Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

October 14, 2013 By Laura

This is the fall of orange.

My least favorite color to wear, but one of the most delicious.

Unbelievably, my palms aren’t orange. My whole body will be orange in 3 weeks. It’s almost competition time! Food wise, I can’t get enough pumpkin, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and carrots (many of you understand my addiction). I eat one of those at almost every meal! Including breakfast.

The orange pumpkin pie filling mix above was added to eggs. I mixed together pumpkin puree with spices… and then decided it was missing something. It tasted too traditional.*

Peanut ~~butter~~ flour!!!

*If you’re into traditional, you can leave the PB out.

Since PB & Peggs is taken, I thought calling it pie was appropriate. It tasted like pie. Breakfast pie.

It also earned me some fun looks when I walked into my gym eating it Saturday morning (please note the environmentally friendly mug). Marvelous, no?

Recipe at the bottom of this post.

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Which brings me to more marvelous – I am working on getting my personal training certification! Even better, I am doing it though Lee Haney’s IAFS program. I got to spend 8 hours at the gym learning from him on Saturday.

In case you don’t know Lee Haney, he’s an 8x Mr. Olympia. This man is legit. I love his real approach and emphasis on fueling with natural, whole foods.

In case the scramble wasn’t enough pumpkin for you, check out the Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes my #strangebutgood partner in crime, Heather, posted this weekend.

I made them Sunday morning. My modifications: reduced oats and peanut flour to 2T each, increased egg whites to 1/4 C, and used cottage cheese instead of yogurt. For syrup, I mixed sugar-free syrup, pumpkin, and cinnamon.

This weekend of pumpkin was beyond marvelous.

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs with Pear

1/4 C pumpkin puree
1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)
1 T unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch of cloves
4-5 drops liquid stevia
1/2 C egg whites
1/2 large Asian pear, diced

In a small bowl, combine first 7 ingredients.

Scramble the eggs until almost done. Stir in the pumpkin mix and pear, cooking ~1 min to warm through.

Transfer to plate and tops as desired (I used additional pear and almonds). Enjoy!

***

I feel like I went 100 miles an hour all weekend, but in a good way. It’s fun to look up and realize you’re exactly where you want to be.

Are you orange-obsessed? What’s is your favorite orange food?

What was marvelous about your weekend?

Strange But Good: Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

October 11, 2013 By Laura

Where’s the Beef?

It’s a legit breakfast food.

This sounds strange… but it isn’t SO odd. Many people have eaten savory oats. Oats are just another carb. We make lots of savory carb-y things. Why not add beef? And while we’re at it, eat it for breakfast! This is what happens when you’re out of eggs.

Side note: This recipe could VERY easily be made vegan by using TVP in place of the beef.

The salsa is the most awesome, lazy recipe ever. Mash up blackberries and stir in jarred salsa (extra hot). Done.*

*That’s not totally true. I added a drop of lemon stevia because my berries sucked and weren’t sweet at all.

So hear me out. Yummy beef. Chewy oats laced with rich flavors of cumin and smoky paprika. A little sweet ‘n spicy to top it off. That sounds more good than strange!

Warning: It will look like you slayed something when you stir it up to eat.

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Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

1/2 oatmeal, cooked
3 oz lean ground beef, cooked
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of smoked paprika
1/4 C blackberries (or other berries)
2 T salsa

Cook oatmeal, stirring in precooked ground beef* and spices just before done.

Meanwhile, mash up berries in a small bowl and stir in salsa.

Pour oats into a bowl and top with salsa. Be amazed.

*My beef was pre-cooked with a Mexican spice blend. If yours is plain, you may want to add more spices on this recipe.

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I’m posting a cookie recipe next week… my co-worker who isn’t a healthy food person said “these are actually good!” I’m calling it a win.

Have you had savory oats? Do you like them? ~~Do you think I’m nuts?~~

What is your favorite oatmeal add-in? Don’t say nut butter. We all know that’s good. 😉

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

October 10, 2013 By Laura

Who has TIME to post negative comments?

~~Not that I don’t speak them from time to time…~~

It takes a real effort to read a post and formulate a less-than-nice comment. Why would you go to all this trouble? Why do you care so much?

