Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Bread

Ingredients 

2 cups oat flour 

1 large sweet potato, peeled 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1/2 cup egg whites 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/2 cup Chocolate chips * dairy free, if needed

Directions 

Preheat oven 350 F. 

Prepare /line a 8 x 5 loaf pan

Cut sweet potato into chunks. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Add a little water to bowl of sweet potatoes and microwave 5 min. 

When cooked, add to a stand mixer. Blend until mashed. Add egg whites, vanilla, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Blend until combined. 

In a separate bowl add oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Stir to combine. 

Add dry ingredients to wet. Blend together. 

Fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour mixture into loaf pan. 

Bake 35-40 min. Until knife comes out clean. 

Let cool. 

Enjoy! 

Chorizo Egg Cups

 

Makes 12 Egg cups 

Paleo  + Dairy Free + Whole 30 

Ingredients 

10 eggs

1 1/2 cup chorizo, cooked

1/2 cup chopped peppers 

1/2 cup almond milk or milk of choice 

1/2 cup chopped spinach 

1/4 cup chopped red onion 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

* If whole 30, make sure compliant. 

Directions 

Preheat oven 350 F. 

Oil/grease muffin tin 

Whisk eggs, almond milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

Evenly distribute spinach, onion, peppers, and chorizo in to the muffin tin. 

Evenly pour egg mixture in muffin tin. 

Bake for 20-25 min until top of egg mixture is puffed and solid. 

Let cool. 

Enjoy! 

P.S. They freeze great! 

Lactation Blueberry Muffins

Hello there! Long time no chat. 

It has been a crazy couple of months gearing up, having, and now taking care of our little! 

I feel like I've been in a whirlwind since becoming a mother and truly my life will never be the same but definitely for the better. 

During this journey, for various reasons, I decided to exclusively pump for our little and it has been one of the hardest things I've ever done (well, besides having a child that is :D ) Every day I am on schedule to produce that liquid gold. And let me tell you, every milliliter matters.

So for now, my foodie adventure has changed up a bit to include how to maintain my sweet supply. 

Lactation muffins are one of them.

 They are perfect for breakfast, on the go, middle of the night munchies, or your anytime snack. 

They are relatively healthy for you, have a great source of protein, and contain ingredients that may help your milk supply. 

Goodness all around. 

Give em' a try and let me know what you think! 

Ingredients: 
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup oat flour
2 scoop vanilla protein powder*
1 tbs brewers yeast**
1/2 cup truvia
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries

*I used Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard French Vanilla Creme whey protein powder
**Brewers yeast is optional.

Directions: 
Preheat 425F. (You will be turning it down, high heat in the beginning helps create high muffin tops)
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk all wet ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix wet ingredients into dry until combined. Do not over mix.
Lightly Fold in blueberries

Bake for 5 min then reduce to 325F and bake for another 5-10 min until a tooth pick or knife comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 min.

ENJOY!

To freeze: Let cool completely then bag. Will last 3 months in a freezer.

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 *

Protein Banana Nut Muffins

I truly enjoy finding ways to make some of my favorite treats, that I can only enjoy on occasion, something healthy that I can enjoy everyday.

Banana bread is one of those.

When I was growing up, my mom used to make the best banana bread. It was so moist, decadent, and sweet, and usually was gone by the end of the day.

 Now, that goodness comes with a price: fat from the butter and the sweetness from the sugar. So the stop sign went up until I found a way to make it healthier without compromising the taste.

With this recipe, I believe I've done just that.
These muffins are moist, sweet, and you guessed it, healthy!
High in protein and low in carbs.
Can't get much better than that.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 small bananas, very ripe
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbs brown sugar
 3-4 large egg whites (~9tbs)
 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mix flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix applesauce, bananas, egg whites, brown sugar, and vanilla in a smaller bowl. Mix wet ingredients into dry until thoroughly mixed. Mix in chopped walnuts.
Evenly distribute mix into greased muffin tin and bake for 18 min or until a tops are a nice golden brown.
 Let cool for 10 min.
Enjoy!
These freeze well too!

