The cold weather and the winter season often bring on cravings of carb filled pasta plates. If you’re a foodie that often struggles daily with cravings for pasta over yummy protein filled plates then read further. Get ready to finally get your pasta fix solved! Luckily, at #zenonaplate I’m all about making your favorite meals leaner and meaner, packed with a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, and of course yummy! That’s why pasta no longer hast to be strictly carb-riffic minus the nutritional value. If you are a bit creative in the kitchen like myself and know about nutrition it can be quite simple. This easy exclusive #zenonaplate formula can be applied to any pasta in your home or out at a restaurant. Here it goes.. , and best of all I’m leaving you with an exclusive #zenonaplate blackbean pasta with roasted broccoli and tomatoes with apple blueberry crisp just for you! #ZENONAPLATE PASTA FORMULA (REFERS TO THE EXAMPLE RECIPE BELOW) 1. GO FOR A GLUTEN FREE NOOLE PACKED WITH FIBER AND PROTEIN: EX: (I USED BLACK BEAN PASTA) RED BEAN PASTA, GREEN LENTIL, BROWN RICE PASTA, QUINOA PASTA, MULTI GRAIN, EDAMAME PASTA, SOY PASTA 2. ADD AT LEAST ONE GREEN VEGGIE THAT HAS ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS (BROCOLLI WAS MY EXAMPLE) 3. ADD EXTRA FIBER THROUGH THE VEGGIE (BROCOLLI) 4.ADD EXTRA PROTEIN (WALNUTS) 5. REPLACE CANNED SAUCES WITH NATURAL MADE SAUCES OR VEGGIE MIXES (ROASTED TOMATO AND BROCOLLI MIX SEE RECIPE BELOW) IF OUT AT DINNER GO FOR OLIVE OIL BASE SAUCES OR VEGGIE BASED LIKE TOMATO OVER CREAM 6. COOK WITH MORE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES: OLIVE OIL, HERBS 7. AVOID CHEESE AND CREAM FILLED PASTA, AND REPLACE WITH NON DAIRY ALTERNATIVES LIKE COCONUT MILK, ALMOND MILK, OR NUTS TO GIVE IT A CHEWY OR CREAMY FEEL FOR THOSE CHEESEY DISHES 8. CHOOSE YOUR FOCUS SWEET OR SAVORY. I DID A SWEET PASTA ( I DID SWEET WITH THE BLUEBERRY GRANOLA AND APPLE SAUCE) 9. THINK WHOLE FOODS WHEN CREATING YOUR PASTA DISH AND AVOID PROCESSED INGREDIENTS, REFINED SUGARS, WHITE CARBS, AND STICK TO HEALTHY PORTIONS 10. CREATE YOUR PASTA DISH WITH FOODS THAT NOURISH THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT #ZENONAPLATE BLACK BEAN FETTUCCINE WITH ROASTED BROCOLLI AND TOMATOES IN A BLUBERRY APPLE CRISP (VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE) PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL: 30 MINUTES SERVES FOUR NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING NUTRITION: 437 calories, 67 grams of carb, 18 grams of fiber, 22 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat , Natural Sugars 16 , POWERHOUSE PLATE OF NUTRITION This dish is loaded with calcium 272 mg, Iron 8 mg, Magnesium-12 mg, Phosphorus- 23 mg, Potassium -89 mg, Vitamin A 95 mcg, Vitamin C 26 mg Vitamin K -1.0 mcg , Folate- 7 mcg, Choline 5 mg #ZENONAPLATE MACRO BREAKDOWN CARB:BEAN PASTA, BLUEBERRY GRANOLA PROTEIN: WALNUTS, BEAN PASTA GREEN: BROCOLLI FIBER: BEAN PASTA, BROCOLLI FAT: OLIVE OIL, WALNUTS INGREDIENTS VEGGIE MIX 3 Cups of broccoli florets 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil 3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar ½ Tablespoon of date sugar 1/3 cup of gluten free kind vanilla blueberry granola ( can use another flavor to sub if you don’t have this) 1 cup of roasted Tomatoes from Muir Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes 2 Tablespoons of sundried tomatoes ½ cup of cherry tomatoes 4 oz cup of unsweetened applesauce ¼ tsp of salt ¼ tsp of pepper 7-8 walnuts 1 Packet of Stevia 1 lemon sliced 10-15 sliced black olives PASTA Tolerant black bean Fettuccine – 3 ½ servings ( Boil Pasta for 6-8 minutes) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Start cooking noodles according to directions on package. In a bowl mix the first 11 ingredients until evenly. Then on a baking tray spray with olive oil and then put veggie mix on the tray, and pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Then take out and cool off . Put the veggie mix back in a bowl and sprinkle date sugar and squeeze half a lemon. Once your noodles are done pour them in a strainer and run cold water. Then take around a cup of noodles and a cup or a bit more of veggie mix on a plate and add sliced black olives for garnish and use the rest of the lemon for more flavor and add nutritional yeast. Notes: You can use any gluten free noodle if you don’t like beans, but go for high protein and fiber noodles. You can also sub another flavor gluten free granola if you want to mix

CHERRY SMOOTHIES

Coming SPRING 2020

The Michelle Lynn Brand

FIT FOODIE CORNER: POWERHOUSE PLATES OF PASTA