Posts Tagged by Food Blog
Mexican Cornbread Casserole
| March 1, 2016 |
Ok, so I realize this is my second Mexican dish in a row but what can I say? I’m Mexican. And I’ve always preached you can’t be on a diet eating food you don’t like. So made something I LOVE. I’ve had it planned in my meal prep for 3 weeks straight. I’m hooked! If a tamale and an enchilada had a baby, this is it.
Mexican Cornbread Casserole
Macros per serving: 12g Fat, 36g Carbs, 26g Protein (Serves 7)*
- 1 (8.5 oz) box of corn muffin mix
- 1 can of cream style corn
- 4 oz can of diced green chilies
- 1/3 cup fat free milk
- 4 tbsp liquid egg whites
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 1/3 pounds (21 oz) of skinless boneless chicken breast – cooked and diced or shredded
- 10 oz can of red enchilada sauce
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 cup of shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
*Macros were calculated off Jiffy corn muffin mix, Del Monte corn, La Preferida green chilies, Fairlife milk (my favorite!), All Whites 100% egg whites, Las Palmas enchilada sauce, 220g onion, Kraft Mexican Four Cheese blend, and 32 grams of Pearls sliced black olives.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl (muffin mix, corn, green chilies, milk, egg whites, and taco seasoning). Mix until well combined. Pour into a glass casserole dish coated with cooking spray and bake for about 35 minutes. ~ This time will vary based on your casserole dish size, glass depth, oven, etc.
While that’s baking, slice (or dice) your onion and sauté or grill to your liking. If you grill in slices it will be like veggie fajitas. If you dice and sauté, it will act more as flavoring. Once cooked, mix the onion, chicken and red enchilada sauce in a bowl until everything is evenly coated and set aside.
Now your corn bread base may be ready to pull out of the oven. You’ll know it’s ready when the edges are golden. Use a fork and poke into the center of the corn bread base to allow for little pockets of space for the enchilada sauce to seep into.
Note: The mixture is raw if it is runny. If its solid enough that it sticks to the fork, its ready. It should be somewhat sticky and thick.
Pour the chicken mixture evenly over the top of the corn bread base. Top with cheese and olives. Place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Slice and serve.
Meal Prepping tip! Since 7 servings is hard to cut a dish into, I slice it into 8 pieces. Then I weigh 7 slices and add bits and pieces from the last slice into my tupperwares until all 7 tupperwares weigh no more than 0.1 oz from each other so each serving is nearly identical.
- 1 (8.5 oz) box of corn muffin mix
- 1 can of cream style corn
- 4 oz can of diced green chilies
- 1/3 cup fat free milk
- 4 tbsp liquid egg whites
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 1/3 pounds (21 oz) of skinless boneless chicken breast - cooked and diced or shredded
- 10 oz can of red enchilada sauce
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 cup of shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray and bake for about 35 minutes.
- Slice (or dice) your onion and sauté or grill to your liking. Mix the onion, chicken and red enchilada sauce in a bowl until everything is evenly coated and set aside.
- When you're corn bread base is done, using a fork, poke holes into the corn bread base to allow for little pockets of space for the enchilada sauce to seep into.
- Pour the chicken mixture evenly over the top of the corn bread base. Top with cheese and olives. Place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Macros were calculated using Jiffy corn muffin mix, Del Monte corn, La Preferida green chilies, Fairlife milk (my favorite!), All Whites 100% egg whites, Las Palmas enchilada sauce, 220g onion, Kraft Mexican Four Cheese blend, and 32 grams of Pearls sliced black olives.