 Nutritional Info 

1 muffin

76 Cal * 11 carbs  * 2g Fat * 5g protein * 2g fiber

Good Ol' Healthy Banana Bread

Sweet breads are one of my favorite things to bake. They are so easy and they are easily adaptable to your personal dietary needs. For this banana bread I was looking for sweet without the calories and low in fat because I don't need any more of it.

 

For extra sweetness (besides the brown sugar) I used 3 very ripe bananas and applesauce. They pair well together as both add moisture and natural sweetness as well as help hold the bread together.

I also used whole wheat flour, actually stone ground wheat flour. Now, honestly I didn't know what the difference was between regular whole wheat flour and stone ground, but now that I've cooked with it a few times I have found they are very different. Stone ground is not a "fine" flour, its actually quite rough and absorbs moisture like the dickens. It's terrible for making tortillas but fantastic for breads!

I found the best way to use this flour when I don't want a super dense bread is to blend it with my cup blender--similar to a magic bullet. I blend a cup a time and viola! soft, sifted, fine flour.

Anyways, this banana bread was perfect for breakfast and also dessert. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
Makes 1 large loaf or ~ 2 small loafs
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
4 large egg whites
handful of chopped walnuts

Directions: 
Preheat oven 350 degrees F. 
Mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,  and brown sugar  together in a large bowl. whisk together egg whites, vanilla, and apple sauce in a smaller bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the large dry ingredient bowl and stir until well combined.
Smash 3 very ripe bananas in a bowl with a fork--don't over smash, you want it to still have chunks of banana throughout the mush.
Blend the smashed banana into the mixture. Add in walnuts if desired.
Pour into 9x5 bread pan.

Bake for 1 hour, until knife come out clean.

Let cool for 10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information w/ nuts:

Servings ~15 slices. Serving size: 1 slice

110 calories * 17 carbs* 1g Fat* 4g protein * 3g Fiber

Protein Pumpkin Muffins

Yes it's the start of fall so of course I am going to post something with pumpkin in it.

However, I've been making these for the past few months and it just dawned on me that I have yet to blog about these amazing muffins that I devour weekly.

Pumpkin has ~Vitamin A 2650 IU that, my friends, is a A LOT of Vitamin A.
Why does this matter?
Well because Vitamin A has a multitude of health benefits for the body including, eye health, skin health, teeth and bone health, and is made from the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene which in current studies has helped fight cancer.

So eat up my friends.

Oh did I mention each muffin is ~64 calories, 8 carbs, 4g protein, and 2g fiber? Yup.


Enjoy.

Makes ~18 muffins
Ingredients
1 15oz can of pumpkin
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 large egg whites (~9tbs)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

*Optional: a handful chopped walnuts


Directions:
Preheat oven 350 F. 
Mix everything in a large bowl.
Scoop about 1/4 cup into each muffin tin compartment.

Bake for 15-18 min, until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

p.s. Serving size is ~3 muffins.

Low Carb Greek Yogurt Pancakes

So I pretty much stole this one from my self. Greek Yogurt Pancakes are my favorite "normal" pancake to make, but the carbs can add up quickly. I'm trying to rotate my carb intake now, so I needed something that was going to allow me to fulfill my craving for pancakes on my low carb days.

Bring in the oatmeal.

copyright bobsredmill

Rolled oats are a fantastic alternative to flour, when ground up, and can be gluten free! yeah!

It's also a 1:1 ratio so no tricky measuring, just use the same amount of oats as you would flour.

Now, you can buy rolled oat flour, or you can buy regular oats and the blend them yourself (that's what I do).

I love using ground rolled oats in muffins, cakes, and cookies too!

Alright, ready for some awesome high protein, low carb pancakes? Go.

