Banana and Peanut Butter Muffin Recipe
Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
When the weather is stormy, I always want to stay in and snuggle up with a bowl of something warm and delicious. Last week here in Southern California we had some much needed rainy days. I was hit with inspiration and decided to create a fusion chili recipe that is both delicious and provides a healthy balance of nutrition with a number of great medicinal benefits! This is one comfort-food recipe you can feel good about snuggling up with.
This is a bulk recipe that makes approximately 6-8 servings! It is great to make at the beginning of the week, eat half and freeze half for later. Always use organic ingredients whenever possible.
Cleansing, anti-inflamitory, and good for dry skin.
2 16oz. jars marinara sauce
1c. cooked chick peas
1c. cooked black beans
1c. cooked split peas
1c. cooked red lentils
1tbsp chopped raw garlic
2tbsp turmeric
1tbsp cayenne pepper
1tbsp Himalayan salt
1-2tbsp red pepper flakes
2 large beets
1 small acorn squash
3/4 lb ground buffalo meat
3 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 1/2c. mushrooms
1/2 large onion
Handful of fresh cilantro
1 avocado
1-2tbsp coconut oil
Hot Sauce
Daiya shredded cheese is dairy free, made with coconut oil, and can also be substituted or any organic cashew cheese.
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) On stove top in a frying pan that is lightly greased with the coconut oil cook the ground buffalo meat on a medium flame. Using a spoon break up the raw meat into smaller pieces and sauté it until cooked thoroughly. Remove from the pan and place to the side. Then chop the onion and sauté the onions in the same frying pan on medium heat, stir frequently. Remove from heat once lightly browned.
3) Place chicken breasts in a baking pan and place in the preheated oven. Place the whole acorn squash next to the pan directly on the oven rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Then remove the chicken and place to the side to cool. Turn up the oven temperature to 475 degrees and continue cooking the acorn squash for another 40 minutes or until soft in the center. Remove from heat and place to the side to cool.
4) Boil the beets in a pot until beets are soft (about 15-20 minutes), then drain and set them to the side to cool.
5) In a large pot mix all the pre-cooked beans/legumes and the 2 jars of marinara sauce. Turn flame on to medium. Add onions to the large pot. Slowly mix in the salt, Cayenne pepper, Turmeric, garlic, raw mushrooms, cooked ground buffalo and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
6) Slice the beets into small cubes and add to the large pot.
7) Using clean hands, shred the chicken breasts into tiny strips and then add to the large pot, stir in.
8) Taste the chili and decide how much heat you want to add, then starting SLOW add a bit of the hot sauce, stir and do another taste test before adding more. Repeat this a few times until the spice is to your liking.
9) Turn heat down to a low flame and cover the pot with the lid.
10) Once the acorn squash is done and cooled, cut it in half, scoop the seeds out into the trash and then using a large spoon scoop out the inside flesh of the squash and then add it to the chili. Stir well.
11) Cook for 15-30 minutes and remove from heat.
12) Slice avocado into thin strips.
13) When you are ready to serve, scoop into bowls, and place 3 avocado strips on top of the chili. Then add some fresh cilantro and 1-2 oz. of the Daiya cheese. ENJOY!
The Master Cleanse, like many popular health trends, is actually NOT healthy for you at all. First and foremost, I want to challenge EVERYONE to do your research before trying something new. While researching it, ask yourself ‘is this balanced’? ‘If I were to do this for 30,60, 90 days would I be healthy in the long term? Can it sustain me and give my body what it needs to function’? If the answer is ‘non’, skip it and opt for a more balanced approach!
Here’s why the Master Cleanse is NOT good for your body:
This is one fad we recommend skipping!
I love eggs…well, let’s say that I love what eggs do for the body nutritionally speaking. But let’s get real…eggs can get boring! I am always trying to create new and eggs-cellent recipes! Here is a high protein and delicious twist for your morning eggs. Hope this helps you get out of your egg-rutt (if you are in one)!
This recipe provides a meal that is complete with proteins, healthy fats and carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index (if you or someone you know struggles with diabetes please share this with them)
1 tbsp coconut oil
5 eggs (4 whites, whole egg)
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/2 onion
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 tbsp salsa
small handful cherry tomatoes
small handful fresh cilantro
Himalayan salt
Invest in your holiday wellness with a good game plan!
The holidays are just around the corner! I will be posting on topics like relationships, emotional wellness, holiday fitness and nutrition and of course on the much dreaded post holiday weight issues…but since I am all about balance, holistic (whole person wellness) and prevention, let’s talk some preventative measures today.
This holiday season, eat small, eat often, and move more!
Let that be your mantra this season along with ‘All things In Balance’! It is important to enjoy the holidays but doing so without causing problems later. So let’s break down this preventative statement, eat small, eat often, and move more into simple action steps:
Eat Small
I’m not saying ‘don’t eat the cookie’, I am just saying ‘don’t eat the whole jar at once’! Try to eat small portions for each meal. This will help you burn off the calories and use them up versus end up storing excess calories as fat!
Eat Often
Instead of falling into the typical holiday meal pattern of gorging ourselves with a few massive meals, eat often, every three or four hours! This will keep your metabolism functioning at a high pace and also facilitate your digestive system to properly digesting and absorbing nutrients.
Move More
I know, I know, aying around all day can be a huge part of your families holiday traditions. Well, it’s time to make some new ones. Move more and often! Get up, get out and move! Drag the family out as well and build a snow man, play a game, take a walk, or even set up an active game in the living room or head to the gym for a family workout or yoga class.
Just because a protein powder is a supplement does not mean it has ingredients that are healthy or high quality. Here is a simple reference guide to what is good and what is not in protein powder supplements.
First lets get the ‘animal source versus plant source’ debate out of the way.
Plant based protein is fast digesting (too fast to deliver protein to the muscle over a period of time when and how it is needed…fast digesting proteins usually can not be absorbed and all be put to use by your body) and even more importantly DO NOT have the same amino acid profile that animal based protein has. So stick with either whey protein or egg white protein for your choice of protein powder!
Next, avoid all artificially sweetened protein supplements like the plague! Always choose protein supplements that are sweetened with stevia!
Always try to find organic, grass-fed whey for your whey protein supplements.
Here are the whey protein supplements that we recommend:
Tera’s Whey
Whey Factors
For egg-white protein, here is our top pick:
This is unflavored so you will want to mix it into a smoothie using a small amount of fruit and almond milk.
Healthy breakfast trend. Thin gluten-free pancakes with banana, blueberries, goji berries, sesame, and chia seeds.
5 large eggs (egg whites only)
3 stevia packets
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 c. blueberries