Pumpkin Loaf

All you need is one hour. 

Then this bread is yours to devour. 

Alright, done with rhyming but hey, can't beat 60 minutes for a fresh baked loaf of sweet pumpkin bread.

 

Admittedly, this my first attempt at baking pumpkin bread, and if I do say so myself, it was a success.
Simple ingredients, quick mixing, and some time to pass while your home begins to waft with the smell of sweet  pumpkin while it bakes, and your done.


Ingredients:
1 15oz can of pumpkin
½ cup oil or applesauce
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1½ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare a large loaf pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
Beat pumpkin, oil or applesauce,sugar, and eggs together until smooth. Add in flour, salt, pumpkin spice, and baking soda until well combined.
Pour batter evenly into a large loaf pan.
Bake for 60 min or until knife comes out clean

Let cool for 10 min on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!!!

Pumpkin Protein Brownies

Oh My Goodness!!!!

These are unbelievably delicious. Special thanks to Sally's Baking Addiction for the idea.

Seriously, if you love pumpkin,  and if you love brownies, and if want to add more protein to your diet these are for you.

The good is it's October, which means pumpkin can be found everywhere and it's pretty cheap!
The bad thing about October is it means it the start of  hibernation-must-eat-everything-sweet  season.
But these chocolaty, fudge treats are low in calories, fat, AND carbs. I know, you love me.

Dive in!

Ingredients: 

Brownies
1/2 cup ground oats
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup almond milk
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
10 pkt truvia or 1/4 cup baking truvia*
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Topping
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2tbs cream cheese, soften
5pks truvia or 2 tbs baking truvia*
1 egg yokes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

*Real sugar, honey, or maple syrup can be used as a substitute but will change the nutritional information below. (1/2 sugar/honey/syryp=1/4 cup Truvia)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 F. 
Mix all brownie ingredients in a food processor or blender until silky smooth.
Pour evenly into a non-stick sprayed 8x8in baking pan.

Beat the pumpkin puree and cream cheese together until smooth. In  egg yoke and spices and blend until smooth and creamy.
Sporadically pour topping onto brownie batter and swirl with a knife.

Bake for 20-25 min, until edges gently pull away from the sides and the top gives a little push back when touched.

Let cool completely before cutting; ~1 hour in the fridge. 

ENJOY!!!!

Nutritional Information 

Serving size: 1 Brownie

61 Cals * 2g Fat * 7 Carbs * 6g Protein

Sweet 'N Savory Garlic Chicken

This made my house smell scrumptious. 

The sweet and savory combination in this dish was spot on. Thank you Providence Design.

The best part about it, it was a mix-n-walk away dish thanks to my lovely slow cooker.

I love my slow cooker just for that fact alone. I can walk away and when I return a dish is ready to be served. Genius.

So what are you waiting for? Get mixin'

Ingredients: 
4 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2-5 Tablespoons water
Red pepper flakes (optional) 


Directions: 
Mix the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, lime soda, garlic, soy sauce and black pepper in a bowl.
Place the chicken breast at the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the liquid mixture on top. 
Cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low. I did 8. Please note: The longer you cook it the longer the darker looking the chicken becomes. 
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside (it may fall apart, that's ok. )
Pour the sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker in a pan and bring to boil. Add in the 2tbs corn starch, red pepper flakes, 
and 2-5 tbs of water. The more water you use, the thinner the sauce (I used 2). 
Boil for 2-3 min until it become a nice, thick glaze.  
Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Enjoy!!!

 

Blueberry Protein Muffins

I am obviously on a protein muffin kick.

Pumpkin Protein Muffins, Banana Nut Protein Muffins, Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bars (which can be be made into muffins) and now these: Blueberry Protein muffins.

And why not? They are so easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops protein powder
1 egg or ~6tbs egg whites
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup baking truvia
1sp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1 tbs lemon juice
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen ( I used frozen)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.
Mix oat flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and truvia in a large bowl.
In another bowl mix together, egg whites (or egg), plain greek yogurt, applesauce, and lemon juice.
Slowly fold in the liquid mixture into the dry until well combined.
Toss blueberries in a little flour and gently fold into dough.
scoop ~1/4 cup mixture into into each holder in the muffin tin.

Bake for 18-20 min until tops are a golden brown.
Let cool for 10-15 min.

Enjoy!

They freeze really  well :)

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 muffin

111 cals * 21 carbs * 2g Fat * 8g Protein *

Chicken Parmigiana Subs

Well, we must add this one to the totally awesome go-to weekly meals. 

It is simple, easy to make, and BEYOND delicious.

Truth be told, I thought about eating this sub the entire day. 

Seriously.

 It was a craving that I just had to satisfy and it was worth oh so worth it.

Also, I know I have said this before but truly slow cookers/crock-pots are a gift from above.  Easy assembly, easy cook, easy clean up. What more could you ask for?

So I give you this delicious sub. 

