Easy, healthy zucchini soup that can be served hot or cold!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe and it is one of the easiest recipes to make, which means it’s right up my alley!! I originally learned this recipe when I was doing Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset program (a 21 day food and supplement program to help you detox your body and restore it to optimal health). The Ultimate Reset program is absolutely awesome and more info about it can be found here: https://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/URComplete?referringRepId=183908).

I have used this soup recipe (and many others of the awesome recipes that come with this program!) ever since!!

The soup is vegan, gluten-free, and can be served hot or cold so it’s a perfect healthy meal for a cold winter day or a summer evening! Additionally, this recipe only takes about 5 minutes of actual labor time- how great is that?!

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized zucchini

¾ cup cashews

Himalayan sea salt

Basil (fresh or dried)

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy-sauce substitute)- I’ll give alternatives down below if you don’t have this

Directions:

Cut up zucchini into chunks and steam until semi-soft (length of time for steaming will depend on size of chunks).

While the zucchini is steaming, soak the cashews in water to soften. Drain after about 10 minutes.

Throw the steamed zucchini and cashews into a blender. I think a Vitamix is the absolute best if you plan on making a lot of soups, especially with its variable speeds and tamper tool to help push/mix thicker concoctions. Here is the one I use: http://amzn.to/2lhHfb0 (disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product). I’ve had this for years and it has never failed me- I always joke that it has the motor of a lawn mower haha- it’s a beast! For this particular soup though, since the zucchini is steamed and the cashews are soaked, everything should be soft enough that you shouldn’t have a problem using a regular blender.

Add Himalayan sea salt, basil, and liquid aminos to taste!

I’m gluten-free so that’s why I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. The liquid aminos can be found on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2jqWfpj. Full disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product but this is honestly what I use at home and they can be hard to find at grocery stores.

I go pretty heavy on these seasonings :)

Blend all of that together and enjoy! The recipe makes 3-4 servings.

Happy cooking!

Katelyn

I would be honored to help you with your health and fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Easy, healthy spring rolls recipe and demo!

I was SO proud of myself when I made spring rolls the other day!!! I had always assumed they’d be messy or would fall apart, but when my friend, Lindsay, decided to have an Asian-inspired dinner party, I thought I would give them a try! Turns out, they were incredibly easy and they are a tasty way to get more veggies into your meals or party appetizers!

I give a full video demonstration here (and to prove how easy it was to make the rice paper rolls, I had to do it with one hand in order to film it!): https://youtu.be/97wWg5kH7BQ

The rolls were super simple to make. Fillings are totally up to you and your tastes. I made these rolls twice and each time I used some kind of combo of romaine lettuce, shrimp (I gave my recipe for shrimp with a little extra kick in the video!), thin rice noodles, avocado, red pepper, carrots, cucumber (all the veggies I either cut into thin strips or spiralized), mint (I loved the flavor that the fresh mint added so I used even more the 2nd time around!), and sesame seeds. The video explains all about the rice paper, what to look for when buying it, and how to prepare it for rolling!

The homemade peanut sauce absolutely MADE these rolls! They were good without it, but it added so much extra flavor, plus I liked having something “liquidy” on them. I apologize for not being the kind of cook who measures everything perfectly. With my background in the sciences, I do love things that are exact but unfortunately my cooking tends to be very free-spirited. I used multiple recipes online to come up with this concoction (so if you are someone who likes things exact, google a homemade peanut sauce recipe). I included a picture of what I used in the peanut sauce here since it was a little hard to see in the video. The main ingredients were basically peanut butter and soy sauce (I used liquid aminos- a healthier, gluten-free alternative to soy sauce- available from amazon associate link here- disclosure: I get a small commission if someone purchases from this link). Mash some peanut butter with some soy sauce (I used a hefty amount of each- more soy sauce will make it spicier, more PB will make it sweeter). Everything else I used to taste. I really liked the addition of the sesame oil- I felt like that gave it a good Asian flavor. The honey sweetened it up a little. I added some rice vinegar (I like what that did to the texture). Black pepper, hot sauce, garlic powder, actual garlic (minced), and red pepper flakes (not pictured) all added to the flavor but can be used generously, sparingly, or not at all depending on your tastes. When you mix all of this together, it will be pretty chunky and think. Add water (small amounts at a time) to thin it out to the consistency you want! Mine thickened a little in the fridge and I actually liked it even better the next day (just FYI).

