Anyone's who's eaten at Bonefish Grill knows about the appetizer 'Bang Bang Shrimp'. But did you know that it's around 1400 calories? Remember, an appetizer is something you eat BEFORE your meal. You could walk out of there literally gaining a pound after your dinner. My version of bang bang shrimp tastes unbelievably delicious and is only 150 calories per serving. Now that sounds better doesn't it? This recipe makes 2 servings. 

What you'll need:
(for the shrimp)

• 1 cup deveined peeled raw shrimp
  
• 2 tbsp light Miracle Whip
• 2 tbsp 'Masterpiece' honey teriyaki marinade
• 1 tsp Siracha hot sauce
• 1 tbsp coconut milk creamer
• 1 cup chopped romaine

(for the sauce)

• 2 tbsp light Miracle Whip
• 1 tsp Siracha hot sauce
• 1 tsp water

What to do: 
To prepare the shrimp: In a bowl, mix the miracle whip, honey teriyaki, siracha, and coconut milk creamer. Place the shrimp in a ziploc bag and add the marinade. Mix it around really well and let sit for 10 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the 10 minutes are over, transfer all of the contents onto a lined baking tray (I used parchment paper). Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes (make sure not to over-cook the shrimp). While the shrimp is cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. It's as simple as mixing the contents really well in a little side dish, and voila. Prepare the shrimp over the chopped romaine. I garnished mine with minced kale leaves because they look pretty :). Enjoy!

This slushy is a great energy-booster and it's full of vitamins! It's refreshing and the perfect drink to have in the morning to get your system up and running. These greens have so many nutrients, especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. They also act as antioxidants which is great in preventing chronic illnesses. The spring mix has arugula, dandelion, mizuna, radicchio, spinach, and tango. If you're new to green juices or smoothies then the taste of this drink might be a little strong for you. I suggest starting off with a juice of less vegetables and more fruits before diving into this leafy goodness. 

The asian pear compliments the leafy taste by giving it just the right amount of sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter drink you can add 1 or 2 pitted medjool dates to the blender. The flax seeds not only help to thicken your juice or smoothie but I consider them the perfect superfood. They are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. Which, when paired with all those vitamins from the spring mix and extra spinach, this drink lives up to it's name. 

Ingredients:

1 cup packed, baby spring mix

1 cup packed, spinach

1/2 tbsp flax seeds

1 asian pear, core removed

1 cup coconut/almond milk blend

1 cup ice

Simply place all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend until it forms the perfect slushy. 

I'm in love with the color that red cactus pears give off when I combine them with other ingredients. How cute are these? Little Ezekiel french toast bites stuffed with a tasty yet subtle prickly pear reduction. This started off as an experiment and ended up being so tasty. I had cactus pears in the fridge, Ezekiel bread in the freezer, and half a lemon in a ziploc bag. So I thought, hey why not combine the three. 

What you'll need:

• 2 slices Ezekiel sprouted grain toast, frozen
• 1 cactus pear
• 1/3 cup milk (coconut, almond, rice, etc.)
• 1/3 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nonfat yogurt, plain

What to do:
Combine all of the ingredients together in a large ziploc bag, except the toast. Using a potato masher, or your hands, mash the cactus pear into the rest of the ingredients. Dip the slices of bread into the bag making sure to coat both sides. Remove from the bag and make sure to take off any seeds from the pear that stick to the bread. Cook the toast in a skillet on medium heat until both sides brown. Place the contents of the bag into a saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring. The sugars from the pear will reduce and the baking soda with the lemon juice will thicken the sauce. When the french toast is done, spread the reduction (minus the seeds) onto one slice and top it off with the other slice, making a sandwich. Simply slice it into 4 sections and serve it up with fresh fruit :).  

