Energy Boosting Egg Muffins

I found this recipe online and loved it! I can't even remember where I found it?! Eek! I find them delicious and that they freeze well!  So they are incredible for on-the-go!  My hubby found them too moist after freezing them but you could always leave out the zucchini if you didn't want the extra moisture. I love them!  Recipe is below!

Recipe:

6 eggs
1/2 c. skim or 1% milk (almond milk would be fine too!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped zucchini
1/4 c. each red bell AND green pepper
2 tbsp chopped red onion OR 3 Onion EPICURE spice mix!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Add cheese, zucchini, peppers and onion or onion mix and mix well.

Spoon evenly into 12 lightly sprayed muffin cups. I actually use the 1/4 c. measuring cup to divide the mixture evenly into each cup. So easy and very little mess!

Bake 20-22 minutes or until set.  Cool on rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from cups and serve warm or reheat!

21 Day Fix Plan?  2 egg cups = 1 red container

This morning I enjoyed an Energy Boosting Egg Cup & a chicken breakfast sausage, with Ezekiel toast (found in the Health Food Section) and 1 tsp of natural PB.  Oh and a McCafe coffee for a treat! Hope you enjoy! :)

Taco Zucchini Boats

 Taco zucchini boats are going down in my recipe book as another family favourite in my household for many reasons!  A. The boys thought they were delicious and cleaned their plates and B. it was SO quick an easy that they took no time to make--so that made me happy! I found the recipe while doing meal prep on the road as the hubby was driving and made note.  I have to give credit to the author Gina Homolka of the "skinnytaste" website (www.skinnytaste.com) for this recipe!

Typically I use ground chicken or turkey in any recipe that now calls for ground beef but this night, I did choose to use ground beef.  We typically only eat red meat 2x a week since we have changed our diet so this was a nice treat!  I hope you and your family enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild salsa (I used my homemade salsa)
1b lean ground chicken, turkey or beef

Taco Seasoning:
1 tsp or each: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika and himalayan pink or sea salt ground (or to taste)
1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 small onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp green or red bell pepper, chopped finely
4 oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice (I used marble)
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or cilantro would be good too!)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS for Toppings:
Greek yogurt in place of sour cream
Guacamole
Additional Salsa
Jalapeños

Before you get started:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Place the 1/2 cup of salsa on the bottom of a large glass baking dish.

Directions:
Using a small spoon, hollow out the seedy centre of each of the zucchini halves. Make sure that you still leave a thick skin on each half.  Chop up the scooped flesh of the zucchini in small pieces reserve 3/4 cup of what you have chopped--this will be used to add to the taco filling. Either discard or save the rest of the zucchini flesh for another recipe.  Using a cheese cloth or even a paper towl, squeeze the excess water out of the 3/4 cup of zucchini flesh that you have saved.

Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes depending how thick they are and then immediately remove them from the water and place them in the baking dish on top of the salsa.

Brown ground chicken, turkey or beef in a large frying pan or skillet making sure to break it up as it cooks.  When the meat is no longer pink, add the spices, onion, bell pepper, reserved zucchini, tomato sauce and water and stir well.  Cover and simmer on low for an additional 20 minutes

Once the taco meat is finished then fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the meat mixture using a spoon and pressing firmly until all the meat has been used up.

Top each boat with 1tbsp of shredded cheese or to your desire.  Cover with foil and bake for approx. 35 minutes until the cheese has melted and the zucchini is cooked through.

Top with scallions and serve with salsa and/or additional toppings!

21 Day Fix equivalents without any additional toppings
2 zucchini boats = 2 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 orange, 1/2 purple (if you added extra salsa on the side at your discretion).

Light & Crispy Waffles!

This recipe is my staple waffle recipe!  My hubby and I got a Kenmore waffle maker for our wedding 14 years ago and this was the recipe that was included with it!  I am proud to say my waffle maker has never had to be replaced AND has only ever seen waffles made from scratch.....  However, it wasn't until recently that I revamped the recipe to make it a little cleaner!

The clean eating version of the waffles, are best eaten the minute they come off the grill or I find they do get very soft. If you choose to make the waffles the regular way, they are great left over and toasted the next day!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt (I use himalayan pink salt)
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. unsweetened almond milk (or 1% dairy milk if not using the clean recipe version)
1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce (or cooking oil if not using the clean recipe version)
*Coconut oil spray for waffle maker

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl (flour, baking powder, salt).  In separate bowl, beat eggs, milk and applesauce together.  Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir, but do not over mix.  

