Gluten Free Blender Banana Muffins

August 25, 2014April 28, 2018Leave a comment

These muffins are seriously killer! I mean, I usually get a little skeptical with some of these “gluten free” baked goods recipes. But, these are a real keeper. They are way moist (and there isn’t even any butter/oil in the recipe), full of banana flavor, and so dang easy! All you do is throw all the ingredients in the blender, blend, then pour into muffin liners.

Besides just making these for breakfast because they are so awesome, they also make for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, an easily portable snack, or a delicious after school snack for the kiddos!

As soon as your bananas get ripe and start getting those brown spots on their peels . . . . make these. Make these fast!

Gluten Free Blender Banana Muffins
Mimi’s Fit Foods
Adapted from My Sister-in-Law Becca via MOMables

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium, ripe bananas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Place all of the ingredients, including bananas in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yields 12 Muffins.

Orange-Infused French Toast

May 16, 2014April 28, 2018Leave a comment

We LOVED this French toast! I mean, we already love French toast, but add some tang and sweetness from an orange and we’re ALL in.

This takes typical French toast up a notch and gives it that wow-factor. You start with the usual French toast batter (milk and eggs), but sub milk for evaporated milk. This gives it a hint of richness without sacrificing calories/fat. Then, you’ll end up adding orange zest to that batter. And, to really make this French toast even more awesome, it gets topped with an orange-maple syrup. We are seriously in love over here with this breakfast. While there’s only three of us to feed, I made the entire batch, threw the leftovers in the fridge, and we’ll be warming them up in the toaster for breakfast for the next couple days. Love, Love, Love!!

Orange-Infused French Toast
Mimi’s Fit Foods
Adapted from Rocco Dispirito’s “Now Eat This! Diet”

Ingredients:
1 large navel orange (zest included)
1/2 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1 cup liquid egg substitute
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 pieces stale or sturdy whole-wheat bread (I used Jack Spratt)
nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Using a rasp or grater, remove zest of the orange and set aside for the bread. Cut off the top and bottom of the orange. Position the orange so that the flat bottom end is resting on the cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the skin and white pith off in a downward curving motion. Continue cutting around the orange so that it is no longer surrounded by the skin and pith. Cut the orange crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, and then cut the slices into quarters.

Transfer the orange quarters to a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the pancake syrup, and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then turn off the heat and set aside.

In a large, shallow pan (I use a deep pie plate), add the egg substitute, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest. Stir with a whisk or fork until well combined. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture; turn to coat both sides and allow mixture to soak bread.

Head a griddle or large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, coat it with cooking spray. Add the bread slices and cook, about 2 minutes each side. Repeat with remaining slices.

Serve with the orange syrup.

Serves 5.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Slices):
276.6 Calories | 17.3g Protein | 51.3g Carbs | 1.2g (0.1g Sat) Fat | 10.9g Sugars

Whole Wheat Flatbread

April 18, 20141 Comment

I’ve been on the search for a good flatbread recipe that uses 100% whole wheat flour. I found a keeper, you guys! I found a keeper! This flatbread is SO similar to the homemade bread I make, that I figured it would turn out delicious. The lovely thing about these is that they are incredibly soft and chewy (without any reference of imitating cardboard) and they have a hint of sweetness thanks to that honey. These are WAY easy to make and take VERY little time. Seriously. You’ll be amazed of the simplicity of making your very own flatbread. Besides that, it tastes WAY better than what you’ll ever buy at the store.

Oh, the things you can do with flatbread! Think pizza, wraps, gyros, pita chips, etc. I’ll be sharing some fun and healthy things to do with these wraps in some upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

Whole Wheat Flatbread
Recipe slightly adapted from The Taste Tester

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups whole what flour (plus or minus 1/4 cup depending on heat and humidity)

Mix yeast with warm water and honey. Let sit for five minutes. In the meantime whisk flour, gluten, and salt together.

When yeast is ready, stir in the olive oil first and then the flour mixture until well combined (I did this in my mixer and then removed it to do the kneading). Knead dough twenty times. It should be soft but not sticky. Add more flour while kneading as needed. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divid dough into eight equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball and then roll into an oval, circle, or rectangle on a greased surface (I just spray my countertop lightly with cooking spray). The dough should be thin. Heat a pancake griddle to 350 degrees. When grill is heated, place two-three flatbreads on it. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. They will bubble up slightly. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Serves 8 (but can easily be made to serve 10, with the rounds being slightly smaller).

