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