Protein Pancakes

Also Known As: Amy's "hold-the-gluten-load-up-the-protein-but-don't-pile-on-the-calories-just-the-flavor" Pancakes :-)


Alright, so I miss big breakfasts when I don't eat them. While there are certainly points for creativity on how many different ways you can dress up oatmeal and spruce up cottage cheese and reinvent eggs, I enjoy treating myself to a "real" breakfast sometimes. I've made this a Sunday morning event (or sometimes on the mornings of my day off from work). Everyone needs something to look forward to, right?!


So this recipe is about as simple as they come. And if you're still looking for creativity points...they are SOOOO available on this one too! There's a million ways you can alter this recipe to make a whole new taste. I have a lot planned and will update as I try new things. Let me know! Also, you can adjust the amounts of the different ingredients. Different people will be looking for different amounts of calories, protein, fat, etc...so make it what YOU need...have at it!

Vanilla version

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 egg whites (1/4 cup egg whites)
- 1 scoop protein powder (this is where the fun comes in..use ANY flavor. So far I have tried Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter. The Choco/PB version is DEFINITELY my favorite!!)
- 1/8 cup cottage cheese
Optional:
- 1/4 banana (because I serve these with the rest of the banana on top!)
- Cinnamon (to taste)
- 1 TBL Splenda

DIRECTIONS:

- Put all the ingredients in the blender (I use my handy-dandy Magic Bullet)
- Cook like a normal pancake (I spray my pan with PAM)
- The batter is thin, so it takes some experimenting with the temperature of the burner so you don't burn the pancakes.
- Serve these topped with fresh fruit (I use bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc. - whatever is on sale that week!) and some sugar free syrup (I use Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Flavor Syrup)

Chocolate-Peanut Butter version

NUTRITION: (makes one serving)

(*NOTE: all nutrition information is estimated based on ingredients and is meant only as a guide)

- Pancakes:
Calories: 188, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 36g


- Meal: (Served with one 6" banana and 1/8 cup syrup)
Calories: 293, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 37g

Cottage Cheese (and fruit)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I use HEB fat free version) - (and you can do this dairy free too! Though I haven't eaten it plain, I have baked/cooked with Lactaid brand)

- 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries

- cinnamon (to taste)

NUTRITION:

Calories: 107,  Fat: <1g,  Carbohydrates: 12g,  Protein 12.5g

(*NOTE: all nutrition information is estimated based on ingredients and is meant only as a guide)

So I made a new discovery today – and even surprised myself a bit in the process. Cottage cheese has always kind of creeped me out. Maybe it’s the fact that I remember mixing it with the food of my grandparents’ dog, Gypsy, if I ever helped take care of her growing up. Or maybe it gets to the level of creepy all on its own. I mean, come on…have you seen it?

However, in an effort to find high protein, healthy snacks, I decided to give it a fair shot. I vaguely remember trying it a few times over the years, but I think my preconceived notions took a bite out of its shot at success. So as I made out my new grocery list, I added it as the last item…reluctantly…but added it nonetheless. I went to pick out my cottage cheese and found myself at a bit of a loss with all the choices! In other words, I had a bit of a “dairy case query.” How many different types of cheese curds can there be? Yeesh! But after making my selection and returning home, I mixed the cottage cheese with a few strawberry slices. What did I end up with? A nice Valentine’s Day snack for myself and a big shock – I liked it! I mean REALLY liked it! What are the odds?!

So...even now, I keep learning new things about me...and rediscovering things I already knew. It's not that I forgot them, per se...just misplaced the knowledge of it… or maybe just set it down someplace and didn't remember to go pick it back up. For this one, though, all I had to do was lay down what I thought I already had figured out and be willing to open up (even at risk of failure). You never know what’ll happen…

I mean, look…at least I got a snack, right?! :-)

Thick & Rich (and pretty darn healthy) Hot Cocoa

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." ~ Charles M. Schulz


INGREDIENTS:

- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- Splenda (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

- Combine all the ingredients
- Heat over medium heat, whisking often (while simultaneously restraining yourself from licking the whisk)
- Bring to a boil (while whisking constantly)
- Remove from heat
- Pour into your favorite mug (you know the one...) and...
- ENJOY


