easy recipe – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

August 15, 2016September 4, 2016

Big Batch Breakfast (Part Deux): Healthy Veggie & Cheese Egg Muffins

Breakfast just got a whole lot easier. If you’re on the go as much as I am, it always pays off to spend a little extra time over the weekend to prepare some grab-and-go meals that will keep your full and focused throughout the week no matter what calendar cluster-Fs may arise.

For the past two weeks I’ve been making a big batch of healthy egg muffins on Sunday afternoosn, switching up the vegetables and accoutrements to keep things interesting. Below you’ll find my current favorite, but you can check my Instagram account for a recipe with asparagus, summer corn, and grape tomatoes. You can’t go wrong with either!

Big Batch Breakfast (Part Deux): Healthy Veggie & Cheese Egg Muffins

Makes 12 egg muffins, or 6 servings.

Ingredients:

Butter, coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray, to coat pans – or, use silicone baking cups
8 large eggs
Splash of milk (can use nut milk if preferred)
Generous pinch of sea salt and ground pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, de-stemmed and minced
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups kale, cut into thin ribbons
1/2 cup sweet & spicy cherry peppers
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 – 1 cup shredded parmesan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk with the milk, thyme, salt and pepper.
Grease a 12-cup muffin pan as desired.
Sauté red onion in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt. Add kale, sweet and spicy pepper, and garlic and sauté another 5-7 minutes.
Divide veggie mixture and cheese between each muffin cup, then carefully pour eggs in until muffin tins are almost full – leaving about a 1/4-inch space.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. The egg muffins will look like soufflé when they come out of the oven, but they will sink after a few minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before using a rubber spatula to carefully remove each muffin.

Notes:

Adapted from Popsugar.
You can consume these immediately or let them cool, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. They’ll refrigerate well for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

August 8, 2016September 15, 2016

Big Batch Breakfast: Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Let’s face it, oatmeal can get pretty boring, but oats are so good for you – loaded with heart-healthy fiber and minerals. What to do?! Get baked. Err, get baking!

My baked oatmeal is super easy, cost-effective, and since it’s a big batch recipe you’ll be set for breakfast all week. Convenience – check! Taste – check! Healthy – check!

Even if you don’t typically dig oatmeal, give this method a try. It changes the texture and fuses the flavors so you might just feel like you’re eating dessert, all the while you’re fueling yourself with clean energy for an active day. And best of all, there’s no added sugar so there’s no guilt with this breakfast decadence.

Go on, shake up your morning meal. It’s good to the last bite!

Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pecan pieces
1/2 cup toasted, unweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
A pinch of fine-grain sea salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen will work too – just defrost and discard any liquid)
2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 large eggs
2 Tbs melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional toppings for serving: plain yogurt, maple syrup or honey for drizzling, and/or more fresh fruit

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut flakes, hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the almond milk, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk until blended.
Spread the berries evenly over the bottom of the baking dish then cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture. Drizzle the wet ingredients over the oats. Use a spatula in zig-zagging strokes across the surface of the wetted oats to smooth out the top and push any dry oats down.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the top is golden (not burnt!). Remove your baked oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Serve with yogurt and a drizzle of honey for a more decadent and delicious breakfast experience!

Notes:

This recipe will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Recipe adapted from Cookie & Kate.

February 1, 2016

Thai Coconut Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp

When you know you’re about to get snowed in, it helps to have a plan for what you’re going to eat when you’re all cooped up. Once it became clear that DMV meteorologists had actually gotten predictions for the Jonas Blizzard right, we knew we were in for a doozy. Queue the mass rush to grocery stores and empty shelves in the days leading up to any actual precipitation. Thanks to my abnormal, self-employed schedule I got to hit up the grocery stores when there weren’t as many folks there and get all the ingredients I needed to bring my culinary vision to life. My biggest meal prep take-away? Plan ahead and get it done early so you don’t have holes in your pantry or refrigerator.