Nutritional Information (Per Flatbread)
Calories: 163
Protein: 6.7g
Carbs: 27.2g
Fat: 4.2g
Fiber: 4.1g
Sugars: 2.2g

Fit Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Coconut Oil and Honey

March 28, 2014March 28, 20145 Comments

I love me some goooood banana bread! However, nutritionally I hate that banana bread is essentially “cake” since it’s made with oil and sugar (which again, is why it tastes so darn good!). I had a couple of bananas that had spotted and gone more ripe than we care to eat, so I went on a major search to find me a tasty AND healthy banana muffin. With a few adaptations, I definitely came up with a winner! I mean, looking at this picture at this very moment has me salivating.

These muffins are made with coconut oil (instead of butter or vegetable oil) and are sweetened with honey (as well as the natural sweetener you get from the bananas). There’s something about that coconut oil that adds an extra subtle sweetness as well.

Of course, I didn’t have a “typical” banana muffin sitting right here to compare with, but I don’t think I would even hesitate to choose this muffin over the other. They are SOOOOO good. The oatmeal helps boost the texture, and they are super moist.

The only regret I have is that I didn’t double (or triple) the recipe. I totally could have frozen the extra muffins and had them available at the drop of a hat. Next time . . . next time!

Fit Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Coconut Oil and Honey
Adapted from Beauty and Bedlam

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (organic extra virgin tastes best)
1/2 cup honey
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 2/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix egg, milk, oil, honey and mashed banana together well. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently stir until moistened. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full (evenly dividing batter amongst 12 muffins). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serves 12.

Nutritional Information Per Muffin
Calories: 190
Protein: 3.6g
Carb: 30.3g
Fat: 7.5g (5.7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.9g
Sugars: 13.3g (Mostly from Honey and Bananas)

Greek Yogurt Protein Pancakes

March 20, 2014March 21, 20142 Comments

I spotted this fabulous idea to make pancakes with Greek Yogurt and I had to try it out! I mean, it’s a super duper easy recipe and I’m a sucker for super duper easy . . . especially if it’s healthy too! Besides, Greek Yogurt is a staple at my house so it just made sense that I would give these pancakes a try. All you need is one container (5.3 – 6 ounce) of Greek Yogurt, an egg, a smidge of flour, and baking soda.

They’re good people. They truly are. They are good in a different-kind-of way though. These aren’t going to be your traditional fluffy, buttermilk pancake, but they are definitely good in other ways. They are a bit more dense, but are probably the most filling pancakes I have ever made. You can “flavor” them any way you choose by just choosing a flavor of Greek Yogurt that you love. These ones here were made with strawberry yogurt. You can bet-your-bottom-dollar that I’ll be trying several more flavors of yogurt as the days and weeks go on. They are not overly sweet, which I love! I also love that there’s no added sugar to the recipe either. We were able to get enough sweetness to balance these out by topping our pancakes with sugar-free maple syrup.

Four ingredients. That’s it! Easy peasy! You’ll find the batter to be extra thick . . . like a thick cake batter. To ensure that the pancakes cook all the way through I suggest slightly flattening them out once you have them on the skillet to cook. I used my cookie scoop to get an even number of pancakes (I got four by using about 2 1/2 scoops per pancake), but you can also just eyeball it too.

Have fun experimenting with these. I hope you’ll love having an easy, protein-filled breakfast option!

Greek Yogurt Protein Pancakes
Adapted from Everyday Belle

5.3-6 ounces of your favorite nonfat Greek Yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup white wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Open the yogurt container and stir the yogurt until it’s smooth and creamy. Crack an egg over the yogurt and stir to combine (I often do this in a small bowl).

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.

Pour yogurt/egg mixture into the bowl with the flour and baking soda. Stir to combine. The batter will be extremely thick.

Spoon the batter onto a sprayed griddle or pan heated to medium.

Flip the pancakes when they start to bubble a bit on the surface. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve with sugar-free syrup, fruit, etc! Enjoy!

Serves 2.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Pancakes)
Calories: 224.6
Protein: 13.3g
Carbs: 35g
Fat: 3g (0.9 = Sat.)
Fiber: 0.8g
Sugars: 9.6g

Coconut Infused Vanilla Muffins

February 18, 2014March 18, 2014Leave a comment

These are glorious! They are soft, fluffy, and contain both hints of coconut and vanilla. The dusting of cinnamon on top adds the perfect finishing touch.

And . . . well, if you’re looking to use up some of that leftover coconut milk that’s lingering in your fridge, this recipe is a fabulous idea! (It seems like most recipes that call for coconut milk rarely use the entire can!)

