Former Fat Guy Blog

Real People Real Results - Understanding how food, fitness and mental attitude affect weight loss

Recipe: Mint Pea Lime Soup with Spinach

Greens, greens and more greens! It is not only a very festive Christmassy color, but most things you can eat that are green are super charged with nutrition. Dark leafy greens are on the top of the charge for nutrient density, and the more you can eat of them the better.

Many people think of “rabbit food” when you say “dark leafy green” but you can do so much more with them than just salad. This recipe uses green peas, spinach and fresh mint leaves which makes it not only good for you but really tasty. Anyone that knows Rob and I, know we like to taste our food so we look for recipes that are healthy AND taste great. No one wants to eat flavorless food. Add more lime, or add some chili peppers if you want it to have more zip.

Mint Pea Lime Soup with Spinach

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Recipe: Indian Spiced Lentil Burgers

Rob loves lentil burgers! We’ve made several different varieties now, I had no idea there were so many options. This one caught my eye because we love Indian food and anything with curry in it. Lentils have so many benefits including: low-fat, high fiber, fill you up so you eat less, taste great! If you like Indian food and flavors try these lentil burgers and increase the spices to your own tastes.

spiced-lentil-burgers
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Recipe: Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole

Yes I said CHOCOLATE! This Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole is amazing!

If you’ve ever eaten as a real authentic Mexican restaurant, you’ve probably seen something with “mole” sauce on the menu. I’ve got one book that says mole is a Spanish word meaning “mashed together” but I know it to mean (my own personal definition) – “very tasty, spicy Mexican sauce with dark chocolate in it!” How’s that for highly technical?! 😉

I came across this recipe for chili mole in Extra Vegan Za and just about flipped. I LOVE mole sauce!!! This Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole is one of the best chilis I’ve ever made. We spiced it up by adding a whole habanero pepper (one of the hottest you can get) because I can’t make anything too hot for Rob’s tastes. If you haven’t ever used one – handle with gloves, throw out the seeds, and use about 1/3 of the pepper to start. You can always add more later, but if you make it unbearably hot you won’t enjoy the subtleness of the mole – or have any feeling left in your mouth.

Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole
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Recipe: Black Bean Sweet Potato Almond Butter Burgers

We are always on the lookout for a great bean or that we can make a huge batch of and eat for days. We have come to really dislike the store bought ones for the lack of taste and large amount of salt and other preservatives and unhealthy things in them. These black bean, sweet potato and almond butter burgers fit the bill and are SO tasty!

This recipe if from Extra Vegan Za cookbook, another one of our favorites. Best part is – they were super easy to make. You just have to remember to soak your beans and cook them a day ahead or so. If you forget like I did – use the method, below.

8oz of black beans have as much protein or more protein than does an 8oz steak?

When I tell people I eat mostly vegetarian at home I often get asked “how do you get your protein?” Are you aware that 8oz of black beans have as much protein or more protein than does an 8oz steak? AND beans have NO fat or cholesterol and beans are full of fiber where the steak has none! Yes – you heard right – ALL MEAT has NO fiber. Zero, nada, zip. Fiber fills you up and you want to eat less – try eating two of these burgers one night and your steak the next and see which fills you up more and you have to stop eating. Think that will help control over eating? You betcha! Try it!

Avocado Wasabi Sauce
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Recipe: Quinoa Salad

February I will be featuring recipes using different types of grains. I find that many people don’t know how to cook grains or what to do with them. So I hope you try something different and add some grain into your diet. NOTE: none of my recipes have wheat in them for those of you that can’t eat wheat – and please note that these grains I’m using are NOT wheat.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is the grain of the gods according to the Incas of Peru. On my recent trip there I found the people there ate a lot of this powerhouse grain. Not only is it tasty, but it is highly nutritious. If it’s good enough for the Incas – it’s good enough for me! Try it in this colorful and delicious Quinoa Salad.

quinoa salad recipe

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