Hemp Powder Bars

I was at the local farmer's market recently and ran into a guy selling his own hemp powder.  I love experimenting with new things, so I bought a bag.  Hemp powder is a great protein source that is plant based and full of fiber.  Many people make this the base of their protein shakes.  I prefer to make something that is eaten with them, so away I went with trying out a few recipes.  This one is by far my favorite.  It is sweet and very satisfying! 


Ingredients:
10 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 tbsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. hemp powder
1/4 cup peanut butter


Instructions:
1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until it forms a thick batter.
3. Spoon mixture into loaf pan, spread, and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Cut in to bars.  Keep refrigerated.


Nutrition Info: (makes 9 bars)
Calories: 152
Fat: 5.6 g
Carbs: 21.9 g
Protein: 3.5 g

Homemade Lara Bars

I have a goal to make snacks where I do not have to add honey or maple syrup.  Sure, you can argue that they are healthier than straight up sugar, but I was challenged by my husband as to how much healthier are they?  I decided that I was up the challenge and found a super easy recipe for homemade Lara Bars.  I am currently out of country traveling for business and I wrapped up 6 of these in parchment paper for the road.  They made it in my suitcase, no problem!  This recipe only requires 3 ingredients and a food processor or blender.  I use my Ninja blender and these bars come together in a flash.  I personally think these taste better than the store bought Lara bars, the nutritional profile is about the same, and I am guessing that they are cheaper though I have not worked the math on that yet. 

No maple syrup and no honey - so what the sweetener/binder?  It is...dates!

Dates are natural - yes, they have sugar but a low glycemic index...so you don't get that sugar high followed by a crash.  I love eating these before a workout.  They are great for fueling a long run.

And...no baking required.  Another great time saver!

Ingredients:

10 Medjool dates, pits removed

1 cup nuts (I like to use mixed nuts)

1/4 cup raisin

Instructions:

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine ingredients in food processor or blender.  Work that mix until it gels together.  It will be thick.

3. Spoon mixture into loaf pan.  Flatten and place in fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove and cut into squares.  You can keep these at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on how you like them.  At room temp, they are a bit more gooey but they hold up well.

Nutrition Info (makes 8 bars):

Calories: 190

Fat: 7 g

Carbs: 30.4 g

Protein: 3.4 g

N

Turkey Vegetable No Bean Chili

After a week of eating chicken twice a day, I was tired of chicken.

This turkey chili fit the bill for a healthy and non chicken chili!  The meat in this case is ground turkey.  There are no beans in this chili, because my husband can't stand beans in general.  He doesn't like the texture of them, and that is that for him.  So this recipe took that in to consideration!  

I will list the vegetables I used, but you can substitute others such as celery, peppers, or other root vegetables as well.  I like a colorful chili, so the organic carrots are fun for this purpose.

Ingredients:

16 oz ground turkey 

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 zucchinis, sliced

6 oz carrots, chopped

15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup cumin

1/4 cup onion powder

32 oz. chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Brown turkey in a large pan.  Drain fat, add onion and garlic and cook through.

2. Transfer to a stockpot.  Add the rest of the ingredients.

3. Cook on low 1-1.5 hours or until veggies are soft.

4. Garnish with your favorite toppings - such as guacamole, a scoop of plain Greek yogurt, or cheese.

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (12 servings, info per serving):

Calories: 205

Fat: 8.5 g

Carbs: 10.2 g

Protein: 23.3 g

Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos

Make it a meatless Taco Tuesday this week!  I was looking for a light dinner after a day that I knew we were having a heavy lunch.  I figured that it would be a good night to experiment.  Lo and behold, I found a real keeper in this recipe that I adapted from Eating Well magazine.

Ingredients:

Sauce - 

1/4 cup lime juice (squeezed from about 2 limes)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cumin

Sprinkle of oregano

2 cloves garlic

Sprinkle of salt

1 small chipotle dried chili (adjust to taste)

1 tbsp honey

The rest - 

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red onion, sliced

15-oz can refried black beans, warmed

Corn tortillas and/or tortilla chips

For serving: sliced red cabbage, chopped lettuce, guacamole, lime wedges, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Add chilis to taste as desired during this step.  I listed one small, as that is all I can handle!

3. Place cauliflower and sliced onions in a large bowl.  Pour sauce on and toss to coat.  Transfer to the baking sheet.

4. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point.  It is done when the cauliflower is tender and browned in spots.

5. Serve!  You can use tortillas, tortilla chips, or even on top of a bed of lettuce.  The refried beans give a great complement to the zesty cauliflower/onion mix.  Feel free to add additional garnishes as desired.