We are BIG fans of coconut oil and coconut flavor in my house. So, I was pretty darn sure we were going to LOVE these muffins. That being said, the coconut is not overwhelming here, but offers nice subtle notes that leave you completely satisfied. I use organic extra virgin coconut oil because it has a stronger coconut flavor and it’s a tad bit better for you than other forms of coconut oil. (If you’re looking for less coconut flavor, then use one that’s not organic and not extra virgin . . . but please make sure it’s non-hydrogenated as you’ll still want the health benefits of using the coconut oil.)

Now, let me just clarify that these muffins are not perfect from a nutritional stand point. However, they are healthier than most traditional muffins. They have less sugar, use a healthier fat, and more than half of the flour is whole wheat. I realize we are all at different places in our health journeys. For some, these could be the healthiest muffins you’ve made in years. For others, these might be considered a treat/dessert. Either way, I think these can find a way into the hearts of many of you, and luckily they are much more heart-healthy than the typical muffin (or donut, or pop-tart, or other crazy breakfast option you might grab).

Coconut Infused Vanilla Muffins
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

2 large eggs
1/2 cup canned light coconut milk
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (or you can line them with paper liners).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milks, vanilla extract, coconut extract and coconut oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the batter together until just combined. Don’t over mix or the muffins will be tough and dry. It only takes a few stirs to incorporate the batter well enough. The batter will be lumpy and that is ok.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 16-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs. Don’t over bake.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 12.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Muffin)
Calories: 205.4
Protein: 4.1g
Carbs: 28.6g
Fat: 8.8g (7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 1.8g
Sugars: 11.3g

Whole Wheat Triple Berry Protein Muffins

January 15, 2014January 13, 2014Leave a comment

These seriously taste awesome! I was a bit skeptical, but curious enough to make muffins with protein powder, and I’m so thrilled with the results! I’m constantly looking for yummy, healthy, and effective ways to use protein powder. Using the protein powder in these muffins obviously added a nice chunk of protein to the muffins PLUS it allowed me to cut WAY back on sugar. I used a healthy oil here too . . . coconut oil. I love the way they turned out. They taste just like a breakfast muffin and the berries add extra components of flavor, sweetness, and nutrition (go antioxidants!).

These would be great additions to your breakfast or snack line-up. We ate these for breakfast alongside a fried egg (just to get a little extra protein). They can easily be frozen and pulled out of your freezer for your convenience. They are a great grab-and-go snack.

You can really use any protein powder you like here. Obviously, depending on the powder you use, the protein content may change slightly (the one I used for the nutritional information below had 18g protein per scoop and there’s about 2 scoops used in the recipe).

Also, the recipe calls for partially frozen berries. you can take your berries out of the freezer an hour before you plan to use them. OR, if you’re like me and don’t really plan that far in advance (especially if it’s breakfast), then you can just slightly thaw them in the microwave (I thawed mine on power level 2 for about 90 seconds and they were perfect).

Whole Wheat Triple Berry Protein Muffins
Mimi’s Fit Foods

1 cup whole-what flour
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups partially frozen berries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the middle of the bowl. Add the coconut oil and then slowly add the buttermilk and vanilla extract while stirring until it’s just combined (for ease, I combined the buttermilk and vanilla in the same measuring cup). Fold in the berries.

Spray a muffin tin liberally with nonstick cooking spray, or use paper liners.

Using a cookie scoop, fill each well of the muffin tin 3/4 full.

Bake 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool before serving, and refrigerate in a covered container for up to one week.

Serving 12: Makes 12 muffins.

Nutritional Information (Per Sering = 1 Muffin)
Calories: 130
Protein: 5.1g
Carbs: 13.2g
Fat: 6.9g (5.6g = Sat.)
Fiber: 1.8g
Sugars: 4.8g

Whole Wheat Banana Protein Pancakes

November 26, 20131 Comment

We love pancakes at our house. As soon as my baby girl sees pancakes on the griddle she starts chanting, “Num, Num.” It about kills her to wait the 4-5 minutes for them to cook. Because we eat them so often, I try to mix things up and make different varieties during the week. I recently gave these a try and they’re a winner! The amazing thing is that you don’t add a lick of sugar! The mashed banana sweetens the pancakes perfectly. In addition, the banana flavor really does shine through on these. Another great health benefit is that these are very high in fiber, which also makes them very filling.

I’ve created the recipe to fit a serving size where you can simply just eat the pancakes for breakfast. They have enough proteins, carbs (grains and fruits), and fats. However, if you prefer, you can always dial your serving size down to 2 pancakes and eat an egg too.

