Cheesy Cauliflower Garlic Sticks

Sometimes I am really craving a good garlic-stick. Well, sometimes it isn't the best time to eat something super greasy from a pizza place. I decided to make a cleanish treat that would satisfy my craving for a pizza shop staple that is low carb and high in protein and made: Cheesy Cauliflower Garlic Sticks!

What you'll need:
One cup of riced cauliflower
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons of almond flour/meal
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning mix + some on top of the cheese
artisan blends parmesan cheese

and
parchment paper
1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 clove of garlic, chopped up fine

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Rice your cauliflower and combine it in a bowl with the ingredients listed above except for the 1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese and clove of garlic. Take a baking sheet and put a piece of parchment paper down, then spread the well mixed ingredients onto it. Spread it out so it is a rectangle or square (or whatever shape :P). Leave a little thickness to it. I placed another sheet of parchment paper on top. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the "crust" over and remove the sheet on top. It should be a bit browned on top. Place it back onto the baking sheet and spread 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese on top, sprinkle some italian seasoning mix on top of the cheese and the well chopped garlic clove. Place back into the oven for about 10-15 more minutes or until it is browned and cheese is melted. Mine made 8 garlic sticks.

For 1/2 of the cauliflower garlic sticks (mine made 8 total), there were about 182 calories, 11.2 grams of fat, 4.2 saturated fat, 4.7 grams carbs, 1.3 grams dietary fiber, 1.2 grams of sugar, and 17.4 grams of protein.

I served mine with organic traditional tomato sauce. This would also work really perfectly as a crust or pizza base. I am going to make it again with spinach, tomato, and garlic. I really hope you guys experiment with this recipe. I really enjoyed it and so did my taste tester, my Aunt.

Turkey Black Bean Burgers!

Black Bean Turkey Burgers.

What you’ll need:

Extra lean ground turkey (99%)

Organic blue corn tortilla chips (I used one serving which was about 7 chips)

1 ¼ cup organic and/or low sodium black beans (rinsed and pre-cooked for about 7-10 minutes)

Southwest chipotle Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning

Fresh ground black pepper

-You could also add in peppers, onions, worcheshire sauce, or whatever you would like to add more flavors to your burgers.

First I took my black beans which I had already rinsed and pre-cooked a previous time. I rinse my beans before using them to remove excess sodium from them. I lightly mashed them up, but not too much. You want both mashed and some whole beans in your burgers to give them texture and girth. I then crushed up the tortilla chips with my hands and added both the chips and beans into a bowl with the ground turkey. Then I added in about 1 ½ tsp of Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning and a good bit of fresh ground black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together with clean hands. Make sure it is all thoroughly mixed. I then shaped 6 burgers. Make sure to tuck in any whole black beans that may be sticking out on the sides. They may pop out while cooking otherwise. I cooked them on the stovetop with non-stick spray for about 10-15. They turned out so tasty. My aunt had a bite of one of mine and liked them so much that she made them for their dinner last night. It made me feel really awesome. 

For one burger with the ingredients I used there are 157 calories, 1.8 g of fat with only 0.2 from saturated fat, 11 g carbs, 2.4 g dietary fiber, no sugar, and 21.3 g protein.

These were definitely a success. I also love having leftovers to be able to use for lunches and dinners for the next couple days. I had one the first night I made them on a slice of whole grain low sugar bread with spinach and all natural Newman’s pineapple salsa on top with sriracha. Then last night I had one in a salad with a baked low carb high fiber tortilla torn up in it, sautéed red onion, jalapeño, and green bell pepper, pineapple salsa, and sriracha. I loved it both ways.  There are so many ways to eat these burgers. You could also make a burrito or break it up and make a Mexican-style pizza! I am definitely going to be using this recipe again in the future. I love the high protein in them. I hope

Savory Chocolate Zucchini Protein Bread

Hey guys! I hope you all had a fabulous rest of your week! It’s Friday and I am so happy to be able to relax and stay up later this evening (for me, that will probably be around 11:30 haha). Over the next several weeks I am going to be working overtime due to not having enough officers to staff sites. That’s ok though! I pretty much am just picking up 8 hours on Sundays. I have decided to start saving the overtime money to put towards getting certified in personal training through NASM and then after I get that, I am going to get the certification for nutrition through them as well. I am so excited that I have decided to do this. Working out and eating healthy has made amazing changes in my life and I want to be able to help people make those same changes. First step is getting CPR/AED certified. Going to work on getting that first because it is the cheapest part of this journey. I am so excited!

