blood pressure. Also, lingonberries contain a berry biocomplex that reduces hardening of blood vessels. Lingonberries are and excellent addition to a diverse diet, since it improves heart and circulatory health. Apart from being rich in essential nutrients, lingonberries are also a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Health benefits of blueberry
The nutrients in blueberries include selenium, iron, potassium, copper, zinc, manganese, anthocyanin, vitamins A, C, E and B complex. Several studies show that blueberries can improve brain function and prevent (or slow) the progress of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Blueberries also improve glucose and insulin levels, and reduce abdominal fat. Like lingonberries, blueberries are a heart-healthy superberry. They also boost your immunity, since they are packed with enzymes with antibacterial and antiviral properties. The blue shade of blueberries provides anthocyanin, which is rich in bioflavenoid and antioxidants.
Both lingon- and blueberries are excellent to use both fresh or frozen.

Now that you know why I like my berries so much, here's the recipe to my antioxidant-packed supersmoothie:

Clean eating: Pineapple and berry supersmoothie
1 dl fresh pineapple chunks
1 dl lingonberries
1 dl blueberries
1-2 dl water, coconut water or any clean eating liquid you prefer to use

Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Pour in a tall glass or protein shaker and enjoy :)

Tip #1: I use this as an addition to my breakfast omelette. In case you plan on having just a smoothie for breakfast, make sure you get enough proteins. The protein count of this smoothie is really low, so feel free to add a protein powder or quark to the mix.
Tip #2: Since pineapples are diuretic (drive water out of the body), make sure you drink plenty of water with your smoothie.
Tip #3: For an added "superfood effect", add a tablespoon of maca, a teaspoon of Opti-MSM and a teaspoon of lucuma to the smoothie.

Now, I'm a regular multitasker in the mornings. I brush my hair while I let my dog out, I get dressed while my omelette is cooking and I enjoy half of my breakfast in the car on my way to work. Today I poured my smoothie in a protein shaker and drank it whilst commuting. It ain't pretty, but I got to get my natural vitamins in the morning!

Cheers!

/U

Picture source 1 2

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 6)

Hi guys, 

Hope you've recovered from all the eating on Christmas. I returned to work today, whoo-eh! 800 emails in my inbox, I thought I would die. Why didn't Santa bring me a nice-looking secretary for Christmas? I'm dissapointed.

I started this morning with a lean ham omelette and this smoothie. I added this picture (and recipe) to my Instagram, and people seemed to love it! Now I want to share this with a bigger audience. (by the way, my instagram account is @pug_a_licious. Follow me for new recipes (and "pugstagram" pictures, ha-ha).

Clean eating: Mango and blueberry smoothie
(serves 4)

Ingredients
1 cup diced mango (fresh or frozen)
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 tbsp maca
1 tbsp lucuma
1 tbsp Opti-MSM
1 tsp spirulina
1-2 cups water

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and blend until smooth.
2. Adjust the consistency of the smoothie by adding more water - the smoothie should be drinkable :)
3. Pour in medium to tall glasses - enjoy!

Tip #1: You don't need to use "superpowders" at all - just blend the fruits and berries together for a nutritious smoothie.
Tip #2: In case you want to start using superfoods, start off with one powder. I'd recommend maca for a start - I use lucuma to balance the bitter taste.

I challenge you to try this one out - let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Smoothie (Part 5)

Boost your immune system with this antioxidant-packed supersmoothie!

Clean eating: grapefruit and blackcurrant smoothie
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients
1 avocado
200g blackcurrants
4 dl grapefruit juice (or 2 large grapefruits, peeled)
100g vanilla whey protein powder
4+ dl water

1. Peel and pit the avocado. Put the avocado, berries and grapefruit juice (or grapefruit) in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the whey powder and water to the mix, blend on low speed (if you blend it on high speed, the whey will foam). Add extra water to get the perfect consistency, if the smoothie feels too thick.