Visiting Koreatown & How to Make Kimchi
| October 30, 2014 |
A while ago, I visited Koreatown for the first time in Los Angeles with a bunch of other food bloggers in the area. Christina of Christina’s Cucina was our tour guide for this food crawl. It was my first time ever in a Korean market and boy was I glad Christina was our tour guide. There were so many things that I’d never seen before or never cooked with before. By the time our crawl ended, I had a full bag of groceries and somewhat of an idea on how to use them…
What I learned was…
1. Most food packaging is not in English, but most still have the ingredients and nutrition listed in English.
2. Watch out for MSG. It’s in a lot of products offered at a Korean supermarket.
3. When they have jerky-like fish samples… it’s not jerky. It’s meant to flavor broth.
4. You can buy SO MUCH MORE in terms of produce. It’s a lot cheaper. Even organic food is cheap!
5. I love buckwheat noodles. They have a similar texture to normal noodles but have protein in them! Great way to sneak in extra protein on those cheat days when I eat carbs.
6. Bibimbap is actually a pretty healthy lunch option, as are many Korean food items.
7. It’s official. I can’t resist the milk tea and boba… No wonder why I rarely go to a mall. The boba calls to me.
8. Kimchi (or Kimchee) is really cheap and easy to make. Save yourself the $ and just make it yourself.
Easy Kimchi (Kimchee) with Sriracha
- 1 head of napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup white rice vinegar
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1/3 cup sriracha
- 1 bunch of scallions
Directions
Quarter cabbage lengthwise, then chop into pieces. The size of your chop depends on how little or big you want each bite. I chopped 2 to 3 inches each piece.
In a large bowl, toss with 1/2 cup of kosher salt and let stand for 2 hours at room temperature. Toss occasionally (about every 20-30 min) while it sits. Drain excess water as needed when tossing.
Rinse cabbage with water & drain. Squeeze out all the excess water with your hands and transfer to a large bowl. Tip: I used a colander during this process. It makes it much easier to rinse & drain.
Purée garlic and ginger with vinegar in a blender & pour over cabbage. Add scallions and sriracha. Toss until the cabbage is evenly covered.
Put it in a jar and let it marinate overnight in the fridge & enjoy!
Note: The longer you let the flavors marinate in the jar, the better you’re kimchi will taste. If you have the patience, wait a week before eating it.)
Storage: The best type of containers to store Kimchi is in a glass container. The red juice can stain plastic containers. Keep it in the fridge. It should last you a while because it’s fermented. Mine lasted me about 2 months before I ate it all (and it wasn’t bad yet). I have no idea how long it actually will last because I ate mine before I could find out.
>> If you keep yours longer for 2 months, let me know and I’ll update this to let other readers know how long it lasts.
New Year, New Goals (and why have I been MIA?)
| January 2, 2014 |
I know I have been a little MIA the past few months… let me explain. The past few months I have been on a roller coaster. One minute I am super motivated and eating right and the next I am picking up old habits and saying things like “tomorrow I will go to the gym” and “tomorrow I will be more strict on my diet” … but waiting until tomorrow is the oldest cliche in the book.
Yes, every day is a new day and new opportunity to start fresh and make good decisions, but every time you take another bite is a decision. You don’t have to wait until the next day to make a change. Why not start (or re-start) with the next fork full of noms?
I know very very well how temping the gooey artichoke dip can be or happy hour at the local sushi place. Trust me, I will admit that in the past 3 months I have gained 10 pounds. I felt like I couldn’t preach to the blogging world about my weight loss journey when all I was doing was gaining – sitting on my couch while eating Thai take-out. That’s not a positive journey at all – a journey to the dark side. I was feeling so guilty about my new habits but didn’t have the motivation to do anything about it. Even my trainer started to get more on my back about what I ate and my lack of exercise because it was noticeable.
So what happened? I had the right mindset and I was on top of my game…. life happens. No one said it was easy. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be so many people out there struggling with the same things I am. You have to make time for your goals because no one is there to micromanage your every decision.
I was talking to a friend of mine on new years eve who recently lost 50 pounds. There are no miracle diets or workouts any one person can do that works for everyone across the board, but the true secret to her success was and is her mindset. I know it sounds cliche but even I have said that in the past (when I was on my weight loss streak). She told me that every day she took some “me” time to keep her on track, just thinking about the future.