For me it wasn’t hard to decide on a menu, but if you struggle with that it helps to scour your favorite food blogs for ideas. I knew I wanted to make soul and belly warming meals that would make forced nights in feel special. I also needed them to be hearty enough to refuel us after all our shoveling.

Night one was a really tasty (and pretty spicy) Thai coconut lemongrass soup which I’ve mapped out for you below. The following night was pan-seared chicken thighs with caramelized onions, roasted beets and a side of sautéed mushrooms and kale. Breakfasts were protein-heavy. One morning we did eggs in a hole (so much fun if you’ve never tried) and the next we lightened things up with green smoothies. Warm, hearty, and healthy meals. Check, check!

Thai Coconut Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp

Makes 4 meal-sized portions

Ingredients:

1 – 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk
1 – 14 oz can “lite” coconut milk
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbs coconut oil
2″ grated fresh ginger root
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs red chili paste
1/2 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 stalks dried lemongrass
1 red pepper, finely diced
2 cups brown, white or shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, dried and sliced
2 lbs large uncooked shrimp, tail-on
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup toasted cashew pieces
2 limes
1 serrano pepper, seeds removed and sliced thinly
2 cups cooked brown rice (optional: make a blend of brown rice, quinoa and amaranth for a more hearty flavor)

Directions

In a large, heavy-bottom pot, sauté the ginger, garlic, Thai chili paste and red onion in coconut oil over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Season to taste with salt.
Add in coconut milk, stock and lemongrass and bring to a low boil. After a 3-5 minutes, add the red pepper and mushrooms. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the flesh of the shrimp is opaque.
Spoon a 1/2 cup of rice into each bowl and ladle soup over it. Squeeze half a lime over each serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, toasted cashew pieces and hot pepper slices to taste.

November 27, 2015

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Let’s face it, who wants to cook after all the work that goes into preparing a Thanksgiving feast. Even if you weren’t one of the culinary artists toiling away in the kitchen, you too may also be suffering from post-holiday food fatigue (no thanks to the L-Trytophan found in turkey). We still have to eat though so why not prepare something that’ll last, or even get better by the day and only takes 10 minutes hands-on time?

Queue the slow cooker. There are countless ways to use the slow cooker from a hearty-yet-healthy lentil soup to the more decadent french toast method. Chili’s are no stranger to the slow and low method but since I try not to consume too much red meat, I thought I’d give chicken chili a try. Of note, I used chicken thighs in this recipe to keep the cost low but if you wanted to go for an even leaner chili, stick to chicken breast.

Most importantly, this recipe passed the Tilly Taste Challenge. Okay, so maybe a dog isn’t the best judge of a meal’s flavor and complexity, but her hound nose can’t lie – it smells darn good! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Makes 6-8 servings | Hands-on time: 10 minutes | Total time: 5-7 hours

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbs cajun creole seasoning
1 Tbs cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 heaping Tbs pickled jalapeños
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 white onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbs olive oil until tender and translucent (about 5-7 minutes.)
While they’re cooking rinse and drain your beans in a large colander and pull everything else out so it’s ready to go.
Transfer onions and garlic to your slow cooker and add all other ingredients (be sure to use the liquid from your tomatoes), submerging chicken thighs completely.
Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until your chicken thighs pull apart easily with a couple of forks shredding in opposite directions.
Adjust for seasoning and add extra salt, pepper, spices or heat as desired.
Serve plain or top with a dollop of greek yogurt, sliced green onion, and your favorite hot sauce.

October 11, 2015

End of Summer Gazpacho

After a very warm September, many of us still have access to garden-grown or at least farm-fresh vegetables. If you are one of the lucky ducks who can get their hands on plump, sweet tomatoes and other fruits of Mother Nature, the best way to use them is in their most unadulterated form possible. I like to call this kind of simple food preparation embracing the raw beauty of produce. Good food doesn’t need much applied effort to taste amazing.

