Recipe - Green Pina Colada Smoothie

I'm always looking for more tasty smoothie recipes, and this one may be my favorite so far. If you're a coconut fan, such as myself, then I'm sure you'll agree with me. It makes a good bit so I drank some and saved the rest for the following day.


Green Pina Colada Smoothie
Makes approximately two servings.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 small banana
• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1/2 tsp stevia (aka Truvia)
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds
• 1 handful of ice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Enjoy

***Changes I would make***

• I would do 1/2 of a banana and 1 cup of pineapple. The banana flavor tends to be a bit overpowering, and personally I would like more of a pineapple flavor.
• 1 tsp of stevia instead of 1/2 tsp.
• 2 handfuls of ice instead of 1 to give it more of a smoothie consistency.
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder if you're using this as a meal replacement and/or snack.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this smoothie! It was quite refreshing. I will say that if you don't want/like the feeling of swallowing the chia seeds then let the smoothie set for approximately 10 minutes before you drink it. Chia seeds can hold 9-12 times their weight in water and they absorb it very rapidly. The more water you give it a chance to absorb, the less of that seedy feeling you'll notice when drinking it.

A few facts about Chia seeds:

• They were considered the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec superfood.
• Chia is the Mayan word for strength.
• It has been called "Indian running food" for it's ability to give you a sustained surge of energy with no crash.
• Approximately 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain
• 3 times more iron than spinach.
• Fair amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids.
• More potassium than bananas.
• More antioxidants than blueberries.
• 5 times as much calcium as milk.

These facts and others can be found here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/022468_chia_seeds_food.html

If you try this recipe I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to post them in the comments section. Thanks!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Recipe - 60 second Chocolate Frosty (paleo friendly)

Who doesn't love a good chocolate frosty from Wendy's? They're so creamy and chocolatey! Well I came across this paleo friendly version of the chocolate frosty with substantially less calories and sugar. It claims to be a 60 second frosty, but it takes me a bit longer to get it all in the blender and blend it up. Maybe you get faster the more you make it? I may have to test that. Without further ado, here is the recipe:

60 second Chocolate Frosty
Makes approximately 10 ounces.

Ingredients:

• 8-9 cubes of frozen almond milk (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tbsp stevia (or to taste)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Blend for 30-60 seconds or until smooth
3. Enjoy!

***Changes I made***

• The one and only change I made is I substituted 1/4 cup of unsweetened Coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream.

My thoughts:

Love it! If you're a fan of the regular frosty, I highly recommend trying this! It's such a quick and easy treat to throw together. My four year old approves as well, that's always a plus. If you try it let me know your thoughts.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Recipe - Almond Butter Cookies (Paleo friendly)

My little girl loves cookies so I searched around for a paleo friendly cookie recipe. I came across this one and gave it a try.

Almond Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 cup of coconut crystals

Cooking Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl and stir until integrated. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into balls. Flatten and place on a greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).
3. You can place the cookies pretty close together as they don’t spread much. I fit all of them onto one standard sized cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should still feel a little soft if you press gently on the center. They will lighten in color and flatten when they are done.

***Changes I made***

• I didn't have coconut crystals so I substituted
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp of raw honey
• I baked them for 8 minutes, pulled them out, and topped them all with one dark chocolate chip in the middle. Then I put them back in for another 4 minutes.

Here is the picture of them from the website and this is exactly what mine looked like, except with a chocolate chip in the center.

My thoughts:

The good news is these are good, healthy cookies. The bad news is these taste like good, healthy cookies. My four year old approved of the chocolate chip and that's about all. She ate her way to the chocolate chip and then said, "I don't think I really like almond butter daddy. But I love chocolate!" Personally, I like them alright. They're not very sweet, but that's ok with me. I may just add a little more honey next time. I actually think they taste a bit like samoas (girl scout cookies). If you try them I'd love to know your thoughts and opinions!

Yours In Health,

Steven

Recipe - Zucchini Brownies (Paleo friendly)

I wasn't sure about this recipe at first, but oh.....my was it good! I was concerned about how they would rise since there is no flour, but they turned out great. Not only is this a yummy brownie recipe, but it's full of zucchini. So if you're looking for a yummy way to sneak in some more veggies with your family, look no further!

Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks

Cooking Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
(We ended up having to bake them for around 45 minutes to get them completely done.)

Makes approximately 16 nice sized brownies.

Here is a picture of the finished product from the website:

And here is a picture of our finished product:

These were a hit with my family, including our four year old! If you try them, which you totally should, let me know your thoughts.

Yours In Health,

Steven

Recipe - No-bake Energy Bites

I happened upon this recipe and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad that I did because these are really yummy and great for a grab-and-go kind of snack after workouts. Don't blame me for getting addicted to them though so try at your own risk.

No-Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used Organic old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup coconut flakes (I recommend the organic unsweetened kind, but they're hard to find)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground Wheat Germ
• 1/3 cups honey (local honey would be best, but organic will suffice)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed (can be done with a spoon). Once mixed, let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After being chilled roll into balls of whatever size you would like. I used a melon baller to scoop it out and approximate the size and this made approximately 25 balls. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Helpful info from the website:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some flaxseed in place of some or all of the wheat germ.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

Approximate Nutritional Values

Servings: 25

Serving Size: 1 ball

Calories: 109, Protein: 3, Carbs: 13 (11 net carbs), Fiber: 2, Fat: 6

Recipe - Zucchini Lasagne

This is a paleo recipe so it avoids the usual wheat-based noodles, using instead some thinly sliced zucchini. We all loved it, even my three year old! Try it for yourself and your family and let me know your thoughts.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 6 oz tomato paste, no salt
• 15 oz tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 zucchini, sliced thinly

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 2 (approx)

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Add in garlic, onion, green pepper, and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato paste and tomato sauce.
4. Add in parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, continue to stir.
5. Bring sauce to a boil, then remove from heat.
6. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with coconut oil
7. Place a thin layer (1/2 inch) of sauce in the baking dish.
8. Layer zucchini over sauce, and repeat, alternating layering of sauce, then zucchini.
9. Bake lasagne at 325˚ F for 15 minutes, covered with foil.
10. After 15 minutes, remove foil, increase temperature to 350˚ F, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Notes:
The zucchini will release water while cooking so the sauce for this recipe is thicker than would be expected. If you prefer a sauce that is not as thick add a second can of tomato sauce to the recipe.

Recipe - Spinach Shake

I got the following recipe from Drew Manning, a personal trainer who took on the unbelievable challenge of actually becoming obese just to become fit once again. To learn more about Drew and his amazing feat click here.

Spinach Shake
Serves: 2          Total Time: approximately 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Handful of spinach
• 1/2 Banana
• 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 scoop vanilla protein (whey or soy)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 handfuls of ice

INSTRUCTIONS:
Pretty simple, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:
The nutrients were figured for how I made it. I substituted 3/4 cup of skim milk for the almond milk and I used soy protein.
Calories: 242, Fat: 9g, Total Carbohydrates: 24g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 18g



My Attempt:

Comments: The picture quality isn't very good, I apologize, but the shake was a greenish color. Don't be fooled by the color though, this shake was delicious! I personally thought it was a little too sweet so I may try it again with a little less peanut butter, but all in all it was a winner. My three year old even loved it, so if you're searching for a way to sneak more veggies into your toddler give it a try! I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well. Post them in the comments below.

Recipe - Healthy French Toast

Healthy  French  Toast

Serves: 1       Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large whole eggs
• 1 tbsp skim milk
• Dash cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 slices whole wheat or multi grain bread
• 1/2 cup mixed berries

INSTRUCTIONS:

ONE: Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat.

TWO: Soak bread slices in mixture and cook in skillet for two to four minutes on each side until golden brown. Top with berries

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:

Calories: 360, Total Fats: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0g,

Cholesterol: 560mg, Sodium: 410mg, Total Carbohydrates: 30g,

Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 9g, Protein: 25g, Iron: 4mg

My attempt:

Comments: I've always been a fan of French Toast so when I came across this recipe I couldn't wait to try it. My usual way of preparing this was just with the eggs and bread, but I thought the addition of the milk and vanilla extract adding some great flavor turning a good dish into a great dish without adding many more calories. I didn't have any berries on hand so I topped mine with just a bit of lite syrup. I hope you try it, and if you do, please post your own thoughts about it below in the comments section.

Yours In Health,

                       Steven