This leads me to my new year’s resolution:
I will wake up every morning and stretch. Side Tangent: I am not a fan of yoga. I’m going old school with traditional stretching because if your muscles are tight, you have a far higher risk of injury when working out. While stretching, I wont think about my scary long to-do list. This time is for reminding myself who I want to be. Where do I see myself next year and how do I get there? I am the only one holding me back from my goals. This year will be a year of change.
Also, from now on I am counting macros (macronutrients). So all my new recipes will have the fat, protein, carbs and fiber listed (throwing in fiber for good measure). My trainer Emily Mraule thought it might be easier for me and my creative cooking to calculate my macros rather than just tell me what to eat. So I am keeping a food journal to keep me on track. Too bad I didn’t get that food scale I wanted from Santa this year, haha.
Did you make a plan-for-sucess to keep you on track for your new year’s resolution?
{Gluten-Free} Soft Lemon Snowballs
| December 11, 2013 |
It’s that time of year again – The Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by my friend Julie from The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil! It’s only my second year participating but definitely a holiday treat to look forward to.
All food bloggers are invited. Basically, after registering with your donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, you get the names of 3 food bloggers that you will be sending cookies to, and 3 food bloggers have your name. So just after Thanksgiving, before Christmas, you start getting cookies in the mail. Who doesn’t love getting packages?
Last year OXO was the sole sponsor and I got a cute “Be a good cookie” spatula in the mail. This year, OXO returned as a sponsor along side Gold Medal Flour, Dixie Crystals, and Grandma’s Molasses. Julie and Lindsay were able to raise $13,778.40 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer this year thanks to these sponsors and all of the bloggers that registered to bake! Congrats guys!
I always try my best to make a healthy or skinny cookies that everyone would love. No one wants a “diet” cookie. This recipe definitely took some testing. I failed a few attempts at first but I finally got the recipe just right AND it’s super easy to make. You don’t even need a fancy stand mixer or anything! (Although I do like to take advantage of any chance I get to pull out my KitchenAid.)
These are not your traditional snowballs. Firstly, they are soft. The almond flour gives the cookies a moist and soft texture. I started with coconut flour but the cookies were horrible, so don’t try subbing the flours unless you plan to modify other aspects of the recipe too. Secondly, these are lemon.
… what kind of Disney fan would I be if I didn’t throw in a Disney gif right here?
Diet tip!
Between this cookie swap, my family’s annual cookie party, and other holiday parties I am around A LOT of cookies during December. One of the best ways I found to curb my cookie nomming is planning. Before a party, I tell myself how many cookies I will allow myself to eat and I usually pick a number between 0 – 4 depending on my fitness level that day and how well I had been following my diet that whole week. When you bring cookies home with you, pre-package your cookies into snack baggies with 2 in each bag. That way it’s easier to take them for lunch and limit how many you eat versus keeping them all in one cookie tin and allowing yourself to munch on them late at night.
{Gluten-Free} Soft Lemon Snowballs
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg white (beaten)
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar to coat the cookies in
Mix all the ingredients together, excluding the powdered sugar, using a spoon or spatula. The “dough” should be the texture of grits or thick oatmeal.
Refrigerate the mixture for minimum 2 hours. Overnight is best.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into little balls, just under one inch in size. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are golden.
Let them cool for a few minutes. Then roll them into the powdered sugar while the are still warm. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe makes 12-15 cookies.
**Paleo Hack: Swap out the sugar for raw honey. Add an additional 1/3 cup of almond flour and 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut. When they come out of the oven, drizzle them with more honey instead of rolling them in sugar. Thanks to Nom Nom Crunch reader Tony for the recipe hack!
Check out some of the cookies I got in the mail! Click the photo to go directly to the recipe!
Thanks so much Monica (Dainty Morsels), Sunshine (Crave Local Orlando), and Amy & Laura (The Table Blog) for the amazing cookies!
Saying Hello to the Bunnies
| August 21, 2013 |
This week, I was a guest blogger on Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth.
Now if you haven’t checked out Catherine’s blog, you really should. Catherine is both a friend and sorority sister of mine and all her recipes are to die for. They are super easy to make and follow the Rabbit Food Pyramid, which consists of produce, whole grains, protein and plant-based fat. The bunny diet!
