Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

FACT: Stuffing anything into a pepper makes it automatically 10 times more delicious!  Everyone knows that.  So why not take a couple bland foods like quinoa and ground turkey, add a bunch of delicious flavors too them, and stuff them into a pepper!  You know the result is bound to be fabulous!  Now, even though you can technically stuff anything into a pepper, I'm going to share with you a delicious mixture of quinoa, turkey, tomato sauce, and veggies that will blow your mind!

Ingredients:

• 1 package lean ground turkey
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

1. Combine 2 cups of liquid and the quinoa on the stove.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until cooked.
2. Cook turkey in a large pan and remove from pan.
3. In the same pan, begin to saute onions, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach. Add all spices and seasonings.
4. After about 5 minutes, add all of the quinoa and turkey into the pan and add the tomato sauce.
5. Fill the peppers with your filling and top with the cheese.
6. Bake peppers in the oven at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
7. Enjoy! 

Now, doesn't that sound easy?!  It so delicious, trust me.  Feel free to add any veggies or anything else to this filling.  Get creative!  The kitchen isn't always a place for strict rules.  Make your own masterpiece that you can be proud to serve! :)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Let's face it, buns or wraps made from grains can be high in unnecessary calories and carbohydrates, while being relatively low in micronutrients.  AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.  (If you don't get that reference, you're really missing out on life).  If you're sitting there wondering what the heck micronutrients are, never fear.  I'm here!!!  So, nutrients can be broken up into two categories called micronutrients and macronutrients.  Macronutrients are the ones I'm sure you've heard of, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  Unlike macronutrients, micronutrients are only necessary in our bodies in very small amounts. (Hence, MICROnutrients).  Another way to refer to these mysterious micronutrients is as "vitamins and minerals." Not so mysterious anymore, is it?  All those funny little names you've probably heard of before, such as fluoride, selenium, sodium, and zinc are all essential minerals.  While all those letters with the word "vitamin" in front of them are vitamins. (Duh).  

I don't think it's any surprise that colorful fruits and vegetables provide a a wide array of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodies.  So why not include as many as you can, right?!  Right.  In this recipe, I have simply switched out a bun or wrap for a lettuce "wrap"!  You will still get all of the flavor of whatever filling you decide to use, but with way more nutrients and way less calories and carbohydrates than a traditional wrap.  

For these turkey wraps, I simply cooked some ground turkey with some carrots, peppers, and seasonings!  So easy.  So delicious.  You can use many different types of lettuce, but I find that romaine hearts are perfect for holding just about any mixture you can dream up!  Switch things up today and give lettuce wraps a try.  YOU GOT TIME FOR THAT.   

Zucchini Noodles (a.k.a. Zoodles)

Now, this isn't much of a recipe, just a mind blowing fact.  Zucchini can actually be made into a pretty decent pasta substitute!!! Mind blown? Good.  All you need is either a spiralizer or a julienne peeler and a zucchini.  If you've never heard of any of those things, (I'm really praying you've heard of a zucchini though) then not to worry!  These things can usually be found at department stores or kitchen shops and are fairly inexpensive.  Just so you know what the heck you're actually looking for and so you don't look like an idiot wandering around a store for hours, here are some pictures of what these doo-dads look like!

Julienne Peeler

Spiralizer

Coolio, right?  Anyways, find either of these and follow the directions for make Zoodles!  You can toss them in pasta sauce or add anything at all to them really.  In the picture below I tossed them with tons of veggies and tuna.  Let your mind wander, my friend.

Chocolate Banana Torte

This killer recipe is so simple and easy, anyone could do it.  I mean it.  Like, a really dumb monkey could do it. And they love bananas!!! Oh, it's perfect.  Just imagine, a cute little monkey making this torte full of potassium rich bananas that will keep his or her muscles from cramping up... and with a shot of the amino acid tryptophan that is found in bananas, serotonin (the happy hormone) can be created in the monkey's cute little brain!  Folks, it looks like we could have a really stupid, cramp-free, happy monkey on our hands!  But it'd probably be easier if you just made the torte yourself... so without any further adieu, here's the recipe:

 

 Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 + 1/2 cups dates
• 2 + 1/2 cups walnuts
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder 

Filling:

• 6 ripe bananas
• 1 + 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2/3 cup apple cider
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp tahini
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp honey
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

 Method:

1. In a food processor, blend all of the crust ingredients until the mixture starts to stick together and you get a ball.
2. Press this mixture into a pie pan.
3. In a food processor, blend the filling ingredients.
4. Pour this mixture over the crust and freeze for about 40 minutes until the torte is solid, but not totally frozen so you can't cut it!

