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

Turkey with Zucchini "Pasta"

So, have you seen those "make pasta from your veggies" machines? If not, Google them.

Some look really cool, others look like a gadget thought up on Star Trek.

But hey, neat idea.

For this dish however, I used the good ol' fashioned potato peeler. I didn't get uniform "noodles," but I did get thin cuts of zucchini that I sauteed in the pan to make a delicious base for my ground turkey and my husband's homemade awesome tomato sauce.

This dish can be whipped up in minutes and is super healthy, clean eating, paleo, and ready to be in your tummy.

Ingredients
makes ~2 servings
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini
1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: 
Cook and brown your ground turkey in a skillet. Season with some garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Take your zucchini and hold upright on a cutting board. Using your peeler, stroke from the top of the zucchini to the bottom in a quick motion to produce "strands". They should be thin.
In another skillet, heat a little olive oil on medium heat. Add in created zucchini noodles and saute them for about 2 min--until they are fragrant and beginning to get some brown spots on them. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder as desired.
Heat up you pasta sauce.

Now place your cooked zucchini noodles as the base of your dish, then top with ground turkey and pasta sauce.
Mix it all up, and enjoy!

Feel free to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese, or crumble some croutons on top; No need to worry about calories with this "pasta" dish.

Enjoy!!!!

Homemade Green Giant Vegetable Medley

 

We love the Green Giant Vegetable Medleys Steamers.

They are a perfect side to many of our dishes. However, they are starting to add up in price for such a small amount: 2 servings per bag! REALLY!?

 So I decided to make my own, and freeze it.

SUCCESS. 

8 servings for half the price of one bag. 

Winning.

Ingredients:

Cream Sauce
1/2 cup milk
1/4 chicken stock cube, granulated
1/4 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion flakes
1 1/4 tsp cornstarch

The Medley
1lb of sugar snap peas
4 small red potatoes
1 large red bell pepper
2-3 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Sauce
On medium heat, heat milk and chicken stock granules in a small pot until it starts to produce steam. Whisk in seasonings and then cornstarch. Continuously whisk for 2-3 min.. Remove from heat and set aside. 

The Medley  
Wash and scrub potatoes under warm water. Chop into bite size chunks. Set aside. 
Wash bell pepper and chop. Set aside. 
Wash sugar snap peas if needed, set aside. 

Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tsp of olive oil.   
Add chopped bell pepper and saute until they start to brown a little. Remove from heat and set aside. 
Add another tsp of olive oil and saute sugar snap peas until they start to get brown spots. Set aside. 
Add another 1 tsp of olive  and saute potatoes until they start to get brown spots.

Dump all medley ingredients into a large bowl and pour cream sauce over it. Mix until well combined.
Let cool for 30 min, lightly covered. 

To Freeze:  
Place combined medley into a large freezer zip lock bag and lay flat in the freezer. 

To Cook from Freezer: 
Remove ~2 cups and microwave, covered (to steam) for 4-5 min until potatoes are cooked through.

ENJOY!!!!

 

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Autumn Apple Chops

It's not Autumn, it's actually Spring,

 Well sorta. 

We are stuck in this Winter trying to be Spring, 

oh yeah and its the first week of May. 

This mid-west weather is crazy. 

Anyways, why Autumn Chops?

Well, I bought the pork chops and it came with a recipe; This recipe, title and all.

Could it get any better?

Why yes, as a matter a fact this meal takes 5 min to prep and 10 min to cook for a total of a 15 min meal.

So Thank you pork chop packaging company. You made my dinner meal planning a little easier this week so I'll post your recipe and use your tile. Thank you!

Ingredients: 
Serves 4
4 pork loin chops. 3/4 inch thick
1 tbs flour
2 tsp butter
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cup apple juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Drizzle a little olive oil and saute sliced onions until they become translucent. Set aside. 
Season flour with a little salt and pepper.
Lightly flour pork chops and brown on one side in butter in the same skillet over medium heat.
Turn Chops;stir in onion and apple juice.
Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 7-8 min until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 F. followed by a 3 min rest time.

