Cream of Broccoli Soup (Dairy Free, Low Fat!)

I ordered groceries last week and they accidentally sent my broccoli cuts instead of broccoli florets (which I really don't care for). So since I don't like to waste food, I decided to blend them up in a healthy cream of broccoli soup!

This soup is dairy free, low in fat and you probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients in your fridge.

You can add ground turkey, ground chicken, grilled chicken, or vegetarian meat crumbles to increase the protein of this soup and make it a full meal. You can also add cheese and fresh herbs!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 oz) bag frozen broccoli cuts or florets
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium size pot. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the broccoli, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool.
4. Add cooled soup and 1/2 cup chickpeas to a blender. Blend until smooth. Reheat to serve.
 

Healthy Cookie Dough

Cookie dough that's actually good for you! Slightly modified the recipe from PopSugar. 

So easy to make, and a great way to get a good source of fiber, protein, and manganese.

Healthy Cookie Dough

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and pat dry
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey
Optional: Add 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder  

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Molten Chocolate Protein Donuts

October 28th: National Chocolate Day. I had no idea. I'm definitely not a chocoholic. I like it here and there. You wouldn't catch me eating a chocolate bar or chocolate ice cream. But, for some reason I woke up October 28th and made Molten Chocolate protein pancakes, THEN baked these amazing Molten Chocolate Donuts. Had no idea it was National Chocolate Day until after I made the donuts. Weird...it's like they knew.

Anyway, these donuts came out way too good. I planned on saving them for snacks, but immediately ate three out of the oven. Probably could've eaten all six.The combination of almond flour and oatmeal gave them such a perfect texture. Great as a snack, topping for a fro-yo, breakfast, or dessert. Fiber, protein, whole grains, and a little healthy fat make this one of the healthiest donuts you'll ever eat :)

I buy my flours, stevia, and chickpeas from Vitacost. Use this link for $10 off your first order!

Molten Chocolate Protein Donuts

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup almond flour
1 scoop Cellucor Molten Chocolate whey protein
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup egg whites
1/4 unsweetened almond milk
12 stevia drops

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Add batter to a donut pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.

For the frosting, I just mixed together a little Cellucor Molten Chocolate whey protein and sugar-free chocolate pudding mix and drizzled it over the donuts.

For one donut (without frosting): 104 calories, 3.6 grams Fat, 9.5 grams Carbs, 8.3 grams protein

Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

Mornings are more exciting when you have overnight oats waiting in the fridge. This cookie dough version had me flying out of bed when my alarm went off. Overnight oats are like a magical, delicious, surprise the next day.  The oatmeal mixture thickens and becomes more flavorful overnight. It's worth taking the time to prepare! Here's a cookie dough version- made with chickpeas! You probably never would've guessed, but chickpeas have a great cookie dough-like texture. Healthy cookie dough first thing in the morning? I think that's the start of a great day.

   

    

Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained (also known as garbanzo beans)
1 scoop Cellucor Cor-fetti Cake Batter Protein (or any vanilla whey protein)
1 stevia packet
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, blend together the chickpeas, protein powder, stevia, and 1/4 cup almond milk. Blend until smooth!
2. Combine the oats and chia seeds in a small bowl or Tupperware. Add the chickpea mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of almond milk. Stir until combined.
3. Allow mixture to sit overnight. Top with your favorite toppings in the morning!

Roasted Chickpeas: The Perfect Crunchy Meal Addition

Looking for a way to dress-up your everyday meals? Roasted chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) lend a savory, delicious crunch and flavor to any of your favorite dishes. Through it in salads, soups, stir-fries . . . anything! You can even snack on them on their own - who needs chips?

