I'm always trying to find ways to reinvent "old" recipes, or to use something (like pancake mix) to transform a meal and take it to another level. I've really been enjoying the Flap Jacked pancake mix the last couple of weeks, so this morning decided to try it out as a batter for French toast. Sunday's are always a good time for a hearty yet heathy breakfast before church, and today was no exception. On the griddle this morning: Flap Jacked French Toast
You will need: 1/2 cup Flap Jacked Buttermilk Pancake Mix 1/3 cup water 4 tbsp egg whites 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 4 slices whole grain bread (I used Rudi's Ancient Grains) Cooking spray (Simple Truth Organic Olive Oil) Combine the pancake mix, water, egg whites, vanilla and cinnamon; set aside. Next preheat your griddle on medium-low heat, then mist lightly with cooking spray). Dip your bread into the liquid mixture, and cook on the griddle about 2-3 minutes before flipping. Repeat! Top with a little maple syrup and fresh fruit! Your French toast has just been "Flap Jacked" 🤗 Nutritional info per slice: 172 calories 10.7g protein 3.4g fat 25.1g carbs
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Meal prepping can be a great tool to save time and help keep you on track with the proper nutrients as you go through the week. Probably my most favorite thing to prepare in large quantities is chicken...I use it in anything from salads to tacos and with this simple method I developed, it can be a standalone flavor or even enhanced with other sauces or seasonings to create a unique dish.
The thing I love most about the cooking process is that once you put all of your ingredients into the slow cooker, you can walk away and take care of other things while it cooks. It's also comes out very moist and tender, easy to shred and anything done in one pot is a bonus! Here's what you'll need: 1/2 package (about 24 oz chicken breast tenders) 3 tsp chicken bullion (I used the "Better than Bullion" Chicken Base from Costco) 1/2 cup hot water 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp onion powder 2-3 sprays olive oil (to coat crockpot) Directions: First, spray your slow cooker/crockpot lightly with olive oil. Next add your chicken tenders and spray once over the top of them with the olive oil. Dissolve the chicken base into the hot water, then pour over all of the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining seasonings (onion, pepper) over the top and cover. Set crockpot on high, checking after 1 hour. The tenders will be thawed and starting to cook, departed any frozen together pieces as needed. The chicken should be completely cooked after 2 hours, at which time you can remove them from the broth for shredding! Shred each tender into desired thickness (I like mine a little chunkier) then place back into base broth with slow cooker set to "warm" or its lowest temperature. I find that this keeps the meat moist and tender after it has been shredded. After about 20 minutes, the chicken is ready to eat and store for future use. Drain by using a slotted spoon or other straining tool, but retain about 1/4 cup of the broth for flavor 😋 This will make approximately 4 six ounce servings at 163 calories, 0.4g fat, 2g carbs and 33.8gprotein. Greek Chicken Flatbread
Recently I was looking for wraps on the grocery store when I came across the "Flatout Bread-ProteinUp" wraps in the bread aisle. I saw some yummy looking recipes on the packaging, and decided to take a crack at my own combination. Whenever I have an idea to make something, my first thought is, "What do I have to work with?" Usually we keep a well stocked pantry and fridge, and I just happened to have some of my slow cooker shredded chicken handy, and a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread that I picked up at Trader Joes a few months prior. This ended up being a match made in heaven! Full of flavor and packed with protein, it was a nice switch up from salads and traditional wraps I had been eating for lunch. My son enjoyed it as well, which is always a plus ☺️ Here's what you'll need: 1 Flatout Protein Up wrap 2 tbsp roasted red pepper eggplant spread (Trader Joes) 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (could also do 50/50 mozzarella and feta) 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped 3 oz prepared slow cooker shredded chicken (get recipe here) 1/4 cup grasp tomatoes, quartered Dried basil Cracked black pepper First, preheat the oven to 375 (per the package instructions), then crisp up the flatbread on a baking sheet or pizza stone (that's what I used) so it will hold up well when topped with all that deliciousness. This took about 6-7 minutes (I kept mine in a little longer than suggested). Next, carefully spread the roasted red pepper eggplant onto the wrap almost to the edges, topping next with the spinach, chicken, cheese, and tomatoes. Lastly, sprinkle the dried basil and black pepper over the top. Place in oven once again until the cheese starts to brown a little (about 5-8 minutes), then remove, let cool for a minute or two, slice and dig in! Nutritional info: 337 calories,10g fat, 26.1g carbs, 37.7g protein Everyone loves a good omelet right? It was one of my favorites as a kid, and still is today. I may have gone a little overboard with the veggies, but this omelet was filling and delicious, so no regrets here ☺️
