Protein Power Cookies

Since reading Brendan Brazier's book, The Thrive Diet, I have been kind of obsessed with packing as much nutrient dense food into my life as possible. That being said however, I am still learning my way around the kitchen, and so when my Protein Power Cookies turned out to be a hit, not only last night, but on today's 1.5 hour bike ride to UBC, I am literally chomping at the bit to whip up the next batch.

They are all natural and will provide you with just the right amount of proteins, fats, carbs, and sweetness to curb a sugar craving, or power you up for a training session.

Here's what you need:

3 T flax seeds (ground into meal)

3/4 c almond milk

2 c old fashioned oats

1/4 c sunflower seeds, chopped almonds & chocolate chips

1/2 c raisins

1/2 c protein powder (i use Vega Vanilla Chai)

3 T honey

3/4 t salt

1/4 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet with small amount of oil... Mix flax seeds into almond milk and set aside... Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and then add milk... Stir it up good- you may feel like it's a little dry- it's not... Form into 8-12 balls and place in oven for 6-8 minutes... Remove from oven and let them cool completely.

Thai Chicken Salad

Tonight's dinner was from a cookbook I use called "Eating for Energy".

Because I favour really easy meals over anything extravagant, I thought that this one was on the medium side in terms of prep-work (only b/c you mix 2 separate sauces: this is big for me)... Other than that it was really easy and very tasty!

1. Slice chicken breast and tofu into strips; saute in oil with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Set aside.

2 Chicken Breasts (skinless/boneless)

1/2 Package of Extra Firm Tofu

2 tsp ginger crushed

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce

2. Add dressing ingredients to pan, heat and stir.

Dressing

2Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp organic brown rice syrup (can use brown sugar here too)

2 Tbsp organic almond butter

2 tsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp teriyaki Sauce

Sprinkle chili powder

Fresh squeezed juice from 1/2 a lime

3. Place 1 cup of noodles on a plate and top with spinach, green onions, sliced peppers, nuts and chicken. Add dressing and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

1 bag baby spinach

2 green onions

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup toasted peanuts

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 package of brown rice noodles (You could also use whole wheat pasta here)

cilantro

Chia Seed Smoothie for @RunnergirlAJ :)

Chia Seeds are MAJOR when it comes to straight up nutritional bang-for-your-buck (See tomorrow's post) ... The best part is you can pretty much add them to any type of smoothie, but this morning I opted for the following:

Banana Raspberry Explosion!

1 Banana

Handful of Frozen Raspberries

Handful of Baby Spinach

2 tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder

1 tablespoon Flaxseed Oil

1/2 Cup Water & 1/2 Cup Coconut Water

2 tablespoons Chia Seeds (you can grind them up first, or just throw them in whole)

Hope you like it!

Fuel Up Naturally

In 9 months I will be competing in my first Ironman and while my mental prep began months ago, I have really been honing my skills in the kitchen so that I am able to train for this event on a natural diet. Last year I went through a myriad of different gels, bars and bloks during training which left my digestive system a bit of a mess. It's amazing that athletes, who are presumably healthy individuals, allow themselves to ingest all those fake ingredients...

Here is a recipe for Sweet Potato Balls- The perfect combination of carbs, fat and protein to fuel your body for a swim, bike, or run... Or just to have as a side with a big salad (like we had for dinner the other night).

They are so easy to make, just boil 2-3 sweet potatoes and mash with a can of black beans and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa. Roll this mixture into small balls (think 3-4 bites/ball).

On a seperate plate sprinkle flax seeds and roll the ball in them so you have coated about 75%.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. They are great to eat both hot and cold.

Enjoy!

Beet&BlueberrySmoothie

This morning in place of a banana in my smoothie, I decided to throw in a beet... It may seem random, but it actually turned out pretty good. Packed with high levels of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Folate, beets pack a powerful punch of nutrients!

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup of water

1 cup of ice

1 tablespoon Hemp Protein Powder

1 tsp Hemp Oil

1 cup of frozen Bluberries

1 roasted beet

Great BIG Salad

Well, I think it's official. I am a Salad Junkie.

Here is one rendition of what I make almost every night....

