Cocoa-PB-Banana Pops

 

Yes, it is bitterly cold outside, and the town of Wilmington,NC has been shut down for the past two days due to the sheets of ice and snow that have kept most folks off the road.  And it is probably more stew weather, and less popsicle weather.  However, being stuck indoors for the majority of the day calls for experimentation in the kitchen... at least in this house :)

Zeina got me these cool popsicle molds for Christmas, and I've been waiting for a chance to try them out!  I'm a sucker for sweets, but the dietitian in me knows to limit added dietary sugar, so to satisfy both sides of me, I like to make my own desserts.  That way I have all the control over ingredients.

All you need for these is a blender, popsicle molds and a few simple ingredients.  If you don't have popsicle molds you could also use solo cups and then just eat your frozen treat with a spoon.  The beauty of these is that you can use any fruit, spice, milk, yogurt combination your prefer.  But my ultimate flavor combination is banana and chocolate... or maybe chocolate and peanut butter... or maybe peanut butter and chocolate!  I couldn't decide, so I went big and did a chocolate-banana-PB pop... mind blown.

Start by putting your bananas, peanut butter, almond milk, cocoa powder and coconut sugar in your blender.  Coconut sugar has the same sugar and calories per gram as your classic white variety- however, it has a richer flavor and does not go through as many processing steps if you prefer your foods in a more natural state.  I also added chia seeds for texture, but you can leave these out if you want a smoother pop.

 

Blend until all ingredients are smooth and well combined.  

 

Then pour into your popsicle molds!   

 

Place your tops on your pops and get them in the freezer- you'll want to allow for at least 4-6 hours to freeze thoroughly.  When completely frosty, take your pop out and enjoy the sweetness (minimal added sugar)!

 

 



Cocoa-PB-Banana Pops

makes 6 servings

 

2 bananas (the riper, the better)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 Tb natural peanut butter

1 Tb coconut sugar (you can use date sugar, sugar in the raw, white sugar or honey)

1 Tb chia seeds (optional)

 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into your popsicle molds and allow 4-6 hours to freeze thoroughly.  Pretend it's a hot summer day and enjoy!

 

Nutrition information per serving- 101 calories, 4gm fat, 15gm carbohydrate, 3gm fiber, 7gm sugar*, 3gm protein

 

*Only 2gm sugar comes from added sugars, the rest is natural from the banana.

Slow Cooker Sante Fe Chicken & Veggies

It's time to set it and forget it again!  And for once... a recipe with no chopping!  We will be using frozen vegetables for ease of use.  And for those of you who aren't sure about the "healthiness" of frozen veggies, here's the 411- vegetables are frozen at their peak freshness, so the nutrition is preserved when the veggie is at its very best.  Buying frozen is a good strategy for vegetables that are not currently in season (such as bell peppers, corn and asparagus).

All you do is throw your chicken, salsa, beans, corn, spices and veggies in the crockpot in the morning.  I like adding my pepper and onion mix about halfway through cooking time to avoid them getting too soft, but you can certainly add everything all at once if you like a softer texture, or wait an hour before serving before adding your peppers and onions if you prefer a more crisp texture. 

 

 

About 15-30 minutes before serving, stir about 1/4 cup of tomato paste into sauce- this will thicken it up and add a little depth of flavor. 

 

I served my chicken and vegetables over a bed of baby greens and topped with a dollop of fat-free, plain Greek yogurt (lower fat alternative to sour cream) and a dollop of store-bought guacamole.  Another option would be to wrap up the chicken and vegetables in a whole grain tortilla, or serve over some brown rice.  Yum!

 



Slow Cooker Sante Fe Chicken & Veggies
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1lb chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
16oz jar salsa
1 bag frozen fajita mix (peppers and onions)
1 Tb chili powder
1 Tb cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
Mixed greens (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (optional)
1/4 cup Guacamole (optional)

1. Place chicken, beans, corn, salsa, fajita vegetables, chili powder, cumin in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low about 8 hours. 
2. Stir in tomato paste.
3. Divide mixed greens among 4 plates.  Top each with 1/4 of the chicken and vegetables mixture.  Serve with a dollop each of Greek yogurt and guacamole (if desired).

Nutrition information per servings (when served over greens with 1 Tb each yogurt & guacamole)-
403 calories, 7gm fat, 49gm carbohydrates, 15gm fiber, 40gm protein

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Balsamic Roasted Veggies

As you all can see, I like to cook in bulk. It makes week night meals quick and effortless. Using mustard in the marinade helps keep the chicken tender while cooking and prevent it from drying out in the oven. Make sure you reserve some of the sauce when you refrigerate the extra, it helps to keep the chicken from drying out when reheating.

This is a great recipe to cook for a few nights in advance. The chicken also reheated really well and would be great cold over a salad for lunch!


