Coconut Banana Mini Muffins

Whenever I see a pile of ripe bananas the first thing I think of is banana bread.  It’s sort of funny really because it’s not something I eat a lot, but I have some vivid memories of my mom’s homemade banana bread growing up.

But now that I’ve given up gluten and am trying to cut back on my sugar, I wasn’t sure what to do with the pile of over ripe bananas on my counter.  Until I realized there was no reason I could still have banana bread.  There were lots of recipes online but they all had ingredients I didn’t have.  So  in typical Janel fashion I went into the kitchen, took out a pile of ingredients and set them all out on my kitchen island.  I then proceeded to create this recipe 100% from scratch.

I ended up making mini muffins instead of a loaf just because it was hot and I wanted to cook them in my toaster oven.

I expected the measurements to possibly need some tweaking since I didn’t base it off anything, but amazingly they came out perfect the first time.  My grandma who doesn’t like gluten free or low sugar foods ate 5 of these mini muffins.  In fact my husband, who usually wont try my creations, even though they were yummy!

You don't need to be gluten free to try these amazing little muffins.  They're lower in carbs than traditional muffins would be, they're free of refined sugar, high in fiber, and full of delicious flavor.  Seriously, you've got to try these yummy little muffins!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal

2 TBS ground flax meal

3 TBS unsweetened, finely flaked coconut

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1 TBS coconut oil, melted

15 drops liquid stevia

1.  In a medium bowl combine banana, liquid stevia, egg and melted coconut.  Mix very well.

2.  In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredient to wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

3.  Spoon into a mini muffin pan.  These are going to have a tendency to stick so I suggest coating the pan well, or using mini muffin liners.  Either will work.

4.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18minutes until browned on top.  These taste better just a tad over done as opposed to under done.

5.  Let cool and enjoy!

Green Power Smoothie

I love fruits and vegetables, but sometimes it can be hard to get a lot of them in early in the morning - especially thr vegetables!

I'd seen green smoothies around the internet before but had always been a bit turned off.  Spinach in my fruit smoothie... I thought are you crazy?! 

I did think it was crazy too.  Until I tried it for myself and realized it's genius!  I tinkered around with it and the following is my favorite version.  It's sweet, fruity, tangy, creamy, filling, delicious and you absolutely cannot taste the spinach.  I promise!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 cups spinach

1/2 small banana, frozen

1/3 cup strawberries, frozen

1/3 cup pineapple, frozen

3-4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in your blender.  I like to put my liquid on the bottom, then the spinach and all the frozen fruit and ice on top.

As a side note, if you don't have a high power blender like a vitamix or a ninja you may need to blend it a few seperate times.  I put my ninja on and blend it for about 2 minutes straight and it is the creamiest smoothie in the world.  If your blender isn't that strong though, you may want to blend it and then rest it a minute before blending it again so you don't burn out your motor.

Then just pour in a tall glass and enjoy!

Recipe - Oatmeal Banana Power Pancakes

This is a great breakfast for anyone.

Whether you’re looking to cut out gluten, refined sugars or lower your calories, or because you just want something yummy and healthy for breakfast.

I’d seen recipes for oatmeal pancakes but none of them came out good so I set out to create my own, that would be as packed with flavor as it was with nutrition and I think I did just that!

　

I’m calling this my…..

　

Oatmeal Banana Power Pancakes

Ingredient:

2 egg whites

1/2 banana, smashed

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

2 tsps. raw hemp seeds

2 tsps. ground flax

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 drops liquid stevia

1. In a small bowl combine all dry ingredients.

2. In a separate bowl mash the banana very well. Add in liquid stevia and vanilla. Add in egg whites.

3. Combine all wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes.

4. In a large skillet form 3-4 small pancakes. Cook about 2-3 minutes until they easily move about and then flip. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. These taste better slightly over done as opposed to underdone because of the banana and egg. Make sure to coat the pan lightly first so they do not stick.

5. Serve and enjoy!

　

Notes:
* If you don’t like Stevia or don’t use it this can easily be substituted with a sweetener of your choice. Though I haven’t personally tried I think maple syrup or raw honey would taste amazing. The banana also has a lot of natural sweetness so depending on your taste preference you might be able to omit it completely.