Nutrition Info (makes 4 tacos, facts are for 2 tacos):

Calories: 288

Fat: 7 g

Carbs: 48 g

Fiber: 11 g

Tossing to coat before roasting

In the pan, before roasting

Serving time!
In a whole wheat soft tortilla

Another view, just before eating

Here is an open serving, on top of lettuce
Delicious!!!

Banana Coconut Muffins

I love banana muffins but the store bought kind are full of all kinds of stuff I am trying to avoid.  This recipe is so easy.  You mix everything in one bowl.  It delivers a moist muffin without any artificial sweeteners or sugar.  Make sure your bananas are very ripe so you can enjoy the natural sweetness!

I am a huge fan of coconut flour.  It works very well in this recipe.  I cannot vouch for how other flours would work in this batter.  Coconut flour is known to absorb a lot.  It can be risky to use other types of flour.  The coconut flour also gives you a bit of that coconut flavor, along with the banana.  It's a great combination.

This base recipe makes 6 muffins.  Please see my note on the egg white versus egg.  I have made it both ways.  I think most may prefer the whole egg.  It seemed to make the muffin sweeter.  I preferred it less moist so the egg white for me worked well.  The nutrition info below is based off the egg white, not the egg.

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas

1 egg white (NOTE: use 1 egg for a more moist muffin)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mash all bananas in one large bowl. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.

4. Spray a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.

5. Spoon batter in to pan.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Information (per muffin):

Calories: 59

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 11.6 g

Protein: 2 g

Close up view

Overhead view

Side view

Raspberry Nut Overnight Oats

Has anybody ever tried overnight oats?  They are becoming a favorite of my husband's.  I prep one daily for his breakfast and it only takes a matter of minutes to do so.  On my meal prep Sundays, I do prep the toppings of raspberries and almonds in containers so that it saves me from doing that every day.  This recipe is basic and super easy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

5 oz plain Greek yogurt (we use Chobani)

1 tbsp maple syrup

8 raspberries

12 almonds

Instructions:

1. In a cup, mix together the oats, almond milk, and yogurt.

2. Drizzle with maple syrup.

3. Cover and let it soak overnight.

4. In the morning, warm it up and top with raspberries and almonds.

Early morning picture

And a close up view!

Nana Ice Cream

This is my favorite dessert when I have time, and I do not feel one bit guilty about eating it.

You will need a frozen banana for this recipe.  What I usually do is wait until I have a very ripe banana, and then I peel it, put it in a quart size freezer bag, and smush it up so that it is easy to toss in the blender for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

2 tbsp organic peanut butter

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend and enjoy!

Nutrition Information - makes 2 servings, info per serving:

Calories: 164

Fat: 9.5 g

Carbs: 18.1 g

Protein: 5.7 g

Butternut Squash Soup

This is a crock pot recipe that can easily be made on the stove top as well.  This makes for a great lunch and it also freezes very well to be enjoyed later.

Ingredients:

28 oz. butternut squash, cubed

1 medium apple, peeled and cubed

12 oz. carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

32 oz. vegetable broth

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in the crock pot.

2. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

3. Use an immersion blender to puree.  

4. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (per cup):

Calories: 83

Fat: 0.1 g

Carbs: 20.7 g

Protein: 1.7 g

2 Ingredient Pancakes

I have a new favorite pancake recipe!

The base only requires 2 ingredients.  It is low calorie and packed with nutrition.

It doesn't get any better than this, does it?  

Base Ingredients:

1 banana

2 eggs

Optional additions (one addition per pancake) - I have tried and enjoy these all:

Cinnamon

Raspberries

Blueberries

Peanut or almond butter

Instructions:

1. Cut and mash banana in a bowl.

2. Add eggs.  Mix thoroughly. Add optional addition of either cinnamon, raspberries, or blueberries (or try something new!).

3. Spray and heat a pan with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Drop batter on to warm pan.  I recommend keeping batches small and let them get nice and crispy, then turn them over.  

5. Once done, you can spread peanut or almond butter on them as another option.

I typically split this recipe in half for myself so I have half a banana with one egg.  It is a great breakfast or snack.  It leaves me satisfied for hours when I add peanut butter!  Even with the recipe in half, I can make 3 to 6 pancakes in that small batch.  Nutrition info below is for the half recipe.  It does not include the optional add ins.

Nutrition info for a half recipe:

Calories: 122

Fat: 5.2 g

Carbs: 13.5 g

Protein: 6.5 g

While the pancakes are cooking: one plain, one blueberry...
and one raspberry with a renegade blueberry!

Fully cooked pancakes.

Plain pancake - great on its own!
If you add cinnamon, it does dilute the banana taste.
This may be desired if you are not a huge banana fan.

A stack of cinnamon banana pancakes!

Blueberry pancake.
The blueberry is a great substitute for jam!
No added sugar.

Ohhh yeah.

Raspberry pancake.
Again, the raspberry is a great jam substitute.

