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

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

Apple Crumble Eggs, Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread, and More Goodies!

Hey there guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Been busy with life things as I am sure you all can relate to. I have been working on a couple of recipes for you guys, but I want to wait until I think they are perfect before posting them. These are my first recipes from scratch so I really want them to be amazing and knock the ball out of the park!

I am seriously dying for fall to get here. I can not wait for cool and dewy mornings, beautiful colored leaves, hoodies and jeans, and fall foods. I have been finding myself craving more apples and pumpkins and warm savory foods.

The day I had been inspired by Laura's (Sprint 2 the Table) photo on instagram which contained eggs and apples. I thought it looked fabulous and I had been wanting to try the whole egg and apple mixture. So, craving fall, I decided to make a slice of Apple Crumble Eggs.

What you will need for this easy recipe:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 a Macintosh apple
• Ground cinnamon
• 1/3 scoop of vanilla whey protein
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
• Walden Farms calorie-free syrup
• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter/peanut flour/PB2
• some natural sweetener to your taste

Coconut crumble on top:

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
•  1-1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 a packet of raw stevia 
• a dash of ground cinnamon

First, crack and mix 4 egg whites with 1/3 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, and some natural sweetener. Mix well and set to the side.

Cut up 1/2 your apple and put it into a skillet heated with non-stick spray or coconut oil. I had my stove set to medium-low. Start browning the eggs with some ground cinnamon. After I let them cook for a couple minutes, I poured on some Walden Farms calorie-free pancake syrup and let them cook in that for a bit. Then, I added the egg and protein mixture.

 

Let the eggs cook up while stirring occasionally. Basically, you are making scrambled eggs. While this is cooking, whip up your peanut butter mixture for on top. You can use regular peanut butter, too. I like to use powdered peanut butter/peanut flour because it is high in protein, low carb, and full of healthy fat. Your egg/apple mixture should eventually look like this:

 Add some more natural sweetener and ground cinnamon if you like. I plated my apple and egg mixture and then mixed up my crumble and added it on. Then, I topped mine with some more cinnamon and powdered peanut butter. This would also go great with some cottage cheese or Greek yogurt! This was awesome and very good for pre or post workout because it is high in protein and has carbs in the apple. Delicious.

I was super excited yesterday when I came home from work and my package from iHerb was on my step!

I love love love my new goodies. The almond flour is wonderful and the peanut flour is better than I expected. I like it because apparently it is just PB2/Powdered Peanut Butter. But, you can get a larger amount of it as peanut flour and it's cheaper that way! Both Almond and Peanut flour are better alternatives to flour. Low-carb and high protein, which is what I like to hear! I also ordered some Miracle Noodles to try. I already ordered 3 more bags of almond flour and also a smaller container of peanut flour. I want to make sure I am stocked up on these babies!

To try out my peanut flour yesterday I made a Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread. It turned out amazing!

I used 1 teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dream from Peanut Butter & Co, 1 large tablespoon of peanut flour, 1/2 a tsp of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, raw stevia to taste, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk. So light and yummy. Also, you get a good amount for about 90-100 calories. I smeared mine on a toasted high fiber low carb tortilla that I had toasted.


Last night I went to have my casein dessert, before bed and I remembered an awesome site that my friend Enid had shown me Chocolate Covered Katie's Funfetti Cookie Dough Balls. I didn't feel like baking them after making test runs of my new recipes, so I decided to alter it to make a basic cookie casein dough!

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour (almond flour also works awesome)
•  2 tablespoons unsweetened natural apple sauce
•  3 tablespoons cookies and cream casein (I use Optimum Nutrition)
• 1 packet of raw stevia
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
•  
•  Mix well until a doughy consistency. Topped with some of the Dark Cocoa Peanut Spread from earlier and some rainbow sprinkles! Put in the freezer for a half an hour or so. Consume! 

I have been going crazy trying new recipes for the peanut flour. I wanted to make some more peanut chicken that I had made before, so I perfected the recipe a bit with peanut flour for dinner tonight!

The Peanut Sauce I used is pretty basic, but tastes amazing! 2 tablespoons of peanut flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Add 1/3 packet of raw stevia, a little cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. I also tried mixing in a teaspoon of Sriracha in the sauce for my wrap tomorrow to make it more spicy!

