“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.”

Posted in Health by alex mcdonald

September has arrived, and as sad as it is to see summer go, who doesn’t love fall? The colours, the smells, the fall baking!? My dream climate would be a long summer, a long fall, about a month of snow for Christmas, New Years and hot chocolate drinking season, then a long spring and back to summer!

Since fall is here, we all know that means baking with pumpkin! I made the amazing wannabe Starbucks pumpkin scones the other day with my girlfriend Breanne, you can see them here with a link to the recipe we used. Ryan and I have been eating really clean to get ready for our trip to Paris but I really wanted a pumpkin pancake or waffle. So here we have Clean Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. They are so dead easy!

What you’ll need…

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Kaizen Nautral Isolate)
3/4 of a cup of pure pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 egg whites
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup bran
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp splenda

I like mine pretty spicy, you can definitely tone down or up the cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg to your preference. Blend all your ingredients together in a food processor, this will help smooth out your oats. Using a non stick pan, pour out about a quarter cup amount and cook low and slow. These are more dense pancakes because of the pumpkin, you’ll find they take longer to cook through and you don’t want to have your heat too high or it will burn the outside and the inside won’t be done. So, cook them at medium low heat about 4 to 5 minutes a side. Top with all natural maple syrup and cinnamon, even a dollop of whip cream if that suits your fancy! Enjoy!

Quote is from William Cullen Bryant.

5Jul2014

chicken with a twist

Posted in Health by alex mcdonald

Ryan and I are going to Osoyoos next week so we’ve been trying to keep it pretty healthy around here because I know I’ll be spending the next two weeks in a bikini drink copious amounts of wine! Sometimes it feels like all we ever eat is chicken breast so I’m always looking for ways to change it up. That brought me to this bell pepper chicken recipe that was a big hit!

Here’s what you’ll need…

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1.5 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 medium sized red bell pepper sliced thin
1 medium sized yellow bell pepper sliced thin
half a medium sized red onion sliced thin
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle of dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 450. Rub the chicken breast with mix of salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Warm 2 TSP olive oil over medium hot skillet, brown chicken (about 2 minutes a side) and place in to foil lined baking dish.

Bake at 450 for about 12 to 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1.5 tbsp oil in same skillet add the pepper and onion and sauté until tender but crisp. Once they have gotten tender add the chicken broth to the pan and stir everything together well, bring to a boil and boil for about 6 minutes until the broth is almost all evaporated. I also added the dried rosemary at this time.

Then stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper again. Serve over chicken.

I served them with white wine and crinkle cut yams fries. Once you have cut your yams into fry size, lay them flat on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, bake at 450 for about 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes.

Ryan ate the leftover chicken a couple days later with some shredded jack cheese melted on it and thought it was delicious!

Enjoy!

3Jun2014

Sugar Free Banana Cocoa Muffins

Posted in Health by alex mcdonald

We eat a lot of fruit in our house but for some reason we always over buy bananas. Which I actually like because it gives me a reason to bake once they have browned. One of my favourite banana bread recipes is the “Sweet Home Alabanana Bread” from the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry cook book. I didn’t have a lot of necessary ingredients so I just made up some banana muffins as I went along with things I already had in the house. Whenever I make sugar free muffins I usually use applesauce for sweetness, which I didn’t have so it ended up being a mash up of other ingredients and I think they’re really good!

What you’ll need

4 very ripe mashed bananas
2.5 cups quick cooking oats
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
2.5 tablespoons all natural honey
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2.5 tablespoons cocoa (I used Fry’s)

First blend the eggs, oats, banana, baking powder and soda

Once those ingredients are well blended, add flour, cinnamon, cocoa, and honey. Preheat oven to 400.

This recipe made 12 smallish muffins, I always use cupcake liners, mostly because it makes for less clean up. These muffins don’t rise very high so you fill them 3/4 to almost the top of the liner.

Bake for 18 minutes, cool for 5-10 minutes. If you let cool closer to ten they won’t stick to the liner. These are so easy! If you have a sweet tooth that these don’t quite satisfy and you have applesauce on hand try adding a half cup and an additional 1/4 cup of flour. You could also try a few dark chocolate chips and crushed pecans, lots of room for experimentation with these. Enjoy!