Pecan Pie Protein Muffins

These muffins are made with coconut flour & protein powder which makes them low-carb, high fiber, & high protein - the perfect combo!

Pecan Pie Muffins, enough said.

Pecan Pie Protein Muffins

Muffins*I used the base dry ingredients from my Protein Muffin recipe:
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free!)
1/4 tsp salt
1 packet of protein powder (20g, about 2 Tbsp - I used Tone It Up Perfect Fit Vanilla)
Add:1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp of nutmeg
2 eggs
Half banana, mashed (or another egg)
2 Tbsp of coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking cups into muffin tin (or grease it).
Combine dry ingredients & mix. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Scoop batter into each muffin tin, making sure to distribute evenly. Place in the oven and get started on your pecan pie topping!
Pecan pie topping:1/2 of 10 oz package of whole pitted dates (about 10-15) *I used the other half of package from my "Fit Girl" Scout Samoa Cookies2 Tbsp of coconut oil
2 scoops of almond butter
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1\2 tsp of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1 Tbsp of chia seeds (optional)
1/2 cup pecans
Place all ingredients in a VitaMix (or blender/food processor) and blend until combined - it will become a sticky, dough type mixture.
Pull your half-cooked muffins out of the oven and scoop the pecan pie mixture on top of the muffins and use the bottom of the spoon to flatten it out and mash it down into the muffin. (pictured below)

Place the muffins back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the "knife comes out clean."

To finish, drizzle them with some chocolate! I made my own chocolate with coconut oil, agave, and unsweetened cocoa powder, or you could just melt some baking chocolate chunks :)

Baked Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with Blueberry Chia Jam

This is the perfect "skinny" brunch item or even a mid week breakfast :)

Baked Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Servings: 1

2 slices of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread

1 egg

1 Tbsp of (vanilla) almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg with the almond milk in a small bowl. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture (on both sides) and place onto a (non-stick or lined with foil/parchment) cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

*If the slices of Ezekiel are still frozen - toast them for a minute to defrost them.

Blueberry Chia Jam

Servings: 1

1/4 cup of blueberries 

1 Tbsp of water

1 Tbsp of chia seeds

Combine blueberries and water in a small and use a fork to crush the blueberries. Then, mix in the chia seeds. Let sit for 1-2 minutes ( the chia seeds will soak up the liquid and take on a jam type consistency - if needed, add more seeds)

Top your french toast with chia jam, pure maple syrup, and a scoop of almond butter and prepared to have your taste buds blown away!

"Fit Girl" Scout Samoa Cookies

These are the "fit girl" version of Samoa cookies - filled with protein, brain powering Omega 3's, and no added sugar - so enjoy 2,3, or maybe even 4 ;)

"Fit Girl" Scout Samoa Cookies

Servings: about 8-10 cookies

Cookies Ingredients

1/2 of 10 oz package of whole pitted dates (about 10-15)

2 Tbsp of coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 (overflowing) scoop of almond butter

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1 small scoop of protein powder (optional)

1 Tbsp of chia seeds (optional)

Chocolate Dip Ingredients

1/4 cup of semi sweet baking chocolate (or chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar!)

1/2 Tbsp of coconut oil

Directions

Combine cookie ingredients into a VitaMix (or blender/food processor) and blend until it becomes a "dough" type consistency. Take a spoon and individually scoop the "dough" out of the blender and roll into small balls. 

After your cookies are assembled, melt your chocolate and coconut oil together to create your molding chocolate. Then, dip the bottom of the balls into the chocolate and place on a cookie sheet (or plate) coated with aluminum foil or parchment paper (so they don't stick).

Place in the fridge until the chocolate hardens and enjoy!!

Broccoli Slaw, Brussel Sprout, & Pear Salad - 3 meals!

The first recipe of this Asian style stir-fry salad was inspired by a recipe I saw in my Tone it Up Nutrition Plan for a Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Pears.

I put together a base slaw mix of:

• 1 bag of broccoli slaw (Nature's Promise Organic)
• Shredded brussel sprouts (I put 5-6 brussel sprouts in my VitaMix and blended them into a lettuce consistency)
• 1 pear, chopped into cubes

Then I made THREE meals!

1. Shrimp Sprout & Slaw Stir Fry

Sautee 4-5 small shrimp (chopped  in a small frying pan with 2 Tbsp of coconut oil for 2 mins until almost cooked then add:

• 1/3 base slaw mix
• 1 large stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2-1 Tbsp of coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce or Tamari)
• Salt/Pepper

Sautee for another 5 minutes until the slaw is wilted then toss in a handful of dried cranberries and top with a few crushed cashews. 

There you have it, recipe #1! I couldn't believe how good this was, the balsamic vinegar added such an amazing complementing flavor to the sesame and coconut aminos, loved every bite. 

2. Curry Chicken Salad with Broccoli Brussel Slaw

 

I used my Curry Chicken Salad  recipe and simply mixed in a scoop of the base slaw mix! 

