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

Berry Heart Skewers

February 12, 20142 Comments

Since Valentine’s Day is in two days, I thought I would share a fun and easy idea into the mix. These Berry Heart Skewers are so EASY, but beyond that I think they are so super adorable.

There’s not a real recipe that goes with this post as it’s more of a simple method to ensure you get a heart shape out of your strawberries. It’s pretty simple since strawberries already come in a shape that resembles a heart.

All you do is core the strawberries. Then, taking a paring knife, simply cut a v-shape out of the top of the berry. I cut one slant down, and then I make my other cut on the opposite side. I found that the strawberries look best if the cut is not too deep.

That’s it! You can skewer them however you wish. I thought the addition of blueberries was way fun and festive.

You can put these out as a snack for the kids, put them in your hubby’s lunch, or you can have them as a side dish for dinner or lunch.

My sweet little toddler has been enjoying them with her PB&J for lunch! And, because it’s Valentine’s week . . . her PB&J is shaped like a heart too (using a cookie cutter).

Most importantly, I hope you have a love-filled Valentine’s Day!

Top 5 Healthy, No Candy Valentine Ideas

February 10, 2014February 10, 2014Leave a comment

I know that Valentine’s Day is totally centered around LOVE, but next comes all the candies and the goodies. I’ve found some super cute ways to send Valentine’s Day Love without the candy. These ideas are creative, so cute, and still tasty! All the photos are taken from the sources I’ve mentioned.

These are my favorite TOP 5 ideas I’ve seen!

This first idea comes from Tutto Bella. I think it’s great!

This next one comes from Craftaholics Anonymous and, as a bonus, you can even download the Fruit Tags for free! This makes this Valentine WAY easy to put together.

This next one also uses fruit, but a bigger variety. It’s from Alpha Mom and she also has the Fruit Labels available for downloading. She mentions putting these cute little tags on the fruit and throwing them in your kiddo’s (or hubby’s) lunch boxes, which is a fantastic idea! However, these are adorable for Valentine’s Day too!

This next one is from Bless This Mess. She has several fun and healthy ideas, but I really loved this one. It uses a stick of string cheese!

And, last, but certainly not least (as this might be my favorite of the bunch), is “Love Juice” from At Second Street, via Tatertots & Jello. This idea is so fun and she’s made it SO adorable. She even has a free printable so that you can make it cute too without even trying!

So . . . there you have it! You can create and deliver healthy Valentines and feel totally awesome about it! What other ideas have you had? Please share!!

Tri-Colored Bell Pepper Couscous With Lemon

February 6, 2014March 18, 2014Leave a comment

This is a tasty and easy side dish that you can add to your files. If you haven’t made couscous, well . . . you should! The VERY basic directions for making couscous takes all of 8 minutes and 5 of those minutes are simply waiting for the couscous to set up, while the other 3 minutes are dedicated to making water or broth boil. Yeah. . . easy peasy, I tell you. Thus, couscous tends to be a go-to side dish for me because I can whip it up fast without much thought.

This version of couscous gets a little fancier, yet still doesn’t take all that much extra time. The flavor is elevated by the shallot and garlic, the peppers give it a great dimension of texture and taste, and oregano adds that nice bite of freshness I’m always looking for. What REALLY makes this dish sing is the lemon! I tasted it before the lemon and then I tasted it again after I squeezed the fresh lemon juice over it and I am not. even. kidding. The difference was HUGE! This is what really got me hooked on this version of couscous. It tastes so fresh and that lemon juice really accents each and every ingredient found within.

Go couscous!

Tri-Colored Bell Pepper Couscous With Lemon
Adapted from the Food Network

1/2 tablespoon (or 1 1/2 teaspoons) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large shallot or 1/2 small red onion, minced
3 medium red, yellow, green or orange bell peppers or a mix, finely diced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2/3 cup low sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup whole wheat couscous
lemon wedges, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2/3 cup broth, the bell peppers, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the peppers just begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the couscous, immediately cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 7 minutes.

Transfer to a platter or large bowl and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 3/4 Cup)
Calories: 137.5
Protein: 4.4g
Carbs: 25.8g
Fat: 1.9g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugars: 1.8g

Quinoa, Cranberry and Almond Stuffed Acorn Squash

February 4, 2014March 18, 20141 Comment

I LOVED the freshness and comfort of this meal! I love roasted squash and filling it with a delicious quinoa salad is just plain fabulous! The roasted squash offered the “comfort” and the quinoa salad offered the “freshness.” And, even better . . . they go SO WELL together! The textures are amazing with the softness of the squash and quinoa being combined with the crunch of the almonds and spinach and then topped off with the chewiness of the dried cranberries. And, probably without even having to say it, the flavors all meld well together.

This is a beautiful meatless meal. I had a couple of acorn squash that were begging to get used so this is what came of them. We had it for lunch and loved it.