Last night I had picked up a new ingredient at the store that I keep seeing in a lot of protein recipes: cream of tartar. When I bake with protein a lot of times the muffins and breads seemed to go flat. Cream of tartar works with baking soda in order to help firm up egg whites and give baked goods a better density and consistency. I got the all natural brand and it was about $6 for a decent sized shaker. Of course I had to experiment right away! I have some zucchini in my kitchen that needs to be used up, so I took one medium one and created a savory and delicious Chocolate Protein Zucchini Loaf.  

What you’ll need:

1 medium zucchini grated finely and moisture squeezed out (about a cup of zucchini)

½ tsp all natural baking soda

½ tsp cream of tartar

½  cup almond flour/meal

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 ½ scoops rich chocolate whey protein (I used Optimum Nutrition)

2 tbsp all natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)

4 packets of all natural raw stevia

2 egg whites

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees. I grated my zucchini finely into a bowl. Once it was grated, I squeezed out the excess water from it. Once drained of excess moisture, I added in the almond flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, stevia, and coconut flour. I mixed those and then added in the unsweetened almond milk, 2 egg whites, and mixed those into the batter well. Make sure to mix it really well to make sure the protein and cocoa doesn’t clump up in your bread. The last two ingredients I added were the baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix well again. I took a medium bread loaf pan and greased it. You can use coconut oil or non-stick baking spray. Pour the well mixed batter into the loaf pan. I baked my bread for 35 minutes. It came out smelling so amazing. I was surprised that I was able to make this bread so easy compared to my other breads that came out looking flat and lifeless. My boyfriend, aunt, and little cousin all tried it. It was a hit and they said they want more! It is always a plus when I get something kid approved! He was shocked when I told him there were veggies in that bread. The only change I am going to try next time I make this is to add a little more stevia to see if I can make a sweeter version. Maybe even some honey or agave. Overall, I was super pleased with this recipe. It would go well paired with nut butter, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, pretty much anything really because it is a savory bread. I really was digging the macros as well:

For the recipe how I made it the calories are about 106 calories for 1/6 of a loaf. 5.0 g of healthy fat, 5.9 g carbs, 3.1 dietary fiber, 1.3 g sugar, 10.3 g protein.

I plan on experimenting with more breads this weekend and maybe even muffins! So, hopefully I will have more recipes for you guys soon. I hope you enjoy this one if you make it. Let me know how it turns out by tagging me in your photo on Instagram. I love seeing people’s variations of my recipes <3 x

Low Carb/High Carb? What does it all mean?!

Hello lovely people. Today is day two of working 10 hours. I also decided to take today as my rest day. I haven’t taken a rest day in about a week and a half. Plus, Borderlands 2 comes out today and my boyfriend and I are planning a serious butt-kicking session tonight. We are such nerds, I love it J  I am also thinking that I need to add another rest day as well throughout the week. It is really important to rest to allow your muscles to recoup from training, especially if you are lifting weights. I need to start practicing this more. Plus, I really need to put on some weight so another rest day may be what I need to help add some lean muscle weight! I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes and of course keep you all updated. Also, a huge shout-out to one of the most lovely and amazing people I know: Enid (@beenid on Instagram)! Today is her birthday and she is one amazing little lady. Love you girl! <3

On to the topic of the day! Since today is my rest day, I am doing a low carb day. Every time I post about high or low carb days on my Instagram, I get questions regarding what it means and why I do it. I am going to take some time to explain what high/moderate/low carb days mean for me and why I believe they work. This is also known as carb cycling, and it works for a lot of people who are training to build muscle.

First thing I am going to explain is low carbohydrate days. Like I said above, since today is my rest day I am going low carb. Why, though? Why does carb intake have anything to do with rest days or lifting/active days? Well, carbohydrates are our bodies’ source of energy and fuel. If you are not training, there is really no reason why you need to eat a bunch of carbohydrates, at least not from grains. Now, when I say I go low carb on rest days, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have them at all! For example, vegetables, beans, and fruits have good carbs and are crucial in a healthy diet. I never skimp on those items, especially on low carb days. When I am talking about cutting down on carbs, I mean not eating oatmeal, breads, pastas, rice, ect. If I do need an energy boost the morning of a low carb day, I may have some oatmeal (whole grain rolled oats, not instant, or oat bran) so I am not super sluggish throughout my work day. An example of a breakfast that I eat on a low carb day is as follows:

This morning I had 4 egg whites, ½ tbsp hemp hearts, 1/3 of a roma tomato, scallions, kale, spinach, mild Italian turkey sausage, and some crushed red pepper flakes on a low carb high fiber tortilla from La Tortilla Factory. These tortillas have 10 grams of carbs, but 7 grams of dietary fiber leaving only 3 active carbs.