Lemon Pepper Chicken

-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Before

-2 lemons
-salt/pepper to taste
-3 T dijon mustard
-3 T water
-1 T minced garlic

Before

-Preheat oven to 350F.
-Mix mustard, garlic, water, salt, pepper, and lemon juice together.
-Clean all chicken breasts and grease a baking sheet.
-Pour marinade over chicken and throw the lemon into the mix.
-Bake for ~30 minutes or until cooked through

Balsamic Roasted Veggies

-1 large bag brussel sprouts
-1 large bunch asparagus
-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1 yellow onion diced
-1 T garlic, minced
-2 T balsamic vinegar
-salt/pepper
-2 T rosemary (dried)
-2 T oregano (dried)
-1 T EVOO

-Preheat oven to 350F.
-chop (roughly) all veggies and pour all other ingredients into a large bowl. Toss the veggies to coat well.
-coat a ceramic baking dish before pouring veggie mix in.
-Bake for ~45 minutes (or until browned)

Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom & Meat Sauce (Fast/Easy)

This is an easy recipe that can be put together rather quickly.  There is not a lot of hands-on time, so I actually fit in a quick work out while it was cooking (stirring my meat and mushrooms between sets)... you just gotta MAKE time sometimes!

Start by cutting the squash in half lengthwise and pre-heat your oven to 425.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and place your squash halves in cut-side down.  Pour some water into the dish to fill it up 1/4 inch deep.  Cook at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until tender and "noodles" flake away easily with a fork.  Let rest until cool enough to handle. 

While squash is cooking, preheat your pan over medium heat and cook your beef (may use ground turkey, chicken or textured vegetable protein for a vegetarian version).  While beef is browning you can sneak in one rep of a circuit (tonight I did bent over rows, deadlift, then a 60 second plank)- during your break between sets stir the pan, then get back to it!

When meat is cooked through and no longer pink, remove from the pan.  If using beef, make sure you drain the meat in a colander and rinse under hot water to remove saturated fat. 

Set the meat aside and return pan to medium heat.  Heat 1 Tb olive oil and add mushrooms to the hot pan.  Cook until mushrooms are browned, tender and have released their juices.  Return the meat to the pan with the mushrooms and stir in your marinara sauce.  Season with freshly ground black pepper. 

Divide spaghetti squash into 4 plates.  Sprinkle each with 1 Tb ground parmesan.  Divide meat sauce evenly over top.  Eat up!

 

 



Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom & Meat Sauce
1 large spaghetti squash
1lb grass fed ground beef (may use ground chicken/turkey or textured vegetable protein)
1 Tb olive oil
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 jar marinara sauce (look for a lower sugar option if possible)
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise. 
2. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and place your squash halves in cut-side down.  Pour some water into the dish to fill it up 1/4 inch deep.  Cook at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until tender and "noodles" flake away easily with a fork.  Let rest until cool enough to handle. 
3. While squash is cooking, preheat your pan over medium heat and cook your meat. When beef is cooked through and no longer pink, place in a colander and rinse under hot water to remove excess saturated fat.
4. Heat 1 Tb olive oil and add mushrooms to the hot pan.  Cook until mushrooms are browned, tender and have released their juices.  Return the meat to the pan with the mushrooms and stir in your marinara sauce.  Season with freshly ground black pepper. 
5.  Divide spaghetti squash into 4 plates.  Sprinkle each with 1 Tb ground parmesan.  Divide meat sauce evenly over top. 

Nutrition info:
When divided into 4 servings- 450 calories, 18gm fat, 39gm carbohydrates, 5gm fiber, 32gm protein
When divided into 6 servings- 300 calories, 12gm fat, 26gm carbohydrates, 3gm fiber, 21gm protein

Noodle-less Lemon Chicken Soup

Is anyone else sick of winter and the cold weather? It's been shockingly cold in NC the past few weeks. I'm definitely over it. Spring time, where are you?

I've clearly been using my crock pot weekly. It's just the easiest way to cook in the winter. I love coming home to a cooked meal after a long day. You walk in the door and the entire house smells like a warm cozy dinner. YUM! You could make this recipe on the stove top but I chose to throw all the ingredients together in the crock pot and go about my day. Feel free to modify the recipe by using a rotissere chicken or any leftover meat/poultry you may have. You can also used precut veggies or even frozen veggies. If you're feeling really froggy through in some other root veggies like parsnips or potatoes. Soup is the perfect meal to empty your fridge/freezer and create a "garbage bowl" meal. You really can't go wrong!

Lemon Chicken Soup

Pre Picture

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (whole)
-1 yellow onion, diced
-5 celery stalks, diced
-2 T minced garlic
-2 cups diced carrots
-2 small sprigs rosemary
-2 T oregano (dried)
-1 sliced lemon (seeds removed)
-1 container (~4 cups) low sodium chicken broth
-3 cups water
-1 T EVOO
-Salt/pepper to taste

1. Set up crockpot and place EVOO at base. Turn on high
2. Dice all veggies and throw into crockpot.
3. Add spices
4. Place chicken onto
5. Add broth
6. Place lemon slices and cover crockpot
7. Cook on high for 8 hours

Served alongside cobb salad with cumin tahini dressing