Protein Pancakes and Refrigerator Jam

Protein Pancakes with Chia Refrigerator Jam

Protein Pancakes with Chia Refrigerator Jam

I am so thankful I saw a friend post this pancake recipe on Facebook! They are delicious! With only 3 ingredients you wouldn’t expect them to be tasty and I certainly didn’t expect them to cook up just like regular pancakes. Okay, okay…they aren’t quite as fluffy as regular pancakes but I’m willing to take a flatter pancake to not crash and be starving an hour after eating the other carb and gluten laden pancakes. This is also a great recipe for those of you who say to us, “I’m so sick of eggs. What else can I eat for breakfast?”

This same person posted a refrigerator jam recipe too. And I thought it would be delicious on the protein pancakes. I was right! I couldn’t find her original post with the recipe but a quick google search for chia refrigerator jam and I had a number of recipes to choose from. I’ll show you below the combination that I came up with. It was delicious and super refreshing but in the future for pancakes I would omit the lemon. As we’re in blueberry and raspberry season now, I would use one of those if I were you!

Protein Pancakes:

1 banana

2 eggs

1 scoop protein powder

Optional:

½ tsp of cinnamon

Dash of sea salt

Instructions:

Mash banana with a fork, add the eggs and protein and mix together.

Mel t butter in a skillet on med/low heat.

Pour in batter and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Strawberry Chia Seed Jam:

1 lb strawberries, hulled and washed

1 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons chia seeds

Zest of one lemon

Quarter of a lemon wedge

Instructions:

Put the strawberries in the base of a food processor or blender and pulse until desired consistency. Transfer pureed berries to a small bowl and combine with maple syrup, chia seeds, lemon zest and juice of lemon wedge.

Transfer jam to a glass container and cool to room temperature before storing in refrigerator. Jam will thicken as it cools.

Jam will last up to two weeks in the fridge.

Artichoke Tuna Salad

Hello All! It’s good to be back with a new recipe for you all. Having a baby has slowed my posting down a little but I’m hoping to get back to it now that we’re getting used to this whole being parents thing.

I saw this recipe in a free Allrecipes.com magazine that came with my Better Homes and Gardens. You can see the original here. I thought it sounded interesting but decided to add tuna to mine. I made a few other substitutions as well. I’ve gotten away from buying sour cream because we never use all of it before it goes bad. However, when I need sour cream I typically use plain Greek yogurt instead. It’s been a great replacement and we often use it on the rare baked sweet potato or taco.

I hope you give this recipe a try and let us know what you think.

Artichoke Tuna Salad

ARTICHOKE TUNA SALAD

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (12 oz or 2 of the smaller) can(s) of tuna

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt

3 hard boiled eggs

1tsp curry powder

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine artichoke hearts, tuna, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, eggs, curry powder and salt and black pepper in a bowl until well mixed. If you like a creamier tuna salad, add a little more Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.

Serve with some fresh raw veggies for a great meal!

The addition of a little cayenne pepper would also be good if you like spicy food.

Here’s another tuna recipe you might like! Thai Inspired Tuna Salad

Gluten Free Organic Blueberry Coconut Superfood Muffins

Gluten Free Organic Blueberry Coconut Superfood Muffin!

Whew…that’s a mouthful but I PROMISE you will not be disappointed in these muffins. With Christmas rapidly approaching you’re probably looking for ways to lessen your stress. This recipe is perfect to make ahead and have ready on Christmas morning because the last thing you should be doing is standing in the kitchen when everyone else is gathering and enjoying the morning.

Here is the original recipe. All you have to do is a quick google search to learn more about Chia seeds as they are one the superfoods found in these yummy muffins. They are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. Blueberries, as we all know, are a great source of free radical fighting antioxidants as well. Plus a little extra protein to go with the coconut oil to keep your blood sugar stable. Top them with a little organic butter and you have a great start to you Christmas morning or any day for that matter.

Gluten-Free Organic Blueberry Coconut Superfood Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F) while you gather the following items:

Muffin Ingredients

Hint: Always choose organic where possible, as organic foods are grown without the use of toxic chemical pesticides and herbicides.

1 cup of coconut flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of sea salt
5 free-range eggs
1/2 cup coconut butter (or oil) (make sure it’s in the liquid form or it won’t blend well)
1/2 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond milk
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 scoops Biotics Whey Protein

Biotics Whey Protein

Directions:

1. Mix 1/2 cup of almond milk with chia seeds and set it aside for 30 minutes. (They will thicken up pretty quickly. Mine were ready before 30 minutes.)