Anonymous posted this on my blog yesterday:

Normally I wouldn’t waste the energy to respond… but I’m feeling feisty this week.

I actually do use a lot of “real” dishes. Often I eat my breakfast from a coffee mug
I’m such an ~~old lady~~ ~~horder~~ responsible citizen of the world that I will use the same paper plate for every meal I eat a work in a day
You don’t have to read my blog. If you don’t like what I say/do/eat from, don’t read. I don’t agree with judgmental, funeral-protesting ass holes, so I steer clear of Westboro Baptist Church.
Anon… I’ve always been curious. Why go to the effort to comment but not even have the kahunas to use your name?

I feel better, Don’t you? You will after you taste my muffin. 😉

The plantain craze took me a while to get on board with. I was too busy with kabocha.

Now that I’ve gotten on the train, I’m putting them in all the things. I love to just caramelize them for eggs, pizza-creations, and salads. That Plantain Ginger Protein Bread rocked. The natural next step was a muffin.

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this is one of the best muffins I’ve ever made. And it was easy. Half of the ingredients are just tossed into a blender!

After blending the plantain and the wet ingredients, pour it into the dry, give it a quick stir, and fold in the zucchini.

The result of this plantain and zucchini combo is a fantastically moist, satisfying sweet muffin. Depending on the ripeness of your plantain (it should almost be black) and your preferences, you may not even need that extra bit of sweetener!

Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that I amped up the protein in these. I used my favorite Growing Naturals Rice protein. With that addition, these muffins have more than 6 grams of protein!

The only sugar comes from the plantains, but the fact that these are on the healthy side doesn’t mean they don’t taste like the “real” deal. Don’t believe me? Ask my favorite concierge…

Testify!

If you find a Siamese plantain, you can make a double batch! Have you even seen this before?!

It has to be good luck or something…

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

1/4 C spelt flour
1 scoop (31g) Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein Powder
1-2 T Xylitol (or other sweetener, adjust based on sweetness of plantain)
1 tsp no salt baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 large, ripe plantain (~160g)
1 egg (or flax egg)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C zucchini, grated (~120g)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 6 regular-sized muffin tins with Pam/butter/Earth Balance.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In blender (I used the Magic Bullet) bowl, puree plantain until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, blending again just to combine.

Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring until just combined. Fold in grated zucchini. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins.

Approximate Nutrition Info: 102 calories, 1.2g fat, 18.8g carbohydrates, 20.6g sodium, 1.9g fiber, 4.8g sugar, 6.3g protein

***

I’m pretty excited… this weekend I’m going to take a class to being getting my personal training certification! I’m baking these muffins for the class. 🙂

Why do you think people leave negative comments anonymously? Have you ever done it?

Have you gotten on the plantain train? Hee hee… that rhymes.

PB & Pear Eggs + WIAW

October 9, 2013 By Laura

Technology gets me excited.

Clearly I need to get out more.

Being a figure competitor means my food scale is my most-used kitchen tool. I need to weigh my proteins to make sure I have enough, and I can more easily get accurate serving sizes for other items. Even if you don’t eat like a crazy person, scales are a HUGE help in baking. I no longer use measuring cups!

I read about this Countertop + Prep Pad with glee. This device can determine the exact nutritional content of whatever you’re making and track your eating habits. Beyond the traditional accurate weighing of ingredients, it has a BlueTooth connection and an app which displays your data. You place food on the scales, indicate what it is, and the app shows the nutritional data (with macros, micros, and ingredients). It even tracks goals for you!

It’s available to pre-order now for $149.95 (delivery in November). I’m soooooo tempted…

(I randomly ran across this… they didn’t pay me or anything. It’s just cool.)

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This is WIAW I am back to “normal.” I food prepped well this week, and was able to keep on track through back to back meetings. It’s a fun busy though. 🙂

Read on for my 4 weeks out eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

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Breakfast:

Ever the creature of habit, a had my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail. Sam posted she’s been starting her day with ACV for a year… made me realize I’m at about 2 years. Whoa.

My meal was a win. Normally I go to bed thinking about breakfast, but last night I didn’t have an clear vision. It came in the morning though! Pear. Cardamom. Eggs. Peanut sauce. Totally normal.

