Homemade Crispy Kale Chips: 3 Ways

DID YOU KNOW plain kale chips contain approximately 33 calories and less than 1 gram of fat per cup? Compare that to your classic potato chip weighing in at 154 calories and 10.3 grams of fat per cup. The obvious winner here? Kale chips.

Even after drizzling the kale with olive oil and your favourite seasoning, kale still comes out on top. Kale chips are SO easy and there really are no rules, as you will soon see. Here are 3 kale chip recipes for the healthy snacker. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.*
2. Wash and dry kale leaves. Remove and discard the thick ribs. Cut or tear the kale leaves into your desires size of chips.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and massage kale for 1-2 minutes until it is soft and slightly darker.
4. Spread the kale out in a single layer on baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 12 minutes, or until kale is crunchy.
6. Remove and serve immediately, or store in sealed container for up to 1 week.

*Note: the hotter you cook the kale chips, the more nutritional value is lost. If this is a concern, adjust the time and temperature accordingly.  

Enjoy!

L.

             

Clean, Quick & Simple No-Bake Energy Bites

It has been far too long since I've babbled in this virtual space. I apologize, but I have been swamped by this thing called living! However, I am currently enrolled in the FINAL class of my degree and one of my assignments is to write an instructional document. What did I choose? A recipe! Naturally, I wanted to share my recipe with all of you. This is my go-to snack and it is bound to become yours if you dare to give it a try.

Enjoy!

L.

Cranberry & Peanut Butter Granola Clusters

This week I broke out The Looneysoons Collection and prepped a great mango-curry chicken marinade for Friday's dinner. Jeff was coming and I decided it was time for some serious chicken redemption!

To bring you all up to speed, the first time I cooked for Jeff I baked a few chicken breasts in the oven. For those who know me, it may not surprise you to learn that the chicken came out dry, rubbery, and tasteless.

Here's the thing, I can live without meat on my plate. It's expensive and I've flipped-flopped back and forth between eating meat and eating meatless for years. The way I see it, if I don't have to cook for anyone else I'll simply skip the meat! Seems simple enough, right? Well, most days...

I wanted to impress this guy with my cooking skills! I mean, if you can cook for your date then you automatically get brownie points right off the bat. Two years ago, my plan backfired and so this weekend it was finally time to step up my game! It was time to try baking chicken again.

I was scared. I had my doubts. BUT, the meal was a huge success!

Jeff went as far as saying, and I quote, "this could very well be the best meal I've ever had with you."

PHEW! Progress.

All I could think about after we ate was, what next!? I couldn't wait to try another recipe from the Looneyspoons cookbook, which brings us to today's baking endeavour: homemade granola clusters.

TIP: I created my own pumpkin pie spice using this recipe as my guide.

Instead of using a 12 cup muffin tin, I spooned the mixture into an 8 cup mini loaf pan. Minor detail, but thought I would note why these are shaped differently than you may expect.

I enjoy the combo of the recipe. The cranberries calm down my sweet tooth and the peanut butter and oats make the snack filling. One is enough to tide me over!

Try for yourself and enjoy.

L.

Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Why not skip the green beer and try these protein packed pancakes instead? Or better yet, have both! Today is the day to celebrate all things green. Let me know what you all think and most importantly, stay safe tonight.

Frosted Mini Egg Brownies

Happy Family Day everyone! Today was a low key Netflix day with Jeff, but after jumping on Facebook and seeing how many people were bonding over cooking, baking and eating we decided to bake up a tasty treat for dessert. This spin on the classic brownie is packed with one of my favourite sweets - mini eggs. Simplicity (& comfort food) at it's finest. 

Enjoy,

L.

Frosted Mini Egg BrowniesIngredients:

• 1 pkg of Betty Crocker frosted brownie mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1-2 188g pkg(s) of Cadbury Mini Eggs, depending on preference

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions on the brownie box, as per usual
2. Crush mini eggs, we used a rolling pin
3. Add desired amount of mini eggs into the mixture before pouring into your pan
4. Grease pan and pour mixture in
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes
6. Remove from pan and allow brownies to cool completely
7. Frost the brownies and sprinkle remaining mini eggs on top
8. Indulge

Meal Prep Madness: Tuna Salad & No-Bake Coconut Balls

Is there anything better than being prepared for the entire week to come!? If you are asking a planner such as myself, the answer is absolutely not. I like to make my life as easy as possible, so allow me to help YOU out too! Check out my recipes and try them for yourself!

Blogilates Tuna Salad

Source: blogilates
Prep time: 30-45 minutes (depending on cooking time for rice)
Serving size: 1 cup - makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

• 15oz canned tuna in water
• 2 cups of brown rice (cooked)
• 4 boiled egg whites, chopped
• 2 Apples, chopped
• Dressing:
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Pinch of dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook rice (15-30 minutes) & hard boil eggs (12-15 minutes)
2. Chop ingredients, mix dressing
3. Combine all ingredients, add dressing

4. Divide into desired serving sizes and store in tupperware. Serving size viewed below: 1 cup

No-Bake Coconut Balls

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup agave or pure maple syrup (or 1/4 cup water and 2-3 nunaturals stevia packs)
• 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. 