                                                               ENJOY!!!!

 

Healthy Hamburger Buns

 

We love our turkey burgers!
We have them at least once a week and they are always stocked in the freezer.

My husband loves a good, hearty, whole wheat bun with his burger and I usually pair mine with a sandwich thin for calories sake.

But with my wonderful bread machine quickly becoming a staple appliance in my kitchen, and since I don't have a kitchen aid, I decided to find some middle-ground solution for my husband I's burger loving days.

 Thus, these. They are light, filling, and healthy. A perfect pair for any type for any sandwich you would dare put between these buns.

I cut mine a little small and  but they made awesome sliders!!!

Second time: Cut larger and with honey

Don't fret if you don't have a bread machine or kitchen aid, these are easy to kneed by hand if you have the time! 

Recipe adapted from One Sweet Heat and Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk, warmed
1 cup water, warmed
2 tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup bread flour
2 tbs vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
3 tsp sugar *UPDATE: I tried 3 tbs honey instead and they were way softer! so your choice!
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Heat almond milk and water in a small bowl in the microwave for 1 min.
Mix flours, wheat gluten, and baking soda together.
Add salt to warmed water/milk mixture.
Add mixed ingredients into bread machine as directed by the manufacture--mine, the wet ingredients go in first then the dry. 
Add the coconut oil and sugar to opposing corners of the pan.
Make an indent in the center of your mixture and pour yeast.
Set machine to "Dough" Cycle and let it run its course (check at the end of the first knead to see if dough has come together properly, if too wet add a tablespoon of flour, if too dry, add a tablespoon of water then check again after the second knead).

When dough is done, pull out onto a lightly floured or oiled surface.
Either roll out dough to 3/4th of its size and cut dough with the largest biscuit cutter you have, or can, or lid, etc. Re-roll into a ball, roll out, cut. Repeat until all the dough is cut.
Or,
for more roundish buns, take the ball of dough and separate into 6-8 balls. Slightly flatten the top of the balls.

Place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and let sit in a warm place for an hour to double in size. (I placed mine in the NOT TURNED ON oven with the light on)

Preheat oven  350 F.
Brush the tops of the dough with milk or butter or oil and top with oats if desired.
Bake for 15-20 min until golden brown.

With sugar:

With honey:

Let cool for 2 min then serve with a turkey burger!!!

with sugar:

   

with honey: 

                     

ENJOY!!!!

Ramekin Cheesecake

 

Sometimes we just want cheesecake.

(I over filled this one! yummy)

But who has time or the patience to bake a whole cheesecake every time you have that craving.

So I give you the Ramekin cheesecake.

Bigger than those cheesecake bites that you know you will devour in minutes, and smaller than a whole cheesecake that you feel guilty indulging in.


Ingredients
Cheesecake; 4 ramekins

1 pk 1/3 less fat cream cheese; softened
1 egg
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbs vanilla
1 tbs lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar

Healthy Crust
3 graham crackers, crushed
1 tbs applesauce (or butter)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions: 

Preheat oven 375 F. 

Crush 3 crackers with fork. 
Add applesauce and cinnamon and mix well. 
Press cracker mixture into the bottom of the ramekins. 

Soften cream cheese either by leaving it out until room temp or place in the microwave for 10 sec on each side. 
With a stand mixer/hand mixer/kitchen aid etc. whip cream cheese and egg together until smooth. Add yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and mix until VERY smooth. 

Equally distribute cheesecake mixture between the 4 ramekins. 
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 min.

ENJOY!!!

Burning Arms: Literally

My arms are on FIRE!

Man this was an awesome arm work out video that requires no weights just fast, upbeat arm rotations and swings.

I have always been self conscious about my arms; When I was big, they were big, and as I got smaller I had extra skin which, thankfully over time and my new love for weight lifting, this has decreased a great deal.

But one could always use a little switch-up in their work out routine. So give this video a try and let me know how you feel afterward!

Let em' burn!

