Movin' on Up

I thought an update post was necessary at this point, since I have been blogging for over a year and rarely miss a post, and in the last few weeks, my posts have been rather scattered. There is an explanation... I'm moving. For anyone who has gone through a move, you know it's a HUGE pain, and to be totally honest, cooking hasn't exactly been at the top of my to-do list lately, and neither has supermarket scoping, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I am officially moving TOMORROW though, but into a much smaller kitchen-- don't worry, this won't derail my cooking efforts... just might make me a little more inventive. As an update though, if you want to see Tiny Tummy take on the big screen, the episode of Dr. Oz that I was on airs TOMORROW (Wednesday 5/29) at 4pm, so be sure to watch.

That's all I've got for now. Once I'm settled into the new apartment, I will be sure to post lots of new recipes and Flab Free Food Finds to keep you guys busy, but until then, I'm packing, unpacking, and shopping til I drop for new apartment necessities. Pin It

Brad's Kale Chip Makeover

Move aside Brad. Tiny Tummy has your 'Raw Leafy Kale Chips' beat. I'll be the first to admit, I am a huge fan of Brad's Kale chips, but those things are EXPENSIVE!!! Luckily for all of us, I found a way to recreate the chips (to the best of my ability), so you can make your own for much less money.

To make these mock Brad's, you will need:
1/2 cup cashews, raw
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw
1/2 bell pepper
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup water
2 T onion powder
2 T garlic powder
pinch of salt
optional: for the spicy flavored chips, add cayenne, to taste

1 large bunch of kale, broken into pieces

To prepare, start by putting your own on 'warm,' or no higher than 200 degrees. Put all of the ingredients except the kale into a food processor and process until there are no lumps. Pour the mixture over the kale chips and bake for an hour and a half. Let sit and crisp for a few minutes and eat up! Pin It

Grand ole granola

Full disclosure here, this recipe is a bit indulgent, but still probably slightly less indulgent than its supermarket counterpart. Granola is one of those faux diet foods (not entirely sure how it got a healthy rep, but then again I'm not sure how cottage cheese was the thing to eat at one point either...) and it's usually quite expensive. You can actually make your own granola using just three ingredients.

To make Tiny Tummy's less-guilt granola, you will need:
1 cup oats
1 cup mixed nuts
maple syrup to taste (enough to coat the nuts and granola without leaving it goopy)

To prepare, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grind nuts and oats in a food processor until it is in small pieces (you could just grind the nuts and leave the oats whole if you'd prefer that). Transfer to a bowl and add maple syrup (you can add water to thin it and use less), and mix well until the entire mixture is coated. Spread mixture on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the granola has started to crisp up. It keeps best in an air tight container, but will start to lose its crunch over time, so no need to go crazy making a gigantic batch! Pin It

Black Bean Burgerama

I'm beyond excited to share one of my old favorite recipes with you all tonight. I would make these once a week if I didn't waste a whole can of beans, half an onion, etc, etc in the process. It's a great recipe to make for company and sure to please anyone (it's vegetarian, gluten free, has the word 'burger' in its name, and flat out delicious). It's also super clean, packed with protein and fiber, and super easy to make. Just make them and taste them- I'm selling them to you here, but I swear they sell themselves!

To make these black bean burgers, you will need: (serves 2-3)

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 egg
garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, chili powder to taste

To prepare, start by mashing your beans until it is as close to chunk-free as you can get it (yes, I just made up a word!) Set them aside, and saute your onions and mushrooms in a pan until onions are translucent. Add the onions and mushrooms to the bowl with the beans, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg in a separate bowl then add to beans with spices and get ready to get DIRTY. Roll your sleeves up and mash everything together with your hands (you could probably do it with a spoon, but I like to think it really does work best to do it with your hands-- get everything really mixed up in there!) Finally, form the mixture into patties and spray a baking sheet with coconut oil spray and place patties on the tray. Bake anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending upon if you just want them heated throughout (the egg cooked through also!) or you want them really crispy. You could pan fry them if you prefer that, but definitely a little healthier to bake them! Serve with sliced avocado, salsa, sliced tomato and lettuce, and if you're feelin' frisky like I was, slice some mango to pair with it also. SO yummy! Pin It

A Lotta Frittata

Mommy Tiny Tummy has been really into the frittata gig lately, so I decided it was time that I jump on board the bandwagon and make my own version of baked eggs- clean, veggie loaded and full of flavor. You can make a giant casserole's worth, or scale the recipe down to make a ramekin sized breakfast, but either way it's delicious and packed with protein.

To make this ginormous baked frittata, you will need:


1 onion, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 eggs
1 container liquid egg whites (or like 7 egg whites)
1 tomato, chopped
3 oz shredded cheese of choice (I used part skim mozzarella)
black pepper
seasonings of choice
option: any other veggies you have lying around (had I had spinach, zucchini, and pepper I would have added them!)