What you'll need: 1 egg 2 egg whites 1 tbsp water 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp black pepper Dash of salt 3 tbsp yellow bell pepper, chopped 2 tbsp red onion, diced 2-3 Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach (I used the organic kale/spinach blend from Costco) 1 green onion, chopped 4 grape tomatoes, quartered 1/4 cup shredded cheese (I like cheddar or Mexican blend, but it's up to you!) Olive oil cooking spray Putting it all together: First, preheat a medium skillet to med-low. Spray with olive oil then add the red onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and spinach/kale. Sauté just until tender, then move to a bowl. You can use the same pan for the omelet, just make sure to spray with a little olive oil once more to prevent the egg from sticking, and also reduce heat slightly to avoid over-cooking the bottom: In a bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, water (this was a step my mom always did when making omelet and hers were perfect!) and all seasonings. Whisk together until well incorporated then pour into the preheated skillet. My trick to making sure all the egg is cooked before veggies go on (without flipping/tearing) is to slightly lift the edges of the omelet and allow some of the raw egg on top to flow to the bottom 😉 This helps it cook faster and will also make the edges a little thicker and less subject to tearing when you fold it over. when all the egg is cooked through, sprinkle the cheese over the whole surface of the omelet. On one half, layer the cooked veggies, and top with the fresh green onions and tomato before folding over. This omelet was humongous, and ended up making enough for my husband and 20 month old to enjoy as well. I hope you will enjoy this recipe, please let me know what you think! Nutritional info (for entire omelet which could be one serving if you have a big appetite!) Chopped Kale and Broccoli Super-SaladGoing to restaurants as a kid, I always wondered what the fluffy green stuff was around salad bars and some buffet type restaurants was. Recently I read an article that confirmed it was kale, lonely and wasted for decades!! We never ate kale growing up, but now it's a regular feature in raw dishes, smoothies, soups and juices in our kitchen! It is a very versatile green that holds up well for a variety of uses. This is one of the first salads I made with kale, thanks to my wonderful step-mom's introduction to the endless combinations. Let's get chopping!
Chopped Kale and Broccoli Super-Salad 2-3 large kale leaves, finely chopped (you can use curly or lacinato cale, they are both great for this dish!) 1/4 head raw broccoli, finely chopped 1/2 lemon 4 Kalamata olives, chopped (+ 2tbsp kalamata vinegar from the jar) 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley 1 Roma tomato, diced 2 tbsp red onion, diced 2-3 Baby sweet bell peppers, diced 1/4 avocado, cubed 1/4 c. cooked wheat berries or quinoa 1/4 tsp Garlic powder (or one clove fresh crushed garlic for extra zing!) 1/4 tsp Onion powder 1/4 tsp black pepper1 "pinch" of sea salt (the olives and vinegar will provide a lot of flavor, so this is optional!) 1 tbsp olive oil Chop the kale and broccoli very fine first, with the stem as well (you can remove if preferred but it gives a nice crunch to the salad and nothing is wasted). Next, place in a medium sized bowl and squeeze the lemon over the kale then add parsley, seasonings and kalamata olive vinegar; stir well. The acids in the lemon juice and vinegar it will tenderize the kale. Dice the peppers, onion and add them along with the wheat berries/quinoa to your kale. If you can wait long enough, refrigerate for an hour before eating. This is optional but helps the flavors meld, though most time I eat it right away ☺️ This salad is super easy and delicious! I hope you will enjoy...nutritional info coming soon! While I was pregnant with my son, I had a voracious appetite for sweets...it was a challenge for me to find heathy alternatives to curb my cravings, until I discovered the cookie ball. Over the next several months, and after our boy was born, I probably went through 5 enormous jars of peanut butter and almond butter to make a variety of combinations. I thought, there must be a way to reduce some of the fat content from all of the nut butters!