Chia Seeds Thickened with Almond Milk

2. Combine coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, protein powder, sea salt, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well.

3. Add eggs, coconut butter, chia seeds (the texture should be thick) and the rest of almond milk.

4. Blend in the frozen blueberries by hand, being careful not to crush the blueberries.

5. Pour this batter into paper muffin liners that you’ve placed in a muffin baking pan. (You’re not really going to pour the batter, it’s very thick so scoop it into the muffin cups.)  Fill them completely.

Fill the muffin cups completely.

6. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees (F) for 35 – 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the outside and completely cooked on the inside. (If you oven cooks hot like mine, reduce cooking time to 30-35 minutes. Check them with a toothpick to see if they are done.)

Top with butter and ENJOY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Chunky Apple Muffins (grain free!)

Chunky Apple Muffins

This past weekend we had a bunch of family in town for Dr. Court’s birthday and my baby shower. I wanted to have something quick and easy for breakfast since we had 5 people (1 bathroom!) and a baby all needing to be ready by 10am. I made an egg veggie casserole ahead of time but I thought it would be nice to have muffins or something to go with it.

Dr. Court’s assistant Kate recently shared this recipe with me so I thought I’d give it a try. Wow! I am so glad I did. They were a huge hit! I can’t wait to make them again. I feel a little guilty eating them kind of like the Paleo Breakfast Bread but I don’t need to because they’re grain free. They do have a little maple syrup but I reduced it from the original recipe by half. I also added a little protein powder to them. We use Biotics Research Whey Protein as it is not flavored and can easily be added to recipes like this. In fact, I often add it to things that I bake.

Chunky Apple Muffins

Muffin Ingredients!

Makes 12 muffins

2 c. almond flour

3 T. coconut flour

1/2 t. baking soda

2 scoops Whey Protein powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. olive oil

2 t. vanilla extract

1 organic egg

1 large organic apple, peeled, cored and diced

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cups and set aside.

Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, protein powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla and egg.

Add wet mixture to flour mixture and mix until fully moistened.

Fold in chopped apples.

Spoon the batter into muffin tin, dividing batter evenly between all 12 cups.

Place batter in muffin cups.

Bake for 25-27 minutes, until muffins are set and golden brown.  Allow muffins to cool in pan for 30 minutes before serving. (Mine didn’t need to cook as long as the recipe states so, I suggest checking them around 20-23 minutes.)

Enjoy with some cream cheese or butter!

Roasted Cabbage

Roasted Cabbage

Just in time for a fall…another recipe from pinterest….I wasn’t kidding when I said it was addicting. This is a super easy side to make for two reasons 1) you probably have all ingredient for the marinade already 2) it takes minutes to throw together. As we’ve have an abundance of cabbage in our CSA lately, we’ve had this several times. It’s a great way to use the “other half” of a cabbage. I find that when using cabbage I rarely use the whole thing and then I need to find something to do with the rest. This has become a “go to” for using up cabbage. For the two of us we’ll have a wedge a piece but for a larger family you could cut the wedges in half and serve another veggie with it. I didn’t change anything from the original recipe I saw online. However, I’ve made it using soy sauce instead of Worcestershire and I’ve left the lemon out when we didn’t have any on hand and it was still tasty! I also think you could play around and add different spices to change it up a bit. The original blogger talks about making it on the grill but I’ve never tried it that way.

Let me know if you come up with another variation!

Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients for marinade

 

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp real bacon bits (I used 2 strips of crispy bacon for half a cabbage)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Cabbage Quartered

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

1 Medium Head of Cabbage quartered

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the olive oil, bacon bits, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to make the marinade.

Marinade with Bacon

Prepare the cabbage. Rinse it under water and remove any yucky loose leaves. Cut into quarters.

Lay each wedge on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it up in. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the marinade on top making sure to get it in all the nooks and crannies.

Spoon marinade on top and wrap up.

Wrap each wedge and bake for 20-30 minutes for crunchy cabbage and 30-45 for a softer cabbage. (We’ve done it both ways!)

 

Note: To make a whole head of cabbage I would double the recipe above. The amount above is what I’ve used for a half a cabbage.

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Bread

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Bread

You probably remember my post from a few weeks back with the Cauliflower Pizza Crust. It was a raging success! Thank you for all the feedback! And, thank goodness for Pinterest!

