DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BARS

Ingredients: (mixed together with a spoon/fork) Makes six: 

1.5 cups of chocolate brown rice protein powder (you can sub this with casein if you want or whey or a combo of casein and whey) 
3/4 cup of oat flour (or coconut flour or ground almonds) 
1/4 cup of smooth organic peanut butter (or almond butter or sunflower butter or coconut oil) 
1/8 cup of chopped pecans (or seeds or chocolate pieces) 
1/8 cup of flaked coconut (optional) 
1 and a 1/2 cup of milk (basically enough to bind the above mix together; you can use but milk, cow's milk, rice milk, hemp milk - anything you like)

Directions:

Make a pasty, thick, nonsticky batter that you can eat raw. This is where the oat flour/coconut flour/ground almonds come in handy - they dry up the mix, making it 'bitable'. What you DON'T want, is to end up with a hard or really sticky batter because then your protein bar will be annoying you chew threw.
 You mix all the above ingredients together and then, in a bain marie (a pot inside a pot), you melt some chocolate (I used 87% dark). After your bars are nicely shaped (note: you do NOT need to bake them), you just either coat them in chocolate by throwing them inside the melted chocolate, or you spoon the melted chocolate on top. When coated, just throw them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes and READY!!!!! Wrap them in tin foil .


Macros per bar: 225kcals, 15g protein, 12g carb (2.5g sugars), 16g fat and 5g fiber. Remember, to tweak your macros, just tweak your filling! You can, for instance, up the protein and lower the carbos by using almond flour, you can reduce the fat by using less nut butter, you can up the carbos by, say, throwing in a date or two, etc etc 

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

The secret to a good cream sauce is always the same: not too much cream or it can be overpowering, masking the more delicate flavors. Here it contains a bountiful amount of mushrooms and is served over chicken breasts.

INGREDIENTS

2 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 tablespoons dry vermouth, or dry white wine
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or scallion greens

PREPARATION

Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 12 to 16 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes.
Pour in vermouth (or wine); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half,
1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions); return to a simmer.
Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

TIPS & NOTES

Tip: It's difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion.
Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the “tender”—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers.


NUTRITION

Per serving: 275 calories; 15 g fat ( 5 g sat , 7 g mono ); 84 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein;1 g fiber; 373 mg sodium; 370 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (34% daily value).

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

CHERRY & DARK CHOCOLATE PROTEIN BARS

CHERRY & DARK CHOCOLATE PROTEIN BARS 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup of vanilla whey 
1/4 cup of oat flour (or sub this with some almond flour) 
1/4 cup of coconut flour (could sub with ground almonds too) 
1/4 cup of almond milk 
16 cherries 
50 grams of 90% dark chocolate 

Directions: Start by pitting your cherries and blend half of them with the whey + coconut flour + oatflour + milk. Then, chop the rest of your cherries and add them to the batter, mixing everything around with as spoon so as to retain the chopped cherries' texture. Shape this mix into four bars. If it's too wet or sticky, add a bit more coconut flour (or vanilla casein). After this, melt your chocolate in a bain marie (a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water) and either dip the bars in there or spoon the melted chocolate on the bars to coat them. Finally, just leave them to set in the freezer for about an hour and baaam: ready :-) 

Macros per bar (out of the four small ones you get from the ingredients above): 223kcals, 15g protein, 14g carbs (out of which 5.5 is fiber!) and 10g fat (5.9g sat). 

NAKED VANILLA WHEY AND COCONUT PROTEIN BARS

NAKED VANILLA WHEY AND COCONUT PROTEIN BARS 

Ingredients - mixed together in a bowl: 

1/4 cup (25g) of coconut flakes 
1/4 cup (28g) of vanilla whey protein powder 
1/4 cup (32g) of quinoa flakes 
2 tbsp (23g) of coconut flour 

mix everything together with about 1/2 cup (about 100ml) of water (or milk if you want them to have a creamier flavor!) 
You can mix them with a fork or spoon or whip out a handheld blender to do the job. Up to you. 

Macros per one bar out of the four you get from the mix above: 

124kcals, 8g protein, 8.4g carbos (1.5g sugars), 6g fat (4.5g sat - from the coconut), and 4.4g fiber! 