Ingredients: 
3 chicken breast, frozen or thawed
11.5 oz of your favorite Marinara sauce (so, half of a 23oz jar)
1 tbs garlic powder
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/8 cup water

4-6 sub rolls (thick, to hold the juices)
Parmesan cheese, powered
mozzarella cheese, slice
Optional: 2 tbs butter, melted

Directions:
Pour your sauce into the slow cooker. Add the spices and water stir  together. Then lay your chicken on top. 
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Shred chicken with a fork and stir all together.
You can either start plating now or let it sit a bit longer on warm to help reduce some of the juices.

Optional: Toast your roll.
Slice open your roll and add melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 2 min or until edges are a nice golden brown. 

Add chicken marinara to half of the toasted sub.
Then sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and then lay a slice of mozzarella on top of that.

Broil again for 2 min or until cheese is melted over sub. 

Top with the other half of the toasted roll and ENJOY! 

Quinoa Turkey Sushi

Does anyone else love seaweed party wraps as much as me?

They are awesome. You can eat them plain or dress them up. Verity in my food is always a plus.
This dish seriously came as a last minute desire to use up some deli turkey and left over quinoa, oh and of course, eat some seaweed!!!

Honestly, I can only handle tempura sushi. Just not the biggest fan of sea food. But the idea of filling and rolling food in seaweed, genius.

So I give you these.

Super easy. Very versatile. Delicious.

So grab your fillings and make some rolls

Ingredients:
~1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
3 sheets of dried seaweed
3 slices of deli turkey
6 cherry tomatoes
3 slices of cucumbers
soy sauce, optional.

Directions:
*It helps to have a sushi rolling mat but if you don't have one don't worry, I didn't use one either.  *

Lay out a sheet of seaweed and spreed a spoonful of quinoa onto the sheet using the back of a spoon. Try to cover all the seaweed with your spread quinoa leaving one edge free.

 

Lay your turkey then veggies int the center of your sheet. 

Using rice vinegar or just water, moisten the edge you left free.
Now, fold the cover in quinoa end  end of the roll to the middle and tuck under your turkey/veggies.
Gripping the now tucked end pull back a little and then continue to roll forward using the palms of your hands until you make a nice roll.

Using a very sharp knife, cut roll into bite size sushi and drizzle with some soy sauce.
*Check out this sushi rolling video from Noms for the Poor. It may help my descriptions:

Done.

Enjoy!!!

Clean High Protein Packed Meals Part 2!

Hi Again Friends, 

Here is another list of quick, clean eating, high protein meals. I love each of these recipes because they are so simple and easily adaptable. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes. 

More to come!

T.urkey B.acon A.vocado Salad                    Directions: Layer all
6 oz turkey breast                                          ingredients together. Enjoy
2 slices of bacon
1/2 avo, sliced
2 cup romaine lettuce
4 grape tomatoes, chopped
338 cals * 11 cabs* 19g fat *33g protein* 7g fiber







Cranberry Oat Protein Bars                 Directions: Blend all ingredients
1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats                    together. Press into a parchment lined
1 scoop protein powder of choice           7x11 pan. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
1 cup of dried cranberries                        Cut into 8 bars. Enjoy.
1/2 cup PB2 Powder                                Keep refrigerated.
4tbs flax seed
1/2 cup greek yogurt, plain
per bar 154 cals * 25 carbs *3g fat *9g protein * 4g fiber






Quinoa Turkey Healthy Stir Fry       Directions: In a medium
1/4 cup quinoa, cooked                        skillet, on medium high heat
4 oz turkey breast, diced                      quickly scramble egg whites.
1/2 cup sugar snap peas                       Add in the rest of the ingred.
3tbs egg whites                                    and stir together until heated
1 medium carrot, chopped                  through. Enjoy.
2tsp garlic powder
1tbs soy sauce
358 cals *47 carbs* 3g fat * 38g protein * 6g fiber



PB2 Chocolate Chip Protein Cake        Directions: In a microwavable mug,
3 tbs egg whites                                    thoroughly mix all ingredients together.
1/4 cup oats (ground)                            Microwave for about 1min 20 sec, until
1 truvia packet                                      cake is cooked through. Eat out of the
1 tsp brown sugar                                  mug or plate it and enjoy!
1/2 tsp vanilla
1  tbs pb2
1 tbs semi-sweet chips
*banana optional *1/2 scoop protein powder of choice optional
210 cal *34 carbs * 6g fat *12g protein* 3g fiber w/o protein powder
265 cal *35 carbs* 7g fat * 24g protein* 3g fiber w/ protein powder

Interested in more? Find the first list {Here}

All nutritional information provided is for reference purposes only. 

Nutritional value may very based on the ingredients used.

Protein Cinnamon Swirl Bars

I love Jamie Eason recipes. 

They are made with simple natural ingredients, 

very adaptable to your personal taste, and of course, delicious. 

These bars are one of them. 

This is truly a dish one may easily devour half of without even thinking.

 Be warned. 

These bars are a perfect after treat to enjoy with some coffee or tea.

These will also make your house smell like cinnamon bliss. 

