Portobello Mushroom Pizza

I can’t believe I’ve never made this before! It’s amazing!! Very low carb, low calorie and high protein! Not to mention it only took 20min to make :) and absolutely delicious!! Cheat clean my friends ;)

Makes 1 serving (2 mushrooms)       Prep Time – 5 min      Cooking Time – 15-20 min

Ingredients

1. 2 portobello mushrooms
2. 1 tsp olive oil
3. 1/4 cup tomato pizza sauce
4. 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or another type of cheese)
5. Whatever toppings you like – chicken breast, veggies, salami, spinach, etc

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wipe the mushrooms off with a paper towel, remove the stems and scrap out the gills with a spoon. Brush them with the olive oil and place on a baking sheet stem side up. Pop in the oven for around 12 minutes or until the mushrooms start to release some moisture and are soft.
3. Remove from the oven, spread on your sauce, toppings and cheese. Pop back into the oven for around 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
4. Holy crap that’s it! Enjoy :)

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken

Loving the slow cooker these days! This delicious one pot meal made my house smell like absolute heaven :) And it tasted even better :) Perfect for meal prep since it’s all clean and I can portion out individual meals into tupperware for the week! Meal preppin like a champ ;) You can also add in any other veggies you choose at the end, or serve it over rice or quinoa. Enjoy!

Makes 6 – 8 servings      Prep Time: 30 min      Cooking Time: 5 – 6 hours

Ingredients

1. 6 chicken breasts or 16 chicken thighs (uncooked)
2. 1 tbsp coconut oil
3. 1 onion, chopped
4. 1 tsp cumin
5. 1 tsp turmeric
6. 1/2 tsp coriander
7. 1 tsp cinnamon
8. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
9. 4 cloves of garlic, minced
10. 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger (fresh)
11. 2 cups chicken broth
12. 3 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1 inch cubes
13. 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
14. 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
15. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Brown each piece of chicken for approx 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the slow cooker.
3. When all the chicken is done, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute for about 4 minutes. Add in the spices and stir around for another minute.
4. Turn off the heat, add in the chicken broth, ginger, salt and pepper and give it a good mix. Transfer to the slow cooker and pour over top of the chicken.
5. Cook on low for 3 hours.
6. Add in the sweet potatoes, mushrooms, raisins and cook on low for another 2-3 hours.
7. Serve it up and enjoy!!

Original Recipe: http://www.savorylotus.com/slow-cooker-moroccan-chicken/

Chicken Fried Rice with Brown and Cauliflower Rice

Woo amazing recipe! I cooked up this delicious lightened up version of chicken fried rice last week for Dan and I and OMG. The mixture of brown rice and “cauliflower rice” is a great way to reduce the carbs and calories, as well as get some more veggies in ya. Enjoy and let me know how you like it :)

Makes 4-6 servings      Prep Time – 20 min    Cooking Time – 45-55 min 

Ingredients

1. 1 head of cauliflower, raw
2. 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
3. 4 chicken breasts
4. 1/4 cup lemon juice
5. 1 small onion
6. 4 cloves garlic
7. 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
8. 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
9. 1/2 cup frozen peas
10. 3 -4 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce) – may need more
11. salt and pepper to taste
12. Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put chicken into a baking dish, top with lemon juice, 1 tbsp tamari and some salt and pepper. Bake for approx 35 minutes.
2. At the same time you throw your chicken in the oven, cook the rice as per package directions.
3. While your rice and chicken are cooking, you can get all the veggies ready. In a food processor, grate up the cauliflower until it resembles rice. Scrap into a bowl and set aside.
4. In a large pan or a wok, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions become soft and translucent. Next, add in your tamari and broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 7 minutes until it’s slightly soft.
5. Once the veggies are almost cooked, add in your peas, cauliflower and possibly more tamari if you like. Stir around for a few minutes before adding in cooked rice. Keep mixing to avoid the bottom from burning.
6. Once your chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, cut into bite size pieces and add into the veggies rice mixture. Stir around until all combined and heated through.
7. Serve with some sesame seeds sprinkled on top :)

Recipe adapted from: http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2013/03/cauliflower-fried-rice.html

Chocolate Coconut Protein Pancakes

Wooooo pancakes baby!!! I haven’t made good ol’ protein pancakes for breakfast in forever so these little drops of heaven were long overdue. And not to mention they were absolutely amazing :) Double the recipe and you’ve got plenty leftover for 2nd breakfast :0 or breakfast the following morning. Makes one serving    Prep Time – 5 min     Cooking Time – 10-15min

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup rolled oats
2. 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder (I used Dymatize Iso-100)
3. 1/8 cup coconut flour
4. 1/8 cup coconut flakes
5. 1/2 tsp baking soda
6. 1-2 tbsp almond milk
7. 1/2 cup egg whites

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in the egg whites, almond milk and give it a good mix.
2. Heat some coconut oil in a pan over medium low heat. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, pour batter into pan. Once bubbles start to form, flip over. When both sides are golden brown…boom! Done! Repeat for the rest of the batter :)

For “Berry Syrup” – defrost 1/2 cup frozen berries in the microwave. Mix in some stevia and serve over top of pancakes.

