Egg White Sandwich on Cauliflower "Flatbread"

I was experimenting with a new cauliflower pizza crust recipe the other night as part of my meal prep for the week. My original plan was to make the crust and throw it in the fridge until I was ready to add my toppings and eat it the next day.

I was running a little behind the next morning, and adding toppings and cooking my pizza in the oven seemed like it would take too long. Thinking of what would take the least amount of time, I took half of my crust, spread it with a Light Laughing Cow wedge, topped with with some chopped cooked broccoli, and a hard boiled egg white. Folded it in half and let grilled it on my George Foreman. Result? Another option for a clean and healthy egg sandwich!

Cauliflower Flatbread

Ingredients:

2 cups riced cauliflower (I used my Ninja)
1 tablespoon flaxseed
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/2 cup of egg beaters
Garlic powder, oregano, and basil, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat a pizza stone on 450. Let it heat up for about 5 minutes then lower your temperature to 425. (Or skip the preheating step and just use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper if you don't have a pizza stone).
2. Mix all ingredients together (mix well- no clumps!)
3. Place your newly formed "dough" onto your pizza stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Form your dough into a ball, then spread it out into the shape of a pizza (I used the back of my spoon to spread it out evenly). It should be about 1/2 an inch thick.
4. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden brown.
5. From here, you can add toppings and put it back in the oven to make a delicious cauliflower pizza, OR let the crust cool and make a flatbread! Fill it with whatever you like!

Nutrition Facts (for half the crust): 93 calories, 8 g CHO, 2 g Fat, 9 g Protein

One whole head of cauliflower yields A LOT of riced cauliflower to play with. What did I do what some leftovers? I used it to create a cauliflower fried "rice" dish.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

How to:

I sauteed together about 1 cup of riced cauliflower, few slices of frying peppers, about 1/3 cup cooked, chopped broccoli, julienned carrots, diced cooked shrimp, about a teaspoon's worth of powdered ginger, some garlic powder, and a sprinkle of stevia. Towards the end of cooking, I added 1/3 cup egg whites. When the egg whites were cooked through, I topped it with some Sriracha and served it over a pre-cooked mashed up sweet potato. I brought to work and ate it cold (cause that's just how I do). Flavor explosion!!

Use whatever veggies and protein combinations you like!

Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese

I don't think I'll ever get sick of eating this. Perfectly delicious protein-packed snack!
The PB2 is optional....but since when does peanut butter not make EVERYTHING better? :)

Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon PB2
Truvia and cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Self explanatory.... Mix and devour!!

I topped mine with some pistachios for crunch and a few banana slices. Half-way through eating I decided to put it in the freezer for a few minutes while I finished meal prepping. Creamy pumpkin pie deliciousness!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

I know I've posted an abundance of protein pancake recipes with peanut butter, but:

1. I have an obsession with peanut butter
2. These came out with such an amazing fluffy texture that it would be mean not to share
3. This recipe does not HAVE to be peanut butter flavored. You can customize it by using different flavored proteins and different toppings

Getting right to the recipe because its crunch time during my last two weeks of the clinical rotation and I need to be working on my projects!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

Ingredient:

1/4 cup egg beaters or egg whites
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmellow (or other flavored whey protein powder)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 packet Truvia
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Blend together the egg beaters, cottage cheese and vanilla (I used my Ninja).
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Cook your pancakes.
4. DEVOUR

 

Love this quote- it's so true. Once you practice something for a while, it becomes easier. Nothing comes without a little hard work!! Have a healthy day :)

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

       Before I get into my pie story, can we please take a moment to appreciate the incredible fluffiness of my protein pancakes this morning?!

 Holy YUM!!! These are the same as my Banana Bread Psyllium Panckes, except I used Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow protein powder.

Ok, now my post:

I hadn't bought seitan in a while, so when I saw a package of "seitan crumbles" I thought it would be fun to experiment. Seitan, or "wheat meat" is made from wheat gluten. Not only does it have a very similar look and texture as regular meat, it is also a great source of protein. One of my favorite ways to prepare seitan is to simply roast it with a little garlic powder. It's now sold as strips, crumbles, and cubes, so its easier to incorporate into your favorite recipes.

I originally thought of seasoning the seitan crumbles like taco meat. The entire idea for this recipe came together when I noticed I had a spaghetti squash that needed to be cooked, and a half a jar of salsa looking lonely in the fridge. The rest just happened. This was SO delicious and flavorful, and really simple to make! This recipe makes two meals, or four side dishes.