To prepare, start by preheating your oven to 375 and sauteing the onions and mushrooms in a pan until translucent. Add them to a baking dish (you might want to spray it with coconut oil to prevent it from sticking). Then, whip together the eggs and egg whites in a separate bowl, and dump over the onions and mushrooms. Add the tomatoes, cheese, spices, and any other additional veggies. Bake on 375 for about 30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through. If you like things super cheesy, you can add a little extra cheese on top once it's finished and bake it for another few minutes until the cheese has melted. Otherwise, you are set! Pin It

Beat the Brainfart

Finals are FINAL-LY over for Tiny Tummy, but for the rest of NYUers, they are just beginning. In light of the season, I thought I'd share some brain foods (that are great for anyone looking for a burst of brain-power, exams or not).

Eggs: If you're looking for a cheap, simple fix for a boost of energy, this first brain food is bound to egg-cite you. Eggs (yes, yolk and all) will provide that boost brain-power you need. Egg yolks contain choline, a nutrient that helps with memory function and supports overall brain health. Before morning exams or a long day of work, whip up an omelette, hard boiled eggs, or scramble them for a protein-packed breakfast.

Berries: If you're berry fed up with losing steam an hour after breakfast, it may be time to add a handful of berries to your routine. Recent studies have shown that berries help improve brain function thanks to their antioxidant properties. The compounds they contain have been said to improve short-term intellectual performance as well as promote learning and memory. Basically, berries are your brain's buddy.

Coffee: While an all night study session running on nothing but caffeine is a bad idea, coffee can actually be a brain-food. Caffeine, when consumed in moderation, helps with alertness which will make you more productive throughout the day. Not to mention, coffee has been said to reduce stress, which I’m sure we’ve all seen our fair share of around this time of the year.

Whole Grains: If studying is leaving your noodle fried, you may want to reach for some whole grain noodles, or any whole grain for that matter. Whole grains contain fiber, some omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins such as B6 which contains thiamine and helps improve memory function. Whole grains also promote healthy blood flow to the brain. So, a bowl of oatmeal is a great snack to get that brain up and running.

Chocolate: Chocolate is brain food? You read that right! While I'm not suggesting you grab a Snickers and call it a day, dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants and has been proven to reduce stress and improve concentration. A few squares is all you need to do the trick though, sorry chocoholics.

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New PopCorners?! Uh Oh...

I warn you, if you are a lover of all things crunchy, you may want to stop reading this post right now. When food shopping the other day, I saw the following bags of chips in the aisle and walked away before I even gave myself the chance to consider trying them. It's no secret that Tiny Tummy's major weakness is Popcorners Caramel corn chips, so when I saw that they are now making a new cinnamon and BBQ flavored chip, I ran away. Fast. However, I thought it was only fair to share with my fellow Popcorners lovers that there are new flavors out there. For those of you who don't know of these chips, pretend you still know nothing of them. Trust me, your Tiny Tummy will thank me later!

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Vita Choco Goodness

I've been making a real effort to eat clean lately, but if there's one thing I can't seem to get away from, it's chocolate. Tiny Tummy=definition chocolate. I'm always trying to find new ways to indulge in chocolate that won't totally break the calorie bank, and I recently came across a new, raw chocolate that wasn't half bad.

Vita's Peanut Butter chocolate bar has little crushed pieces of peanuts on top of the 72% cacao dark chocolate. If you are a dark chocolate lover, you will definitely love this bar, and the small size is perfect for just a few servings. Granted, I'll admit, I've had better chocolate, but for raw, organic, clean chocolate, it was definitely a winner. Pin It

More Kale to Hail

I can never say this enough: I love Trader Joe's. They are a 1-stop-shop when it comes to Flab Free Food Finds, you just have to know what to look for. In a recent shopping trip, I came across these new(ish) Kale Chips that they came out with, and I thought I'd give them a try. The ingredients were similar to the ingredients in Brad's Kale Chips... but these were 1/2 the price. Winner right there, but how would they taste?

No surprise here, but they were delicious, and tasted just like Brad's. The whole bag has only 300 calories and a healthy dose of protein and fiber to match. This bag of chips was my lunch one day on the go, and honestly, I don't even feel bad about the fact that I had a bag of chips for lunch. The ingredient list is super clean, and while the nut-to-veggie ratio isn't exactly that of a salad, and I wouldn't recommend this for lunch on the reg, they make a great, healthy snack.