PUMPKIN PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS

One bowl + One spoon + Oven = Bars in about a half hour 
The pumpkin flavor really shines through. Between the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin lovers can rejoice. The peanut butter is nicely balanced with the pumpkin and the flavors complement each other, but these are definitely pumpkin-peanut butter bars, not peanut butter-pumpkin bars. 

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are also Vegan, Gluten-Free.
• 1/2 c peanut butter 
• 1 c pumpkin puree (i.e. Libby’s in a can and if you don’t have pumpkin puree in your market, use sweet potato puree either canned or sweet potatoes that you boil/puree yourself) 
• 2 c oats (whole rolled, not quick cook) 
• 1 c brown sugar, packed 
• 1/2 c white sugar 
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (reduce/increase to taste) 
• 1 tsp cinnamon (reduce/increase to taste) 
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract 
Optional: Add raisins, nuts, chocolate/white/peanut butter chips to the mixture. I’d suggest starting with 1/3 to 1/2 c and going from there based on taste preference. 
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir by hand. Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s ok because they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool very well before slicing. Store extras on the counter top, refrigerator, or in the freezer for long term storage. 
Notes: All measurements are approximate and if you love peanut butter or pumpkin puree, add a bit more of either. 
Reduce the sugar amounts if you wish or even attempt a sugar-free version by making with Stevia. 

PB & PUMPKIN BARS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder 
1 tbsp all-natural PB 
1/2 cup quinoa flakes 
1/4 cup pumpkin puree 
1/8 cup 3% milk 
1 tbsp coconut flour 
1/4 + 2 tbsp flaked coconut 
Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, except 2 tbsp of flaked coconut to be used for the coating. 
2. Shape the mix into 4 bars. 
3. Coat the bars by rolling them in the coconut. 
4. Wrap each of the bars up in foil. 

(220 Calories, 10g Fat, Protein 14g, Carbohydrates 18g) 

CHOCOLATE BARS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of chocolate whey protein powder 
3 tbsp natural almond or peanut butter 
1/2 cup ground oats 
2 tbsp coconut flour 
2 tbsp of ground almonds or peanuts 
4 squares of 70%+ cacao dark chocolate 
Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender except for the chocolate. 
2. Shape the mix into 4 bars. 
3. Melt the chocolate and dip each of the bars into it. 
4. Spread the bars in the fridge for an hour of freezer for 20 minutes. 
5. Wrap each bar in foil.
(280 Calories, 14g Fat, Protein 17g, Carbohydrates 20g)

CLEAN EATING PUMPKIN SPICE PROTEIN BARS

(Makes 15 bars) 
Ingredients: 
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats 
• 1 cup peanut butter 
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 
• 1 cup whey protein powder 
• 2 tablespoons spice, like cinnamon 
Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 175c degrees. 
2. Roast your oats for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet (Or until they turn a nice golden brown). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 
3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. 
4. Spread dough to 1/2 inch thickness in a baking dish or 1/2 sized cookie sheet. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough has a nice golden brown appearance. 
6. Allow to cool. Slice into bars and store in a Tupperware. 

Nutritional Content: 
(Data is for 1 bar) 
Calories: 238 
Total Fat: 10 gm 
Saturated Fats: 2 gm 
Trans Fats: 0 gm 
Cholesterol: 0 gm 
Sodium: 84 mg 
Carbohydrates: 25 gm 
Dietary fiber: 3 gm 
Sugars: 11 gm 
Protein: 13 gm 
Estimated Glycemic Load: 12 

Healthy Pancakes??? Say What!

Tis true. I am a breakfast food fanatic so when I decided to start my "Healthy Living" journey I knew that the hardest thing to let go of would be pancakes. But that is NOT the case anymore. Check it out :)

If you're willing to get out of the normal on your thoughts of pancakes, I have come up with a recipe to make myself oatmeal pancakes nearly every day. They are super filling and satisfying and have a good chunk of protein as well. 
To make them you will need:

• one banana (any size but weigh or measure it or whatever for accurate calorie count. About 90-110 calorie ones are the best) and mash it up as much as possible. 
• Then add 1/3 cup egg whites or normal egg beaters (you can just do 2 eggs for more calories/fat)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• Then whatever else you want. Also, usually about a tablespoon of cinnamon to keep them from being bland. Most of the time I do 2 tablespoons of PB2 (Powdered Peanut Butter) and 50 grams (about 1/3 of a cup) of blueberries. I then stir it up and cook them like pancakes (though they do take a few extra minutes). 