Browning up the seitan:

 

Squash and egg white mixture:

 

 Finished!!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 package seitan crumbles (or 1 cup ground turkey, chicken, beef)
Cinnamon, cumin, and chile powder, to taste
1 tablespoon raisins (optional, can do more if you like)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup egg whites
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 cup low-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
1.  Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic and onion and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Add seitan to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the "meat" starts to brown.
3. Add spices, raisins, salsa, and cilantro and mix well.
4. Mix together squash and egg whites in a bowl. Place the mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Lay the seitan mixture evenly over the squash. Bake for about 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the pie and bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until cheese melts).
6. Let the pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. You can top this with plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream, salsa, avocado- whatever!

I served mine as a side dish with Fiesta Lime Barramundi and roasted asparagus- YUM.

Side note: I am obsessed with Sriracha.

Mango Coconut Protein Muffin-Cakes!

     I'm not really sure why this recipe came to me. It's actually kind of weird how it all came together actually- almost like it was destined to happen. It all started when I bought a mango at the grocery store two days ago. I NEVER buy mangoes. It's not that I don't like them, I just like to stick to my usual when it comes to fruit. I'm not sure why I put it in my shopping cart, but I did. The next day, @clean_lovin posted a recipe for "Mango Coconut Protein Muffins". They looked delicious, but mostly consisted of oats. I like when my treats are mostly protein. So, I "liked" her photo, but didn't plan on making them.
     I was driving home from interning at the hospital all day and it was then that the ingredients all jumped out at me: mango, protein powder, coconut flakes....what would make this recipe different from every other protein powder treat? Ah, yes- silken tofu! I had leftover silken tofu from my Tofu Avocado Cream sauce recipe that I made and wanted to use it up. How perfect! I had exactly 40 minutes before I had to leave my house to meet a client, so the pictures are not how I'd like them to look, but I was in a SERIOUS rush. Why couldn't I just wait until I got home? Not sure. My inner baker voice was telling me "IT''S NOW OR NEVER!" And I'm SO happy I listened. These babies came out insanely moist and tropical-licious (yea....not a word). One of my favorite creations ever! I was planning on muffins, but they kind of came out as a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. Therefore, I am calling them Muffin-cakes! You can probably make them in a brownie tin and cut them into bars, or even make them into a cake!! OK, here's the recipe!

 

 Mango Coconut Protein Muffin-Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced mango

1/2 cup silken tofu

1/4 cup egg whites

2 tablespoons unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Almond Milk (can use regular Almond milk, or your milk of choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla (Next time I'll use coconut extract, mine had leaked all over and I couldn't use it :( )

1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 packets Truvia (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Place the diced mango, silken tofu, egg whites, milk and vanilla until smooth. 

3. Add all of the dry ingredients. Blend well.

4. Pour batter into the muffin tin (It is enough for four muffins- fill about 2/3 of the way)

5. Bake 15-20 minutes. 

6. Remove from muffin cups and allow to cool.

I didn't have time to make the frosting I wanted, so I mixed together some Greek yogurt with Truvia and topped it with some coconut flakes. Next time, I'll add in some vanilla protein powder to make it more "frosting" like. They are also awesome without frosting. I packed one to accompany my salad at lunch today. Seriously one my FAVORITE recipes to date. MUST TRY!! Let me know what you think! 

P.S. I don't have the EXACT macros just yet, but one muffin provides approximately 112 calories, 9 grams CHO, 3 grams Fat, 3 grams fiber, and 12 grams of Pro!

Crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw with Snowpeas, Almonds, and Cilantro

There is not enough time in the day for me to do everything I want to do! Today was my first day off in WEEKS- no work, no interning. Of course I had school work to do and errands to run, but it was SO nice to sleep past 5 am and do my work at my own leisurely pace. I spent a little time in the kitchen and had a nice variety of meals today. For breakfast, I decided to finally try Spinach Protein Pancakes. I decided to just use my own instincts instead of following the recipes I found and threw this lovely tower together:

 

These will be posted soon! They came out delicious, but I want to tweak them tomorrow before I share

them. And !NO! you do NOT taste the spinach. They are light, fluffy, pancake delicious-ness :)

Today was the first day of the #powerplateaday challenge hosted by @powercakes! LOVE this challenge since I basically have a huge bowl of veggies and protein EVERY day! You can check out the challenge at @challengeapp, or download the application on your phone! Today's #powerplate consisted of arugula, cumin/paprika-dusted shrimp and zucchini, roasted brussel sprouts, bell peppers, acorn squash, and fat-free feta crumbles. Mixed up with my 3-ingredient balsamic dijon dressing :) 

Dinner was roasted asparagus served alongside vegetarian chicken strips, acorn squash, and miso-roasted eggplant all mixed and cooked together with a few hits of liquid smoke. YUM. Keep it simple, plan ahead, don't waste food!!