You can throw this in a wheat wrap or over some mixed greens for a tasetful, clean lunch.

3. Tuna Salad with Broccoli Brussel Slaw

Simply combine 1/3 of the base broccoli slaw mix with:

• 1/2 can tuna
• 2 Tbsp of Greek yogurt
• Squeeze of lemon juice (I took 1/2 lemon and gave it one good squeeze)
• Salt/Pepper
• Dash of cayenne
• Handful of raisins 

With my busy schedule, I need to have things prepped that I can get a number of quick, easy meals out of so this was perfect! And it helps that they all tasted amazing. That's what Nutritimentation is all about, getting creative and enjoying eating healthy foods :)

Vegetable Lasagna

This healthy style lasagna is made with eggplant slices and is layered with mushrooms/spinach with mixed in nutritional yeast to maintain the cheesy flavor. 

This lasagna has a whole lot less carbs and calories and a whole lot more benefits for your body- Veggies, veggies, & more veggies!

Vegetable Lasagna 

About 3 servings

1 eggplant (sliced- I had 6 slices)

salt/pepper

olive oil

1 cup spinach

3/4 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tbsp chopped shallots 

dash salt & pepper

1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast

coconut oil

dairy-free marinara sauce (I used and LOVE Rao's Homemade!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to BROIL. 

Coat the slices of eggplant with olive oil, salt/pepper, on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 5 min each side. Place aside once done and turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms and shallots in a frying pan with coconut oil for about 2-3 min then add spinach and let cook until wilted. Lastly, mix in the nutritional yeast and dash salt/pepper. Place aside.

In a baking dish, layer a scoop of marinara on the bottom and top with (3) slices of eggplant. Layer the mushroom/spinach mix onto the eggplant then spread on another scoop of marinara. Top with the remaining (3) slices of eggplant and spread on more marinara. 

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the eggplant is tender. 

*I made my lasagna earlier on in the day then reheated a piece and melted some goat cheese on top - soooo glad I have two more servings for another day :)

Protein Packed Fudgey Brownies

I received my Tone It Up Perfect Fit Protein in the mail this week and have also been wanting to try a black bean brownie recipe, so I thought why not put the two together? So.glad. I did!

The base of this recipe was black beans which add 8g of added protein and 6g fiber. You might be weirded out but trust me, you can't even tell! They are gooey, chocolatey, and to die for!

This is a perfect post workout snack or an after dinner guilt free sweet treat :)

Protein Packed Fudgey Brownies

1 15oz can of (organic) black beans - drained

1 packet of Vanilla PerfectFit Protein 

1/3 cup coconut flour (or almond flour, oat flour, etc.)

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of aluminum free baking powder

1 Tbsp of organic brown sugar (I used Sucanat )

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 heaping Tbsp of peanut butter

1 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp vanilla almond milk

About 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks/chips

*I didn't add a lot of sweetener but I think they came out just fine! If you want them a little sweeter, add more brown sugar and/or maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients into food processor/blender (I used my Vitamix) and combine until smooth. 

Grease (or use baking cups) muffin tin then scoop brownie mixture into each cup, making sure to distribute evenly. 

Place in the oven for 20-25 mins until they start to harden on top. 

*The brownies will seem really gooey and uncooked on the inside but once they settle, will harden a bit more on the outsides and settle. They will stay a bit soft on the inside but that's the point of fudgey brownies :)

Walnut Crusted Crispy Chicken topped with Fig & Mozzarella

This chicken was everything I could've dreamed of, the chicken was perfectly crispy with a bit of crunch from the walnuts. This dinner in a whole is filled with protein & superfoods like quinoa & kale, definitely a well-balanced, healthy meal!

Walnut Crusted Crispy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast (flattened into a thin breast)

1/2 cup flour (I used buckwheat flour, but any type should be fine)

1 tsp of chopped fresh thyme 

1/4 cup walnuts (finely crushed - I put mine in a plastic bag and roll a can over them)

Salt & pepper

2 Tbsp of coconut oil

1 (beaten) egg

1 Tbsp of fig spread

2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (you could also use goat cheese)

* I had my chicken with a side of quinoa with big handful of kale, 1 Tbsp of roasted garlic, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, salt & pepper, & 1 Tbsp of balsamic fig dressing (I used Stonewall Kitchen) 

- Cook quinoa as directed on package. Sauté quinoa & remaining ingredients in 1 Tbsp of coconut oil for 2-3 minutes until kale is wilted. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare your (beaten) egg, place in a small bowl. Prepare flour mixture by combining flour, thyme, salt/pepper, and walnuts in a small bowl, mix well. 

In a medium frying pan, heat oil on med-high heat. Dip chicken into egg and coat on both sides. Drop chicken into flour mixture and coat on both sides. 

Place the chicken into the frying pan and let fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Remove from pan and place onto a small piece of foil on a baking sheet. Top with fig spread & cheese then place in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and cook the chicken thoroughly. 

And... enjoy! This dinner is great for someone who has a sweet tooth like me, the fig gives it a hint of sweetness. Overall, AMAZING!