2. With a small spoon, spoon out portions and form into a ball 

3. Place in container and let stand in fridge for an hour (or freeze for 15 minutes.) 

4. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer, for 2-3 weeks

Verdict: yum, yum, yum! Try out the recipes yourself and let me know what you think!


L.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Muffins

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I just can't seem to stop experimenting in the kitchen! My spinach salads and protein shakes are starting to feel a little out of season as the weather gets cooler, so I suppose you could blame my desire for more hearty food on my recent endeavours. Regardless, I am excited that others are interested in the recipes and so I have yet another treat for all of you to try.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Muffins
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-18 minutes
Yields 12 muffins, 90 calories per muffin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of oats
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 apple, pealed & diced
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 
• 2 scoops Isagenix vanilla protein powder 
• 2 tablespoons of sugar 
• 1 teaspoon  of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well.

3. Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray and divide the batter evenly

4. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and bake for 15-18 minutes.

I found this recipe on Just Keep Sweating and I do think that the muffins turned out quite nicely! However, I feel like this recipe is missing that kick of spice and flavour that apple cinnamon should have. Play with the recipe as you see fit, and if you end up with something fabulous please let me know! I would love to try a revision and hear your suggestions.

Happy baking,

L.

Mocha Coffee Protein Balls

Hey everyone! Due to popular demand, I thought I would share my recipe for the Mocha Coffee Protein Balls that I made this weekend. These little energy bites have great flavour and literally take minutes. If you have picky eaters in your house, be prepared to trick your kids into thinking their eating dessert instead of a health food! Here is what you'll need:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (if you don't use natural peanut butter be sure to use crunchy peanut butter for this recipe, as it is important to keep the consistency)
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coffee grounds 
• Agave nectar (substitue: maple syrup or honey)
• Dash of cinnamon to taste
• Handful of nuts/dried fruit mix-ins (optional) 

Instructions:

1. In a small food processor, add protein powder, peanut butter and coconut. Pulse until ingredients are blended together.
2. Next, add in the coffee grounds, coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and a squirt of agave nectar. Pulse again. The dough should start clumping together. 
3. Finally, throw in any mix-ins you like…I added a handful of sliced almonds. Pulse.
4. Form the mixture into small balls. (If you are find that the dough isn't forming very nicely, don't be afraid to add another squirt of agave to keep things together.)
5. Eat immediately, or let set by refrigerating 

I actually ended up doubling this recipe, which yielded about six protein balls. For the days that I don't get my butt out of bed in time and I end up running at night, these little guys are a perfect treat afterwards to keep me going in between meals. As you can see from the above picture these bites are quite dense and oh so delicious, so get out your peanut butter and start mixing.

Enjoy!

L.

Ravishing Roots

OH MY GOODNESS, do I have a treat for all of you! If you're looking for a unique way to cook up those vegetables for thanksgiving weekend, then look no further!

Last night Brittany and I were livin' up the student life - workin' nine to five, and then some overtime. All unpaid of course! Classic. Lucky for us, once we found ourselves hangry, tired and in need of a break I had a lovely dinner calling our name. Who needs the pizza delivery boy when you have two amazing women who know their way around the kitchen? We are what you would call mature students, or at least sometimes. 

Notice the cutlery? Something seems backwards. The lefty must've been eating from this plate!

So, what is this you ask? I suppose this would be the time to tell you all about what is dangling in front of your faces. 

Here we have fresh carrots and beets (compliments of Scott's garden), an Yves veggie burger topped with homemade guacamole, tomato and grilled mushrooms and onions. 

There's just something about making a home cooked meal after a long day that feels so good. As I've mentioned before, I am no Martha Stewart, so whenever I make a successful dinner I am absolutely ecstatic and proud! I guess you could say that I have one of those "I am woman, hear me roar," moments. It may sound strange to some of you super mom's out there who can whip up a meal to feed an army in a matter of minutes, but hey baby steps right? I could be living off ramen noodles, but instead I've kicked the KD and everything else that's one molecule away from plastic (yes even Cheez Whiz, god I love Cheeze Whiz). As a result, I am forced to learn to cook and this is what I've come up with! 

Try out the recipes below and enjoy! 

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds assorted root vegetables (we used carrots, beets, onions and mushrooms), peeled and cut into wedges 
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed 
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients until vegetables are well-coated.
3. In large shallow roasting pan evenly spread vegetables. 
4. Roast, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and golden. Sprinkle, if desired, with chopped fresh parsley.

As your vegetables are roasting, prepare your guacamole.

Guacamole

Ingredients:     

• 1 avocado
• 

1/2 cup diced onion 
• 
1 tomato
• 
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 
1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor OR in a medium bowl, mash together the avocado and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. 
2. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavour, or serve immediately.