This End of Summer Garden Gazpacho is as delicious as it is easy. It takes less that 15 minutes to make from start to finish (though it does require refrigerator time). Pair it with my Homemade Multigrain Bread or a side of my Warm Chickpea and Sweet Potato Salad for a well-rounded, clean meal to keep you healthy this fall.

End of Summer Gazpacho

Ingredients:

8 medium or 5 large ripe tomatoes, halved and cored
3 medium cloves of garlic
1 organic cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 sweet onion
1 jalapeno, seeds removed
3-4 Tbs red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbs olive oil, divided
Juice and zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Squeeze tomatoes into a blender then dump in the remaining meat.
Add the rest of the vegetables, vinegar, half the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste—remembering you can always add more but can’t subtract!
Refrigerate for several hours or better yet overnight to help develop the flavors.
Service with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil, parsley, cilantro or chives!

May 25, 2015

Spring Clean your Diet with this Asparagus Detox Soup

Spring is a time for renewal. Let’s face it, we’d all like to be able to hit the reset button on our lifestyle in one fell swoop but positive change takes hard work. As a nutrition coach, I work with clients one on one to determine how we can make their desired healthy living goals attainable. One way to jumpstart a positive dietary shift is to undergo a detox. It just might be the closest thing to a reset button there is.

While developing my seasonal detoxes, I let the foods that are at the peak of freshness and availability speak to me and inform my culinary creations. Since it’s spring, asparagus is certainly abundant and there are countless ways to use it in healthy, cleansing recipes.

Below is one of my absolute favorite recipes. This soup (which can be served warm or chilled) is refreshing and light. It’s perfect as temperatures start to rise here in the District!

Broccoli Asparagus Miso Spring Detox Soup

[makes 2 meal sized portions or 4 appetizer size]

Ingredients:
− 1 bunch of asparagus
− 1 broccoli crown
− 4 -6 cups of chicken broth
− 1 Tbs white miso paste
− 1 Tbs sherry vinegar
− Juice of half a lemon
− 1 Tbs ghee (or organic unsalted butter)
− 1/2 tsp chili powder
− Sea salt and pepper to taste
− Optional: stir in 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for a more “cheesy” flavor

Directions:
1. Trim woody ends off asparagus and cut broccoli into florets (use the stalks!).
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch trimmed asparagus and broccoli florets for 1-2 minutes. Drain and immediately submerge in an ice bath.
3. Cut off the tips of the asparagus and reserve for future use (I like to scramble mine into a couple eggs).
4. In a blender, blend the blanched asparagus stocks and broccoli with broth, miso, vinegar, lemon, ghee/butter, chili, salt and pepper to taste. Add more stock as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
5. Heat over a medium-low flame (or setting) for 10-15 minutes when you’re ready to eat.

Serve warm or chilled. If you like a more creamy or cheesy flavor to your soups (I loved broccoli and cheese soup growing up) add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast to the entire pot and stir well before dishing it out into bowls. You can also add a drizzle of nice olive oil and a hit of freshly ground black pepper for a little flavor enhancement. Bon apetit!

March 3, 2015

Top it with an egg.

As a nutrition coach I’m often asked what are some of my go-to meals that are (A) healthy, and (B) quick. My response is almost always, yadda yadda yadda and “top it with an egg.” Ok, so I realize that’s not exactly helpful but it’s really that simple. Pinky swear.

For example, one of my favorite dinners when I get home late from teaching at the studio is a small bowl of leftover roasted vegetables (think carrots, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes, onions, etc) topped with an over-easy egg; or, if I’m feeling fancy, a poached egg with some fresh herbs on top. The egg white serves as a filling protein and its yolk acts as an oozy, delicious sauce to richly coat the veggies and bring the dish together.

