Tofu, Mushroom, and Farro Stir-fry

Farro is one of my favorite grains, although I rarely make it. It's sort of like brown rice, but it's chewier, and has a nutty, earthy flavor. Farro contains more fiber than brown rice and quinoa, and is a good source of zinc, iron, magnesium and B3.

Tofu, Mushrooms, and Farro Stir-fry

Ingredients:

1/4 cup uncooked farro
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
1 package baby bella mushrooms
1 package light firm tofu
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Salt
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Oregano

Directions:

1. Cook the farro as per package directions.

2. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add one teaspoon olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

3. Add 1 package of baby bella mushrooms and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Drain the package of tofu. Crumble into the pan (I use a spatula to break it up or my hands). Add salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and the nutritional yeast. Stir to combine.

4. Add the cooked farro and Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce). Stir together to combine and serve!

Serves 2

Nutrition Info: 254 Calories, 6 grams Fat, 25 g Carbohydrates, 25 grams Protein

Veggie Crunch Salad

This can really be done with any veggies, but I definitely recommend using red cabbage as the base. For the rest of the veggies- feel free to mix it up. This bowl is full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, that are all needed for healthy bodies. Just serve with some protein and you have a great meal!

Veggie Crunch Salad 

Ingredients:

1handful chopped red cabbage

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1 handful cherry tomatoes, chopped 

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 

1/4 avocado, cut into chunks

Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper 

Directions: 

1. Dump all ingredients into a large bowl, mix, and serve!

Healthy Twinkies

Fun fact about Twinkies: The original filling was banana flavored! It wasn't until bananas were being rationed in WWII that Hostess changed it to vanilla.

Another fact that is probably NOT surprising: Twinkies are not so nutritious.

So, I went on a quest to make a healthier version of the beloved Twinkie. They came out totally cake-like with a perfect creamy vanilla filling!

I get my flours, extracts and stevia from Vitacost (cheap, and delivered right to your door!).

Ok here's the recipe!

Healthy Twinkies

Ingredients for the Twinkie:

1/4 cup light spelt flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup granulated stevia
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or butter extract
1 egg
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

Filling:

1/3 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar-free vanilla Jell-O pudding mix

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and Greek yogurt to a blender or large food processor and blend until combined. Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth (Don't overmix!!).

3. Spray a canoe pan with cooking spray (I got mine on clearance at Sur La Table- mine has 6 "canoes"). Divide batter evenly amongst pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

4. To make the filling, combine the Greek yogurt and pudding mix. Add mixture to the bottom corner of a small Ziploc plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag (this is where the filling will come out).

5. To add the icing to the Twinkie, use a chopstick or a knife to hollow out the Twinkie by pushing it through horizontally (don't go all the way). Pipe the frosting in each Twinkie.

Keep in the fridge!

Serves 6

Nutrition Facts Healthy Twinkie (per one): 65 calories, 1.8 g Fat, 9.1 g Carbohydrates, 5.5 g Protein, 2.7 g Sugar

Nutrition Facts Original Twinkie (per one Twinkie): 140 calories, 4.5 grams Fat (2.5 Saturated Fat), 24 g Carbohydrates, 1 g Protein, 18 g Sugar

Dark Chocolate Protein Cookies

I woke up this morning at 3:30 a.m. and could NOT go back to sleep. Whenever this happens I usually find something to clean, bake, or cook until the rest of the world wakes up. This morning I decided to stalk Anna's blog for some baking inspiration. Most of my protein cookies have been fails, and I wanted to step up my game. So after reading through some of her recipes and tips for protein cookies, Dark Chocolate Protein Cookies were born! Finally, a protein cookie that's moist, perfectly chewy, and doesn't taste like rubber :)

                         

Dark Chocolate Protein Cookies

1/4 cup chocolate whey protein (I use Cellucor)
1/4 cup quinoa flour (could probably sub oat flour)
2 tablespoons almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon butter extract (optional, but adds some flavor)
10-20 drops liquid stevia (depending on how sweet you like it!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Beat egg. Combine egg with all remaining ingredients (I mixed it in a large bowl).
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop cookie batter by the tablespoon onto the paper. Flatten the tops slightly with the back of a spoon for a better shape (don't get too crazy- the batter is sticky!).
4. Bake 10 minutes or until done.