I f you were like us, you might have had some cauliflower leftover. I had also pinned a  recipe for this cheesy garlic bread.  I have to say, I don’t know which one we liked more…the pizza or the garlic bread! They were both amazing but I’m leaning toward the bread. I just felt sooo bad, but I wasn’t being. I really felt like I was eating cheesy bread sticks when I dipped them in the leftover pizza sauce.  They were also really good cold and leftover! (I know, it’s crazy and I’d say it’s just because I’m pregnant but Dr. Court thought so too!) The recipe is almost identical to the pizza crust. I didn’t change a thing from the recipe I from Mom, What’s for Dinner?

Give it a try and let us know which one YOU like better!

 

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Bread

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp garlic salt

olive oil

 

For Topping:

2 tablespoons softened salted butter

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

*Optional Marinara sauce for dipping  (I highly recommend this…we used leftover pizza sauce.)

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Chop the cauliflower florets into chunks and steam them in a steamer or on the stove until slightly soft for 15 minutes. Place in a ricer or grate.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

 

To Make the “Bread”:

Prepare your baking stone or sheet by spreading a small amount of olive oil on it and top with parchment paper. (I also, highly recommend using the parchment paper. It made it so much easier as it didn’t stick or burn.)

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg, Parmesan and Mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir.

Transfer to the baking stone or sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a large rectangle.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Mix 2 TBSP butter and garlic in a small bowl and.spread the butter and garlic mixture over baked cauliflower bread and top with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.

Place back in the 450 degree oven until all cheese is melted.

Slice and Serve!

We had this with the Garlic Dill Chicken recipe from last week and it was fabulous!

Garlic Dill Chicken

My sister-in-law reminded me of this recipe. It was given to her by my mother and at this point I don’t think she remembers where it came from originally. It’s super easy and full of flavor. My sister-in-law made a few adjustments to the original recipe and those are the ones I’ll share with you.

She substituted the sour cream in this recipe for Greek yogurt. I have to admit that I rarely use sour cream for anything anymore. I almost always use Greek yogurt as we always have it on hand, it has more protein and it tastes great on anything that you would use sour cream. For example, we use it on sweet potatoes, taco salads sans shell, as a topping for chili, you name it. If you would use sour cream, we use Greek yogurt in its place. Anyway, it’s great in this recipe. While I used chicken for this recipe you could also use fish and it would be just as excellent.

Garlic Dill Chicken

Ingredients for Garlic Dill Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

½ tsp Garlic powder

1 Tbsp Dill weed (I used fresh dill from our CSA that I had dried)

¼ tsp Black pepper

Salt to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl mix together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, dill weed, black pepper and salt.

Coat the chicken breasts with the mixture and place in a 9×13 pan.

Coat with mixture and place in pan.

Bake covered for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the chicken. Place back in the oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned and chicken breasts are cooked through.

Sprinkle the chicken with Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Yummy Cooked Apples

Spartan Apples from Poverty Lane Orchard

Fall is here! The temperature is dropping, the leaves are turning and pumpkins and apples are ready for picking. Recently I picked up a bag of Spartan apples at our local Poverty Lane Orchard. When I was shopping for them I had a recipe in mind that my mom used to make when we were kids. I’m not sure it’s a recipe in so much as it’s one of those things that you just throw together. Come to find out my mom’s used to make it and her mom’s mom also made these yummy cooked apples. So who knows how long it’s been in the family or how many times it’s changed. I, of course, had to put my own spin on it and try to make it fit our eating plan a little better. The original called for sugar which I knew I would omit as I figured it wouldn’t really need it. I was right! With the addition of some raisins it’s perfectly sweet on its own.

Now, I tried to dress the apples up a little more by making some candied toasted walnuts to top it. If I hadn’t burnt them they would have been a great addition. However, they ended up tasting a little like burnt popcorn which took away from the amazing apples we opted not to use them.

Additionally, pouring a little organic heavy cream over the apples is another great option.

These cooked apples taste like fall, plus they make the house smell amazing as they cook! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! I know I’ll be making another batch very soon!

Cooked Apples

8 small apples, peeled and sliced (you could use more small apples as they cook down considerably)

Peeled Sliced Apples

¼ c. raisins

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Other Ingredients

Melt the 2 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Melted Butter

Add the peeled, sliced apples, raisins and cinnamon to the pan. Stir to coat them with the butter cinnamon.

Stir to coat apples with butter, cinnamon and raisins.

