Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

The ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey (I went with 93% lean)
3 egg whites
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 onion chopped
1 celery stalk chopped







The directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line baking sheet with foil (Jamie uses muffin tins but they get very messy!).

3. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

4. Roll the mixture into balls & place on your baking sheet or in your muffin tin.

5. Bake for 40 minutes (This may vary depending on your oven. I would suggest using a meat thermometer to ensure your meat is fully cooked).

Makes 12 muffins

  Serving size:
Men: 4 muffins
Women: 2 muffins

He & She Tip: Watch Jamie make these muffins in the video here. She gives a lot of good tips!

Macros
Calories: 80
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 4g
Protein: 11g

http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2012/03/clean-eat-recipe-jamie-easons-turkey.html

Roasted Eggplant Dip, Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, salted (see how-to below)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup purple onion, chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 green chili, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 Tbsp Fig Vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to broil setting

2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.

3. Cute eggplant in half and place cut side down on baking sheet, Prick with a fork all over. Place in the over and roast for 15 minutes or until fork pierces the flesh easily. Remove from oven and let cool

4. Once cooled, scrape the eggplant into a bowl, discard skins.

5. Add lemon juice immediately to keep eggplant from turning brown. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

* Dip will not be smooth, more like a chunky salsa*

Serve with toasted pita chips.

Nutritional Information (4 Tbsp serving):

Calories 61

Protein 1 g

Carbs 5g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 2g

To salt eggplant, peel it and then slice, cube, or quarter it, depending on the recipe. Sprinkle the pieces generously with salt and let them sit in a colander for an hour (you'll usually see a lot of liquid beading on the surface). Rinse the eggplant in plenty of water to remove the salt, firmly squeeze a few pieces at a time in the palm of your hand to draw out almost all the moisture, and then pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Thorough drying is important; squeezing out excess moisture will give you a less greasy result.

Apple Carrot Muffins, Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 cup plain kefir
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked sweet carrots, pureed
            - try pumpkin or squash too
1 1/2 cups cooked sweet potatoes, pureed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup olive oil - try avocado oil too
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp unsulfured blackstrap molasses


Dry Ingredients:
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup Sucanat
1 Tbsp. Apple Pie Spice
2 1/4 cups Power Flour - try any whole grain, low gluten flour
1 1/2 tsp baking posder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/3 cup walnut pieces




1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees


2. Line muffin tin with paper liners.


3. Combine all wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and the dry ingredients in a large bowl.


4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just blended.
Do NOT overmix - this makes the muffins go flat and rubbery.


5. Fill muffin tins 3/4 way full. Bake for 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per one muffin):
Calories 227
Protein 4g
Carbs 33g
Fiber 4 g
Sugar 14g

Fun Lunchbox Ideas

Check it out:  easylunchboxes

Moroccan Stewed Chicken, from Men's Health Magazine

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large zucchini, diced
1 (16 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped



Heat the oil in a deep saute pan over med-high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken place it in the pan.

Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes each side until browned. Add zucchini and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.

When the zucchini begin to brown add the garbanzo beans, water, tomatoes, cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. (do not cover the pan).

Season to taste with more salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve With: 1/2 cup cooked couscous (prepared per package instructions) tossed with 2 Tbsp golden raisins, 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro



NUTRITION (not including "serve with" suggestions)
Calories 320
Cholesterol 65.8 mg
Fiber 7.7 g
Sodium 648 mg
Protein 33.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.8 g
Unsaturated Fat 4.1 g
Total Fat 4.9 g
Total Carbs 35.7 g
Sugar 5.2 g

to pack when travelling

What to pack for car trips?
or days that you'll be away from the house most of the day?
How do you prep food for vacation?
Here are a few tips, tricks, and ideas to get you through these times away from your kitchen with the least variation from your dietary goals:

Always carry a large, insulated cooler to keep your preciously prepared, clean food at its best:

• a homemade, CE-approved trail mix
• almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc (pre-proportioned in individual packs)
• beef jerky
• oats & whey protein powder
• pre-cut veggies with natural nut butter or hummus (pre-proportioned in individual packs)
• air popped popcorn  (2cups per individual packs)
• homemade, CE-approved bars 
• oatmeal muffins, packed with protein
• cherry tomatoes
• oranges, bell peppers, carrots, celery, apples
• roasted root vegetables
• cheese sticks
• hardboiled eggs
• rice cakes

Cucumber-Orange Water Recipe

INGREDIENTS

6 cups cold water
6 thin slices English cucumber
5 thin slices orange

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. 