Note: This torte is meant to be eaten semi frozen. It's like a torte/ice creamy treat thing!  It can also be stored in the freezer and brought out to thaw when you'd like to have some!  

Pumpkin Pie Mug Cake

If you haven't tried mug cakes yet, you're really missing out.  It's a freaking cake that you can whip up in minutes!  This pumpkin pie mug cake is perfect for when you're craving something warm, pumpkiny, and delicious.  And heck, with all that beta-carotene from the pumpkin, you'll have 20/20 vision again! Okay, maybe not... but beta-carotene is essential for good eye health and has also been linked to preventing coronary heart disease! So there.

 What a beaut, eh?! Alrighty, on to the recipe:



Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut flour (or 3-4 tbsp of another flour)
• 2 tbsp protein powder (or more flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2/3 cup egg whites (or whole eggs)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8-10 stevia drops (or other sweetener)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased bowl or mug.
2. Microwave for 1:30-2:30 depending on your microwave.  Be sure not to overcook or you'll be eating a hockey puck.
3. Top with yogurt or nuts or anything else your little hungry heart desires! 

2 tbps coconut flour
2 tbsp protein powder (I used sunwarrior vanilla)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup egg whites (or whole eggs)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 drops stevia (or other sweetener)
1/3 cup pumpkin purée
Read more at http://web.stagram.com/n/amyableeats/#VxFFAw2AD39QyUv6.99

2 tbps coconut flour
2 tbsp protein powder (I used sunwarrior vanilla)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup egg whites (or whole eggs)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 drops stevia (or other sweetener)
1/3 cup pumpkin purée
Read more at http://web.stagram.com/n/amyableeats/#VxFFAw2AD39QyUv6.99

2 tbps coconut flour
2 tbsp protein powder (I used sunwarrior vanilla)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup egg whites (or whole eggs)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 drops stevia (or other sweetener)
1/3 cup pumpkin purée
Read more at http://web.stagram.com/n/amyableeats/#VxFFAw2AD39QyUv6.99

Pancakes

Who doesn't love pancakes? People with not taste, that's who... but if you're one of those people WITH taste (I'm really hoping you are) and are looking for a healthier pancake recipe, then look no further!!


This recipe is high in protein and fiber, which will definitely fill you up unlike regular pancakes.  The simple carbohydrates that are often in pancakes, like white flour and sugar, take your blood sugar on quite the roller coaster ride.  When these products are ingested, the body has to do very little work to break the food into glucose, leading to a very large, fast spike in blood sugar!  This leads to a large amount of insulin to be released into the body, causing the high blood sugar levels to be depleted very quickly.  When this occurs, the body begins to crave more simple carbs to replenish the drop in blood sugar.  IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE I TELL YA! All from pancakes. Yikes. So, what can you do? Try some complex carbohydrates instead!  The fiber in complex carbs allows the body to absorb the molecules more slowly, avoiding the blood sugar spike all together.


This recipe is delicious and there are many substitutions that can be made in this recipe, so as always, feel free to experiment and create your own masterpiece. Top them with yogurt, fruit, nuts, r anything else your heart desires! Enjoy your roller coaster free pancakes, my friends :)

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

• 3 tbsp flour (whole wheat, coconut, almond)
• 1 tbsp protein powder (or more flour)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup egg whites (or whole eggs)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• sweetener of choice as desired (honey, agave, stevia)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Mix all ingredients together and cook in a pan on medium heat. Easy as... pancakes. Enjoy! :D

 

 

 

 

Casein Proyo

 

What is "proyo" you may ask? It's basically the greatest thing on earth.  It's yogurt with protein powder in it... I KNOW RIGHT?! It's delicious, nutritious, and packed full of protein.  In this recipe, I use casein protein powder.  Casein protein powder is a type of protein that releases slower than other proteins.  This makes it perfect for a pre-bed snack to fuel your body and muscles throughout the night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The recipe is really quite simple.  Take however much yogurt you want, (I use about a 1/2 cup) and add 1 scoop of and flavor casein you desire. I usually use chocolate and add things like goji berries, cacao nibs or cocoa powder on top!  The toppings are literally endless! Go on, experiment. Just remember to thank me later. ;)