I served the peanut sauce on the side (garnished with red pepper flakes) but it was so good, I ended up using it generously over each one of the rolls I ate!

This entire recipe is all gluten-free- just make sure you use a gluten-free soy sauce or an alternative like the liquid aminos that I used! The liquid aminos can be found on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2jqWfpj Full disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product but this is honestly what I use at home and wanted to make it easier for you to find!

If you are vegan and don’t eat honey, that can easily be taken out of the peanut sauce or substituted with agave or pure organic maple syrup.

If you don’t like or eat shrimp, don’t worry- I made a bunch of them without it and they were just as good!

Watch the video, let me know what you think, and let me know how yours turn out! Feel free to contact me with any questions!!

Happy cooking!

Katelyn

I would be honored to help you with your health and fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Healthy Chocolate Shakeology Candy and Treats!

Imagine chocolate candy, ice cream, pudding, and chocolate-covered fruit that are all actually GOOD for you! We’ve got it!!!

Here are some GREAT recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth while eating fully healthy foods! These recipes include no added sugars, no artificial ingredients/flavorings/colorings, and are PACKED with good nutrients! They all utilize Beachbody’s incredible health shake, Shakeology! If you don’t know what that is, you can check out my run-down of what I love about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2loh3aOeBOs (and if you decide you want to get yourself some, purchasing info can be found here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908)!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease*

I am writing this blog post for a 7 Day No-Candy Challenge that our team is currently running, so I will start off with our candy recipes then get to some other sweet treats later!

ADD-ANYTHING CHOCOLATE

This chocolate recipe is REALLY easy and will be the base for a few of the other recipes. I’ll be honest, I make this a little differently each time so the amount of coconut oil and Shakeology is approximate. The mixture (before freezing) should be thick but still liquidy. The thicker it is, the richer your final product will be. You might want to try a few very small batches to get your mix to your taste preferences! Adding fruit also really helps balance out the richness. Nuts and other similar add-ins help too. AND they all make it even more delicious!!

My favorite add-ins are fruit (I make chocolate covered strawberries and frozen chocolate bananas this way- recipe down below in this blog), almonds, and pecans. I’ve only added them in separately but I'm sure using a combination of these add-ins would be good too! I plan on trying batches with cashews, pecans, and peaches soon (I’ll keep you posted)!

For this particular batch I used pecans as my add-in!

Ingredients:

Approx. 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil

Approx. 1.5 scoops Vegan Chocolate Shakeology (regular chocolate Shakeology works too but vegan chocolate is my favorite of the flavors so that’s what I always have stocked)!

Your add-ins (in this case, pecans)

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. I add in the Shakeology a half scoop at a time so that when the mix starts to get thick, I stop adding. If it gets too thick, just melt more coconut oil and add that in. Hopefully you can judge by the picture (direct middle square in the above collage) what the final thickness should look approximately like!

Next, add your pecans or other add-ins! For nuts it’s easiest to stir the nuts in. For fruit, I usually pour the chocolate mixture over the fruit.

Throw it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and you’ve got yourself an amazing treat!!

**Note about the container: My preference is to use this handy glass bowl but it is really hard to get the candy out once it’s frozen (I use a sharp, pointed knife to cut it within the bowl). The easiest way is to pour the mixture (before freezing) onto a small sheet of aluminum foil with edges rolled up. This makes it super easy to remove once frozen. The only reason I use the bowl is that it’s easier to fit in my freezer :)

HEALTHY REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

This recipe is from my friend and awesome coach, Stephanie Wess (you can view more of her delicious recipes on her page: https://www.facebook.com/getfitwihsteph/). Thanks, Steph!!

