Creamy Cauliflower "Oatmeal"

This low-carb breakfast is as thick, creamy, and delicious as it looks- and its huggeeeee!! This will keep you full and satisfied throughout the morning. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) cauliflower florets 

2 tablespoons quick oatmeal

1 cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk 

2 packets stevia 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup liquid egg whites 

1/2 scoop protein powder 

1 tablespoon sugar free pudding mix (optional, but makes everything thicker and more flavorful) 

Directions:

1. Rice the cauliflower in a food processor (basically blend until very finely chopped). Add the oatmeal to the cauliflower and blend it all together until they oats are basically a flour. Add this mixture to a pot with the milk, stevia, and vanilla. Cook for about 3 minutes. 

2. Slowly whisk or stir the egg whites into the pot-- stir constantly so the eggs don't set!! Once it starts to get fluffy (about 3-4 minutes) turn off the heat. 

3. Add the protein powder (I used @pescience ) and sugar free pudding mix (if using). Add your fav toppings!! 

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast

Pumpkin season never ends in my apartment. Had a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's adventure last night and found pumpkin flavored Rudi's bread and Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cream Cheese. Amazing apart, and even more amazing together.

I haven't had too many gluten-free breads (I'm not gluten-free) but I've heard they usually don't taste that great. I happen to think the texture and flavor of Rudi's is really good.

If you find another pumpkin flavored bread, it's totally fine to use!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

4 slices Rudi's Pumpkin bread
2 eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened cashew milk (or any milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
5 drops liquid stevia (optional)
Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese over each slice of bread and make two sandwiches.
3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, stevia, and cinnamon.
4. Spray your pan with cooking spray. Dip each sandwich in the mixture (about 20 seconds each side). Add to the pan and cook about -2 minutes. Flip, then cook about 1-2 minutes on the other side. Serve!

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

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.

Vanilla Almond Protein Pancakes

One of my favorite extracts to use is almond extract. Love the nutty, warm flavor! These were so fluffy :)

Also, don't let the cauliflower scare you! It makes the pancakes more moist and cake-like! You can omit if you don't have any, but I highly recommend it.

                              

Vanilla Almond Protein Pancakes 

3/4 scoop Vanilla protein powder (I use Cellucor Whipped Vanilla)

2 tablespoons oatmeal

2 tablespoons coconut flour 

1/2 tablespoon psyllium husk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 stevia packet 

1/3 cup riced cauliflower 

3 tablespoons egg whites 

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt 

1/3 cup almond milk 

Splash of almond extract (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions: 

1. Preheat a large non stick pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. 

 2. Place cauliflower in a food processor and finely chop. Place in a bowl and microwave 40 seconds.

3. Add all ingredients including the cauliflower to your food processor. Blend until smooth.

4. Add pancake batter to your pan by the spoonful. Cook until edges set and then flip. Be patient! They are thick and take longer than regular pancakes. Once you flip, cook another 3-4 minutes on the other side. Serve with your favorite toppings/fillings!

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Fall spiced apples layered with protein packed egg white oats, and a vanilla cream topping. This will make your taste buds VERY happy. Usually, I make overnight oats without cooking the oats. But cooking them with egg whites makes them a fluffy and thick texture that is really amazing. You can cook them on the stove or in the microwave. I used a microwave because I got home from work late and reallyyy didn't feel like cleaning dishes. You can do it either way, but make sure you watch them in the microwave. If you cook them too long they will bubble up and overflow. Every microwave is different, so my timing may be different than yours. For either method, make sure you really stir the egg whites in. No one likes clumpy eggs in their oatmeal! If you don't have all the spices listed below, just use more cinnamon!

Warning: This will make your house smell really good!

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

For the Oatmeal:

1/2 apple, diced
1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of allspice
Few dashes of cinnamon
1/3 cup oatmeal
2/3 cup water or almond milk (or any milk)
1 packet stevia
1/4 cup egg whites

For the vanilla cream:

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein
Stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Place apples in a bowl. Add sugar-free syrup and spices. Stir to combine. Microwave for 1 minute or until soft. Place aside.
2. In a different bowl, stir together oatmeal with the water (or milk) and stevia. Microwave 40 seconds. Stir. Microwave in 20 second intervals until the oats are cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed (I usually do 40 seconds, 20 seconds, 20 second, stirring in between). Stir in egg whites. Microwave an additional 20-30 seconds.
3. Pour the egg white oats over the apple mixture. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, combine the vanilla cream ingredients and top the oats. Enjoy!

Add any additional toppings you like (fruit, nuts, nut butter). I added Nuttzo Seven Nut and Seed Butter :)

Coconut Cream Protein Pancakes

Fluffy, filling, and the perfect amount of coconut flavor. I've been wanting to test out the coconut emulsion I picked up at T.J. Maxx. I like the flavor better than coconut extract. It tastes more....natural? It doesn't have a strong aftertaste. But extract works perfectly fine for this recipe too!

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons oatmeal 

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons vanilla whey protein 

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 stevia packet

1 tablespoon reduced-fat coconut flakes 

(or regular)

1/3 cup riced cauliflower (pulse in a good processor until finely chopped) 

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese 

1/2 teaspoon coconut emulsion (or extract) 

Directions:

1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. 

