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.

Chocolate Tofu Mousse

I truly believe that eating healthy doesn't mean having to sacrifice all the flavor in your diet, especially snacks that are sweet and tasty.  This quickly became one of the favorites in a Clean Eating Challenge Group I was running, and I've even had people tell me they doubled the batch and made pies with it.  Again, this has macronutrient counts for those people who are following the 21-Day Fix containers, or using macro counts as a way to control portions and caloric intake. When I put this on a meal plan, I had miscalculated the proper measurement for the peanut butter, so I adjusted it here for the appropriate count, and it's still just as tasty as it was with the over measured peanut butter in the original recipe. If you're looking for something to satiate that sweet tooth, or fill the void of your Hershey's Kisses, this one is for you!

CHOCOLATE TOFU MOUSSE

1 Protein, 2 Nut Butter

(Makes 4 Servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. Silken Tofu
• 2 tbsp. Almond Milk, more for desired texture
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 c.+ 2 tsp. Natural Peanut Butter
• 4 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
• 3 Stevia Packets

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Add additional almond milk one teaspoon at a time if it is too thick. Taste the final product to make sure it is sweet enough for your liking, and add additional Stevia if you prefer it sweeter. Divide into four ramekins or cups and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Enjoy by itself, or topped with fresh fruit. 

Again, this is an awesome way to get some protein in while also satisfying that need for sweets and chocolate, not to mention that peanut butter is so good for you in so many ways.  I hope you enjoy this as much as my challengers do, and feel free to share it with other 21-Day Fixers and health foodies alike! 

Maria 

www.MariasSuperFitTraining.com 

Cleaner Shepherd's Pie

A traditional shepherd's pie is made with lamb or beef, as well as corn and potatoes, with additional ingredients depending on what recipe you consider a "real" shepherd's pie. When I look over those traditional recipes, they often lack enough veggies and are pumped full of carbohydrates. In order to reach the right sized portion, with the appropriate amount of macronutrients, I took the traditional recipes, limited the carbs, and increased the vegetables. This cleaner shepherd's pie may be quite different from the recipe that your mother made, however I know that once you give this a try you will understand eliminating the extra fat and carbohydrates, doesn't mean you also eliminate the flavor. And, if you're someone who is looking for new recipes to add to your 21-Day Fix meal preparation rotation, I list your servings and macronutrient counts so you can easily track your meal.

Shepherd’s Pie

1 Protein, 1 Veggie, 1 Carb

(Makes 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed
• 1 tsp. Garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. EV Olive Oil
• 1 ½ lbs. Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 cup Peas, frozen – defrosted
• ½ Summer Squash, sliced into ¼ slices
• ½ Zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch slices
• ½ cup Mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup Carrots, sliced
• 1 rib Celery, sliced
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp. Onion Powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Steam sweet potatoes until soft, or a fork pierces through easily and place in food processor. Add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper to taste, and puree until smooth. Put aside. 

2. Heat 1 tsp. EVOO in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, salt and pepper to taste, and stir often to break up meat. Cook until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Drain and discard fat; set turkey aside.

3. In same pan, heat remaining 1 tsp. EVOO on medium-high heat. Add onion, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, celery, salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft; about 8 minutes.

4. Add turkey back to pan, and stir into vegetables. Add peas. Transfer mixture into a 13 x 9 in. baking dish and cover with whipped sweet potato, spreading out over entire mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

You may find that this is a bit different in texture from your traditional recipes, but the flavor is great.  It's also packed full of veggies, proteins, and the proper amount of carbohydrates per serving.  I hope you enjoy your cleaner version, and always remember that you can substitute different veggies per your preference. If you don't like mushrooms, substitute a veggie you do like.  There's no sense in eating foods that you don't enjoy!

Maria

Mixed Berry Baked Breakfast Cobbler with Greek Yogurt Topping

The Mixed Berry Baked Breakfast Cobbler is one of my all time favorite breakfast bulk recipes because in a lot of ways it's almost like dessert for breakfast.  Over the last year I have coordinated a lot of Challenge Groups around Clean Eating in combination with the 21-Day Fix portion control macronutrient counts in mind.  This has led to a lot of research on Clean Eating recipes, and how to modify their ingredients to appropriately meet particular macro counts with each serving.  I came across the idea for this recipe from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, but totally revamped it so it could be applied to the 21-Day Fix portion control plan.

