Whole Wheat Banana-Pecan Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana-Pecan Muffins

This recipe is easy to make, but it requires a little bit of cooking knowledge. First of all, you don’t need an electric mixer in your apartment – just use a whisk and some man-power! It’s very important to note that your melted butter has to have cooled to room temperature. If you immediately pour the hot melted butter into the liquid batter, you will have scrambled eggs! This recipe takes less than half an hour to prepare and then 20 minutes or so to bake, so reserve an hour for these delicious muffins!

Recipe Adapted and Courtesy of: Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients

·        2 cups whole-wheat flour

·        1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        4 overripe bananas

·        1 cup brown sugar

·        3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

·        2 eggs

·        ½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·        1/2 cup pecans, chopped

For vegan Banana Pecan Muffins:

-substitute ½ cup of applesauce for the eggs

-substitute ¾ cup of oil for butter

Directions:

1.      Melt the butter: Microwave for 1 minute and then in 15 second intervals until liquefied. Be careful to not burn the butter. Let cool.

2.     In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.     Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Whisk the remaining 2 bananas and sugar together until well mixed and fluffy. Add the COOLED melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

4.     Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. You want the muffins to be fluffy!

5.     Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

6.     Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Use the toothpick test to see if they are cooked by poking the inside of a muffin with a toothpick. Clean = ready. Unclean= need more cooking.

I'm back!

Hello world! (I'm taking a leaf from my intro to computer programming class). 

I have officially returned to the blogging realm. Unfortunately, when time became of the essence and my grades took a toll, I gradually seeded out writing in this blog. I never subscribed to a meal plan however! As an engineer, many of my lunches were not spent socializing in the dining hall or at a local cafe, but rather in the library! The cool thing about college libraries is that you can eat in them! So, my go-to lunch was prepared the night before. It was a life changing discovery... the Mason Jar salad a.k.a the Tupperware salad a.k.a the Any Container with a Lid salad. 

Here is a visual and tutorial from this website.

First, I started with a homemade balsamic dressing that I used up in 2 weeks. I also stored that in a Mason jar. I found the recipe on Pinterest and the basic ingredients were: balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, onion, and salt. The key is to place your salad dressing on the bottom and to put your least "vulnerable to sogginess" vegetables on the bottom layer. The final layer in your salad will be the lettuce. Just give the jar a little shake and it's ready to be eaten!

Another staple meal that I prepared ahead of time was overnight oatmeal. I first learned about overnight oatmeal from a healthy eating seminar at UVA OpenGrounds. OpenGrounds is a concert, poetry, seminar venue on the Corner and it's a great opportunity to plug into local movements! While at the food seminar, I met Kath, of the blog Kath Eats Real Food and the owner of the Great Harvest Bread Company in Charlottesville. I was in a gym glass first thing in the mornings so I was getting very hungry by the time lunch rolled around. Therefore, the night before my workout, I made overnight oatmeal in a Mason Jar and included: Greek yogurt, peanut butter, flax seeds, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. My hunger was definitely satisfied. Below is an awesome pic of the many combinations you can have with overnight oatmeal taken from the blog Milu's Kitchen

Stay tuned for a plot twist...!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Oatmeal

Recipe of: Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker

I decided to treat my roommates to a wonderful smelling house for the first day of school, so I made this oatmeal at night and let it cook in the crock pot while I slept. The smell of cinnamon, apples, and sugar covered the air like a warm blanket of yum. This serves about 6 people!

Ingredients:

·        2 cups of oatmeal

·        2 cups of apple juice

·        1 cup of water

·        2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

·        ½ cup of raisins

·        1/3 cup of sugar

·        1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1)    Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and stir to combine.

2)    Set on low and cook for 7-8 hours (or until you wake up).

Vegan Quiche and Pie Crust

Vegan Quiche and Pie Crust

This recipe is delicious but time consuming, so I would not recommend it as a weekday breakfast treat. Save it for a Saturday or Sunday morning, and invite friends over since it serves 8. The only out of the ordinary ingredient you need is Ener-G egg replacer.