Picture care of Steph! :)

Ingredients (this will make 8 peanut butter cups):

4 tablespoons of coconut oil

8 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology or raw cacao powder add stevia as a sweetener

4 teaspoons of natural peanut butter

Place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds until the coconut oil is liquefied.

Stir in 4 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology. Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between 8 spots in a mini muffin tin. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Pull the muffin tray out of the freezer. Place a half a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each chocolate disk. Spread the peanut butter evenly over the hardened chocolate with a knife.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology. Use this to pour on top of the peanut butter layer. **You will want to do this in 2 batches so it doesn’t harden up on you while the first layer of chocolate is hardening in the freezer.

Place the muffin tin back in the freezer and leave it in there for at least 30 minutes.

The chocolate cups will slide easily out of the tin. Keep the cups stored in the fridge or freezer for the best consistency!

CHOCOLATE COVERED FROZEN BANANAS

I warn you, NOTHING about this is pretty but if you can get past the looks, it is a delicious and nutritious treat! Make the chocolate using the “Add-anything chocolate” recipe above then pour over a banana in a bowl and freeze! It tastes JUST like the frozen bananas I used to get at carnivals and fairs as a kid! In fact, you could probably make it a lot prettier by putting the banana on a stick like at the fairs and freezing it on a sheet of aluminum foil for easy removal.

SHAKEOLOGY PUDDING

Shakeology pudding is amazing!!!!! And if you’re doing the 21 Day Fix, it easily fits right into the meal plan!!

SHAKEOLOGY ICE CREAM

Another AMAZING and healthy treat! Like the “Add-anything chocolate” recipe, this one also has a lot of flexibility to what you can add in to make it even more delicious. My favorites are blueberries and strawberries!

Recipe here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/03/healthy-shakeology-ice-cream.html

Happy, healthy cooking wishes to you! Enjoy!!!

~ Katelyn

Shakeology purchasing info: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Healthy Shakeology Ice Cream!!!

I’m on vacation in Myrtle Beach with my parents. There’s something about being at the beach and on vacation with the fam that makes me want ice cream. It could be the fact that it’s everywhere you look around here (there was even a family with GIANT bowls of it in the elevator) or it could just be habit since we always used to go on a special family outing for ice cream at the end of every vacation as kids. I will most likely indulge in a treat as this vacation nears its end but in the meantime, I found a SUPER healthy alternative that actually might be even better than REAL ice cream (plus I feel GREAT after eating it- not bloated or on a sugar high)!

Here’s how to make it!

• 1 scoop Vegan Chocolate Shakeology (more info/can be purchased here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908 )
• ½ cup water
• Approximately 10 ice cubes (use more or less based on desired consistency)
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• Toppings of your choice! I highly recommend fresh strawberries and blueberries- DELICIOUS!

I blended all of the above together (except the toppings, of course) but in retrospect, I would have added the ice progressively. I think that would have made it easier to blend (I had to keep mixing it up with a spoon to get the ice to get down near the blades since the mixture was so thick). UPDATE: That method did work better when I made it the next night!

All in all, this turned out GREAT! Totally satisfied my ice cream craving!! BONUS: it’s HEALTHY! No added sugars, no artificial flavorings/colorings- all good stuff! One scoop of Vegan Chocolate Shakeology is 170 calories and the frozen blueberries I added were about 30 calories. I got this HUGE bowl out of it! Most commercial ice cream is between 200 and 300 calories for a teeny tiny ½ cup serving (plus you get a boat load of sugar and fat with that)!!

I feel great and my body and digestive system are very happy with my healthy decision! I might not need that treat at the end of vacation after all :)

My personal story of the benefits I’ve seen with shakeology can be found here:

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease*

Similar healthy treats using Shakeology can be found here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/10/healthy-chocolate-shakeology-candy-and.html!

Enjoy!!!

Purchasing info: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908

UPDATE: My mom and I made our Shakeology treats for the 2nd night in a row- I think I am now addicted! :-D

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908.