Cardamom is one of those “a little goes a long way” spices, but just a pinch can make a dish something spectacular. Especially when that dish involves pear.

I plated this for a pic before pouring it into a solo cup to-go. See bottom of post for the prettier pic and full recipe.

Mid-Morning Snack:

Crab salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and pepper. I love crab. I really love crab that is 20% off.

Lunch:

Dijon Baked Chicken (so glad I made a TON of froze it), roasted bok choy, and yuca fries with salsa. I am newly obsessed with yucca fries.

Yuca (also known as Cassava) is a thick, starchy tuber. It’s sort of like a potato, but a little sweeter and drier. It’s also really hard to slice… but, like kabocha, it’s worth the effort. I sliced mine into fries and roasted it on 425 til it was crispy (maybe 25 mins?).

For a funny story about my lunch here.

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I make a lot of food… which means sometimes I forget about recipes. This week I remembered one I really loved: BBQ Cauliflower Bites. Yesterday I ate it at work with asparagus and a veggie burger with beer mustard. Happy girl, I was.

Dinner:

Dinner was a pleasant surprise. I was SO SORE after leg day that I decided to take a rest day and detoured to Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods on the way home for some fresh fish. I ended up with flounder, a fish I’d never prepared at home before.

I baked my flounder for 10 mins at 425 with fresh lemon, pepper, and lemon-thyme a co-worker brought me from her garden (thanks Allison!). Eaten with half a roasted yellow acorn squash and broccoli slaw over a bed of arugula.

Dessert:

It’s finally feeling like fall in Atlanta, so a warm dessert was in order. I Made my 150 Calorie Microwave Chocolate Cake (using pumpkin puree instead of applesauce) and topped it with berries and pumpkin fluff.

Pumpkin fluff is amazing. It’s just equal parts pumpkin puree, Tru Whip (cleaner cool whip from WF), cinnamon, and butter extract. Just do it.

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PB & Peaggs

2/3 C egg whites
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch of cardamom

For the Sauce

1 T peanut flour (or nut butter)
1 T unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 drops liquid Stevia
1 small pear, chopped

Scramble together then first 4 ingredients. Cook over medium heat until almost done. Meanwhile, mix together peanut sauce.

Add the peanut sauce and pear, stirring to combine. Cook just long enough to warm through.

Devour.

***

Let’s revisit my leg day. I am so sore. So very sore. GROW LEGS!

Do you use a food scale? Would you buy this hard-core one?

Have you tried anything new lately that you’re loving? I’m a flounder fan now!

Instagram Love

October 8, 2013 By Laura

Instagram has turned into a mini-blog for me.

Another opportunity to over-share is always fun.

In keeping with my “trying to cut back and find balance,” this post is short and sweet. I wanted to pop in quickly today to say thank you. Thank you for participating in all the blogiversary fun last week. Thank you for reading. Thank you for constantly inspiring me.

And thank you for braving my recipes. However #strangebutgood some are.

Laura gave my Tomato Brownies the thumbs up. With chocolate proyo – great add!
Maren made my Pumpkin Pan-lettes and topped it with a lovely peanut sauce
Allie declared my Thai Peanut Roasted Kabocha genius!
Cheryl tried my Raspberry Baked Oatmeal and reported they were “delicious!” (Side note: I love making a big batch and stroring them in the freezer for a quick breakfast – same with the Sweet Potato version.)
Megan (who has braved a LOT – thank you!) recently made my Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread and topped it with an almond milk-inspired ice cream
Heather tried the Tomato Brownies too! These ladies are making me crave another batch!

Show them some love with an Instragram follow. You will be inspired. Their feeds are straight up #foodporn.

One more “gift”…

The giveaway with the most entries was for Growing Naturals, my favorite vegan protein powder. They were so excited about the response that they are offering a 30% discount to you guys!

Order via their website and enter code SPRINT30 at checkout.

***

I was telling my trainer last night how much more focused and inspired I am with this prep (finally). I owe a lot to the comments and support from this community. Thank YOU again. 🙂

Are you sometimes surprised by how much your Internet/blog friends inspire you?

What blogger/Instagram recipes have you tried lately? Link it up!