Makes ~10 pancakes

Ingredients
1 large egg
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cups rolled oats, blended
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup milk of choice (I use almond milk--the more milk you use the thinner the batter, your choice)

Optional (my favs):
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder 

Directions
Heat a large skillet on Medium heat.
Blend your 1/2 cup rolled oats to a fine powder and place in a medium bowl.
Then whisk in your greek yogurt, egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
Add cinnamon and protein powder, if desired.

Scoop and pour batter and evenly  into the heated skillet. (I use a 1/4 cup to scoop, pour and even out the batter)
Cook until bubbles start to pop on top of the batter and then flip.
Cook for another 45-60 sec.
Repeat until all batter is gone.

Top with some delicious fruit, or jam (blueberry jam is my favorite!)

ENJOY!!!

Nutrition Information: 

Serving size ~5 pancakes

172 Cal * 19 carbs *4.5g Fat* 21.5g Protein * 2.5 g Fiber*

 P.S. It's okay, you can eat them all and still be under 350 calories and have 43g of protein: I DID!

Homemade Toaster Strudel

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I'm sure you've had this feeling: 

I know I have. 

They may taste "good" but man are they "bad" for you. 

My husband used to eat them a lot as a young boy, and for me, I ate it's devious counter part: pop-tarts.

Thankfully we both became healthier-minded eaters in our college days and my developed allergy of red dye 40 put those preservative filled breakfast "treats" on the back burner.

But you can't say "no toaster strudel forever," that would be deprivation and I don't like that word or that action. 
So I say, "Make my own, healthier toaster strudel"; and thus I did.

I made the puff pastry from scratch, a conquest I hold with high honor since I made it with NO BUTTER.
You can find that HERE along with it's epic story.

But you could--and by could I mean you shouldn't unless you ABSOLUTELY are in a bind for time-- but the per-packaged pastry puff.

My end result were unbelievably delicious, why did I ever buy the store bought brand,  flaky, gooey, strawberry filled breakfast pastries.

Ingredients:
homemade puff pastry dough (found here)
3/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tbs cornstarch
1 egg

Creamy icing
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1tbs milk or cream or half and half

Directions: 
Preheat oven 350 F

Divide dough into 2 equal parts (if you are using my dough recipe  ~8 oz ea.)

Roll each dough half into 9x12 squares--don't worry they don't have to be perfectly square.

Width-wise, cut the dough into 4 strips--approx every 3 inches.

Cut each strip in half, and lay the two pieces on parchment lined baking sheet: keeping the pieces next to each so that they pair up correctly.

Repeat with second half of dough

Whisk egg and brush the top of each dough square.

Combine Strawberry jam and cornstarch in a small bowl until jam is thick.

Scoop 1 tbs of the thickened jam onto the center of one half of the cut strip. Gently spread it out while leaving about 1/4 of the edges untouched to close the seam.

Take the other half of the strip and lay it directly on top of the jam filled square and pinch seam all the around to form a jam filled pocket.

Repeat with the other 8 pastry paired squares.

Brush the tops of the pastry pockets with remaining egg mixture.

Bake for 25-30 min until tops are golden brown.

Serve warm and with creamy icing.

ENJOY!!!!

Easy Puff Pastry -NO BUTTER

 

Wow, what an adventure this recipe was. 

I was seriously on the hunt for a flaky, but durable, and healthy pastry dough for days. 

No such luck.

Every blog I read, every thread I browsed,
the response was: use butter or fail.

Luckily for me, and hopefully for you, I am a strong willed and very determined woman so I decided to experiment and make my own. 

My butter replacement: coconut oil! 
(full of good fats, healthy nutrients, and a whole host of other health benefits, google it!)

I pulled directions and tweaked ingredients primarily from 3 blogs: Annie Eats, Lick The Bowl Good, and Smitten Kitten.

 I spent a tedious amount of time making sure everything was going alright, but alas, created my masterpiece;

Yes, 
to me, 
a honorable 
and Healthy feat.