This meal is a great way to start breakfast, for several different reasons. First off, it has carbs, fruits, and proteins, which means that your going to feel satiated longer, have sustained energy over time, and you'll reach a large amount of marcros in one swoop. Secondly, this recipe is on the sweet side, so if you're someone who misses sweets while you're trying to eat clean, this recipe will help you satisfy some of those cravings.

Mixed Berry Baked Breakfast Cobbler

1 Protein, 1 Fruit, 1 Carb, 1 Seed

(Makes 4 Servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup 1% Milk
• ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
• 1 ½ cup Fresh Strawberries, sliced
• 1 ½ cup Fresh Blueberries
• 1 large MacIntosh Apple, unpeeled, grated
• 4 packets Stevia

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick spray.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. If you are preparing this the night before, don’t add the liquid ingredients such as milk and grated apple until the morning.

3. Place mixture in baking dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

GREEK YOGURT TOPPING

(1 Serving)

• ¾ cup Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
• ½ tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 packet Stevia

Mix all ingredients together and top cobbler with your yogurt mix.

A few things to note about this recipe; if you're someone who prefers to use agave, maple syrup, or cane sugar, you're more than welcome to.  I would suggest using about 2 tablespoons of any of those in place of the Stevia. Also, you can control how sweet you want the recipe.  I'm someone who really enjoys sweet food, so I put 1 Stevia per serving of oatmeal, as well as the yogurt topping, but feel free to decrease the sweetener to your taste.  Lastly, the Greek Yogurt Topping recipe is for one serving, so if you want to bulk it in order to have enough for each serving, you need to quadruple the recipe.  I prefer to make it fresh every time I heat up the oatmeal bake, but if you're more successful being totally prepped, you should just plan on making enough for each serving of oatmeal bake. I feel like this is an amazing recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Maria

I NEED CHOCOLATE!!! Clean Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Almond Frosting

We all know that you can still over eat when you're eating clean.  Although I acknowledge this entirely, I also realize that when we have a sweet craving, it's going to need to be satiated, with either something good, or something bad.  So let's discuss here, the something good.  I was inspired by an Instagram post by @drcharo that was a zucchini brownie with frosting, and man did it look delicious.  My versions didn't come out quite as thick as hers, as I chose to use maple syrup as a sweetener rather than a stevia or coconut sugar blend, but they were super delicious all the same.  I will admit here that I certainly licked the spoon more times than I should have, and this probably led to some extra calories I didn't need.  Hey!  At least it was all natural sugars!!!

INGREDIENTS:
Brownies:
- 1/2 cup Almond or Peanut Butter
- 1 whole Egg and 3 Egg Whites
- 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 cups Shredded Zucchini
- 1/2 cup Maple Syrup

Frosting:
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Chopped Almonds




DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine peanut butter (or almond if that's what you chose), eggs, cocoa powder, baking powder, zucchini and maple syrup in bowl, and beat on medium speed until well combined.  If you choose to use a powdered sweetener the batter will be on the thick side. If you used maple syrup, it will definitely be thinner in consistency.
3. Place batter into 13 x 9 greased (or parchment lined) pan. Spread the mixture around to make it even throughout the pan.
4. Place in over at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until center is cooked through.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. While the brownies are cooling, put coconut oil, almond milk, and cocoa powder in a microwave safe bowl.  Place in microwave and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until coconut oil is melted.  Remove from microwave and add the honey to the bowl.  Whisk well, until all ingredients are combined.  Add chopped almonds and mix well.
6. When brownies have completely cooled, pour frosting over the top and allow to set.
7.  Enjoy!

All of these ingredients are all whole, there is no refined flour and every sweetener is natural.  This is not to say that they do not contain a decent amount of sugar, but as long as you don't overindulge, you're getting your sweets fix and getting awesome super foods like coconut oil, zucchini, peanut butter and cocoa.  Dr. Charo's recipe has a little less sugar than mine, but she claims that her version has 89 calories, 8g of fat, 3g of carbs and 6 g of protein per brownie with 15 total brownies.  I cut mine into 18, and didn't factor in the additional sugar here, but it's certainly not a lot higher than what she posts (as long as you don't eat the whole pan).