Spray waffle maker with coconut oil (you can get this near the regular cooking oil spray).   Using a measuring cup, measure out 1/4 cup of waffle mixture and pour on each of the waffle quadrants.  Close waffle maker and wait until cooked according to your specific model.

Variation: Cinnamon-Apple
Add 1 apple, peeled and shredded, 5ml of pure vanilla, 2ml cinnamon to the batter.

*Sometimes, I just add in a pinch of cinnamon!
If you are following the 21 Day Fix.  1 waffle = 1 yellow. 1/2 banana = 1 purple, and 2 tsp of maple syrup doesn't count as anything if you didn't add any to your coffee! ;)

Mini Mexican Pizzas

Good grief, I think I must be on a "muffin tin" cooking kick the last little bit! ha ha  But in all honesty, little "bite size" delights are so easy to serve and re-heat! PERFECT for moms who like to meal prep, or have meals prepared in advance before the crazy work week begins. I am sure they would be delicious after you froze them too.  This recipe came from the newest cookbook to grace my pantry shelves from Katie Farrell, creator of "Dashing Dish."  While my little delights didn't turn out as pretty as hers, they were delicious nonetheless.  So delish, I am making them again next week!

I did make modifications to the original recipe in the cookbook some things I would keep the same and others I would change.  For example I used Ezekiel wraps.  Here they can only be found in the frozen section at our local grocery store.  When they thawed I found them thin and they cracked a little when I tried to place them in the muffin tins.  I would opt for whole grain or whole wheat wraps next time.

I also used ground chicken instead of ground turkey. I don't know if it is this pregnancy or what, but I can't seem to stomach ground turkey so ground chicken it is!!!

I also stuffed each little pizza shell without having cooked the chicken first (only because I looked at the recipe much too fast).  If you decide to use this method, make sure you preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the pizza's for 40-45minutes.

Ingredients: 
~ 4 large whole wheat tortillas, or big enough to cut out 12 small circles.
~ 1 pound of lean ground chicken cooked (raw is fine, but you will have to cook longer. See notes above!)
~1/2 cup of salsa of your choice
~2 tsp of taco seasoning (I used the Epicure brand to avoid sodium but you can also make your own. I would avoid using pre-packaged taco seasoning).
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup shredded marble cheese (low fat shredded Mexican blend was suggested)

Toppings: 
~Salsa
~Green onion
~Shredded lettuce (I am sure iceberg lettuce would "taste" better but I used romaine because there is no nutritional content in iceberg lettuce. I still found it great!)
~Greek yogurt
~Chopped tomatoes
~Avocado
~Sliced black olives (Yuck! ha ha, but what ever floats your boat. I did not use these!)
**If you are following the 21 Day Fix Program you will need to adjust how you use the toppings according to your meal plan. ;)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with coconut oil cooking spray or a spray of your choice.  Lay tortilla on a flat surface and using a round cookie cutter or a glass, cut 3-4 medium circles out of each tortilla.  Press each circle into muffing cup using your fingers. If it doesn't cover the entire side of the cup, that is ok!

In a small bowl, mix together the "cooked" ground chicken, salsa, taco seasoning and refried beans. Stir until well combined.   Scoop approx. 2 Tbsp of the meat mixture into each tortilla. Top each mini pizza evenly with shredded cheese.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Wait for tortillas to cook before removing from the muffin tin.  A knife is helpful to pop out each little pizza.  Serve with the toppings of your choice and voila!

This recipe is certain to be a family favourite! Please feel free to share or pin!!!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix program, here is how it breaks down according to my best judgement... 2 mini pizza's = 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/3 Blue (*Toppings are additional).

Chicken Parmesan Bites

Ok, this recipe was a show stopper!!!!  Honestly a family favourite!  Easy to make and SOOO good left over. I made these especially so that I could prep them in advance for my family's lunches last week.  The bites were perfect to have as left overs for 4 days!  I would give them hands down an "11/10!" A++!!!!!  This recipe came from my new "Dashing Dish" cookbook by Katie Farrell.  Love this book so far!