We like to top our pancakes with sugar-free maple syrup (only 10-20ish extra calories). Bananas and maple flavor just go well together. That being said, I think they are good enough on their own. So, if you need a breakfast that you can grab and eat on your way out the door, these will certainly fit the bill.

Here’s to another healthy, well-balanced, and tasty breakfast!

Whole Wheat Banana Protein Pancakes
Adapted from Vega Sport

1 medium banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 scoop whey vanilla protein (100 calories & 26g Protein per scoop)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
coconut oil or non-stick cooking spray (for greasing pan/griddle)

Whisk together banana, vanilla, and milk. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix remaining dry ingredients.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, mix until just combined.

Melt coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, or use a griddle. Add a quarter cup of the batter to the pan/griddle. Flip once bubbles have formed and popped. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until pancake is cooked through. Repeat. Makes approximately 8 pancakes.

If desired, top with fresh fruit and/or sugar-free maple syrup.

Serves 3.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 2.5 Pancakes, No Toppings)
Calories: 209
Protein: 11.8g
Carbs: 40.1g
Fat: 1.5g (0.5g = Sat.)
Fiber: 6.2g
Sugas: 5.7g

*Other Nutritional Notes: If you get 8 pancakes out of your batter, each pancake is approximately 78 calories (4.4g protein, 15g carbs).

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

October 29, 2013October 23, 2013Leave a comment

It’s totally pumpkin season! If you are one who loves to cook/bake with pumpkin, you’re going to love today’s post!

I love cooking with pumpkin and when the fall air gets crisp, it’s an immediate craving! I came across this pancake recipe and knew I had to give it a whirl. Oh, it was so perfect! We made these on a cool morning and the pumpkin flavor mixed with cinnamon, and then topped with maple syrup . . . . yeah, it was the perfect fall breakfast! The whole wheat flour was hardly noticeable, in fact, it made them more hearty and filling. I was able to squeeze 10 pancakes out of my batter by dropping them with a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

All you pumpkin lovers . . . you really gotta add this to your line-up.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes

1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I used Grade B)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons coconut oil (melted)
cooking spray
sugar free maple syrup, for topping (extra)

Mix all dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) in a medium-large bowl.

Comine buttermilk, egg whites, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, oil and vanilla in a bowl and mix until smooth. pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don’t over-mix.

Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat. Spray oil to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, about 2 minutes then flip the pancakes and cook an additional 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter. To serve, top with warmed sugar-free maple syrup.

Serves 5.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Pancakes)
Calories: 156.4
Protein: 7.1g
Carbs: 27.6g
Fat: 2.9g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber: 3.6g
Sugars: 8.5g

Crunchy Tomato Bread

September 15, 2011September 14, 2011Leave a comment

Oh, how I love to eat bread! Bread is a serious weakness of mine. There are times when I would rather have bread than dessert. So, when I came across this recipe and stopped to considered this for my carbohydrate for dinner (instead of rice, potato, etc.), I pretty much didn’t hesitate one bit! It reminds me SO much of bruschetta that it was hard NOT to love it. The crusty bread, coated in fresh garlic, topped with tomatoes, Italian spices, and cheese . . . uh, you had me at crusty bread! This is a cinch to pull together and such a wonderful treat this time of year. The recipe calls for canned plum tomatoes (or diced tomatoes is how we commonly see them on our grocery shelves), but you can easily swap those canned tomatoes out for fresh tomatoes while you have them. With that said, I’m going to shock several of you when I say that the canned tomatoes are usually better here. I know . . . I’m gasping right alongside of you! But, the beauty of this is that you can eat this treat year-round without any hesitation! Oh! And, if you’re a balsamic vinegar lover like me, drizzle that over the finish product and you’ll love this even more!

Crunchy Tomato Bread
Adapted from Rocco Dispirito’s “Now Eat This! Diet Recipes”

8 ounces whole wheat baguette
1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
1 cup canned peeled plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Place it in a toaster oven (or under the broiler in your oven) and toast.

Rub the toasted halves with the clove of garlic. Divide the tomatoes in half, and distribute them over the bread pieces. Sprinkle the oregano, red pepper flakes, and cheese over the bread. Top with a few drops of olive oil, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the bread back to the toaster oven (or broiler) and toast until the tomatoes are warmed through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (watch carefully to ensure your bread does not burn).

Slice into 6 separate pieces. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 112
Protein: 5.3g
Carbs: 19g
Fat: 2g (0.6 = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.7g

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