Quinoa, Cranberry and Almond Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted by The Spicy RD Blog

2 acorn squash
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on squash
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2-3 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, cut acorn squash in half, vertically, and remove the seeds. Drizzle olive oil over the flesh of both pieces of squash, then sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place squash, flesh side down on a foil lined sheet, and bake for 30 minutes.

While squash is baking, combine quinoa and water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and cook until water is absorbed, and quinoa is nice and fluffy.

While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in pan, then add onions and cook until translucent. Push onions to the side of the pan, and add almonds, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes to toast. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.

When quinoa is done cooking, pour it in to a medium bowl, then stir in onion/almond mixture, cranberries, spinach, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When squash is cooked, remove from oven and place each piece on a plate. Scoop 1 cup of quinoa pilaf mixture in to each squash half and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 half squash filled)
Calories: 327
Protein: 8.8g
Carbs: 51.1g
Fat: 12.6g (0.6g = Sat.)
Fiber: .6g
Sugars: 7.3g

Spartan Race Winner Announced

January 31, 20142 Comments

The Spartan Race Giveaway time has expired and a winner has been chosen!

Congratulations to Alberto who said, “My favorite workout activity is running but starting to really like CrossFit.”
You have 48 hours to email me at mimisfitfoods(at)gmail.com to claim your prize. You get free entrance/registration into any open heat in any 2014 Spartan Race in the continental US!

And, for those of you who had hoped to win and didn’t. You still get a prize. Follow this special link and any of you will receive 15% off any Spartan Race. Woot!

Spicy Chipotle White Bean Hummus

January 29, 2014March 18, 20142 Comments

Here’s another great recipe for game day! I absolutely love the smokiness of chipotle peppers. And, guess who loves them even more? My hubby! If I make anything with chipotle peppers in it, I’m bound to get all kinds of compliments for my kitchen craftiness.

This hummus is excellent. I like hummus, but sometimes I find it to be a bit bland. Not this one! This one has a fabulous little kick from the chipotle peppers and the smokiness is enhanced by the cumin. It’s a hummus with a Mexican twist. Awesome!

It seriously takes all of 5 minutes to whip up, and it’s oh-so-good! Add this to your healthy game day line-up. You won’t be mad about it.

Spicy Chipotle White Bean Hummus
Slightly Adapted from Damn Delicious

1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans (white kidneys), drained and rinsed
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (the more you use, the “hotter” it gets)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine cannellini beans, chipotle peppers, garlic, Meyer lemon juice, cumin and chili powder. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified.

Serve with pita bread, crackers, chips, or veggies.

Serves 12.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tablespoons)
Calories: 86
Protein: 1.9g
Carbs: 5.4g
Fat: 7.1g (1g = Sat.)
Fiber: 1.6g
Sugars: 0.2g

Creamy Avocado Dip

January 27, 2014March 18, 20143 Comments

I know the Super Bowl is coming up and people are already planning their parties. And, as we all know, while the game is the reason we get together with friends and family, the REAL reason we love the party is for the food. Am I right!?

I’m highlighting a couple of healthy, but delicious game-day recipes this week. Why not totally enjoy the food, but without ALL the extra calories and bad fats?

This, my friends is definitely a favorite dip of mine! I love just about anything that has avocado in the name, and this is NO exception. It’s kind of like guacamole, but with a little extra creaminess factor. The addition of garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and cumin bring the flavor of the dip to a whole new level too. We’re talking creamy, bursting with flavor, and healthy! Yeah!

I typically serve this with Baked Tortilla Chips, but you can serve it with whatever you love (multi-grain chips, pita chips, cut-up veggies, etc.). And, let’s just say that if (and that’s a huge IF) you were to have any leftover, you could use it on sandwiches or as a snack at home.

Here’s to planning a healthier game day!

Creamy Avocado Dip
Recipe Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Place the yogurt, avocados, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and cumin in a blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Scrape dip into a serving bowl and serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or cut up veggies.

Makes approximately 1 3/4 Cup Dip (depending on the size of your avocados).
Serves 7.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 Cup)
Calories: 94.7
Protein: 2.6g
Carbs: 5.7g
Fat: 7.6g (1.1g = Sat.)
Fiber: 3.4g
Sugars: 1g

Friday Feature – Giveaway: Spartan Race!

January 24, 2014January 24, 201422 Comments

I FINALLY created a FaceBook page for Mimi’s Fit Foods! I know . . . it’s long overdue, but at least it’s up now! Hopefully this will help you to find and save healthy recipes even easier. I would LOVE it if you would go like my page. And, as I start posting stuff I would also LOVE it if you would like, comment, and share anything that you find great! This helps me to gauge what you all like and then I can offer more recipes/posts that you’ll love.

In order to celebrate the new FaceBook page, I thought a GIVEAWAY would be fun!

How many of you love doing the obstacle course races? Here’s a race that you’re bound to love!