Tip #1: In case you don't want to use additional protein powder, like whey, substitute it with 400 g quark. Make sure you add enough water to the mix to get the desired consistency.
Tip #2: Vanilla whey is quite sweet. In case you don't use whey powder, add a banana or 2-3 dates to the smoothie to sweeten it.
Note: Don't use plain sugar (or even honey) if possible, never use artificial sweeteners like asesulfam K or aspartame. Use natural sweeteners like banana, dates, organic stevia or erytritol.
Tip #3: To kick-start your morning, use chilled green tea in stead of water. Green tea works perfectly for morning smoothies, since it's packed with caffeine and antioxidants.
Tip #4: This smoothie is really nice as a dessert, too. Skip the whey and add a banana to create a tangy, dairy-free, sugar-free smoothie. I like the freshness of this smoothie after a heavy and/or greasy meal, it leaves me feeling light yet satisfied.

Have a great Thursday!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: making raw chocolate

My post on raw chocolate earlier received quite a lot of attention, and since I got a few emails about making raw chocolate, I wanted to share the recipe I (always) use.

Making raw chocolate is actually quite simple. You need to buy a lot of ingredients, but once you've got them in your cupboards, you can make raw chocolate as often as you like.

Clean eating: Raw chocolate (makes ~20 small pieces)

Ingredients
125 g cacao butter
1 tbsp organic honey (or a tsp Stevia)
5 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp raw lucuma powder
2 tbsp raw maca powder
a pinch of high-quality salt (pink Himalayan salt, grey sea salt)
(2-4 drops mint oil)
(nuts, dried berries or fruits)

1. Grate the cacao butter (or chop it up to tiny pieces).

2. Boil some water in a pan. Remove it off the heat after it's boiled.
3. Place the grated cacao butter in a bain marie and wait until all the solids have melted. 

4. Add the honey (or stevia) and the cacao powder and mix with a spoon until smooth.
5. Add the lucuma, maca (, mint oil) and salt and mix until smooth.

6. If you want a little twist, put some (crushed) walnuts, goji berries, mulberries or other dried fruits in silicone moulds and pour over the raw chocolate mixture.

7. Let the raw chocolate set for a few hours in the fridge (or if you're as impatient as I am, place the moulds in the freezer for 30 minutes).
8. Pop out your chocolates and share them with the people you love.

Our friends love these delicious treats. The chocolates in the picture above are flavoured with mint oil and I've added a few crushed walnuts. These tiny walnutty pieces were delicious! In case you haven't got greedy friends like I do ;) , these chocolates will store in the fridge (or freezer) for a week or so.

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Lemon chicken

 

I plan most my meals on Sundays and prepare most of them on Sunday nights or on a Monday morning before work. This is one of my favourite lunches, because it's super-easy to cook in bulk! You could easily cook 6 chicken legs at once, because they stay perfectly well in the fridge for 5-7 days. Freezing the cooked chicken is always an option.

This meal takes about 5 minutes to prepare, plus the 50-60 minutes it bakes in the oven. 

Quick and easy - what's not to love?

Clean eating: Lemon chicken

(serves 3)

Ingredients

3 chicken legs, lightly salted

1 lemon

1 tbsp sage

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Cut the lemon in thin slices (appr. 1 cm thick).

3. Place the chicken legs in a large oven-proof bowl. Spice the legs with sage, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. (I, personally, don't need any extra salt or pepper)

4. Place the lemon slices between and around the chicken legs and drizzle some olive oil on top.

5. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the chicken legs are golden brown and the meat comes easily off the bones.

6. Enjoy with clean eating sweet potato chips, quinoa or fresh salad.

Tip #1: Use different citrus fruits. Oranges, lemons and limes are great with chicken!

Tip #2: Bake a few potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes with the chicken - lemon and potato is a great combo.

Tip #3: Use duck, goose or different forms of poultry for new flavors.

Let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Sweet potato chips

Thursday treat: sweet potato chips!
 
Do you love chips or french fries, but can't stand the excess calories? Do you want to keep your meals clean, yet exciting? If you answered yes, here's a recipe you should definitely try.
 
This is one of the easiest cheat meals ever. If I can do it, you can. I really love the simplicity of the recipe. Few ingredients plus a really simple preparation is always a plus when it comes to eating clean!

