Healthy, Easy, Power Protein Pasta

Sometimes when I on a roll with recipe creating, I get in way too deep. What I mean by that: my dishes get really weird. Least we forget that sometimes more simple is more better. Ha. As I was creating my meal plan and grocery list last week, I was not in the mood for any of it. I wanted something simple -- something wholesome and filling. That is when I know it is time for me to get back to the basics.

Often times we get so caught up in the newest miracle food or diet that is up and coming and forget the "good ole foods". I am extremely guilty of that. A healthy style is all about balance. I cannot stress it enough. We all need different nutrients in moderation. I threw together a very simple, easy, filling, and nutritious recipe for my lunches this week. It is packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and it tastes delicious. A small portion of this goes a long way - trust me.

What you need:

- 6 oz's (half a box) Barilla Vegetable Based Pasta. Buy it here

   I like this better than brown rice pasta, whole grain, or whole wheat. It is made with freshly pureed tomatoes and carrots. You only need a VERY small portion of this pasta in this dish. The noodles are big.

- 1 pound of extra lean ground turkey (or chicken or beef, your choice)

- Half a bag of fresh spinach (add other vegetables as you wish)

- 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese 

- 1 container of organic garden vegetable sauce

   I normally puree tomatoes myself, but for this recipe I did not so I could have more flavor. As you see pictured above, I only had about 3/4 of a container. I would reccomend a full one. Because extra lean met has not fat and can be quite dry, more sauce helps with the taste and texture. I buy organic sauce at specialty grocery stores. The ingredients tend to be more wholesome and fresh.

What do you do:

- Boil noodles

- Cook meat until almost fully done via stove top in a pan

   This will also cook in the oven so leaving it a little undone will not make the meat as dry.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat baking pan of your choice thoroughly with nonstick spray

   I used a small baking pan.

- Once noodles are al dente, pour them in said baking pan, along with tomato sauce and fresh spinach. Mix thoroughly.

- Add turkey meat and mix thoroughly again

- Top with crumbled feta

- Bake for 20 minutes

Nutrition Information:

1 serving; 7 total servings 

This will vary based upon portion size, brands and ingredients used. This is to be used as a guide only.

Calories - 200

Fat - 4g

Carbohydrates - 23g

Fiber - 6g

Protein - 21g

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Cake Batter Protein Muffins with Dark Chocolate

You truly can have the best of both worlds when it comes to healthy eating. Lose weight, build muscle, eliminate fat, and still eat delicious foods. Monday night I was having an awful sweet craving. That is usually when I create my most fun recipes, and that is what I did with this one. These muffins are delicious, clean, and very filling. They would make a great breakfast additionally. There are 8g of protein per muffin!

What you need:

- 1 scoop of Pro Whey Cake Batter flavored whey protein, purchase here

- 1 cup of Coconut flour, purchase here

- 1 1/4 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

- 2 eggs

- 2 egg whites

- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

- 1 teaspoon of baking powder

- 5 packs of Stevia

- Dark chocolate morsels (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup)

*I suggest coconut flour because it is much lower in calories than other flours, including oats. It is also very high in fiber, gluten free, and paleo friendly. 

What you do:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Coat 12-count muffin tin thoroughly with nonstick spray.

     *Using muffin cupcake or muffin wrappers would be ideal I learned.

-Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon until everything is thoroughly blended.

     *I place the chocolate chips on top separately after I have poured the batter into the pan. I like mine to still be a little hard when the muffins are finished, but that is your choice.

- Pour batter 3/4 of the way full into the separate spaces on the tray

- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on top.

- Let cook for 5 minutes then enjoy!

Nutrition Information

This will vary depending on variations of ingredients/brands used. This is to be used as a guide only.

Serving size: 1 muffin (12 total)

Calories: 100

Fat: 5g

Carbohydrates: 16g

Fiber: 4g

Protein: 8g

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Clean Eating: (Healthy) Protein Cookies

Ladies, we are in this journey together.

You know this whole weight loss, I want to be healthy and feel sexy, and wash my clothes on my stomach type of journey.

Thus, on this journey, we need to eat clean. No dieting (I loathe that word) - but healthy, clean eating 85% of the time. And I think as human nature, it's imperative to enjoy what we eat. I know that I for one, always fell off the bandwagon when I detested the food I was eating. I mean how many times can you eat grilled chicken and broccoli? 

One of my missions has been to create healthy alternatives to the foods we already love. It takes a lot of time and a lot of trial and error. When I start to create my new recipes, it looks like this:

I purchased "coconut flour" and I was really excited to create all of these fun new recipes. But I am not too confident yet. 

First, my protein pancakes. They were delicious Sunday morning when they were hot and fresh. Now, not so much. They are extremely grainy and I think if I put it in front of a starving dog, he would choose to try and consume air instead. I made enough pancakes for my breakfast this week, and it's hard to eat them. I am revamping that recipe. I believe I know what I need to switch up and try.

