Vegan Banana Pumpkin Bread with Chopped Fig

I may or may not have posted a similar recipe before, but I couldn't locate it on here, so here it is for possibly the second time.  This time, instead of raisins, I chopped up 15 dried Mission Figs...delicious flavor!


Ingredients:

• 3 small, overripe Bananas, mashed
• 1, 15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree
• 1.5 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
• 4 c. Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 c. Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/3 c. Stevia in the Raw
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray.

Combine all wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Add dry ingredients in the order listed, and stir until just combined.  Then, fold in the chopped figs

Pour into 2 loaf pans, and bake for 60 minutes at 350 until toothpick comes out clean

Even clean eaters like something cheesy

Here's a healthier substitute for Mac and Cheese, made with Quinoa.  Cook 1/2 c. of quinoa according to package directions.  Mix it with 1/4 c. skim milk, 1/2 c. reduced fat Cheddar, 1 c. steamed broccoli, and some garlic powder.  Yum!

Thanksgiving in February

Last night, I made a delicious Thanksgiving-esque dinner for Brad and myself.  It turned out fabulous, and looked really pretty :)

Ingredients:

• 1 Turkey Breast Half, bone-in
• 10-15 small Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 10-15 small Red Bliss Potatoes
• 20 oz. Simply Orange Juice
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Oregano
• 4 Clementines, sliced

In a large roasting pan, line the bottom with Clementine slices.  Place the turkey breast on top, and rub with spices.  Cover with more Clementine slices.  Pour the orange juice into the pan, and surround the turkey with potatoes.  Cover with foil  Bake at 325 for 3-4 hours (remove the foil for the last hour) until it reaches an internal temperature of 170.  Baste frequently to prevent drying.

So good!

Chicken and Avocado Wrap

Another delicious Oxygen recipe.  Perfect post-workout!

On a low carb whole wheat wrap, 1/4 c. reduced fat mozzarella cheese, 4 oz. baked/chilled chicken breast, 6 slices avocado, and shredded carrot.

Clean Chicken and Vegetable Stew

This past weekend, I was again craving soup.  This time, I added extra lean ground chicken, amped up the veggies, and tried some new spices.  I threw in a teaspoon of cinnamon, and it unexpectedly (and amazingly) turned out to be a really dominant flavor of the dish.  It gave it sort of an earthy, middle eastern vibe, and the red pepper flakes really cleared my stuffed up sinuses.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Extra Lean Ground Chicken
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 small Onions, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Coriander (Cilantro)
• 2 small Zucchini, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 10-15 Baby Carrots, sliced
• 2 c. Broccoli, chopped
• 4 c. Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 28-oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 c. Quinoa
• 1.5 tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, minced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the chicken, onion, green onion, and garlic in the olive oil until cooked through.  Then add the cinnamon and coriander

Add all fresh vegetables to the pot and stir until combined

Add tomatoes, broth, and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Then let simmer for 20 minutes

Add lemon juice and seasonings, and Enjoy!

Clean Curry Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from Oxygen magazine, and adapted it a bit.  It's perfect for lunch, and the flavor is incredible.  On Sundays, I bake 4-5 chicken breasts, rubbed in just garlic powder and black pepper and keep in the fridge for various uses throughout the week.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. Cooked Chicken Breast
• 2 tbsp. Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 stalk Celery, chopped
• 1 tsp. Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Shred the chicken with a fork (or by hand), mix everything together in a bowl.  Eat plain or on a whole wheat wrap.  The flavor of the curry makes this way more exciting than typical chicken salad, and the Greek yogurt ups the protein factor.

Vegetarian Navy Bean, Kale, and Zucchini Soup

I've been in such a soup mood lately.  This recipe is very similar to the Minestrone Soup recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, but I tweaked the ingredients and spices a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 10-15 baby carrots, sliced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 1 c. broccoli, chopped
• 1, 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 c. low-sodium Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. water
• 1 can Navy Beans
• 4 c. Kale, shredded into bite size pieces
• Spices to taste:  sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dried basil

Saute the onion garlic, carrot and celery in olive oil for 5-8 minutes.  Add all other fresh vegetables and diced tomatoes.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to a boil and add beans, kale, and spices.  Simmer until tender ~35 minutes.  ENJOY

New Favorite Breakfast

I was starting to get a bit tired of my usual oatmeal, so I decided to branch out to an equally healthy and delicious option...Cream of Wheat.  This breakfast is super easy to make, and I made it the night before, and it still tasted delicious in the morning.