They come out to 360ish calories with 63 carbs, 5 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein, and >250 mg of sodium. 

I stay full for hours afterwards and they taste great!

Chicken Bomb

 Approx cals for each bomb: 331, Protein: 34, Fat: 14, Carbs: 14 

5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 
5 jalapeño peppers 
20 strips of bacon 
4 oz cream cheese, softened 
1 cup grated colby jack or cheddar cheese 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 cup BBQ sauce 

Directions: 
1.) Slice chicken breasts in half WIDTH wise (Each half will make 1 Chicken Bomb). Place between two pieces of wax paper and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. *A rolling pin also does the trick. Season each with salt a pepper. 
2.) Slice jalapeños in half LENGTH wise and remove seeds, ribs, and the end with the stem. 
3.) In a small bowl, mix your softened cream cheese with your grated colby jack. 
4.) Fill each jalapeño half with about 1 Tbs cheese mixture. (Sometimes I use more) 
5.) Place 1 jalapeño half at the end of each pounded breast piece. Roll over and together. *It doesn't always close the way you think it should. No worries! The bacon will pull it all together. 
6.) Wrap each breast piece with 2 slices of bacon. I do 1 at a time (obviously), and just sort of wrap tightly and tuck the ends of the bacon under the strips. It all comes together in the cooking process. I promise you do not need toothpicks! 
7.) Preheat your grill to 350 degrees. Cook over indirect heat for 20-25 minutes; turning every 4-5 minutes. Baste chicken with BBQ sauce each time you turn it. Giving it one final basting right before it's done. Chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees. If you don't have a meat thermometer, pierce chicken with a fork. If juices run clear, it's done! 
*Makes 10 Chicken Bombs 

To Bake: Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Basting with BBQ sauce a few times during cooking. Baste once again when finished, and place under broil setting for a few minutes so bacon can crisp completely.

Chicken Noodle Soup

                                                                

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small potato, diced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
4 ounces egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken
                                                                                        parsley
Directions:
1. Melt butter in large pot.
2. Sauté the celery, carrot and onion for 2 minutes.
3. Add potato, thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth and bouilion.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Add noodles and chicken and cook on low for 20 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with parsley

Serving Size: 1 (433 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving 

(% Daily Value): 

Calories 247.1

Calories from Fat 6225% 

Total Fat 6.9 10% 

Saturated Fat 2.3g 11%

Cholesterol 54.3mg 18%

Sodium 958.4mg  39%  

Total Carbohydrate 23.5g 7%

Dietary Fiber 2.3g 9% 

Sugars 3.3g 13%

Protein 21.1g 42%

Iced Coffee

Ingredients:

6 -8 cups strong coffee

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Combine brewed coffee and sweetened condensed milk in a large pitcher.

Refrigerate until chilled. About 2-3 hours.

Serve over ice.

- Use leftover coffee to make coffee ice cubes with.

Then you have the chill without getting watered down.-

Serving Size: 1 (227 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving 
(% Daily Value)
Calories 214.7   
Calories from Fat 5224%   
Total Fat 5.8g 8%  
Saturated Fat 3.6 g 18%     
Cholesterol 22.4mg 7%       
Sodium 88.7mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 35.9g 11%   
Dietary Fiber 0.0g 0%   
Sugars 35.9g 143%
Protein 5.5g 11%

Pulled Pork (Crock Pot)

Ingredients:

4 lbs pork roast (shoulder or butt)

2 large onions

1 cup ginger ale

1 (18 ounce) bottle favorite barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)

barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Slice one onion and place in crock pot.

2. Cut in the roast and cover with the other onion, sliced. Pour over the ginger ale. Cover and cook on LOW for about 12 hours.

3. Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin. Most of the fat will have melted away.

4. Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 hours on LOW.

5. Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce. Any leftovers freeze very well.