I found an apple crumble recipe from the lovely Ella’s website and of course I tweaked it a bit because I just like to tweak everything.  My recipe is formatted to make a larger portion with lower fat & calories. This gives you 4 generous servings at around 250 calories each. It’s a delicious and wholesome breakfast and I’m sure it also hits the spot after dinner. The crumble is so yummy I kept sneaking more into my dish. If you want this to be a sticky crumble add in some honey or agave syrup. If not, the crumble comes out soft and tastes so warm and nutty. 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup whole almonds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup walnuts 

2 apples, peeled & sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

3 tbsp pitted dates 

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 

4 tsp cinnamon

Boil the apple slices until softened. Remove from the water and place on the bottom of a small greased baking pan (I used a 5x7” pyrex dish). In a food processor, combine the almonds, walnuts, dates, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon. Pulse until it forms an evenly mixed crumble. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over the softened apples before laying the crumble on top. Then spread the mixture over the apples and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Serve warm :).

Really, you could stuff peppers with whatever your heart desires. I always experiment with the stuffing and this time it was brown rice & chicken. It was so delicious. I always make extra stuffing on the side because it tastes amazing on it's own as well. Then you can fill however many peppers you like and store the rest of the stuffing in the fridge and eat it later.

What you'll need:

• 6 peppers: 2 poblano, 2 red bell, and 2 green bell 
• 4 chicken thighs, washed and fat removed
• 1 spanish onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 beefsteak tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
• 1 cup Prego Heart Smart sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced fat Feta
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 tbsp salt (or more, depending on preference)
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• pepper, to taste

What to do:
Boil the chicken in a pot with 4 cups of water. Remove all the fat that rises to the top. Remove the chicken from the stock and chop it into little cubes. DON'T THROW OUT THE CHICKEN STOCK- set it aside to cook the stuffing in!
 Lay all the peppers out on a lined or greased tray and broil each side for 7 minutes until it chars. Total process should take about 15 minutes. Once they're done, individually wrap each pepper in aluminum foil tightly, and set on the side. Sauté the onions in a large pot in the olive oil for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the rice, tomatoes, and 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice is done. 
While the rice is cooking, unwrap the peppers from the aluminum foil. Carefully remove the skin off of all the peppers, slice down the length of the pepper just enough to remove the seeds on the inside and to stuff it. 
When the rice is done, stuff all the peppers and close them back up as much as possible. Place the Prego Heart Smart sauce on the bottom of a baking pan and lay all the peppers on top of the sauce. Evenly sprinkle the feta overtop all the peppers and place in the oven to broil for 5-10 minutes, making sure not to burn the feta. Remove from the oven and enjoy your stuffed peppers :)

Another delicious and refreshing green smoothie that I'm sure you will all love! Recipe makes 2 servings. 
What you'll need:

• 1 cup strawberries 
• 2 kale leaves, stems removed
  
• 1/2 ripe banana 
  
• 1 cup coconut/almond milk blend
  
• 2/3 cup cucumber juice (about 1/2 a large cucumber in a juicer)
  
• 2/3 cup celery juice (about 4 stalks celery in a juicer)
  
• 1/2 small avocado 
  
• 1 cup ice 

What to do:
Simply place all the ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until smooth. 

This was so simple, so quick to make, and so healthy! And, might I add, so very delicious :) 

What you'll need:

• 2 small eggplants, washed and sliced down it's length into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Each eggplant should make 4 slices
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1 poblano pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp olive oil

What to do:
Lightly coat both sides of the eggplant sliders with some of the olive oil and place on a griddler/panini maker on medium heat for around 10 minutes. Combine the avocado, peppers, cumin, salt, lime, and the remaining olive oil and mix really well into a salsa. Once the eggplants are done, remove them using a spatula, lay them out onto wax paper and assemble the sliders by layering the salsa in between 2 slices of eggplant and topping it off with extra salsa. 

