Chia Seed Protein Pudding (Vegan)

You know the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it"?

Well, I eat this pudding every day and have been for probably the last 5 or 6 months. No, this is not an exaggeration. I love it and I have yet to get tired of eating this every day - so, why stop now? 

I normally eat this in the afternoon, before I workout. Sometimes I eat it for breakfast, sometimes as dessert. That's the beauty of this simple protein packed pudding - you can eat it day or night! This is also totally customizable, which is probably why I haven't gotten bored of this.

You can use ANY flavor protein powder and top the pudding with whatever your heart desires: berries, bananas, nut butter, shredded coconut, whipped cream, chocolate chips...really, anything you want!

This pudding requires just THREE ingredients: chia seeds, plant-based protein powder and non-dairy milk (you could actually use water in a pinch)! I must stress using a plant-based protein, as this won't have that "pudding" texture using whey protein. Instead, you'll end up with a liquefied protein syrup which is far less than appetizing (trust me, I know from experience). If you haven't tried a non-whey protein powder I highly recommend testing the waters of plant-based protein with this recipe! I personally like eating this protein as a pudding over having it as a shake, hence why I've eaten this every day for the past 6 months. Chia seeds become gelatinous when they absorb liquid, which is what gives this pudding its 'pudding-like' texture, in combination with the protein powder.

Another benefit of this pudding is that it is great source of fiber! Chia seeds are packed with fiber and there is a bit with the protein, rounding out this recipe with 5 total grams of fiber. This truly is the ultimate guilt-free treat.

Chia Seed Protein Pudding

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Set time: 12 hours (Overnight is ideal, at least 3 hours for chia seeds to become gel-like)

Servings: 1

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup protein powder, plant-based (such as pea and rice protein, I recommend True Nutrition) NOTE: this will not work with whey protein as it won't set up and hold like a pudding! 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, such as almond, coconut or cashew milk

Optional Toppings:

• Fruit
• Nut butters
• Whipped cream
• Toasted coconut

Directions:

1. This couldn't be any simpler: in a bowl mix together protein powder, chia seeds and milk. You want this to be liquid-y, not totally thick like a pudding at this point. Cover and allow to sit overnight (or at least 3 hours) to allow for chia seeds to gel. Mix after the pudding has set and serve with desired toppings. 

Nutrition (1 serving, does not account for additional toppings):

185 calories - 27 g Protein,  5.5 g Carbohydrates, 6 g Fat

Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

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In case you haven't heard, I am now a Guest Blogger and Athlete for True Nutrition! This is such an exciting opportunity for me as I've been using True Nutrition products for years. I've already created a handful of recipes using various True Nutrition protein powders and you can now find all of those and future recipes on the newly created Protein Powder page!

So what exactly does being a Guest Blogger entail, you may ask? It means I get to flex my creativity by using the wide range of True Nutrition proteins in new tasty recipes!

Let's get started, shall we?

Bananas are a staple grocery item in my house, as I love eating them after I lift. The problem is, sometimes I overbuy and I end up with overly ripened bananas that I don't want to waste...but also lose their appeal to eat as is.

Enter: Baking

Baking with bananas is amazing because:

1. They act as a natural sweetener (no added sugar required for these muffins!)

2. They can be used as a substitute for butter or oil in baking, thus lightening up the fat

3. They keep your baked goods incredibly moist and tender

Baking with whey protein can be tricky. It isn't a simple 1-for-1 substitution with flour in a recipe. Often times baked goods using whey protein turn out spongy or dry, neither of which is a way I want to describe a muffin! The key is to make you balance the dry ingredients with enough wet, and ensure there is some cooking fat. Luckily, the bananas in the recipe play a roll as both, adding moisture and tenderness to your baked goods. In addition to vanilla whey protein, I'm also using coconut and almond flours for my "dry", which will help give volume to our magnificent muffins.

The result? Flavorful tender muffins that are hardly distinguishable from its non-protein packed alternative. Not only are these high in protein, they are also gluten-free and low in fat! They are amazing with your morning coffee as a great breakfast option, especially if you are looking for a way to shake up your normal routine. Or, if you are more like me and don't eat breakfast normally, these are an amazing guilt free dessert option, especially when warmed and served along side a scoop of ice cream!

Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8 muffins

Ingredients: 

• 2 scoops True Nutrition Vanilla Whey Protein (60 g)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (28 g)
• 1/4 cup almond flour (28 g)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup mashed ripened bananas, about 2-3 bananas (225 g)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (45 g) - I like to use Sunspire 42% Cacao Semi-Sweet Baking Chips 

Baking Accessories:

• Muffin tin
• Muffin/Cupcake liners

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare muffin tin with 8 liners. In a mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients: whey protein, coconut flour, almond flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, combine your wet ingredients: banana, eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix and medium speed until well combined. Add chocolate chips and hand fold into batter with spatula.
3. Spoon batter evenly among 8 muffin liners. Bake for 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in tin before eating...this is the hardest part of the whole recipe! Serve warm or store in air-tight container for later. 

Nutritional Information (1 muffin):

140 calories - 10 g Protein, 15 g Carbohydrates, 4.5 g Fat

Breakfast Quesadillas

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Can you think of a type of cuisine that pairs better with breakfast that Mexican? Maybe I'm partial having lived in Texas and now California, the Meccas of Tex-Mex and Mexican food in our great country, but nothing beats Mexican food for breakfast.

In addition to your traditional Mexican-inspired breakfast fare (i.e. omelettes, scrambles, skillets, etc.) you also have devoted Mexican breakfast dishes such as huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, breakfast tacos, breakfast burritos, and these: breakfast quesadillas.

A perfectly toasted gluten free tortilla, filled with cheese, eggs and sausage and topped with avocado, lime and cilantro - it's the perfect breakfast combination!

Like most of my recipes, I'm usually inspired to create them because I'm craving that dish.

(I know...a very sophisticated development process)

Recently, my friend at work that I sit across from brought in a breakfast quesadilla. Naturally, I had food envy and decided I had to just make one for myself. If you follow me on Instagram then you know how much girlfriend LOVE her quesadillas, but I've always been hesitant to post a recipe for them because they are so painfully simple to make. 

This unique spin on a classic, however, warranted a devoted post. Think of this recipe more as a 'road map' to creating your own delicious quesadilla. There are no rules! I hope I caused enough food envy in you to make this breakfast quesadilla ASAP! 

Breakfast Quesadillas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 2 gluten-free tortillas (I absolutely love Rudi's Tortillas!)
• 1 chicken sausage link (I recommend either Brat Hans Spicy Cilantro Chicken Sausage or Saag's Chicken Sausages)
• 1 oz sliced avocado
• 2 oz non-fat or low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Begin by preparing the ingredients to fill your quesadilla with. Grate the cheese, slice the green onions, chop the cilantro and slice the chicken sausage into half circle slices.
2. Coat a nonstick pan with olive oil over medium heat and warm the chicken sausage. Set aside. Scramble egg and egg whites together in a small bowl. In the same pan used to cook sausage, melt butter over medium heat and pour eggs into pan. Scramble your eggs by cooking gently over medium heat and stirring with a rubber spatula. Once eggs are scrambled, set aside.
3. In a large nonstick pan over medium high heat, warm one tortilla. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese in an even layer over the tortilla, allowing it to begin melting slightly. After 1 minute, spoon half of the eggs and half of the sausage onto on half of the tortilla and then fold the tortilla over in half. I prefer making 2 half quesadillas, as opposed to layering two tortillas directly on top of one another. Allow to cook for about a minute on that side before carefully flipping and continuing to cook on the opposite side. Use your best judgement on when the quesadilla is cooked through, ensuring not to burn your tortilla! Remove from heat and repeat process for second quesadilla with remaining tortilla, eggs, cheese and sausage. 
4. In a small bowl mix together Greek yogurt and lime juice. Plate quesadillas and garnish with a drizzle of the Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of cilantro and green onion, and top with avocado slices. There is no right or wrong way to eat a quesadilla, so get creative!

Nutritional Information (1 quesadilla) - This will largely depend on what ingredients you choose to use! This is a rough estimate.

325 calories - 22 g Protein, 22 g Carbohydrates, 17 g Fat

Spinach Artichoke Frittata

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I love breakfast, especially savory ones. Eggs, sausage, ham, and cheese - these are a few of my favorite things! Since I started following Intermittent Fasting (not eating between 9PM and 12PM), however, I don't eat during traditional "breakfast" meal time. Don't get me wrong, I love my current approach to nutrition and it works really well for me...but that doesn't mean I still don't miss my beloved breakfast!

The amount of "breakfast for dinner" I prepare has been on the rise. I noticed I have very few breakfast recipes on the site, and the ones that are posted are sweet baked goods like my Apple Cider Protein Donuts, Pumpkin Protein Waffles or Pumpkin Pronuts.