Baked Chicken&Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato cut into small pieces

Big handful Kale

Big handful Spinach

1/2 can of black beans

1/2 Cucumber

1 Red Pepper

1/4 of a Red Onion

1/2 carton of pea shoots

5 dates chopped into small pieces

Small handful dried cranberries

Crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

1 Avocado

Combine all ingredients and add 1 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 2 parts Balsamic Vinegar: A squeeze of honey and Pepper to taste.

For the chicken breasts, I marinated them in a mixture of 2 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 3 parts Rice Vinegar: 1 part Dijon honey: 1/2 part honey

Bake chicken for 35-40 minutes @ 350' or until cooked through. Cut into small pieces and add to salad.

Easiest Green Smoothie.

My new goal is to drink one of these/day... I used to try and work kale and other crazy things into my smoothies, but it really proved to be too much fussing around. This green smoothie is super easy and a great way to start your morning or give yourself a little kick in the afternoon.

Simply combine 1 banana, 1-2 handfuls of spinach with 1 cup of water and an ice cube. Blend. Enjoy.

Keen-Wah :)

Meet my new food Compadre: Quinoa.

Although a seed, quinoa is commonly mistaken as a grain because of its light and fluffy consistency when cooked. Being very high in protein, quinoa is an essential part of any healthy vegetarian's or vegan's diet (I am neither of these)... and more importantly is a complete protein, which means it includes all nine essential amino acids. Here are some other things its good for : Manganese and Copper (antioxidants), Magnesium (blood pressure), Fiber (digestion, linked to cancer prevention), and Riboflavin (AKA Vitamin B- AKA Energy!)... SOLD!

Right now I am doing the Wild Rose Cleanse and quinoa is up there on the list of recommended foods... so I am all over it.

Last night I made a really yummy Black Bean Salmon and Quinoa Salad and this morning I whipped up Quinoa with Berries and a splash of coconut milk. Both meals were totally filling, really healthy, and most importantly for me: SO easy to make.

Black Bean, Smoked Salmon and Quinoa Salad

Prepare Quinoa by boiling 1 1/4 Cups of water and adding 1 cup of quinoa- turn the heat down and cover for 12 minutes. Fluff up with a fork when done.

Add:

1 Red Pepper

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Cucumber (skin on)

4 stalks of green onions

Chopped Cilantro to taste

1 can of Organic Black Beans (rinsed)

1 Avocado

Cut up pieces of smoked Salmon

Quinoa and Berries

Prepare quinoa the same as above- once cooked add fresh or frozen berries and some coconut milk. Yum!!!

Yogurt & Fruit EXPLOSION!

If you're like me and find yourself craving something sweet at the end of a long day, try mixing your favourite fruit with some vanilla yogurt. It will curb your appetite, but is light enough to keep you from feeling too full before bed.

Pictured Here: Raspberries, Pineapple, Grapefruit and Banana

YUMMMMMMMMMMM!

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Last night I could not sit down and watch the Canucks play Chicago... it was too much.

Instead I intermittently checked in with Troy to see the score and tried out a new recipe: Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers (See Here)They turned out really good and filled both of us up after our 17km run that morning. I sliced up an avocado with some balsamic dressing on the side just as a little extra. Let me know what you think!

Kale.

It has come to my attention that food is like the fashion industry. Trends emerge slowly at first, but it is only a matter of time before the masses are wearing one feathered earring and sunglasses 3 sizes too big for their face...

Right now in food, KALE is in.

Every health blog and beauty magazine is raving about this superfood- kale chips, kale smoothies, kale with garlic and olive oil... it's everywhere. Coming from the same vegetable family as broccoli and brussle sprouts, kale is one hot commodity, and here is why:

Just 1 Cup of Kale contains:

1- Beta-Carotene (Protects vision and prevent cataracts)

2- 89%RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of Vitamin C (Prevents colds, oxidizes cholestrol, and renews collagen in the skin)

3- 3 grams of fibre- Prevent colon cancer

4- Iron, Manganese (helps get rid of belly fat), Calcium, and Potassium

5- 1328% RDA of Vitamin K (Bone health)

6- 354% RDA of of Vitamin A (Eye health)

Get on the bandwagon and serve up some kale with your next meal... here are some great recipe ideas:

http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/kale-chips

http://chezmegane.blogspot.com/2006/11/white-bean-kale-and-sausage-soup.html

http://www.tablefor2andahalf.com/family-friendly-recipes/toddler-tested-pasta-with-turkey-sausage-kale