Squash Preparation and Eggy in a Basket

 

Happy Monday and first day of October to you all! October is such a great month. I know so many people are dreading winter coming, especially those of us in areas who get pounded with snow. Being in Pennsylvania, some years are mild in the winter, others are really bad. I love snow, but I hate driving in it. I have gotten a new vehicle since last winter, so I am hoping that it drives much better in inclement weather. However, we shouldn’t be worrying about snow yet! Right now we should enjoy the gorgeous changing leaves, cool dewy mornings, hoodies, jeans, and all of the amazing comfort foods that fall graces us with!

This is my first fall clean eating and living a healthy lifestyle. Before, I never cared what season brought what produce. I actually had really no knowledge that fall was squash season, which now seems blasphemous! I love squash now. As a kid I used to hate it! I would have to take bites and, without chewing, swallow it whole with my drink. I now eat a lot of spaghetti squash, zucchini, and recently I have been in love with acorn squash! I still have to try butternut squash and some other varieties as well.  I get a lot of questions as to how I prepare both my spaghetti squash, and now acorn. I figured I would just make a post about it so that if anyone needs help figuring out how to make it, then can reference this post.

The way that I prepare both acorn and spaghetti squash are very similar. First, I preheat my oven to 350 degrees. I cut my squash in half (not through the middle) so that it is cut through the stem and the base. Separate the two halves and remove the seeds and center of the squash. If you want, you can save the seeds and bake them! Once the squash is cleaned of the stringy core and seeds, I put it on a baking pan. I have the cut sides facing up (so you can see the inside of the squash). Next, I add about ½ an inch to an inch of water to the baking pan.  If you choose, you can season the squash now. I leave it plain because I like to eat my squashes with different seasonings and dishes. Next, I put the squash into the oven. Depending on the size of the squash, it can take half an hour to over an hour. I usually check it at the 25-30 minute mark. To check if the squash is done, insert a fork into the “meat” close to the flesh of the squash. If the fork goes in easily and the “meat” can be pulled away from the flesh, it is done. Mine are typically done within 30-45 minutes. 

For spaghetti squash, you take a fork and scrape the inside of the squash. Don’t do it too hard because you want the squash to take a more noodle-like texture vs. a mashed one.

For acorn squash, you can cut it into cubes and remove the flesh, or you can mash it up to store it.

Both types of squash are incredibly easy and convenient. If you are like me and like to prep foods at the start of the week so you have easy and quick meals (if you are clean eating, body building, or just have a busy schedule, and aren’t doing this yet, you should because it makes life so much more simple to have food pre-cooked and ready!) then these squashes are great! I hope that this helped to clear up any confusion concerning preparation of these two fantastic fall veggies. If you need reference photos, I am sure that Google has plenty to look at!

I just received some wonderful news! The lovely people at Artisana foods will be sending me a package of their products to do my first review! I am so excited. I have wanted to start reviewing products and this is a great first step, especially for a nut butter addict like me! Thanks so much to my love @spoonfulloffit for giving me a lead. Adore her and her blog, you should check it out!

The other day while at work (yes, at work, my job is boring!) I was watching the film V for Vendetta. I had never seen it before (I give it an A+ by the way). The character V is seen making something I had never seen before and he called it “eggy in a basket”. In a frying pan, he had a slice of bread with an egg in the center. My mind was blown and I was inspired to make it clean for myself to enjoy. I had never been a fan of egg yolk until my boyfriend made me try several months ago. I was extremely picky before my clean lifestyle and had been too scared to try it. When I did, I was pleasantly surprised! Carbs and protein, perfect for breakfast AND as a pre or post work-out meal. I had one two days in a row. Since I will probably be making them a good bit, I decided to put up a little tutorial so that you guys can make it for your own as well!  

What you’ll need:

A slice of whole grain bread (or whatever bread you use, I just use Nature’s Own 100% whole grain no sugar added)

A large egg

Non-stick spray, coconut oil, or olive oil

Black pepper

Sea salt (optional)

First, spray a non-stick frying pan or grease it with whatever your choice of non-stick product/oil you prefer. Set the stovetop temperature to medium-low heat. If you want to butter your bread to help it brown go ahead, but I don’t feel that it needs the extra fat or calories. Take a slice of your bread and using a cup mouth/large shot glass/something round press it into the center of the bread slice until it cuts the whole way through and you can remove the little round piece.