One half cup of chickpeas contains approximately:
         - 100 Calories
         - 20 g CHO
         - 7 g Fiber
         - 6 g Protein
         - 1 g Fat

*Note: I always choose the lowest sodium option available when buying canned beans, and I rinse them before using. The nutrition information varies slightly depending on which brand you use*

Chickpeas are a great source of fiber. Approximately two thirds of the fiber content found in chickpeas is from insoluble fiber. This means insoluble fiber DOES NOT dissolve in water. It adds bulk to your stool, and increases the passage of food through your stomach and intestines. Long story short: it keeps you regular ;) . Fiber helps you to stay full longer since it slows down digestion. In addition, fiber has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, and may decrease the risk of colon and rectal cancers. EAT YOUR BEANS : )

Basic Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas (preferably no-salt-added), rinse, drained, patted dry
Sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
3. Spray chickpeas with a non-stick spray or olive oil mister. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and crispy!

Make it sweet:

Same as above, but omit the salt and add cinnamon and stevia!

Make it spicy:

Same as above, but add paprika, chili powder, cumin, etc., anything goes!

Peanut Butter Protein Blondies. . . With Beans!

I've made my black bean brownie bars so many times, and it finally occurred to me- why not try white beans and make blondies? Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought of this idea. There were several recipes already floating around on different blogs and websites, but they either included flour, too many ingredients, or the calories were not where I wanted them to be. So, I decided to ignore what's been done already and create my own. My goal was to create an easy recipe with just a few simple ingredients. I'm really excited about how delicious these came out. Even better was that all my family members and my co-workers agree (thank you everyone)!

 Now, we must note: I tried to make this recipe a crowd pleaser. When I make these type of treats for myself, I use stevia (usually Truvia) in place of sugar. I know that not everyone is a fan of stevia, so for this recipe I used a Splenda baking blend. You can substitute according to your preferences.

Peanut Butter Protein Blondies

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/3 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup Splenda baking blend (or 1/2 cup stevia)
1/2 cup milk (I use unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will work)
Cacao chips or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. I used the convection bake option on my oven and preheated it to 325. If you don't have convection just preheat your oven to 350.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (yes, it's that easy!). If needed, add a little bit of milk or water if the batter is too thick.
3. Use all of your willpower to not eat the batter ;)
4. Spray a nonstick 8" inch square pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle with cacao or chocolate chips if desired.
5. Bake about 20 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
6. Slice into 16 squares and enjoy!

Nutrition facts for recipe: 87 Calories, 3 g Fat, 9 g CHO, 2 g Fiber, 5 g Pro*

*Substituting with stevia and PB2 knock down the calorie and CHO content quite a bit. Substituting with stevia brings the calories down to 65. Substituting with stevia AND PB2 knocks it down to about 44 calories. Substitutions will change the texture of the bar*

WAIT . . . there's more!

Throughout my peanut butter blondie experimentation phase, I tried to make a snack/protein bar version that was slightly bigger, with less calories. I know, I know, who wouldn't want more food and less calories? I just say, bring on the challenge :)

When I first pulled my bars out of the oven, I was disappointed and thought I totally failed. I got upset for a hot second and then put the bars on the counter in a corner like I was putting them in time-out. They didn't taste bad, but the texture was not "bar-like". They seemed a little fluffy and. . . crumbly? Anyway, I came home from work today and decided to give them a second chance- and they were delicious! They were much fluffier and lighter than a bar, yet still had that stick-to-your-guts yummy peanut butter flavor. I just needed to be more patient and let them cool down and set. Silly me. I also decided that they didn't have to conform to the "Blondie" theme, but that they would shine on their own as . . . Peanut Butter Protein Bread!

Peanut Butter Protein Bread

Ingredients:


1 1/4 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
1/2-1/3 cup stevia (depending on how sweet you like them- I used 5 tablespoons)
1/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Directions:

1.Same as above except cut into 8 bars :)

Nutrition Facts for 1 Bar: 100 Calories, 4 g Fat, 7 g CHO, 3 g Fiber, 10 g Pro

Bigger bar. Less calories and CHO. More protein and fiber. Yea, it happened ;) .