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 

Chocolate Shakeology Peanut Butter and Jelly Fudge

For those of you who aren't in our Shakeology cult (which you should be because it will change your life forever), you must realize that we drink this shake daily, and using any nutritional supplement daily can get a tad bit boring.  That's not to say that the recipes that we get sent every month aren't unbelievable, and there are a multitude of recipes on the web for people to switch it up and make it new and exciting, and that's part of the reason that I'm here.  I used to use protein powder in a lot of different recipes, however as my clean eating evolved, so did my understanding about what was in most protein powders, and so I eliminated it from my diet.  However, when I started on Shakeology a few months back, I realized that there was a whole new world of opportunities for those recipes out there that do include protein powder, so I have taken it as my personal mission to find as many ways possible to incorporate this super dense, super-food meal supplement in my life in a variety of forms.

Not all of these recipes with be the 'healthiest' of snacks or meals.  There is, indeed, a difference between this recipe, and a recipe for a shake or protein pancake.  Nonetheless, I think it's important that we have a variety of avenues for any food to remain a constant in our diet, and so that is what I will achieve.  Today's recipe admittedly has a large amount of sugar, albeit natural sugars, they are still sugars. Therefore, you shouldn't make a pan of this fudge, sit in front of your TV, and stuff your face with the entire pan.  But, on those days when you're rummaging through your pantry or fridge looking for something to satiate that sweet chocolate desire, this will do just that. And rather than it being a Milky Way or Snickers, it will be something that has tons of antioxidants, nutrients, and proteins, especially when you add in all the nuts and berries that are combined into the fudge.  This recipe was modified from Averie Cooks, and looked so simple and delicious that I just couldn't help trying it out with Shakeology.  So here we go!

Ingredients:
- 3/4 c. honey (or brown rice syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup)
- 3/4 c. peanut butter (I used Teddy's All Natural Smooth)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. Chocolate Shakeology
- 1/3 c. diced dried cranberries (or diced raisin, dried blueberries, or dried fruit of your liking)
- 1/3 c. chopped almonds (or other nuts, or omit)
- 8x8 disposable aluminum baking pan sprayed with Pam



Note:  This is a fast moving recipe so have everything ready to go before you begin and work quickly through the steps.

Directions:
1.  Pour the honey into a medium-sized sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat until it almost begins to boil; turn of heat.
2.  Add the peanut better and stir until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and stir, using caution as it could bubble up a bit.
3.  Add the protein powder and stir, taking care to work quickly because batter will get increasingly stiff as time elapses.  Quickly fold in the diced fruit and peanuts.
4.  Spread over the bottom of the 8x8 pan and place in freezer for a minimum of 90 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and slice fudge into desired size.

I would suggest keeping the fudge either in the freezer, and taking it out 5-10 minutes before you want to eat it, or in the fridge.  Otherwise, at room temperature, it may get a little bit soft.  This one's a keeper for sure, so ENJOY!!!

Keep Moving.  Keep Strong.  PUSH PLAY EVERYDAY!

Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Muffins

This is, by far THE BEST CLEAN DESSERT I HAVE EVER MADE!  I came across a recipe at Dashing Dish that was a Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin, I was completely taken by the idea.  However, as much as I wanted to try the recipe, I started researching all the different chocolate chips, and no matter how clean the chocolate was, there was no denying that sugar is sugar is sugar, and I just didn't want to add more sugar to the recipe.  So, I went over the recipe and thought to myself, "She suggests adding peanut butter chips to the recipe, what if I just put peanut butter directly into the batter?"  GENIUS!!!

,

So, I followed the Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin recipe for the batter itself.  Instead of mixing chocolate chips into the batter, I filled the cupcake pan with the foil liners (DO NOT USE PAPER LINERS!!!  Because there is no flour in the recipe, the batter will stick when cooked, and you'll end up with only half of a muffin to eat), and poured the batter until the muffin tins were half full.  I then put a tablespoon of peanut butter directly into the center of each muffin.  When I finished, I poured the remaining batter and covered the peanut butter in each muffin tin.  I then baked them at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  

Honestly, you could stop here, and the muffins would unbelievable.  However, I just couldn't stop, and clearly, I needed some peanut butter frosting for my muffin, which now had taken on the form of a cupcake. So, in a small bowl I put two heaping tablespoons of peanut butter, two tablespoons of Stevia, and about an 1/8 c. of unsweetened soy milk.  I whisked away, adding more milk or peanut butter if I needed it, until I got just the right consistency for the "frosting".  As you can see, the results for pretty good looking.

