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!!

Make -Ahead Turkey Spinach Lasagna

 I LOVE lasagna but it can be a lot of work, so I don't make it often.  Then an idea hit me:  why not prep it on the weekend?  Make it ahead?  Perfect!!  So I did and I also made it more "clean eating" friendly. 

 Make-Ahead Turkey Spinach Lasagna

• 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (you will only use 9) 
• 1egg
• 1/2 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 (10 oz) bag of frozen spinach
• 8 oz sliced portabella mushrooms  
• 1 cup  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 lb ground turkey (94% lean)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp italian seasoning 
• 2 (24 ounce) jars sugar-free pasta sauce

Spray a 7.5"x11"x2" pan with cooking spray (its my smaller version of a 9x13).   Over medium heat, brown the ground turkey until cooked through.  Put onto a plate lined with paper towels and return the pan onto the stove.   Spray with some cooking spray and add the mushrooms and frozen spinach.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cooked for 5-10 min or until cooked through, tender, and water has evaporated.    In bowl, combine beaten egg, ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan.  Add the spinach and mushroom mixture and season with salt & pepper to taste.   

 

In your pan, spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom.    Layer in the order, 3 uncooked lasagna noodles (they will overlap), then half of the ricotta cheese mixture, half the browned meat, and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.   Next layer, 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining ricotta cheese mixture, remaining meat and 1 cup sauce.   Next layer  last 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

 

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.  I made mine about 36 hours in advance.  Once you are ready to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 while your pan sits on the counter.   Take off the plastic wrap and replace with aluminum foil.  Bake covered with foil for 60 minutes.   Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes). 

 

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra sauce if desired.  This goes perfectly with a side salad and the leftovers are delicious as well.  

Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal

This was so easy and delicious!!!  I've made it 3 times this week!  I love the crockpot recipes out there, but I was missing the texture of my steel cut oats in the microwave.  This is perfect for anyone who doesn't like mushy oatmeal! 😊

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Overnight Steel-Cut Oats

1/3 cup steel cut oats

1/3 cup water

1 T shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1 T chopped pecans

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Mix together and put in the fridge 

overnight.  Add 1-2 T almond milk 

in the morning.  Heat in microwave

 for 1 minute and drizzle wit maple syrup. 

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins

Who doesn't love pumpkin muffins in the Fall????

I love baking healthier muffins with my kids and packing them with protein.  They are great healthy snacks or a fun addition to their lunch box!  Plus, with a little extra chocolate, they are getting the nutrition I want them to get without an extra fight.  

Try these out!  Super simple and so good!!!  I eat them for snack too!  Yummy!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins 

2 ½ cups of Trader Joe’s  Multigrain Baking and Pancake Mix

1 scoop of  vanilla whey protein  (I’ve used Shakeology or Whole Foods brand)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup of coconut sugar 

½ cup Greek Yogurt

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

¼ cup of mini chocolate chips (in half the batter….the other half with no chocolate for me) 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and add the Greek yogurt, milk, pumpkin, sugar, and spices.  Mix until well combined.  Then add the protein powder and baking mix.  Stir only until combined, be careful not to over mix so the muffin won’t get tough.  

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, fill each with an ice cream scoop full of batter.   Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Makes 12 muffins.

You could do a bunch of variations on this, as long as you stick with the basics (yogurt, milk, egg, baking mix, protein powder 1 cup of fruit puree & spices/flavorings of your choice).   You could probably use chocolate protein and use almond extract and smashed over-ripe bananas.  I'm trying that next! 

Sprouted Grain Berry Protein Pancakes

We LOVE pancakes - in fact, we try to make pancakes every weekend.  If I can find a healthy mix then I will use that, otherwise I will make them from scratch.  Don't be afraid to make pancakes from scratch - it's easier than you may thing.  But don't worry - this recipe is not from scratch.

I'm a HUGE fan of blueberry pancakes and I like to add protein to mine so it fits into my nutritional goals for the day.  (I like to eat protein at every meal and snack - part of what I've learned from the 21 day Fix).  Plus, it's a great way to sneak extra protein in my kids.  They love carbs, but its harder to get them to eat protein.

These were probably the best pancakes I've ever made, not to toot my own horn, but they were so yummy!!  I made more today!  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
Sarah

Sprouted Grain Berry Protein Pancakes
3/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Sprouted Grain Pancake Mix (you can find it in the organic section or health food section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup milk (any kind, including almond milk with work)
1/3 cup 0% Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/2 scoop vanilla Shakeology
1 T olive or coconut oil (if you use coconut oil, be sure it's in it's liquid form for even distribution)
1 T raspberry all-fruit spread (no added sugar)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
Cooking spray or extra coconut oil for cooking pancakes
real maple syrup for serving (optional)

Whisk together the milk, egg, oil, fruit spread and Greek yogurt until well combined.  Add the pancake mix and shakeology and stir until it's well combined.  The batter will be really thick.

