Category Archives: Going Healthy

The Frittata Recipe I Never Made + WIAW #6

Isn’t it funny how something with a unique sounding name has most people thinking it’s something hard to make or requires time they don’t have? The frittata being one of them, is really just a crustless quiche. Oops, another uncommon name!

Okay, instead of quiche, how about an open-faced omelette? I mean, c’mon, an omelette you don’t have to try and fold over? Score! The frittata is just that, and it can be as elaborate or simple as you want with 12 different mix-ins, or just a single ingredient.

That’s what I love about them, their versatility. Everything you like on a pizza can be used in a frittata. And, just like pizzas can be savory as you usually see, frittatas can also become a sweet treat for late-night snacking or tasty breakfast. Or hell, why not both?

I have yet to do it, but think taking a ripe banana, slicing it into quarter-inch circles and using them for a sweet frittata with nut butter would be nothing short of spectacular! Plus, I see kids easily asking to have more after devouring what you thought was your breakfast.

Here’s my (not) tried and true recipe for a banana bliss frittata..

Ingredients

  • 1 medium ripe banana, sliced into quarter-inch circles
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp nut butter of choice; my go-to fav is NuttZo
  • Cinnamon to taste; I like A LOT
  • Optional: liquid or powder stevia or 1 tbsp honey for extra sweetness

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Whisk eggs with nut butter, cinnamon, and optional sweetener and set aside
  3. Add coconut oil to skillet on med-high heat and tilt to coat
  4. Saute banana slices for 2-3 minutes or until you see them caramelizing
  5. Pour egg mixture over banana slices in skillet and let set, lifting the edges to allow egg on the top to run below.
  6. After about 2 minutes, finish off by placing in the middle rack of your oven for 3 minutes.
  7. Remove and let sit 10 minutes to cool and pull away from the sides.

Now, you either love me for the idea, or hate me for not actually creating this dish and taking pictures. Maybe both? I know, I’m sorry, and if you don’t do it soon, maybe I’ll have a real pic to share next week.

I do, however, have a savory frittata I recently made and can even share a pic or two. In the mix, I had a plethora of veggies including peas and carrots (ha ha, that’s for Jenn, the host of WIAW!), onions, green beans, swiss chard, corn, and canned diced tomatoes.

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After sauteing everything and letting the excess liquid evaporate, I added 4 whisked eggs, let it sit, and then finished off in the oven. It was a hit for my mom, Avery’s G-Ma, and wife!

If you’re wondering, the point of this post is simply to proclaim my love of frittatas. It has been waayyyyy too long since making them and hopefully the spell has been broken.

With that, let us move on to the main attraction, WIAW! Thanks to Jenn from Peas and Crayons, for creating this fun link-up for foodies everywhere!

what I ate wednesday, WIAW

 

The day started with my usual truckload of coffee. I picked up this cold brew at Trader Joe’s and it’s about the only thing I’m really liking from the place.

trader joe's cold brew coffee

Then it was time for overnight oats with NuttZo and a smiling toddler!

After working out, Avery and I tried my newest microwave omelette maker bread creations with NuttZo on top.

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The verdict? They were all a hit with our little toddler as well as myself! Go me!

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Lunch was spaghetti squash with grass-fed ground beef with lots of mushrooms and brussels sprouts. The picture sucks, the meal was wonderful!

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Although I probably should have, I didn’t eat anything again until dinner. I was hungry, and that frittata hit the spot!

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Do you love frittatas?

What other creations have an intimidating name that sound hard to make but are really simple?

Have you ever had a sweet frittata like the banana and nut butter one I mentioned?

Before I’m done, just want to mention I love NuttZo and you MUST try it at least once forever! Plus, if you go to their website and enter code liley15, you can save 15% off your order. 😉

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

Sweet & Spicy NuttZo Carrot Dip Recipe + WIAW #5

NuttZo is mentioned on here quite often, huh? Besides that fact that I’m a proud NuttZo Ambassador, it’s just that good that I have to talk about and share it frequently. Is that such a bad thing? Didn’t think so.

Today I have an easy and delicious NuttZo recipe to share. No baking, rolling anything into balls, or waiting for hours, just a few simple ingredients and a quick blend is all you need. It’s a super versatile sweet and spicy NuttZo carrot dip!

We’re already having temps in the mid-80’s here in Texas, so avoiding the oven makes sense. The only heat you need is the microwave or stove-top for steaming purposes, but then no more cooking! This recipe can be easily customized into only sweet or only spicy, so have fun and get your NuttZo on!

Sweet and/or Spicy NuttZo Carrot Dip

NuttZo Carrot Dip

Ingredients

1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup steamed carrots; Use pumpkin puree if you don’t have or don’t want to use carrots
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup smooth NuttZo Original or Power Fuel (You can use crunchy if you don’t mind a little crunch in your dip. Actually sounds pretty good!)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon; plus more to sprinkle on top (I love the spice from cinnamon!)
Pinch of pure stevia or 2 packets of stevia (I use Pyure Sweet); can also use 2-4 Tbsp honey, but I haven’t tried to verify

Easiest instructions EVER

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth; scrape down the sides once or twice to get everything.

NuttZo Carrot Dip

If you have more of a sweet tooth, nix the cayenne and either add another pinch or packet of stevia or leave as is. Conversely, omit the stevia and add a tiny bit more cayenne to turn up the heat! This would make a perfect game day dip to serve with veggies.

Feel like having something chocolaty? Sub in Dark Chocolate NuttZo for the original, add a 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and leave out the cayenne and viola!