Ok, now on to the slaw :) 

I've been wanting to post this recipe since I made it last week, but I had deadlines to meet and papers to write :( . So, after getting some work done, I am sharing an awesome recipe that was inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen. Every time I see a cabbage salad recipe I always think "That looks so good, I'm definitely making this!" annnnnnd then I don't. I'm not really sure why?! But, I finally went ahead with this recipe and I'm happy I did. I was originally planning on making it for two days worth of lunches, but it tasted so good when I was "testing" it that I ate it for dinner that night! The leftovers were fantastic the next day with my vegetarian "chicken" strips.

 

Crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw with Snowpeas, Almonds, and Cilantro
Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:

1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced then coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup diagonally sliced snow-peas (I steamed mine and let them cool before slicing)
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2-3/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional, but HIGHLY recommended!)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 packets Truvia
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon  garlicpowder
1/4 teaspon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger puree
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha)
1/3 cup low-fat mayo (or regular)

Directions:

1. Place cabbage, snow peas, cilantro, and bell peppers into a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the vinegar, Truvia, soy sauce, garlic powder, sesame oil, ginger puree, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk in the mayo until all ingredients are combined.
3. Toss the salad ingredients together and add the dressing until evenly coated.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over high heat for 1-2 minutes (Don't let them burn!). Add almonds and toss gently.
5. Serve.

Save the leftovers for lunch the next day. Great tossed with grilled chicken/tofu/tempeh - whatever you've got!



 

Maple Dijon Roasted Tempeh

I spend way too much time in the kitchen :) . I would seriously spend all day cooking if I could. Did some meal prep yesterday:

Here we have paprika sauteed mushrooms, miso-roasted eggplant, grilled eggplant, roasted acorn squash, and Maple-Dijon Roasted Tempeh. I'm OBSESSED with tempeh. I need to dedicate an entire post to it. Unfortunately, I'm super busy and work 439205834 hours a week. Therefore, I'll just post a yummy recipe and give you the short and sweet tempeh rundown until my schedule calms down a little bit:

Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans, it's high in protein, it has a FABULOUS nutty flavor, and a great meaty texture. My Maple-Dijon Roasted Tempeh recipe is a modified version of the one from Clean Food, and it will make you a tempeh lover IMMEDIATELY.

I use Soy Boy Organic Soy Tempeh. One three ounce serving provides 160 calories and 17 grams of protein! The entire package is 2.5 servings. I eat half the package for a total of 200 calories and 21 grams of protein.

Maple-Dijon Roasted Tempeh

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) block of tempeh
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons sugar-free syrup (or regular)
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400.
2. Cut the tempeh into 1/2 inch strips and steam for 10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, syrup, soy sauce and olive oil.
4. Pour marinade over the tempeh and stir until the tempeh is evenly coated. Marinate for 30 minutes.
5. Place tempeh on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
7. EAT!!

I served my tempeh alongside some grilled eggplant, mushrooms, and maple smashed acorn squash (greek yogurt + sugar-free syrup + cinnamon + stevia + my roasted acorn squash all mashed together!) The next day, I served it cold over a huge arugula salad with roasted brussel sprouts, miso-roasted eggplant, roasted acorn squash, heirloom tomatoes, fat-free feta, and my GO-TO three ingredient Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette (dijon mustard + balsamic vinegar + Truvia). Holy YUM.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Pancakes Versions II and III

I have a serious problem. I CAN NOT stop making protein pancakes!! I know there are worse things I could be addicted to. Especially when my pancakes are super clean and healthy. My issue lies in the fact that I can't stop experimenting with the same idea over and over - and making them totally different every time!! How am I supposed to stick to a recipe if I just keep experimenting and never going back to the original?? This is my perfectionism FULL FORCE. I always think I'm going to make something better. However, this philosophy has really hindered me from posting some really wonderful recipes that I've made the past week and a half. So, I've decided to stop thinking so much and just put them out there. You guys can try them and let me know what you think. Then, I can work on "perfecting" them (if there's any perfecting to do) based on your feedback :) Here we go:

The two recipes I'll post today are different versions of my Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. I'll post my other new pancake experiments separately in order to prevent recipe overload. They all deserve their own chance to be in the spotlight anyway :)

Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, and Oatbran Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow 
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup egg beaters
2 teaspoons oat bran (or ground oats)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon and Truvia to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender (I used my Ninja).
2. Cook your pancakes!

Note: The stack was bigger but I ate one :) Oopsie.

Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, and Psyllium Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 scoop Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon psyllium
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon and Truvia to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender (I used my Ninja).
2. Cook your pancakes!

Nutrition Info: 198 calories, 2 g Fat, 12 g CHO (6 g Fiber), 33 g Protein 

 Psyllium husks just make EVERY pancake better. They swell up and make your pancakes FLUFF like WHOA. They are a pantry STAPLE. The one I use is from Swanson, but Trader Joe's carries their own brand as well. BUY IT.

Whew. I feel better. I really wanted to share these, and I'm not totally sure why because they are so similar. At least you have options if you don't the ingredients for one, you can make the other? More experiments to be posted soon :).