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup oats
  
• 1/3 cup gluten-free baking flour
  
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp baking soda 
  
• 1/3 cup mixed raisins & dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 banana, mashed
  
• 3/4 cup coconut/almond blend milk
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
  
• raw pumpkin seed kernels for topping 

What to do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl; oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mixed raisins. In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, milk, and vanilla extract. Combine everything together and stir gently, making sure not to over-stir it. Line a muffin pan with 6 baking cups. Grease the baking cups with non-stick cooking spray (this is very important because the actual muffins have no oil or butter in them to prevent them from sticking). Separate mixture into the baking cups filling 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seed kernels overtop the raw muffins and place in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

What you'll need:

•  2 cups coconut/almond milk blend
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tbsp flax seed
• 2 asian pears, core removed

What to do:
put all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth

What you'll need:

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder, aluminum-free
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut yogurt, blueberry flavor
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 fresh strawberry

What to do:
Blend together the oats, banana, eggs, baking powder, and vanilla extract for the pancake batter. Grease a pan and pour out desired amount of batter per pancake, I used about 4 tbsps per pancake and cook on Med-Low fire until both sides are done. In a separate saucepan, add the frozen berries and cook until they form a sauce. Top the pancakes with the berry sauce, drizzle on the yogurt and top with fresh strawberries. 

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup coffee
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 medjool date, pitted
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp coconut/peanut butter blend

What to do:
Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook on low fire while stirring. Right before it's about to boil, turn off the heat and pour it into a mug. Top with a heaping teaspoon of cocoa powder if you like. 

The perfect way to start my morning after not being home for 9 days. Vacation is always fun but it's hard to stay on track and find healthy food options, especially when you're in a different country. I'm going to come up with and prepare a detox diet and I'll probably start it tomorrow or the next day. I'll post everything from the cleanse in case anyone wants to try it. I definitely need it after what I ate this week lol! Any who, here's the recipe for this delicious smoothie I had for breakfast. Recipe will make 2 servings. 

What you'll need:

• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup celery juice
• 1/2 cup cucumber juice
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup unsweetened almond/coconut blend milk

What to do:
Place everything into a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Make sure you drink this smoothie within the first 30 minutes of making it, this isn't something you want to store away in the fridge. When you use blackberries in a smoothie and you store it, you'll find that it will taste weird after a certain period of time. So drink up! 

This looks like a dream, and tastes like heaven!! I honestly think it's the best tasting thing I've had in a very long time. And I eat a LOT! So I suggest you try this out, you'll be happy you did :)

What you'll need:

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• your choice of toppings (I used kiwi, frozen berries, sunflower kernels, and coconut)

What to do:
Blend together the frozen bananas, blueberries, blackberries, and milk. It's going to have a thick consistency like ice cream, so I suggest eating this with a spoon and not trying to drink it out of a cup. Throw on your favorite toppings and enjoy :) It makes a large portion so you can eat half of it and freeze the rest until you're ready to eat the other half (20 minutes later, haha).

Craving french fries but still want to be healthy?? These are perfectly crunchy, spicy, and super delicious. They are so easy to make! I used a griddler to make them; I made 1 portion and was able to fit everything on at once. If you don't have a griddler though, you can easily bake these in the oven. 

What you'll need:

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch wide fries
• 2 tbsp distilled vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp 7 spices
• 1 tsp chili powder

What to do:
Soak the fries in the water and vinegar for at least one hour, in the fridge. This will help make your fries crispy because the water removes some of the starch from the potatoes. Once they're finished soaking, lay out the fries on a tray or some parchment paper. Evenly sprinkle all the spices over the fries and give them a quick toss. If you're using a griddler, grease the 2 plates with a little bit of olive oil, lay out the fries, and press the top plate over the bottom one. Since the fries are cooking on both the top and the bottom it's really not necessary to flip them, but I did anyways. Cook on high until they are fully cooked through. They are so delicious :)

All I can say is, wow! This was so hydrating and simply delicious. Please try this out I guarantee you will LOVE it!

What you'll need:

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 fresh banana
• 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

What to do:
Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth! Top off the smoothie with a handful of remaining crushed frozen raspberries. This will knock your socks off :)