I was so so proud of myself in the end, 
but after that long ordeal I truly felt I could have skipped the 1 hour refrigeration step the pastry bloggers called for.

My dough was very pliable and ready to use by the 3rd turn, but I followed their instruction just to be safe.
But my end result was unworkable, cold dough that I had to put in the oven while it preheated just to get it to roll out.

I don't know if it was because I used coconut oil instead of butter, but if you follow this recipe I left the 1hr in the fridge OUT--less time for you!

The outcome of my delectable dough was a slightly denser (perfect for my durable demand), but quite flaky, buttery tasting, delicious puff pastry.

Give it a whirl--or turn!

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut oil, solid*
1/4 cup ice water
2 tbs milk

 *I broke it down into 16 tbs

Directions:
In a large bowl or food processor, blend/pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Add 4 tbs of coconut oil at a time and pulse until mixture resembles small peas.--You could blend with a pastry blender or 2 forks if you don't have a food processor.

Dump into a large bowl and do a quick swish mix with your hands.
Add 2 tbs of water, and gently mix in with dough. Add 2 tbs milk, and gently min in with dough, add last 2 tbs of water and gently mix in with dough. Dough should still be crumbly but with when pressed together will hold.

Dump dough onto a clean surface. Keep in mind, the dough will be crumbly.

Fraisage dough--quick inward strokes with the palm of your hand.

Mold dough into a ball and Fraisage again. Dough should start to stick to itself.

Mold dough into a 8x4 square and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 min.

Once refrigerated, place dough on a lightly floured parchment paper and roll into a rectangle (~ 15x10).

Fold dough lengthwise into thirds.

Starting from the long end, roll up dough up into a coil

Gently roll over coil to connect seams. ~6x5 rectangle: 
Your 1st turn.

Repeat the rolling out,folding, and coiling for a 
2nd and 3rd turn.

 (notice the dough is smoother the 2nd turn)

Dough should be very malleable and smooth at this point and you have two options:

Either start shaping for your recipe or wrap dough in plastic to either set in the fridge until ready to use, or freeze.

Dough bakes well at 350 F.

ENJOY!!!!

Cranberry Lemon Scones

Scones are a pastry I did not enjoy until I went to London. 

I would anticipate tea time every day just so we could venture out and find a Patisserie and enjoy some delicious freshly baked tea and scones. 

But I've never attempted to make them myself, and man what was I thinking: They are so easy!

So I had some fresh cranberries and lemon on hand and decided they would be the perfect fit for my first attempt at scones.

I used the methods from an article in the Atlantic: The Secret of the Irish Scone, as well as from the blog skinnytaste, to create a fluffy, golden brown, and healthy-for-you scone. 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup buttermilk 
1/4 cup granulated sugar +3 tsp, divided
1 tbs baking powder
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil*
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 egg white**
2 tbs lemon juice + 1 tsp, divided (fresh or from a container) 
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

* I used 3 tbs but I could taste it  in the final product, and feel like maybe 2 will be enough--I'll try that next time and update) 
**If you don't have egg white or don't want to waste a yolk, use milk.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (yes, that high!), place rack in the middle
Line large baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix flours, salt, and baking powder, set aside. 
In a smaller bowl, mix buttermilk, sugar, whole egg, vanilla extract, 2 tbs lemon juice and olive oil 
Mix in chopped cranberries into the flour mixture
Slowly add in buttermilk mixture, blending flour mixture the whole time.

Dump dough onto a well floured surface (yes, it will be sticky) and with floured hands kneed dough 3-4 times. 
Place dough onto parchment lined baking sheet and press into 8 inc circle--should be easy now that dough is floured. 

Using dental floss slice dough into 8ths but gently pressing the taught string into the dough. 
Glaze the to of the dough with egg white, 1 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tsp of sugar. 

Place in oven turn oven down to 425 and bake for 15-18 min, until top is golden brown and tester comes out clean. 

Serve warm with Tea, Coffee and or course JAM!

Enjoy!!!!