Eating a lot of protein in the morning and throughout the day on low carbohydrate days will help curb cravings and make you feel fuller longer. I also increase my amount of fat intake on low carb days to compensate. That means I eat more nuts, nut butter, and seeds. Avocado also has a high amount of healthy fat. Just a warning: On low carb days I always find myself hungrier than normal. I will eat, and then about 20-30 minutes later my stomach will be growling again. Just be aware that that may happen and to try not to overeat. If you need to eat more, eat more veggies or nuts.

Overall, the idea of low carb days may seem really difficult at first, but it isn’t once you find recipe substitutions that you can use on these days. Some of my favorite things to eat on low carb days are spaghetti squash, baked egg plant chicken parmesan, salads, chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce, veggie and lean meat stir-fries, egg scrambles, cauliflower rice, roasted veggies, tilapia with veggies, and cauliflower crust pizza. There are so many delicious low carb options out there. Look up some recipes and get ideas!

Moderate carb days are just what they sound like: You can have some carbs, but not going crazy. I try to stay around 150 grams on moderate days. Usually how I go about moderate days is I eat some oatmeal, French toast, or bread pudding in the morning and from then on my carbs will taper off throughout the day. I may have a sandwich or some brown rice for lunch. These days I would work biceps, chest, triceps, abs, glutes, or shoulders. Or even a combination of two of those groups. These muscle groups aren’t very major and don’t require me to use a whole lot of extra energy while lifting.

High carb days are the best! My favorite. I am totally a carb junky. On these days I will eat 150 grams plus. You will need a lot of energy for the muscle groups you are working on high carb days. Typically high carb days are my leg days and days where I work my back paired with other muscle groups like shoulders and biceps. I go hard on these days. Also, if you are going to have a scheduled cheat, leg day is one of the best to do them I have found. I try to do my cheat right after I leave the gym so that the window of time where your muscles absorb the sugar and carbs you intake is perfectly timed. However, remember that cheats do not mean binges! Cheat meals, not cheat days. Try to stick to the appetizer, main course, dessert format of a cheat and eat healthy up to and after the cheat meal. Some people cheat once a week, I opt to cheat once or twice a month. I just really feel no desire to cheat most of the time because I enjoy the foods I eat. But, when the urge strikes me I will allow it, but I time it to be on a heavy lifting day. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Carbs are also essential components to pre and post workout meals. On moderate and high carb days, make sure to ingest some fast absorbing carbs paired with protein about an hour before you workout. A good example would be some protein pancakes, a rice cake with banana and Greek yogurt with protein powder mixed in, and egg white oats with nut butter. Post workout should be something like a whey protein shake, greek yourt with protein powder mixed in with some granola, sweet potato with greek yogurt and protein powder, a Quest bar, a banana with a rice cake and fat free cottage cheese, ect. Both pre and post should include protein and carbs to help feed and restore muscles. I try to stay away from eating fats in post-workout meals.

My Ideal Macros:

Low: 20% carbs, 30% fat, 50% protein

Moderate: 35% carbs, 25% fat, 40% protein

High:  50% carbs, 20% fat, 30% protein

Above are the percentages that I strive for in my macronutrients. They are never right on, so there is always wiggle room. These are just what my percentages would be if they were right on for those days. Not everyone has the same needs, so please pay attention to your bodies and figure out what works for you. Another factor to keep in mind is to be aware of your artificial sugar and sodium intakes. These also affect your body more than you may think. If I eat too much sodium, I bloat and my abs are less visible. If I eat too much sugar, my veins pop out and I will also have some bloating. Your food is very important; it is also your fuel. So feed your body right and indulge in small amounts, TREAT YO SELF once in a while ;) Keep it fun and never stop trying new things!

Since beginning to pay more attention to my carb intake, I have noticed more definition in my muscles. I have read many sources, as well as seeing a lot of people, that say the carb cycling method has really worked well for them. Once you get used to it, it really isn’t difficult. Just remember to eat clean and healthy and make time for the gym no matter what you have to do. You will reach your health and fitness goals as long as you do not give up and slack off. We are in this together as a big fitness and health family. Love you guys and hope that this post was helpful and somewhat informative.

Huge Recipe Update!