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at 

least 30 minutes. 

Serve.

Starbuck Secret Menu

Frozen Bananas. Luscious Ice Cream-Like Desserts

PB ‘Nana Cream Bites
I hes­i­tate to even call this a recipe, as it’s so basic it’s really more of a guide­line. These cold morsels of nom­ness con­tain the tri­fecta of fla­vor– banana, peanut but­ter and choco­late. You can always sub­sti­tute a dif­fer­ent nut butter.

2 large bananas
1/4 cup nat­ural peanut but­ter
1/2 cup choco­late chips
2 tbsp-1/4 cup milk of choice

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or parch­ment.

2. Slice bananas into coins about 1/2–3/4 inch thick. 

3, Spread a lit­tle dol­lop of peanut but­ter on top of each one. 

4. In a small bowl, com­bine the choco­late chips and milk (remem­ber, less is more). 

    Microwave in 15 sec­ond incre­ments until you can whisk them together. You want it to be a dipable con­sis­tency, not spread­able. 

    (Add a splash more milk if nec­es­sary. )

5. Dip the banana chunks using a fork as a lit­tle chocolate-coating fork­lift, dip­ping them into the melted choco­late. 

6. Place choco­late coated bananas on the pre­pared sheet and place in freezer until com­pletely frozen (3–5 hours). 

7. Remove frozen banana chunks from the sheet and store in a freezer container.

Source: NomNomNom

***

FROZEN BANANA BITES
What you'll need . . .

2 large bananas
1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 to 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Method . . .

Set out a large plate or bowl with a piece of parchment or wax paper on it.
Cut up the bananas into good-sized chunks. Each banana should give you around 5 to 6 pieces.
Heat the peanut butter and chocolate chips in the microwave on high for about a minute. Then stir until smooth.
Dip the banana pieces in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Lay them out leaving some space between them on the parchment/wax paper. Then when you've "covered" them all, use the remaining mixture to spoon over the tops (for even more chocolate-y goodness).
Then sprinkle the unsweetened coconut flakes on top. Transfer to the freezer for about an hour until hardened.
You can enjoy them like this (but they really aren't frozen yet -- and when they're frozen, the banana tastes like vanilla ice cream) . . . I suggest then covering with some plastic wrap (or really you can do all of this in some kind of Rubbermaid container) and let freeze overnight.

***

BANANA -- AKA 1 INGREDIENT -- ICE CREAM(OK. It's one ingredient plus some flavors.)

What you'll need . . .

2 ripe bananas, chopped
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Handful chocolate chips
(But really ANYTHING GOES!)
Method . . .

1. Chop bananas into smallish chunks (original post called them coins) and freeze overnight on a plate.

2. Then transfer to a food processor (I think a smaller one works better) and process until bananas are in little bits (like in the photo above).

3. Then add your flavors. There's no right or wrong way to do it. No right or wrong measurements. 

4.Continue blending until smooth.

Source: (never)Home Maker

peachy keen vanilla bean fro CHO.

ingredients:


2 (6 oz) containers of peach chobani greek yogurt
1 cup (8 oz) plain 0% chobani greek yogurt
1/2 cup (4 oz) fat free half & half (or other milk of choice)
1 T agave (or other sweetener of choice)
1 t vanilla bean paste (can sub 1 vanilla bean or 1 t pure vanilla extract)
1 fresh peach, diced (for garnish)

directions:

1. in a small bowl, combine peach and plain yogurts.

2. add half & half, agave and vanilla bean paste.
mix well.

3. pour mixture into an ice cream maker & turn the ice cream maker on and let run for about 20 minutes or until frozen yogurt is firm.

4. divide into four equal servings and garnish with a quarter of the fresh peach slices.

5. Freeze any leftover fro CHO you may have. 

* word on the street is if you add a splash of vodka to homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt, it freezes better.