The chicken is pre-cooked. I like to prep a good bit of chicken every 4 days or so to use for meals. Chicken is my favorite protein, so I keep a lot of it around for quick and easy meals. I put the chicken in a skillet with non-stick spray. I also cut up a green hot pepper and sauteed the chicken with the pepper. I added the peanut sauce on top after the chicken and pepper cooked a bit. Allowed it to cook over medium-low heat while I steamed 1 cup of broccoli. I saved a little bit of sauce to drizzle on top once plated.

With meals like this, I really see no point in going out and spending money on Chinese food that is probably loaded with grease and will make me feel sick. Simple, clean, and delicious. Few ingredients. Exactly how I like it!

I hope you guys enjoy these if you go to try them. I will work on perfecting these recipes I created so you guys can enjoy them as well.

xo Meg

Low-Carb Zucchini Fritters

Low-Carb Zucchini Fritters

I bought a bunch of zuchinnis at the farmer's market this past Sunday, and my friend Enid and I had been talking about zucchini fritters. She really made me want to try them so I made an altered version of a recipe I found on The Gracious Pantry.

What you'll need: 1 small to medium zucchini, 4 tablespoons milled flax seed, 4 tablespoons coconut flour, 6 egg whites, any spices you would like to add (I didn't use any, I topped mine with garlic lovers hummus and a bit of black pepper).

Wash the zucchini and trim the ends off. Grate it like the photo above. Add 6 egg whites to the bowl with the grated zucchini

 Mix the coconut flour and milled flax seed in a separate bowl, then combine them. Mix them well.

Heat up a pan and use non-stick spray or coconut oil to cook the fritters in. I cooked mine on medium (3-4 setting). Flip them and they will be kind-of like a pancake. They are awesome, rather mild and a great boat for flavor. They are low carb, too due to the flax and coconut flour. High in protein due to the egg whites. Very healthy and simple recipe that works as a main course or a side! Nutritional information will vary with the size of your cakes.

Farmers Market and Unexpected Leg Day

Good day! I have had a pretty busy day between going to the flea and farmer's market, hitting the gym, cleaning, and prepping food. I have been on a kick for trying new things, so I took some time while my chicken breast was baking in the oven to try some boiled artichokes and also some roasted cauliflower. More on that later!

I woke up this morning and made my breakfast. I wanted something savory vs. sweet this morning because I was not feeling the greatest. I made an altered version of my vanilla flax pancakes so they were more savory, then paired it with chicken and some Brags liquid amino acids. It was filling and what I had been wanting. I always want pancakes on the weekends because I don't have to rush doing them.

After I ate, my boy finally woke up. I prepared some snackage and drink for the little trip because I knew we were going to work out right afterwords. I made some amazing Cherry Vanilla Water, which was only 5 cherries pitted and torn apart, drops of SweetLeaf's Vanilla Creme liquid stevia, water, and ice. That is it! I let it sit for a little before drinking and stirred it a good bit to really infuse the water. And one of the best parts, cherries at the bottom when you finish it! :D

Infusing water with fruit is so much fun and it makes water so much more enjoyable. I drink so much more water now that I have this vanilla creme stevia. I can't wait to try some of the other flavors SweetLeaf offers.

I came back from the flea and farmers market with a pretty nice produce haul. I also wanted to pick up some artichokes from the store since they didn't have any at the market, so here is what I came home with:

 

Lots of delicious fresh foods, guys! This is what you should be looking to bring home from the store or the market: Fresh, delcious, healthy foods.

I started off cooking by prepping my baked chicken breast for the week, chopping up some of the veggies I bought, making my lunch and snacks for tomorrow, and then the fun began!

I had researched how to make steamed artichokes and really wanted to give it a try, so I bought two from the store. I started off by putting a pot together with about an inch and a half of water, a fresh bay leaf, two cloves of garlic, and 1/2 a lemon (squeeze juice into the water, then throw the lemon in). Cover the mixture and allow to come to a boil. Once boiling, add in the artichokes.

 

Prepare the artichokes by tripping the ends of the leaves where there are points. Also, trim the stem a bit, but not too much. Put the artichokes into the water once it boils, reduce to low/simmer and cover. I steamed mine for about 25-30 minutes.

To eat, you rip off the leaves and eat the part where the leaves were attached. You also scrape and eat the artichoke heart at the end. I ate mine with the ends dipped in sriracha. They were delicious and I am so glad I got to try them! 