The chips take about five minutes to prepare plus the 15-30 minutes in the oven. You could easily cut up the slices in advance to cut a few corners. I usually keep cubed and sliced veggies in the fridge to save time.

Ingredients (makes 2-4 servings)
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, herbs and pepper to taste


  
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it in thin slices (approx 5mm each). 
3. Spread the slices evenly on a oven-proof pan, drizzle on some evoo and the spices of your choice. 
4. Bake in the oven for 15-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the slices) and enjoy as a snack or with some chicken.

Tip #1: Mix it up by using different veggies. Sweet potato, yams, potato, zucchini and aubergine are perfect for this, and they work splendidly together.
Tip #2: Use different spice mixes. Try cinnamon, different herbs (rosemary potato is one of my personal favourites) or a low-sodium & sugarfree spice mix (e.g. bbq or pumpkin spice mix)
Tip #3: In the summer, use the grill. A smokey flavour is perfect with the sweet potato.

Enjoy!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Breakfast pancakes

"Start every day like it's your birthday!"

OK - So it's pancake time!

I've had an awful start of the week, so a mini-birthday-Wednesday was in order. I usually plan all my meals for the week on Sunday nights, making all preparations and shopping if necessary. This Sunday I prepared a few OJ&Greek yogurt popsicles and a few other treats to get me through a stressful week. Today's breakfast menu was unplanned, but luckily I always store these ingredients at home. I've tried a lot of different protein powder pancake batters, but I'm still not quite convinced. I really don't like the aftertaste of protein powder, especially unflavoured rice protein. If you've got a decent recipe to share, I'd be more than happy to try it!

The pancakes are dairy-free, flour-free, sugar&sweetener-free and sooo simple to cook!

Clean eating: Breakfast pancakes (serves one)
1 ripe banana
1 egg (organic, if possible)
1 tsp unsalted butter

Step #1: Peel the banana and chop it to small pieces. Preheat a pan to medium-heat.
Step #2: Put the banana and the egg in a blender, blend until smooth. The batter should be soft and airy, almost like a mousse.
Step #3: Melt the butter in the pan and make four or five mini-pancakes of the batter. If possible, use a frying pan made for pancakes to create prettier (and symmetric) pancakes. Fry the pancakes for a few minutes, until they're golden brown. Turn the pancakes carefully! The pancakes will rise a bit, but after turning them they will fall. So be careful when turning them, you don't want to ruin your perfect ("birthday") breakfast.
Step #4: Enjoy! Serve with home-made strawberry "jam" (the strawberries are really sweet by themselves, no thickening sugar needed - I used pectin for thickening) and some Greek yoghurt on the side. Yum!

So try this out and let me know what you think!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 4)

Hi,

As I promised before, here comes my recovery smoothie. This smoothie serves as my breakfast smoothie, if I go for a quick workout in the morning. I feel satisfied really fast because of the avocado, the rice protein helps me build muscle mass without any additional (E-coded) ingredients. I buy all my protein powders and other dry ingredients online, I prefer iHerb or Luontaispörssi.

Clean eating: Recovery smoothie
(makes 1-2 servings)

1 ripe avocado
2-3dl blueberries
1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
1 scoop (30g) rice protein powder, unsweetened
2 tsp BCAA (branched-chained amino acids)(click here to buy)
1 tbsp (organic) maca powder
1 tsp (organic) lucuma powder
1 tsp (organic) raw cacao powde
1 sachet Pukka Clean Greens
1 tsp Opti-MSM powder
2-3 dl water
a pinch of unprocessed sea salt (or himalayan salt)

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Tip #1 Use different berries for a change in taste.
Tip #2 Use a banana instead of avocado for a higher carbohydrate content.
Tip #3 If you haven't eaten maca or MSM before, go easy on the amounts of powder you put in your smoothie.. Both maca and MSM have a very distinct taste, which you'll learn to like. Blackberries are a nice addition to smoothies when you're learning to use MSM, since the berries cover the yuck-y taste really well :D
Tip #4 I usually carry the powders in a tiny plastic bag with me wherever I go. If I don't have the opportunity to make the smoothie in a blender, I'll blend it in my shaker (with just water; no avocado or berries) and drink it on the go. However, I use a larger amount of water and maybe a teaspoon of goji powder just to get some berry flavours in it.