Let them cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are soft and just starting to fall apart. You don’t want them to get too mushy and turn to applesauce.

Cooked Apples

Remove from heat and serve warm either by themselves or with a little heavy cream. (You could top them with a small scoop of organic vanilla bean ice cream if you were so inclined….hey even we have a little ice cream as a treat once in a while….just not every day or week for that matter!!!!)

Cooked Apples with Heavy Cream

Cooked Apples

8 small apples, peeled and sliced (you could use more small apples as they cook down considerably)

¼ c. raisins

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Melt the 2 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peeled, sliced apples, raisins and cinnamon to the pan. Stir to coat them with the butter cinnamon. Let them cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are soft and just starting to fall apart. You don’t want them to get too mushy and turn to applesauce. Remove from heat and serve warm either by themselves or with a little heavy cream. (You could top them with a small scoop of organic vanilla bean ice cream if you were so inclined….hey even we have a little ice cream as a treat once in a while….just not every day or week for that matter!!!!)

Candied Toasted Walnuts

1 cup of coarsely chopped halved walnuts

1 Tbsp melted butter

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp of maple syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine melted butter, maple syrup and cinnamon in a bowl. Add walnuts and toss until coated.

Place walnuts on a baking sheet and place in oven for about 5-8 minutes. Make sure you watch them closely and turn them a time or two. They will go from perfectly toasted to burnt in no time! Top the apples with some walnuts. (Again, these are a treat for us. I don’t make them every time I make the apples.)

Mexican Egg Casserole

Mexican Egg Casserole

Again I saw this on pinterest.com. I’m telling you it’s addictive! Anyway, I came across this egg casserole and wanted to try it. I love egg casseroles. I don’t think they should be reserved for holidays although they do come in very handy at that time of year. During the week they make our mornings easier when all we have to do is warm up a dish that I’ve already prepared and add some sliced berries or veggies. Plus, they are tasty and varied. I thought this one sounded interesting but after taking a look I knew I’d have to changes some things like removing the bread and adding more eggs.

Here’s my version.

Mexican Egg Casserole

8 oz. uncooked chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage)

8 oz. ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

Ingredients for Mexican Egg Casserole

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 cup baby spinach (I used 1 package frozen chopped spinach because I had some on hand)

18 eggs

2/3 cup organic half and half

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese (used mozzarella because I had it on hand)

1/2 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated jalapeño cheddar cheese (I omitted this as I was afraid it would get too spicy for Dr. Court to handle)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9″ by 13″ baking pan with a saved butter wrapper.

Whisk the eggs, half and half, ground mustard, salt, and black pepper together, and set aside.

In a skillet, brown the chorizo and ground turkey until cooked through then add the onion and bell peppers and sauté until tender. Add garlic and sauté a minute more and then add spinach and cook just until spinach wilts (if using fresh).

Place the meat and veggies in the pan, then add the egg mixture and top with the cheeses. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through, uncovering for the last 5-10 minutes so the cheese will brown slightly on top.

Serve with some fresh sliced berries or cherry tomatoes.

Meat and veggies go on the bottom.

Add eggs and cheese.

ENJOY!!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Again, I saw this on pinterest.com but it reminded me of a something my used to make when I was growing up. My mom’s version was yellow squash, onion, salt and pepper and cheese and poppy seeds. It was also delicious and as I’m typing this I realize I haven’t made it in a while will have to! Back to this Cheesy Zucchini Bake. It really is super easy and delicious. I’ve made it a few times and I think the version I’m going to show you is my favorite. It even tastes great leftover the next day.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Ingredients you’ll need!

2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices (I used 1 large zucchini and 1 ½ medium yellow squash)
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
½ cup chopped fresh basil (or less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
1 thinly sliced shallot
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese but another white cheese like Swiss would be good too

1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Grease the pan with a leftover butter wrapper.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with olive oil or use a leftover butter wrapper to grease the pan.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice shallot.

Combine the ingredients.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced shallots, dried thyme, garlic powder, ½ cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of coarsely grated Parmesan and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

Serve hot and enjoy!

P.S. This goes amazingly well with the meatloaf from the Everyday Paleo cookbook. This meatloaf recipe is by far my absolute favorite! It’s fantastic! So good in fact, I would make it every week! 🙂

P.P. S. If you haven’t seen or heard by now Sarah Fragoso has a new cookbook out. Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook with brand new recipes! Check it out too.