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Heavenly Chocolate Quick Cake

Alright my friends, stop everything.
This dessert, as the original Pinterest post stated, is genius, pure genius.
I give many hugs and thank you's to the amazing person who decided to put a box of angel food cake and a box of any other flavor cake mix together and microwave it. Genius, I say.

So yes that is what this quick cake is. Angle food cake, regular cake, and water.
Easy, delicious.......oh and did I mention...HEALTHY!
Yup, 105 calories a cake :)


Gahh. I can't get enough of this stuff. I love making those microwave, single serving cakes since my husband never has a sweet tooth--and I always do. They're perfect.

Now, the chocolate single serving cake I've made is delectable and healthy;
But this one, blows it and all microwave mug cakes out of the water for easiness sake.

 

3 steps. 3 ingredients. Really that's it.

Ingredients:
1 box of angle food cake (has to be angle food cake because it comes with egg whites, the leavening for this recipe)
1 box of dark chocolate cake mix (or any flavor of cake you want!)
2 tbs of water

Directions:
Mix the 2 boxes of cake mixes together.
Scoop out 3 tbs mixed cake powder and place in a large mug.
Add 2 tbs of water to powder and mix well.
Microwave for 1 min.

 DONE!
AMAZING!
YES. YOU CAN EAT THE WHOLE THING.

Top with anything you want: fruit, ice cream, whipped cream, more chocolate (my fave)

ENJOY!!!!

Nutritional Information

 Mix makes 35 cakes; 

serving size: 1 cake

 105 cal * 24 cabs * 0 sat fat * 2 protein * 0 fiber

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Ranch is not my favorite salad dressing, BUT I sure did love it as dip for many many other foods. However, along with many other foods during my healthy lifestyle change, ranch was almost eliminated. 

BUT NOT NOW!!!!!

Thank goodness for the wonderful person who posted this recipe and also that person who pinned it on Pinterest. 

Using my all time favorite healthy food: Greek Yogurt, how can I not love this. 

With only 2 ingredients and 200x more healthy for you, you can't go wrong.

                                  So make some and dip your veggies in it!

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch "DIPS" mix (NOT the salad dressing mix)
1 cup of Plain greek yogurt
*optional: 1/2 cup of milk (makes it more liquid-y, perfect for salad dressing, but if you want a thick dip omit)

Directions:
Mix it all together in a small bowl. 
Serve with your favorite veggies, or drizzle over a salad. 

Gahhh so good. 

ENJOY!!!!

Healthy Mexican Pizza

When I was a young girl, I loved Taco Bell's mexican pizza.
I could eat one whole paired with hard-shelled 1-2 tacos and soda. 1000+ calories without a blink of an eye. 

Thank goodness I have learned different eating habits.

But I still crave the layered beefy and bean entree. 
So using some healthier food ingredients I created this delicious alternative that tastes PHENOMENAL. 

Ingredients:
2 corn tortillas
1 tsp olive oil 
2 oz 93% or more ground beef
2 tbs salsa of choice
3 tbs black beans
1 tsp sriracha
1/8 cup shredded cheese
chopped lettuce

Directions: 

Cook ground beef to your liking (I had left overs from tacos earlier in the week)

Preheat oven to 400
Spray, wipe olive oil on both sides of the corn tortillas
Bake in oven until crispy and golden brown, turning once

Smash black beans in a bowl and mix with sriracha

When tortillas are done. Top one tortilla with warm beef, salsa, and 3/4 of the cheese.
Top the other tortilla with the smashed beans mixture. 

Microwave for 30 sec. 
Top cheese tortilla with lettuce, then place smashed bean tortilla on top of beef tortilla and top with 1 tsp of either salsa or sriracha (if you like it extra spicy) and the other 1/4 of the cheese. 

Enjoy!!!!

Nutritional Info:

all approx depending on the ingredients/brand you use. 

257 cal * 28 carbs * 4 sat fat * 19g protein* 5 fiber

Healthy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Breakfast is my weak spot. I love all breakfast foods....

well except red or white patties I was given in Ireland....NO THANK YOU. 

(If you know what these are I hope you understand my displeasure, if you don't know what they are, be thankful.

