Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bake

April 16th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I found this recipe from Whole Foods and Fit Sugar while on Pinterest.

What a  great idea it is! They use quinoa as the bottom “crust” part and then the egg filling with some spinach, and topped with a small amount of cheese.

quinoa breakfast bake

I only modified the recipe slightly because I used frozen spinach (and more of it) and a few other tweaks.

Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon butter or butter substitute to grease the pan
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 6-7 eggs
  • 2-3 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cup nonfat milk
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese (and I mixed in some leftover Gruyere we had)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease your baking dish (the recipe called for an 8×8 dish, but I used an 11.5 x 8.75 baking dish). Do not use 9 x 13–it will be a little too big.
  2. Rinse your quinoa in a colander.
  3. Whisk together your eggs, spices, and milk. Stir in the quinoa.
  4. Pour into the baking dish. Then, stir a little and shake pan a little to let the quinoa fall to the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry–you probably won’t be able to see this, but it will work.
  5. Gently stir in your onions and spinach into the egg/quinoa mixture in the pan.
  6. Bake covered for about 40-45 minutes until it has set. Uncover and sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 17-20 minutes until golden.

quinoa egg bake

You could even eat this for lunch or dinner (I am going to eat for lunch today with a side of raw sliced peppers). It is the perfect balanced meal because it contains complete proteins, fiber, vegetables, and a pinch of fat ;-)

Tip: Make it ahead of time, the night before, and then you can just reheat in the morning. Since it takes a while to bake and cook, I made mine at about 9:30 pm and finished cooking it close to bedtime!

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Protein Almond Butter

March 11th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I was getting a little creative with my normal almond butter spread for breakfast. I mixed a brown rice protein powder with almond butter and almond milk. Spread it on top of Ezekiel bread, and you have a balanced breakfast!

almond butter with protein

  • 1 slice Ezekiel
  • 1.5 Tbsp. almond butter
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla brown rice protein powder
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • almond milk or any milk to moisten the mixture
  • drizzle of real honey on top (1 tsp.)

I eat this warm out of toaster oven. I’m sure you could eat it cold, but it always tastes better when the honey becomes warm.

Nutrition Facts:

nutrition facts for almond butter toast

I ate some blueberries to go with this to make it more of a complete meal :)

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Pumpkin Apple Protein Bake… Attempt 1

November 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (0 Comments)

I tried to create a no sugar added, high protein bar. It turned out more like a bread pudding…

At least it looks pretty. Tastes similar to a french toast almost.

I used quinoa flakes, brown rice flour, milk, 1 egg, egg whites, stevia, chopped apples, applesauce, pumpkin, spices, and walnuts. It really wasn’t too bad, it just turned out too moist.

Back to the kitchen!! When I figure it out perfectly I will post the recipe.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

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Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

October 4th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (2 Comments)

I created a variation on my quinoa protein pancakes that I often make and freeze ahead for the next week. Pumpkin recipes are every where. Why not in my breakfast!

The pumpkin replaces the fat in the recipe, but also adds loads of vitamin A and some iron and manganese too!

For the recipe, click here. And, instead of the applesauce, use canned pumpkin! That’s it!

And here is what they look like when cooking. Don’t worry that they are a little more thick than normal pancakes. They come out smooth and very moist.

Happy Fall! Now, time to get outside and enjoy the weather!

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Protein Bar Favorites

August 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week | Food Review - (2 Comments)

I was not paid to write any of this and did not receive any type of compensation ;-)

I don’t normally buy many bars because I feel they are highly processed, and our bodies just weren’t meant to eat foods like that. However, sometimes they are a nice portable option. Here are a few of my current favorites. I choose these because they make me feel somewhat full, have lower sugar (or are at least sweetened with dried fruit), and are “cleaner” than some other bars.

Vega Bars: 


I think these are the nutrition facts for the bar I got… not 100% sure. But, if not, the nutrition facts would be very similar. I like this brand because the bars still contain a good amount of protein, are vegan, and contain a great amount of fiber. Plus, all whole foods are used!

Think Thin Bars:
I get the creamy peanut butter. This bar to me seems like a treat because it reminds me of a healthier candy bar. But, it has no sugar! They are gluten free, a little over 200 calories, and have about 20 grams of protein. And the good thing is that after about 10 minutes of eating one, you can feel fuller.
Main ingredients: whey protein, soy protein, calcium caseinate, maltitol (sugar alcohol), soy crisps, peanuts, canola oil, almonds, chicory fiber, vitamins, minerals.

Greens Protein Bar Whey Crisp:

I mentioned this one before. Of all the “Greens” bars, I like this one the best because it has lower sugar, more fiber, and a little more protein.

Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bars:

These aren’t quite a protein bar–they are more of a fiber bar of course. But, I like them because they do keep you fuller, and they do not contain any artificial ingredients. The main ingredient is oats!

I get the ones that are the lowest sugar like the banana walnut one. Mmm.

I would have put Lara Bars on this list as well, but I eat them more when I am exercising because they have a few more carbohydrates, and are easy to eat before and after workouts. They sit pretty well in the stomach. I love Lara Bars because they are made from dried fruit and nuts ONLY. No other ingredients!

Now, you are probably asking me, where can I get these bars? A lot you can get from Whole Foods. You can order online always. The Think Thin bars you should be able to get at your local regular grocery store.

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Quinoa Protein Pancakes

August 13th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (2 Comments)

I had been wanting to make some kind of protein pancake that I could freeze and have ready to go for breakfasts during the week. I happened to spot quinoa flakes at the grocery store (found them at a regular grocery store), and decided to try to create a recipe with them. Quinoa is a complete protein source, and good quality grain.

With this recipe, I was truly experimenting. But, after reading so many pancake recipes, I figured I could make a good guess at a recipe. And, it worked out amazingly well! The recipe is also gluten free.

Quinoa Protein Pancakes

Makes about 8-9 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 3/4 cup quinoa flakes
  • 1/2 cup (roughly, 4 scoops) protein powder (I used brown rice vanilla protein)
  • 1/2-2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (I just eye-ball it)
  • 5 packets stevia
  • 1 cup skim milk (or your favorite milk alternative)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Stir all ingredients together. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes. Check the consistency, and see if you need to add any additional liquid. You want pancake batter consistency. *Pancake batter consistency is more liquid than cookie dough batter, but slightly less liquid than muffin consistency
  2. Heat a griddle pan, and grease lightly with coconut oil, butter, or olive oil.
  3. Using an ice cream scoop (or other spoon), spoon out two spoonfuls of batter to make one pancake.
  4. Allow to cook on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes per side. The edges should firm-up (bubble slightly) before turning.

Nutrition Facts: Varies based on the ingredients you use/protein powder source. About 100-130 calories per pancake, about 8 grams of protein, and about 15 grams carbohydrate.

I allowed these to cool, then stacked in a plastic container, and put in freezer. Every morning, I defrost in toaster oven, add a teaspoon of almond butter, side of fruit, and drizzle of honey (or real maple syrup). Perfect!

Many people wonder why I made the type of pancakes I did… I wanted to try different whole grains, it is important to me to get in some small amounts of protein in the morning, and I want something as minimally processed as possible. And, I was bored of my breakfast routine!

Variations: You could use banana, carrot, zucchini, fruit puree, or pumpkin instead of the applesauce. Try adding in crushed nuts, or blueberries for variety.

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Protein Powder to Speed Up Metabolism?

May 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review - (0 Comments)

I don’t think so. Evitamins.com sent me a free container of Almased protein powder. Anyway, this powder claims that it is healthy for the metabolism and can speed it up. I don’t really see why it would. There are no foods out there that have a significant effect on metabolism. Some foods like green tea and various veggies can help to improve the metabolism, but only slightly.

Ingredients: Soy protein isolate, honey, skim milk yogurt powder, potassium chloride, magnesium carbonate, calcium citrate, vitamin C, niacin, color additive: riboflavin, vitamin E, zinc oxide, ferrous fumerate, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, vitamin A, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin D3, vitamin B12.

The one good thing about this is that it is pretty simple–just soy, honey, skim milk, and vitamins. Would be a good choice for those that like soy proteins.

However, the big downfall for me is that I don’t know the quality of the soy protein. I doubt it is organic, and doubt that it is GMO free. Big negative in my book. Plus, soy is pretty controversial right now. There are many positives and also many negatives regarding soy.
There are still 12 grams of sugar in one serving (8 Tbsp.), but the glycemic index is low (27). This is likely due to the high protein content combined with the natural lactose (milk sugar) that help to even out the sugar absorption.

Taste: It didn’t taste that sweet. It smelled a little like baby formula though. I have never tasted baby formula, so I can’t tell you what it tastes like, haha. But, it really didn’t taste that bad. I could see it going really well in a smoothie and not even noticing it.

Conclusion: I doubt this product will help the metabolism, and would not market it to diabetics or the health conscious. But, surprisingly, I could see this for a child who needs a protein powder for their smoothie if they needed the added nutrition. Overall, I am not a big fan of the powder, and would not buy it at the store. I would rather buy a natural Greek yogurt and just eat that. Or, maybe an organic whey or rice protein. Just my opinion.

Anyway, on to Love Your Humps Wednesday:
Via Pinterest and Already Pretty and Redefining Body Image.

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