Blueberry Chocolate Power Muffins :)

Mmmmmmm...muffins.
Do yourself a favour, make your house smell like mouth watering delicious muffins, and bake yourself a scrumptious healthy snack at the same time!!!

Blueberry Chocolate Power Muffins :)

Ingredients: (makes 12 muffins)

• 2 cups Whole Grain Flour
• 1/2 cup Sweetener (cane sugar, brown sugar, stevia, or any other)
• 2 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder
• 2 tbsp Cacao Powder
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Milk (regular milk, or soy, almond, any is fine!)
• 1 Egg
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 cup (or 1 snack size container) Blueberry Applesauce (or regular applesauce)
• 1 cup Blueberries
• 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips or Cacao Nibs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sweetener, protein powder, cacao powder, baking powder and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil, egg, and applesauce; blend well. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy.) Add extra water if batter is too dry.
3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Nutritional Info (using almond milk, stevia, and cacao nibs): Cal: 150, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 20g, Sugar: 2g, Fibre: 4g, Protein: 8g

In A Pinch Pancake Batter Muffins

Ever have a muffin craving, and need it fixed NOW? Or maybe you just want to whip up a quick batch with minimal effort. Or perhaps your pantry is looking a bit bare, with just a stray box of pancake mix on the shelves??

This recipe uses pancake mix as a base, and any flavors can be added in!!

PANCAKE BATTER MUFFINS

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups pancake mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Any "add ins" you want
• like chocolate chips, berries, nuts, seeds, flavourings, etc!

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine pancake mix and sugar. In another bowl, whisk the egg, water and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Add a little extra water if too dry. Blend in any add ins!
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

I added in some lemon juice and poppy seeds for a delicious twist!!!

 

My carefully chosen mix (ie the one I found in my mother's pantry) was PC Blue Menu Whole Grain Pancake mix:

But any kind/brand will work! 

Happy baking!

~Princess

Not a Coma, Just University

Finally over.

That's the only way I can describe last semester!
What a hectic few months it's been for me!! School really took up all my time and focus, and I had to temporarily let go of some of the things that I love to do in my free time (like blogging!). I know that I have the possibility to do anything in life, but I can't do everything! I try to remind myself this every day so I don't stretch myself too thin.

I did my best during that time to make time to cook and bake myself nutritious and delicious food, but I need to get back into the groove of healthy eating! Care to join me?

My first 'back from the abyss of university stress' recipe is:

Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

From Eat Clean Diet

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups / 600 ml dry rolled oats
• 6 egg whites
• 1 cup / 240 ml low-fat milk of your choice
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml ground flaxseed
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml safflower oil
• 1 tsp / 5 ml baking powder
• 1 tsp / 5ml vanilla
• 1 tsp / 5ml cinnamon
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend the mixture for 20 seconds. The resulting mixture should be smooth. Spray a griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of pancake mixture on the hot surface. Cook until the panckes are dry and bubbly on the edges. Bubbles should appear on top, as well. Turn and brown the other side.
2. Try using unsweetened applesauce or mixed fruit to top your pancakes. 

Nutrients per Serving (3 small pancakes):

Calories: 274
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbs: 38 g
Protein: 16 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: 117 mg

 IN THE PAN

ON THE PLATE

Tata for now my friends, and it was so good to see you after such a long hiatus!

~Princess

Healthy? If it's opposite day...

Just wanted to share a little treat I made yesterday with all of you:

I dubbed them,

 Reeces Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Cookies

Just a classic chocolate chip cookie with chopped up chunks of a favourite childhood treat. I mailed most of them off to a boy though... I find sharing is a good way to keep from having too many tempting tasty things in my house at once!!!

I also mailed my recently picked up copy of the Food Network magazine to him so he can pick his next victim. No I'm not even close to normal, but dating me does have some perks!

Back to healthy things soon...I hope :)

~Princess

Red Pepper tabouli

 A little taste of the Mediteranean to start my week off right!