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Muffins

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve recently decided to compete in my first ever fitness competition!!! Originally I was going to wait until November. But after talking to a friend who has done a few competitions already, it seemed like the right decision to do the INBF show in July with her!! Wooooo I’m absolutely STOKED!! So I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about my training and all the different foods I’ll be eating during contest prep! Right now I’m “bulking” lol and doing a reverse diet – slowly increasing my calories and carbs every week in order to build muscle!! So I actually get to eat a LOT! More food than I’m used to eating forsure with a tonne of carbs! My dream come true <3

I had an itch to do some baking on Saturday after I finished my sweaty spin class and just happened to have some zucchinis in my fridge. Very convenient ;) And these turned out fantastic!! If you don’t like zucchini, then I wouldn’t recommend them. BUT, if you grate the zucchini small enough then you’ll barely know it’s there. Plus…think of all the nutrients you’ll be gaining from these CHOCOLATE muffins! Whaaaaaaaaat…thats pretty cool if I do say so myself ;) And not to mention the macros are fantastic so you can enjoy these little treats without feeling the least bit guilty. Maybe even have a few of them ;)

Makes 10-12 muffins     Prep Time – 10 min      Baking Time – 20 min

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup brown rice flour
2. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3. 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (I used Dymatize Iso-100)
4. 1/8 tsp baking powder
5. 1/2 tsp baking soda
6. 1 tbsp cinnamon
7. pinch of salt
8. 3/4 cup egg whites
9. 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
10. 1 tbsp stevia
11. 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
12. 1 cup zucchini, grated in small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients together and give it a good mix.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg whites, apple sauce, stevia and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined. Add in the zucchini and stir.
5. Next, scoop batter into a greased muffin tin (about 1/4 cup into each muffin). Mine filled 11 muffins. Bake for 20 minutes :)

Macros per muffin (if you made 11) : 86 cals, 11g carbs, 10g protein, 0g fat

White Chocolate Truffles

GUEST POST!!

Thank you to the lovely Amanda for this delicious treat recipe!! I was lucky enough to sample some of these truffles and they are TO DIE FOR!!! They’re a clean treat you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying :)

Ingredients for Caramel Centre

1. 6 medijool dates, soaked
2. 1 cup shredded coconut
3. 1 tbsp maple syrup

Ingredients for White Chocolate

1. 3 tbsp coconut oil
2. 1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions

1. To make the centre, throw the dates, shredded coconut and syrup into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Roll into balls and pop into the freezer.
2. To make the white chocolate, mix the coconut oil and maple syrup in a bowl.
3. Once the balls are chilled, coat them in the white chocolate and throw back in the freezer to set (about an hour).

Slow Cooker Paleo Beef Bourguignon

I finally discovered an easy way to count my servings and macros when I make a big one pot meal!!! Thank goodness! So I’ll be making a lot more fancy meals in the future….baked chicken breast and broccoli was getting a tad bit boring :P

This beef bourguignon was ammmmmmaaaazeballs. Who doesn’t love a delicious beef stew?!? You could totally sub in chicken too if beef isn’t your thing. Perfect if you have to cook for boys too :) a very hearty, filling meal that’s actually VERY healthy. Just saying…I’m impressed.
Makes 6 servings     Prep Time – 20 min     Cooking Time – 6-8 hours

Ingredients

1. 24 oz lean stewing beef
2. 1 tbsp coconut oil
3. 1 turnip, cut into cubes
4. 1 medium onion, chopped
5. 3/4 lb mushrooms (about 2 cups sliced)
6. 2 cloves garlic
7. 4 cups low sodium beef broth
8. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
9. 2 tbsp dijon mustard
10. 2 bay leaves
11. 1 tbsp dried rosemary
12. 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
13. 4 big handfuls of spinach
14. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pan, melt half the coconut oil on high heat. Add the meat in a single layer and cook until brown on all sides. Remove the browned meat and juices to a bowl. Give the meat lots of room in the pan, so work in several batches if you need to.
2. Lower the heat in the pan to medium and add in the other half of the coconut oil. Throw in the onions and garlic and salute until soft.
3. Next, add in the broth, red wine vinegar, and dijon mustard. Add the meat back in the pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat in the pan right away and transfer mixture to the slow cooker. Throw in the mushrooms, turnip, rosemary and bay leaves.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Once your stew is cooked, spoon out about one cup of the liquid from the slow cooker into a small pot and bring to a boil. While that’s coming to a boil, mix arrowroot and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Add into the boiling water and stir constantly until thickened.
6. Transfer back into the slow cooker and give it a good mix. Remove the bay leaves.
7. Boom! Serve it up and enjoy the deliciousness!!