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No matter how you make it, this NuttZo dip is sure to please, and it’s okay to just eat from the spoon, I do all the time. Oh, and so does Avery. Speaking of, this “dip” can easily become healthy baby/toddler/anyone food.

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The evidence is on her chin!

Go ahead, leave your computer/tablet/phone and go make this NOW! Then come back to see WIAW. Thanks to Jenn from Peas and Crayons, for creating this fun link-up for foodies everywhere!

what I ate wednesday, WIAW

This week the party is being hosted at Sprint 2 the Table, so click on over and join in on the fun!

The morning started with, surprise surprise, homemade chocolate banana NuttZo bread with more NuttZo on top and the extra free “refill” coffee I got at Starbucks. Yep, still loving that Gold Card!

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As usual, I didn’t have much to eat until I completed my workout for the day. Today was leg day with heavy dead lifts and squats in my Soft Star Shoes followed by a core routine and walking with Avery to the playground.

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Oops, sorry, that’s not food!

Before lunch, I finished the rest of my kombucha from the day before and added a little apple cider vinegar.

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Lunch was spaghetti squash with grilled salmon and egg, steamed brussels sprouts and broccoli, and black beans. That hit the spot!

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I snacked on a few pieces of homemade beer bread with butter and black garlic spread on top to hold me over for dinner. The sweetness of black garlic paired with bread and butter is AMAZING!

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Dinner was something I haven’t made in a looonnggg time and need to be sure I make it again soon. Slow-cooker pot roast with grass-fed sirlion, red potatoes covered in the red lentil sauce from the crock-pot, and steamed broccoli. My favorite ladies both agreed this needs to happen again very soon.

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Naturally, I followed up with a cup full of sweet NuttZo carrot dip and a spoon. Nothing else needed!

Hope you give the carrot dip a try and have a great rest of the week! Happy Hump Day!Linking to the HOST

Are you a fan of dips or like using your fingers for snacking?

What do you think of using steamed carrots for dip?

Have you ever “baked” bread in the microwave?

Before I’m done, just want to mention I love NuttZo and you MUST try it at least once forever! Plus, if you go to their website and enter code liley15, you can save 15% off your order. 😉

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

Quick & Healthy NuttZo Banana Bread Recipe

Oh boy, do I have a treat for you! Peanut butter and banana sandwiches used to be my staple snack, but they can be a bit messy when out and about. Plus, I’m too good for regular ole peanut butter; we’re a NuttZo loving family now!

NuttZo makes excellent sandwiches on its own or with a banana, but I still wanted something that travels well so I could feed Avery and myself when away from home. Then the light shone down upon my jar of NuttZo and I suddenly had a brilliant healthy recipe idea; use my favorite ingredients to cook them right into a bread!

nuttzo, healthy

I quickly removed the jar from the light and the windowsill after my epiphany. Too risky!

We can’t get enough of NuttZo in our house lately. Avery, Kelley, and myself have been wreaking havoc on each delicious jar that comes our way. This recipe had to impress my lovely ladies or I risked breaking the “Happy wife, happy life” motto along with the lesser known, “Happy kid and you still live” motto. Scary, huh?

I used the microwave to make this bread, but have provided instructions if you want to bake it instead. Microwave cooking is my top choice, and while not gourmet, it still turns out tasty, healthy meals for any time of day.

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Batter in and ready for the microwave!

 

Make this bread, then cover it with more NuttZo and have zero regrets as you enjoy every last bite.

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Until you realize those bites were for your kid…..oops!!

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Healthy NuttZo Banana Bread

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 10 min

Keywords: bake microwave bread breakfast dessert snack nuttzo

Ingredients (12 thick or 16 thin slices)

  • 1 cup whole grain spelt, whole-wheat, or brown rice flour (I used whole grain spelt)
  • 1 cup unflavored or vanilla protein powder (I used an organic plant protein powder, but other types should work fine); if not using protein powder, just add another cup of the flour you used above
  • 1/4 cup peanut flour (or another nut flour of choice)
  • 4 tbsp NuttZo (any flavor); warm in microwave to make sure it mixes easily
  • 1/4 cup mashed ripe banana (applesauce or pumpkin puree would be good, but you’ll have to change the name)
  • 1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract (or use 1/4 cup sugar/honey/agave if you don’t have or like stevia)
  • 2 – 4 packets of stevia powder (I used Pyure Sweet Stevia)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups milk of choice (reduce by 1/4 cup if using honey or agave)
  • Optional: Add 2 egg whites for extra protein and to help bread rise. I did not do this and the bread turned out fine though.

Instructions

In the oven

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients to combine well, and then mix in the wet.

Pour into a lightly oiled or non-stick loaf pan (a muffin pan would be great too!) and bake 40-45 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.

In the Microwave

Coat a microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray, coconut oil, or good quality butter. You will need to do this in two batches for this method.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients to combine well, and then mix in the wet.

Pour half of the batter into greased bowl and microwave on high for 7 minutes.

Let cool in bowl at least 5 minutes to allow bread to pull away from the sides, and flip over to allow it to fall out. You might need to give a little tug if it doesn’t fall right out.

Powered by Recipage

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What I love about this recipe is you can swap out the banana for applesauce or pumpkin puree for a totally different, yet equally delicious bread. Give it a try and let me know how you love it!

Now, excuse me as I make another batch to make Avery happy again. Remember that motto…..

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Phew, crisis averted!