Broccoli Pesto

Sometimes I'm really sneaky with my veggies :) I always seem to find a way to add vegetables to all my recipes. This pesto is perfect on top of pasta, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. Also a tasty topping for fish or chicken. I topped my spiralized sweet potato "noodles" with the pesto for dinner tonight- such a great flavor combination! This recipe has less oil traditional pesto, and the broccoli gives it more nurtrients and fiber. Got to get those greens in!

Broccoli Pesto

Ingredients:

1 package steam-in-bag broccoli

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh parsley 

2 tablespoons pepitas (or other nut/seed)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cook broccoli in microwave according to package directions. 

2. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the pepitas to "toast" them lightly (only 2-3 minutes until lightly brown). You can skip this step, but it gives the pesto a great flavor.

3. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Store in the fridge or serve right away! 

Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffins

This recipe has been one of my go-to's for the past few weeks. I love breaking them up and adding them to my protein fro-yo! They are also delicious toasted up with some peanut butter, or served with some egg whites for breakfast. I love to make a batch in the beginning of the week for a quick, grab-and-go snack. Plus, the macros are pretty awesome. I originally made these muffins for my brother. He had just bought MusclePharm Combat Powder in Orange Creamsicle and wanted me to come up with protein-packed treat. Little did I know I'd be making them again and again! I've switched up the flavor of the muffins by using different protein powders, but I still like using MusclePharm the best.

Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffin

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat Bran (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 scoops MusclePharm Orange Creamsicle
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
3. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tin (my muffin tin makes 6 muffins)
4. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
5. Remove from the muffin tin. Place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool.

I store these in my fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them.

Nutrition Info (1 muffin): 85 Calories, 1.6 g Fat, 9.7 g CHO, 5 g Fiber, 12 g Protein

Very Banana Protein Bread

I ran out of my last batch of Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffins last night, so I was planning on making them for the third time in a row this afternoon (so yummy- recipe is in a previous post!). I love breaking up my muffins and mixing them in my protein fro-yos, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt as a snack. So, that was the original plan: Orange Creamsicle Protein Muffins. But, as I approached my tower of protein powders, I noticed that my Banana Whey hasn't been getting any love lately. Banana bread is such a classic, so I decided to take the challenge to "clean it up". This loaf came out awesome and will be equally delicious in my protein fro-yos : ) !!

To get you a little more excited about the recipe, look at the crazy comparison between regular Banana Bread and my Very Banana Protein Bread:

 

Very Banana Protein Bread

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (mine was large: 150 grams)
2 scoops banana whey protein powder (or vanilla)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
1-2 tablespoons slivered almonds for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour batter into a bread loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake about 25 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
5. Set on a cooling rack to cool.

I cut my loaf into 6 slices. You can cut them into however many servings you like. The WHOLE loaf contains 6.6 g Fat, 56.2 g CHO, 63.5 g Protein, and 20.4 g Fiber!!!

Spicy Seitan, Eggplant, and Shirataki Noodles in Tomato Pumpkin Sauce

Spicy, creamy, satisfying AND clean- I was not expecting this dish to turn out so delicious!! It was just a combination of some food I had to use up in the fridge. These situations always tend to lead to something really tasty. Before I share this recipe, I want to talk a little about the ingredients used in this dish. Seitan is a vegetarian protein from wheat gluten. It has a nice meaty texture and savory flavor once it's cooked. I buy mine at Whole Foods. You can probably use ground beef, chicken, or turkey in place of the seitan for this recipe. Shirataki noodles are made from tofu, and are a great low calorie and low carbohydrate alternative to regular pasta. I know it sounds weird, but I'm really a fan! The texture is great and they come in several varieties including macaroni, spaghetti, fettuccine, and angel hair! A huge plate of pasta for 20 calories?? I'm in! I also buy these at Whole Foods, but they are also usually available in the natural food section of your grocery store.

Shirataki noodles are gluten-free, dairy-free, cholesterol-free, vegan and kosher certified. Many people complain of a "fishy" smell when they open the package- do not let this scare you. The noodles must be rinsed and drained completely. After that, place them on paper towels and pat dry. Then, microwave the noodles for 30 seconds.

I had roasted eggplant on hand, so that's how it got thrown into this dish. Simply preheat your oven to 450, diced one small eggplant into 1/2" cubes, coat evenly with an olive oil mister, and roast until soft (about 30 minutes). Make sure you give them a stir every 10 minutes.