Those days where you have the time to get things done and be productive, but you get to the end of it and feel like you've gotten yourself no where at all. Maybe you even went backwards. Have you ever had one of those? I have. I do. I will.  I find that late at night I do my back-pedaling. My "oh man I should have done this" and my "why in the world did I do that?!" and my "I'm never going to get it all done" and my "woe is me" and my "who am I?" thoughts all clamor for room in my head.  So as I sat slumped under the weight of burdened thoughts tonight, I remembered that I am given rest if I ask for it...given rest if I grab hold of grace. I was also reminded that every moment is brand new and is mine to make mine. Make sense?? When I fall asleep at night, I can choose to let today be. I can choose to let tomorrow be. I know I am not alone right now, and that I can choose to meet tomorrow when it arrives because I won't be alone then either. So when I wake up, I'll shake off today and face the very next moment, knowing that it is my moment. But why wait until tomorrow?! I made this yummy cocoa tonight so I could indulge as I curled up to read myself to sleep. My moment is now. 

Nutrition:
Calories: 95, Total fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 8, Protein: 1
(*NOTE: all nutrition information is estimated based on ingredients and is meant only as a guide)

Tres Leches Cake

Oh man oh man oh man. So we know GF baking can be a little tricky, but this cake is near fool-proof! Promise! I took the shortcut and used a cake mix, so I just tweaked the Betty Crocker recipe for Premium Tres Leches cake and...voila!

I couldn't be more pleased with how this lil' project turned out. I could eat myself sick on this...and will probably do so at breakfast tomorrow. That's right...I said it! BREAKFAST! *GRIN*

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
- (a few dashes of cinnamon - optional)
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free in an attempt to make up for some of the gluttony going on here. Oh well!)
- 1 cup evaporated milk (again with the fat free; you can also use just plain ol' whole milk)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 container of whipped dessert topping, thawed (Cool Whip, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

- Heat oven to 325 degrees
- Spray/grease 9x13 baking dish
- Beat cake mix, cinnamon, water, butter, vanilla, and eggs for about 30 seconds at a slow pace then kick it up a gear and beat for approximately 2 minutes (or a minute and a half if your forearm starts to burn! I simply used a whisk, as I have no electric mixer. If you use an electric mixer - do the first 30 seconds on low speed then 2 minutes on medium)
- Pour into pan and bake about 25 minutes (keep an eye on it so it won't overbake!)
- Let the cake stand about 5 minutes.
- Using a long-tined fork (or whatever in the world you can find while rummaging through the kitchen drawer), poke holes all over the cake. (The more holes, the more the milk will get soaked into the cake = moist cake!)
- In a bowl, mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whipping cream
- Pour the mixture carefully and evenly over the cake (yes - use it all!)
- Cover the cake and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour until cake is entirely cool and the mixture has soaked into the cake
- Cover (frost) the cake with the whipped topping (you can use icing for this if you want a SUPER rich cake. For me, it's a little too much...plus it saves having to make your own GF icing!)

I top mine off by sprinkling cinnamon on top. This stuff is soooooo good. I have a weakness for moist cake, and this cake is anything but dry! It is just sweet enough without knocking your teeth out. Tres Leches is absolutely one of my favorites, so I hope this goes over as well at your house as it did at mine!

Something to consider: I made this as a birthday cake. My logic says that calories do not count on birthdays. So...go get the ingredients and bake, bake, bake! It's a birthday somewhere! Celebrate! *GRIN*

Mango chicken tacos

This recipe was adapted from $5 dinners: Mango Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I made several changes to make this a little more "do-able" for our situation - GF, no grill, and cheap! *BIG GRIN*

If you could see me, you would know I am on my knees begging you to go make these. You won't regret it. Go!

