Pumpkin Protein Doughnuts

I was a busy girl today! I took my day off to sleep in a bit. I got up around 8:30 and have been on my feet ever since running errands and cooking.

First Dylan and I ran around to several stores including Party City, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, the local Mall to hit Hot Topic, and then finally Vitamin Shoppe.

I had a very sucessful haul today shopping. I got something for my Halloween costume, a digital scale, doughnut baking ban, brag's liquid aminos, a new pair of work-out pants, and some vanilla almond crunch Quest bars that I have not tried yet! I really have wanted a digital food scale for quite some time. Weighing food is so much more accurate than going by measurements. I hope that using it will help me to gain some lean muscle weight because my food calculations will be more accurate. I also had big plans for the doughnut baking mold. I have been eyeing this pan up for quite some time, but didn't have the money. So, I got a 20% off coupon in the mail for Bed Bath and Beyond and decided today was the day! Then, I put it to use tonight and made PUMPKIN PROTEIN DOUGHNUTS!

What you'll need:
for the doughnuts-
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of coconut flour
1 1/2 scoop of vanilla flavored whey protein (I used Optimum Nutrition vanilla ice cream flavor)
1/2 cup of pure canned pumpkin
1 large whole egg
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of raw stevia
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg 
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 cup of vanilla unsweetened almond milk

for optional "frosting":
2 tablespoons of non-fat plain greek yogurt (I always use Chobani)
1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum
2 packets of raw stevia
5-10 drops of vanilla creme liquid stevia

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your wet ingredients for your doughnuts together and also the dry separately before combining and mixing well. Spray your doughnut baking pan (these could very easily be made into muffins as well!) with non-stick spray. Fill the molds with your batter. I baked mine for about 15-18 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean after sticking one into a doughnut. You can top it with the vanilla creme "frosting", more cinnamon, or pumpkin flavored cream cheese spread, or get creative. These are high in protein and low in active carbs. You could eat two (...or three) without the guilt! These would be good for pre or post workout as well.

I really can not wait to make up more doughnut recipes for you guys.

I also have been working on slowly sampling Artisana products that they were kind enough to send me to write a review for you guys. I should have that up at some point later this week. I have been sampling the packets slowly because I have cut nut butters out (except for peanut flour sparingly if I need it). I know, I am such a nut butter freak. I had to cut it out because I was getting out of control with the portioning and I also want to see how cutting out some fat does for my abs. I will be eating my beloved nut butter again very soon, but for now I have been forced to be creative with my nightly casein protein snack. I have been known for using a lotttt of peanut butter. But, I like having to think up some alternatives for a couple days. 

This is so good and tastes kind-of like amazing pumpkin cream cheese. 1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt (Chobani), 1/4 cup non-fat cottage cheese, 1/4 cup pure pumpkin, 1 scoop vanilla ice cream whey from Optimum Nutrition, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, 2 packets of raw stevia, and 1 tablespoon coconut flour. Mixed well topped with 1 tsp organic brown sugar, 1 tbsp coconut flour, and 1 packet of stevia along with 1 tablespoon of unsweetened almond milk and mixed well into a crumble-like texture. Finally, 2 tablespoons of Kashi go lean cinnamon crumble.

Another awesome purchase of mine this week was from Target. I finally was able to find tea that I have been looking quite some time for! Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride by Celestial Seasonings! You probably are thinking, there is no way that a tea can taste like sugar cookies.. WRONG! This tea is so fantastic it is even boyfriend approved. With just some stevia and a little bit ok unsweetened almond milk to bring out the flavor, it tastes like a liquid cookie. Very good for soothing sweet tooth cravings like I get so badly! I also bought some French Vanilla coffee that was on sale and like most vanilla flavored things it is delicious. I gotta have a caffeine, one of my vices!

I hope you guys are having a great restful weekened!

Meg

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

Clean Eating Kitchen and Sweet Coconut Flour Green Beans

Hey guys! I hope you are having an awesome day. The other day I had posted a photo on IG of some of the things I keep in my clean eating kitchen.  I was asked if I would go more in depth as to what I keep in my stores, so I decided I would dedicate an entry to it! 

One of the main things you can do in order to stay on track with a clean diet is to make sure you have healthy and clean options around the house. I hear too many people complain that the reason they eat like crap is because other people in the household have unhealthy food. No excuse. Unless you do literally none of your own grocery shopping and/or have no income, then you really have no reason to make such a statement. Get your butt to the store or farmer’s market and get some healthy foods! I used to live in situations where my roommates had really unhealthy foods around and I managed to stick to my guns and eat clean. 