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Fancy, healthy, delicious recipe: lemon garlic broccoli with bacon and scallops

I try new healthy recipes fairly often but now that I’m a full-time online health and fitness coach (meaning I work from home) AND the weather and Pittsburgh is getting colder, I wanted a way to ensure I had a reason to get my butt to the grocery store every week (last winter was freezing so it was hard to motivate myself to leave my house for non-essential errands… like getting food haha). So… one of my New Year's resolutions was to try a new healthy recipe at least once every 2 weeks! The recipe I picked out this week was from my Inspiralized cookbook by Ali Maffucci: lemon garlic broccoli with bacon. And since I’ve always wanted to learn how to make my own seared scallops and they seemed like a great accompaniment for my broccoli, I decided to make those too!

My definition of what I consider to be healthy foods has changed and evolved throughout the years based on the latest research as well as how my body responds to certain foods and the needs of my lifestyle. I used a lot of healthy fats in this recipe (yes, including butter, which I spent majority of my life avoiding!) and bacon. I am super careful that anytime I am eating healthy fats/meats like this, I buy the REALLY high-quality versions (meats and butter that come from grass-fed, hormone-free organically-raised animals; the bacon is organic and nitrate free as well; any oils I use are all organic). But if your definition of “healthy” varies from this, you can easily omit the meat and replace the butter with olive oil.

One of the things that I LOVED about the broccoli recipe was that it also showed me how to use the stems, which I normally throw away even though I hate wasting them! I used my Vegetti to turn the long broccoli stems into “broccoli pasta.” For tips on how to use a veggie spiralizer, you can watch my demo of zucchini pasta here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY5w3dHoyL0.

For the broccoli dish:

I chopped up the broccoli (3 large heads) and spiralized the stems. Meanwhile, I brought a saucepan (about half full of water with some Himalayan sea salt added) to a boil. I added the broccoli to the boiling water and cooked until tender. The next time I make this recipe, I will use a steamer instead. I like the texture of steamed veggies better (plus you preserve more of the nutrients)!

While the broccoli was cooking, I used a skillet to start cook the bacon (about 8 pieces cooked in olive oil for a few minutes on each side, until desired crispness). I removed the bacon from the skillet once cooked and set it on a paper towel-lined plate off to the side. I drained some of the excess oil from the skillet but didn’t clean it (I figured the remaining oil and bacon grease combo would give the dish some extra flavor and it did)!

Next step was to add the cooked and drained broccoli to the skillet over medium heat, along with some Himalayan sea salt and pepper, about 4 cloves of minced garlic, and the juice from 1 small lemon. When the broccoli mixture was cooked to desired texture (about 5 minutes), I added in the bacon (cut or ripped into small pieces) for another minute or so.

Voila’! I rarely measure things when I cook (hence the lack of exact specifications in this recipe) but I promise this recipe is super flexible and can be adjusted for your own tastes. Exact measurements not necessary :)

For the scallops:

I have always been told scallops are really easy to make- they were BEYOND easy. Makes me question why I pay so much for them in restaurants haha! I got fresh, never-frozen, wild caught scallops from Whole Foods- they were unbelievably delicious.

To cook them, I used the same pan the broccoli and bacon had been in for extra flavor (although honestly I think the majority of the flavor comes from the butter the scallops are cooked in). Even though the pan had some remaining oils from the broccoli and bacon dish, I melted some grass-fed butter in the pan- enough to coat it. I spread out the scallops in the pan and then added a small pat of butter on top of each scallop (recommendation from a friend). When I could tell the bottoms were getting crispy, I flipped them over (the pat of butter goes with it and the other side cooks in that). Again, no exact specifications. I think I had it on medium-high heat and cooked for about 2 minutes on each side. I could tell when they were ready by pressing down on them with the spatula- I was able to notice when they started to firm up.

I’m so glad I made the broccoli dish and scallops together- it was a great combination meal! Cheers to the first new recipes of the year! I hope you enjoy!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.