Snickerdoodle Protein Pancakes

I was looking through some of my old pancake recipes recently and realized I haven't posted the one that I've been making the most.

Other things have changed. I've been using PEScience protein powder for all of my protein powder recipes, and I'm obsessed. The great thing about this powder is that it's a mix of whey and casein.

Whey: A liquid by-product of cheese production (appetizing, I know- it tastes nothing like cheese). It is quick digesting and easily absorbed. Whey is best used anytime of day, especially as a protein source post-workout. Whey protein comes in a few forms, but the best is "whey protein isolate".

Casein: Casein is another milk-based protein. It has a slower rate of digestion compared to whey protein, so it provides a more steady release of amino acids to the body over a longer period of time. This protein is a good option anytime of day, but is used a lot before bed (to prevent protein breakdown overnight).

So, the combination of both of these proteins is ideal. Plus, casein tends to act like a thickening agent- and thick batters make awesome pancakes!

Also, PEScience has amazing flavors including Snickerdoodle and Blondie that are unique AND delicious. I'm not sponsored by them or paid to say any of this (I wish)....I just truly like the brand!

Back to the  pancakes. And by the way, you can use whatever whey protein you have if you don't have PEScience. If you want to buy it, Vitacost has great prices. You can use this link for $10 off your first order :)

Snickerdoodle Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 medium (~100 g) zucchini, grated (I just chop it in my Ninja food processor)
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons PEScience Snickerdoodle protein powder
1 teaspoon psyllium husk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup egg whites
Stevia to taste
Almond milk as needed (or any milk)

Directions:

1. Cook the zucchini in the microwave for one minute. Set aside. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.

2. Combine all ingredients (including the zucchini) in a food processor. Batter WILL be thick. Add enough almond milk to give it a pudding-like mixture (about 1/4 cup?).

3. Coat skillet with cooking spray. Add batter by the spoonful to the pan. Flatten slightly. Cover and cook about 4 minutes (or until pancake sets and is golden brown underneath). Flip pancakes and cook about 3 minutes on the other side or until cooked through.

Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Zucchini Frittata

This recipe was an accident. Wasn't actually planning on making a frittata, but it worked much better for a make-ahead meal than poached eggs (original plan here). Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, brinner... yes, anytime.

Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 large zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
Salt
Pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the carrots, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. Place in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. In a large, deep pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and sage, stirring often until tender and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
3. Level out the veggies with a spatula and lower heat to medium. Pour the eggs on top of the veggies and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and cook until eggs have set and cheese is melted (about 5-8 minutes).

Serves 4

Double Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Double Chocolate Protein Pancakes 

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini (I chop it in my Ninja Food Processor)
- 1/4 cup oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons chocolate whey protein powder (I use Cellucor)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 egg whites
- 1 packet stevia
- unsweetened almond milk, as needed

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Add enough almond milk to keep a thick batter.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Once hot, add about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cover and cook until the edges set. Flip, and cook until done (about another 3-5 minutes).

Top with your favorite toppings! I love Greek yogurt and peanut butter :)

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

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce

Zucchini takes the place of pasta in this light and healthy dish! The flavors of the creamy avocado on the cold, crisp, zucchini "noodles" are the perfect combination to help you feel satisfied without weighing you down. I made this dish for about two months straight during my dietetic internship. It was easy and quick to prepare, and kept me going all day at the hospital. Plus it is delicious!

I used to use a vegetable peeler to make my zucchini "noodles" and they looked more like pappardelle (a thick ribbon-like pasta). I got a Paderno Spiralizer for Christmas so I've been using that instead- I love it! No worries if you don't have one. A vegetable peeler will do the job.

There are two ways I make my avocado sauce. The first uses nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is yellow in color. It adds a cheesy, nutty flavor to the sauce, and is a great source of vitamin B12.You can find nutritional yeast in the natural section of your grocery store, or buy it in bulk at Whole Foods. I also order mine from Vitacost. The second version is more basic with a more pronounced avocado flavor.

This tastes best after it has sat in the fridge a few hours, but it's still delicious when I eat it right away. 

After using my spiralizer:

         

Served this dish with Beyond Meat Chicken Strips and roasted paprika butternut squash:

Zucchini Noodles with Cheesy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1/3 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Fresh basil, parsley, or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel zucchini into thin ribbons or use a spiralizer to make zucchini "noodles". Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place the avocado, nutritional yeast and water in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Toss sauce with the zucchini noodles. Top with fresh herbs (if desired).

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1/3 ripe avocado
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoons water
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Fresh basil, parsley, or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel zucchini into thin ribbons or use a spiralizer to make zucchini "noodles". Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place the avocado, Greek yogurt, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Toss sauce with the zucchini noodles. Top with fresh herbs (if desired).

"V" is for Vegetarian Italian Tofu Bake!

I've been SO busy and all I've wanted to do is cook and blog! Interning, working, and school are ruining my blog-life :( . I've made so many delicious meals this week and I want to share all of them. But FIRST I'm am SO excited to announce that I was one out of the four winners for the V: ABC #plantPOWER February challenge!! It was my very first entry- I had no idea if I entered correctly or what the rules were, so it was a complete shock when I saw my picture next to the other winners! Not only that, @heatherwaxman featured my picture on her amazing blog (check it out if you haven't already). So a HUGE thank you to @heatherwaxman and @proteincakes for making my day! Here's the dish:

This is actually a favorite of mine that I posted previously. Check out my tofu tutorial for information on preparing the tofu before baking (it is KEY to get the moisture out before cooking). You can basically use any veggies you have on hand- I used one large yellow summer squash and about 1 1/2 cups of white mushrooms. Preheat your oven to 400. Spray a large baking pan with non-stick spray. Place the tofu and the veggies on the pan and season with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Cover with about 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used Hunt's organic). Bake for about 40 minutes stirring the veggies and flipping the tofu once in between. Feel free to add a little more sauce on top of the tofu after they are flipped. Toss in some fresh herbs at the end (I used basil and parsley) and serve!! I actually made this ahead of time and ate it cold the next day- SO delicious!! Feel free to sprinkle with some grated cheese :).