Ahh, the joy of delicious food. To be honest with you, I had to get used to drinking this recovery smoothie after my workouts. I hated it at first, until I got over the fact that MSM is derivated sulfur and tastes like cr*p. I still won't drink it with water so I'll have to mask the taste with berries. I know MSM is really good for my muscles and joints (I can feel the difference!), but for some reason my taste buds don't like it... Well, let me know what you think!

Over and out.

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 3)

Good morning !

I wanted to share my most basic smoothie recipe ever. This is the base to all my weirder experiments (including beetroot smoothie, goji and cloudberry smoothie etc). This is also the smoothie I recommend to my nutritional coaching clients, just to get them hooked on berrylicious flavours (and to wean them off sugary treats in the morning). I'm really into making smoothies for recovery drinks. The consistency is a lot different, since I use protein powder and other supplements with the basic recipe. I'll reveal my secret protein shake to you some other time.

As you have seen in the previous smoothie posts (here and here), the smoothies are really easy to make. If I have a really busy morning, I usually place the ingredients in the blender the night before (and the blender in the fridge, ofc). I'm a regular multitasker in the morning: I usually brush my hair or apply my make up while the smoothie is mixing in the blender. If I'm in a real hurry, I'll pour the smoothie in a protein shaker and drink it on the go. "Fast food" ;) So no excuses for skipping breakfast!


Clean eating blueberry and strawberry smoothie (Makes 2-3 servings)

1 banana
200-250g quark
2-3 dl blueberries and strawberries
2-3 dl water
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
pinch of Himalayan salt or unprocessed sea salt

Place everything in blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
The smoothie can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

Tip #1: As before, try using different berries and fruits: whatever you have in your cupboards. Anything goes, as long as it's fresh (or freezed) - try to avoid canned products, especially if the fruits are conserved in glucose syrup.
Tip #2: For a dairy-free smoothie, replace the quark with coconut milk, rice milk or almond milk. I'm really loving the quark, because it's packed with protein to keep me satisfied all morning. Being creative is always a plus - so keep mixing it up with different bases ! Chilled herbal or green tea works really well as a base, as you may already know.
Tip #3: If you're used to making smoothies for one, you can store the rest of the banana in the freezer. Cut it up in "coins" and place it in the freezer - it makes a delicious snack or a base for your smoothies later in the week. One option is to make a bigger smoothie and freezing it in popsicle moulds for later. Mmmm...
Tip #4: Use different sources of fiber, changing it every week. Psyllium, flaxseed, chia seeds, other seeds and brans work wonders in your GI.

I love this smoothie because I always store these ingredients at home. My freezer is always packed with berries, a few peeled bananas, grapes and spinach, I always keep quark in my fridge - and my cupboards are always filled with herbal teas.

Here's to a beautiful day!

/Ulrika

Eating clean: raw chocolate ice cream

I used to be an ice cream monster. Seriously, I could gulp down a litre of ice cream in one week - that's an enormous amount of unnecessary sugars and bad fats. I felt really bad too - my digestion wasn't exactly thrilled about the dairy I stuffed myself with. And the guilt! Almost unbearable.
I've lived without sugar since April this year, when something just clicked in my head. I realized that all my workouts so far have been wrong, my diet was totally off and my stress levels were way too high. Now I'm eating clean and I do mostly strength workouts. And I'm feeling awesome.

This is my absolute favourite cheat meal so far. My weekend treat, the best way to start a Friday night.

Raw chocolate ice cream. Pure deliciousness in a bowl. The texture feels a bit like sherbet with a taste of chocolate and banana. The taste is just divine, so chocolate-y and sweet.

Raw chocolate ice cream (makes 2 small servings or 1 big serving)

Ingredients
2 bananas
1-2 tbsp powdered raw cocoa
1-2 tbsp powdered lucuma
½ dl chilled green tea or coconut water


1. Peel and chop the bananas and stick them in the freezer for a few hours.
2. Put the frozen bananas and the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until the mixture is a fluffy smoothie. I recommend using a lower RPM on the blender for best results.
3. Enjoy!