Positivity and Pancakes

Good morning darlings! It is my day off from work today and tomorrow so I am going to attempt to get some things done. I had a pretty amazing day yesterday. I always try to wake up and first thing and tell myself in my head, "You are going to have a good day and work is going to go fast!" I am not kidding, I try to do that every time I open my eyes from sleeping, and you know what? I really feel that it works! Waking up with a positive attitude and a clean slate for your day is one of the best things you can do. Work flew by yesterday because of it and I really think the other employees were feeling my positive vibes because I got several compliments yesterday! Stay positive, ladies and gents!❤

I was able to make it out to the Natural Foods store in my area yesterday after I went to the gym and did a killer biceps and back workout. Dylan went along with me. I have really seen progress in his body too! He weighed himself last night and was around 150. I can see definition in his arms and stomach. It's pretty awesome. He isn't eating clean or anything like me, but it is so nice to have someone to go to the gym to sometimes. After the gym, we went and picked up some new things: Xanthan Gum, Garden of Life's Raw Protein is vanilla flavor, 2 organic zucchinis, and a couple of goodies for a care package my love Enid (Instagram is @beenid) and I are exchanging so I can't say ;)!

I am really excited to try this new protein. It is vegan, organic, gluten free, and dairy free, lower carbs and calories than the kind I have now. Plus, I got this adorable shaker! I didn't have a shaker of my own, so I was stoked to get a freebie. They were selling this for $26, so I didn't think it was a bad deal at all! I have to finish up my other vanilla first, but I seriously can not wait to try this protein powder.

I also tried zucchini for the first time last night! Enid and myself were talking about them and I had been looking for one at the store, so I ended up buying two organic ones from the natural foods store.

I wanted to make some for dinner. I know, I am crazy that I have never really had, or been aware that I have ever had, zucchini. Anyway, it was lovely. I cooked them on a pan with Mrs. Dash (original flavor) and that was it (other than non-stick spray). They are a nice flavor boat, very mild. I am planning on trying some zucchini noodles with the other one. For dinner I also made some lean turkey patties. I bought a package of ground turkey from the store and threw together these nice little Turkey Pepper Patties!

• Lean/extra-lean ground turkey
• 1/3 of a red and green bell pepper chopped up into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon on crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (plus more after they were done to spray on)
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed

Mix the meat, pepper, and spice mixture with your nice and shiny clean hands until well mixed. I cooked mine on a stove-top. With one package of turkey, it made at least 12. Depending on the size of the patty the amount will vary. They were really tasty! Very easy. I also made a side of steamed cauliflower and broccoli. Finally, a little dash of 1/4 a cup of brown rice with more liquid aminos. Fabulousssss especially with some Sriracha on top!

For my clean amazing dessert I made:
 

Cocoa Coconut Protein Crumble

 It was freaking amazing, guys. Super filling and delicious.

• 3/4 cup plain non-fat Chobani mixed with a couple drops of SweetLeaf vanilla creme liquid stevia

For the crumble:

• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/3 scoop chocolate whey protein
• 2 tablespoons chocolate PB 2
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

Mix the crumble ingredients together, dry first, then add the almond milk afterwords. You can use any kind of milk or milk substitute, I roll with Unsweetened Almond Milk.

Topped off the crumble with the fluffy tasty yogurt, 1 tablespoon Dark Chocolate Dream Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter, then a sprinkle of hazelnuts. Yum yum yummmmm! So delicious and guilt-free.

  Today for breakfast was Vanilla Blueberry Protein Pancakes!

• 1/2 a ripe small banana
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 tablespoons low fat cottage cheese
• 3 large egg whites

I topped them with Walden Farms zero calorie pancake syrup and some fresh blueberries. This recipe came out to be about 411 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 68 miligrams of cholesterol, 44 grams of carbs, 12 grams dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 52 grams of protein.
 These were so fluffy and delicious. I loved them! I hope you do too. Have an amazing Saturday and if you are working out (you should be!) kick butt!