You can pretty much top any combination of raw or roasted vegetables, fresh or sautéed greens, herbs, homemade spreads, whole grains, and/or cheeses with an egg for a healthy, satisfying meal in under 10 minutes. Look in your fridge right now and give it a try. I dare you!

I put this theory to the test while down here in Florida for a little R&R with my itinerant roomie who is currently co-habitating with another grown male. Not surprisingly, their refrigerator looked like a bachelor’s when I first arrived. All that seemed edible was a carton of eggs and a half-used log of fresh goat cheese.

I thought to myself, I can work with this.

A quick trip to Publix and I was fully stocked thanks to their house-made jalapeno-cilantro hummus, some roasted red peppers, and a bag of baby arugula. I’d already brought down some of my homemade sourdough (thanks Caroline and Karen for the starter!) so I was good to go with just those few simple ingredients.

In no time, I was enjoying my simple sandwich in balmy 78 degree weather on their screen porch. It was a nice recovery meal after my morning run by Spacecoast Stadium and kept me full for my afternoon at the beach. Yes, I realize this is cruel torture for all my DC readers. Sending you sun and heat and love <3.

Amy’s Open-Faced Egg Sandwich on Sourdough

Ingredients:

1 thick slice (good, hand-made) Sourdough Bread
1 oz Goat Cheese
2 Tbs Roasted Red Pepper Slices (enough to cover a piece of toast)
1 small handful Arugula
2 Tbs Hummus of choice
1/2 tsp Organic Butter
1 Egg
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Toast one thick slice of sourdough bread (or substitute any whole grain bread you like).
While that’s toasting, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Turn down to medium and add 1/2 tsp butter to pan. Crack an egg into the pan and cook until egg white turns opaque. Flip and cook another 1 minute. Remove from heat.
White the egg is cooking, spread toast with a thin smear of goat cheese; layer on your roasted red pepper; pile arugula on top and don’t worry if it spills over; add two heaping spoonfuls of hummus and spread it around to the best of your abilities.
Finally, la piece de resistance, top with an egg. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and even some fresh herbs if you’re feeling fancy!

March 1, 2015

Blood Orange and Ginger Sorbet

Much as I’ve loved this late and lurid winter we’re having in DC, I’m off to warmer weather. In an attempt to transport you to the places where people wear shorts and sip margaritas beachside this time of year, I thought I’d share with you a recipe for a refreshing sorbet. Personally, I’d eat this regardless of freezing temperatures so long as there’s a bathrobe and space heater nearby, am I right?!

While you might not be ready for this chilly concoction just yet, you should definitely bookmark the recipe or print it because blood oranges and ginger are two superfoods you don’t want to miss out on. Blood oranges are high in vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, carotenoids, and polyphenols like your standard oranges, and also have the added benefit of anthocyanins–powerful antioxidants which fight disease and inflammation. Ginger, one of my all-time favorite superfoods, is widely used to treat nausea, flatulence,stomach upset, and morning sickness. Ginger has also been linked to relieving the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, coughs, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and muscle pain. This super-root is as close to a homeopathic panacea as I’ve seen.

Blood Orange and Ginger Sorbet

Ingredients:

4 pounds blood oranges or other oranges
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 ½ Tbs orange zest
1 Tbs grated ginger
Juice of one Meyer lemon

Directions:

Finely grate the zest of two oranges, 1 lemon, and about 1½” of peeled, fresh ginger root.
Combine 1 1/4 cups water, sugar, zest and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup boils; remove syrup from heat to cool.
Peel oranges and remove all pith, strings, and seeds. Transfer oranges and lemon juice to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Measure 4 cups orange puree and mix into orange-lemon-ginger syrup (reserve any remaining puree for another use—hello bold an beautiful smoothies!).
Cover orange mixture and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 1 day to blend flavors.
Process orange mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze.
Eat within a week for best results.

