Bkfst/Bread/Muffins
Zucchini Bread-Healthy Style
Healthy Zucchini Bread
This summer, I planted a large garden filled with all of our favorite vegetables. The zucchini plants have gone crazy and are producing daily a crop of delicious and nutritious zucchini. I have baked, stir-fried, barbequed and added them into omelets, pizza and frittatas. The following is a conventional recipe for zucchini bread with healthy adaptations.
ENJOY!!!
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
3 eggs
3 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mini chocolate chips and/or 1 cup chopped raisins
Grate the zucchini (one large one from the garden or three medium) into a colander and sprinkle salt on it and let it sit for a few minutes and then squeeze out excess moisture. In a medium bowl combine sugar and applesauce and oil and stir. Add the eggs and stir until mixed well. In a small bowl measure out the flour (you can use a combination of white and whole wheat or experiment with different varieties of gluten free, oat flour, rice flour and feel free to add wheat germ or flax seed as long as it measures a total of 3 cups). Next, add other dry ingredients and stir. Add wet and dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Add the vanilla, the zucchini and the nuts and stir lightly until combined. For a fun little treat try adding ½-1 cup of mini chocolate chips or 1 cup raisins. Pour into a well greased bread loaf pan and bake at 350˚ for 60-70 minutes.
If you want to make smaller loaves or muffins adjust time for baking accordingly-40 minutes for small loaves
Baked Oatmeal Carrot Muffins
Bekah and I made these muffins last week and they were a perfect treat for breakfast or for a snack. We liked the extra nutrition provided by the grated carrots. (I made a batch with grated zucchini as well-you have to let the grated zucchini weep for about 15 minutes on paper towels to absorb the extra moisture.) The carrots were a fun addition to this delicious and nutritious gluten free, vegetarian muffin. You feel like you are eating a bowl of oatmeal with yummy toppings packed into a muffin. A wonderful accompaniment to serve for an Easter breakfast/brunch.
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
2 Tablespoons chia seed
2 Tablespoons hemp seed
¾ cups milk (I used almond milk)
⅓ cup almond butter
⅛ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ cup grated carrots
½ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds and milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the almond butter, honey and vanilla. Beat the egg and add to the mixture along with the salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold in the carrots, raisins and pecans.
Lightly grease 12 muffins tins or use cute muffin papers. Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- 2 Tablespoons chia seed
- 2 Tablespoons hemp seed
- ¾
Bunny Cakes for Breakfast
Looking for a fun and easy breakfast to serve on Easter morning or sometime in the weeks leading up to Easter, to get in the mood for Easter Sunday. Here is my grandmother’s famous buttermilk pancake recipe that she made for us and served every Saturday or Sunday morning when we had the privilege of spending the weekend in one of my favorite places growing up. She was a fabulous cook and everything she created had a certain extra special flair and each dish holds precious memories for me. Rachel took this recipe and turned it into a fun holiday treat for her girls. Read on to see how to turn this buttermilk pancake recipe into “Bunny Cakes”.
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 ½ cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Accessories for Bunny Cakes
½ cup shredded coconut
1 banana sliced thin
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
sliced strawberries
Measure dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl. in your kitchen aid of mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add buttermilk alternately with dry ingredients. Mix on medium-low until batter is smooth. Cook on a hot lightly greased griddle.
