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.

Vanilla Almond Green Breakfast Bowl

Mmmmm my absolute favourite breakfast any day of the week.  Actually…I would eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could.

This recipe is based on the Oh She Glows Milli Vanilli Green Monster that I made into a breakfast bowl.  I haven’t tried all of her variations of green monsters yet, but so far this is my favourite. The key to the yummy almondie-goodness is the almond extract! Don’t skip that out ;)

Makes 1 serving      Total Time – 5-10 minutes

Ingredients for Smoothie 

1. 1 cup spinach or kale
2. 1/4 cup almond milk
3. 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1/4 tsp almond extract
6. 1 tbsp almond butter
7. 1-2 drops stevia
8. 1 tsp ground flaxseeds
9. 2 tsp coconut butter (optional)

Ingredients for Breakfast Bowl

1. 1-2 tbsp chia seeds
2. 1 tbsp hemp hearts
3. 1-2 tsp cinnamon
4. 1/2 banana, sliced
5. any fresh berries or fruit you want
6. 1/4 cup quinoa granola (or any type of granola)
7. Optional toppings – coconut flakes, sliced almonds, cashews, etc

Directions

• Blend up all the smoothie ingredients.  Start with just a small amount of almond milk and add more as needed. It should be pretty thick!
• Pour into a bowl and top with your breakfast bowl ingredients. YUM!

Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding

I’m getting a little bored of my breakfasts these days.  I love all my beautiful breakfast bowls, but I don’t always have time in the morning to make them before running off to class or to training.  And sometimes I just feel like chewing something lol weird to say but unless I literally have NO TIME to eat or need something on the go, smoothies aren’t my favourite breakfast choice.

I was looking for something new when I came across this recipe for chia pudding from the Vega website. I’m actually really impressed! It was really filling – I didn’t even eat the whole thing.  I foresee many more chia pudding recipes to come ;)

P.S. – I’m still obsessed with dried dates, if you haven’t noticed. I think I add them to absolutely everything I make. They’ve clearly replaced my addiction to raisins lol.

Makes 1 serving     Prep Time – 5 minutes      Total Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp chia seeds
2. 1/4 cup water or almond milk (I used a combo of the two)
3. 1 tsp cinnamon
4. 1 tsp ground flaxseeds
5. 1 tbsp chocolate protein powder (I used Vega)
6. 1/2 banana, sliced (or a whole banana)
7. 3 dried dates, chopped
8. 2 tbsp quinoa granola (or you can used another kind of granola or rolled oats)
9. 2 tsp pure maple syrup
10. Optional toppings – sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, coconut flakes, any kind of nuts, or almond butter

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the chia seeds, water (or milk), cinnamon, ground flaxseeds, and protein powder. Give it a good stir. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes until the chia seeds get all gooey and absorb the liquid.
2. Stir the pudding around once you’ve let it sit. Top with banana, dates, granola and drizzle with the maple syrup. YUM :)

Raspberry, Date, Maple Syrup Hot Cereal

The rain finally stopped in Vancouver!! Thank the dear lord.  The sun has been shining since Monday and I’m nothing but smiles :)

This is what happens when I’m procrastinating studying for my psyc 391 midterm….a new breakfast creation. But OMG yum. I really liked how it made quite a bit too. I have plenty leftover for breakfast the following day. And maybe a spoonful or two or three in the afternoon before spin class (totally happened).  This morning when I had the leftovers, I just cut up more banana and heated the whole thing in the microwave before adding the yogurt. I ran out of raspberries through so it didn’t look anywhere close to as pretty :(

Makes 2 servings       Prep Time – 5 minutes       Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice hot cereal (or can use regular oatmeal)
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 large spoonfuls of plain full-fat yogurt (I use Saugeen Country brand)
• Toppings – raspberries, 2 or 3 chopped dates, handful of quinoa granola, and sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, throw in the mixed berries on low heat. Once thawed a bit (2-3min), stir in the almond milk, coconut oil and banana. Once the berries are almost completely thawed and warm, stir in the maple syrup, cinnamon, and hot cereal. Keep stirring until heated through.
2. Divide up the berry oatmeal mixture into two serving bowls. Spoon the yogurt into the side of the bowls. Top with raspberries, dates, quinoa granola, and cinnamon. YUM!

NOTE – don’t omit the coconut oil from the berry mixture…it adds a serious yummy flavour! If you’re dairy free…just add in some more almond milk (or milk of choice) at the end instead of the yogurt.

Blueberry Chia Seed Oatmeal

What a treat for breakfast while I’m living the life on reading break :) I enjoyed a much deserved sleep in (I got up at 8am…lol), turned on Kelly and Michael, and drank my Yogi green tea while reading Women’s Health Mag. Mmmm heaven <3 Not having to rush off to class or hit the library early is such a lovely break.  Too bad it’s already Thursday…this week is going by too fast!

Makes one serving        Prep Time – 5 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup oatmeal
2. 2 tsp honey
3. 1 tbsp cinnamon
4. 1 tbsp chia seeds
5. spoonful of hemp seeds and ground flax seeds (optional)
6. 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
7. 3 tbsp Saugeen Country plain yogurt
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp almond butter
10. Banana, blueberries, coconut flakes for toppings :)

Directions

1. Make the oatmeal and mix in cinnamon, 1 tsp honey, chia seeds, hemp seeds, ground flax.
2. In a blender, blend together the frozen blueberries, yogurt, vanilla extract, remaining honey, and almond butter.
3. Fill half a bowl with the oatmeal and pour the yogurt mixture in the other half.  Top with banana, blueberries, and some coconut flakes :)

Granola

This granola is definitely a staple in my house.  I make a big batch so I always have it on hand for a quick and easy breakfast, or a late night snack :) Combine with yogurt or almond milk and your favourite fruit/berries for breakfast. For dessert, I like to mix up a little cup full of granola, raisins, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes and cinnamon.  It tastes exactly like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie :) YUM!