January 26, 2015

Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing

Sometimes I like to play this game in winter where I turn on my space heater, put on reggae music and pretend it’s not frigid and frightening outside. If I were an animal, I might be a bear considering I have a innate desire to hibernate when temperatures drop, sidewalks turn into ice skating rinks, and my legs start to look like alligator tails. During one of these recent exercises in wistful imagination, I decided that creating a summery salad in the dead of winter would make me feel just a little bit brighter on what was an otherwise gloomy day.

Cucumber met feta. Feta met dill. Dill danced with yogurt, lemon and garlic. What resulted was an easy, tasty and refreshing January-denial salad. Dill does have its winter merits as it’s loaded with immune system-boosting vitamins A and C. I hope this recipe transports you to a sunny beach somewhere and leaves you feeling nourished, both body and soul.

Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing

[makes approx. 6 side-dish servings]

Ingredients:

1 cup of feta cubes
5 small Persian cucumbers (or 2 regular)
¼ cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat)
2 small cloves of garlic (or 1 big)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs olive oil
¼ cup fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut cucumbers into half rounds (or however you like your bite-size pieces to look). Toss together in a large bowl with feta cubes*.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped dill, olive oil and black pepper to taste. Resist any temptation to add salt as feta is quite salty already.
Add dressing to feta and cucumber and toss to combine.
Top with fresh dill and a few cherry or grape tomatoes if you have them on hand. Bon apetit!

*Note: I used block feta, which is cheaper and holds its shape better than pre-cut or crumbled feta. The block I cut up was about 3 cubic inches.

October 22, 2014

Habanero Hot Sauce

WARNING: have tortilla chips and guacamole on hand – and maybe even a jug of milk (nut or seed milk for the dairy-impaired). This Habanero Hot Sauce is no joke. According to CNN, “habaneros generally score between 100,000 and 350,000 units on the Scoville scale, which measures chili pepper hotness.” For reference, jalepeno peppers usually score 2,500 to 5,000 units. Think I’m sensationalizing? These potent peppers were powerful enough to evacuate an elementary school back in April–I kid you not.

I don’t typically mess around with super spicy peppers because handling them can lead to uncomfortable side-effects (read: do not touch your eyes or other orifices after handling these until you’ve thoroughly washed your hands). In this MOARfit kitchen experiment, I found out the hard way that when you cut and cook habanero peppers, capsaicin particles are released into the air creating a hazy plume of prickly, eye watering vapor. Capsaicin is the active chemical compound in hot peppers that produces the burning sensation on our taste buds when we consume it–and as it turns out your eyes, nose and throat just from breathing.

Not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who already doesn’t dig the way spicy foods make you feel, please take precautions if/when attempting to make your own Habanero Hot Sauce. Have the overhead vent going strong and a box of tissues on hand, and again, wash you hands very well when all is said and done. I might even recommend going so far as to use plastic gloves when handling these pint-size fireballs…

Habanero Hot Sauce

{makes approximately 20oz)

What You’ll Need:

2 cups habanero peppers
4 large cloves garlic
1 large sweet white onion
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1-2 Tbs arrowroot powder

How to Make It:

De-stem, halve and seed habaneros. Believe me, you don’t need or want the seeds. Peel and crush garlic cloves. Peel and thinly slice onions.
Combine peppers, garlic, onions, salt and oil in a non-stick saucepan over high heat. Cook for 3-5 min. Add water and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 15-20 min, or until peppers are very soft and more than half the liquid has evaporated. (Note: this should be done in a very well-ventilated area!)
Remove from heat and let sit until mixture comes to room temperature.
In a food processor or blender, puree the mixture plus one cup of distilled white vinegar until smooth. Add arrowroot powder (or another thickener like corn starch or tapioca starch) to get your desired consistency.
Taste and season with a little more salt if needed.
Transfer to a sterilized pint jar or bottle and secure with an airtight lid. Refrigerate.

Let your hot sauce age for at least a week before using. Bottles and jars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months so don’t go burning off your taste buds before the new year.

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s Homemade Red Hot Sauce.