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Oats of Steel

I was recently asked what the difference between steel cut oats and regular, microwaveable oats is. The only true difference is the cut of the oat. Steel cut oats are made by cutting the whole oat into tiny bits, while the rolled oats (the microwaveable oats) are whole oats rolled flat. Rolled oats are often steamed partially, which is why steel cut oats often get a better rap because some people believe some of the vitamins and minerals are depleted during this processing, but essentially, you're eating the same food. As far as I'm concerned, eat what you like. I bought steel cut oats to give them a try, and honestly, they don't quite get as thick as the rolled oats do. There's a photo of the final product below (and I even added a little extra water this time to help it thicken... but it didn't). Next time, I'm going back to my usual rolled oats.

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Turkey Sauce Stuffed Squash

When it comes to buying meat, I've been trying to stick to what's on sale. Honestly, I had been craving something with ground meat, and I don't have a meat grinder, so it was an awesome surprise that the ground turkey was on sale at my local supermarket. I brought the package home and it just sat in my fridge as I decided between turkey tacos, turkey lettuce wraps... and then I saw the spaghetti squash sitting on top of my freezer and thus a lightbulb went off, turkey meat sauce. Since the tomato sauce was already made, it was a quick fix to add the ground turkey, and talk about one pot dinners-- this one didn't even require a plate to eat out of!

To make this Turkey Tomato Sauce Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, you will need:
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used my homemade sauce)
3oz lean ground turkey (99% fat free)
optional: mozzarella cheese on top (I opted against, but it is delicious!)

To prepare, microwave your spaghetti squash, or prepare it however you normally would. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and shred the squash with a fork. Then, add the tomato sauce and ground turkey to a pot on medium heat, and continue to mash down the ground turkey until it is all broken into pieces and dispersed throughout the sauce. Let it simmer for about 7-10 minutes (or until your ground turkey is cooked through). Dump sauce onto shredded spaghetti squash and eat up!

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Chopped: NYU Edition

I think I've mentioned in the past, but for those just tuning in, I spent the last few months taking a culinary (and food science) class at NYU. Our final exam was today, and it was basically an episode of Chopped. With the exception of the technique portion that we started with (where we had to manually whip cream, poach an egg, blanch broccoli, and execute proper folding technique), the rest of the exam consisted of us each receiving three mystery ingredients (we knew we'd get a veggie, a starch, and a protein) and we had to create a cohesive dish with the three ingredients as well as other ingredients from our kitchen. I was given cauliflower, rice (white- yuck!), and chicken breast... aka the most BORING ingredients possible! Granted, Tiny Tummy does not know boring, so when I see ingredients with mild flavors, I automatically think BOLD spices... so any guesses what I made?

If you guessed curry.... then I guess I'm fairly predictable. While the class doesn't focus on health or nutrition at all, when it comes to something I present, I want it to at least be Tiny-Tummy-esque (especially after making chocolate chip cookies, pies, cakes, and brioche-- which I did taste, mind you!) The curry I made had bold flavor without the butter and heavy ingredients that many other students used. Yes, white rice is clearly not something I would eat, but the abundance of veggies and the chicken breast combined with the Indian spice mix definitely is. I'm hoping the judges liked it, but I guess I'll find out when I get my grade! Maybe I'll officially Tiny-Tummy-ify this recipe and post it later down the line... it's a definite possibility! Pin It

Hummus for... Dessert?

As I've said in the past, Tiny Tummy's sweet tooth starts to get pretty bad at night, so I've been trying to avoid sweets before bed (which is a lot harder than you'd think!). Instead of turning to fruit or something sweetened artificially, I decided to satisfy my sweet toothing with something a little heartier instead, and thus, the dessert hummus was born.

To make this nutty dessert hummus, you will need:
1 can chick peas, drained
2-4 T nut butter (depending upon how nutty you like it)
almond milk to thin it out (use as much as it takes to reach your desired consistency

To prepare, simply toss the chick peas and nut butter into a blender and blend until there are no chunks. Add almond milk as you go to thin/smooth it out. And there you have it- smooth, creamy, and delicious dessert hummus. Pin It

They're called "Thin Cakes" for a Reason!

Do you ever crave the condiment as opposed to the actual dipper? I know, it may sound weird, but sometimes, I really crave jelly or mustard, but the thought of eating either by the spoonful is a little gross. And while, yes, veggies are great if you're craving mustard or BBQ sauce, or some form of dressing, veggies, and even some fruits, dipped in jelly and other condiments is a little weird. Not to mention, sometimes, you just want a little cracker-crunch with your condiments, but you don't want to waste tons and tons of calories, and that is where these guys come in.

