Gluten Free Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Halloween Themed Recipe #6- Countdown to Halloween!

There is nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning and making pancakes, am I right?!

A few weekends ago one of my girlfriends, Annie, was in visiting from out of town. Whenever I have friends over I always like to make a fun and delicious breakfast, one because I am Italian and that is how my mom taught me to entertain and two because I like to make elaborate breakfasts on the weekend. 

So we started prepping everything. Before I go on any further I should preclude that my friend Annie doesn't cook a lot nor does she know how to cook {these are her words not mine!} so it was fun teaching her how to make pancakes. We made the batter and I showed her how to make pancakes on the stove. We were making chocolate chip pancakes for her and my boyfriend.  

Funny Story. About halfway through cooking the pancakes I had to use the restroom and I knew the pancakes were going to need to be flipped, remember she doesn't really know how to cook. So she says excitedly "go ahead! I will watch the pancakes." I had this overwhelming sense on panic because all I could think was "oh my gosh she doesn't know how to flip the pancakes...they are going to get ruined!" But I walked away and let her do her thing. A few seconds later I hear "Uh oh!" and then an excited scream. So I rushed back into the kitchen only to find that she accidentally flipped one of the pancakes on top of another one, but she had also successfully flipped her first pancake. It was a great moment :-) 

While the pancakes were finishing up I realized I wanted to try and make a batch of healthy pumpkin pancakes. So I threw some ingredients together and hoped it worked! Which it did by the way and that is how you have come to be blessed with this delicious recipe!

Gluten Free Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon of Libby's Pumpkin Puree
1 egg
1 scoop of Vanilla Shakeology
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 dashes of pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1) Whisk all ingredients together until everything is wet.
2) Set skillet on stove top and turn dial to medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray.
3) Using a small serving ladle make 3 silver dollar size pancakes.
4) Cook 2 minutes on each side or until edges begin to bubble. Repeat process until all the badder is gone.

Recipe should yield 6-8 silver dollar pancakes. Serve with fresh fruit, a little maple syrup, or pumpkin butter! 

Pumpkin Coffee Swirl Smoothie

Halloween Themed Recipe #5- Countdown to Halloween


I love having smoothies for breakfast. It's quick, it's easy, it's simple. 

I don't have a lot of time in the morning to make a nice breakfast, as I am assuming many of you reading this are in the same boat! I can throw everything in a blender and in less than 5 minutes I have a delicious breakfast. 

Since it is fall time I use a lot of pumpkin puree in my recipes. Costco sells big cans of Libby's Pumpkin Puree in packs of 3, which definitely last me through the season. Now when you buy pumpkin puree make sure it is the real stuff (like Libby's) and not just pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie filling can have extra sugar and preservatives in it compared to the pure puree. 

One of the ingredients I love adding to my smoothies is cold coffee because I am able to get my caffeine for the day without adding the flavored creamer or half and half, which equates to extra calories. Another ingredient I add to my morning smoothies is a nutrient dense protein powder called Shakeology. It is packed with my daily dose of vitamins, minerals, fruits, and vegetables. By adding it to my smoothie it helps me stay fuller longer throughout the day as well as makes my smoothie more substantial.

The Pumpkin Coffee Swirl Smoothie was created on a morning when I couldn't make up my mind of what to put in my smoothie, I know we have all been there before! I wanted to add coffee, pumpkin puree, chocolate Shakeology, Vanilla Shakeology....so I decided why not throw it all together?! And that is exactly what I did. 

And the Pumpkin Coffee Swirl Smoothie was born.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of iced coffee (I use Starbucks brand)*

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 scoop Chocolate Shakeology**

1/2 scoop Vanilla Shakeology**

1/4 cup Libby's Pumpkin Puree

1/2 banana (not pictured)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash of cinnamon

Add everything into the blender along with 4-6 ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite cup and whalah! You have an amazingly nutritious breakfast!

*Starbucks iced coffee can be swapped for any cold coffee. Do NOT add hot coffee to the smoothie, it will cause the smoothie to not blend smoothly.

** If you do not have Shakeology this can be swapped with any protein powder you have at home, although I do have to say it might not be as delicious! Or if you don't like protein powder you can omit it all together!

Happy Blending!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Halloween Themed Recipe #4- Countdown to Halloween!