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

October 7, 2013 By Laura

There are certain smells that make me stop in my tracks.

Pleasant smells… the other kind make me RUN.

I spend a good deal of time in the airport. The Atlanta airport, like many others in the US, has a Cinnabon. I can walk away from the waffle cone smell at Ben & Jerry, the pizza from Sabrro, the Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits… but the smell of that cinnamon laced sugar bomb makes me pause.

Rather than having a 730 calorie bomb, I decided to make my own. And one-up them by adding peanut butter and apples.

It takes a couple of steps, but they are steps you’ll be glad you took as soon as you bit into this gooey-chewy cinnamon-laced roll. Plus, you can make a few to reheat for a quick breakfast throughout the week!

The pic above starts out with the uncooked, apple lined rolls in a ramekin. Then I baked the egg and cinnamon soaked bread into a hot roll oozing with baked apple deliciousness. After ~~dumping~~ neatly turning it on to a plate, I topped with peanut sauce.

A note on the bread and peanut sauce: I used P28 High Protein Bread to make this a super-high protein treat. You could use any bread, but know that P28 slices are huge so you may need an additional slice if you use a smaller bread. For the sauce, I used my beloved peanut flour. You could easily sub in peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter), or use a vanilla protein powder in the same proportions to make a glaze.

This would be good without the apples too… but it’s fall. Be festive! It adds a fresh sweetness to the decadent roll. And that’s pretty marvelous.

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Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

For the Roll

1/4 C egg whites (or flax egg)
2 tsp sugar-free syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract
1 slice P28 High Protein Bread*
1/4 apple, sliced very thin (plus more, to top)

For the Glaze

1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)*
1 tsp sugar-free syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract

Instructions for the Roll

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, beat together eggs, syrup, cinnamon, and extract.

Slice the bread into 3 long strips, gently flattening and stretching out. Soak strips in the egg mixture, as if you were making french toast.

Line strips with the thin apple slice, roll up like a cinnamon roll, and place in a prepared ramekin.

Bake for 10 mins (until lightly browned). Allow to cool slightly. Turn ramekin over onto you plate to remove the roll. You may need to loosen the edge first.

Instructions for the Glaze:

Mixing together milk, peanut flour (or butter), syrup, cinnamon, and extract.

Slather across your cinnamon rolls.

Take a bite. Have a moment of silence. Continue to inhale the roll.

Approximate nutritionals: 223 calories, 4.6g fat, 328g sodium, 22.5g carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 8.2g sugar, 24.8g protein

*Notes:

You can use any type of bread. P28 bread slices are huge – if you use another brand, you may need to use 1/5-2 slices
Vanilla protein powder can be used in place of the peanut flour for a more “traditional” glaze. I like using Growing Naturals.

***

Thank you all SO MUCH for the kind comments and participation in blogiversary week! Check back at the Growing Naturals and Favorite Things posts for the last 2 winners! I’ll have a discount code from the Growing Natural folks tomorrow!

Is there a “treat” you always have when you travel? I’m a sucker for Coke Zero and pretzels on the plane.

Have you ever re-created a favorite restaurant meal in a healthier way? What was it? Feel free to link up – sharing is caring!

Strange But Good: My Favorite Things

October 4, 2013 By Laura

3 years is a long time.

This blog is my longest commitment. Kidding… sort of.

In 3 years, I have learned a LOT! I didn’t have a clear vision outside of “food” when I began. I was playing roller derby, drinking a lot of beer with the occasional side of Waffle House, and trying to be a runner. 3 years later, I no longer play derby, I don’t run half as much as I did, and I’ve competed in 2 figure competitions (with 2 more just a month away – eep!). I also drink less beer, and am about 15 pounds lighter. Waffle House still happens after every figure competition though. 😉

#strangebutgood #yolkporn

In the beginning, no one read my blog except my mom. Now more people read ~~and my mom doesn’t~~. I remember my first comment from a stranger. It was from Tina – I was so excited!!! 3 years late, I’m honored today to call her a friend. I’m honored to call a LOT of my favorite bloggers friends. This is an inspiring, motivated community full of diversity, humor, and FUN.

End mush. Begin giveaway.