Wanna know a little fact? I actually started NomNomCrunch on her couch. Haha.
When I was brainstorming what to blog about, I always think first, “what have I personally been eating or wanting to try lately?”
I’m going to tell you a little secret: I never really liked oats.
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I just started working out with a new trainer. I wanted a meal plan to follow because lately I have just been all over the place eating caloric and fatty foods left and right. When I got my meal plan, oats were listed on there every single day!
Note: My trainer DID ask me if there was anything I didn’t like, but I told her I liked everything… I knew there would probably be oats on there, and honestly I really just wanted to learn to like them.
So it came to me. Catherine has an awesome Fluffy Oats Recipe that I could add my little extra touches and make it something I like. So after many mornings gone awry, I finally figured out a few recipes that make me LOVE my oats.
Head over to Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth
to check out my oat recipes (or scroll below)!
I’m going to tell you a little secret: I never liked oats.
Recently I started working out with a new trainer and she asked me if I liked oats because that’s what she was planning for my daily breakfast. I told her, “of course I like oats!” But the truth is, I only WANT to like oats. I never actually made it to the point of actually liking them yet…. until I got creative. I have a sweet tooth so you’ll notice I added stevia in EVERYTHING!
For my oat customization recipes, use Catherine’s Fluffy Oats Recipe as the base.
Fluffy Oats
Serves 1
1/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup water
1 egg white (1 egg white = 2 tbs if you’re using it from a carton)
Whisk the egg until it gets a little fluffy/foamy. Combine with oats, water, and almond milk in a saucepan and bring heat to medium. Whisk the mixture until it starts to simmer. Raise the heat to high and continue whisking for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat back to medium and whisk until most of the liquid is soaked. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy with toppings!
Note: Be sure to whisk the egg before combining with other ingredients!
Now for the customizing…
Berry Bliss
When you are combining the oats, water and almond milk together:
+ 2 tsp of vanilla extract
+ 2 tsp of stevia
Top it off with a berry reduction:
Put a handful of mixed berries into a food processor or blender. (I used raspberries and strawberries.) Then pour into a sauce pan, add 1 tsp of stevia and bring your stove to high heat, slowly stirring the mixture consistently. When the sauce begins to bubble and the color darkens, reduce to medium heat and continue to stir to prevent burning. After about 2-3 minutes, it’s ready to pour onto your oats. The sauce will be the consistency of olive oil.
PB&J
When you are combining the oats, water and almond milk together:
+ 3 tsp of PB2 or another powdered peanut butter alternative
+ 2 tsp of stevia
Top it off with a spoonful of your fav jam or jelly. I used a natural huckleberry jam I got from while on vacation in Yellowstone. Just keep in mind when adding your jam/jelly, many of them have added sugars so you don’t want to go crazy with it.
Choconut
When you are combining the oats, water and almond milk together:
+ 1 tbs of unsweetened coco powder
+ 3 tsp of stevia
SWAP the water for coconut water
Top it off with some coconut shreds and almonds.
Apple Pie
When you are combining the oats, water and almond milk together:
+ 1 tsp cinnamon
+1 tsp vanilla extract
+ 3 tsp of stevia
Top it off with caramelized apples:
Heat up 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and 1 tsp of honey in a small skillet on high heat. Once the oil and honey are warm, add half of an apple to the skillet, chopped or sliced. Any type of apple will do. Traditionally apple pie is made with McIntosh apples (according to Eating Well), but I just like to use whatever is on hand. I used HoneyCrisp. With a wooden spoon, stir the apples around until they are completely coated in the oil and honey. Continue to stir until the apple begins to soften and turns to a golden brown. Then pour onto your oats.
Note: Because this recipe has real sugar (honey) in the mix, it will burn a lot easier than the berry recipe. Keep an eye on your apples and keep stirring. Burned honey on your pan can mean death to your pan.