 Nutrition information per serving (1/4th of recipe):

Source: Janetha's Meals & Moves

Brew The Perfect Cup O' Tea

Hot


1 tea bag or 1 tsp. of leaves
per 
1 cup water


Pour water over tea, steeping for: 3 minutes (Green & White Tea) -  just under boiling temperatures
                                                 or 5 minutes (Black and Herbal Tea) - boiling water

Iced


2 tea bags or 4 tsp. of leaves
per 4 cups water


Place tea bags in cold water and steep in the fridge for 8-12 hours






Source: Home Made Simple

Crunchy Chopped Salad with Gorgonzola and Radishes

Makes 2 large lunch salads or four side dish salads

Ingredients:

1 large handful (about 2 cups) chopped romaine lettuce
1 large handful (about 2 cups) chopped arugula or spinach
1 cup celery, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1 cup radishes, cut in fourths lengthwise
2/3 cup carrots, cut in 1/2 inch slices
2 small cucumbers, chopped
3-4 T your favorite salad dressing
1 Tbsp. (per salad) of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
fresh ground pepper to taste

*These Ingredients + 1 pear = 2 servings at 170 calories each, 28 carbs, 5g Fat, 7g protein

Options:           other veggies -- chopped broccoli or cauliflower, red bell pepper, or fennel.
                         add a protein like tuna or tilapia
                         1 medium pear, chopped

Instructions:
Chop arugula and romaine, wash in salad spinner, and spin dry. (Or wash by hand and pat dry with paper towels. Chop radishes, celery, carrots, and cucumbers.

Put romaine, arugula, cucumbers, celery, radishes, and carrots into large bowl and toss with blue cheese dressing. 

Arrange on two plates (or four small plates for side dish salads), sprinkle Gorgonzola cheese over, and season with pepper.

Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

serves 6-8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 roasted red peppers, diced (here is a great page of different options on how you can roast your own red peppers at home, I roasted mine on my stove top)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
7 cups low sodium vegetable broth
butternut squash seed oil (or olive oil) for drizzling



Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and butternut squash and sauté until the onions and celery are tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and roasted red peppers; stir 1-2 minutes. Add thyme, salt and vegetable broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 45 minutes.

Purée with an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender or food processor*, until smooth. Return puree to pot. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the roasted red pepper purée and a light drizzle of butternut squash seed oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh thyme.

* When puréeing hot soup in a blender or food processor, do so in small batches, filling the blender pitcher only about halfway. Put the lid on, but remove that small cap in the lid (if you have it) and hold the lid down tight with a towel, otherwise the steam will cause the lid to explode off, spewing hot liquid everywhere. This has never happened to me, but it can, so be careful.

Source: tasty Yummies

Roasted Red Pepper Pureevia Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2003



2 roasted red peppers (approximately 1 cup)
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Puree all ingredients in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

picture post - motivation

Baked Beet Chips

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium beets

2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Peel beets and slice 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline. In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil. The beets should have a very thin coat.

2. On two rimmed baking sheets (or use one sheet and bake in two batches), arrange beets in a single layer. Sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt.

3. Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes.

4. Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened and pale in color.

Note: Pretty much all of mine needed the full extra 20 minutes of baking time. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool.

Source: http://acozykitchen.com/baked-beet-chips/

Baking Substitutions List

http://www.joyofbaking.com/IngredientSubstitution.html

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

I’m not gonna lie, this meal in more finicky than what I usually like to cook. It messes up more than 1 pan and requires that you pay attention to it while it’s cooking. It’s what I imagine having a child would be like. I get it though…you gotta put up with the crap and in the end, you’ll reap the reward. In this case, it’s food to stuff into your face.

1 lb. ground beef, chicken, turkey, pork…almost any ground meat will work

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 carrots or parsnips, chopped

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 T each FRESH rosemary, sage and thyme (herbs are the flavor maker and must NOT be omitted)

splash + 1/2 c chicken stock

1 T potato starch (easily substituted with corn starch)

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped and boiled in water until soft

1 egg

S&P

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

In a deep-sided, oven safe saute pan add the ground beef and saute on medium heat until browned. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms and cook until softened. Add 1 c chicken stock and potato starch. Use a spatula to pick up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat off and toss in 3/4 of the chopped herbs along with some salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, a splash of chicken stock and the cooked cauliflower pieces.

Use a combination of whisking and smashing to get the cauliflower as smooth as possible. Throw in the rest of the herbs along with a nice, heavy pinch of salt.

Spoon the mixture on top of the meat and press into an even layer with your spatula.