Today, I received inspiration from some single serve applesauce containers I picked up on a store run the other day...and it worked! These yummy Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookie bites are doughy, soft, and delicious. Did I mention they are no-bake? It was a struggle for me not to eat the whole bowl during the ball rolling process! Here's what you will need: Ingredients: 4 oz unsweetened applesauce 3 scoops vanilla protein powder (Orgain Vanilla Bean) 2 tbsp golden flaxseed meal (Bob's Red Mill) 3 tbsp coconut flour (also Bob's Red Mill) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup oats 6 tbsp peanut butter powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup agave nectar Directions: First, mix together all your dry ingredients as well as the raisins. Then add your liquids (applesauce, agave and vanilla) and thoroughly combine ingredients. Take a little over 1 tbsp portions and roll them into balls. (Try not to eat too many of them in the process!) Chill in the fridge for about an hour to let the flavors blend, and they're ready to enjoy! Makes about a dozen balls: 91 calories per bite, 4.4g protein, 15.9g carbs, 1.5g fat Whoever decided to put an entire plate of breakfast food into a burrito was a genius...breakfast burrito inventor, I thank you! My husband loves them even more than I do, and they are a family favorite on the weekends... I was feeling froggy 🐸 this morning and decided to treat myself ☺️ This burrito is savory, delicious and while more on the side of a cheat meal, it can easily be made "skinny" by omitting the sausage and cheese, or using a fat free option. Sweet potato home fries bring this all together,
The Ultimate Breakfast Burrito🌯 You will need: 1 small sweet potato, cubed (about 1 cup) 1 egg 2 servings egg whites 1/2 serving smoked turkey sausage, chopped (I used Hillshore Farms) 1 Flatout Protein-up wrap 2 tbsp salsa (we love Muir Glen's Garkic Cilantro blend) 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp black pepper Pinch of salt 1/8 Cup or 1/2 slice of cheddar cheese (optional) For the Sweet Potato home fries: First, preheat the oven to 425. Next, peel* and cut the sweet potato into cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Mix well then place on lightly sprayed foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (may vary slightly depending on the size of your cubes) turning halfway through. I always check doneness by finding the larges cube and eating it ☺️ *If you are able to find good organic sweet potatoes, feel free to leave the skin on! It will help give them a nice crunch, just make sure to scrub well then dry before cooking :) Whisk your egg and whites together, then scramble in a nonstick pan with the sausage. Top with your cheese if adding to melt it. Now you're ready to assemble this yummy burrito! *You can warm your wrap in the still hot oven just be careful not to leave it too long because it will crisp and crack when you try to roll it! Place your egg/sausage/cheese mixture on top of your burrito, then top with about 1/3 cup of the home fries, salsa...then roll up and devour! Nutritional Stats: See nutritional info from MFP for both versions below 👇 There are some amazing photos of food that pop up on my news feed on Facebook, but often times I don't have the leisure of looking at the recipe. It's like a mental snapshot is put in my memory banks, and a few days later I'll say, "oh that would be good to try for (insert breakfast/lunch/dinner)...what do I have?" The latest food recall was a stuffed avocado...
Avocados are something that we keep on hand always...they are an amazing fruit packed full of essential nutrients, fats and soluble fiber! Their creamy texture goes well with salads, dressings, tacos, sandwiches, shoot I've even made chocolate pudding using them! For this meal however, I wasn't looking for anything complicated due to a sick toddler running (well mostly his nose) around the kitchen, so here's what I was able to put together: You will need: 1 avocado, halved (pit removed) 1 can (6oz) wild salmon, drained 2 tbsp minced red onion 2 tbsp finely chopped red/orange/yellow bell pepper 1 tsp salt free garlic and herb seasoning (I used Mrs Dash) 2-3 tbsp lowfat plain yogurt (more or less depending on how creamy you like it) Directions: Scoop out a little of the avocado from the center of each half, and, well...eat it! (At least that's what I do, or give it to my son he loves "God's Butter" as its been called ☺️) Next, combine the salmon, onion, peppers, seasoning and yogurt by mashing together with a fork. Then place half of the mixture into each avocado "bowl", garnish with cilantro or maybe some green onion (optional), then devour! Serves 2, easily doubled or tripled to suit your needs! This recipe came together in about 5 minutes* which gave me more time to tend to my little guy. He also enjoyed the combo, and seeing him happy makes my whole day. I hope you will enjoy this recipe, please let me know how it turned out for you! *Note: I had some leftover chopped onion and peppers from a previous meal, they are great to use in other recipes and keep well for a day or two! I'll give some time saving tips for meal preparation on a later post 👍 Nutritional Information (Per 1/2 stuffed avocado): 271 calories, 22.9g protein, 11.7g carbs, 12.3g fat If you're a busy mom like me, or just busy in general, it can be hard fitting in a good workout. When you are traveling, have no time to hit the gym, or are short on time, there are many apps that come to the rescue to help you meet your fitness goals. After doing some research and review screening, I decided to download the "SWORKIT" app. After two months of using this app, I can say this:
It's user friendly, with straight-forward exercise selection with the option to pick a custom workout. The free version has ads (they need to pay for their product somehow!) but they don't interrupt your workout. I also love that you can choose between different types of exercise (Strength, cardio, yoga) as well as stretching. There are custom workouts that allow you to select exercises specific to your knees (for instance low impact/no jumping is a great option for people like me with bad knees). You can choose the time you want to workout, or if all you have is 5 minutes, there's an option for that too! SWORKIT has an excellent variety of exercises available so you won't get bored. I rarely end up doing the same exercise more than once. Weights are not required, but I've added them in when exercising at home to increase the intensity of some exercises. All in all, I think there are many great workout apps available now that there is such a high demand for mobile accessible fitness applications. For me, "SWORKIT" was a winner from day one.... Do any of you use workout apps? If so which one and what do you like/dislike about them? See the link below for a breakdown of the 10 most popular workout apps available now: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/702-best-workout-apps.html So last night, we had a craving for veggie burgers. Typically, we get the frozen Amy's brand (because they are delicious and it's a good quick alternative the nights I need a break in the kitchen). When I opened the freezer, I came to the realization that we were all out! I had made black bean burgers before, but wanted to tweak my recipe around a bit...here was the prime opportunity. Luckily, we had everything needed to make a batch, and little did I know they would come out even better than the last time! It's funny how a mini-crisis can lead to inspiration ☺️ Chipotle Black Bean Burgers 🍔
You will need: 1 1/2 cans (15 oz size) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup brown rice bread crumbs, divided in half (I found Ian's brand at Kroger in the health food section) 1 egg 1/2 medium red onion 2 cloves garlic 4 medium baby Bella mushrooms, quartered 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder (1/2 for a spicier blend) 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 tbsp + Olive oil (for pan frying) Putting it all together: In a food processor, blend one of the drained rinsed can of beans with the onion, garlic, mushrooms, egg, 1/2 cup of the brown rice crumbs and all of the spices. Pulse until all ingredients are well blended, it should be paste-like. Next, transfer the bean paste to a mixing bowl and stir in remaining 1/2 cup of crumbs and the 1/2 can of drained rinsed beans (I retain the rest of the beans to add to salads during the week). Mix until well combined, then let sit for about 5-10 minutes covered so flavors and crumbs can incorporate. Meanwhile, preheat a skillet on medium heat. Once you can start forming your patties, I would advise lightly oiling your hands because the "batter" can be sticky! Take about 1/3 cup handfuls and form into 1/4 inch thick patties. Makes about 6 decent sized burgers. *Tip: if you're not feeding more than a few people, you can place some on layered parchment paper, seal in an airtight container or plastic bag and place them in the freezer for a later day!* *Also, if you want to make this vegan, simply replace the egg with 1 tbsp of flax seed meal that has been mixed with 3 tbsp of water and allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes* Now that your patties are made and pan is preheated, it's time to get cooking! Place olive oil in your pan, then carefully add your burger patties, cooking until there is a nice crisp to the bottom before flipping. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan to ensure they crisp up enough and cook thoroughly in the middle. Once cooked, top with cheese (optional) and transfer to your bun, then add toppings galore and enjoy! Here are some suggestions for bun & toppings below 👇 Sandwich Thins (or other bun of choice) Condiments and toppings: There are so many possibilities! 🍅 Cheese (I used provolone) Lettuce Pickles Tomato Mayonnaise or vegan alternative (Veganaise is a tasty brand, we love the Garlic variety) Avocado, sliced or mashed Fresh Onion I hope you will enjoy this recipe, please let me know how they turned out for you! See nutritional info for the burger by itself below, makes about 6 servings 🍔 |
AuthorKelly is a loving wife, mother, veteran, life-long athlete, personal trainer, and self taught cook with a passion for helping others. She hopes you will be inspired to live a healthier lifestyle while enjoying delicious meals cultivated in her home, and shared at your own tables. Archives
December 2020
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