OK, so now that you the basic prep, I can share my recipe : )

Spicy Setian, Eggplant, and Shirataki Noodles in Tomato Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pacakage WestSoy Ground Seitan
1/2- 1 teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder
1 small eggplant, diced into 1/2 " cubes and roasted
1 package Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Noodles
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

1 t Apple Cider Vinegar
Splash of vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

1. Mix together the pumpkin, tomato paste, cider vinegar, broth, and Bragg's. Set aside.
2. Heat a non-stick pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook the garlic until it begins to soften. In the meantime, drain your package of ground seitan.
3. Add the seitan to the pan, then add your spices. Cook until the seitan starts to brown.
4. Add the eggplant and Shirataki noodles.
5. Add the sauce to the pan. If needed, thin it out a little more with some broth. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast into the pan. Toss gently until everything is combined.
6. Serve! I garnished mine with parsley because I had some and thought it would look pretty : ).

I split this up into two mini-meals. I ate mine cold, as per usual, but I'm sure it's great hot as well!

Nutrition Facts for one serving (out of the two it makes): 197 calories, 3.4 g Fat, 17.2 g CHO, 9 g Fiber, 28 g Protein

The Official Creation of "Cleggs"!!

Introducing . . . CLEGGS!!! Yes, the beloved classic Zeggs recipe by @amandamclark works AMAZINGLY with cauliflower!! The abundance of riced cauliflower in my fridge has forced me to get creative (Note to self: only rice half a head of cauliflower at once and roast the other half . . . one head yields a TON of rice). Anyway, these are a MUST try. It's just like eating oatmeal- and the flavor varieties are endless! And just like in my pizza crust and buns, you DO NOT taste the cauliflower. Save this recipe somewhere because you'll want to make it again and again :) !

Cleggs
(Inspired by @amandamclark original Zeggs recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup egg whites
2/3 cup riced cauliflower
Stevia to Taste

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add in egg whites, stirring constantly (you don't want to poach the eggs!)
2. Once the eggs appear opaque, add in the riced cauliflower, stirring.
3. Add stevia and flavorings.
4. Cook until it reaches your desired consistency.

I added 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon PB2. Topped it all with fresh strawberries, Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup (no calorie, sugar-free), and 1 teaspoon organic peanut butter. HOLY YUM!

Macros for Cleggs Base (without toppings):  85 Calories, 0 g Fat, 2.4 g CHO, 14 g Protein

Yogurt Flax Protein Panckes

I wanted to create a new pancake recipe this morning to switch it up a bit, and came up with this one on a whim as I rushed to get ready for work (I had a hard time leaving the gym this morning ;) ). I opened my fridge, and noticed I had a little greek yogurt left. I'm a big fan of plain greek yogurt- it has a creamy, thick texture, and contains almost twice the amount of protein of regular yogurt. One 6 ounce container of low fat Greek yogurt contains 13-16 grams of protein. My favorite brand is Total Fage 0% because it has the creamiest texture. Although it's a great healthy snack option, beware of the flavored versions- they contain a lot of added sugar. For example, Chobani Blueberry contains 20 g of sugar while The plain contains only 7 g (which comes from the natural sugars in milk). Chobani blueberry contains naturally occuring sugars from milk and fruit, but also from evaporated cane juice. Necessary? I think not. I always buy plain and sweeten it myself with Truvia, cinnamon, and fresh fruit. Other uses for Greek yogurt? I use it for dressings, sauces, as a substitute for sour cream, as a topper for pancakes, and as a protein frosting (by mixing it with protein powder-YUM).

Ok, back to the pancakes! Ingredients like cottage cheese, yogurt, ricotta cheese, pureed banana, butternut squash, sweet potato, etc., all add moisture and enhance the texture of pancakes. I've tried all of the previously mentioned, so I figured it was yogurt's time to shine. This recipe is flour-free and oat-free. I'm sure they would be pretty tasty with ground oats, but it's been done a million times and I wanted to take on the challenge of making them without added carbohydrates. These were really flavorful and moist. Best part? This recipe yielded a HUGE 8 layer stack of pancakes!! (The picture below shows only 7 because I ate one before taking it- couldn't help it).

Yogurt Flax Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plain 0% Total Fage Greek Yogurt
3 tablespoons egg beaters
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
Truvia and Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk together the yogurt, egg beaters, and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients together.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Drop the batter by the spoonful onto the pan. Cook until bubbles start to form adn the pancake sets around the edges. Flip and cook another minute or so on the other side.