Speaking of #plantPOWER, I made an incredible roasted kale salad this week!! If you've never tried roasting kale before, you need to seriously considering making it- like NOW. I had leftover roasted brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash, and roasted baby bell peppers. So after making my kale, I threw everything together and whipped up my favorite kale salad dressing: Susan's Lite Goddess Dressing. I don't follow it exactly, so I'll post my version here.

 Lite Goddess Dressing:

Roasted Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Feta Cheese, and Lite Goddess Dressing

Ingredients:

1 Bunch fresh kale
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted butternut squash (or sweet potato, pumpkin, etc.)
1 cup roasted veggies (I used brussel sprouts and bell peppers- use whatever you have!)
1/4 cup fat free feta cheese
1/3 avocado diced
1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds (use any nuts or seeds you have on hand)
2 tablespoons diced apple (use as much as you like or leave it out)
3 tablespoons Lite Goddess Dressing

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425. Place a large baking pan in the oven for about 5 minutes.
2. Separate the leaves of the kale from the stem. Wash and dry thoroughly.
3. Spray kale leaves with olive oil mister (or just toss lightly with olive oil). Toss with the sliced garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
4. Place the mixture on the warmed baking pan. Bake for about 7 minutes, stir, then bake about five more minutes until crisp and tender (don't go too long or you'll end up with kale chips!)
5. Toss with the remaining ingredients and enjoy!!

Lite Goddess Dressing
Inspired by fatfreevegan.com

Ingredients:

6 ounces Lite Silken Tofu
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor (I used my Ninja and have also used The Magic Bullet for this) and process until smooth.

This dressing is creamy and delicious and only about 10 calories a tablespoon!

I enjoyed my SUPERFOOD salad with my cheesecake flavor tofu protein bar (I used sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix instead of the banana flavor in the original recipe)!! This was a great way for me to use up the rest of the silken tofu that I had left over from the dressing I made.

And what's a post without some pancakes?! I'm currently working on perfecting my Peanut Butter and Fluff Protein Pancakes:

Stay tuned . . .

Hearty Kale, Bean, and "Sausage" Ragout

I've been making this dish for years. It's SO simple, yet so delicious. It's a thick, hearty, nutrient packed, comfort-food-status pretty little feast :).

I consider kale a SUPERFOOD- it's a nutritional powerhouse packed with  vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals- substances associated with the prevention of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.  One cup of cooked kale provides 36 calories, 354% the daily value for vitamin A, 88% the daily value for vitamin C, 1,327% the daily value for vitamin K, 10% the daily value for fiber, and 9% of the daily value for calcium.

Kale is also a rich source of glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that give kale and other cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, califlower, cabbage, etc.) their aroma and taste. Glucosinolates break down into biologically active compounds  including indoles and isothiocyanates. According the the Linus Pauling Institute, these compounds could help prevent cancer by enhancing the removal of carcinogens before they can damage DNA, or by altering cell-signaling pathways in order to prevent normal cells from becoming cancerous. Some glucosinolate hydrolysis products may influence hormones in ways that inhibit the development of hormone-sensitive cancers. 

So, EAT KALE!

Ok, ok,  no more science . . . onto the recipe ;) 


I got this recipe from Cooking Light, but modified it slightly to fit my preferred calorie, protein, and carbohydrate preferences. I also substituted the chicken sausage for Trader Joe's Vegetarian Sausage. Trader Joe's brand seriously has the best vegetarian sausage out there. These links are higher in protein, lower in calories, and lower in CHO's than it's competitors (Tofurky, Lightlife, etc.). AND they win the taste test hands down. No "fake" chemically taste that I notice in some other brands. Anyway, you are more than welcome to use chicken sausage instead. Applegate Organics makes a wonderful chicken sausage that is only 140 calories and packs 14 g of protein. The best part? It has a short, simple ingredient list - no hidden additives or weird ingredients. The chicken and apple sausage would be great with this ragout. (Ingredients: organic chicken, organic dried apples, sodium lactate (from beets) and  less than 2% of the following: sea salt, organic apple juice concentrate, organic spices, organic garlic.

Hearty Kale, Bean, and "Sausage" Ragout

Ingredients:

1/4 cup onion, diced
2 Trader Joe's Vegetarian Sausage Links, halved lengthwise and sliced (or chicken sausage)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced 
4 cups roughly chopped kale leaves (many stores now sell kale already chopped and ready to go!)
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cannellini beans (or other white bean)
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Spray a medium size sauce pan with non-stick spray. Add one teaspoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add diced onion and sausage. Cook until sausage begins to brown on all sides, stirring frequently.
2. Add garlic and zucchini and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add kale, beans, tomatoes, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15-20 minutes.
4. Serve! I like to top mine with a little parmesan cheese.

Extra kale? Make kale chips!! Savory, crispy, and totally addicting healthy substitution for potato chips. Lightly drizzle kale leaves with olive oil (I use my olive oil mister), sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and crispy! Note: Make sure the leaves are dry and free of moisture for best results.

References:

Higdon JV, Delage B, Williams DE, et al. Cruciferous Vegetables and Human Cancer Risk: Epidemiologic Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007 March; 55(3): 224-236. 2007.