Author Archives: Ilise "Baker Babe" Reilly

When most people think of falafel, they picture fried and fattening.  But did you know that legumes are chock full of filling protein and packed with fiber?  This baked version is full flavor without the guilt.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Falafel

• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beansa)
• 1/3 cup diced sweet onion
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup chopped FRESH parsley
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 eggwhites, beaten

This shake requires a little prep work the night before…but trust me it’s worth it!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed, frozen honeydew melon
• 1/2 cup chopped, chilled cucumber
• 1 scoop vanilla Liverite protein. Powder
• 6oz water
• 1 tsp chopped fresh mint (optional)

Directions

1. The night before you plan to have your shake, cube 1 cup of honeydew per shake you want to make.

2. Using a tuperware container, freeze the honeydew cubes.

3. Now you’re ready to make your shake!  Add all ingredients in a blender, and pulse (blend on 10 second increments) until desired consistency is achieved (I did mine for 1 minute).

4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Stay tuned for my falafel recipe later today!

One of my favorite weekend activities is getting to go food shopping with my husband to stock my kitchen for the week. This recipe was conceived on my most recent trip to Trader Joe’s (in the dairy aisle), and born an hour later in my kitchen. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Gather Up:

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used my newly discovered Trader Joes variety)
• 1 scoop vanilla Liverite Protein Powder
• 1/3 cup dried coconut flakes (for texture)
• 6 ice cubes

1. Combine all ingredients in your blender (I used my magic bullet for this), and blend for 30 seconds.

2. Enjoy!

Sometimes when a late night pizza craving hits, you can’t help but indulge. Here is a little pizza with pizzazz to let you satisfy your craving without undoing everything you worked for all week at the gym.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

• 4 sliced large zucchini (1/4″ thick)
• spray olive oil
• 2 tbsp. your favorite low sodium tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella
• garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a large mixing bowl (about a tbsp. each)
• Your favorite low fat pizza toppings

Appetizers are a lot of people’s favorite part of a meal, but if you eat Jalepeno Poppers at your favorite restaurant, you could be loading up on 500+ calories! Why undo all your hard work at the gym when you can enjoy these lovely treats for only 40 calories each!

Ingredients

-12 fresh jalapeno peppers (halved and cleaned out)
-3oz fat free cream cheese
-3 oz fat free plain Greek yogurt
-2 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-2 1/2 tsp garlic
-2 egg whites (beaten)
-3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
-2 TBSP water

Who’s ready for another edible serving dish?!? Spice up your summer with a Fiesta Taco Salad Bowl!

Ingredients-All items are optional/to your preferance except the pepper bowls

• 1 bell pepper/person (assorted colors)
• shredded lettuce
• chopped cucumbers
• chopped tomatoes
• shredded carrots
• A protein: grilled chicken strips, low fat seasoned chopped meat, black beans
• shredded chedder cheese
• guacamole

*You can also make these hot (bake at 375 for 10 minutes) and fill with some rice, onions and gucamole to make it “fajita style”*

-Wash peppers, and slice off the tops. Clean the insides and remove all of the seeds.
-Fill with your choice of salad fillings
-Mix your chedder cheese with the shredded carrots to trick your (or your kids) eyes while still getting the toppings you like.

Makes for easy cleanup!

By Ilise “Baker Babe” Reilly, manager of Lucille Roberts Jamaica.

The weekend is coming and when you’re traveling for long periods of time, it becomes all too easy to stop into a gas station and load up on unhealthy snacks. Take your fitness routine into the weekend and nip bad weekend habits in the bud with this great trail mix recipe!

1 cup of Pecans
1 cup of Almonds
1 cup of Walnuts
1 cup dried Edamame
½ cup of Dried, Unsweetened Coconut
½ cup Dried Blueberries
1 cup Dried Tart Cherries
1 cup Goji Berries
1 cup mini pretzles (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Separate into 1 1/2 oz servings and put into ziploc bags. Keep handy for a quick and nutritious snack.

A serving of this trail mix is 1 1/2oz

200 cal
11g fat
17g protein

By Ilise “Baker Babe” Reilly, manager of Lucille Roberts Jamaica.

Pre-packaged bread bowls may be delicious, but did you know just two of them is almost 50% of your daily fat intake? You don’t have to give up these tasty breakfast snacks, they just need a makeover.

Breakfast Bread Bowl

Ingredients: 

• Hard/crusty rolls (1per person)
• Eggs
• Your favorite breakfast items
  • Chopped omlette veggies
  • Turkey slices
  • Avocado
  • Low fat cheese

Here are three fun, nutritious fruit presentations to share with your family this Fourth of July.

Flag Kabobs

Ingredients:

• Strawberries, thickly sliced
• Blueberries
• Bananas, sliced

Directions:

Arrange fruits on a skewer or chopstick. Alternate in a pattern for individual red, white, and blue kabobs, or make a “bigger picture” with multiple kabobs arranged in an American flag pattern.

Are you grilling this weekend? An average cheeseburger packs 319 calories and 18-23 grams of fat. You can build yourself a better burger with these great swaps.

Trade the White Bun for:

• 100% whole wheat or whole grain bun
• Portobello mushroom caps
• Sturdy lettuce or cabbage leaves

Pick a Prime Patty:

• Upgrade your beef to a 96% lean cut.
• Swap beef for lean turkey.
• Mix chopped veggies into your patty for some extra flavor and fiber.
• Trade in your patty for a portobello mushroom cap or a veggie burger

Trim Down the Trimmings:

• Choose full flavor but low-fat: mustard, ketchup, relish, and salsa pack as much flavor as mayo with much lower sodium, fat, and calories.
• Load up on fresh veggies, like tomatoes, onion, and pickle slices.
• Trade out full fat cheese for a low-fat variety or avocado slices.

By Ilise “Baker Babe” Reilly, manager of Lucille Roberts Jamaica.