Bake in the oven, on the middle rack, for 10 minutes, then turn the oven on broil and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the “pie” has come out of the oven, let it rest a few minutes before serving.

Get more HERE!

Roasted Summer Vegetables with Couscous

INGREDIENTS:

2 purple onions, peeled and cut into chunks

3 yellow baby squash or zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch chunks

3 small leeks, white or tender green insides only, cut in half lengthwise washed well and cut into 2-inch chunks

4 small plum tomatoes

3 or 4 bell peppers in varying colors, seeded, deveined and quartered

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

several garlic cloves, passed through garlic press

1 tbsp dried thyme

5 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine

1 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

2. Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, thyme and chopped rosemary.

3. Mix well and arrange vegetables on prepared baking sheet. Lay a few sprigs of whole rosemary on top of vegetables and sprinkle salt over the top.

4. Place in hot oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn vegetables and continue roasting for 20 minutes until desired tenderness. Do not overcook

5. Serve vegetables over couscous on a decorative platter. Drizzle pan juices from vegetables over top.

***

Couscous

2 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup whole-grain couscous

1 tsp sea salt

3 scallions trimmed and chopped

Place couscous grains in a heatproof dish.

Bring stock to boil. Remove from heat.Pour boiling stock over couscous.

Cover with a plate. Let stand about 10 minutes to absorb stock. Fluff with a fork.

Add chopped scallions and salt. Toss lightly to combine.

NUTRITiONAL INFORMATION (1/2cup CousCouse & 1/10 Vegetables):

Calories 204

from fat 94

Protein 5g

Carbs 25g

Total Fat 10g

Fiber 5g

Sodium 400mg

Sugars 4g

Source: Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Cookbook"

Rice and Black Beans

Yields 12, 1cup servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Dried Black Beans
2 Bay Leaves
1 head Garlic
1/4 Cup coconut butter
2 Cups coarsely chopped Yellow onion
1 Cup chopped celery including leaves
2 Cups coarsely chopped Green Peppers
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Thyme
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp Sea Salt
3 Cups Brown Basmati Rice
Chicken stock to prepare rice (4 1/2 Cups)

Directions

Soak beans overnight.

Drain and place them in a large soup pot with head of garlic and bay leaves.

Cover with plenty of water, place pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & let simmer or an hour.

Remove from heat and drain. Discard garlic and bay leaves. Set beans aside.

Rinse rice.

Heat coconut butter over medium-high heat in large pot. Add onion, celery and peppers.

Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and cook until it is fragrant.

Add tomato paste, beans, vinegar and spices. Heat through.

Add chicken stock and rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let cook until rice is tender- about 45 minutes.

Number of Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts (1cup serving size):

Calores 344

Protein 13g

Carbs 58g

Total Fat 6g

Fiber 6g

Sodium 534mg

Sugars 4g

Source: Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook"

Roasted Tomatoes [2 recipes]

Marinate thick sliced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar for 1 hour. 

Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes or a little tender. 

Meanwhile, sauté spinach and garlic with a dash of salt and lemon juice. 

Put spinach on top of tomatoes and sprinkle with low fat cheese of your choice and broil til cheese is golden!
____

Roasted Plum Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
12 large plum tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat to 300degrees.
2. Prepare a large baking sheet, line with parchment paper
3. Wash tomatoes, cut in hald lengthwise. Place tomatoes cut-side u on baking sheet
4. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes & sprinkle with SeaSalt & Pepper
5. Roast tomatoes in oven for three hours, Remove baking sheet from the over and let cool.

*  Alternative Method: 400 degrees for 50 minutes

High Protein Ice Cream!!!

Good recipe for even better lactose free chocolate ice cream! It also helped her with her diet phase.

1 Cup Unsweetened Soy Milk (You can even use chocolate or vanilla soy milk, but watch the sugar intake!)

1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (We like to use casein protein, you can use whey, or whatever type)

1 Tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Optional: # of Packets of Splenda (We use 3-5 when we have splenda)

High Protein Ice Cream Recipe

1/2 cup Salt

1 Large Ziplock Bag full of ice & 1 small Ziplock Bag for the ingredients

A LOT of ice.

High Protein Ice Cream Recipe – The Steps

Step 1: Put all ice and 1/2 cup salt into the Large bag. Mix up the ice and salt so the salt covers all the ice. Now… Mix, mix, MIX!

