Shrimp & Asparagus Cajun Pasta

GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE

Ingredients:

• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Onion
• Shrimp (we used already cooked frozen shrimp)
• Low sodium Cajun seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Nutritional Yeast
• Cauliflower Puree: cauliflower, thyme, celery, olive oil, juice from one lemon

YOU CAN FIND THIS PUREE AT WEGMANS ALREADY MADE

Directions:

Sauté garlic and onion in skillet on medium heat with olive oil. After about 5 minutes add in chopped asparagus and mushroom (you can use as much or as little vegetables as you please…I love asparagus so I made sure to use more). Sauté for another 5-10 minutes (until cooked). On the side, spiral two zucchini and place in separate bowl. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove from stove and place in another bowl. Add shrimp to that skillet with a little more olive oil and sauté for about 3-5 minutes on each side (IF using already cooked frozen shrimp)…we don’t want to OVER COOK them. Once everything is cooked, we are going to place all vegetables into that skillet WITH shrimp. ON LOW HEAT, stir in cauliflower puree. Add in Cajun seasoning (to taste). We love Cajun seasoning and extra heat added to dishes so we use about 2-3 tbsp. Cook all ingredients together in skillet for another 5-10 minutes. To top your dish off, add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast! This will add a boost of flavor to your pasta. As well as, an extra source of high quality protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and dietary fiber. (Matt topped his plate with shredded parmesan).

We really enjoyed this dish and is definitely one of our FAVORITES.

Hope you enjoy, MANGIA!

-I’d love to know if you try this recipe, so take a photo, post it and tag me-

-xo, @thebuffalobeautyfoodie

---

 

WHOLE FOODS MARKET BUFFALO!

Friends! Let’s welcome Whole Foods Market Buffalo to its newest location in the Northtown Plaza at 3139 Sheridan Dr in Amherst, NY! GRAND Opening date, September 15th at 8:00 am. If you haven’t been to a Whole Foods yet, your in a for a treat. They offer an outstanding selection of all natural, non GMO, and organic products. The store will also feature an in-store taproom and restaurant called #Bar1818 which will serve craft beer from local breweries and American fare highlighting local artisanal ingredients like @barrelnbrine, @firstlightfarmer and more! Mark your calendars and get ready to shop at WHOLE FOODS BUFFALO!

Oh! And go follow @wholefoodsbuffalo on Instagram, xo

Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

My recipe is SIMPLE and DELICIOUS. We also didn’t have all the ingredients in the house to make it the proper way. So I got creative.

After quick fry. Before baking off.

Ready to go.

Ingredients: Serves 2-4 (or freeze and save for leftovers)

• 2 purple eggplant
• three slices of gluten free bread, or bread of your choice (toasted then pulsed in food processor to create breadcrumbs)
• 2  eggs + 2 egg whites (whisked)
• grated parmesan cheese
• basil
• red sauce (your choice)
• basil
• black pepper/sea salt
• oregano

RECIPE:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat medium skillet with 4-6 tablespoons of pure extra virgin olive oil (on HIGH)
• In one bowl combine eggs and whisk
• In another bowl combine breadcrumbs with black pepper, a PINCH of sea salt and oregano
• After washing eggplant, cut into THIN slices
• In a glass baking dish, layer a good amount of red sauce on the bottom (this is where you will place the eggplant after SLIGHTLY frying
• Once skillet is hot, dip each eggplant slice into egg bowl then breadcrumb bowl
• Place in oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side* (until GOLDEN BROWN)
• Tricky part is when the breadcrumbs get wet, it gets harder to stick to eggplant, so you will have to use your hands to apply crumbs. However that is how I like it, I don’t like my eggplant to be completely covered in bread. I wanna SEE it too! I love the color combo of the golden crumbs to eggplant with the sauce and basil leafs
• Once the eggplant slices are pulled off skillet, place directly onto sauce in baking dish
• Top with extra sauce, GRATED parmesan a little more sauce and a basil leaf
• Garnish the entire dish with a little extra oregano
• BAKE in oven for an additional 15 minutes, until edges begin to fold and cheese melts
• To finish dish, add a side of  gluten free pasta or zucchini noodles to it (we used zucchini noodles) and of course I garnished mine with crushed red pepper for a kick of heat!