Hey guys! Happy Monday. I am so sorry that I have been slacking in the updates department again. It is so hard for me to find time to type up everything and then I get a bunch of backlogged recipes where I have to post a bunch in one post! I hope you all understand. I do work full time and go to the gym after work and then once I go home I pretty much spend the rest of the evening cooking and prepping for the next day. In total, I probably only relax 2 hours a night with my boyfriend. But, I will still update when I have time. I also need to update the recipe page pretty bad! Haha I am so behind!

Let’s start with my hearty fall-inspired Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes!

What you need:

1 small-medium sweet potato cooked and skin removed and mashed

1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

Ground cinnamon to taste, I used about ½ a teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

3 egg whites

Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately before mixing them together. I added the mashed sweet potato in last and made sure to really mix it well. Depending on the size of your sweet potato you may need to add more or less unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Cook on a stovetop with coconut oil or non-stick spray. My recipe made 4 delicious and filling pancakes that I topped with Walden Farm’s zero calorie pancake syrup.

My second recipe for you guys was inspired by the lovely @fitkitten on Instagram. Spicy Corn, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Pulled Chicken 

 What you’ll need:

1 ½ lbs (I used 2 ½ breasts) boneless skinless chicken breast

1 jar of Corn, Black Bean, And Red Pepper salsa from Desert Pepper Trading Company

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup of water

Put all ingredients into a Crockpot set to high heat. Mix all the ingredients well and let it cook for about 3-4 hours. I usually pull the chicken apart at hour 3 and allow it to cook for another hour or so. Make sure to periodically check on it and stir it around, if you need to add more water for moisture do so! Don’t want dry chicken.

I love this recipe because you can leave it cook while you prep other food and then you have a delicious side or main course to combine with other meals. I like to use this chicken on tacos/burritos, on cauliflower or brown rice, or you can even make a Mexican inspired pizza! Try with your favorite jar of all natural salsa. I also made it with Newman’s Pineapple salsa and it tastes amazing!

The third recipe is one that I am really proud of. It is high in protein and carbs and great for a pre or post workout meal! Chocolate Protein Bread Pudding!

 What you’ll need:

3 slices whole grain bread (I use Nature’s Own whole grain and no sugar, 50 calories a slice)

4 large egg whites

1 whole egg

2 packets of raw stevia (add more if you want more sweetness)

1 scoop chocolate whey protein

½ cup of unsweetened almond milk

Mix the eggs, stevia, protein, and almond milk together in a bowl. Mix it well; we all know how protein can be fussy and chunk together, especially with eggs. Rip up 3 slices of whole grain bread or bread of choice. Allow the bread to soak in the liquid for about 10 minutes. Spread in a baking pan greased with coconut oil or non-stick baking spray. Spread mixture evenly into the pan and allow to bake for 15-25 minutes at 325 degrees. Check on it periodically, I notice my oven seems to cook really quickly.

I made this the night before I needed it for a quick breakfast and added chocolate PB2, banana slices, and some Walden Farm’s zero cal pancake syrup. It was heavenly. I love desert for breakfast!

If you follow my Instagram, you may have noticed I have a pretty mean sweet tooth. One night before bed I really was craving chocolate cake but I also wanted my casein as well! So I created this Layered Chocolate Cookies and Cream Casein Microwave Cake

 What you’ll need:

For the cake:

½ a small banana mashed

1 egg white

 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon Dark Chocolate Dream Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter and Co

½ tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 ½ tbsp coconut flour

About 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

Mix all the above ingredients together in a mug and microwave for about 2 minutes keeping an eye on it to be sure it doesn’t overflow. If It need to cook further just add 30 second increments. Allow to cool for a few minutes and remove from the mug. Cut it in half and fill with the following:

For the filling:

6 oz plain non-fat Chobani

½  a scoop of Cookies and Cream Optimum Nutrition Casein

(If I was to make this again, I would include some xanthan gum to thicken up the casein a bit)

Topped all of that with another dollop of Dark Chocolate Dream. This was so delicious and really satisfied my craving for cake. The mug cake was pretty delicious on its own too.

Another creation I whipped up and was really happy with was Mini Coconut Flour Muffins. I made these one morning for breakfast when I wanted something filling, low carb, and savory. 

 What you’ll need:

3 tablespoons coconut flour

1 tbsp unsweetened natural apple sauce

1 packet raw stevia

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg white

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

A couple drops of caramel flavoring essence

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separate before combining. In a baking pan greased with coconut oil or non-stick spray evenly disperse the batter into the 6 compartments and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. I topped these flaky savory mini-muffins with some peanut flour butter. I loved these. They would even make a nice low-crab alternative to dinner rolls.

One side I threw together and really enjoyed the outcome was Cinnamon Stevia Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes. They are high in protein and healthy carbs!