Step 2: Put all the remaining ingredients in the smaller ziplock bag (soy milk, chocolate protein powder of your choice, cocoa powder, optional splenda). Seal the smaller bag and then shake it up a bit to mix the ingredients up.

Step 3: Put the smaller bag (sealed) in the larger bag full of ice and salt. Seal the larger bag up. Now… Shake, shake, SHAKE!

Shake 5-10 Minutes (although I have shaken as low as 3-4 minutes. The average time tends to be six minutes), and let sit there for a bit, say 2-3 minutes.Pretty simple, we have many variations* though!

EXTRAS!

Note: We may add the following

1. Vanilla protein + vanilla extract

2. Vanilla protein + cinnamon

3. Vanilla protein + Almond extract (you can also substitute unsweetened almond milk for soy milk) and add chopped almonds! Again, watch your calorie intake!

4. Vanilla protein + Lemon Extract

5. Chocolate Protein + Rum Extract

6. Strawberry Protein + Strawberries!

7. Nuts & Fruit (Think cashews, coconuts, pineapple, etc…) <—–Watch out for calories in carb intake if on diet though!

8. My fiance likes to break up protein bars and put them in the ice cream for a brownie-like effect!

The possibilities are endless!

*** EVEN MORE VARIETIES ***

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER
serves 1
1.5 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter.

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

MINT CHOCOLATE
serves 1
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/4 tsp mint extract

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP
serves 1
1.25 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 tsp mint extract
2-3 Tbsp chocolate chips

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

MOCHA
serves 1
1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk - vanilla or chocolate
1 tsp decaf instant coffee crystals.

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

STRAWBERRY

serves 1
1 cup strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

BANANA
serves 1
1/2 cup mashed banana (frozen or fresh)
1.5 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.

CINNAMON SPICE
serves 1
1.5 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Sprinkle of Nutmeg
Sprinkle of Cardamom (*optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla (pure)

Blend well, then prepare in either ice cream maker or ziploc method.


APPLE PIE
serves 1
1.5 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1 green apple, peeled & diced
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Sprinkle of Cardamom (*optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla (pure)
1 Tbsp butter

In a bowl, combine the diced apple, butter, vanilla & spices.

Microwave in 30 second increments until apples are soft. Stir.

In a blender, combine protein powder & almond milk (and stevia if using). Blend Well.

Mix protein powder/almond milk with apples and stir.

Add to ice cream maker or prepare with ziploc method.

**DO NOT BLEND THE APPLE MIXTURE**


Super-Chocolaty Protein Ice Cream
makes 2 servings, or 1 very large, very tasty serving :-)

3 scoops (1.5 servings) Champion Nutrition Pro-Score 100 Chocolate protein powder (roughly half a cup of powder)

1/2 cup 0% Chobani Greek Yogurt, plain

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tsp almond butter

Blend well (I used a Magic Bullet), then pour into ice cream maker. Let it run about 20 minutes, then serve!

I added sliced banana and sugar-free caramel syrup. You could add some instant coffee crystals to your mix for a mocha flavor, too!

Nutrition: (just the ice cream) per serving: 183 calories; 29 g protein, 6g carbs, 5g fat, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, 259 mg sodium.

Muffin Cupcake Baking Tips

Remember to place a shallow casserole dish filled with water in the oven while it is preheating and leave it in while baking.

Somehow this makes your muffins come out nice and high and moist.

-- I bet the same would be true of baking cupcakes this way.

***

Here's another tip/tick for baking cupcake-style

***

Good use of canning lids:

Use canning lids on a sheet pan to hold paper cupcake liners, so you can bake more cupcakes/ muffins at one time...

Ever-Ready Bran Muffins

This recipes is called 'ever ready' because you can mix up a batch and keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. Go ahead and add dried fruit or nuts to it whenever you like.

Dry Ingredients:

4 cups whole wheat flour, Power Flour(see recipe below) or other whole-grain flour
4 cups natural bran (I used wheat bran)
4 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. flaxseed
2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup Sucanat or rapadura sugar

Wet Ingredients:

4 cups buttermilk
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites + 1 whole egg, well beaten (I used 1 whole egg & 1 egg white when I halved the recipe.)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Prepare muffin tin by lining with paper or silicone cups or by spraying with natural non-stick spray.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix JUST until combined. Do NOT over mix! Add optional additions and fold in.
6. spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until 3/4 full.
7. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Optional Additions: 1 cup total of any chopped dried fruit, nuts, shredded carrots or apple, coconut or combination there of.