Pie Crust Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 tablespoons almond milk, unsweetened

Quiche Ingredients:

1/2 bell pepper

1 medium onion

1 medium tomato

1 cup vegan cheese (I used Teese), grated

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

3 tablespoons Ener-G

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit

2) To make the pie crust, mix the dry ingredients first and the wet ingredients separately. Then combine in a large bowl and mix together until you reach a dough-like consistency, but not too much.

4) Make the dough into a 6 inch pancake and place it between 2 sheets of wax paper. Roll out the circle to be about 9-1/2 inches in diameter.

5) Bake the pie crust for 5 minutes in the oven.

6) Meanwhile, chop up all of the vegetables.

7) Take the crust out, and sprinkle one third of the cheese on the bottom.

8) Then, evenly spread all of the vegetables on top of the cheese and put another layer of cheese.

9) In a bowl with a blender, mix the almond milk and Ener-G powder on medium-high for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the pie, on top of the vegetables.

10) Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

11) Once done, the inside might be soft, so be sure to let the pie cool and harden for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Post-Workout Smoothie

Post-Workout Tropical Smoothie

Exercising is not only good for the body and muscles, it's also good for the brain because it pumps oxygen throughout your body and improves your mood. Plus, it's a stress reliever. So, after a tough workout, be sure to replenish the crucial vitamins and minerals. The smoothie below contains calcium from the spinach and orange juice and protein from the wheat germ and flax seed. Also, there are various vitamins in the fruit, like Vitamin C. Lastly, instead of using and milk to thin out the smoothie, I used water, to make up for water loss during the workout. Here is the recipe, I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 cup fresh spinach

-1 cup tropical frozen berry mix (strawberry, mango, pineapple)

-1 banana

-1 tablespoon flax seed

-1 tablespoon wheatgerm

-1/2 cup orange juice

-2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1) Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Smoothie Mania!

SMOOTHies!

What is a smoothie diet?

To answer a frequently asked question, a smoothie diet is a diet that consists solely of smoothies. Smoothie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can have an artificial smoothie like Slim Fast or you can make your own smoothie at home using both fruits and vegetables.

Do smoothie diets work?

Smoothie diets, using caution, do work because you are simply reducing your calorie and carbohydrate intake. The beauty of a smoothie is that you can make any combination taste good! For breakfast, you can make a chocolate smoothie, for lunch, you can make a banana smoothie, and for dinner, you can make a green smoothie.

Are they healthy?

After reading numerous articles on green smoothies and smoothie diets in general, smoothie diets should be used for fast weight loss. This website suggested that you should not continue a smoothie diet for any more than 10 days. Imagine eating 200 calories per meal making 600 calories a day. Compared to the average person's diet when their calorie intake should be around 1400. 

The main goal of weight loss is to make it last and to build healthy habits. It is impossible to live your whole life drinking smoothies! Losing weight is about becoming healthy and remaining healthy in the midst of tempting situations like a huge piece of cake in a restaurant etc. 

The most iconic celebrity known for having used a smoothie diet effectively is Jessica Simpson. She lost 60 pounds in 4 months (which is really shocking!) But, if you’re interested in reading/learning more about it, check out this website.

I decided to write this blog post not because I’m dieting but because I know that in college, we don’t have the time to wait 10 minutes for the pan to heat up, nor do we have the time to make pancakes! A smoothie is super quick and easy.

