Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Yum

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

Coconut Seafood Stew

Yum

If cioppino and tom kha were to have a love child, this would be it.  

Cioppino originated in San Francisco, considered an Italian-American dish, and is a combination of fish from the Pacific Ocean with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce. Typically this includes clams, scallops, Dungeness crab, squid and mussels. It actually started as a "catch of the day" stew made out on fishing boats. The tomato wine sauce is slow cooked and has the most amazing depth of flavor, which transfers to the fish. Just when you thought this couldn't get any better, it is best served with a crusty piece of bread to soak up every last drop of that delicious sauce.  

Tom Kha Kai is a coconut chicken soup originating in Thailand. This soup typically combines coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chili peppers, mushrooms, chicken, fish sauce and lime juice into a dreamy, silky soup. If you've never had it you must try it as it is one of my absolute favorite soups.

Now you are probably thinking, how on earth would someone think to combine these two soups? Well, you see, I live in San Francisco and I'm also traveling to Thailand in just 2 months. I've got Thai food on the brain! I was in the mood for cioppino, but since I'm sensitive to tomatoes I didn't think it was a good idea to eat a dish based with tomatoes. Enter the idea for a coconut based soup!

I took the best aspects of each soup and combined them into one amazingly flavorful seafood stew. Coconut milk, lime juice and mushrooms from the Tom Kha married with the seafood, fish stock and wine sauce from the Ciopinno. This doesn't necessarily mimic the traditional flavor of either dish - instead this takes on a unique and delicious flavor all on its own!

Coconut Seafood Stew

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups white wine
• 1 can light coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1-8 oz bottle clam juice  
• 2 cups water
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined  
• 1 lb pacific cod (or other firm white fish), cut into 1 in. pieces
• 1 lb mussels, blue or black mussels, scrubbed
• 1 lb clams, hard-shelled such as littlenecks, scrubbed

For garnish:

• Cilantro
• Toasted French or sourdough bread

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add onions and olive oil. Cook while stirring often until onions are softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, oregano, bay leaf and salt. Stir and continue to cook for another minute until garlic is golden and fragrant.
3. Add wine, stir and increase heat to high bringing the pot to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the wine.
4. Add coconut milk and lime juice and stir to incorporate. Add mushrooms, clam juice and water and bring to a boil again. Once reached, reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. 
5. Add clams and mussels to the simmering broth, cover pot, and allow to steam for 1-15 minutes. You want to ensure all clams and mussels have time to open - discard any that do not. 
6. Remove lid and add cod and shrimp. Return cover and allow cook until fish is opaque - about 5 minutes.
7. Divide fish and broth among bowls, top with chopped cilantro and serve with toasted bread.

Nutritional Information (1 serving):

253 calories - 33g Protein, 10g Carbohydrates, 9g Fat

Twice Baked Sweet Potato Casserole

Yum

I absolutely love sweet potatoes - the firm, light-skinned, pale flesh variety. Not to be confused with the soft, copper-skinned and orange flesh variety which stores often label as 'yams'.

Confusing, right? I've shared this article before, but if you want to nerd out on sweet potato varieties, read this article from The Kitchn.

Now that we are both on the same page about which glorious tuberous root I'm referring to, let's continue..

I recently discovered that these pale fleshed sweet potatoes boil and mash BEAUTIFULLY...and quickly, I might add. One of my gripes I've always had with sweet potatoes is that they take for-ev-errr to bake or roast. And let's be real here, I'm usually starving when I actually start preparing my meals and the thought of waiting 45 minutes to an hour for them is unbearable and I'm not motivated enough to wait.  

All it takes is some boiling water and chopped sweet potatoes, and in just 10 MINUTES you've got yourself some wonderful mashed sweet potatoes. 

Now, you could stop right after boiling and mashing the sweet potatoes and be well on your merry way eating as I've shown on through my Instagram HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. However, these mashed potatoes can be oh-so-much better when transformed into this Twice Baked Casserole. 

This casserole is a breeze to make and it reheats wonderfully - perfect for those weeknight dinners when you are in need of something quick! This warm and creamy casserole is made of soft mashed sweet potatoes, low-fat or nonfat cheddar cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt garlic and green onions. It's like a loaded baked potato...but in casserole form.

Twice Baked Sweet Potato Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes (light-skinned, pale flesh), peeled and chopped **this is the weight after they've been peeled so account for a little more when purchasing
• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter, melted
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced whites and greens
• 4 oz nonfat or low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tsp garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and bring a pot of water to a boil. Once water as come to a rolling boil, add chopped potatoes. Boil for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
2. While potatoes are boiling, prepare other ingredients.  Once the potatoes have softened, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. With a large wooden spoon, simply mash the sweet potatoes. Add the butter, Greek yogurt, green onions, cheese, garlic and salt and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Transfer to a lightly greased casserole and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Casserole is also great reheated!

Nutritional Information (1 serving, 6 total each roughly 1 cup each):

245 calories - 11g Protein, 41g Carbohydrates, 4g Fat

Breakfast Quesadillas

Yum

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

Super Bowl Snacks: Healthy Eats for the Big Game!

Avid football fan or not, I'm going to bet you have a Super Bowl Party to attend this weekend. And let's be honest, unless you are a fan of the two teams playing, this Sunday is much more a gathering for good food, ranking your favorite commercials during the Super Bowl and of course, watching the Halftime Performance. 

Worried about how you are going to stay on track with healthy alternatives during Gametime? Fear not, My Engineered Nutrition is to the rescue! I've gather my FAVORITE healthy recipes perfect for watching Big Game. You'll be a hit at your Super Bowl Party if you bring one of these dishes...and no one will be the wiser that it's healthy!

APPETIZERS

Brussels Sprout Chips

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Gametime Guacamole

Avocado Lime Dressing

MAINS

Buffalo Chili

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Bison Sliders

BBQ Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Crust

Slow Cooker Carnitas