Cauliflower Crust, Garlic Chicken Spinach Pizza

Hey guys! I just sat down from finishing dinner. I had been wanting to try to make a cauliflower crust pizza but just hadn't gotten around to it. I had plenty of time so I gave it a go! I had about 2/3 of a cauliflower head. Here is the recipe for the crust of the pizza:

Oven preheated to 400 degrees

• 3 cups of washed cauliflower, riced*
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• dash of salt
• sprinkle of black pepper and oregano

Mix the ingredients well. Take the mixture and two pieces of parchment paper. Using the parchment paper, pour out the mixture in between the sheets and press it gently into a round, oval, flat, whatever shape you want. Using a baking sheet or pizza pan to stabilize the crust, move it to the oven. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the "crust" and the top layer of parchment paper. Take this time to put on your lovely ingredients! This is how I made mine and it was like heaven:

•  Baked chicken breast (already prepped)
• Spinach
• 1 clove garlic chopped up into larger pieces
• 2% mozzarella cheese (about 2 tablespoons, very light)
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Organic traditional tomato sauce (1/2 cup)

After you top the pizza with your ingredients, put it back in the oven for another 15-20. The crust will not be crisp, at least mine wasn't. However, that did not stop it from being absolutely lovely. I am going to try some other things eventually to try and crisp it up, but for now this is a great low-carb day meal!

* Put cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower reaches an almost "rice" looking texture. 

New Dress and Homemade Sushi!

 

 Hey guys! Hope you've had a great Monday. Yesterday I did end up going to the mall and picking up a really lovely dress for a friend's wedding at the end of the month. It's from Forever 21. I got it for about $18.00. I love that it's simple, yet really chic. 

I had been prepping a lot of brown rice to use for meals and noticed how sticky it was after it was done. Tangent: brown rice, real brown rice not instant, takes so long to cook! But, it was so worth it. I like prepping food and having easy access to meals. Anyway! I had bought a package of Nori (Seaweed/Sushi Paper) a while ago hoping for the chance to be able to learn to make sushi. I was feeling experimental and ended up making really lovely Clean Tuna Sushi!

Ingredients:

• Nori
• Tuna (water packed, low sodium if possible)
• Celery, Cucumber, Carrot sliced very thin and long (can use other add-ins! Avocado, sweet potato, shrimp, chicken, ect!)
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce (optional)
• Brown Rice (already prepped)

Spread the rice out on the nori. I used rice sparingly because I like to watch my carbs, but 1/4-1/3 of a cup should do. It is easier to spread if your hands are a little wet. Lay out the veggies and tuna about 1/3 of the way in to the nori paper. Roll it up! I trimmed the ends and then cut them into 3-4. How I have mine made, one roll is about 115 calories and clean! Wonderful alternative to going to and buying sushi and it's cheap!

BIG UPDATE :3

Hey, guys! I am really sorry that I have been slacking so hard in the blogging department. I am usually pretty busy with work, the gym, cooking, and trying to spend time with my friends before school starts back up and I have to move at the end of the month. Anyway, I am going to try to be more active on here. I want to start posting more recipes since it is easier to type them out here than to constantly be typing them out on instagram.

I have been making a lot of amazing foods lately that I have been happy about. It is so great that even while eating clean you can eat fantastic foods and not feel guilty or have it set you back. I have been trying to gain some weight with a lot of frustration. It's terribly difficult. Now, I know there are people who will say "What?! I wish I could lose weight, not put on weight!" Well, honestly, when you are trying to gain it is pretty much just as difficult. I don't want to look bony, I want healthy, happy, and fit.

These are my latest progress shots. I feel like I look healthier, which is the most important. I love that I can go to the gym and am starting to lift heavier and see results. I know a lot of ladies think that lifting will make you look masculine and bulky, but it won't! If you are worried about that, try low weight and more reps.

Now, on to some food! I have made a few foods that I have really liked over the last few weeks, but since I had been slacking so horrible on here I may have forgotten some things, but I promise to try and get you all the yummy goodness I come across and make.

Tasty Turkey Bell Peppers

A package of extra lean (99%) ground turkey
6 green bell peppers (on the larger side)
2/3 of a large red onion
2 jalapeno pepper (optional, I like the spice)
2 15-16 oz jars low sodium/sugar spaghetti sauce

optional/add-ins:
black beans
corn
spinach
other veggies
cheese (low-fat/skim)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and cut the tops off of your 6 green peppers, takeout the core and seeds and wash. Don't throw away the tops! Brown the ground turkey on a non-stick skillet. Cut up your red onion, other veggies, and take the tops of your green pepper and dice them up and toss them in the party as well. Take a second skillet and cook the veggies. This process took me about 15 minutes. The veggies need to be pre-cooked so they are not really crunchy, but I like a little crunch to my veggies sometimes.