Easy {Vegan} Coconut Whipped Cream
| August 1, 2013 |
I read a while back that if you put a can of coconut milk in the fridge, the liquid and cream separate – making it super easy to make whipped cream. So I figured I’d give it a go…nailed it! Haha.
It was really easy. I did some research and found that depending on the brand and how much fat is in the coconut, some cans will have different results than others after being in the fridge. — more on that below.
{Vegan} Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can (13.5 oz/400mL) of full fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Place the unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge. Most cans of coconut milk, you can assume it’s full fat unless otherwise stated. Leave the can in the fridge for a minimum 48 hours. I personally left mine in there for about 2 weeks because I didn’t have time to use it for a while.
When the 48 hours have passed (or you finally found the free time two weeks later – like me), open the can. Be very careful not to shake or move the can around too much. Once you open it, you want to carefully scoop out the top layer of cream and put it into your mixing bowl.
Most cans, after refrigerating, will allow the cream and the liquid to separate. So as you scoop the cream out, notice if you see a pool of liquid at the bottom. You don’t want the liquid in your mixing bowl. If your can is like mine was, for some reason the layer of liquid was almost non-existent. The tiny half a teaspoon of liquid at the bottom was so insignificant, I just decided to put it in my mixing bowl anyways. (I wondered if this is because I left it in there for 2 weeks.) If you do have the layer of liquid at the bottom of the can, don’t throw it out. You can make ice cubes with it or throw it in the fridge to throw in a smoothie later.
Whip the coconut cream using a stand or hand mixer on medium until the cream starts to thicken. Add the vanilla. Increase the speed to a med-high setting and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time while the mixer is still going to ensure that no large clumps form and the texture is smooth. Whip until fluffy and the whipped cream is able to form small peaks.
Now it’s ready to serve… but if it started to look a little runny after mixing, put it in an airtight container and let it cool in the fridge again. Before serving, give it a quick whip using a normal hand whisk to fluff it back up.
I personally LOVE the coconut flavor. I was all excited telling everyone I made vegan whipped cream, but as my boyfriend kindly informed me – you need to tell people if it’s made with coconut. Otherwise, taking a huge bite and expecting it to taste like cool whip is a little shocking to say the least. He loved the flavor but said if you weren’t expecting it, it’s not a pleasant experience.
I love dipping my strawberries in the whipped cream. It’s a guilty little treat I could use as dessert (without feeling too guilty). It would also taste good topped on a smoothie or even plain if you really want to indulge.
You can also skip the added sugar if you want to make it a little healthier. It still tastes pretty good… it’s just less like cool whip, which is what I was going for. But it still fluffs up and has the texture of whipped cream to it if you wanted to go that route. You may need to increase the whipping speed if you choose to skip the sugar.
Because it’s heat sensitive, be sure to keep it cool. If you plan to serve it at a BBQ or something, just make sure the whipped cream stays cool. I know my kitchen gets really hot anytime I fire up the stove or oven so my whipped cream would melt pretty quickly in that heat. The easiest way to keep it cool is to find a bowl larger than the one your whipped cream is in and fill it with ice. Then put your bowl on top of the ice. Easy peasy.
Raw White Grapefruit Cilantro Dressing
| July 8, 2013 |
A coworker of mine brought in a ton of HUGE white grapefruits for everyone to take home. I didn’t know much about white grapefruits. Most grapefruits I’ve eaten are pink inside. After doing what anyone would do (hello Google!) I discovered white grapefruits are generally a little more tart and bitter than the pink ones, which tend to be a little sweeter.
So I figured I’d try it in recipe like a lime. Less sour so I could make a simple recipe with only a few ingredients, no salt needed to balance out the sour. I’d never experimented with them before but my recipe was a success!
Sneak peek into my next recipe: it also includes white grapefruit and has my best friend’s stamp of addition on it, so you better buy some extra grapefruits. I’ll post that one later this week once I get my new memory card reader in the mail. (I lost mine, fail).