* Another substitute I’ve made if you don’t have hemp seeds is to omit them and use a full TBS of ground flax and it taste just as delicious.
         * If you want this recipe to be gluten free make sure you use gluten free oats.

Recipe - Turkey Taco Chili

Last week my dinner plans were ruined at the last minute. So I had no choice but to look in the fridge and figure out what I could make. I quickly took inventory and realized I could make some kind of chili. I browsed several recipes but nothing sounded just right so I decided to wing and make my own.

I’ll be the first to admit not all of my cooking adventures come out great, but this one was fantastic!

This chili is hearty and flavorful. It’s got all the comforts of a bowl of chili with the great flavors of Mexican food. It’s fast, easy and healthy. In fact my husband, who is not usually a big fan of ground turkey even gave this recipe two thumbs up.

　

Turkey Taco Chili

　

20 oz ground 93/7 turkey (raw weight)

½ cup finely minced onion

3-4 stalks of celery, finely minced

1 cup minced green bell pepper

1 4oz can fire roasted green chiles

1 can black beans, drained

1 large (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

28 oz water

1 cup corn (note - I used fresh corn on the cob but you could definitely use frozen)

1 TBS olive oil

2 TBS chili powder

1 TBS onion powder

1 TBS garlic powder

½ tsp dried oregano

　

1. In a large sauce pot cook onion, bell pepper and celery in olive oil until onions become translucent. Then add in the ground turkey and green chilies. As the turkey is cooking add in all dry spices (I personally like to season the meat as opposed to the entire pot, I find the flavor disperses better).

2. Once the meat is cooked through add in crushed tomatoes, water, corn and black beans. Stir well and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for an additional 45 - 60 minutes.

3. Enjoy!

　

I personally topped ours with green onions and fresh cilantro (as you can see in the picture). Another time I topped it with sour cream and queso fresco which was really delicious. This would also be delicious poured over a baked potato or served with a side of corn bread or warm tortillas.

This is the first recipe I’ve made where not a drop of leftovers was wasted. We ate this for days and still wished for more. Definitely give this recipe a try, you wont be disappointed!

Recipe - Crock Pot Cinnamon Honey Applesauce (Refined Sugar Free)

If you read my last post you know I had 3lbs of organic fuji apples that I got for a bargain.  Unfortunately I already had apples in the fridge so I wanted to find a way to use them all up and then it hit me - make applesauce!  (which is delicious...unless its store bought which is not so great). 

I searched the internet and found various crock pot recipes but they all had too much sugar.  So with the basic idea of apples, some liquid and some kind of sweetener and I just winged it and made up my own recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of apples (I used organic fuji)
• 1 TBS ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 TBS raw honey
• 1/2 tsp liquid stevia

I used 3lbs of organic fuji apples (not all in the picture).

 The next step is to peel them all.

 Then I cored and roughly chopped all the apples into about 1 inch piece and threw in the crock pot.  I also sprinkled them with cinnamon and drizzled with stevia and raw honey then tossed to coat.  Then add in the water.  I cooked it on low for about 7 hours.  I then pureed it with my hand blender but you could easily have put this in a food processor.  Just blend to your desired consistency depending on how chunky or smooth you like it.

Once cooled it will look like this.

It made about 4 cups!  It was incredibly delicious and almost like apple butter mixed with applesauce.

The only note I will make is that this has a VERY strong cinnamon taste.  If you're not a huge cinnamon fan like me I would recommended cutting it down to about 1/2 TBS of cinnamon.

Definitely give this a try.  It's a lot cheaper than store bought applesauce, taste better and is more nutritious!

Recipe: Gluten Free Cinnmon Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

This recipe was inspired by another oat bran recipe I saw, but as is typical for me I had to change it around to suit my own tastes.

Cinnamon Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups oat bran
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 2 TBS Shelled Hemp Seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 TBS ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• dash of salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 TBS light agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp. liquid stevia
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
•  1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Combine all dry ingredients.  Then add in all liquid ingredients.  Mix well.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Calories - 92

Carbs - 16

Fat - 5

Protein - 4

These muffins are incredibly delicious.  The pecans and hemp seeds make them nutty, while the stevia and agave give them a light sweetness.  They are dense without being heavy and make a delicious snack or breakfast with a piece of fruit.

I definitely encourage you all to give them a try!

What's for Breakfast?