Now, at this point when I came up with this whole idea, I had no idea what the texture or taste was going to be because I had never made the original recipe, so how could I know whether they would be delicious or not?  Well, folks, imagine how in love with the cupcake I was when I bit in and tasted this, 

  

Yes, it does taste as good as it looks!  If you find yourself seriously craving some chocolate, and you're considering stopping for some Hostess cupcakes, rethink your options, because I promise that this muffin/cupcake will hold up to any chocolate fantasy you have.  

My Love of Ricotta: The Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich

So those of you who know me, know that I have a never ending, sick obsessive, ridiculous relationship with ricotta.  Call it a genetic Italian trait, or what you will, but I will find any possible way to fit ricotta into breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Luckily for me, ricotta's natural whey makes it something I am able to fit into much of my cooking, and thanks to The Abs Diet Cookbook this recipe was one of the first breakfast ricotta recipes I tried.  

Many people have some crazy carb-obsessed fear, that makes them avoid bread (thanks Dr. Atkins, you douche!), and I myself have fallen victim to the belief that "bread is bad".  However, after years of struggle with this, and a large amount of reading, I am happy to say that I have a healthy relationship with carbs, and more importantly, have found a product that I don't mind eating when I do feel like a sandwich, be it breakfast or lunch.  

Ingredients

2 slices of bread

2 tbsp. Fat Free Ricotta

1 tbsp. honey

Strawberries

Sliced almonds

Cinnamon

1 egg

3 tbsp. Unsweetened Soy Milk

I start with two slices of Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread and put a tablespoon of Fat Free Ricotta on each slice.  I then top the ricotta with cinnamon, a drizzle of honey on each, and then lay on some sliced almonds.  After that, (I know, you're wondering how much better this can get), I top each slice with sliced strawberries.  How many I use depends on the size of the strawberries.  

This is where it gets really out of control, and where I diverted from the recipe in the Abs Diet Cookbook.  Rather that just stop there, I took one egg, three tablespoons of WestSoy Unsweetened Milk, some cinnamon, and a titch of Stevia, and scrambled it all together in a square container (much like you would if you were going to make french toast).  I then dipped the sandwich in the egg batter, sprayed some Non-stick spray in a heated pan, and cooked both sides (again, exactly how you would cook french toast).  The result is AMAZING.  

I have had people ask me how many calories this breakfast sandwich has, and I'll be entirely honest.  It probably has more than I need, but I'll exit by saying two things.  One, I don't count calories, I merely pay attention to what it is that I put into my body.  Is there anything in here I shouldn't be eating?  NO.  Two, I work out six days a week.  I strength train, I do Bikram Yoga, and I Interval run.  So, long story short, I am pretty sure that every couple of weeks, I deserve my Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich, high caloric intake or not!

To conclude, this recipe doesn't stop at ricotta, strawberries, or almonds.  I make one for my husband and swap in peanut butter, and bananas, and then dip it and pan sear it.  Both are DELICIOUS!

Where It All Started

After two weeks of deliberating about whether or not I could make the transition from the restaurant girl who knows how to make drinks, to the restaurant girl who cooks, trying out new recipes came out of necessity, rather than from desire to learn how to cook.  

I was invited to a Ladies' Night with some close friends, when I realized that I was going to be the only one who wasn't going to be eating chips, dips, cakes and cookies, never mind the bottle of water that had replaced the all-to-comfortable martini glass.  For those who have made a similar lifestyle change, you know the difficulty that comes with social affairs.  You don't want to be rude and refuse, but it's unrealistic to think that you can show up somewhere, whether you have eaten already or not, and just stand around while everyone else eats.  And so, my solution, was to start finding recipes that others could enjoy, that were healthy, and that I did not feel guilty about later that night.  And so trying this recipe was the direction I went toward.  I like peanut butter, I like, bananas, and I like cookies.  How could you go wrong?  I was definitely happy with the results.  And owe the credit here:

Clean Eating Club Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. unsweetened, natural peanut butter

1 large banana, mashed

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
4. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, banana, beaten egg and vanilla extract.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients.  Combine well, but make sure to not over mix.
6. Drop by tablespoon full onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

What I particularly like about the recipe, as well, is that you can freeze the cookies, and when you defrost them, they are still nice a hot and chewy in the center.  Although they have whole wheat flour, something that I'm trying to limit in general, and also contain a good amount of calories, I think we can all agree that they are the healthier choice when placed down next to chocolate chip cookies.  This is where I started.