This walnut crispy chicken is a flexible go to for any "fried" chicken recipes...possibilities are endless!

Protein Muffins

Spent my snowy Saturday baking some protein muffins inspired by a recipe I saw by Tone It Up. These are the perfect little treats to have as a healthy breakfast (perfect for on the go!) or as a post-workout afternoon snack orrrr even as an after dinner sweet treat.

The best thing about them is....you can have two, absolutely guilt free!

I made two different flavors, blueberry, and banana walnut carob chip, they both have the same base dry ingredient recipe:

Protein Muffins

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free!)

1/4 tsp salt

1 small scoop of protein powder (I used a packet of VegaOne French Vanilla and split it between the muffin mixes)

then depending on the flavor the other ingredients varied:

Blueberry

6 muffins

1 cup of blueberries

2 Tbsp of lemon zest

1 Tbsp of lemon juice

3 Tbsp of coconut oil 

2 Tbsp of almond milk

2 eggs 

1/2 banana (mashed)

Banana Walnut Carob Chip

6 muffins

1 banana (mashed)

1 egg

3 Tbsp of coconut oil

2 Tbsp of almond milk

1/4 cup of carob chips  (these are a substitute, you could use chocolate chips)

1/4 cup crushed walnuts

*If you use an unflavored protein powder I recommend adding a tsp of vanilla to the recipe

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease your muffin tin or place in your baking cups.

In a bowl (two separate - if you're making both flavors), combine base ingredients plus whichever flavor ingredients and mix well. 

*If you are making the banana walnut carob chip ones, mix all the ingredients except the chips & walnuts, fold those in after.

Spoon the mix into your tin, distribute equally so all the muffins cook evenly. 

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins cook all the way through (you can use the knife out clean trick to tell). 

Hope you enjoy these and feel free to personalize them with any flavor you would like, so many options!

If you do try other flavors use the base recipe of:

Protein Muffins

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free!)

1/4 tsp salt

1 small scoop of protein powder 

2 Tbsp of coconut oil 

3 eggs

*I used bananas ass a replacement for some of the eggs - 1/2 banana mashed = 1 egg

*I also added almond milk & some extra coconut oil to moisten the mixture because I didn't use as many eggs

....Then add whichever spices, nuts, fruits, etc. you would like (making any egg substitutes if necessary)

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast

This is such a simple & clean recipe! Perfect for that night you don't feel like putting much effort into cooking or if you're working on slimming down....how convenient! Who said "fast food" can't help you lose weight?

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast

1 serving

All you need! 

- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used an organic one and trust me you can really taste the difference!)

- 1 Tbsp of olive oil

- 1/2 lemon

- a few sprigs of assorted fresh herbs (Use whatever you have in house or you can purchase a mixed fresh herb package)

- salt & pepper

.....Thats it!

Oh...and some aluminum foil or parchment paper :)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Tear off a pretty large piece of foil (large enough you will be able to roll up the sides to make your pocket!). Season your chicken with the olive oil & salt & pepper. Place the chicken breast in the center then begin to roll up the sides to make a pocket around the chicken (leave the pocket open - as pictured above). 

- Place the fresh herbs in the pocket with the chicken, spread them out, on the side, on top, etc.

- Squeeze the half on lemon into the pocket onto the chicken.

- Roll up and close your pocket! Just bring all the sides towards the center and roll down (like a brown paper lunch bag). 

- Place chicken in the oven on a baking pan for 20-30 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

Leave the chicken in the pocket.. it makes it more fun and a better presentation...treat yourself!

I had my chicken with a side of roasted vegetables, I seasoned them with coconut oil, salt & pepper then placed them on the baking pan with my chicken and roasted them at the same time. Easy, peasy.

Shrimp & Veggie Quesadillas

Craving Mexican tonight? Try these cleaned up quesadillas instead of ordering out!

Shrimp & Veggie Quesadillas

So since these are quesadillas, I didn't exactly measure my ingredients out, I just threw together some veggies, kale, 1/4 avocado, few cubes of mango and chopped small frozen shrimp and sautéed them in a frying pan with coconut oil until the shrimp was cooked. 

I seasoned the mixture with some salt & pepper then placed it into a small bowl. In the same pan I placed one of the Ezekiel tortillas and then sprinkled a small amount of cheddar & jack cheese on top of it followed by the veggie & shrimp mix and a little more cheese to hold the top tortilla on. Place the second tortilla on the top and let the bottom side brown then flip for another couple of minutes until the other side is golden brown.

I had my quesadillas with some organic salsa and a scoop of yogurt (Siggi's is my favorite brand, it's much higher in protein, doesn't contain any junk ingredients, and has live active cultures to keep your digestive system happy!). Yogurt is a great alternative for sour cream and taste just the same!

Feel free to get creative with your quesadillas and add whichever ingredients you prefer! This is an easy, quick, and MUCH healthier version to take-out Mexican plus.. it can be personalized...take control of your kitchen :)