I mean go you, person who likes clotted blood. Go, you.) 

As for the rest of it:

Eggs? Yes please

Fruits? Any!

Oats? All!

Dairy? Which form!

Coffee? Did you have to ask?

Breads? You mean that piece of heaven? OF COURSE!

Unfortunately my soft spot for breakfast foods can come at a high calorie price. 
With syrups, decadent pastries, and carb-o-liciousness it can be hard for a healthy foodie. 

BUT, when my eye fell upon Cinnamon Roll Pancakes I couldn't resist. 
So I made it my goal to find a way to make them healthy and delicious!

SUCCESS. 

What did I do?

I used my greek yogurt pancake recipe for the less carbs and made up a cinnamon swirl mixture for the filling for the less calories!
 But go ahead top them with the cream cheese glaze, we're all about a little fat here.

My husband, the Cinnamon Roll lover of my life, approved and it was a go.

I hope you enjoy them too!

Ingredients: 

Pancakes
1/2 cup flour (1/4 cup whole wheat, 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1 large egg
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp baking soda,
1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Swirl Mixture
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp honey
1/2 tbs cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze
2-3 oz softened cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs milk (I used almond milk which made it have a little almond taste. I LOVED IT!)


Directions: 

Make the cinnamon swirl mixture first by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl and then transferring them into a plastic bag with a tip. Place bag in cup (you'll be using this as a storing place in between swirling to control mess) and set aside. 

Make cream cheese glaze next by heating up milk on medium heat in a small sauce pan, add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and let cool.
 *OPTIONAL. Let cool and then transfer into a small plastic bag with a tip for easier/less messy icing later. 

Heat large skillet or griddle on medium or even medium-low heat. (Less heat means more time, but less burn later)
Mix yogurt and egg first in a small bowl until mixture is a pale yellow, hardly any bumps. Add vanilla. 
Mix flour, baking soda together in a large bowl, then add wet mixture into dry. Stir with a spatula until well combined.

Scoop about 1/4 cup mixture into skillet or on griddle and smooth out to make a round pancake. 
I scooped with an ice cream scoop and used the back of it the help round/flatten the mixture in the pan. 

Let cook for 30-45 sec, or until you see bubbles beginning to form--NOT POPPING, JUST BEGINNING.

Take cinnamon swirl mixture and cut a tiny tip off the edge of bag. Gently squeeze mixture out of the clipped-tip end in a circular motion, from the inside out. 3 rounds should do it. Place bag back in cup.

Let sit for another 30-45 sec until bubbles have formed and mostly all popped. 

Gently wiggle spatula under pancake and flip quickly.

Let sit for 30-45 more sec. 

NOW this is the tricky part, at least it was for me. 
I attempted to re-flip it onto a plate with the spatula and this caused everything to mush together, so I gently edged around the pancake with the spatula,to loosen the cake, and then picked up the pan and dumped the cake onto a plate, it came off with ease with swirl side up perfection. 

Use a damp paper towel or washcloth and wipe off any left over cinnamon swirl mixture on the pan/griddle and repeat the process until mixture is gone!

Drizzle cream cheese glaze onto the pancakes or top with your favorite fruit or syrup. 

ENJOY!!!!

Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

I like salad dressing but not the heavy stuff, with the exception of the ranch dressing at mine and my husband's favorite steak house in California; there is just something special in that.....

Anyways, we usually only have one jar of Wishbone Fat Free Italian dressing in our fridge, which usually does the trick. 
Light and Tangy. 

However, I was needing a little kick to my salad and thought of a vinaigrette. After looking at the store dressings and turning down every jar because of the UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF SODIUM and preservatives, I thought "Hey, I can make my own."

So this recipe is adapted from foodpluswords.com. 
She has some great recipes that are simple and healthy. 

Her dressing is an apple cider vinaigrette, however, I didn't have apple cider so I used apple juice--no sugar added. 

WHAT A TREAT!

After tasting this vinaigrette I vowed to try--key workd here--making my own dressings. 