White Grapefruit Cilantro Dressing
- 1/2 white onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic (I used 4 because my cloves seemed larger than usual)
- 1 bundle of cilantro (about 1.5 cups chopped)
- juice of 1 white grapefruit (no more than 3/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (make sure it says for dressing and not for frying)
Directions
Put the onion and garlic in the food processor and chop fine. Add the juice and chopped cilantro. (My cilantro comes from the regular market in a bundle and I have seen it like that at multiple stores. But if your store doesn’t sell the cilantro in a bundle, once you chop it up it should equal around 1.5 cups.) Once it’s all chopped, almost like a pesto, add the olive oil and continue to allow the food processor to do it’s work until it’s all mixed and chopped into a pesto (or liquid) form.
Recipe makes about a full bowl full. If you make it, plan to eat it all week or freeze some for later.
Note: A really nice high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec will be able to process the recipe into a liquid. More cost effective products like my food processor (a Cuisinart) will produce more of a pesto texture.
ALSO!!! This recipe tastes amazing cooked as well!!! Sorry, I don’t have any photos but I have been making my scrambled eggs with it, and using it as a sauce for chicken on the BBQ. It’s very versatile. If you prefer a less potent garlicky oniony taste, you can sauté the garlic and onion before adding it to the food processor. I keep mine raw until I add it into my recipes (like my grilled chicken) so I have the option to cook or not to cook. AND, pre warning you – worst garlic breath ever. Definitely not a good date food, haha.
Skinny Pineapple Dole Whip
| June 4, 2013 |
You all know I’m a Disney nut – and if you’re a Dole Whip fan, you know how long that line is at Disneyland. The last time I went, there was NO LINE! So, I did what any Dole Whip fan would do: run to the counter all giddy and ready for a nice cold cup of whip. But then reality set in when I realized I had just eaten, was not hungry, and should probably not eat the calories and sugar, so I backed away slowly as my impulsive self was starting to calm down.
This inspired me to make a healthier alternative to the iconic Dole Whip. One that might satisfy my craving without the guilt. My recipe may not ever be the real thing, but for a healthier alternative, I think it hits the mark. (But I still made plans to indulge in the real thing sometime soon. Can you blame a girl? – Included a pic of my iphone convo with my best friend. We are definitely planning a day with a morning run so we can spare the calories for some Dole Whip.)
Dole Whip
- 20 oz can of sliced pineapple
- 6 oz Chobani pineapple greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk or full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
Directions:
Drain the pineapple and put in a high speed blender or food processor. Then whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. (Alternative: if you don’t have an ice cream maker, put it in the freezer and stir every so often.) The texture of the Dole Whip will be a little airy (unless you used the freezer to make it) so you should use an ice cream scoop to serve, compressing the air out as you scoop. Also, let it soften a little by letting it sit for a few minutes. Then the consistency will be creamier like ice cream if you let it sit. Recipe makes for about 6 scoops.
**If you are willing to add the fat and calories, for a more true Dole-Whip-like recipe, swap the almond or coconut milk for heavy whipping cream. What can I say? They call it Dole Whip for a reason. It will still be healthier than the sugar loaded version from the park.
Vegan Oatmeal Protein Cookies
| March 7, 2013 |
So not long ago, my boyfriend and I moved in together. A lot of people asked things like “is it everything you thought it would be?” and “how are you adjusting to living?” Well, the funny part of all this is, my boyfriend’s answer when people asked him what it was like moving in with me, he said “I moved in with a personal chef.”
I’ll admit I’m a kitchen hog. I like to do all the cooking. I made these breakfast cookies with protein in them for those times when I need a quick grab-n-go option. While my boyfriend has liked all my healthy cooking thus far (he didn’t drink the healthy Koolaid like me), I can’t lie – when he ate my breakfast cookies, he told me he’d rather stick to the unhealthy stuff… but I thought these were great, so I am sure you will like them too. They taste like breakfast … in a cookie!
