Another Double Chocolate Muffin Recipe

I love chocolate muffins and honestly, who doesn't?  I was inspired to make some chocolate muffins after seeing that my son's snack time had them at school and so this recipe is dedicated to him!  These muffins are moist and flavorful, but not too sweet and are perfect with a cup of black coffee for the adults, or with cottage cheese if you're a toddler.  These come together quickly and are a perfect after-school snack. Let me know what you think!

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar (I used stevia)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 12 cup muffin pan

Mix together the wet ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients

Scoop into the muffin pan 

Bake for 18 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

How to Open a Spaghetti Squash and Why "Spaghetti" is a Misnomer

A few weeks ago, I purchased a spaghetti squash from Trader Joe's.  I was excited to try this seemingly magical and innocent winter squash.  People of the internet have shared the wonders of this happy little squash and I wanted to be part of the action.  What people don't explain, is just how difficult of a shell this little guy has.  The happy pale yellow flesh of the squash has a mean secret and this guy is one tough cookie to break.  I tried to slice it and that was impossible so it sat on my counter for a few weeks.

I finally worked up the nerve to attempt to open the squash and get through to this magical spaghetti.  I threw it into a preheated 350 oven and let it soften for about 20 minutes.  After time spent in the oven, the squash was very easy to open.  I sliced in half very easily, scooped out the seeds and threw it back in the oven after increasing the temperature to 375.  I let it roast for another 20 minutes and decided that was long enough.

The internet promised that the squash could easily be scraped into thin "noodles".  The internet was true!  You can easily scrape out the flesh with a fork and it looks quite interesting.  It's not exactly like spaghetti, but it was pretty neat to see such delicate strands come from such a difficult gourd to open.

I decided to use the remaining turkey meatballs I had to have "spaghetti" and meatballs.  This was hugely disappointing.  My squash was crunchy and flavorless.  It was not the best introduction to this "fantastic" carb replacement.

I went back to the internet and discovered a hash brown casserole made with the squash.  I decided that this would be what would make the most sense for this squash and you know what, it was.  Going forward I'm calling spaghetti squash, "hash browns" squash.  As hash browns, the inherent crunchy texture of the squash works perfectly.  When you top the hash browns with sunny side up eggs, the yolk will become absorbed into the squash just has it would with potatoes.  This is the best comfort food breakfast without feeling like a complete fatty afterwards!

Spaghetti Squash "Hash Browns"

1 tbsp butter
One medium sized Spaghetti Squash, already roasted and prepared
1 tbsp your favorite All Purpose Seasoning.  I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat and add the butter.  Once the butter is melted add the squash in an even layer and add the seasoning.  Allow this to cook until the bottom side is brown, about 5 or so minutes.  Flip over and allow the top side to cook for about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Serve with eggs or your favorite breakfast dishes.

Close Up of the Squash

Check out that Steam Action!

Clean Breakfast Burritos

A breakfast staple of mine has been breakfast burritos.  I've been using a recipe from bodybuilding.com and it's quite delicious.  This is very simple to put together and they're very tasty.  I've decided to use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, because I think they taste better than regular potatoes.  I like to serve mine with a little fruit on the side, and a little yogurt mixed with salsa.  It's delicious!

Breakfast Burritos
Bodybuilding.com

1 1/2 sweet potato

1 onion

8 egg whites

salt and pepper

cayenne pepper

1 tbsp coconut oil

6 low carb tortillas

Microwave the sweet potato until soft.  I do mine for 3 minutes, stir and then another 3 minutes
cook the onion in the coconut oil until soft. then add the sweet potatoes.  Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and the egg whites.  Scramble together until the eggs are cooked.  Divide into tortillas and serve with yogurt and salsa if desired.

Breakfast!

Scotch Eggs

I've been reading my new Paleo cookbook and was going through the beautiful pictures to decide what to do for breakfast for the week.  I came across a picture of Scotch Eggs.  I had no idea what Scotch Eggs were, what they tasted like, or how to make hard boiled eggs.  Nevertheless, I knew I wanted to try it for an easy breakfast for the week.

These eggs are pretty easy to make too! They require just a bit of work with hard boiling the eggs and peeling, but it's well worth it! I read that some people have problems with getting the meat around the egg, but this wasn't a problem for me.  Make sure your hands are wet so that the meat doesn't stick.