Red Pepper Tabouli

Clean Eating Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 red peppers, diced into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery, diced into 1/4-inch pieces (1 cup) 
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch parsley, minced (1 cup)

DRESSING

• Juice 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium-size heatproof bowl with lid, pour 2 cups boiling water over bulgur. Cover and place in refrigerator for 45 minutes.
2. Pour oil into a large nonstick skillet. Add peppers and celery, sprinkle with basil and salt, and sauté on medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In another small bowl, stir together lemon juice, oil and vinegar for the dressing.
4. When bulgur is finished soaking and water is absorbed, spoon it into a large bowl with the sautéed red pepper and celery. Add parsley. Pour dressing over and stir gently.

Nutrients per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 93, Total Fat: 2 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 89 mg, Cholesterol: 17 mg 

 

 

And if normal tabouli is just too blah for your exciting life, go a little crazy and don't put the peppers in the the salad... put the salad in the peppers!!

source

Spicy Meatloaf!! Just give it a chance!

Check it out!
I made my very own meatloaf!

Okay, okay, I know meatloaf isn't exactly what comes to mind when you think of tasty delicious wholesome food...it actually makes me think of some greyish nasty square thing with a side of mashed potatoish type mush.

But mine actually turned out!
It looks maybe a 3, but tastes like a ten!

 CLEAN EATING'S SPICY MEATLOAF

Ingredients:

Olive Oil cooking spray
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp chile powder
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
2 1/2 lb extra lean ground sirloin
1 cup organic catsup
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse onion, carrots, celery and garlic until finely chopped, about 10 pulses.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, chile powder, thyme, salt and black pepper; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg. Add sirloin to egg and mix thoroughly with

your hands. Add oat mixture and onion mixture and mix with your hands until well combined. Spoon into loaf pan, smoothing top with the back of spoon. Place pan on a large baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Prepare glaze: In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Remove meatloaf from oven and pour half of glaze over top, distributing evenly; reserve remaining half. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in center. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 8 equal pieces and serve with remaining glaze for dipping.

Nutrients per serving (1/8 of meatload and 1 tbsp glaze) Calories 267, Total fat 9g (Sat 3.5g, Mono 3.5g, Poly 1g), Carbs 13g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 2g, Protein 33g, Sodium 385mg, Cholesterol 114mg

Don't discriminate against the ugly foods! They taste just as good, so give em a chance!
~Princess

Mustard Thyme Dressing (i.e. making veggies taste good!)

This is the perfect quick and easy dressing for any kind of veggie!

I discovered it yesterday in my Clean Eating magazine:

 Mustard-Thyme Dressing

   + 

 =   

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp minced red onion
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• dash salt & pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Just mix, pour over veggies, and serve!

Ta ta for now!
~Princess

2012 goal, take more tea breaks!

Phew!
This year is already off to a speedy start!
My goal this year is to take a few minutes from my sometimes hectic schedule, relax, and just BE. Put my swanky new iphone to the side (I can beat my bakery game high score later), take a breath, and forget my stresses for a bit.
Maybe start having more tea breaks?

I think this present from my grandparents will help me do just that:

How do the flavours Green and Fruity, Forever Nuts, and Read my Lips sound??
Well, got to run... I can hear the kettle boiling!
~Princess

Big batch muffins!

At home during the holidays, with nothing but time on my hands! What to do?
Why not bake a huge batch of muffins?!

source

When I start January all motivated to make great lunches to take to school with me, I'm going to be so ready in the snack department. Just grab some muffins from the freezer, and they'll be perfectly defrosted by snack time. No effort required!!

I started with this basic muffin recipe (it's good to double or triple it):

Note: It uses light spelt flour, which gives a more 'cake like' texture.

Basic Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups light spelt flour
• 2 tbsp wheat bran
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.               
3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.         

I followed this recipe, but before I poured them into the muffin tray, I separated the dough into a few batches and made some variations. Look ma, no recipe!!!