Not a bad thing at all. 

I did adapt the recipe to the ingredients I had on hand, (you can find the original recipe here), and these are definitely something I plan to keep stocked in my freezer when in need of a sweet treat.

Ingredients:
Swirl mixture: 
 1/4  cup truvia ( or 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
 2 tsp cinnamon
Batter
1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 scoops protein powder ( I used this one)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6-7pks truvia  ( 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
2 egg whites
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray and 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Mix ingredients for swirl mixture together and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients first, then fold in the wet until  all the ingredients are blended well together.

Pour approx. 1/4 batter into the prepared baking dish.
Lightly coat that layer with 1/2 the swirl mixture.
Then pour the rest of the batter mixture on top of that,
and then rest of the swirl mixture on top of that layer.

Gently poke a knife into the poured layers and draw swirls throughout it, creating a marble affect.

Bake for 25-30 min, until a knife comes out clean.
*About 20 min in, I covered the dish with some aluminum foil to keep the top  from burning.

Let cool for 10 min,

ENJOY!

High Protein Black Bean Burgers

Want more protein in your daily diet without the meat?

These black burgers are for you!

Now normal black bean burgers, like these ones I've posted about before, do have protein AND are a great substitute for a meatless meal;  However, if you're like me and weight lift, you often need more than just 4-5grams; you need something in the teens and beyond.

Done.

These Burgers have 14g of protein thanks to protein powder.

These burgers were truly an experiment, but I'm glad I gave it try, because they are delicious!

I usually have three types of protein powder on hand: Whey French Vanilla Creme, Whey Mocha Cappuccino, and Chocolate Supreme Casein. I usually drink the Mocha Cappuccino powder with some almond milk, and I usually make some kind or dessert with the casein, but I generally reserve The French Vanilla Creme Whey just for baking purposes. It bakes really well and, of course, adds more protein! But as you can imagine, it is on the sweet side, but it was my best option out of three so threw it in.

I admit, I was worried my burgers would come out sweet, but I added in a little sirracha and that sweetness from the powder was masked up real quick.

Bonus:  these burgers are so easy to make.
Make some!

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 scoop your preferred protein powder, (I used French Vanilla Creme)  
2 tbs your favorite salsa
3 cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 tbs garlic, minced (~3 cloves)
3 tbs cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup egg whites
1 tbs sirracha

Directions:
Smash black bean in a bowl.
Quick blend everything else in a blender/food processor-- Chunky is okay!
Blend black beans and blended ingredients in a bowl--it will be liquid-y.
Scoop out ~1/4 cup mixture and pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet into a patty form.
Repeat with the remaining of the mixture.
Freeze for 2 hours until patties are frozen solid. Remove from sheet and store in a freezer safe container or bag.

To cook:

Slightly oil a small skillet and cook frozen patty 5-7min on each side.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 

~1 Patty

136 cal * 22 carbs* 1g fat *14g protein* 5g fiber 

Protein Packed Granola

Granola goes good with so many things: Yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, smoothies, etc.

Oh and by itself, by the handful.

So why not make it even better and add some protein to it.

Seriously, it's amazing. 

Made with only 5 natural ingredients it's sweet, crunchy, and good for you. 

What could be better?

So next time you want a little protein pop make this!

Ingredients: 
1 rounded scoop, vanilla protein powder ( I used this kind)
3 cups rolled oats, uncooked
4tbs honey
1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
3 tsp cinnamon

Directions.
Preheat oven 325
Thoroughly mix everything together in a bowl.
Spread mixture on to a silpat lined, or a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 min then flip mixture on the pan.
Bake for  another 15 min, flip mixture
Bake again for 10-15 or until mixture is crunchy and a golden brown.

Let cool for 10 min.

Grab a handful and throw it on some yogurt!

Nutritional Information:

~1/4 cup

110 Calories * 21 carbs * 2g fat * 5g protein * 3g fiber 

Homemade Hot Cocoa

I could literally have hot cocoa every single night.

Hot or cold weather. Seriously.

Something about it just says "cozy, comfy, relax"; 

words I need to hear almost every day after work.

Also, the drink is not complete without marshmallows. A lot of marshmallows.

Only a few actually make it into the cup though, the majority, and by that I mean by the handful, end up in a small cup that I can gobble up while enjoy my creamy, rich, chocolaty drink.

This drink has a definite strong, rich, chocolate flavor, and is not as sweet as the store bought kind but leaving out all those additives your giving yourself a real treat.

So whip out your food processor or blender, boil some water, gobble marshmallows while you wait and enjoy a cup

Ingredients:
3 cup dry milk
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4  cup chocolate chips


Directions: 
Blend everything together in a food processor. ( Had to do this in 2 batches because I have a small food processor)

To Make: 
2 tbs hot cocoa
8oz hot water or milk of choice.

Enjoy with some marshmallows,  lots of them 

Nutritional Information 

Makes ~55 servings

1 serving=2tbs

40 cal * 8 carbs * 1g fat * 1g protein *1g fiber