Suzie's Thin Cakes are the perfect solution to this dipping dilemma. Spreading some jelly, mustard, etc. on them is a great way to get the crackers & whatever fix you may need without the carb overload. By no means are they any sort of nutritional powerhouse; in fact, they are more or less fillers, but for a low-cal crunch, they definitely do the trick. I like the corn-based ones, as they have 38 calories per 3 cakes (and I am likely to go for the whole 3 cake serving!), and there is no added sugar (woohoo!) Additionally, you can even turn these guys into a sandwich and save the bread calories without totally losing out on your carb-fix. A turkey, chicken, ham, bologna, whatever sammy is really more about the meat anyway, right? Loading these crackers up with your meat of choice, lettuce, tomato, and a squirt of mustard is a yummy snack or lunch (maybe more than one for a meal though!), and they work great for PB&J too!

P.S.- These were another Sandy Survival Find, in case you were wondering! I almost feel like I need a label specifically for all the non-perishables that I tested during the hurricane and its aftermath, as well as all the simple no-cook, no light needed, recipes that came from this Frankenstorm! Pin It

Rice Gone Nutty

With finals right around the corner, cooking hasn't exactly been at the top of my to-do list, but lack of sufficient time to concoct an extravagant meal is no excuse to veer away from healthy habits entirely. In a rush to throw something together for lunch, I decided to try mixing minute brown rice and some nut butter for a healthy mix of protein and fiber to keep me powering through my studying, and woah, was it delicious. The brown rice is nutty already, but with the added nut butter, you've got a real winner.

To make this nutty rice, you will need:
1/4 cup brown rice, prepared according to package directions (I used the minute brown rice which only requires microwaving)
1 tablespoon nut butter of choice (I used PB2)

To prepare, simply mix the nut butter into the rice, stir, and eat up! Pin It

Sink-O Your Teeth into These Recipes

Tomorrow marks a holiday that is traditionally associated with heaping piles of nachos, oozing cheese sauce, and enough frozen margaritas to give you a week-long brain freeze--yep, I'm talking about Cinco De Mayo. Over the course of the year (can you believe Big Eyes Tiny Tummy is over a year old?!) I've given you countless recipes suitable for this festive dia, and to save you the trouble of looking back, here are some of my favorite Mexican-inspired recipes to help you celebrate and a guide in case you're taking the fiesta out of su casa.

Turkey Tacos
DIY Tortilla Chips
Tiny Tummy's Nacho Extravaganza
Shrimp Tacos
Ground Chicken Tacos
DIY Taco Shells

Mexican Restaurant Quick Tips


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A Tango With Some Mango

After dinner, I often find that my sweet tooth starts to kick in even though I am happily satiated. Sometimes I go for a sweet drink, such as a cup of tea, but sometimes I really want something really sweet. While in Trader Joe's the other day, I decided to grab a bag of their freeze dried mango and give it a spin for my nightly sweet craving.

The entire bag has 190 calories, but has a LOT of carbs and sugar, so if you're a whole bag kinda gal, I'd skip these, but, if you just need a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth, these guys are crunchy, delicious, and SUPER sweet. Again, I wouldn't suggest eating the whole bag, but if you can control yourself to just eat a slice or two, you're good to go, and they will definitely satisfy a sweet craving!

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Tune it Up: Lightened Up Tuna Salad

Lately, I've been having a salad for lunch every day, and while I'm enjoying switching up my legumes and egg whites as protein (Tiny Tummy is not a fan of cold grilled chicken), I realized I had been neglecting one of my favorite salad toppers that packs a decent amount of lean protein-- tuna! It has been a while since I last made tuna salad, so I decided to mix what I had into the tuna, and it actually came out quite delicious.

To make this lightened up tuna salad, you will need:
2 cans tuna in water (reduced sodium is best)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or light mayo or mustard or Walden Farms dressing)
4 tablespoons chopped celery
4 tablespoons chopped carrots
2 tablespoons corn

To prepare, drain the tuna and transfer to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until well combined (if it is too dry for you, feel free to add more of whatever condiment you chose to use, I just prefer a drier tuna salad). Also a simple tip: toss the carrots and celery in your food processor and pulse a few times to save yourself some chopping time Pin It

An Attitude Adjustment

When it comes to dieting, we often bog ourselves down with everything we can't eat. Yes, cookies and cake in unlimited portions are off-limits, but there are tons of healthy foods that are perfectly fine. I recently had a conversation with a friend talking about how upset she was that she could no longer eat the things she used to eat. While I am all about indulging in those foods every now and then, I still urged her to swap "I can't" into "I can."

Instead of dwelling on the foods you can't eat, think about everything you can eat. Instead of "I can't have pancakes drenched in syrup for breakfast" how about "I can have a giant veggie omelette with fresh avocado?" This automatically makes breakfast sound a whole lot more exciting, right? And think of all of the energy you'll have from eating whole, clean foods-- then think of all of the things you can do with all of that extra energy. It's crazy what a simple attitude adjustment can do! Pin It