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On the last day of my Blogiversay Favorite Things week of giveaways, I wanted to share ALL the things! Rather than giving you a #strangebutgood recipe, I’m giving you things to make your own strangeness!

I am sooooo excited about this. Trying new things is a sport to me, so hopefully I’ll be able to share something new with one of you!

Some things aren’t so much strange as they are staples, or representative of things I love. Other items are in the pile because people are always asking where I get ingredients (I’ll be your dealer!).

House of Payne tank top – This is from my gym! The shirt is this style (it’s a small, but I can check if you need M or L). I love Steve Payne and his crew. Check them out here.
Peanut Flour – You all know I am having an intense love affair with this stuff. I like it better than PB2 (and others) because it’s less processed. The only ingredient is peanuts (no preservatives, sodium, sugar, etc). If you don’t win it, you can order your own from iHerb. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!
Flavors – There are SO many ways you can flavor your food without salt, sugar, and other unhealthy things! These are a few of my favorites:

Olive oil from local farmers Sweetwater Growers. They have a variety of flavors, but rosemary gets me every time.
Butter extract – I find it at Whole Foods, but I know several of you haven’t been able to locate it. I’ve used it in Cookie Dough Oatmeal, Cauliflower Protein Pancakes, Oatmeal Cookie Protein Shakes, a healthy Everything Schmer for your bagel… it’s also awesome with the peanut flour.
Asian Seasoning – I’m not really sure what it is, but it’s good and it involves chili pepper. It’s one of the many random things I’ve located at Atlanta’s giant farmer’s markets.

Treats – These aren’t exactly the picture of healthy, but when I’m feeling snacky they sure hit the spot! And they aren’t the worst things in the world. Everyone knows and loves Quest bars. The Brownie is my favorite (cut in squares and baked for 10 min on 350). Vega’s Savi Seeds are a crunchy-salty satisfier. Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup… I don’t think I need to explain this deliciousness. Lastly, my favorite gum. I cannot workout without it! Extra seems to be the longest lasting.
Burdock Root Crisps – I have no idea what this is. I got them to represent my love of the international farmer’s market and trying new things. Let me know how they are! 😉
Cherry-Flavored Dried Cranberries – I cannot stand dried fruit. Except for these funky-flavored things. Specifically, I love them in my…

Granola Cookies! Old picture because I haven’t made them yet… I will ship you a fresh batch. They can be made vegan and/or gluten-free upon request.

Thanks for helping me celebrate this week! Don’t forget the giveaway for my favorite protein powder, Growing Naturals, is still open through the weekend too
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I'll take a break from giveaways and get back to recipes next week. In the mean time, check out the Strange But Good link ups!

What would you try first out of this bag of my favorite schwag? Hee hee. I rhymed.

If you were going to send a box to someone that represents you, what would you include?

You’re Off to Great Places + Growing Naturals Giveaway

October 3, 2013 By Laura

I’m addicted to the powder.

Not that powder. Where are your minds?! Shame!

Protein powder, bro. I have high standards:

NOT grainy or chalky
Not full of sugar or loaded with a billion carbs
Must actually taste like the flavor on the label
Ingredient lists need to be recognizable and short
Must contain at least 20g of protein

I have tried them all. Today, I am SO excited that my #1 favorite protein powder of all time, Growing Naturals, has agreed to join in the Blogiversary week celebration. They meet my high standards and then some… they are even soy-free and vegan!

The chocolate rice powder really does impart a chocolate taste. It’s perfect in my Mocha Beet Frapp. The vanilla was just the right amount of flavor to make my Plantain Ginger Bread taste like a warm treat.

I’m getting wordy. It’s Kat’s turn to blog today. Just click here for more on why they rock. Or, for proof, know that ~~beg~~ seek them out to sponsor me at Blend and do giveaways… I want everyone to try it! 😉

Sooooo… here’s the schwag one of you will WIN (giveaway entry at the bottom – US only, along with winners for Monday and Tuesday’s giveaways!):

Speaking of protein… my girl Kat is going to need plenty to fuel the race she’s running this weekend. Check her out and wish her luck below!!!

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You’re off to great places!

