turnip fries

Missing the taste of fries yet? Well, I have created an alternative! Of course, nothing will ever compare to french fries, but these come close. Plus, you will feel so much better eating these than those greasy sticks.

Step One:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Gather your ingredients. You will need:

1 turnip
1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Step Two
Wash and peel the turnip

Step Three
Cut the turnip into 1/4 inch wedges and put them into a bowl. Then add the olive oil and Parmesan cheese and coat the turnip wedges evenly.

Step Four
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Then arrange the wedges on the sheet. Do not overlap or they won't cook properly.

Step Five
Bake the fries for about 20 minutes and then carefully turn them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Step Six
Remove the fries from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes.

Step Seven
Using a spatula, carefully uplift each wedge and place in them in a bowl.

Feel free to enjoy them by themselves or pair it with a lean meat and make it a complete lean and green meal.

The turnips alone count for all of your greens for the day. Enjoy!

xoxo,
Toni

3 ingredient asparagus frittata

This is the easiest dish you will ever make. I promise. It only has three ingredients! All you do it is mix everything together and throw it in the oven. That's it! I have adapted this recipe from Lauren Conrad and Food52

Step One
Gather your ingredients. You will need:
1 1/2 cups of chopped asparagus or any vegetable you like
1 cup of egg beaters
1/2 cup of light mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste

Step Two
Saute the asparagus until soft.

Step Three
Add the cheese (set aside about 2-3 tablespoons), pepper or any other seasoning you like, and the asparagus. I would recommend chopping the asparagus into smaller, bite-size pieces. It was kind of hard to eat when they were long.

Step Four
Turn the oven on to 375 and bake for about 30 minutes. Check after 25 minutes and stick a knife down the center. When it is soft, but not runny, it is done!

Step Five
Take the frittata out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Step Six
Put the frittata under the broiler for a few minutes to melt and brown the cheese. Keep a close eye! You don't want it to burn.

Step Seven
Enjoy! I would eat it as soon as it comes out. No one likes cold eggs.

xoxo,
Toni

Meatless Meatball Casserole

I have another recipe for you all! Now, before I begin explaining how to make it, let me first say that you can substitute the meatless meatballs for any kind of meatball you like—it does not have to be vegetarian.

With that said, let's get started!

Step One: Gather your ingredients

What you will need:
1 1/2 cups of cauliflower
1/4 cup of marinara sauce
1/4 cup of light mozzarella cheese
6 meatballs
1 teaspoon of olive oil
pepper and other spices you may want to add

Step Two: Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in the cauliflower bag and cook in the microwave. While that is cooking, place the meatballs in an oven safe dish and being baking (follow the directions on the bag). I baked my frozen meatballs for 10 minutes.

Step Three: Puree the cauliflower using either a food processor or an immersion blender. I used the later and it worked like a charm. Oh! and before you blend, make sure to add some spices that you like. I just added pepper and garlic flakes.

Step Four: Once you have the cauliflower at a desired consistency, spread it evenly on the bottom of an oven safe dish.

Step Five: Once the meatballs have cooled, cut them in half.

Step Six: Place the halved meatballs evenly on top of the cauliflower puree.

Step Seven: Pour the marinara sauce evenly on top of the meatballs and sprinkle the cheese on top of that.

Step Eight: Put the dish under the broiler and bake it for about 4 minutes. Keep a close eye and make sure to switch sides so the cheese evenly melts. You want it to bubble and brown a bit.

Step Nine: Let it cool so you don't burn the top of your mouth and enjoy your delicious faux potato and meatball casserole!

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
Lean: Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs (6), 1/4 cup of light mozzarella cheese
Green: 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower, 1/4 cup of Trader Joe's marinara sauce
Healthy Fat: 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

Lastly, I know it looks like a lot, but the dish I used was fairly shallow and small. But it will fill you up and keep you full for pretty much the rest of the day. :)

xoxo,
Toni

start of something new

So I am starting a new health plan today and am so excited. And yes, I just started one with holidays right around the corner. But why should I want to wait another 3 months just to feel terrible in the clothes I wear and really just feel sick. I want to change now. I am going to change now. And this blog is my to document the next 6 months or so of my life.

I am starting a plan called Medifast. I was a bit skeptical at first, but warmed up to the idea after about a month of research. It is quite expensive, so I wanted to be sure this was the way for me. Not only do you get healthy, but you lose weight in the process—can't beat that!

Everyday I will be posting my daily food eats and exercise and maybe some recipes here and there. I am also going to try and post progress pictures every other week or so...along with my weekly measurements and weight.

I hope you will come and support me as I begin this new journey to a better, healthier me!

xoxo,
Toni