These eggs are a great way to get your protein in the morning! I served mine with a side of fruit and it was quite tasty!  Let me know what you think!

Scotch Eggs
Insprired by Well Fed- Paleo Recipes
1 1/2 pounds of ground meat ( I used a combination of chicken breakfast sausage and ground turkey)
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled.
2 tbsp tomato paste
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsely
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper

Place the meat, spices, tomato paste in a bowl and mix together.  Take a handful of the mixture and wrap around the egg.  Place on the pan.  Do this with all the eggs.

Bake for 25 minutes and then increase the temperature to 400F and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.  Enjoy!

 Raw Balls!

Cooked!

Served! I actually made perfect hard boiled eggs!

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins

I've read that Oat Bran is a super delicious and nutritious food to try and I saw some Oat Bran recipes and I knew I wanted to join in all the fun.

I found a recipe to try on a bodybuilding.com forum, but I decided to really change it up a bit.  What I ended up with was a blueberry and chocolate chip muffin.  The muffins are pretty tasty and if you like oatmeal, you will like these muffins.  Fair warning: DO NOT EAT MORE THAN ONE!

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins
2 1/4 cup oat bran
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp flax seed
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425F.  Spray a muffin tin with Pam

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.

Divide the batter equally in the muffin tin. (For me, it was about 2tbsp per muffin)

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and eat!

All lined up!

Close up!

Abs Diet Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I wanted pancakes on Sunday morning and I wanted them healthy. I turned to the Abs Diet and cooked up a batch of these lovelies.  These pancakes and surprisingly light and fluffy with great taste! Give them a try!

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup Hi- Maize Fiber  (from king arthur.com)

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups milk (recipe calls for 2% I used buttermilk)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, coconut flour and hi fiber in a large bowl.  Stir in the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla until the batter comes together.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Coat a griddle or skillet with non stick spray and heat over medium-high heat.  Using a measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup batter on the griddle.  Flip once the edges start to bubble and are cooked.  Flip, cook and eat.

Look at them all lined up!

Yogurt Pancakes

I was in the mood for pancakes, but wanted to try and keep it healthy.  I searched pinterest for some healthy pancake ideas and saw that using plain yogurt in the pancakes was very popular.  My grandma also uses yogurt so I knew that this would be good!  I followed a recipe found on chobani.com and made a few modifications because I was out of a few ingredients.  These pancakes were delicious and possibly better than Aunt Jemima's.

 These pancakes are light and fluffy, with a delicious taste to them.  If you want a light and fluffy pancake, packed with protein, give these a shot!

Yogurt Pancakes

Adapted from Chobani.com (this recipe is no longer on their website)

3/4 cup AP Flour (going to try coconut flour next time!)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 egg white

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk, or a little more if you prefer thinner pancakes

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add the greek yogurt, egg white, milk, vanilla and melted butter and stir to combine.  Cook just as you would pancakes and eat up!

Breakfast Naan

This breakfast meal is a delicious way to use up some leftover naan.  It's a filling breakfast with eggs, naan, avocado and yogurt sauce.

Breakfast Naan Pizza

Naan

1/2 smashed avocado

2 eggs over medium

Yogurt Sauce (1/4 cup plain greek yogurt, 3 tbsp sriracha sauce, splash of lemon juice, salt and pepper)

Cilantro (if desired)

Heat the Naan until it's warm. Top with smashed avocado.  Add eggs, yogurt sauce, sprinkle with cilantro and eat up!

Chocolate Banana Coconut Flour Muffins

I had a few overripe bananas and I had bought coconut flour for some reason and I bought a muffin pan recently, so I decided that I needed to make all of those ingredients come together somehow.  I found a recipe for Chocolate Banana Coconut Flour Muffins on pinterest and it was just what I was looking for!

These muffins are delicious. They are sweet enough, but not too sweet, rich, chocolatey and even healthy! These are the perfect little snack and a perfect way to get a chocolate fix without going overboard.  Well played.

Chocolate Banana Coconut Flour Muffins

with no adaptations from Be Delicious

3 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
Approximately 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Fill liners with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Top with chocolate chips. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.  Enjoy!