(by: Kat)

I’m leaving for my 100 mile race in Pennsylvania today. Yes, 100 miles, 32 hour time limit. I’m trying not to try to figure out how fast I have to run each mile to finish in under 30 hours, under 28 hours, etc. I really just want to finish. (Editor’s note: You are officially my hero.)

I’m scared, and I even emailed the race director to see if I could defer my entry ‘til next year. He said no, so I’m going. Eeeeeeek!

This has brought up serious insecurity. Why do my friends believe I can do this more than I believe in myself? My new mantra on my runs has inspired some confidence in me. I’ve been telling myself, “I am strong, I am injury-free, and I can do this!”

It really does help me re-frame and know my body is capable and my mind is yearning for the … what? (Editor’s note: This is so true. I do it in lifting. It’s amazing what positive self-talk can do to your physical abilities… and you know I’m not the touch-y feel-y type.) Maybe a break-through, maybe a break-down. Sometimes we need a little of both.

I plan on taking good care of myself, and Wednesday night was all about packing carefully, and preparing my food/necessities. With 100 miles on foot, you have to think: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more calories. (Editor’s note: Meal time is my favorite!)

I also have to think about injury prevention, which means lights, batteries, keeping myself warm. I have to honor the body that allows me to even attempt this kind of challenge. I am so grateful to have a healthy body that allows me to push myself physically to achieve something mentally.

I also need to mention that waiting for my bar results has been a terrible waiting period, and I keep getting asked about the date for results which makes me a little batty. It’s October 28^th. Results October 28^th. (Editor’s note: We are going to celebrate hard core! I know you OWNED it!)

Right now, I’m wound up tight, and so are my finances. I’m so grateful for everything I have right now, including my Cold Life Organics deliveries, which save me money and allow me to experiment.

A few experiments lately include this parsnip-cauliflower puree and stuffed red bell peppers. They are both so easy I didn’t initially think of them as a blog post. But they are unique, delicious recipes that helped me to think outside the box.

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Parsnip-Cauliflower Puree

3 large parsnips, cut roughly into ¼ inch pieces
½ head cauliflower, cut roughly into ¼ inch pieces
½ Vidalia onion, diced
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt, to taste
1-2 T coconut oil
3 T butter
¼ C coconut milk

Saute onion, garlic, cauliflower, and parsnips in the coconut oil until it is generally soft-ish. You should easily be able to pierce the parsnips with a fork.

Add saute to a food processor and puree. Add coconut milk, butter, and salt to taste.

The parsnips give the cauliflower puree a floral taste that isn’t overwhelming. It’s a fun substitute for mashed potatoes that will leave your guests wondering. It’s gluten free, and can be made vegan by substituting the butter for your favorite butter substitute. It’s also lower carb and lower calorie, if you’re going for that! I served it with a little salad and chicken.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

1/4 lb ground anti-biotic free chicken
1/4 C rice, uncooked.
2 red bell peppers
1 C marinara sauce
1/4 yellow onion
1 T coconut oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 green bell pepper
1/8 C nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the tops off of bell peppers, and clean out seeds. Boil water and cook the bell peppers in the water for about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Saute green pepper, onion, and garlic in the coconut oil, add the chicken and continue to saute until just cooked, but not dried out.

Stir in marinara and nutritional yeast.

Stuff peppers with the mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes.

I put cheese on top of one, and not on top of the other. Both were delicious. They’re gluten free and can easily been made vegan by eliminating/substituting the chicken for TVP. These were so easy and tasty, and they brought back childhood memories for my dinner partner. We love nostalgic food. We both also added additional nutritional yeast as a condiment while we ate.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check back at the NuNaturals and Muesli Fusion giveaways for the winners!

***

Good luck KAT!!!! P.S. You guys come back tomorrow. It’s a giveaway I put together myself of my favorite most-used items. 🙂

What easy recipes/meals do you forget to share because they are just so easy?

What challenges are scary to you lately, and how do you keep yourself going?

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs with Pear

Strange But Good: Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

PB & Pear Eggs + WIAW

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

PB & Peaggs

Instagram Love

One more “gift”…

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

Strange But Good: My Favorite Things

You’re Off to Great Places + Growing Naturals Giveaway

You’re off to great places!

Parsnip-Cauliflower Puree

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

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