Next, place the piece of bread in the skillet with the center piece too if you wish. I like to use the little round part to help sop up the delicious egg yolk. Allow it to brown a bit on both sides. Remove the center piece and set it aside. Don’t make it too browned because you still need to add the best part!

The egg! Make sure to add a little more non-stick spray in the center hole if you think there will be a sticking situation. Crack the egg right in the middle of the bread. Season it with sea salt and black pepper if you choose.  Allow the egg to cook for about a minute or so and flip!

Let the other side cook for another minute or so. Then remove from heat and enjoy! This is such a neat way to get both protein and carbs. I am addicted to them now. Just be careful of how much egg yolk you are consuming. The yolks are high in cholesterol and too much in a diet isn’t good for you, but everything in moderation. Eggs are very healthy and should play a pretty decent size role in your clean eating diet (if you aren’t vegan of course). 

 NOM! So delicious!

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

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

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Brownies

I had a ripe banana sitting around and decided to throw a few things together. I just love when something turns out just like I wanted. It's super satisfying. Today, it was Chocolate Zucchini Protein Brownies. Yes, Zucchini. Zucchinis are great for baking because they are a low carb vegetable, help keep things moist, and they blend very well with other flavors.

What you'll need:

• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 1/3 grated zucchini, about 2/3 of a cup
• 2 egg whites
• 2 packets of raw stevia
• 1/2 a teaspoon baking powder
• 5 drops of chocolate SweetLeaf liquid stevia
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 ripe banana, mashed

 First, I mashed up the banana in a bowl and thew in the grated zucchini. Then, I added the protein powder, stevia, and coconut flour. After it was well mixed I added the 2 egg whites and finally the liquid stevia.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees and pour batter into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until you can stick a toothpick in the middle and have it come out clean.

I can not provide nutritional information, as this recipe may vary with your particular protein powder. 

Enjoy!

Cheat Day and Recovery with Sweet Corn Salsa

Hey guys! I hope where ever you are and what time it is that you are having a great day! Yesterday was a blast. I allowed myself to cheat because honestly, I wanted to. I have been working hard and had a killer workout yesterday morning. I worked on glutes, abs, and did 10 minutes of HIIT cardio. I burned a little over 550 calories. I went a bit overboard at the reception, but now as of today, I am joining in on Josie on Instagram's challenge of no cheats for 2 weeks! I think after how awesome yesterday was and how horrible my stomach felt this morning, this challenge shouldn't be an issue! I really have not had an appetite for most of the day. I think my body is trying to cleanse itself or something. Anyway, some of the cheats I had yesterday were: BBQ pulled pork sandwich on white roll, fish and pork taco, some alcoholic drinks, grilled cheese and tomato soup appetizers, mac and cheese, cupcakes, cookies, a couple other treats. My body was not happy by the end of the night and this morning. I felt a bit guilty about it, and my body felt bloated, but I felt like I deserved it. Now, no cheats for the next 2 weeks!

This morning, I was not hungry when I first woke up but I knew I needed to eat especially if I was going to move some boxes and hit the gym for biceps. I made some vanilla banana coconut flour protein pancakes with some peanut flour sauce, topped with mashed banana, and some slices of while banana. It definitely hit the spot and felt good to put some real nutrition in my body.


I moved a few of my things into our new place, which we can't really move anything large for another week which really sucks. Next weekend is going to be hectic for me. I will have to get everything moved in within a day because I picked up some overtime on Sunday. Oh well. I'll make it work. The good thing is that moving is a good workout!

Once I was done at the gym I went to the grocery store because I needed to do food prep for the week. I made baked chicken breast, spiced apple chicken sausage, sweet corn was on sale so I got 4 ears, and I got things to make sweet corn salsa!

 

 What I used:

• 1/2 a red onion, chopped fine in a food processor
• corn from 2 ears of sweet corn
• 1 chopped jalapeno
• 2 diced vine tomatoes
• dash of sea salt
• basil
• garlic powder

Mix the above ingredients well. But, the lovely thing about salsa is that you can be so creative with it! Throw in some fruit, some other veggies, play around! It's rather inexpensive depending on your choice of ingredients. I hope you guys play around with some salsa and make your own recipes!

What is your favorite salsa combination?

xo Meg