INGREDIENTS:

- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 cup mango marinade (READ THE INGREDIENTS!!! PLEASE!! If you are not 100% sure...contact the company. I use Bronco Bob's Roasted Mango Chipotle Sauce. It is incredible! If you are NOT gluten-free...KC Masterpiece apparently makes a yummy one as well.)
- 1 large mango, diced
- 2 dashes of garlic powder (to taste)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1.5 TBL mango marinade

DIRECTIONS:

- Marinate chicken for a couple of hours (place in gallon-sized Ziploc bag, pour in the 1 cup of marinade, and set in refrigerator)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place chicken in baking dish and pour marinade on top
- Cover the pan with foil and cook for approximately 40 minutes (every 10 minutes I took the chicken out and redistributed the sauce back over the chicken)
- Remove chicken from pan, dice, and place it back in the pan
- Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes

While chicken is cooking, create mango salsa:
- Combine diced mango, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and 1.5 TBL of mango marinade


I served the chicken on top of corn tortillas and topped the chicken with shredded lettuce, mango salsa, and black beans. I ate mine as lettuce wraps. YOU CHOOSE!


I'd like to point out that the response to these was: "Wow. This is restaurant caliber. Can I have three more?" Toot! Toot! :D

Huevos Rancheros

 A GREAT way to save a little on your grocery bill is to occasionally cook breakfast for supper. "Huevos Rancheros" enter stage left. Talk about a yummy, cheap, incredibly easy breakfast, lunch, OR supper! Right up my alley (and I know it's up yours too!). This recipe is a combination of one used by my sister-in-law with a couple of random additions of my own.

INGREDIENTS:

 - Corn tortillas
 - Oil for frying tortillas
 - Eggs
 - Shredded cheese
 - Ranchero sauce
 - Black beans, corn, or whatever else you want (optional - I did not add any of this during this go-around, but give it a whirl!)

Ranchero sauce:

- Bacon (I use turkey bacon)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 can Rotel

- 1 can tomato sauce 

- Garlic powder (to taste)

- Cumin (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

- Cook bacon. Remove from pan and place on plate (covered with paper towels to soak up grease!)

- Saute onions (in the bacon grease) - YUM! I'll admit that there is very little grease if you use turkey bacon, but a little bit of cooking spray / butter will do the trick.

- Add the Rotel and tomato sauce to the onion and cook until warm

- Crumble bacon into the sauce and VOILA! (as my sweet sister Doni says in her version of the recipe)

- Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and brown the tortillas (approximately 1 minute per side).

- Remove each tortilla as you brown it and place between paper towels

- Fry an egg/egg white

- Immediately place the egg on top of a tortilla already topped with shredded cheese (this is the sneaky way to melt the cheese!)

- Top each egg with a few tablespoons of the sauce

- Now get to work!!!

Random note from the kitchen:

This sauce is great on the eggs without the tortillas and cheese (this was breakfast for me this morning). Moreover, it makes a SPECTACULAR way to spice up a plain ol' baked potato (this was lunch for me today) *GRIN* Have at it!!

Fried 'Nanners

New favorite dessert. Period.

And talk about cheap!! YES! You can't beat a dessert made with something you can get for less than 45 cents a pound!

So easy. So yummy. So absolutely necessary. *GRIN*

The following recipe came about because I thought these three ingredients thrown together and cooked this way would be yummy. Boy was I wrong. It is INSANELY YUMMY. Oh m' goodness gracious me (for translation, see the explanation of this exclamation at the beginning of my Cajun Cabbage Rolls recipe).

I made this dessert one banana at a time. Make as many as you want *GRIN* but the recipe is set to make only one.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 banana (still firm), peeled and cut in half
- 1/4 - 1/2 TBL butter (depending on how bad you want to be!)
- 1/2 TBL brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

- Melt the butter in a pan over low-medium
- Place the banana in the butter and cover it well on both sides
- Increase heat to medium
- As the butter and banana begin to fry, top the banana with the brown sugar
- Continue to cook the concoction until the banana is golden on both sides (and your kitchen smells DELICIOUS!)

My suggestion:

Serve the banana (and as much of the carmel sauce as you can POSSIBLY scrape from the pan short of licking the scalding pan and burning your tongue) on top of some Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. If you don't have access to Blue Bell, my heart hurts for you, but your favorite ice cream will do the job!

And for the record...I am sitting here typing this blog just to keep myself from using the two remaining bananas to make more. YEEESH.