2. Microwave cauliflower rice for 40 seconds. 

3. Add all ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth.

4. Cook your pancakes! Be patient, flip when the edges have set and little bubbles start to form. 

I layered my stack with Greek yogurt mixed with stevia. You can also add more coconut flakes. 

Vanilla Raspberry Protein Muffins

These are magical. For real. These came out dense and cake-like, and were the perfect topping for my protein fro-yo tonight :). Also great as a snack with some nut butter!

Crumbled on top of my protein fro-yo! Protein fro-yo recipe here

Vanilla Raspberry Protein Muffins

Ingredients:

2 scoops Vanilla Sunwarrior Protein Powder (can probably substitute vanilla whey, but you'll need to use less milk)
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup egg whites
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
20-25 vanilla liquid stevia drops (or original)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 cup raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Grind oatmeal into oat flour (I use my Ninja Food Processor). Put aside in a small bowl. Add the protein powder, coconut flour, and baking powder to the bowl and stir until combined.
3. Blend together the Greek yogurt, egg whites, milk, stevia, and vanilla extract (I used my Ninja for this too).
4. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.  Fold in the raspberries.
5. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Add batter (a little more than 1/4 cup for each muffin).
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until your knife comes out clean.

Makes 6 muffins

Macros per muffin: 1.9 g Fat, 9.7 CHO, 4.2 g Fiber, 9.4 g Protein

Since many people ask, I linked some of my ingredients to the website where I buy them (iherb.com). Use the link or use the discount code ZSG766 to get money off your first order!

Oatmeal Crisp Baked Apples

My dad likes to buy in bulk sometimes, and doesn't usually check the quality of the contents in the bag . . . so he bought a bag of Gala apples. They that weren't bad, but they weren't up to par for eating on their own. My mom was about to throw them out (!) . . . but I saved the little guys when I offered to bake them up for dessert. They were SO easy and quick, so I was surprised by how much my sister and my parents RAVED about them. I decided to take a bite and shocked myself- they tasted like apple pie! This is a great, healthy dessert for the whole family!

Oatmeal Crisp Baked Apples

Ingredients:

Apples:

4 apples (I used Gala)
1/3 cup plain oatmeal
3-4 tablespoons sugar-free syrup (enough to coat the oats)
Pumpkin pie spice (or just cinnamon!)

Vanilla Protein Frosting:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional, but so tasty!!)
Truvia to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut apples in half and scoop out seeds. Leave a small "hole" to put your filling in.
3. Mix together the syrup and the oats.
4. Place the oat mixture in the "hole" of each apple. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
6. To prepare the frosting: stir together all frosting ingredients! Top your apples!

Vanilla-Scented Orange Almond Protein Pancakes

When I was picking up my usual items at Trader Joe's, I slipped a tub of ricotta cheese into my basket. I figured if cottage cheese and yogurt made protein pancakes moist and delicious, why not ricotta cheese? After some experimenting, I finally achieved a great texture using ricotta cheese- and the fresh orange zest and juice were a killer combination in this recipe. And look how pretty they are!

Orange Almond Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese (I used Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup egg beaters
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1/3 an orange (save a little for the topping!)
2 tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder
2 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon psyllium husk
Truvia and cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Blend the ricotta cheese, egg beaters, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla (I used my Ninja).
2. Mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Place batter by the tablespoon onto the pan. Cook until the edges set and the pancake starts to form bubbles. Flip.
4. Layer with greek yogurt mixed with a little orange juice and Truvia. Top with slivered almonds and orange zest. YUM!

Nutrition Facts (without the filling):  223 Calories, 6 g Fat, 14 g CHO, 6 g Fiber, 27 g Pro (!!)

Fun Fact: New research regarding the calorie content of almonds!!

    Did you hear that whole almonds provide about 20% fewer calories than originally thought? A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a one ounce serving of whole almonds (about 23 almonds) provides 129 calories versus the 160 calories currently listed on the nutrition label. The purpose of the study was to determine the energy value of almonds in the human diet and to compare the measured energy value with the value calculated from Atwater factors. The Atwater system is one of the methods used to calculate the calorie content of foods by assigning nutrients a specific caloric value per gram. For example, carbohydrates and protein both have about four calories per gram, while fat has nine calories per gram.

        Eighteen healthy adults participated in this study which consisted of a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial consisting of three different phases. Each phase was 18 days in length. The participants were administered a controlled diet containing almonds at either either 0  ounces per day, 1.5 ounces per day, or 3 ounces per day. During the last nine days of the study, volunteers collected all urine and feces which were analyzed for macronutrient and energy contents in order to determine the metabolizable energy content of almonds.

        According to the authors of the study, "When an 84 g serving of almonds was incorporated into the diet daily, the energy digestibility of the diet as a whole decreased by ~5%. Therefore, for individuals with energy intakes between 2000 and 3000 kcal/d, incorporation of 84 g of almonds into the diet daily in exchange for highly digestible foods would result in a reduction of available energy of 100-150 kcal/d. With a weight-reduction diet, this deficit could result in more than a pound of weight loss per month."


I have a feeling more studies like this one will follow . . . what other foods have been overestimated?!

References:

Novotny JA, Gebauer SK, Baer DJ. Discrepancy between the Atwater factor predicted and empirically measured energy values of almonds in human diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96(2):296-301. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.035782.