After an hour long session on the elliptical I knew I needed something super healthy for breakfast.

How about a chocolate shake?

I know what you're thinking...a chocolate shake isn't healthy right?  Wrong!  It is when it's packed with protein, fiber, calcium and omegas.  How's that possible you might be thinking...I'll share.

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Shake

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 medium banana, frozen

1 scoop EAS chocolate protein powder (or similar)

2 tsp. Chia Seed

2 tsp. Ground Flax Seed

Scoop of Ice

Blend all ingredients on high until fully blended.  Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

The chia seed and ground flax are full of omegas and fiber.  Don't be afraid of them either.  I can guarantee you that once fully blended into the shake you absolutely cannot tell they are in there.  There is no graininess at all and the added health benefits of those two little extras cannot be beat.  I actually think you could increase the amount of both of them and it still wouldn't be noticeable.

What do you guys put into your morning or afternoon shakes?  Do you use them as a snack or full meal replacement?

Soup Is On

So I thought I'd highlight a batch of my lovely "Everything in the Fridge" Vegetable Soup.

I never follow a recipe when I make this.  I generally use the same combination of vegetables, but it can and will vary slightly based on whats fresh and cheap.

I always start with carrots, celery, onion and fresh garlic.  Although admittedly I always use about double the average carrot amount because my family loves carrots.  Sautee until tender.

Then I add in my diced up cauliflower and cabbage.  I like to let this cook for about ten minutes.

I add chopped zucchini last because it cooks faster than all the other veggies and if you add it in at the beginning it can get too smushy. 

Lastly I added in about 8 cups of beef broth.  You could easily use chicken if you prefer the taste, or vegetable broth if you wanted it to be vegetarian.  My family just happens to love veggie soup with beef broth.  I also added in a cup of frozen mixed veggies at the end.

And lastly my secret weapon.  I added in 3 bay leaves and a splash of this stuff.  I add this stuff to gravy, soup and stew.  Anytime you're using beef broth this stuff is guaranteed to make it richer.

Once everything is in I let it simmer for about 45 minutes on low, but the longer you let it simmer the more developed the flavors will get.  It also taste great the next day!

Adventures in Gluten Free Baking - Fruit & Nut Muffins

I took a shot at my first batch of gluten free goodies today and they came out great!

Gluten Free Fruit & Nut Muffins

1 1/4 cup Pamelas Gluten Free Baking Mix (I'm sure you could use another brand or even adapt this using non-gluten free baking mix if you want, but I haven't tried that myself)
1/4 cup Organic Light Brown Sugar
2 TBS Organic Ground flax
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in large baking bowl.


I used one of those nifty BabyCake Cupcake Makers so it made 12 small muffins that baked in about 8 - 10 minutes.  Definitely keep an eye on them though because they can burn quickly.

I definitely suggest trying these muffins!  They're nutty, dense and not too sweet.  Yummy for anyone!

Recipe: Grandma's Easy Enchilada Bake

My husband loves Enchiladas...the way his mom makes them.  We've been marrid just over a month (but together almost 3 years) and until yesterday I'd still never made him enchiladas because I was afraid they wouldn't compare.  so I sucked it up and decided to make them and the first person I knew I needed to call was my grandma who, for as long as I can remember, has made what we call an enchilada bake.  All the flavors of enchiladas, but layered instead of rolled.

This is my grandma's recipe, with a tiny alteration because I added in the can of black beans because I love black beans, and a can of green chiles because my hubby loves them.  It came out amazing!

Grandma's Easy Enchilada Bake

1 Jar or can of green enchilada sauce

1 large can of premium canned chicken packed in water, drained

1 can of black beans

1 small can of green chiles

1 medium onion, minced

9 TBS of sliced black olives

8 oz reduced fat monteray jack cheese, shredded

8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

9 - 6" corn tortillas

1/2 tsp cumin powder

salt & pepper to taste

The first thing you're going to want to do is finely mince the onion, then saute it.  Once the onion is softened add in the canned chicken and break the pieces up.  Then add in your can of green chiles and mix.  This is the point where I usually add in my cumin and salt and pepper to taste.

Next you're going to add in the black beans which should be drained and rinsed (it takes off the thick coating and extra sodium).

Now that your filling is done you're going to get started on layering.  You can really use almost anything.  I made mine in a 9" glass pie plate since that's what I had on hand. 