I love pumpkin. I love chocolate. Putting the two together seemed like a no brainier.

There is no doubt pumpkin season is here and in full swing. Everyone is looking for their next best pumpkin recipe, well no need to look any further. You have found it. Right here, on this page.

This bread is moist, chocolaty, and will cure any sweet tooth you have. There is mounds of chocolate chips in every bite. It is not overly sweet though, it is the perfect balance of sweet. Anytime you add pumpkin to a baked good you can guarantee it will come out moist and fluffy due to the nature of pumpkin.

Have a slice for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even a late night dessert before bed! {That is usually when I op for it haha} I love warming up my slice and topping it with creamy peanut butter, butter, or homemade pumpkin butter, that way the topping melts all over the bread and I get the flavor in every.single.bite. <3 

This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to get in the oven..it just depends on how fast you add the ingredients! Don't let the long ingredients list overwhelm you! Let's get cooking!

*For a clean version of this bread, look for the substitutes next to the ingredients in blue.

Yields: About 10 slices. Prep Time: 5-10 Minutes. Cook Time: 50-55 Minutes Total Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients: 

1 large egg (1 banana)

1 cup pumpkin puree (Libby's works best!)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (substitute maple syrup)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (substitute applesauce)

1/4 cup of greek yogurt (vanilla yogurt works great too!)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (substitute whole wheat flour or almond flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of salt 

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Take a stick of butter and grease the inside of the pan. Use your hand to spread the butter evenly, covering all the sides and bottom of the pan. Add 1 heaping spoonful of flour to the pan, shaking it around until it sticks to the butter. Dump the excess flour.

2. In a large bowl, add the first 10 ingredients and whisk to combine.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

4. Slowly add the powdered ingredients into the wet pumpkin mixture. Stir until combined, but don't over mix.

5. Add the chocolate chips. Stir to combine.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

7. Bake for 50-55 minutes. The top should be domed and a golden brown color. Double check by sticking a toothpick or fork in the middle, if it comes out clean the bread is done. If mixture sticks to it, bake it for another 2-3 minutes. If the edges of the bread look too brown, cover lightly with aluminum foil.

8. Allow bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Store bread in an airtight container. 

Candy Corn Bark

Halloween Recipe #3- Countdown to Halloween!!

Remember when I said I was going to make healthy Halloween recipes and I put in parenthesis next to it that MOST of them would be? Well.....this is one of the exceptions!

I love baking. A lot more than I used to. My love of baking interferes with my desire to stay healthy. :-) So what do I do with everything I bake?? I take it to work with me of course!!! My co-workers love it and it means I don't have to eat all of the baked goods. But on a serious note, I love baking and taking it into work, people get so excited and I feel like it brightens their day! Try it! 

Anyway, this recipe is SUPER EASY to make! I love this recipe because you can make it so many different ways and even coordinate the toppings with the holiday or season you are in. Cook time is probably about 5 minutes and then you stick it in the freezer for a few hours.

Supplies:

You will need a baking sheet with a rim, wax paper, milk chocolate chips, candy corn, and orange frosting (preferably the kind that is in a tube with a point so you can drizzly it over the chocolate like in the above picture). 

Directions:

1) Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Stir chocolate with a spatula. If it's not melted all the way microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again. Continue until chocolate is melted, but you shouldn't need to do it more than twice.

2) While chocolate is melting, lay wax (parchment) paper on baking sheet. Overlap 2 pieces to cover the whole pan, but don't have the pieces overlap in the middle to prevent chocolate from seeping through.

3) Once chocolate is melted, pour onto covered baking sheet and spread evenly over pan with a spatula. You may need to hold the wax paper while you do this since the paper will move around since it's not attached to anything (Make sure you move fast before the chocolate cools!).

4) After you spread out the chocolate to your desired thickness, top with candy corn and drizzle with frosting!*

5) Pop the whole tray in the freezer for 2 hours. Then break into pieces! You can make the pieces as big or small as you want. I used the handle of a metal knife to help break up the pieces so I wasn't manhandling the chocolate!

**You can modify this recipe by adding whatever toppings you want, such as nuts, peanut butter, pretzels, and other assorted candies. You can even use dark chocolate or white chocolate for the base if you want.**

Enjoy and Happy almost Halloween!!