Here are three smoothies that I have had for breakfast each day:

Green Smoothie Recipe #1

Inspiration: Kitchen Treaty

Ingredients

·         1 cup fresh spinach

·         1 cup fresh mango

·         1 banana

·         1 cup almond milk

·         ½ cup orange juice

·         ½ cup ice cubes

·         1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds (these add some more fiber plus omega-3 fatty acids and a little protein)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

Summer Mango Smoothie

Inspiration: Prevention Magazine

Ingredients:

·         1 c mango chunks

·         1 banana

·         2 tsp fresh lime juice

·         1 teaspoon ground ginger

·         ½ cup almond milk

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

“Chocolate Covered Raisins” Imitation Smoothie

Inspiration: Forks Over Knives Cookbook

Ingredients:

·         1 cup almond milk

·         1 cup orange juice

·         1 cup spinach

·         1 banana

·         6 dates (pitted)

·         3 tablespoons raw cocoa powder

·         2 cups frozen blueberries

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

If you can think of any strange sounding combinations that are delicious and/or nutritious, let me know!

Healthy Whole Wheat Waffles with Berry Compote

Whole Wheat Waffles with Berry Compote (Vegan)

This recipe is super easy and quick! The only time consuming aspect is actually cooking the waffles. It's also low in fat because of 5 tablespoons of oil. This makes 10 medium sized waffles so it's 1/2 tablespoon of oil. I like to freeze them and then pop them in the toaster the next morning for breakfast! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of almond milk (any nondairy will work)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 5 tablespoons olive oil (can use any type of oil)

Mixed Berry Compote

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 cups thawed frozen mixed berries (with juice)
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, water, applesauce, and olive oil.
3. Stir in the liquid mix into the dry ingredients until well incorporated. 
4. Meanwhile, heat the waffle iron.
5. Spray the waffle iron with nonstick spray and use about a cup of batter. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the waffle maker stops steaming. Or, just follow the manufacturers instructions.
6. To make the compote, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix berries, sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Stir often until it boils and bubbles. 
7. Quickly stir in the cornstarch mixture and then take it off heat.

Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

THIS TAKES 5 MINUTES! Great choice for a busy morning!

Ingredients:

½ cup of regular rolled oats

1 cup of water

3 – 4 tablespoons pumpkin puree (canned)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons of pure cane sugar or 1 packet of Stevia

1 tablespoon of wheat germ

1 ounce of pecans, approximately 20 halves

Dash of salt

Directions:

Cook the oatmeal first by either boiling the water and then putting it on the oatmeal or by cooking the oatmeal and water together in a microwave for 2 ½ minutes. Meanwhile mix the pumpkin, cinnamon, sugar, and wheat germ. Mix the pumpkin and the oatmeal and top with pecans. Enjoy!

Note:

As you can see, ½ cup of oatmeal can go a long way. It expands a lot! This meal therefore, is super filling for multiple reasons. Pumpkin puree, oatmeal, wheat germ, and pecans all have fiber!

Here are the nutrition details:

Pumpkin puree - Low in saturated fat and sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese. (Reading the nutrition label).

Oatmeal – Has fiber, protein, and 19% iron in one serving, but it is a huge carbohydrate. So make sure to regulate the amount you eat and also to "complete the protein" by combining nuts or seeds. 

Wheat germ –  The germ is actually the embryo of the wheat plant. This embryo will eventually nourish the new wheat plan. This is the reason why it has so many wonderful nutrients. Has protein and fiber.

Resources:

More info on how to “complete a protein”

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/proteins/building-complete-proteins-from-nuts-grains-and-legumes.html

More info on wheat germ:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/why-you-need-wheat-germ

On-the-Go Breakfast Wrap

This recipe is so delicious and only took 8 minutes to make. Perfect time to wake up at 8:15 a.m. and make it to your 9 a.m. class!

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• nonstick spray
• 1 slice of reduced fat cheese
• 2 slices of vegetarian bacon
• 1 low fat whole wheat tortilla
• hot sauce (optional)

Preheat your oven to 450 or heat your toaster oven. Stick the 2 slices of bacon and cook for 5 minutes, flipping them after 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat your skillet and spray with the nonstick spray. Cook your egg whites omelet style (without scrambling). Once done, stack the egg, cheese, "bacon", and hot sauce on top of the tortilla. Microwave for 10 seconds, then roll up. You can even take it on the go! Just wrap it up in aluminum foil! 

Only 200 calories and 21 grams of protein!