Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Who doesn't love dark chocolate??

So how about a healthy muffin that's high in protein and tastes like dessert?!?!

YES PLEASE!!!!

These were so simple and delicious!  Nina did most of the work and we've been snacking on them all weekend.  They are so decadent, it feels like dessert.  Yum!

Hope your family loves them as much as we did!

Happy Cooking! 

Sarah

Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Adapted from the back of the Kodiak Cakes box 

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups of Kodiak Cake Power Cake Mix (I get it at target next to the other pancake and waffle mixes).

1 cup of unsweetened Almond Milk

1 egg

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional chopped nuts, shredded coconut, you pick!)

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend until smooth.  Stor in the chocolate chips.  Fill a muffin tin lined with paper liners, or a greased muffin pan.  

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Makes 12 muffins!!  Enjoy! 

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

These are so good and a great alternative on taco night!  My husband and I LOVE them, although I must be honest - they don't really interest the kids.

 (I just make some extra quinoa & chicken for them.)

It's gluten free and can easily be made vegetarian, vegan or dairy free too. 

I hope you love these as much as we do!!

Happy cooking!

Sarah

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

(This recipe has been adapted from the Fixate cookbook) 

4 medium bell peppers, (red, orange or yellow), cut in half, seeds/stem removed

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 T chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

1.5 lbs raw chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces 

15 oz can of clean, no sugar added tomato sauce (just read the label)

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Greek yogurt & hot sauce for topping 

Preheat your oven to 375. Place the 

Peppers skin side down in a large baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Set aside. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the chicken and all the spices, stirring frequently until chicken is no longer pink.  About 5-8 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, quinoa, beans, and cilantro.  

Stir together and turn off the heat. 

Generously fill the pepper halves until all the filling is gone, or until no more can be piled on top.  And be sure to mound them high!

Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Top each pepper with cheese and bake for an additional 5 min.

Top off with your favorite hot sauce and greek yogurt (instead of sour cream).  Yummy!!  

And if you are following the 21 day Fix, each pepper half is 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red and 1/2 blue.  Enjoy!!!!

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I've done a few overnight oats in the crockpot, and while good, the texture was too mushy for me.

These were JUST RIGHT!!!  So yummy!  The flavor was awesome and the steel cut oats maintained some of their texture, which I love!

And what's better than to wake up with breakfast ready?!?

Enjoy!  

Happy cooking,

Sarah

Overnight Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats

2 medium Apples, peeled & chopped (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 gala)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 T agave 

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray.  Mix all the ingredients together.

Cook on low for 7 hours overnight. Cooking time could vary depending on your crockpot, but for me, 7 hours was perfect!!!

Stir once again!

Serve immediately.  Feel free to top off with additional cinnamon, chopped nuts, or almond milk.  Yum!!!

Cleaner Tuna Salad

I LOVE tuna salad!!  I ate it multiple times a week when I was pregnant and it's my favorite protein for a sandwich or a salad, but the traditional tuna salad recipe is full of mayo.  So I found a way to make it with the same delicious flavor, but cut the fat.  

It's not completely clean, but sometimes we need to find healthier versions of our favorites that still taste a lot like the original. 

Hope you enjoy!!

Happy cooking!

Sarah

Cleaner Tuna Salad

2 cans solid white albacore tuna

3 T mayo made with olive oil

3 T Greek yogurt

1 tsp whole grain mustard

1 T chopped dill pickles

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional chopped celery or onion

Mix all together and serve on your favorite whole grain bread or on top of a bed of greens.  Yummy!!