If you aren’t familiar with Spartan Race, it’s been voted the #1 obstacle race by Outside Magazine and is the global leader in obstacle racing since 2005. One of the cool things I like about Spartan is that they have different levels/distance races. You can do a Sprint (3+ Miles/15+ Obstacles), Super (8+ Miles/20+ Obstacles), a Beast (13+ Miles/25+ Obstacles), or an Ultra Beast (26+ Miles/50+ Obstacles). Thus, there is really a race for anyone at any level. Plus, there’s always an opportunity to go bigger and better than the last Spartan Race you may have done.

This video gives you a taste of what it’s like.

Cool, yeah!?

You can find a Spartan Obstacle Race just about anywhere now days! Like, how cool would it be to to head to Arizona to participate in the Arizona Spartan Sprint (February 8th & 9th)? Or, how about the Nevada Spartan Super (April 5th)?

If either of these events interest you, you can go to the Spartan Events page to register. You can also visit the page to see if there is a race near you, or a destination race you might want to travel to.

Now for the GIVEAWAY fun! I’m giving away one free registration to any open heat in any 2014 Spartan Race in the continental US. This holds up to $185 in value. You can use it yourself or gift it to a friend!

Entering the contest is easy! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite workout activity (running is mine, but I also love rollerblading!).

There are ways to earn 2 more entries. Head on over to my Facebook Page and like my page then leave a comment here on the blog telling me did so. That’ll give you one more entry. And, for your 3rd entry, comment on and share the Spartan Race Giveaway on your page.

SO . . . let’s recap the ways to earn entries.

Leave a comment here on this post telling me your favorite workout activity.
Like my FaceBook page, and leave a comment here on the blog telling me you did so. (If you’ve already liked my FB page and you want to be entered into the contest, just leave a comment here telling me you’ve already liked my page.)
While in FaceBook, comment on the Spartan Race giveaway AND share the giveaway on your page.

That’s it! You have until midnight on Thursday, January 30, to enter. The winner will be chosen at random and announced the morning of Friday, January 31.

GOOD LUCK!

And, because I love you all and think you’re awesome and can do a Spartan Race, I was able to secure a discount for everyone!! Follow this special link to get you a 15% discount on any Spartan Race! Yay!

Banana and Oatmeal Cookie Bites (Two or Three Ingredients Only!)

January 22, 2014March 18, 20142 Comments

Okay folks! This is the easiest recipe ever. When I saw a version of it, I knew I had to give it a go (plus it was in Oprah’s magazine and it seems like EVERYONE trusts Oprah when it comes to what is best – haha). I figured if these babies really did turn out to be snack-worthy, then I knew I found myself a winner. I mean, we’re talking 15 minutes from start-to-finish and 12 of those minutes are baking time.

Winner. I’m telling you; these win in my book. I whipped these up in the afternoon for a little “cookie” snack for me and my sweet toddler and we BOTH loved them. All it took was mashing two ripe banana and adding oats to them. Done! Before baking, I decided that I wanted some peanut butter in them. Why? Because I LOVE peanut butter and I’m always trying to sneak protein in my little babe’s food. Thus, I added some PB2 to the mixture. (Have you ever heard of PB2? It’s awesome. It comes in a powder form and it has 85% less fat than regular peanut butter . . . making the calorie count much less. That being said, it adds great PB taste to smoothies and other things . . . like these cookie bites.) If you want the peanut butter taste and you don’t have PB2 and you don’t want to buy any, then you can substitute 1/4 cup of peanut butter instead (however, keep in mind that 1/4 cup PB = 360 calories, where 2 Tablespoons of PB2 = 45 calories).

These turned out great and Baby Evie and I were thrilled to eat these little cookie bites for our afternoon snack. In fact, she had NO patience to wait for me to snap a picture of them so she ate one right off the plate beforehand. And, while I was snapping pictures I had to keep telling her, “no touchies.” As soon as I was done I told her she could have another one and she waited all of .01 seconds to go in for the grab!

If you’re looking for a way to get some healthy eats into your kiddos, give these a try! They’ll get bananas and oats for a snack without all the extra sugars and fats. TOTALLY great! I also think these would make great pre-workout or post-workout snacks.

Cookie anyone?

Banana and Oatmeal Snack Bites
Adapted from Foodlets Via Oprah Magazine

2 very ripe bananas (brown spotted ones)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons PB2 (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet with a non-stick silicone liner or parchment paper.

Mash the bananas with a fork, add the oats plus PB2 (if using). Once it’s all incorporated, using a cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoon size) drop balls on the baking sheet and press down (like peanut butter cookies but without the fork). Bake for 12 minutes.

Makes 10 Cookies.

Nutritional Information (Per Cookie with PB2)
Calories: 55.6
Protein: 1.8g
Carbs: 11.3g
Fat: 0.8g (0g = Sat.)
Fiber: 1.6g
Sugars: 3.2g (all natural sugars, of course)

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