 What you’ll need:

1 medium sweet potato

1 can of low sodium chickpeas, rinsed

About 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (or more if you like)

4-6 packets of raw steiva

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Open your can of chick peas, drain and rinse. Throw them into a pot on the stovetop with a tablespoon of coconut oil and allow them to cook for about 5-8 minutes. Stirring to make sure all the chickpeas get covered in coconut oil as well as precooked evenly. While those are cooking, chop up a medium sweet potato into small cubes. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Add the sweet potato in with the beans and stir them together allowing them to also get coated in some coconut oil. Add cinnamon and stevia. Remove from heat and evenly spread the mixture onto the greased baking sheet. I allowed them to cook for 10 minutes, took them out and stirred it up, placed it back into the oven for another 5-10. Super easy and delicious! I added some baked chicken breast for a post-workout and it was an awesome combination of protein and carbs that had a nice sweetness. Definitely will be making this again as a side, or even a main course with the baked chicken breast.  Again, my oven seemed to cook this really quickly, so times may vary.

I also made some Low-Carb Falafel Balls for snacking, sides, lunch, or a dinner if I choose. I love falafel. I think the flavors are so delicious together, especially paired with some Cucumber Sauce! I have been craving falafel lately, but since I have really been keeping an eye on carb intake, I was kind-of worried about the high carb amount. I got to thinking and realized I had riced cauliflower in my fridge that I needed to use up. So I got to creating.

What you’ll need:

1 can organic chickpeas/garbanzo beans (low sodium)

dash of sea salt

juice from ½ a lemon

1 cup of “riced” cauliflower

2 tablespoons coconut flour

4-5 sprigs of fresh parsley

3-4 cloves fresh garlic

½ a red onion

Fresh ground black pepper

2 egg whites 

(I liked the way this recipe turned out, but it did end up a bit drier than I would have liked due to the coconut flour and cauliflower. I think when I make them again that I will add more egg and/or coconut oil to the mixture to give it some more moisture.)

Open the can of chickpeas and rinse them well. Rinsing beans is important because it helps to get excess salt off of them. Reducing sodium is always something I try to think about since it causes me bloating. Throw the beans into a food processor and blend until they are chopped up roughly. Remove and place into a large bowl. Cut ½ a red onion, peel 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, and your parsley and put that into the food processor next. Let it go until it is fine. The boyfriend doesn’t like large chunks of onion so I am always sure to make them diced up really well. Add that to the bowl with the ground chickpeas. Next, cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half into the mixture. Next add a dash of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I already had the cauliflower riced in the fridge, so I measured out a cup and added that to the party. Next, add the 2 tablespoons of coconut flour and finally 2 whites from large eggs. Mix all of the ingredients together well and form into balls. My batch made 22 balls. I baked them for 10 minutes, then took them out and flipped them; put them back in to bake for another 10-15. While they were baking I made the cucumber sauce:

1/3 of a large cucumber

6 ounces of nonfat plain Chobani Greek yogurt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

A dash of sea salt

1/2 tsp xanthan gum (to give it a little thickness)

Mix these ingredients well in the food processor (after you cleaned it from making the falafel).

For one ball, my nutritional facts came out to be: 26.3 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 56.7 mg sodium, 4.1 g carbs, 1.3 g dietary fiber, 1.5 g protein

For dinner tonight I made some amazing Eggplant Chicken Parm:

What you'll need:

1 small eggplant

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 egg white

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 a pre-cooked chicken breast

1/4 cup organic traditional tomato sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut up your eggplant into slices that are about 1 inch in thickness. Combine the coconut flour and red pepper flakes together and put the egg white in a separate bowl for dipping. Dip the eggplant first into the egg, then into the flour and red pepper mixture. I didn't want a really thick breading, but if you do you can use more egg and coconut flour. Put the breaded  slices onto a baking sheet with coconut oil or non-stick cooking spay. Put into the oven for 15 minutes, then take out the eggplant, flip them, turn off the oven and put them back in for about 10 minutes. Allow enough time for both sides of the eggplant to brown a little bit. Top the eggplant with chicken breast that has already been baked. I finished off the dish with 1/4 cup organic traditional tomato sauce, italian spices, and a bit more crushed red pepper flakes. Then, chow down! I love this recipe so much and it is low-carb!

PHEW! That was a lot of recipes! I really should keep up so that I don’t have to do these massive posts. Haha. I hope you guys enjoy and please let me know if you decide to use any and how they turned out. As always, I am megameows on Instagram, so tag me and let me see what your lovely creations are! <3 x