Blog Archives
Bachelorette Stir Fry
The name of this healthy recipe requires a little explanation.
My dad has a talent for taking random ingredients in the kitchen and throwing them together for an amazing dinner. He’s not really a recipe-follower. Before he married my mom, he had the stereotypical bachelor pad and one of his easy dinner go-to’s became dubbed the “Bachelor Stir Fry.”
Basically he would take leftover ingredients or random vegetables in the fridge (bell peppers, onions, etc.), dice up some russet potatoes, and mix in some type of meat and cook them all together in a frying pan. Sometimes he included eggs, making a breakfast hash. There is no real recipe, nothing specific, so every time came out a little differently.
Last night I cooked dinner for my dad and I, and came up with my own variation of his classic dish. A few healthy swaps here and there, and BAM – we have Bachelorette stir Fry.
My obsession with sweet potatoes has only grown stronger in the past five years, so I swapped out the russet potatoes for some orange yams. I also included Sprout’s Apple Chicken Sausage, along with yellow zucchinis, yellow and red bell peppers, onion, garlic, spices and my personal secret ingredient ;)
Okay okay I’ll share my secret – I added maple syrup! Just a table spoon so it didn’t overpower anything. I could subtly taste it on the sweet potatoes and it was delicious. This recipe is a lot sweeter than my dad’s usual mix, but I personally loved it and everyone went back for seconds. That always makes a girl feel good! :)
We topped our bowl with some avocado since it was lacking any green color. We could’ve also easily swapped in a green zucchini or a green bell pepper. Dishes like this are very flexible.
Bachelorette Stir Fry (Sweet Potato Hash)
- 1.5 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 bell peppers, your choice of color
- 2 zucchinis
- 2 6oz. chicken sausage (I used French Apple Chicken from Sprouts)
- 2 medium yams
- 1 Tbs. black pepper
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
- generous pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 Tbs. maple syrup (try to use the real stuff, not Aunt Jemimah.)
- Optional avocado for garnish
- In a small skillet, cook the chicken sausages until browned. Let cool, then slice into 1/2″ thick circles. Set aside.
- Dice onion, bell peppers and zucchinis. Peel sweet potatoes and dice.
- In a large frying pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Add in diced onion, bell pepper, zucchini and sweet potatoes. Stir to combine. Add in pepper, salt, and paprika. Cover with a lid on medium-low for 15 minutes until everything is very soft.
- Add in the chicken sausage and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Keep heat on low for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with avocado, ketchup, hot sauce, or whatever your favorite topping is. :)
Earlier this week, I re-joined the world of snapchat. (@kenzalyse) I thought it would be a fun way to share my relocation journey without bombarding Instagram and I felt like I was missing out on some of my friends’ fun stories :) so far the filters are my favorite part.
This morning I have a meeting with a realtor, a cycling class, and an iced coffee date. See you here next week! Xoxo.
Quest Nutrition Giveaway!
I know you read the word ‘Giveaway’ in the title of this blog post and all you want to know is how to enter….but I’m going to make you read my new recipe first ;) It’s worth it, I promise! It’s Quest Protein Chip-Crusted Zucchini Sticks, bar food meets clean eating.
Happy Monday, by the way. :)
I can’t count how many times I’ve mentioned Quest Bars on this blog before because I genuinely love them so much. If you’ve tried them, then you understand the love. If you have not tried them (I haven’t persuaded you yet, huh?), then today is your lucky day. :) Quest has generously agreed to send one reader a prize package of its products, which you can read about below this recipe!
Quest Nutrition is all over social media with fun, healthified recipes that take typically-sinful desserts like cinnamon rolls and cheesecake and make-over the recipes into clean, guilt-free treats :) I’ve made several myself, though the easiest is by far the Quest Bar Crunchies – which apparently you like too….it’s been in the Top 10 Strong Like My Coffee posts in the last year!
Since the Crunchies were such a hit, I thought I would feature another recipe using Quest Protein Chips. The Quest Bars are certainly sweet-tooth killers, but these chips are for those salty, crunchy cravings. My efforts to create a simple, healthy version of a bar food snack resulted in this golden goodness:
These baked zucchini sticks have six ingredients and replace traditional greasy battered breading with crispy toasted protein-packed chips, spices and a hint of parmesan cheese. One tray made three servings, which were gone in a hot minute.
Macro/Nutrition Breakdown: 1 serving
- 112 calories
- 8 grams carbohydrates (predominantly from the zucchini)
- 3 grams fat
- 15 grams protein
- 2 grams sugar
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 eggs whites
- 1 Tbs black pepper
- 1 Tbs garlic salt
- 1/4 cup freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 bag of Quest Protein Chips (I used sea salt flavor), crushed
1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees; place a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
2.) Rinse zucchini; cut into thirds, then quarter each third.