Tip #1: Season the ice cream in different ways. My favourites are mint chocolate ice cream (using 1 drop of peppermint oil), mocca ice cream (using a chilled espresso in stead of the green tea) or coconut ice cream (with coconut milk as the base).
Tip #2: In case you need an additional sweetener, add a few drops of stevia or honey to the mix. Lucuma is a natural sweetener (powdered fruit) - I find the ice cream sweet enough with 1-2 tbsp of lucuma.
Tip #3: Raw cocoa and organic lucuma can be bought at several webshops, my favourite is Luontaispörssi. You'll find loads of superfood in this section, click click.

//EDIT: I made choco ice cream, and satisfied my chocolate needs quite fast. Here's the result of my raw chocolate popsicles:

I simply poured the ice cream into popsicle moulds, and stuck the moulds in the freezer. I did a small experiment, crushed a few blueberries in the mix - the taste was so much lighter and more fresh than a simple chocolate ice cream. I sincerely recommend testing it ;)

Let me know what you think!

Love,
Ulrika

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 2)

Part two of my "clean eating: smoothie"-series. My goal is to share different smoothie recipes for clean eating and "cheat meals" - i.e. reward foods. I'd go crazy if I didn't reward myself with some delicious smoothies, home made frozen yogurts or other treats. I eat clean 90% of the time, giving myself a 10% cheat margin for each week, i.e. 1-4 meals of pure delight.

Everyone deserves a reward meal, no matter where you are from reaching your goals. Having a reward meal every now and again is good for your metabolism when you're following a strict, clean diet. Eating a high-calorie meal has your body working hard to process the food and boosting your metabolism. So endulge once in a while. No need to count calories, when you remember the facts I list below.

The main thing with cheat/reward meals is to:

• Keep it in proportion. Don't make it a cheat day!
• Eat at a table, focusing on your food. Once you get up, the meal is over! No snacking or refills.
• Avoid large portions, fried foods and plain junk food
• Enjoy!

Now, back to the recipe.... This smoothie works really well as a morning smoothie, a snack or a special treat. The fiber from the apple makes the smoothie a little thicker than usual and fills you up really well. If you find the smoothie too thick, add a little extra water to it. Chia seeds work as thickeners, so make sure you control the use of them. If you find the consistency too thick, ditch the chia seeds.

This is a dairy-free and sugar-free smoothie. Really easy to make, too. I grow the ingredients in my back yard, but in case I need to buy groceries, I always prefer organic ingredients.

I love to vary this recipe by changing the liquid part. I get easily tired of eating the same stuff, and I often use different teas and veggie milks as base in my smoothies. Green tea has a detoxifying (and fat burning!) effect on the body and gives a caffeine kick in the morning. I'm one of those people who are caffeine-sensitive, so I don't make this with green tea if I plan to enjoy it after 4 p.m.
(I didn't include soy milk in my ingredients list. Soy doesn't work well for me, but you could use unsweetened soy milk as well, if you like it.)


Clean Eating Cinnamon Apple Smoothie (Makes 2-3 servings)
2-3 dl cubed or sliced apples (I prefer tangy apples)
2-3 dl raw spinach or oak leaf lettuce
2-3 dl unsweetened almond milk, rice milk or chilled green tea
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
(½ tsp spirulina powder)

Place the ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Tip #1: Make this smoothie with different types of apple. For a sweeter version, you could also use pears or add a banana to the mix.
Tip #2: No need to peel the apples. Blend the apples for a little longer for a smoother texture.
Tip #3: If you like to use spirulina, make sure that you taste the smoothie before serving it! Spirulina has a funky taste, and you might want to use smaller amounts before getting used to the taste.. Spirulina is one of the world's most antioxidant-packed nutrients. It's used widely by athletes and health enthusiasts, and there's a reason for it. ;)
Tip #4: If you find yourself "too busy" to make yourself a smoothie in the morning, make it the night before. Add a splash of lemon juice to keep the apple a light colour. The spinach and spirulina are actually natural preservatives (because of the high antioxidant levels), so by using a larger amount of greens you make sure your smoothie stays fresh a little longer.

