Chocolate Banana Muffins

I absolutely LOVE this recipe because I am a sweets girl and a chocolate girl especially so this muffin recipe basically came about to help satiate both those desires. I found the starter for this recipe in the Fixate cookbook by Autumn Calabrese, and then modified it to fit not only my taste, but my lifestyle. The original recipe is delicious and I've made it several times for myself and for clients, but I find this helps me really work through the sweet cravings more than the original recipe. 

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium bananas, ripe and mashed
1 tbsp. extra-virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 dash sea salt
1/2 cup or 1 container apple sauce, unsweetened

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9 muffin tins by lining with muffin tin liners or coating with non-stick spray. (I've tried liners and personally have found that any healthy muffin always sticks to the liner so I always forgo them, use spray and put them directly in the cups).

2. Combine eggs, banana, apple sauce, and coconut oil in a medium bowl and mix well. Set aside. 

3. Combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. 

4. Add almond meal mixture to egg mixture; mix until blended. 

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. 

6. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Notes: I use a Kitchen Aid when I make these which really speeds up the process. I also just slice the bananas quickly, and if they're ripe enough they should just mash when you mix them with the eggs and apple sauce. I do sometimes add a little cinnamon if I feel like it, and like to leave the bananas with some texture within the muffin as you can see in the close up picture. As long as you use gluten-free ingredients this is an AWESOME recipe for those with a celiac allergy. 

Honestly, I had to keep myself from eating more than one a day because they are so tasty, but I would HIGHLY recommend placing these in the fridge because the ingredients are perishable, and if you're not going to eat them over the week, freeze half of them and take them out of the freezer when you want to phase them back into your meal plan. I've tragically had some go bad before and had to throw them away (the only downside to using good, fresh ingredients). 

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do in my house. They're so tasty that even my not-so-healthy boyfriend packs them in his lunchbox!

Hearty Sausage and Cheese Frittata

Hearty Egg and Sausage Frittata

This is one of my favorite recipes when I'm having guests stay over for a  night, or want to prep something for breakfast that will make it through part of the week. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a lover or ricotta even in my breakfast food! I cut this into 8 pieces, 2 pieces per serving. You can see that you may also use the macro count from the 21-Day Fix programs in order to track your intake as opposed to counting your calories. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!

(Makes 4 Servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 oz. Turkey Sausage (about 3 sausages), casings removed
• 1 ½ cups Broccoli Florets, chopped
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 6 Egg Whites
• 2 Eggs
• ½ cup Low-fat Ricotta Cheese
• ½ cup grated Low-fat Cheddar Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof, stick-resistant (or seasoned) skillet on medium-high; mist with non-stick cooking spray. Add sausage, broccoli, pepper and onions and cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until sausage is crumbled and no longer pink; about 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, eggs and ricotta until foamy and just a few lumps remain. Pour over top of sausage mixture; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until bottom and sides are firm and top is almost set, about 7 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler to high. Uncover skillet and sprinkle cheddar over top of egg mixture. Broil until center is set and cheddar is melted and bubbly; 2-3 minutes.

Oatmeal Crock Pot Bake

One of the most frequent statements I get from clients and customers when discussing recipes and nutrition is that there aren't enough simple Crock Pot recipes. They're easier to prep, require no hands on cooking time, and they're almost always super flavorful. This recipe came into my food world because I was building a meal plan for a client with a full time job, two kids, and a household to keep running. She needed something time efficient, tasty, and easy to clean up. The bonus with this recipe, is that you not only get oats in your diet (a super food), but you can top it with whatever works in your diet (almonds, dark chocolate, fresh fruit, dried fruit, etc.). The apple simply melts into your oatmeal for a natural sweetness with your stevia, and the prep time is less than five minutes. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Crock Pot Bake

(4 Servings, 1 cup)

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free steel cut oats

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 cups water

1 large honey crisp apple

4 packets Stevia

1 tbsp. Coconut oil

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

pinch of sea

Directions:

1. You may want to spray or coat the inside of your crock pot with oil or butter to avoid oatmeal from caking to the sides. I didn't do this step and didn't have any issues but every crock pot is different.
2. Measure and pour 2 cups of water and 2 cups of almond milk into the crock pot. Add 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil and stir.
3. Next, core and chop one large apple into small bite size chunks. I left my skin on but again this is optional.
4. Add chopped apple, a pinch of salt, gluten-free steel cut oats, honey, and cinnamon. Stir a few times.
5. Place lid securely on your crock pot and let your apple cinnamon oatmeal cook on low for 7-8 hours.