You can also add 1/2 Tbsp of apple pie spice (see below).

Nutrition Information (one muffin without fruit or nuts)

Calories: 107 Protein: 4 g Total Fat: 1 g Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 7 g Sodium: 268 mg, Carbs: 22g


Power Flour:

1/4 cup barley flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup kamut flour
1/4 cup unbleached whole-wheat flour

Apple Pie Spice:

1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp. cardamom

Enjoy!

Morning Glory Muffins from Tosca Reno’s “Eat Clean Cookbook”

Makes 12 muffins.

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple pie spice (1t cinnamon, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/4t allspice, 1/4t cardamom)
1/2 cup Sucanat or rapadura sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients

1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup plain kefir
1 egg white and 1 whole egg, well beaten
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped nuts (raw is best)

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Prepare muffin tins by lining with silicon or paper liners, or by greasing with a good quality olive oil (see ***TIP*** below)
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix well.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or your muffins will come out flat and rubbery.
6. Spoon batter into muffin cups until 3/4 full. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire cooling rack.

Nutritional value for one muffin:
Calories 187, Protein 7g, Total Fat 5g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 168 mg, Sugar 13g, Carbs 36g

*TIP*

Cooking sprays are convenient, but contains isobutene as an ingredient. Putting a healthy oil, such as extra virgin olive oil inside a spritz bottle is a better way to go convenient and healthy.

***

Apple Pie Spice

Yields 2 tsp

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp numeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cardamom

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich

Yields enough for 3 - 4 salads

Prep Time: 10 minutes - Total Time: 10 minutes

This Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich is a great quick and easy lunch option that is good for you too! The salad also makes a great dip!

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice (I use whole wheat bread)
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel and remove the outer skins. You can leave them on, but I like to remove them.

2. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. I like to add fresh spinach leaves.

Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Also, this salad is best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.

Source: Two Peas & Their Pod

Grilled Mexican Chicken Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

For the salad:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 package (10 ounces) torn romaine lettuce
1 c. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 c. cooked sweet corn, cut from the cob
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. cider vinegar
2 tsp. grated lime peel
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Make sure your grill grates are clean.

Coat chicken with the tablespoon of olive oil. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle chicken evenly with this mixture. Grill chicken until done, then remove to a plate to cool. Once cooled, slice into thin strips.

Spread the lettuce on a large serving platter. Arrange chicken, black beans, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, sweet corn, and cheese over the lettuce.

For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a small bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Makes about 1 cup.

Serve with tortilla chips and guacamole.

Source: The vinaigrette was adapted from Cat Cora for McCormick.

Cake Mix. Boxed Cake, Cake alternatives. Cake Yogurt. Soda Cake. Cake. Cake.

Cake Mix + No-Sugar-Added Applesauce
PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 179 calories, 3.25g fat, 299mg sodium, 36g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 21.5g sugars, 1.5g protein --PointsPlus® value 5*

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style cake mix
1 cup no-sugar-added applesauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix with applesauce in a large bowl and add 1 cup water. Whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray; bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Refer to cake-mix box for pan size and approximate bake time.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Best Flavor: Yellow cake mix. It goes perfectly with the fruity taste of the sauce.

The Texture: VERY moist and fluffy. A+!

The Taste: AMAZING!!!! Sweet and slightly apple-y. Two YUMS up...


Cake Mix + Diet Soda
PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 171 calories, 3.25g fat, 301mg sodium, 34g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 19g sugars, 1.5g protein --PointsPlus® value 5*

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style cake mix
One 12-oz. can diet soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix with soda in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray; bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Refer to cake-mix box for pan size and approximate bake time.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Best Flavor Combo: Yellow cake mix + diet cream soda. Runners-up include lemon cake mix + diet lemon-lime soda and devil's food cake mix + diet cherry cola.

The Texture: Moist and light.

The Taste: Pretty darn impressive! However, if you're sensitive to the sweetener in diet soda, you may notice a slight aftertaste... especially if you use cola of any kind.