I haven't yet made popsicles from this smoothie, but I'm eager to try it sometime. Today there were no leftovers (soooo yummy!).

Have a strong day!
/Ulrika

Clean eating: Warm meals (part 1)

The clean eating series expands with yet another category: warm meals.
The recipe I'm presenting today is the dinner my hubby made for me yesterday. Simple, yet delicious.

We don't normally eat pork, but Italian prosciutto is our weakness.. We eat it about once a month, usually in a home made pizza or wrapped around a fish or chicken fillet.
  

Clean eating: Pike by K. (one serving)

150 g pike fillet (skinned, pin bones removed)
2 slices of prosciutto, parma or other air dryed ham
2 fresh sage leaves
pepper to taste
1 tsp butter (for frying)

Salad
Spinach and lettuce leaves
Fresh veggies: cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes (chopped)
50 g honey melon (cubed)

Dressing
½-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chili sauce to taste
Pepper to taste


1. Season the skinned and boned pike fillet with pepper. No salt needed - the prosciutto will be salty enough.
2. Wrap the pike fillet in prosciutto, leaving the sage leaves under the ham.

3. Heat the butter in the frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the pike fillets. Fry for 5 minutes on each side, or until the prosciutto is golden-brown and the fish is cooked through.

4. Place the lettuce, melon and the chopped veggies on a plate. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle it on top of the salad.

Your plate should look something like this...
(Sorry for the blurry Instagram pics)

Enjoy !

Tip #1: Try this with different types of fish. For an energy-richer meal, choose salmon in stead of pike.
Tip #2: For a less-fat version, cook the fish in the oven. Heat the oven to 200C, leave the fillet in for max 15-20 minutes (until the prosciutto is golden brown and the fish is cooked through).
Tip #3: For a bigger meal, serve with quinoa and steamed broccoli.

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Salads (part 1)

Happy Monday, fit people!

The clean eating series continues with salads. This is the first part, introducing a heavy salad packed with protein and polyunsaturated fats. And it's delicious, too! This salad works really well as a lunch or dinner salad and it keeps you satisfied for a long time. I don't normally do dressings, but I love the taste of spicy chili with blue cheese and salmon.

I'm really bad at measuring things. Mostly I just throw ingredients together and see what happens. :D So sorry for the vague measures in this recipe (and the ones before).

Clean eating salmon and bluecheese salad
Fresh spinach leaves, mixed lettuce leaves and onion stalks
½ Diced bell pepper
diced cucumber
5-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
5-10 red grapes, halved
100-120 g smoked salmon (with lemon, dill and unprocessed sea salt)
30-50 g blue cheese

Dressing: 1 tbsp olive oil mixed with chili sauce and black pepper to taste.

As always, my recipes are easy to make. Place the spinach leaves and diced and halved veggies on the plate together with the salmon and bluecheese. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl or bottle and drizzle it on top. Enjoy!

Tip #1: Mix it up with different colours. Yellow bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, red cherry tomatoes are rich in potassium. Red grapes are packed with phytonutrients: the seeds are loaded with tannins and other antioxidants, the sweet flesh is loaded with fiber and the peels are rich in flavonoids.
Tip #2: For a non-dairy version, ditch the blue cheese and add a few almonds for a heavier protein and fat content.
Tip #3: Use as many organic ingredients as possible, you will taste the difference.

Have a strong Monday!

/Ulrika

Clean eating: Smoothie (part 1)

I'm now introducing one of my favourite morning smoothies. I first started making this one to soothe my tummy aches during my periods (sorry for the excess info!), and it worked. The fats from the coconut milk are polyunsaturated ("good fats"), the fibers aid your digestion and the berries are packed with antioxidants! It tastes really good, too: almost like strawberry ice cream! What's not to love?