I made 12 muffins and did not use liners.  This picture shows only 4 because the others were already eaten by the time I remembered to take a picture.

Slow Carb Breakfast Bake

Slow Carb is honestly a great eating lifestyle, but breakfast is hard if you're going for make ahead meals.  After searching the internet it seems as though there aren't a lot of options out there.  There are dozens of clean eating and paleo and low carb, but nothing "slow carb".

I wanted to create a tasty casserole that incorporated all of the slow carb features and that could be made ahead.  I was inspired by the breakfast casseroles seen on the internet and came up with this adaptation, loosely based on this recipe at Paleo OMG.

This dish has the perfect amount of creaminess to the eggs, spice from the chorizo and other added yummies and of course is healthy! This is a great way to incorporate all of the slow carb principles without having to have anything green for breakfast.  This is a great way to start the day.

Here's what I came up with!

Slow Carb Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

5 eggs

4 egg whites

1/4 lb chorizo

1 onion diced

1/4 lb Jimmy Dean turkey breakfast sausage crumbles

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with juices drained

1 can reduced sodium dark kidney beans

Pinch Cayenne

Pinch Cinnamon

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Add the chorizo and sausage and onion to a preheated, large non-stick skillet.  Allow the onion and chorizo to mingle and cook together until the chorizo is cooked through and crumbly (about 15 minutes).

Add the kidney beans and spices and allow to cook together for about 5 minutes.  Add the drained tomatoes and an extra layer of salt and pepper and allow to cook for another 5 or so minutes.

While the meat, bean and tomato mixture is cooking whisk the eggs, egg whites and salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Turn the heat off of the pan and little by little add the mixture to the eggs to gently warm the eggs so they don't cook.

Place the egg mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and toss in the oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture doesn't jiggle any longer.

Let it cool, slice into individual pieces and toss in the fridge! Microwave for a minute or so the next day and enjoy!

Cross Section photos! 

Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast

For Saturday's Breakfast, I wanted to use some of my leftover sandwich bread and bananas.  What better way to do this than with french toast!   This french toast was very simple to do and very decadent; I didn't even use syrup!

To make this yummy french toast, make the egg mixture using 1 egg, some milk, some vanilla and about a tablespoon of sugar. Beat well.  Heat some butter in a non-stick pan until light brown.  Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture (one at a time, if you have a small pan) and allow to brown on both sides of the bread.  Set aside.

Meanwhile! Take about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and mix together.  Slice some bananas and set aside.

Once all of the bread you're using (in my case it was 5 small slices) slather them with the cream cheese mixture, top with the sliced bananas and throw some chocolate chips in there too! You can make sandwiches or just leave them open-faced.  Throw these little guys back onto a pan set on low heat and put a lid on it. This allows everything to come together and melts the chocolate chips a bit.  Delicious!

Slow Carb Black Beans and Eggs

Good Morning!

For my first slow carb meal ever, I decided to try and keep it simple with a quick breakfast.  Today is a Sunday and I'd rather have pancakes or biscuits, but that's not going to be allowed on this diet unless it's a cheat day.  

I decided to go with eggs and black beans.  I like eggs and I like black beans! I thought black beans seemed more breakfast friendly than pinto.  I had some tomatoes that were very ripe and I wanted to include those too.  I took out the seeds, because I didn't want my eggs to get too wet.  Here it is, my super tasty black beans and eggs!

Slow Carb Breakfast Beans and Eggs
1/2 tomato diced
1/2 cup rinsed black beans.  (I used reduced sodium).
2 egg whites
2 whole eggs
Pinch cayenne (or more if you like it hotter)
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Add the tomato to a preheated non-stick skillet.  Let the tomato cook for about a minute or so, just to become even sweeter.  Add the black beans and let them warm up with the tomatoes.
2) Add the spices!  Add more cayenne if you'd like it hotter. 
3) Add the eggs and egg whites.
4) Scramble all of the ingredients until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  I prefer my scrambled eggs to be fully cooked.  Some like them a bit softer so it's up to you. 

Eat and Enjoy!

For next time, I will put this on a bed of spinach to get the vegetable portion of the diet in and a squeeze of lime juice would be really delicious.