Spoon and spread onto a hot griddle.   Sprinkle the blueberries evenly.  Wait until bubbles begin to form all the way across the pancake and flip.

Allow the pancake to cook on the other side until you see it slightly puff up (sometimes pancakes with fruit inside them take longer to cook than without).

Whatever blueberries you have leftover can be sprinkled on top of the pancakes with your fresh raspberries.  Yum!

Serve immediately with more fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup.  So good!!!

This recipe serves 2 people.  If you are following the 21 day Fix or Fix Extreme Meal Plan, then 1 serving (1/2 recipe) counts as 1 red, 1 yellow,  and 1 purple.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

I have an amazing recipe for fajitas in the oven, but I was going to be gone all afternoon and unable to be coordinate dinner being ready in time.  So I thought, why not try the crockpot?  
Okay, this is so simple, I can't even believe I'm writing any directions!  One step - dump, stir, and turn your slow cooker on. Ha!  But seriously, these were easy and healthy plus I was able to make everybody happy. 

I had all our favorite toppings, lots of salad greens, tortillas, rice and beans.  My son made a burrito, my daughter ate everything in neat little piles on her plate, my hubby built himself a bowl and I made a salad.   For those of you doing the 21 ay Fix or Fix extreme, you can build this easily to fit your container allotment.  My salad was 2 green, 1/2 purple, 1 red, 1/2 yellow.  Be creative and have fun!

Happy Cooking! 
Sarah

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
original recipe by Sarah
2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pepper to taste

Toss and cook on high for 3 hours.  Here's the before and after pics. 

And my salad...I forgot to take a pic of any other option cause I was so excited to eat my salad!  For the dressing I mixed together some Greek yogurt, salsa, and hot sauce.

So good!!!  Hope you give it a try!

Clean Crockpot Beef Stew

I grew up eating Beef Stew from a can...yup.  No joke.  I'm not knocking it, but I just can't imagine eating that now, especially because I remember opening up the can and seeing the white dots of hydrogenated oils on top and throughout.  Kind of gross to think about. 

My dad also made amazing beef and venison stews.  So I have a special place in my heart for this warm, comforting dish.  But you know me - I like simplicity and I love my slow cooker!!!  And I'm always looking to make a recipe healthier.  So I began researching and came up with this recipe for clean crockpot beef stew.  The kids helped me make it, and so did my hubby.  My wrist is still not quite right, so he did all the slicing and dicing for me.  The kids love to measure, shake, and stir, so this was definitely a family effort.  And everyone was very proud of their creation - the kids gulped it right up!  My hubby ate his over rice, (something from his childhood), but I'm eating on the 21 day Fix so the potatoes and peas were enough carbs for me.

To add more veggies, serve this along side a simple green salad.  A perfect meal for a cold day!  The meat is so tender it just pulls apart and the flavors are great!  Even better the next day.  So add this to your rotation and comment below if you give it a try!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Clean Crockpot Beef Stew
2 lbs of stew meat, trimmed of all fat
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
sea salt and pepper to taste
2-4 T olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup of frozen pearl onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
4 large carrots, sliced
4 small/medium sized potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large stalk of celery, sliced
4 cups of beef stock
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
more salt and pepper to taste

In a large zip-top bag, place the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix together.  Add the Beef and shake until well coated.   Then in a large pan (or dutch oven), brown the beef in olive oil on all sides (you do not need to cook it through, you are only browning to deepen the flavor).   You will do this in shifts, as not to over-crowd the pot.

While you are browning the meat, place all the veggies, broth, and tomato paste into your slow cooker and stir until well combined.   Don't worry if the tomato paste isn't all broken up.  It will dissolve while it cooks.  Add the beef as it is done.   You will have some leftover flour/herb mixture.  I added about 2 T of this to the stew, as a way to add more seasoning and to thicken as it cooked (which it does nicely).

Then the most important and critical step to delivering and developing flavors...while the pan that you used to brown the meat is still hot, add the 1/2 cup of wine and deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom.    allow the wine to simmer for about 3 min to cook out the alcohol.  Then add it to the slow cooker and stir.

Cook on high for 6 hours, stirring every 1-2 hours in you are home.  If not, no worries.   Before you serve, scrape off any oil/fat that floats to the top (mine had only about 1 T).   But why bother eating it if you don't have to, right?

This is sooooooo good!!!  I could eat it without the potatoes!  I would also like to try it with butternut squash instead of while potatoes.   Enjoy!