Clean eating strawberry and coconut milk smoothie (serves 4)

1 can organic coconut milk
2-3 dl water
2-3 dl frozen strawberries
1-2 tbsp psyllium or other fiber source
If you need additional sweetener, try using a banana or a few pieces of mango. (or stevia, if you need something really sweet)

Here comes the easy part: place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.


Tip #1: try making this smoothie with different berries and fruits. If you're not that into sweet flavors, try making this with lingonberries or cranberries - the coconut milk has a soft texture and it brings the tastes really well together. Experiment with different berries and spices. I really love the combination of coconut milk, raspberries and cinnamon!
Tip #2: This is one of my "cheat meals", in case I get cravings. I always store cans of coconut milk and frozen berries at home. Use this smoothie as a compromise, in case you crave for ice cream or something sweet. My hubby doesn't really fancy my smoothies, so I often freeze the leftovers. This smoothie sure makes a delicious popsicle ;) (I bet kids love it too!)
Tip #3: For a less-fat version, replace half of the coconut milk with natural low-fat yogurt.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

Love,
Ulrika

Delicious coconut chocolate treats.

Healthy treats: chocolate coconut balls and fresh strawberries.

Most of my friends (and a few co-workers) comment on my diet a lot. Some of them think that eating clean means no treats at all, but they're wrong!

These balls are healthy and packed with antioxidants. They're not addictive, so you don't have to be afraid to eat the whole lot in just one sitting. They contain zero sugar and they're rich in unsaturated fats and proteins that fill you up pleasantly. So no desperate cravings afterwards.

They're really fast to make, it took like five minutes for me to throw the ingredients together. Easy enough for you? ;)

My healthy chocolate coconut balls
150 g organic peanut butter (my favourite is Urtekram)
250 g crushed organic nuts. I used mostly almonds.
1- 1½ dl organic raw cacao powder
1 dl organic rice protein powder
½- 1 dl organic cacao nibs
½ dl organic chia seeds
2- 2½ dl shredded organic coconut
150 g organic coconut butter (oil)
2-3 teaspoons organic raw lucuma
1-2 tbsp organic raw maca powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Some additional shredded coconut to top these beautiful tiny balls


Blend the above in a bowl, using a metal spoon to push the coconut oil and peanut butter through the dry ingredients. Don't be precise - throw in what feels right (that's why my recipe isn't that precise either). The dough will turn "wet" because the coconut butter will turn into oil, so just chuck in some more dry stuff (e.g. chia seeds) to adjust the consistency.
Grab little handfuls and form into balls. Dip the balls in some shredded coconut to get the lovely "topping". Put the balls on wax paper or a large plate. Stick in the fridge for an hour (or if you're impatient, in the freezer for 20 minutes). I was patient enough to wait for 12 hours for these babies to set - and they're gorgeous! I enjoy my coconutty delights with fresh fruits or berries.

You can tweak the recipe to your own taste - add some licorice root or maybe a little peppermint oil.. You choose :)

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Kisses,
/U

Cupcake fever!

 

Homemade cupcakes with protein

I made one batch of chocolate cupcakes and a batch with berries.. Delicious.

(12 cupcakes)

1 egg

3 egg whites
120 g quark (I used non-fat)
1 dl milk or plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp raw cacao (100%)
1 dl rice protein powder
1-2 tbsp flour (I used oat)
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of rose salt (Himalayan)

(In case you need additional sweetener, use stevia, lucuma or maple syrup)

For the berry version:

Leave out the cacao powder.
150 g berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries..)

Preheat the oven to 200℃ and prepare 12 cupcake molds.

Combine the egg, quark, yoghurt in a large bowl and whisk together until light and creamy.  

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the egg whites. Beat until the batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters or whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks. 

(The berry version: fold in the berries before adding the egg whites)

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake molds.

Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. I baked these for about 15-19 minutes, since my oven is extra-HOT! :D

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. The cupcakes will rise in the oven and fall again in the centre when they're cool.

 

Gooey centre, check. Moist delicious cupcakes, check. 

 

You can also try combining the berries with the chocolate batter, I bet it works too.

 

A quick heads up: the cupcakes are a bit sticky on the first day - they're the best on the day after baking.

Good luck with the baking ;)

/U