3.) Beat egg whites in a small dish; set aside.
4.) In another small bowl, combine pepper, garlic, cheese, and crushed chips.
5.) Using a fork, dip each zucchini stick into the egg whites then into the breading mixture. Place on the cooling rack.
6.) Bake for 22 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
7.) Best enjoyed immediately! :)
This would be a super quick snack to throw together if you’re having friends over, as an appetizer, or as a side dish.
Okay NOW the fun part…..you can enter the Quest Nutrition Giveaway to win a package of Quest Bars, all 5 flavors of Quest Protein Chips and all 4 flavors of Quest Protein Powder here!
To Enter:
Leave a comment on this blog post with your favorite sinful snack. That’s it! (I’m looking for inspiration for my next “health-ified” recipe.) One comment will be randomly selected to win. Make sure to follow @stronglikemycoffee and @questnutrition on Instagram for future giveaway announcements and #CheatClean recipes too :)
Contest will close Thursday June 11th at midnight, and a winner will be announced right here next Monday.
GOOD LUCK!
XOXO Kenz
Style Upgrade: DIY Decorations
Now that life has slowed down a bit since graduation weekend, I’m finally feeling “at home.” I guess I underestimated the mental exhaustion that comes with moving, starting a new full-time job, and getting back into full on workouts (which means 5:00am gym sessions!) I also squeezed in a Mother’s Day celebration, a baseball game with my dad, and a much-needed trip to the salon. By Thursday, my brain was in a fog and I felt totally off. About twelve hours of sleep the next night seemed to hit the “reset” button and by Saturday I felt rested again :)
Just 9 months ago, I was blogging about my bright and newly-decorated apartment in Flagstaff. I will miss that room….paying a little bit extra for the master bedroom, private bath and walk-in closet was one of the best decisions of senior year. Hah! I’ve moved out and moved on, and decided that my “style” should mature with my personality. Out with the clothespin collage and $8 Target mirror! Ellie, my 22-year old stuffed elephant, is here to stay though.
So far, post-grad life is pretty sweet :) I started my full-time job on Tuesday, and I am so lucky and grateful to be working for a company that has been flexible with my schedule. If you are a long-time reader, you know I have been traveling to New York several times each year for treatments on my venous malformation. I am able to take time off of work for my New York trips as well as a couple other summer vacations I have planned, but I’m also able to work remotely from my company laptop if I choose.
Since the stress of finals week is over, that means I’ve also pumped the exercise back up. Man it feels good to run! I love running for the fun of it and especially when the weather is as gloomy as it has been. I’m savoring the overcast days since I know I’ll be craving them in the next couple of months! In addition to regular running/gym sessions, my mom and I downloaded the Alexa Jean Fitness Sore to the Core guide. It’s a 30-day guide with ab exercises in a HIIT format. This morning’s workout killed (burpees, planks, jackknives, flutters, whew!) and we’re only on Day 8….excited to see some improvement!
All of this was a long round-about way to share my new room decor with you. As promised, this blog has expanded to include more “domesticated” content. My mom surprised me with some beautiful decorations for my room, which are pretty dang Pinterest-worthy if you ask me! I absolutely love the pieces she added, from the handmade Scrabble letter coasters to the glitter-dipped vases.
That watering can! For the gold glitter-dipped vases, she wrapped painters tape around middle of the glass. Next, use a paint brush to brush on Modge Podge. Roll or dip the vase in fine glitter, then paint Modge Podge over the glitter again. Remove the painters tape, fill with sand, and stick in your flowers.
The coasters require sacrificing a Scrabble game. We happened to have three so no real loss there.
Buy pre-formed square cork pads and plan out 4 four-letter words for each coaster. First, glue the sides of the letters together with super glue. Then glue the backs of the letters on to the cork padding. Lastly, cover the letters with Modge Podge
Inside an antique-looking birdcage, she staged three candles with little platforms so the heights vary. It looks very “country” and feminine which fits my style. The matching picture frame is filled with an Etsy design of a quote I love: “She turned her can’ts into cans and her dreams into plans.”
As you can tell, I’m addicted to candles. My two roommates in the Flagstaff apartment loved to fry up sausage, bacon and eggs every day. Needless to say, my window was permanently open and candles were constantly burning. My favorite flavors are the subtle nature ones like pine, lemon, and jasmine. My next project is to spruce up my book cases. I just boxed up about 75 books to donate to clear up space for more…..but the picture below is after I “cleared space” so it looks like I better work a little more on that ;)
And now time for another favorite summer treat….reading new novels!
XOXO Kenz
Strong Like My Coffee 