Vanilla Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting

It was my roommate's birthday last Wednesday, so I obviously had to make her a protein cake. This cake was a little random. No plan. Just throwing ingredients in the food processor and hoping for the best. It worked :)

Note: I cooked this in a loaf pan. If you are cooking in a cake pan, I would double or triple the recipe.

Vanilla Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

1/3 cup millet flour (or whole wheat pastry flour should work)
1/3 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet stevia
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drains (can use chickpeas or cannelini)
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg

Frosting:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.  Throw all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
3. Add to a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Transfer to a large plate or cooling rack and cool completely.
4. To make the frosting, mix together the Greek yogurt and protein powder. Spread evenly over the top of the cake. I cut my cake into four pieces and layered them, but that doubles the serving size. Do what you like!

For 1 slice (of 4): 164 Cal, 19 g C, 13 g P, 4 g F, 3 g Sugar

Cauliflower Pizza With Creamy Pesto Sauce

The popular cauliflower pizza that you find via Google includes cauliflower, eggs, and lots of cheese. So, to lower the fat and calories (and to leave room for yummy topping) I left them out. Not needed after all! The guys over at Neat were kind enough to send me over some samples of their "Neat Egg" which is a vegan egg substitute. I'm not vegan, but it's fun to play with new ingredients and know what's available (and tastes good) for my vegan clients. But, regular eggs will probably work just fine.

Now, about the sauce: I LOVE pesto. It's obviously higher in calories, so mixing it with Greek yogurt helps spread the pesto flavor while using a smaller serving size. The yogurt also adds some extra protein, calcium, and creaminess to your meal. You can use this sauce for pasta, veggies, chicken, fish- just about anything!

Cauliflower Pizza with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped (remove stem)
2 Neat Eggs (or two whole eggs)
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoon store bought pesto
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add to a microwave safe bowl and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly (so you don't burn yourself) then SQUEEZE out all the moisture with all the strength you have. I put it in a dish towel and squeeze it over the sink. Getting all the moisture out is KEY.
3. Combine the cauliflower, the Neat Eggs (or eggs), and spices until you form a dough. Divide the dough in half and roll into two balls. Add the balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I used foil sprayed with cooking spray, but parchment is better). Flatten and gently form into pizza shapes. You got to baby it. Be gentle. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until golden and firm.
4. Mix together the pesto and Greek yogurt. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
5. When the pizza crust is done, remove from the oven and increase heat to 450 F. Spread the creamy pesto evenly among both pizzas. Top each with two tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Place in the oven for 8-9 more minutes or when cheese starts to bubble.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Packed with fiber, whole grains, and yes, zucchini. Zucchini keeps the muffins moist and makes them super nutritious. Perfect back to school recipe for the kiddies...Yes, it's about that time.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup millet flour (or other whole grain)
1/2 cup oat bran
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup zucchini, grated (I use my food processor)*
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix through. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Cook 25-30 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

*Try peeling the zucchini before grating it if you think your kids will be turned off from seeing green pieces in the muffin

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!