ENJOY & let me know what ya think!

 

The last few months…

Took a little time off from the blogging world! In that time off, he put a RING on it and we bought our first home TOGETHER in Buffalo. More specifically, he used my grandmothers diamond, from her engagement ring and our house is so tiny that I can vacuum that entire house without ever having to unplug it! That being said…now that I’m “getting back at it” I will be posting NEW recipes and products that I have been obsessing over. All things that are directly related to feeling beautiful and strong starting from the inside, out! So stay tuned and healthy, xo

 

Routines

Whether it’s the morning or night, I tend to stick to the same’ol routine every day.

Cleanse and Lotion Face

That starts with CLEANSING my face with Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel (you can find at Ulta). It is my go to cleanser! Seriously leaves the skin feeling clean and smooth. I follow that up with the Dermalogica Overnight Oil or in the morning I’ll use the Dermalogica Clearing mattifier. Then to top my face off, I’ll apply a small amount of Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer. This is another product I cannot live without. It doesn’t only hydrate your skin and make it look like its glowing, but it nourishes it at the same time! With a blend of Vitamins C, E and B5 it helps improve/protect your skin to make it visibly healthier.

Tidy Up in 30 minutes

I have developed an amazing method (or maybe it’s just OCD), where I take 30 minutes out of my day to just C L E A N or what I like to call “tidy up”. Whether that means sweeping up after the pups, doing laundry, or cleaning up dishes, SET your timer and GET IT DONE. I promise it will go by quickly and leave you will LESS mess throughout the week! Another quick step you can add to your morning routine is to make your bed. Just something as easy as that, makes all the difference when you go to bed at night.

(Personally, we love getting into a nice made bed at night)

Every Monday…

No matter what time I have work, Monday is laundry day. Pick a day. Any day that makes MOST SENSE to you and your schedule and do a load or two…or three & on this day, toss in your pillow cases as well! This is something I’m persistent with. At night you may sweat, drool, or get your face oils/lotion all over your pillow…that stuff adds up (gross)! So please don’t skip out on washing your pillow cases once a week. For my ‘skin sensitive’ friends and followers, YOU WILL THANK ME; this can be a huge contributor to breakouts.

(We just purchased satan pillow cases and we LOVE them! There are even some beauty benefits when switching to satan cases. Cotton pillow cases can absorb your skins natural oils, resulting in dryer skin. Whereas a satan pillow case will not absorb your skins natural oils, it will instead keep your skin moisturized, leaving your skin smoother. They can also prevent hair breakage; cotton is not as smooth as satin, this resulting in dryer hair.

Winding Down…

With a little tea time. Every night at about 8, I’ll turn the kettle on and brew some green tea. If I need a little snack before bed, I always opt for a handful of fruit, apple with pb or just a little bit of raw trail mix. Think light and nutritious before a fasted night.

Thanks for reading, xo

 

NO HEAT CHALLENGE

WINTER is coming, so protect your hair!

For about two months now I have put little to no heat on my head. Deciding to DETOX my hair until the New Year! Having naturally thick, curly hair, this process shouldn’t be too difficult with the right product, and braiding it a ton. While not using heat on my hair, I’m also only washing it once or twice a week! So far, it has grown about an inch and a half…and is smoother. Here are some other helpful ideas that I do as well:

1. Brush your hair! This stimulates your hair follicles and helps promote growth. Using a wooden brush naturally conditions your hair, by distributing your hairs natural oil down the hair shaft (I bought mine from ULTA).
2. Vitamin E, Fish Oil and Biotin. I have been consuming Vitamin E, Fish Oil and taking a women’s Multivitamin daily  (that has biotin in it as well). I have noticed not only an improvement in my hair but in my skin as well! Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and can also help improve your immune system (again, perfect for this coming WINTER).
3. No HEAT! Obviously this is a challenge for most people…not being able to use a blow dryer, a straightener or curler, but it is the BEST way to care for your hair. I did this last year and my hair was longer AND stronger. People asked me how I got my hair so full and smooth…and all I said was “NO HEAT”! Try it…maybe a couple weeks at a time, and you may even notice a difference yourself.
4. Deep condition once a week: My GO TO deep conditioning treatment is a little coconut oil and olive oil warmed up together with a DASH of lavender essential oil. Apply to hair and leave on for 2-4 hours or even over night! Wash normally with shampoo and conditioner. Leaves your hair silky and smooth and nourishes your scalp at the same time. The benefit of lavender oil for your hair is that it helps stimulate blood circulation within the body, including the scalp (stimulating healthy hair growth).
5. WATER, WATER, WATER! Drink up ladies. Water helps the body flush out toxins, making you hair naturally grow longer and stronger. It also helps keep your hair (inside the shaft to the ends) locked with natural hydration. PLUS! Staying hydrated ALL day will keep your skin clear and glowing. Aim to drink 8-10 FULL glasses a day. *Helpful TIP to consuming more water…drink 1-2 glasses before each meal.
6. Eat a protein rich diet. Consuming more eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables will help nourish your hair starting from WITHIN. What you eat matters! So skip out on the JUNK FOOD, and start replacing it with FRESH snacks (see recipes page for some quick ideas).

Hope this helps, xo

A little bit of spice, and everything nice!

A favorite GREEN healthy meal (vegan & oil free)
ZUCCHINI NOODLE STIRFRY

In a large skillet, combine zucchini noodles, mushrooms, broccoli, cayenne, lemon, pepper and some balsamic vinegar with a splash of water. Sauté until vegetables are cooked through. You may add a few chickpeas for an extra dose of protein too. I topped this dish with a few cherry tomatoes for color.

TIP* for this plate I just eyeball the amount of spice, so watch out for too much heat!

OPTION to add chicken or fish to this dish; but making it VEGAN for Matt and I, he wasn’t complaining! Meatless Monday Option, xo

Pumpkin Lovers

PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE BOWL

So delicious, light and nutritious (of course)! Perfect for a fall morning. What you’ll need:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 frozen banana
1 tsp cinnamon (I always add more)
1 tsp pumpkin spice
Handful of ice (option to add ice coffee)
OPTION to add scoop of protein powder

Mix and top with extra banana slices, pecans, hemp hearts, unsweetened vanilla coconut flakes and granola!

ENJOY, xo

AVOCADO BASIL PESTO PASTA

(VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE)
Serves 2

Pesto:
Blend-
1 Avocado
1/2 cup fresh full leaf basil
1/2 cup spinach
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Garlic clove
1 tbsp. pine nuts
Black pepper & a DASH of salt to taste

Pasta:
1-2 cups zucchini noodles
1/2 cup broccoli (however much you want)
Sauté together with olive oil in skillet
Separately cook GF noodles and add those to skillet

Add pesto to pasta and sauté together for 5-7 minutes!
Garnish pasta with crushed red pepper and chopped tomatoes for color.

“Fall” in love with your diet NOW…

and DON’T wait for the New Year!

JUMPSTART your healthy eating habits in simple and NON STRESSFUL ways. People are focussing a lot on counting calories and working out too much. As well as over eating and not eating enough. If you think too much about losing weight in a certain amount of time, that can be a stressor as well. This can be detrimental in wanting to see results. I believe that if you consume a colorful diet, composed of hearty vegetables, refreshing fruits, lean proteins, “good” fats and carbs, and maintain an ACTIVE lifestyle (working out 2-3 times a week), you will not only be able to SEE results, but FEEL them as well.

I think that is the MOST important benefit; FEELING beautiful starting on the inside! STOP stressing out about counting calories and not being able to fit a workout in during the day. Rather focus on finding finding foods and recipes that you LOVE. Which it makes it easier and ENJOYABLE to eating a healthier diet.

 DIET is where the lifestyle change starts.

IDEA: replace your mid afternoon snack from the vending machine at work to an apple and homemade trail mix.

There are a countless amount of recipes under the “RECIPES” tab above, that can inspire  and lead you into falling* in love with a NEW healthy lifestyle.

Photo @ Greg’s U-Pick Farm

NEW RECIPES AND POSTS TO COME FALL 2016, STAY TUNED!

-xo, Adria