Granola muffins: Kashi granola, dried fruit, sliced almonds. (Top right)
Blueberry walnut: fresh blueberries, chopped walnuts, vanila, cinnamon. (Bottom left)
Tropical muffins: flaked coconut, rum extract, toopped with banana slices ( Bottom right)
Cinnamon bun muffins: cinnamon, raisins (Top left)

Hope everyone had a great new years, and your heads feel okay today ;)

~Princess

Strawberry oat squares = impressive family breakfast :)

A house full of family...
What could be better than an impressive, tasty, healthy breakfast treat??

HEALTHY BERRY OAT SQUARES
(adapted from Oh She Glows)

Ingredients:

For Oat Base:

• 1.5 cups regular oats
• 1 cup whole-grain flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heart healthy margarine (or you can use butter), melted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp  milk (low fat, skim, soy, almond, anything!)
• 1 tbsp flax seeds (or shredded coconut!)

For Strawberry Jam:

• 1 cup healthy jam
• 1/4 cup chopped berries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan (I used a 9×9) with parchment paper and oil the sides of the pan and base.
In a large bowl, mix the oat base dry ingredients: oats, flour, Sucanat/brown sugar, baking soda, salt.
In a small bowl, mix the melted margarine, maple syrup,  milk, and egg. Stir well.
Add the wet mixture (reserving 1/2 cup of the mixture) to the dry and mix well, using hands if necessary. Pour the oat mixture onto the square pan and press down with fingers. Use a pastry roller to smooth out if desired.
Pour on healthy jam and smooth out. Evenly drop on chopped berries.
Now sprinkle on the reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture and sprinkle on 1 tbsp of flax  seeds or coconut.
Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. Allow to fully cool for at least 30-40 minutes before gently removing from pan. Slice and then store in a container in the fridge to keep firm.


It's definitely a crowd pleaser!!

My favourite kind of jams to use for this is:

Crofter's Just Fruit:

 Smucker's no sugar added:

PC Blue Menu Twice the Fruit:

Anything sweetened with 100% fruit juice instead of sugar is the best!

Have fun making, eating, and sharing them!
~Princess

Falling Off the Face of the Earth

Wow!! I've been completely missing in action for the past week!
Exam week just seems to have that effect on me...
But despite the increase in work and stress, I've managed to keep my healthy eating and training on track! Probably because:

One thing that gives me more time to study is cooking less. Which means making large quantities of food at one time. Like casseroles! But no boring ones of course, or else those will just live at the back of your freezer until the end of time.

Spanakopita Casserole

Clean Eating

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
• 3 large bags fresh spinach (9 oz each) or 36 cups loosely packed spinach
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 4 sheets whole-wheat phyllo dough (13 x 18 inches each; Try: The Fillo Factory)
• Olive oil cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add spinach in batches, waiting 2 or 3 minutes between intervals; cover tightly and cook, tossing frequently, for about 15 minutes.
2. Drain spinach mixture in a colander, removing any excess liquid, before placing it in a large bowl; set aside. When spinach mixture is cool, mix in dill, mint and egg white. Then fold in feta until well blended. Set aside.
3. Working quickly, roll phyllo out onto a clean work surface. Carefully cut each sheet lengthwise into approximately 4 3-inch-wide pieces. (TIP: Or cut each sheet in half lengthwise, then half each of the 2 sections again to create 4 equal pieces.) Place 3 or 4 strips across the center of a 1 1/2-qt or 9 x 9-inch casserole dish misted with cooking spray, leaving about 3 to 4 inches of excess hanging over on both ends. The strips should be overlapping slightly. Mist strips with cooking spray. Turn the casserole dish clockwise and place 3 or 4 strips across the original layer, at a 90-degree angle. Mist strips with cooking spray. Continue turning and layering until all strips have been used, about 4 layers in total, misting with cooking spray after each layer.
4. Spoon spinach mixture into center of phyllo-covered dish. Fold phyllo hanging over edges into the center of spinach mixture, covering the top (no spinach should be visible). Mist with cooking spray.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. Let casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.  TIP: Phyllo can be cut with a knife, kitchen scissors or a pizza cutter.

Happy Friday!
~Princess

Banana Chocolate Protein bars

 Just gotta say, I love weekends when I actually have time to get things done. Important things. Meaningful things. Like bake stuff!!!!