TIP: when making pulled pork in a crock pot, cook it in root beer all day instead of water it wont be as healthy but it will make it more flavorful.


TIP: freeze ready-made sandwiches - a scoop of meat on a bun, well-wrapped. These make a great quick meal or snack. To reheat, remove wrapping, wrap in a paper towel, and zap 1-2 minute in the microwave.

Note: Shoulder or butt are recommended because the meat shreds very well. Other cuts do not shred as readily. It is a fattier cut, but the fat melts away in the cooking and is poured away when you discard the liquid.

Note 2: I have an older, smaller crock pot. The above times work perfectly for me. But if you have a newer or bigger crock pot, you may need to revise times downward, esp. after the bbq sauce is added. I think you need at least a couple of hours for it all to meld, but that may be all you need. Update: I recently bought a bigger crockpot, I think 5 or 6 qts. I cooked a 6 lb pork shoulder in it for 8 hours and it was shreddable at that point. Shredded, added the sauce, and cooked for another hour or so to meld everything. So use your best judgment on timing!

Note 3: You might want to turn your roast over after it's cooked a while, to ensure more even cooking. I think this may depend on the size and shape of your roast and the size of your slow cooker. Remember that each time you remove the lid you lose heat and be careful, as turning a large piece of meat is awkward



Serving Size: 1 (292 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
(% Daily Value)  Calories 335.1         
Calories from Fat 6218%     
Total Fat 6.9g 10%  
Saturated Fat 2.0g 10%         
Cholesterol 125.1mg 41%     
Sodium 584.5mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 25.3g 8%     
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%     
Sugars 18.0g 72% 
Protein 40.2g 80%

Buffalo Chicken Salad

                                                         

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper hot sauce (or other hot sauce), plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 hearts Romaine, cut into 1-inch strips (about 8 cups)
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, green part only, sliced
• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. 

2. Put the chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or hammer so the chicken is an even thickness of about 3/4-inch, then cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch strips.

3. In a large bowl, combine the hot sauce and the oil, add chicken and toss until the chicken is well coated. 

4. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and broil until it is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes, turning once.

5. In a large bowl combine the Romaine, celery, shredded carrots and scallions. 

6. Toss with the dressing. Divide the greens between 4 plates, top with the chicken. 

7. Serve with extra hot sauce.

-Find a great dressing for it here. Enjoy.-

SERVES 4

Calories: 254

Total Fat: 10 grams

Saturated Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 31 grams

Total carbohydrates: 10 grams

Sugar: 5 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

Cholesterol: 74 milligrams

Sodium: 471 milligrams

Any Fruit Smoothies

                                  

                          Ingredients:

                 1 c. fresh fruit of your choice

                     1/2 blender full of milk

                        1 c. vanilla yogurt

                                   Directions:

               Blend until well blended, enjoy!

FRIED Zucchini ( low-carb)

Ingredients:

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

2 eggs

1 tbs heavy whipping cream

Several Zucchinis 

Oil

Directions:

1. Take a plate and pour 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese in it

2. In a separate bowl add 2 eggs and a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream 

3. Mix cut up a couple zucchinis into coin shaped disks

4. Dip each zucchini into the egg mix and then into the Parmesan cheese on both sides.

5. Place into a deep fryer or a skillet with oil

6. Fry until golden brown

7. Salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!!!!

                                            Recipe From http://sensiblyslendering.blogspot.com/

Stuffed Chicken Supreme

 Ingredients:

 4 Chicken Breasts    

 Garlic        
 Pepper            

 Cream Cheese              

 Green Onion               

 Minced Garlic

Directions:

Take boneless, skinless chicken breast and butterfly cut it open 

sprinkle garlic powder and pepper inside

take cream cheese (i found Philadelphia cream cheese to be good for this!) 

and mix with cut up green onions then spread it over half of the open faced chicken

close chicken and sprinkle again with garlic powder and pepper and then take minced garlic (in the jar) and spread on top (more or less to taste- im a fan so i put a good amount on there)

pop in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (adjust for oven abilities)

                                            -ENJOY!-

-I had this for dinner last night and took one of the pieces of chicken with me for lunch and it even tastes great heated up the next day!-

 Recipe From http://sensiblyslendering.blogspot.com/