Approximate macros per serving – 230cals, 32.8g protein, 10.2g carbs, 4.2g fat

Shasta and I out for a foggy hike in Lynn Valley <3

Dijon Brussel Sprout Salad

Happy New Year!!! So many resolutions this year – including posting more of my lovely, edible creations. So here we go…starting off 2015 with a recipe that includes one of my favourite vegetables. We all know that nothing can ever take the place of broccoli. It holds a special place in my heart <3 but brussel sprouts are definitely top 3. Ok now I’m rambling…I’m sure you actually didn’t care what my favourite vegetables are…ANYWAY…Let me know how you like this salad!! :)

Prep Time – 20 min       Cooking Time – 40 min

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp olive oil
2. 1 lb brussel sprouts
3. 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
4. 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
5. 2 tbsp olive oil
6. 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
7. 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
8. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the brussel sprouts, cut off the ends and cut them in half. Throw them in a bowl.
2. Toss the sprouts with olive oil and some salt and pepper. Throw them on a pan and pop in the oven. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, flipping half way through. They should be nice and crispy.
3. While the sprouts are doing their thing in the oven, you can make the dressing. Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. When the brussel sprouts are done, let them cool for 10 minutes then assemble the salad. In a bowl, toss together the sprouts, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle on some dressing and your done!

Greek Seven Layer Dip

Merry merry Christmas!!! The Smart family Christmas this year was a big success! Lots of laughs, walks, workouts, presents, amazing food and delicious drinks! I was in charge of an appie (clearly lol), my big bro made dinner, and my sister made an apple pie crumble for dessert…mmmm heaven :)

Ok recipe time! This healthy, delicious appetizer is such a perfect way to kick off a big meal! It’s quite light, filled with lots of veggies, and ridiculously easy to make. I highly recommend it!

Makes 8 servings    Total Time: 20-30 min (including time to chop the veggies)

Ingredients

1. 1 cup hummus
2. 2 tomatoes, diced
3. 1 cucumber, diced
4. 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
5. 1/2 tsp paprika
6. salt and pepper to taste
7. 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, chopped
8. 2 roasted red peppers, diced
9. 1/4 cup feta cheese
10. 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
11. 2 tbsp sliced black olives (for garnish)

Directions

1. In a 8×8 dish, spread the hummus evenly on the bottom. Layer the diced cucumber and tomatoes on top.
2. Next, evenly spread the yogurt over top. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Over the yogurt, layer the chopped artichoke hearts and the roasted red peppers. Crumble the feta cheese over top. Sprinkle on the parsley and garnish with the black olives :)
4. Serve immediately or chill for an hour then serve! I laid out pita chips and cut up veggies for dipping. Enjoy!

Original Recipe: http://www.cookincanuck.com/2014/01/healthy-mediterranean-7-layer-dip-recipe/

Protein Overnight Chia Oats Smoothie Bowl

I’ve clearly been slacking on posting recipes on here lately. This is for two reasons. 1 – I recently got Netflix so at night my computer is plugged into my TV and unavailable for typing up my delicious recipes. 2 – since I’ve started my new workout program/high protein diet, I’ve been starting from scratch with my recipes and it’s taken me a while to get them perfect! Plus I’ve been eating extremely boring lately. Lots of chicken, broccoli and avocado. Not that I’m complaining…I do love that meal and could eat it for lunch and dinner everyday :) top with some salsa and I’m a happy little blonde!

This overnight proats (protein oats) recipe is a definite keeper!! My go-to breakfast I eat every single morning without fail. The base of overnight oats stays the same, but I switch up the fruit, protein powder flavour, spices and toppings to keep it interesting. This is just the basic recipe! So get experimenting and let me know what creations you come up with :)
Makes 1 serving    Total Time: 10 minutes

Macros: 319 calories, 33g protein, 33g carbs, 6g fat

Ingredients for Overnight Oats

1. 3 tbsp rolled oats
2. 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
3. 2 tbsp almond milk
4. 2 tbsp water
5. 1 tsp cinnamon
6. 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Smoothie

1. 1/2 cup egg whites
2. 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
3. 1/8 cup almond milk
4. 1/2 frozen banana
5. 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
6. 1/2 cup spinach (optional)
7. 1 tsp vanilla extract
8. 1 tsp cinnamon
9. 1/2 tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

Directions

1. To make the oats, combine all the overnight oats ingredients in a tupperwear and leave in the fridge overnight. If you want to speed up the process in the morning, also cook up the egg whites in a bowl in the microwave for 1:45. Place in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, combine the already cooked up egg whites and the rest of the smoothie ingredients (except the blueberries) in a blender. Pulse until combined.
3. In a cute little bowl, pour the smoothie over top of the overnight oats, and top with the frozen blueberries. YUM!