BANANA CHOCOLATE PROTEIN BARS

adaptedfrom Eating Birdfood

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup whole grain flour
• 1/3 cup protein powder
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt

• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 egg whites (or 1 whole egg and 1 white)
• 1/2 cup milk (regular, almond, soy, anything!)
• 2 Tbsp your favorite nut butter (I used peanut butter)
• 1/2 Tbsp honey or agave
• 5 drops of liquid stevia (or 1 Tbsp more of honey or agave)
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/4 cup carob or chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a bowl combine all dry ingredients – oats, flour, protein powder, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a large bowl combine all wet ingredients – bananas, egg, milk, nut butter, honey, stevia and vanilla.
4. Slowly pour and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is well mixed, then gently stir in the carob or chocolate chips
5. Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 5 in. or 8 x 8 in. baking dish.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove from oven and cool for 15-20 minutes.
7. Cut into 8 squares and enjoy 
8. Wrap the left over squares in plastic wrap and store them in a ziplock bag or storage container in the fridge.

These baked goods are CLEARLY going to help me kick butt on my final food science exam next week.

Happy living,
~Princess :)

Whooooopie! ... Pies

I've got my Christmas shop on!!
One of my favourite buys so far is this baking book for my bf's little sis:

If someone has any sort of interest in baking, I try to help it flourish. More cookies for me haha. So when I saw this whoopie pie book, I had to buy it for her.

In case you don't know, whoopie pies are just delicious cookies sandwiched together with icing. It's an amazing invention!

I even research a few different recipes, so you can make them for any kind of person!

For the The No Nonsense Girl

Basic Whoopie Pies, from Food Network

I've made these before, and they're delicious!!!

For the Health Nut
Guilt-free Strawberry Whoopie Pies, from Family Fresh Cooking

For the Exotic Foodie
Pistachio, Cardamom, Whoopie pies with Rosewater buttercream, 
from Serious Eats

For the Veganista
Cacao Cinnamon Pecan Whoopie Pies, from Rawmazing

And for anyone who loves the holidays:

Chocolate peppermint whoopies pies, from Joy of Baking

Gingerbread Whoopie pies, McCormick

Now go have some fun, and relieve your stress by squishing cookies together with icing :)

~Princess

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

What a wonderful morning I had!
Any day that starts with pancakes is headed for success :)

 Today I went with Apple-Cinnamon!

I started with a bit of a short cut:

Then threw in a chopped up apple and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Who said a healthy breakfast had to be time intensive to prepare?


I find that a fruit and a dash of something are the perfect match in pancakes. Like:

Blueberry & Vanilla

Pumpkin & Pumpkin pie spice

Lemon & Poppyseed

Pineapple & coconut

 

Banana & Cacao powder

So go find your favourite whole grain pancake recipe, or find a good mix from your grocery store, and make tomorrow morning pancake perfect.

~Princess

5 Ingredient Clean Pizza

 Last night's dinner was a complete success! Delicious, healthy, and fast enough to throw together so I could have enough time to go watch the new twilight movie... and let me tell you, that movie was as intense as this dinner was tasty.

Spinach and Chicken Sausage Pizza

from Clean Eating

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz spinach leaves
• 1 14.5-oz can, no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 whole-wheat thin pizza crust
• 2 fully cooked, all-natural, deli chicken sausages, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 3 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)

PANTRY STAPLES:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium low. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place 1 cup tomatoes in a fine mesh strainer and press out as much liquid as possible. Spread tomatoes onto pizza crust. Top with spinach, sausage and mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes, or until sausage is lightly browned and cheese is melted. Rest pizza on a cutting board for 5 minutes, slice into 6 equal pieces and serve.

Nutrients per 1/6 of pizza: Calories: 230, Total Fat: 8 g, Sat. Fat: 4 g, Carbs: 25 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 12 g, Sodium: 205 mg, Cholesterol: 25 mg 

Here's mine:

ummm... The burntish bits were on purpose... to celebrate the dark and mysterious movie I was about to see. 

Happy living, 

~Princess