That's because breakfast is very often a quick scramble of whatever meats, vegetables, cheese and egg I have on hand.

This frittata may look involved but it couldn't be easier! While some may turn their noses up at just eating the egg whites (love the yolks!), I still believe it is just fine to eat them every once in a while when you are being mindful about your diet. In this case I balanced out the total fat in the frittata by adding butter and ham - who doesn't love that? 

With some frittatas, they can become overloaded with vegetables, making it heavy and dense. The spinach and artichokes keep this frittata light while also packing it full of veggies! This frittata is pleasing on the eyes, so it could be served at a brunch or breakfast party. No party? I made this for myself for multiple dinners and the leftovers re-warm perfectly!

Spinach Artichoke Frittata

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pint egg whites (approximately 10 egg whites)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 4 oz ham steak
• 2-1/2 c spinach  
• 1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
• 8 artichoke heart quarters, canned, water drained
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  
2. Melt butter over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add garlic and ham, stir. Next add spinach and allow to wilt down. This only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Combine egg white, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Once spinach has cooked down, pour egg white mixture into pan. Stir to incorporate spinach and ham with egg whites. Cover with lid and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the eggs begin to set. Remove lid and arrange artichoke hearts in a ring around top of frittata. 
4. Transfer to oven and cook for 10 minutes or until frittata has set and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Nutritional Information (1/4 of Frittata):

138 calories - 20 g Protein, 2.5 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Fat

Double Chocolate Peppermint Protein Muffins

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While I dream of having a full time job has a food blogger someday, whipping up recipes day in and day out, the current reality is that I'm an engineer (gotta pay the bills to buy all this food somehow). At my office, we have a quarky birthday tradition: when it is your birthday, you bring in treats for the office. A backwards tradition that I've actually grown fond of. 

Things are starting to get more serious with my figure prep as I near being just 9 weeks out. What fun is bringing in birthday treats if the birthday girl herself can't eat them?? This pushed me to get creative with my baking!

First to come to mind was cupcakes. I love baking cupcakes and have created some pretty fantastic cakes in years past. The best part of a cupcake, in my opinion, is the frosting/topping. You know what makes it so good? BUTTER. 

I would have LOVED to make a full fat birthday treat, however, I have my eyes set to my goal. So what if I ditched the frosting? What is a cupcake without frosting? Ah yes - a muffin.

I knew I wanted a healthy dose of chocolate and I'd also been craving some Holiday inspired. What pairs better during the holiday season than chocolate and peppermint? Now, this is a stretch to call this delicious creation a muffin. Most often muffins are thought of as a breakfast food. These can easily pass for dessert. I did put my signature spin on these and added in protein powder, so that counts for "breakfast"...right?

I brought 3 dozen of these into my office and they were eaten up in record speed. If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert to serve up this holiday season that tastes like it is a decadent treat but is actually low fat, gluten free and packed with protein, do yourself a favor and bake up a batch of these Double Chocolate Peppermint Protein Muffins!

Double Chocolate Peppermint Protein Muffins

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour  (198 g)
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (55 g)
• 1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar (48 g)
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Whey Protein (60 g) - I use True Nutrition's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Whey Isolate
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Coconut Milk Beverage (in the paper cartons) - soy, almond or cashew milk would also work!
• 1/4 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 2 Eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
• 2 Candy Canes, crushed

Kitchen Tools:

• Muffin tin
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare muffin tin by spraying with oil or brushing with a small bit of butter. Prepare candy canes by placing them within a plastic Ziploc bag and crushing with a rolling pin (this part can get fun). 
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, protein, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. 
3. In a stand mixer (or large bowl with hand mixer), combine coconut milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until light and fluffy, about 1 minute at medium-high speed. Remove bowl from stand mixer (or remove hand mixer) and add in dry ingredients. By hand, mix in the dry ingredients with a hand whisk and spatula. It is important NOT to over mix! The batter will be fairly thick; scoop-able, not pour-able. Once well incorporated, mix in chocolate chips and crushed candy cane. 
4. Scoop batter into muffin tin. Place tin in oven to bake. Immediately after closing oven door, reduce temperature to 375°F. Bake muffins for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes within the pan and then remove to finish cooling on a cooling rack. 

Nutritional Information (1 muffin)

186 Calories - 8g Protein, 31g Carbohydrates, 3.2g Fat