Next, grill your mushrooms, onions, garlic, and veggie burger on medium heat for about ten minutes or until done as desired.

Once your burgers are finished, serve up those plates and dig in! 

I like to top my burger with guacamole and dijon mustard - it adds great flavour. Also, I suggest skipping the bun. You really don't need it with this meal. Both Brittany and I were stuffed full after cleaning off our plates.

Bon Appétit!

Veggies, so hot right now.

Vegetables are very VOGUE these days. Why? Because October is Vegetarian Awareness month, of course! It's time to celebrate all of those hippy, animal-loving, liberal, leaf eaters! Was that offensive? Sorry, we were all thinking it.

I understand that for some of you the thought of trading in your juicy steak for a bowl of spinach is terrifying. Trust me, I get it. But I am here to tell you that eating vegetarian isn't just about chowing down on raw, uncooked, rabbit food. Meatless dishes can, and do, excite those tastebuds and the best part of all is that cooking these tasty meals is easy! 

Believe it or not, despite my many feminine character traits, cooking is not one of my strong points. I am a living example that NO, not all women are good at cooking, so take that gender stereotypes! The point I am getting at here is: If I can cook delicious meat free meals, you can too. 

I really encourage you to challenge yourself this month and cut the meat from your diet, or at least cut back, and join the veggie filled world for a few days! Although we are about a week into things already, I have plenty of time left to share my thoughts on vegetarianism this month. With that being said, I won't bore you with my opinions just yet. Check back soon to learn about WHY a meatless meal may actually be right for you. In the mean time I will leave you with a quick and easy recipe to help you kick off the month!

Grilled Vegetables over Barley with Feta and Basil:

Ingredients:
Round up all of your favourite vegetables. I had left over veggies from my dinner this weekend, so I included: asparagus, mushrooms, red peppers, yellow peppers, zucchini, and grape tomatoes. It truly does not matter what vegetables you choose! This part all comes down to preference. The additional ingredients you will need are as follows:

• 1 cup of uncooked barley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup of crumbled feta

Instructions:

1. Cook barley as directed, drain.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, garlic, salt, black pepper and chili powder. Whisk in the oil; reserve 1/3 of the dressing for the barley.

3. Toss your vegetables in the remaining dressing.

4. Preheat your burner/grill on medium-high and grill vegetables for 5-7 minutes.

5. Toss barley with 1 tablespoon of the basil and the reserved dressing. 

6. Spoon onto serving plates and top with vegetables. 

7. Sprinkle with remaining basil and the feta.

This dish is awesome! Between the basil and honey, the flavours are very unique and refreshing. I will definitely be making this quick, easy and light dish again! Thank-you to Fitness Magazine for posting the original recipe.  

Try it yourself, let me know what you think, or post your favourite meatless recipe in the comment box below! I would love to hear from you. 

Until next time,

L.

Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice!

Who doesn't love a little pumpkin in their life during Autumn? If you're anything like me you're likely struggling to stay away from the Pumpkin Spiced Lattes from Starbucks and the Pumpkin Spice Muffins from Tim Hortons. How can you deny that delicious ooey-gooey cream cheese middle!? Everywhere I turn there's a new fall flavour for me to fantasize about! 

So what does a girl do, give in? NO. For all of you health conscious pumpkin lovers out there I have found some tasty alternatives to satisfy that fall flavour craving. 

Today I baked up a batch of gluten-free pumpkin walnut protein muffins. Big thanks to Michelle Marie Fit for the original recipe. In the last week, I've also indulged in a pumpkin spiced latte protein shake! Who needs overpriced specialty coffees to fulfill that pumpkin craving, when you have these healthy alternatives? Remember, that six pack is made in the kitchen!

Gluten-free Pumpkin Walnut Protein Muffins: 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup Agave Nectar or Natural Organic Sugar
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Isagenix)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Optional -  a few gluten/dairy free chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

2. In a large bowl, mix all the wet ingredients.  

3. Add all the dry ingredients to the batter, except the walnuts.

4. Mix well, then fold in the walnuts.  

(Optional -  gluten/dairy free chocolate chips)  

5. Pour batter into muffin pan, dust with a little cinnamon on top and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Remove from pan to cool. Makes about 20 muffins. 

Smooth on a little butter and enjoy! These are tasty, guilt-free and taste like fall! What more could you want? I recommend getting that apron out and whipping up a batch of these ASAP!

Isagenix Pumpkin Spiced Latte:

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops IsaLean® Shake in Creamy French Vanilla 
• 1 tbsp. of organic pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 6 oz. of water
• 3 ice cubes

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients and blend until smooth. If you're not an Isagenix user you can substitute the IsaLean Shake for your meal replacement of choice. However, I highly encourage you to try Isagenix products - you won't regret it. Click here for more information. 

Enjoy these tasty treats and don't let those coffee shops overpower you! Winter may be just around the corner, but that doesn't mean we have to prepare for hibernation. Keep up the good work and keep that diet clean! That's all for now.

L.