I was so excited to eat this that my picture came out all fuzzy!
This is a close up of the raspberry pancake.
Trust me, it was delicious!

My favorite combo.
Plain banana pancake which I then spread with organic peanut butter.
A great protein boost!

Egg White Breakfast Muffins

This is becoming my favorite breakfast.  I package them in sets of 4 in containers to take to work.  These would also work to freeze for later.

Nutrition info is at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients:

Liquid egg whites (3 tbsp per cup) 

Cherry tomatoes (1 per cup)

Spinach (a few leaves per cup)

Reduced fat feta cheese (1 tbsp per cup)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.

3. In each cup, place spinach leaves and tomato.

4. Place 3 tbsp liquid egg white in each cup (about 3/4 full).

5. Place 1 tbsp feta in each cup.

6. Bake 20-30 minutes.

Close up view

Plated

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 55
Fat: 1.1 g
Carbs: 2.3 g
Protein: 8.6 g

Fudgy Avocado Brownies

All right, Facebook and Pinterest tempted me over and over again and I had to try and make avocado brownies.

They came out very fudgy, which I loved.  My husband prefers them cake like, so he was not as excited.  He also thought it should be sweeter.  Meanwhile, my son thought it was too sweet.  I thought it was just right.  So you will just have to try to make it and see what happens!

Pro tip: don't tell anyone that you put an avocado in your brownies - chances are, they will not be willing to eat them.  After the fact, I did reveal my secret ingredient to my husband.  At least he was surprised, and even commented that he could not taste the avocado at all.  However, I don't think he is going to let me experiment on him again.  Oh well, next time I guess I will just have to keep all the brownies to myself...darn... :)

Another pro tip: don't substitute out the coconut flour.  It is designed to absorb and other flours won't perform the same function.  You will be very, very sad.  You should be able to find coconut flour at your local health foods store.  It is quickly becoming my favorite flour ever.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Nutrition info is at the bottom of this page - you save a ton of calories by not using butter or oil!

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, small 

3 eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 to 1/2 cup cocoa (I used 1/4 cup due to the very rich cocoa I had)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray an 8X8 pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine the avocado, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla in either a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Make sure there are no chunks of avocado in there.  

3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.  Pour contents of the mixture from #2 into the bowl.

4. Mix it all together and pour in to the 8X8 pan.

5. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After baking, I let them cool before eating and I stored them in the fridge.  I found them even tastier when cooled.  They also tasted even better the days after baking.  

Before baking.
I used a very rich cocoa that I got.
Yours may look lighter.

Just for reference - here is what it looks like with a lighter cocoa!

Back to the dark cocoa.
Here is the finished product.

Another angle.

Fork view.

Nutrition Information (9 servings, info per serving using 1/4 cup cocoa):
Calories: 123
Fat: 4.2g
Carbs: 18.1g
Protein: 3.7g

Rice Cake Snacks

Recently, we have discovered an awesome snack.  I never thought that I would be a fan of rice cakes, but...I now totally am.

Here was the scenario: kids are on their way home from school, and I know they will be coming in hangry.  What's a mom to do?  I scavaged the cupboards and found a pack of rice cakes.  1 rice cake is 40 calories, but only 1 gram of protein.  I searched Pinterest and found some awesome ways to jazz these bad boys up to get some great protein staying power and created a variety plate for the kids.  

Let me tell you, the plate got demolished and I had to make 5 more rice cake snacks!

The possibilities truly are endless, but here are the varieties that I made, with calorie counts based on what I used - recall that I quoted 40 calories per rice cake, which factors in to the totals below:

1. Skinny Elvis: spread 2 tbsp organic peanut butter (200 calories) and slice half of a banana (50 calories) on top.  TOTAL: 290 calories.

2. Pizza party: a big favorite - spread 1/4 cup of pizza sauce (30 calories) with 1/4 cup of mozzarella (70 calories) and pop in the toaster oven until cheese is melty.  TOTAL: 140 calories

3. Nana: spread 2 tbsp nutella (200 calories) and slice half of a banana (50 calories) on top.  TOTAL: 290 calories.

4. Chunky monkey: spread 2 tbsp organic peanut butter (200 calories) and sprinkle 1/2 tbsp mini chocolate chips (35 calories) on top.  TOTAL: 275 calories.

5. Porky: spread a light cheese wedge (25 calories) and place two slices of ham (30 calories) on top.  TOTAL: 95 calories.

Super easy!  I would recommend the rice cakes that just contain whole grain brown rice.  A pack of 14 cakes should only run you about $2 so it is a pretty sweet deal.  In the future I would like to try spreading hummus and topping with cucumber and peppers.

The entire sampler platter.
This was gone within 10 minutes of placement on the table.

The Skinny Elvis.

My daughter tends to be picky about bread.
But she had no problem eating these!