Put the hollow bases of the green peppers you cleaned into a baking dish. Pour one jar of tomato sauce into the baking dish. Once your turkey is browned, throw in the second jar or tomato sauce and the softened veggies. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and then spoon the mixture into the hollow peppers. Fill 'em up! Then, cover the peppers with tinfoil and cook them for an hour. They are so delicious and will definitely be making them again.

I also had attempted another little experiment that I ended up loving! Pistachio "Froyo"

- 1/2 a cup of plain Chobani greek yogurt,
- 1/2 a scoop vanilla whey protein
- vanilla extract
- a packet of raw stevia
- 1/4 a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl/Tupperware container. Mix in some crushed up pistachios. Freeze for a couple hours. After I thawed it, I topped the foyo with some melted whipped peanut butter and some whole pistachios. It was so lovely.

 Another little experimental success. I needed a post-workout snack one day, so I conjured up a lovely Vanilla Protein Mug Cake.

-1/2 a large banana, mushed up in a coffee mug.
- tablespoons of vanilla whey protein, 
- 1 tablespoon whipped peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- a couple drips of vanilla cream all natural liquid stevia (you can also use regular stevia/natural sweeteners)
- 3 tablespoons of liquid egg whites

Mix very well and microwave for 2 1/2-3 minutes, keep an eye on it. I topped mine with a little vanilla protein frosting and some wf no cal chocolate syrup. It would be amazing with chia jam, berries, peanut butter, coconut oil, chocolate, greek yogurt, or cottage cheese. 

One day I had a pair of very sad, almost ready to meet the trash can, bananas. I decided to try a little something and ended up making this amazing Chocolate Protein Oat Cake.

I mashed the 2 large ripe bananas in a bowl with 
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of organic powdered peanut butter (pb2)
- 1/3 cup of whole grain rolled oats. 

Mix well, preheat oven to 375 and I poured the mixture on to parchment paper in a large pie baking dish. Baked for 25-30 minutes, make sure tooth pic comes out clean. 

The whole thing is 558 calories, but cut in 3 you can have it for 186 calories a slice with 2 grams of fat, 35 g carbs, 5 g dietary fiber, 12 g sugar, 12.7 g of protein. I had a piece for breakfast, it would also be great pre/post workout! Keep refrigerated and eat cold or microwave. Both are awesome.

I think I solved the dry coconut flour pancakes issue yesterday! I wanted lower carb vanilla protein pancakes as my pre-workout, so I made them! Vanilla Coconut Flour Pancakes

 - 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 (probably about a tablespoon) of vanilla whey protein
-  6 tablespoons liquid egg whites (2 regular egg whites should work)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons low fat cottage cheese
- 5 drops of vanilla creme liquid stevia (or your choice of sweetener)
* You may need to add a bit of water to the batter if it is too dry. Just do a small amount at a time to make it a bit thinner

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls well before combining. Cooked on a non-stick pan with non-stick spray or coconut oil. Cook on low heat. Coconut flour can be fussy so be sure to give it time. They can be hard to flip, so let them cook for a while before flipping and you will have much more success. Oh my gosh. These are amazing. So perfect, fluffy, and moist. I topped it with wf calorie free syrup. Simple and seriously perfect. 

Finally! We have another lovely chocolatey high protein dessert.  Mint Chocolate Yogurt

- 1/2 a cup plain non fat greek yogurt
- 1/2 a scoop of chocolate whey protein

Mix well with sweetener if needed

topped it with shredded organic 85% dark chocolate, unsweetened coconut flakes, and fresh mint leaves. I am so glad I decided to buy mint leaves. They are rather cheap and very nice to have around for some unique flavors. 


That's all the recipes I have for today, but I did want to share one last thing that I have been living on for the last several days since I bought it: All Natural Vanilla Creme Liquid Stevia from SweetLeaf. This stuff is like liquid gold (much like Sriracha!). I have been drinking so much water thanks to this little gem. I have always been obsessed with the scent and taste of vanilla. It has always been my favorite. It makes even plain water taste like a dream. I have stopped drinking all diet soda now because of this. It is no calorie, delicious, and worth the price. I was buying packets of Raw Stevia and spending $3-$4 for 50 packets,  I bought this for $11.00 and I use it like crazy. Definitely getting this again and I urge you to look it up online or see if your local grocer has it in the organic/natural section. I know they have other flavors online, like Toffee. 

There you are guys! Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think of any of these recipes. 

xo Meg