Cake Mix + Canned Pure Pumpkin
PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 183 calories, 3.5g fat, 301mg sodium, 37g carbs, 1.25g fiber, 20.5g sugars, 2g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style cake mix
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine cake mix with pumpkin in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly -- batter will be VERY thick -- and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray; bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Refer to cake-mix box for pan size and approximate bake time.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Best Flavor: Devil's food cake mix is CLEARLY a classic choice. (Hello?!Yum Yum Brownie Muffins!) But spice cake mix... WOW. Yellow and white cake mixes, sadly, do not work as well.

The Texture: Thick and dense in the BEST possible way. Brownie-like, in the case of the devil's food; the spice cake reminded us of pumpkin bread!

The Taste: No one would ever guess this is guilt-free in any way. It's delicious!



Cake Mix + Fat-Free Liquid Egg Substitute
PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 181 calories, 3.25g fat, 337mg sodium, 34.5g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 19.5g sugars, 3.5g protein --PointsPlus® value 5*

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style cake mix
1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix with egg substitute in a large bowl and add 1 cup water. Whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray; bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Refer to cake-mix box for pan size and approximate bake time.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Best Flavor: Egg sub is like the little black dress of cake companions; it goes well with everything.

The Texture: The first time we made this, we used only 1/4 cup of water; it was a little dry and dense, but it reminded us of pound cake, which isn't a bad thing. With a full cup of water, it came out light and fluffy. It had a more substantial, cake-like consistency than the applesauce and soda versions, but it wasn't quite as moist.

The Taste: Good! But it's not our favorite. That one's up next...




Cake Mix + Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 180 calories, 3.25g fat, 306mg sodium, 34.5g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 20g sugars, 3.5g protein --PointsPlus® value 5*

Ingredients:
One 18.25-oz. box moist-style cake mix
1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (like Fage Total 0%)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix with yogurt in a large bowl and add 1 cup water. Whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray; bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Refer to cake-mix box for pan size and approximate bake time.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Best Flavor: Devil's food cake mix. Hands down.

The Texture: The word "velvety" comes to mind... Super moist and decadent! Kind of like a brownie-cake hybrid.

The Taste: YUMMY! Everyone who tried this loved it. There wasn't any yogurt taste at all... just pure cake-tastic deliciousness!

Orange Dark Chocolate & Coconut Bites

Ingredients

2 cups quality dark chocolate, bar or chips

1 teaspoon orange extract [or almond extract]

1 cup almonds, toasted and then chopped

1 cup shredded [sweetened or unsweetened] coconut, toasted

Directions

Using a double broiler, melt the chocolate. Once it’s all melted, add the orange extract.

Make sure almonds and coconut are completely cool before you stir into the melted chocolate.I used silicon baking cups, but you can use either a cupcake pan [sprayed with non-stick] or drop directly onto parchment paper – lined baking sheet.

With an ice cream scooper or spoon, drop chocolate mixture into the cups or onto parchment paper.

Place baking pan/sheet in the refrigerated for about 2 hours, allowing them to harden.

Once they were hardened, I placed them in a container and placed them back in the fridge. I prefer my chocolate pieces cold.

Enjoy!

*Gluten-free

Source: http://withstyle.me/2011/08/25/orange-dark-chocolate-coconut-bites/

Cookie Dough Dip

Inspired by this awesome recipe.

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained)

1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt

tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 T. If you use peanut butter, it’ll have a very-slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so if you don’t want this, you can sub oil.)

up to 1/4 cup milk of choice (Start with 1 T, and add more as needed)

Sweetener (see note below, for amount)

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2 to 3 T oats (or flaxmeal) (You can omit, but also omit the milk if you do)

Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a good food processor (not blender), and blend until very smooth.

Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Sweetener Notes: I used 2/3 cup brown sugar when I first made this for the party. Liquid sweeteners (agave, maple, etc.) are fine as well, as is evaporated cane juice. You can easily get away with less sugar– some people will be perfectly fine with just 3 T for the whole recipe! . (You can also use stevia, if you like the taste of stevia-sweetened desserts.)

Chocolate-Banana “Ice Cream”

Freeze a banana

Combine with 2 tbsp cocoa powder and blend until smooth and creamy.

Dairy-free, 110 calories. But most importantly: frigging delicious, because seriously, bananas and chocolate were meant to be together

<3 I use a frozen banana with a spoonful of peanut butter & half a glass of milk for a morning smoothie. This sounds delicious.