To make Bunny Cakes, make one circle pancake 4 inches in diameter, one circle pancake 2 inches in diameter, 2 oval pancakes that are about 1-1 ½ inches long and 2 triangular pancakes about 1-1 ½ inches in length. Assemble bunnies on separate plates with triangle ears down first, then small circle, then large circle and them paws n top according to photo below. Decorate with coconut, bananas, mini chocolate chips and strawberries. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. I like to celebrate the fall season with PUMPKIN, (you may have figured that out by now). Each time I have brought a pumpkin treat to a women’s event this year, I am asked whether or not it is gluten free. So, I have experimented with a new recipe that I just received from a friend and adjusted a few things to make a delicious gluten free, high protein, low sugar alternative to the conventional Pumpkin Bread that I make this time of year. For quick access to a few of my other favorite pumpkin recipes click here for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies(Gluten Free version available in the same post) and Pumpkin Pie Cake. I just made this Pumpkin Pie Cake for my women’s bible study group and substituted a box of Trader Joes Gingerbread cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix and it was absolutely 100% tastier. So here is my newest pumpkin creation. Hope you like it! Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond meal flour (or your favorite gluten free flour blend)
1 ½ cups organic oats
3 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon hemp seed
1 Tablespoon chia seed
¼ cup whey based protein powder (vanilla or pumpkin flavored)
¼ cup brown sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons almond milk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade apple butter)
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup slivered almonds
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until moistened throughout. Add nuts and raisins and stir just a …
Read MorePumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
We LOVE pumpkin! I like my healthy breakfasts- scrambled eggs, oatmeal, homemade granola. But, every once in a while, I really like making a “Fun Breakfast” aka not as healthy but still delicious 🙂 Like, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls! So, I figured fall would be the perfect time to try making pumpkin cinnamon rolls! They taste really good, and, also have a great consistency! I gave you the recipe as I originally made it (when I was not living in the US, which made it difficult to sometimes get certain ingredients). However, I have also given a few slightly healthier substitutes for some ingredients! Hope you are enjoying your fall with all the delicious pumpkin goodies out there! Maybe this one will be added to your favorites 🙂
INGREDIENTS (Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie: The Healthy Dessert Blog)
Makes approx 12 cinnamon rolls
- 1 TBS yeast
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 TBS of sugar
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar (Or you can do 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/8 tsp pure stevia extract)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (See homemade recipe below)
- 1/4 cup of butter (or 4 TBS melted coconut oil)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Approx 5 TBS whole-wheat or all-purpose flour (So the dough does not stick when kneading)
FOR THE INSIDE
- 3 TBS sugar
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- Dash salt
HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE (Adapted from Annie’s Eats: Making Your Day Taste Better)
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
Mix all together.
DIRECTIONS:
Warm the milk in a small bowl. You want it warm, but not boiling (Approx 110 degrees). To test …
Read MoreEasy Egg Bake
Raise your hand if you like easy food. ME!!
Then this Easy Egg Bake is for you. Really you just grab a bunch of veggies, chop them up, toss in a greased pan, add meat if you want, cover with beaten eggs, bake. Voila! Delicious and easy breakfast lunch or dinner.
I make this almost every week for a nutritious quick lunch. Perfect for home or to eat out and about.
- Veggies - 1 diced zucchini, 1 diced sweet potato, 1-2 diced carrots, 1 cup chopped kale or spinach, ½ head of broccoli, diced.
- Meat - Turkey bacon or flavored chicken sausages chopped
- 8-12 eggs
- 1 cup Cheese (optional topping)
- 1 Avocado (optional topping)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a glass baking dish.
- Chop veggies.
- Spread veggies in the pan.
- Chop up meat.
- Beat eggs. I use 8 eggs for a 2 qt. baking dish. Add extra eggs if needed so the eggs are level with the veggies and meat.
- Pour eggs over veggies and meat.
- Bake 35-45 minutes or until egg is cooked throughout.
- Cool and top with cheese or avocado.
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Read MorePumpkin Protein Pancakes
The weather might not agree, but Fall is officially here and at my house that means PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!
These perfect pumpkin pancakes are great for any time of day and packed with delicious protein to fuel you and your kids.
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
1 cup coconut flour*
1 TBS honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 scoops undenatured whey pumpkin spice protein powder
dash salt
1 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning
1 egg
2 cups almond milk**
3 TBS melted butter
Combine all ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Heat pancakes over medium-low heat. The pancakes will take a very long time to cook enough so that you can flip them over.
*I don’t usually like to use coconut flour. I think it made the pancakes really hard to flip. Although tasty, next time I will use a different gluten free flour. Here is a helpful article about replacing coconut flour in a recipe.
**If you do use coconut flour you may need to add more almond milk. I just added more almond milk until I reached my desired consistency for the pancakes.
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Frappaccino Twist
Who doesn’t love an icy coffee drink with some flavor? I am pretty sure that most people actually like frappaccinos, it is just the fact that it is so much, or so unhealthy, that turns many away. What if we could make that coffee milkshake goodness healthy? Would you try it?