Next heat the green enchilada sauce in a pan.  you're going to want to dip the tortillas in the warmed sauce.  This coats the tortillas and softens them making it easier to layer, and giving everythign more flavor.  Before you layer the enchilada bake you MUST coat the bottom of the pan in a very thin layer of the enchilada sauce.  This prevents the tortillas from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Next you're going to start layer.  I ended up using 3 corn tortillas per layer, but I did have to break them in half to make them fit in my pan.

Now you're going to want to layer in half of your enchilada mixture, pressing down lightly so that you've got a nice even layer of chicken and beans.

Now sprinkle on about 1/3 of your cheese, about 3 tablespoons of sliced black olives and a few tablespoons of your green enchilada sauce.

Now you're going to repeat those steps one more time, adding one more layer of corn tortillas (again, coated in the green sauce), the remaining chicken and bean mixtue, 1/3 of your cheese, 3 more tablespoons of black olives and a little of the green sauce.

For the final layer you will top with the last 3 corn tortillas (still coated in the last of the green sauce), the remaining cheese, and the remaining black olives.

This bakes at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.  Cover with foil before baking.

This serves 4 - 6.  Last night we got 4 very heart servings but I was pretty full and definitely think with a side of rice or a nice side salad this would serve 6 adults easily.

I like to garnish mine with chopped green onions, some finely shredded iceberg lettuce on the side and nice dollop of light sour cream.  Enjoy!

Recipe - Green Chile, Ham & Cheese Quesadilla

Despite the fact that this is my second Quesadilla recipe since starting this blog, I don't usually eat them a lot.  I love them but always figured tortillas and cheese were too many calories (or points!) but I discovered they're actually incredibly versatile, cheap to make and fast and easy.

I really like Quesadillas, but just cheese and tortilla can be a bit gummy and bland.  One of my favorite combinations is ham and cheese.  The ham adds a lot of flavor and extra protein without a lot of extra calories.  Today I wanted to kick up the flavor a bit and added some green chiles since I had an open can in the fridge and wanted to use them up.

I topped half of a low carb, high fiber tortilla (2 points) with 1/2 an ounce of mozzarella, then added 1 ounce of lean ham (1 point) and topped it with the remaining 1/2 ounce of mozzarella (2 points total for cheese).  You want to make sure you have cheese on top and bottom of the ham so that the quesadilla doesn't fall apart.

It gets a bit crispy on the outside, gooey from the cheese and sort of sweet and smokey from the ham.  The green chiles also add a nice kick of flavor but no heat.  This is also great with a little jalapeno with the green chiles or substitiuted for them.

I rounded my breakfast off with a cup of fresh strawberries and it was delicious!

Cooking for Two - PizzaDilla

Last night, with no idea what to cook, inspiration struck...I would mix all the flavors of pizza in a quesadilla (something my mom did a few times growing up).  It's fast, cheap and easy, and delicious!

It's also great for my husband and I because I can use a lower calorie tortilla, less cheese and more veggies on mine while filling his with more calories.  This is a great pizza substitute if you're pressed for time (takes less than 10 minutes) or its too hot to use the oven.  It's also a great calorie (or point!) saver compared to take-out pizza.  This would be great to make with kids too since they could very easily help make it and its easy to use different toppings on each pizzadilla.

First I cooked a bunch of green and red peppers and onions (some for tonight's dinner and some for beans).

I went ahead and saved some peppers and onions in a small bowl for the pizzadillas and took the opportunity to make some spicy beans made with organic tri-bean blend and half a can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos.  I then lightly spiced them with cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and let them slowly simmer for tomorrow dinner. They reheat wonderfully!

Next let the griddle get nice and hot then top each tortilla with 1 1/2 - 2 TBS of pizza sauce.

 Once the bottom tortilla has heated up top with mozzarella and desired fillings.  Use half the cheese, then add your toppings then add the other half of your cheese on top of the toppings.  This will ensure that the other tortilla will stick to your quesadilla.

We used sliced black olives and the peppers and onions but this could be filled with any assortment of veggies, pepperoni, etc..  The possibilities and flavor combos really are endless.  I would suggest letting the cheese begin to melt before adding the top tortilla.

Then let the tortilla crisp up...

I slice mine with a pizza cutter.....and enjoy!  So delicious!