Ingredients

• 6 cups large flake rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey or brown rice syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds, nuts, coconut flakes, and cinnamon.
3. In another small bowl, melt the coconut oil, honey and vanilla in the microwave.  Pour over the oat mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Spread out the oats evenly in one layer on two baking sheets and press down firmly.  Bake for around 35-45 min or until golden brown.  Let cool and enjoy :)

Banana Almond Butter Protein Waffles

Wooooooo waffles!! I finally got a waffle iron for Christmas (thank you big bro), so waffles are my new thing.  My first attempt was banana almond butter waffles….mmmmmm yep, they were amazing. I was surprised how light and fluffy they were as well! Definitely a keeper.

Makes 2 or 3 waffles       Prep Time – 5 min       Cooking Time – 5 min

Ingredients

1. 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2. 2 tbsp almond flour
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda
5. 2 tsp cinnamon
6. 1 ripe banana, mashed
7. 3 egg whites
8. 1/2 tbsp almond butter
9. Optional – chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, blueberries, banana, yogurt, unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

1. Pre-heat the waffle iron.  In a bowl, stir together the protein powder, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and any other seeds you’re using. I used chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, and greens powder.
2. Stir in the mashed banana, egg whites and almond butter.  You may need to add a little bit of almond milk if the batter isn’t thin enough.
3. Add the batter to the waffle iron and cook until it stops steaming or you can pull apart the iron without the waffles sticking.
4. Add your toppings and ENJOY! I used coconut yogurt, blueberries, sliced banana, and cinnamon.

Sausage and Egg Mexican Breakfast Wraps

Wow thank god exams and school are DONE!!! Well at least for a few weeks…. Things got so busy at the beginning of December I think I ate baked chicken breast and steamed veggies for every meal :S sooooo boring!! And I didn’t get to create any new recipes to share. So I had a lot of fun making these wraps for Cale one morning.  I thought he needed a change from his usual breakfast hash that he requests every morning.  These little breakfast delights are super tasty! And really filling.  Great for lunch as well.  Enjoy :)

Makes 2 wraps (one large serving or two smaller ones)    Prep Time – 10 min    Cooking Time – 10 min

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 chicken sausage
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped finely
• handful of spinach or kale, chopped very fine (optional for added nutrition)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cajun spice
• 2 whole grain tortillas
• 1/2 an avocado
• salsa

Directions

1. In pan over medium heat, start cooking up the sausage.  I like to remove the meat from the casing and cook it up that way.
2. While the sausage is cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl and give them a good whisk.  Add in the red pepper, onion, green onion, cilantro, and spinach, cumin and cajun spice. Mix up until well combined.
3. Once the sausage is almost done cooking, add the egg mixture into the pan.  Keep stirring until everything is all cooked up.
4. To assemble the wraps, place half the egg and sausage mixture into the middle of each wrap.  Top with some avocado and salsa.  ENJOY :)

Overnight Blueberry Almond Butter Parfait

Studying sucks. After such a relaxing, fun summer, I forgot how depressing it can be sitting at a desk reading and taking notes all day. I’m studying for my ACE personal trainer certification exam, which is OMG next week! Ahhhh! So much to do in not a lot of time! I guess my fun summer is pretty much over since school is starting next week as well! Haha back to reality.

While I’m sitting at my kitchen table surrounded by stacks of paper and yellow highlighters, I figured I might as well have an incredibly delicious breakfast to cheer me up. This recipe sure did the trick! It took a bit of time to put all the layers together but I was procrastinating getting back to studying…

Makes 2 servings           Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus leaving oats overnight)

Ingredients for Blueberry Overnight Oats

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (i used hemp protein)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup
• 1/2 tsp honey or few drops of liquid stevia (optional)
• 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Ingredients for Parfait

• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

Directions

• In a bowl or tupperware container, mix together rolled oats, protein powder, chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract and 1/2 cup almond milk.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning if you’re in a hurry, you can eat the overnight oats just like that topped with the blueberries. Or…you can make the beautiful parfait! :)
• Blend up the overnight oats with the blueberries until smooth.  You may need to add a bit more almond milk to get the right consistency.
• Next, make the almond butter layer by mixing up the almond butter with the almond milk.  I just gave it a good mix with a fork in a little bowl.
• To assemble – place a spoonful of the blueberry oat mixture on the bottom. Next, add a layer of the almond butter mix and top with a few spoonfuls of greek yogurt. Finally, spoon more of the blueberry oat mixture for the last layer.  You can create a pretty design on the very top with blueberries if you like :) ENJOY!

NOTE: You can use cottage cheese instead of greek yogurt if you prefer. As well, any type of nut or seed butter can be used in place of the almond butter.

My wonderful mum and I at a wedding last weekend

Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I found this recipe on one of my absolute favourite recipe sites, PaleOMG.  I have yet to make a recipe from this site that I didn’t like. Everything has been absolutely delicious and these muffins are no exception!

Makes 9 muffins      Prep Time: 10 min     Baking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

1. 1 cup almond flour
2. 3 tbsp coconut flour
3. 1 tbsp cinnamon (or more if you like)
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 1 apple, cored and diced
7. 3 eggs, whisked
8. 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
9. 1 1/2 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, add almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Mix it all together.
3. Next, add your eggs, honey, oil, and diced apples to the bowl and mix well until completely combined.
4. Place paper or silicon muffin liners into a muffin pan. Spoon batter into the little cups. Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on top of every muffin. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. YUM!!