Well, it is possible. And not only are they healthy, they actually taste great! And you can do so many options!!!! So here’s the pictures for some curb appeal, with the recipe below. But let’s make it have a fun catchy name… A Frappaccino Twist!
Ingredients
- Cold brewed coffee, frozen coffee cubes, or coffee grounds (if you are okay with that texture)
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup or 2 scoops undenatured whey protein powder (chocolate, vanilla, or pumpkin)
- 2 cups of ice
- Optional Add ins: almond extract, vanilla extract, mint extract
- Whip cream, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or cinnamon
- Directions
1. To prepare the coffee, brew a pot of your favorite coffee, let it get cold. Or if you know how to cold brew coffee overnight you can do that. You can have coffee that has been frozen into ice cube trays for easy accessible coffee. If you do this, then use a cup of water with the coffee ice cubes. Last resort, you can use a scoop of coffee grounds if you don’t mind the texture.
2. Choose the flavor of coffee shake you would like. You can make a mocha, vanilla, or pumpkin spice. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup or 2 scoops undenatured whey protein powder (chocolate, vanilla, or pumpkin)
3. Add 2 cups of ice
4. If you need a little extra touch and a slight bit of unhealthiness, add whip cream, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or cinnamon on top.
Pumpkin Ginger Spice Scones
The sights, sounds and smells of Fall are in the air and the mornings are cooler. School has been in session for weeks now and hopefully the kids have settled into a routine that allows for a healthy breakfast.
But if you still find yourself running around in the morning with many days that they need a grab-n-go breakfast or a pick-me-up-snack midmorning, these Pumpkin Ginger Spice Scones are packed full of nutritious deliciousness.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup hemp seed
¼ cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup crystallized ginger chopped fine
½ cup cold butter
¼ cup undenatured whey pumpkin protein powder (you can substitute vanilla)
5 Tablespoons honey
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add chopped crystallized ginger to dry ingredients. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients with ginger until resembles small meal. In a small bowl, mix honey, pumpkin puree and yogurt. Fold wet ingredients into dry in the large bowl. Only stir until dry ingredients are moist so scones stay light and fluffy. Roll dough out into a large rectangle 1 inch thick on a floured board and cut into scone sized squares, triangles or circles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Yields 25 small scones or 12 large scones.
Healthy Juice Blends
You know those mornings that you wake up and you feel congested, as if you have pressure in your nose and eyes areas?? Well, that was me yesterday. I felt like my face was swollen and I would not stop sneezing. I knew that I wasn’t sick but I was in a new environment that occasionally makes my sinuses a bit crazy. I decided to get a juice blend at lunch- beet, Apple, ginger (lots of it), and a little bit of lemon. I almost instantly felt better! My sinuses were clear and my head no longer felt stuffy.
There are so many benefits from juices, such as anti-inflammatory components, aiding in digestion, clearing sinuses, and filling your body with healthy super foods in one drink!! And, with a good juicer, you can even try your own combinations!
A few of our favorite places that we have discovered for juice blends are La Vie which can be found and tasted at the Danville Farmers Markets on Saturday mornings, Pressed Juicery which we found in Southern California (but coming soon to Walnut Creek!) and our favorite restaurant, Ki’s!!
Here are my top 5 juice blends that I have tried:
- Inspired from “Roots 3” from Pressed Juicery and “The Bite” from Ki’s—Beets, Apple, Ginger, Lemon — can aid in digestion and tastes DELICIOUS!! This is my personal favorite 🙂
2. “Greens 4” from Pressed Juicery
Cayenne, Cucumber, Celery, Ginger, Lemon, Watercress
High in antioxidants!
3. “Fire Fighter” from La Vie
Coconut water, filtered water, fresh turmeric juice, fresh ginger juice, fresh lime juice, raw local honey, organic coconut palm sugar, organic cayenne.
Full of kick with lots of turmeric, giving it a anti-inflammatory components that takes great!
4. “E3 Live Cocktail” from La Vie
Apple juice, organic blue green algae, …
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