Serves 1

Nutrition Facts: 146 Calories, 2.8 g Fat, 8.7 g CHO, 2.6 g Fiber, 22 g Protein

Tofu Protein Bars

Do not let the title of this post scare you. I was originally going to call it "Banana Protein Bars" since tofu tends to scare people away. Maybe it's because most people are unfamiliar with tofu, or they only know it as the "mushy stuff" in their miso soup? Well, it shouldn't be that way. Tofu is so versatile and takes on the flavor of whatever it's made with. Not too many protein foods have that talent. Tofu shouldn't be the "secret" or "hidden" ingredient in a recipe. I know in the past I wouldn't tell anyone that I made something with tofu in fear that they might not try it. Take it or leave it. These protein bars were made with TOFU and they are freaking delish.

I decided to use tofu because I had some leftover after I made my miso dressing a few days back. I figured it would be a great replacement for something like pumpkin, squash, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc., for a protein bar. After some initial research, I found a random forum that posted a tofu protein bar recipe. They claimed they found it on www.bodybuilding.com, but I couldn't find it on the site. I modified the recipe a bit and came up with this winner:

Tofu Banana Protein Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (6 oz) Light Silken Tofu (I used Naysoya, doesn't have to be "light")
1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond)
3 T sugar free banana pudding mix (called for 1 package, but I already used 1 T so I just used what was left)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325. Put everything into a blender and mix really well. Spray a small loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour your batter in.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes.

I let the loaf sit and cool, then sliced it into 4 bars.

Nutrition Facts (One Bar): 111 Calories, 11.5 g CHO, 1.1 g Fiber, 1.8 g Fat, 12.7 g Pro, 0.3 g Sugar

Added Bonus: This bar packs 24% Vitamin A, 28% Calcium, and 17% Iron!!! (Based on the RDA for a 2,000 calorie diet)

And here's my chocolate version:

Chocolate Tofu Protein Bars: Substitute with sugar-free chocolate pudding mix and chocolate protein powder.

The variations are endless!


Random last thought- I've been loving image quotes lately. Short, sweet, and inspirational quotes that are also pretty to look at. Image quote for today:

Creamy Miso Dressing

I wasn't too excited about the last miso dressing I made for my kale salad, so I came up with a really delicious one the other day. I adapted it from www.eatingwell.com: 

1/2 cup Light Silken Tofu (Any silken tofu works)
2 T Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Miso paste
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t flaxseed oil (any neutral oil will work)
1 garlic clove, crushed

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Done :)

For about 2 Tablespoons: 40 calories, 5 g carbs, 1 g fat, 1 g protein

Served this with fresh organic arugula, miso-baked sweet potato, asian baked tofu, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado. Absolutely delicious!

Tofu Tutorial and Recipe: Tofu Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce Recipe

   I experimented with tofu A LOT when I first started buying it. I've tried every cooking and preparation method possible- freezing the tofu to give it better texture, stir-frying, baking, using it as a ricotta substitute, and pureeing it for dressings, sauces, and soups. I hadn't stir-fried it in a while because I really love baking my tofu. However, I was short on time and really wanted to try the sauce. Guess what? I forgot how great stir-fried tofu tastes.

I started my normal tofu prep routine...

TOFU HOW-TO:

1. Drain the tofu and Cut into 8 even slabs.
2. Lay two paper towels down on a large plate and place the tofu on top. Top with two more paper          towels. Place another heavy plate on top. I usually wait at LEAST 10-15 minutes before moving on. Removing excess moisture from the tofu is KEY.

Note: You can also use a regular kitchen towel instead of paper towels.

The only time I don't prep my tofu this way is if I'm using a silken tofu to make a sauce, dressing, etc. My favorite tofu is Nasoya Lite Firm Tofu. It's about half the calories of a regular block of tofu and it still has great firmness for cooking. And, at 200 calories for the ENTIRE block, I'm eating the whole thing :) .

 
        This is one recipe I've been loving lately. It's modified recipe by Emily:

Tofu with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Block Tofu (drained, pressed, and cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 T PB2
1 T rice vinegar
1/2 T sesame oil
1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 1/2 T water

Directions:

1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and either spray with non-stick spray or use a little sesame oil. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook until its brown on all sides. Be PATIENT. It tastes so much better when its browned all around.

2. To prepare the sauce, add all ingredients (except the tofu or course) into a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add the sauce to the cooked tofu and shut off the heat. STIR! The sauce will stick quickly so don't leave it sitting in the pan. Mix it up then transfer it to a plate. DONE and YUM.

The original recipe called for double the amount of sauce ingredients. I don't like anything too saucy so thats why I cut it in half. I still get TONS of flavor from the sauce and every piece of tofu gets coated perfectly.