Ingredients:
1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 small onion, finely chopped (I used a sweet onion)
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground chicken
2 large eggs
1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained (I used Alymer, petite-cut tomatoes with celery & green pepper)
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
Fresh or dried parsley for garnish (*optional)

Directions: 
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners and spray lightly with cooking spray (coconut oil cooking spray is preferred).  Silicon liners lightly sprayed also work well.
3.  In a small frying pan, saute the spinach, onions, and garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent.  Remove from stove and let mixture cool to room temperature.
4.  In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, spinach mixture, eggs, diced tomatoes (drained), oats, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  *Don't over mix or the meat will get tough.
5.  Divide mixture among the muffin cups.  You want about 1/4 cup of mixture into each muffin cup.
6.  Top each muffin with 2 TBSP of the marina sauce and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan among the 12 muffins.
7.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until each mini muffin, reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and is no longer pink in the middle. My thermometer is broken so I just did the old fashioned, "cut one in half."  Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing (oops!) or serving.  Garnish with parsley for fun!

***If you are following the 21 Day Fix program, I would count 2 of these mini muffins as (1) red container.  There wouldn't be enough spinach/onion or even marinara sauce to merit counting any part of a green, purple or even tsp container, but that is just my opinion. :)

Swiss Oatmeal

I have been trying to be adventurous in trying some new recipes the last few weeks. I have invested in some new cookbooks and "Fixate", by Autumn Calabrese has been gracing my pantry shelf, barely opened!!

So in an effort to be prepared for church this week, I thought Swiss Oatmeal sounded like the perfect "new" recipe to have prepared in advance!  Was it a family favourite? Not sure about the boys, but I personally did like it.  With that said, I made WAY too much and couldn't finish it all. I feel like the recipe in the book could easily do 2 servings as opposed to 1 as it suggests.  Please give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free would be preferred. I didn't use gluten free)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (divided use)
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (original recipe suggests 2% reduced fat yogurt)
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 medium banana, chopped
Slivered almonds (or 12 raw almonds, chopped)
Maple syrup or stevia (to taste; optional)

(***I feel like this recipe would serve 2 adults comfortably, but the cookbook states that this recipe serves 1. Use your judgement. :))

1.  Place oats, 1/2 cp almond milk, yogurt, extract, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; mix well and soak, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

2.  In the morning, add remaining almond milk (1/4 cup) and mix well.

3.  Top with strawberries, chopped banana, slivered almonds and drizzle with maple syrup (if desired) over the top.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix Program, the container equivalents are:  (2) yellow, (1) purple,
(1) red and (1) blue.

Clean Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese

Ok, well if any of you know me, you probably clued in to the fact that seeing "Maple" in the title drew me to this recipe! I love MAPLE anything!!!!!  This recipe actually comes from Autumn Calbrese's Fixate Cookbook. If you don't know who Autumn is, she is the creator of the 21 Day Fix and it is her program that helped me lose 30lbs!!!!  Autumn is one of Team Beachbody's top Celebrity Trainers and when I started her program, I had no idea I would one day have not only one, but TWO opportunities to meet her and even obtain a cookbook with her autograph!  *Out of this world! Now, I know you aren't here to read about all of that, so I will get on with the recipe. :) 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of cream cheese

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups of almond flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda (gluten-free)

1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)

2 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Prepare nine muffin cups with parchment muffin tin liners or use coat muffin cups with non-stick spray. Pam has a new coconut spray! 

3.  Combine cream cheese and maple syrup in a small bowl; beat with mixers so it becomes smooth.

4.  Combine egg and pumpkin in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

5.  Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. 

6.  Add almond meal mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.

7.  Spoon batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling a little less than 1/2 full.

8.  Spoon about 1 heaping tsp. cream cheese mixture into the centre of each muffin. 

9.  Then, evenly fill muffin cups 3/4 full with remaining batter.

10. Sprinkle muffins evenly with pumpkin seeds.

11.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

12.  Transfer muffins to rack to cool!  And finally, enjoy!!!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix program, one muffin equates to 1 Purple and 1 Orange.

If you are interested in obtaining a cookbook or joining one of my upcoming challenge groups, feel free to send me an email (sasijewelry@gmail.com), find me on Facebook, or check out my Team Beachbody website!