First off and most important are the fresh foods: fruit, veggies, lean meat, eggs, fish. These are all super important in a clean eating diet (if you are like me and not vegan or vegetarian of course). I like to make sure I go to the local farmer’s market at least once a week if I can. Not only am I supporting local farmers, but you get a lot more bang for your buck! If you aren’t sure if your town has a farmer’s market, do some research! I guarantee that there is one somewhere near you. If not, the grocery store obviously has all of these things. I like to try to get 90% of what I am buying from the perimeter of the grocery store.  For the most part, this is where the fresh foods are kept. I also like to make trips to the local health food store in order to get some items that I can’t really seem to find at the regular grocer yet, like hemp hearts, some specialty flours, and flavored natural stevias. I also have been utilizing websites such as Vitacost and iHerb a lot more lately. These sites offer great deals and often have specials where you order a certain amount and they don’t make you pay shipping, which is where the bulk of the added price of online shopping seems to come from.

In the refrigerator I keep some of my nut butters (all natural/organic), opened specialty flours (peanut, almond, and coconut), hummus, my prepped foods, and more. Not all veggies need to be refrigerated to keep fresh, but some do like cucumbers. I also buy unsweetened vanilla and unsweetened original almond milk. I rarely if ever buy regular milk any more. I also always have fat free or 1% fat cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt, usually Chobani.  I personally do not drink anymore, but my boyfriend has beer in the fridge and a bottle of plain vodka I haven’t touched in months.

In the freezer I usually don’t have much unless I buy fish or chicken in bulk where I will keep it in the freezer until needed. Currently the only thing in my freezer is some tilapia filets, some frozen fruit, a loaf of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, and some 100 calorie flax and whole wheat sandwich thins.
 

In my cupboards is a lot of goodies! Unopened specialty flours, whole grain rolled oats, oat bran, chia seeds, flax seeds, granola, muesli, sweet potatoes, tea, puffed kamut cereal,  low carbohydrate high fiber tortillas, bananas, unsalted rice cakes, protein bars (usually Quest), cans of low sodium beans, water packed tuna, all natural unopened salsa, my collection of peanut butters (most from Peanut Butter and Co), coconut oil (the only oil I use except non-stick cooking spray), unsweetened apple sauce, low sodium tomato sauce,  my spices (I use a lot of crushed red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, and Mrs. Dash seasonings), baking supplies, a tub of rainbow sprinkles for when I am feeling fun, a variety of nuts and seeds (unsalted), whole grain pasta, wild rice, and brown rice. 

Finally, there are my protein supplements. I use these all the time in baking and shakes. The casein I eat before bed time because casein is a slow releasing protein that will help rebuild muscles over night while you are sleeping. In contrast is whey protein, which is quick releasing and is used for pre/post working out. I use the whey more for cooking goodies like brownies and pancakes. 

Overall, keeping a well stocked kitchen will do wonders in helping you stay on track. If you have things to reach for that are healthy and still go for the sugar filled pop tarts or candy, then you need to take a second before sticking those things in your mouth, put them back and be creative! Make something! A lot of times I will throw things together and they end up really delicious and I like them so much more than eating something that I know will make me feel sick or guilty later.

Learn to experiment. Do not be afraid of trying new things. If you eat the same things over and over, I guarantee that you will fall off the wagon. I used to have a very limited taste in terms of what I would eat. I was so picky and most of the things I would eat were unhealthy. Your taste buds will evolve through clean eating. I eat things now that I never would have imagined eating 9 months ago. Keep it exciting, keep it clean. 

I really hope this entry sheds some light on clean eating and helps anyone who is struggling trying to figure out what to keep in the kitchen. I want to see what you keep in your kitchen! If you have an instagram, tag your photo with @megameows and #cleaneatingkitchen!

I decided to experiment myself tonight! I had a bunch of fresh local grown green beans that needed to be eaten. I really wanted to try some breaded green beans, but wasn't sure what route to go. I thought to myself, green beans would probably taste really good if they were on the sweet side.  BOOM! Idea: Sweet Coconut Flour Green Beans! These were the perfect side I was looking for!

 What you need:

• fresh green beans (about 2-3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 large egg whites
•  a bit of fresh ground black pepper
• 2 packets raw stevia

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Prep your green beans by washing them and taking off the end with the stems. If you want, you can take off both ends. Sometimes I do that because the ends are a little tough. Boil the green beans on the stove covered for about 5-8 minutes.They will cook more in the oven so it won't matter that they are still a little firm. Once cooked, drain the beans well. Put the 3 egg whites in a large bowl with some fresh ground black pepper. Pour the beans into the egg and coat them well. Put the beans onto a baking dish (by hand, don't pour them with the excess egg) sprayed with non-stick spray or coconut oil. In a separate bowl mix two tablespoons of coconut flour and a packet of raw stevia. Pour the flour and stevia mixture over the beans, coating them. You can toss them around so that the ones underneath can get coated as well.  Before putting them in the oven, I put another packet of stevia on top. I baked the beans for about 25-30 minutes, taking them out after 10-15 to mix them up to make sure they all cook evenly. This recipe is super simple and you really don't need many ingredients. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. My 12 year old cousin even liked them! I let him try some and he asked for more! Kid approved!