Second, my zucchini and feta cakes. I have not tried them yet. I was going to have one for lunch yesterday, but I am fighting a cold (...again) and felt awful yesterday so I opted for chicken soup. But I am not positive about them. They were heavier than normal, I don't think they cooked thoroughly, and I am afraid the coconut taste may not be masked enough. I don't think the recipe will be a winner, but there is still a tiny bit of hope.

Third, protein cookies. OK people, finally. We have a winner. These were delicious. I am excited to share the recipe with you all.

What you need:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12-14 packs Stevia
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce 
• 1 scoop protein powder (I use vanilla)
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1/4 cup of PB2 (peanut powder - do not use peanut butter, much higher in fat and calories)
• Optional: 1/4 dark chocolate chips
• Optional: 1/2 cup plain walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees
• Coat cookie sheet thoroughly with nonstick spray
• All all of the ingredients in a medium to large size mixing bowl - you will not when it is thorughly mixed as the texture will be very creamy and not overly thick
• Take a spoon and place batter on on cookie sheet - this recipe yields 10 cookies. The cookies were fairly large "circles". I use the word circles in quotations because I am not in the business of food having to look perfect. 
• Bake at 350 from 12-15 minutes.
• Let cool for however long you want and enjoy.

Super easy. Super delish.

Nutrition facts:

• *This can vary based upon specific brands used, different variations, etc.
• Serving size: 2 cookies (yay)
• Servings: 5
• Calories: 100
• Fat: 3.5g
• Protein: 9g
• Carbs: 3g

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Clean Protein Cheesecakes

I have two recipes for a clean, protein packed dessert that I think you guys will love. Marquis and I love to take trips. We had the pleasure of going to St. Augustine in February, and are now gearing up for our Myrtle Beach trips. We usually go every month in the summer, so our second trip there this year is coming up in the weekend after next for our two year anniversary. That being said, there is usually a lot of bad eating. I treat myself on our beach trips (California Pizza Kitchen is calling my name!) so I ensure while I am home and on my regular schedule I keep the eating clean and the training dirty. I am giving myself a 14 day challenge to try and lose 5 pounds before we go. It is just fun to challenge myself.

While I am participating in my own little challenge, I love to eat my clean cheesecakes. They keep me full with no guilt and cut any type of bad cravings I am having. If only I could leave wine alone! Today I am sharing the recipes that I created in case you would ever want to try something different. The cheesecake on the left is chocolate peanut butter and the cheesecake on the right is vanilla and banana creme.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cheesecake:

What you need:

• 1 1/2 blocks of fat free cream cheese (12 oz's)
• 10 oz's of plain greek yogurt (if you buy individual cups, it's usually 1 and a half containers)
• 1/2 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 10 packs of Stevia
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of protein powder (I use BSN Chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons of PB2
• 2 tablespoons of sugar and fat free chocolate fudge pudding mix

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Spray pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside
• In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese and soften with a spoon
• Add Stevia and eggs and mix on a low setting with mixer
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend altogether with a mixer on a medium setting until well blended and you have a creamy, thick texture
• Pour batter into pie pan and bake for 25 minutes
• Once the 25 minutes is up, set oven to 200 degrees and bake for another hour
• Using a potholder, pull the pie out of the own and refrigerate for 3-4 hours then serve and enjoy!

Nutrition information can vary upon ingredients, brands, and amount used, but if you follow this recipe and do not add a crust or topping, this makes 8 slices and the caloric value (per slice) is around 180 calories, 2g of fat, 11g carbohydrates, and 30g of protein. 

 

Vanilla and Banana Creme Protein Cheesecake:

What you need:

• 1 1/2 blocks of fat free cream cheese (12 oz's)
• 10 oz's of plain greek yogurt (if you buy individual cups, it's usually 1 and a half containers)
• 1/2 of a banana
• 1/2 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 10 packs of Stevia
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of sugar and fat free banana creme pudding mix
• *Optional: Reduced fat graham cracker pieces for topping

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Spray pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside
• In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese and banana then soften with a spoon
• Add Stevia and eggs and mix on a low setting with mixer
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend altogether with a mixer on a medium setting until well blended and you have a creamy, thick texture
• Pour batter into pie pan and bake for 25 minutes
• Once the 25 minutes is up, set oven to 200 degrees and bake for another hour
• Using a potholder, pull the pie out of the own and refrigerate for 3-4 hours then serve and enjoy!

Nutrition information can vary upon ingredients, brands, and amount used, but if you follow this recipe and do not add a crust, this makes 8 slices and the caloric value (per slice) is around 195 calories, 2.5g of fat, 12g carbohydrates, and 30g of protein.

 

I have linked up with Jennifer Rizzo today for Creative Friday to share my recipes! 

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