WAY cheaper, and WAY WAY WAY healthier. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup apple juice (or apple cider)
1/4 pure olive oil
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs agave (or honey)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste


Directions:

Mix everything, but the olive oil in a small bowl or Jar. ( I just used the jar so I didn't dirty another dish). Then slowly add in 1 tbs at a time olive oil and whisk/swirl the mixture constantly around until it thickens.

DONE! 

You now have a lightly sweet, tangy, perfect kick-of-a dressing. 
~ 8oz  
Store in the fridge and it may settle and separate so just give it a good shake before each use.

ENJOY!!!!

Chocolate Cake-Single Serving

All right chocolate lovers

This one's for you. 

Seriously, 

only for you. 

Single serving chocolate bliss  that you don't have to feel guilty about, because it's healthy in the best chocolaty way.

Cake Ingredients
2 tbs whole wheat flour
1 tbs all purpose flour
1 tbs Cocoa powder
3 tsp brown sugar
1 packet Truvia sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs unsweetened applesauce
2 tbs almond milk
1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients in a mug or small baking dish (ramekin) very, very well. Add wet ingredients and mix very, very well. 
Microwave for 50-75 sec. (All microwaves differ. Stop occasionally and check to see if cake is formed and no longer runny)


Chocolate Drizzle
1 tsp chocolate chips
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp almond milk

Place all ingredients in a small microwave save bowl. Microwave for 20-30 sec. Watch carefully, you do not want to burn chocolate chips. It is okay if not all the chocolate chips are melted the mix should be warm enough that when you stir it they should melt. 

Drizzle over cake....

It's okay to lick your fingers....and the fork...and the plate.... no judgement here. 

 Enjoy!!!!

Nutrition Information:

Cake Only 

96 cal * 26 carb * 0 Sat Fat * 2 g protein * 4 g Fiber

Drizzle Only

Recipe above makes 2 servings.

43 cal * 1 carb * 4 Sat Fat * 0 g protein * 1 g Fiber

No Sweets Week: Update!

HORRAY!!!!!!

Well I made it through....

I will admit it did get hard on the weekend due to my husband and I's date night, dinner with friends who made an awesome chocolate chip rice crispy and ice cream dessert (right?), homemade cookies etc., etc. BUT I did it. Come monday I felt wonderful and guess what?

- 2 lbs! AGAIN

Man I am telling you it does something. :)

So my friends who wish to have health boost give the no sugar for a week trial a try and let me know how it works out for you!

Happy Healthy Living Friends.

READ WHAT I DID {HERE}

~Felisha

Greek Yogurt Chicken Parm Bake

Are you ready for this? 

5 min prep dinner!!!! 

 

I know, I know you  I'll give you some time to collect yourself

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

Alright, 

Now, this is an awesome, very healthy, melt-in-your-mouth, chicken dinner that everyone will love. (my husband sure does!)

Apparently the original recipe uses mayo, but I found this amazing recipe from Life of Meg, which substitutes the flubber for greek yogurt!



One can never go wrong with greek yogurt  
(my new food obsession!) 

Seriously. 

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or crumbled
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• 1/2 tsp salt*
• 1/2 tsp pepper

               * I have just used 1 tsp garlic salt instead of garlic powder and salt before.

Directions: the 5 min part

Preheat Oven 375

Line a baking sheet with foil (TRUST ME, DO THIS and you'll thank me later when your not trying to scrub of cooked cheese on a pan...we've all been there) and spray with cooking spray. ( I used my misto!)

Mix greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Pat dry chicken and coat in yogurt mixture (both sides). 

Lay on baking sheet. 

Bake for 45-50 min until golden brown spots appear on chicken.

TIP: Around 40-45 min carefully dump juices that have accumulated in the pan--this will help reduce burning

TIP: Turning oven to broil for 1-2 min (AFTER DUMPING JUICES) will help create those savory
brown spots. Be careful to watch everything on BROIL so it doesn't burn.

Pair with some delicious veggies.

ENJOY!!!!

Nutritional Information: the really awesome part

serving 1 baked chicken 

215 cal*3 carbs*4 sat fat*23g protein*2 g fiber