In a small pot, mix 1.25 cups unsweetened almond milk with 3 tbsp. cream wheat, 1 gala apple, diced and a lot of cinnamon.  Cook until thickened. 

SO DELICIOUS!

Easy Minestrone Soup!

Cold winter days are perfect for making homemade soups.  I decided on a hearty Minestrone soup, and the result was fantastic.  I adapted the recipe from a blog post I saw by Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 6 Baby Carrots, diced
• 2 Stalks of Celery, diced
• 2 Large Zucchini
• 1 c. Cut Green Beans (fresh or frozen)
• 28 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes in juice
• 4 c. Vegetable Broth (I used Greenway Organic)
• 2 c. Hot Water
• 15 oz. can Chick Peas (I used Goya Low Sodium)
• 1 c. Whole Wheat Elbow Mac
•  1/2 tsp. Dried Orgegano
• 1 tsp. Dried Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

In a large stock pot, saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes

Add Zucchini, Green Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Broth, and Water and Bring to a boil

Add Chick Peas, Macaroni, Oregano and Basil and simmer until tender, about 35 minutes.  Season if needed and serve!

Definitely a cure for a chilly day :)

Quinoa Cookies!!

I saw these on Pinterest, and had to try them!  I adapted the recipe a bit, and they are delicious!!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. of Quinoa, cooked according to package directions (I put a bit of Ideal Brown Sugar in the water)
• 1 c. Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 c. Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut
• 1/2 c. Natural Almond Butter or Peanut Butter (I've made it both ways, and prefer the PB)
• 1/3 c. Honey
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbsp. Ground Flaxseed
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 c. Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 degrees

Combine cooled quinoa with oats, coconut, and cinnamon

Using Magic Bullet, food processor, or coffee grinder, grind flaxseed until powdery

In a separate bowl, combine almond/peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and flax

Mix all ingredients together and fold in chocolate chips

Form the mixture until balls and flatted on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour

ENJOY!

Clean Super Bowl/Party Foods!

Well, this post is now a bit out of date for its original purpose (GO GIANTS), but the following clean-ish foods are fabulous for any sort of parties.  Last weekend I set out to clean up some of my favorite Super Bowl snack foods, and the results were beyond delicious.

First, I made a new twist on Mozzarella Sticks, adapted from a recipe I saw on Pinterest.  I love mozzarrella sticks, but they are notoriously unhealthy when prepared the traditional way.  However, this recipe requires no frying or oil, and tastes delicious when made with lowfat cheese.

Ingredients:

• Egg Roll Wrappers (I used NaSoya brand)
• Low-Moisture, Part Skim String Cheese sticks (I used Sorrento)
• Garlic powder and Oregano to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place string cheese at one corner egg roll wrapper

Roll halfway and fold corners in to lock in the cheese

Seal the corner with a dab of water

Place on parchment paper and spray with a bit of olive oil cooking spray.  Sprinkle with garlic and oregano

Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.  Serve with low-sugar marinara

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I am a huge fan of boneless buffalo wings, but between the breading, and the frying, the nutritional stats can be frightening.  To make this delicious snack healthier, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, egg whites, brown rice bread crumbs (you can buy or make your own), Frank's Red Hot, and low-sugar honey bbq sauce.  I also baked them instead of frying and served with fat free Ranch for dipping.

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup Medium Grain Brown Rice 
• Garlic Powder
• Frank's Red Hot Sauce
• Low-Sugar Honey BBQ Sauce
• Fat Free Ranch Dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (this means you can cook the mozz sticks and chicken at the same time!

Place brown rice and garlic powder in blender or food processor

Texture should look like this when finished

Dip chicken pieces in egg white and then in brown rice crumbs and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray

Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and then another 10 minutes until crispy and brown and chicken is thoroughly cooked

Toss half with hot sauce and half with bbq sauce and serve

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A super bowl party wouldn't be complete without veggies and dip.  My personal favorite is spinach dip made with Lipton vegetable soup mix, sour cream, mayo, and water chestnuts.  The mayo and sour cream take the health factor down pretty far.  I decided to make this dip with non-fat, plain Greek yogurt to substitute for the sour cream and mayo, and it turned out delicious!  It also packs a much higher protein content than the original version :-)

Ingredients:

• 1, 5oz. package of frozen, chopped spinach (fully thawed and squeezed out)
• 2 cups non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• 1 envelope of Lipton's vegetable soup mix
• 1 can of sliced water chestnuts

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.  Serve with carrots, celery, tortilla chips, whatever you prefer.

HOPE THESE RECIPES HELP CLEAN UP YOUR NEXT PARTY!!!