Sweet Potato Witches Fingers

Halloween Recipe #2- Countdown to Halloween!

As I looked on to what I had pulled out for dinner I thought "How can I possibly make ANY of this Halloween-ish?!" I had talapia, green beans, and a sweet potato in front on me.... 

And then it hit me! Sweet Potato Witch Fingers! Witches are known to have pointy nails, so if I can cut this potato into fries and then give them a pointy tip to resemble witches pointy finger nails I could be in luck!

Instructions:

Step One- Preheat oven to 350. Wash and dry the sweet potato.

Step Two- Cut the ends of the potato so it can sit on the cutting board without falling over.

Step Three- Cut the potato into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. Make sure the potato is vertical so you can make the fries long.

Step Four- Cut the potato slices into thirds. Then use your knife to add a point to the top of the fry (see picture to the left). You will take a little off each side of the top.*

*Waste Alert!-Don't throw away those little pieces of potato. Throw them on the pan to cook or save them to mix in with a breakfast scramble.

Step 5- Drizzle olive oil (or coconut oil) over the fries and whatever seasonings you would like. I topped mine with chili powder to add some kick! Cook for 25 minutes. 

Step Six- Once done, allow to cool for several minutes. 

Step Seven- Place wax paper in a cup and stack the witches fingers inside, almost as if they are coming out of the cup, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce!




P.S. Stay tuned as I bring more healthy Halloween recipes your way over the next 5 days!

Stuffed Peppers Halloween Style

Halloween Recipe #1- Countdown to Halloween!

I can't believe Halloween will be here in ONE week! Once Halloween comes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years will soon follow, but lets take it one holiday at a time.

As we anticipate Halloween and all of the fun activities that go along with it, trick-or-treat, costumes, candy, pumpkin baked good....we can sometimes lose sight of how much sugar we are in taking! For the next 7 nights leading up to Halloween I will be doing a mini-series of fun and healthy (for the most part!) Halloween/Fall recipes! Tonight is the first recipe, so you are in for a real treat!

Getting in the spooky spirit of things I decided to make dinner a little fun tonight by carving peppers, yes...peppers! Peppers resemble pumpkins in a lot of ways; 1) they are both weird shaped, 2) you have to cut the tops off to scoop the gunk out, and 3) you can carve them.

This is a kid-friendly recipe! However, it is best to have the grown-up carve the faces, but ask the kids what kind of face they want on their stuffed pepper. Getting kids involved in the kitchen is one of the best things a parent can do, not only is it quality bonding time, but it's never too early to teach them how to cook! 

First step is to pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is heating, in a large pan combine ground turkey, black beans, corn, salsa, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, taco seasoning, and lime juice. Cover and let simmer. I added a spicier salsa and a good amount of cumin to make the mixture spicy and flavorful. Add spice according to your taste buds.

The next step is going to be to carve the peppers! Cut the tops and set to the side (do not discard). Cut out the white lining and seeds, but be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the pepper. Next, take a small sharp knife with a pointed tip and carefully carve faces. 

Once the mixture is done remove from heat and stir. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Next stuff peppers to the top. Use a slotted spoon so drain the liquid from the mixture before stuffing to prevent liquid from running out of the carved pepper. Place stuffed peppers in a bread pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with aluminium foil. Cook in oven for 30 minutes. Pull from oven and top with Colby Jack shredded cheese (or whatever kind of shredded cheese you like!) and bake uncovered for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Plate peppers for serving. If you want to make it look like they are "throwing up" (like on the left) then scoop out some of the mixture and set aside before topping the peppers with cheese.

This meal can stand alone or feel free to serve a side salad or brown rice on the side!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers this is 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, and 1/2 blue. (Not including any side dishes).


Ingredients:

4 medium peppers (red, yellow, orange, or green)
2 tsp of olive oil
2lbs ground turkey
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup canned black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 cup corn kennels (I used frozen corn, but canned would work fine too)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-Heat overn to 375 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat
3. Cut tops off of peppers and set to the side. Clean out the pepper of all seeds and white rind
4. Carefully carve faces into each pepper (Remember, let the kids help!)
5. Once mixture is done fill peppers to the top and place in an olive oil sprayed pan
6. Cover pan with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes
7. After the 30 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and top with cheese. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Have a Spooky Halloween!