Vegan Oatmeal Protein Cookies
- 3 spotted bananas (overripe = spotted)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted, measure it in liquid form)
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1/3 cup of wheat bran
- 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
- 2/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt (I used sea salt because it’s all I keep in my kitchen)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup carob chips (you can use chocolate chips if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mush the bananas using a fork until smooth. Add all the vanilla and oil and whisk together.
In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (aka everything else). I used a food processor to chop the almonds to make things easy. Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture.
Roll the mixture into round balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silplat mat or parchment paper. Press the round ball flat onto the sheet to make the shape of a cookie. They don’t change shape during baking so your basically sculpting what your cookie’s gonna look like.
Bake in the oven for 15min. If they aren’t cooked all the way, the will fall apart when you take a bite. So it’s OK to eat one to test it 🙂
Note: You can add more or less protein if you choose to. This batch made 2 dozen cookies for me, and with the protein I used it totaled to 40 grams a batch (average 1.5 grams of protein a cookie). I used whey protein which isn’t vegan, but if you’re looking for a good vegan friendly powder option, try SunWarrior.
I bagged the cookies into snack size servings and meal servings. Four cookies and fruit for breakfast or two cookies plain as a pre-workout snack. I go straight from work to the gym so I often don’t eat dinner until 8:30pm after my workout. I have a snack around 5:30 to hold me over so I need a good snack that will keep me full and energized.
Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013
| January 16, 2013 |
2012 was a BIG year for me! I tried so many new things and really got out of my comfort zone in all categories. First things first, I owe you the links to the recipes that I got in the mail from The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Sorry, I have been neglecting my blog for a bit. What can I say? I don’t think I am the only one that slacks a bit during the holidays.
Peppermint Pinwheels from Wanda, My Sweet Zepol
Molasses Cookies from Faith, The Stirring Place
Chocolate Turtle Cookies from Sam, Yankee In Nashville
***Quick note: Absolutely LOVED that the bloggers sent me these cookies in single serving packs. The cookie pops were individually wrapped keeping me from over eating them. The molasses cookies were wrapped in about 3 cookies per bag so they were easy to grab for my lunch. The turtle cookies were so decadent, one was plenty to satisfy a craving. Great tip for resisting cookies during the holidays. If you are tempted to eat a ton (let’s be honest, who isn’t tempted?) then bag them up for lunches in single serving zip-lock bags.
Next up, 2012 year in review. Broke so many PRs and really embraced my goals and what I wanted to do. Here’s a few highlights of my year…
Let’s talk 2013. This year will be bigger and better! I have already started studying to earn my Certified Personal Trainer cert with plans to earn a cert for nutritional counseling as well. (I am addicted to learning. Before I die I bet I’ll have a million certs and degrees for anything and everything.) I also have my Tinkerbell Half Marathon on Sunday (YIKES!) and I have signed up for the Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare in September and plan to sign up for the Walt Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon to earn my Coast to Coast medal. I might even add a little Tough Mudder to the mix but I am still not sure. The thought of getting shocked from live wires doesn’t sound too fun to me.
In addition to all my planned runs (and my unplanned runs), I am going to focus a lot more on my diet. Less healthier and more healthy, so I hope your ready for all my recipes. I have also decided to drink less (alcohol). I have decided I will save all my drinking for special occasions like birthdays, vacation, the 4th of July… no more drinking-because-its-fun type of nights. With alcohol, you are drinking pure calories, encouraging blood sugars to spike, and when you drink enough (enough for the fun to begin) you weaken your immune system. It’s just not a good thing to be drinking in excess.
I have also been inspired by all those before and afters on Pinterest. If they can do it, so can I. This past year I have being going at a slower pace in reaching my goals. Yes, I am getting there but why not light the match and get there a little faster?
Here are a few things I plan to do for 2013:
- Alcohol should be enjoyed at a minimum
- Exercise 6 days a week
- Eat better
- 8 hours a sleep a night
- 1,000 miles run total
- Get my CPT cert
- Get my Nutrition Counseling cert
- Pledge not to use the elevator at my work (stairs only!)
…and I am sure there will be many other things I will add to this list as the year goes by. But that’s what updating my blog is for 🙂
