Foodie Friday: Peanut Butter Banana Protein Souffle Pancake

The other day, Nathan was looking for restaurants to try for breakfast during his mom’s visit and came across this amazing creation. Holy cannoli! I’m not usually one for ordering pancakes when we go out, but I seriously had to consider at least getting one for the table to try. Of course, then I couldn’t stop thinking about this amazing-looking souffle pancake. So much so that I was laying in bed that night thinking about ways to make a healthier version for breakfast the next day.

I mentally put a list of ingredients together and decided I needed to give it a whirl. I was so excited when it turned out so well and had to remind myself to slow down a few times because it was so good! Because of the whipped egg whites, this souffle pancake has a much lighter, fluffier texture than a typical pancake. And by using peanut flour over all-purpose flour, it adds an extra protein punch and a ton of extra flavor.

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Souffle Pancake

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 3 egg whites
– 1 egg
– 1/4 cup peanut flour [I use Protein Plus Peanut Flour]*
– 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 cup almond milk [I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla]
– 8 drops liquid stevia [if using unsweetened peanut flour – I use NuNaturals Vanilla]*
– 1/2 banana; sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F and place a 10″ pan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 egg whites until thick and white with stiff peaks.

In a separate bowl, add the rest of the ingredients except banana. Mix those ingredients together until well incorporated, then gently fold in the whipped egg whites. Be careful not to mix too much as it could deflate the whites. Spray the pan with cooking spray and pour your mixture in. Let the mixture set about 2 minutes before placing the banana slices on top.

Once the slices are placed on top, turn the burner off and place the pan in the oven. Let bake about 7-10 minutes until it is completely set. Remove from the oven and set aside for 1-2 minutes. Carefully slide the souffle pancake onto a plate and top with your favorite toppings. I just so happened to have a fresh batch of coconut cashew butter just waiting to be drizzled on top!

*These ingredients can be found on iHerb.com. Use code ZAF482 to receive $5 off of your first order.

Nutritional Information
Per pancake, without toppings

302 Calories  /  10g Fat  /  25g Carbs  /  7g Fiber  /  10g Sugar  /  34g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you tried peanut flour before? Are you a fan?
How would you top your souffle pancake?

Choco-cado Peanut Butter Pudding

Chocolate is a girl’s best friend. Or wait, that’s diamonds. I vote both.. and wine. Just so happens, this pudding would go great with a glass of red wine. Diamonds just go with everything.

But honestly, I’ve seen tons of recipes floating around the interwebs using avocado in desserts for the extra creaminess that you can often get from, well, cream or butter. Plus the health benefits of avocados are undeniable. I figured I’d give it a spin <– get it? Because I made it in the Vitamix… I’m on a roll today!

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
– 1 medium avocado
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams
– 1/2 cup almond milk [I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla]
– 3 pitted dates [if they’re tough, soak them in warm water for an hour first]
– 2 tbsp maple syrup
– 3 tbsp cocoa powder [I use Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate]
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– Pinch of salt

Directions
Put all ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor and blend away until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 cup serving

243 Calories  /  13g Fat  /  33g Carbs  /  5g Fiber  /  22g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you ever made a dessert with avocado?

What I Ate Wednesday #42: My Current Loves

When I suddenly realized that it was time for another edition of WIAW, I also realized that I have unfortunately not been doing a great job of taking pictures of my food and also of switching up what I’m eating. So because I’ve been eating so much of the same, I thought I’d share the favorites that continue to reoccur on my plate.

[Breakfast]
I’m on an oatmeal kick again and I just can’t shake it [not that I’m trying to..] Here’s my favorite recipe as of late..

– 2 egg whites
– 1/2 cup oats
– 1/2 cup lite coconut or almond milk
– 1/2 cup water
– 1/2 banana
– Cinnamon. All of it. I love cinnamon

Toppings
– 1 tbsp nut butters [I usually do 3 tsps of different nut butters!]
– Sprinkling of granola; my go-to right now is Michele’s Pistachio Lemon.. it’s a seasonal flavor and SO good!

Cook the egg whites separately with a sprinkle of cinnamon and set aside. Add milk, water, banana, and cinnamon to the pot and mash the banana until it melts in. Add oats and bring to a boil, then simmer until almost cooked through. Add egg whites back in and combine. Pour into a bowl and top with nut butter, granola, and a little more cinnamon. I told you, I love cinnamon!

[Lunch]
Spinach and cabbage salads with tons of fresh veggies, turkey quinoa burger

, and the easiest guacamole in the world. I take 1/4 avocado and mash it up with whatever salsa I have on hand. Right now I’m using tomatillo salsa and it’s crazy good!

[Dinner]
We’ve been crazy busy lately [oh, weddings..] so dinners have been out a lot. Or just the usual roasted vegetables and whatever protein I can get my hands on!

[Snacks]
– Pink lady beet juice [out of old coconut oil jars.. it’s normal]
– Apples
– Yogurt [Chobani.. duh]
– KIND bars

Food for Thought

What are you current go-to foods or meals?

Chocolate Pudding and Giveaway Winners!

I have a serious sweet tooth so I’m always looking for ways to satisfy that without going calorie-overboard. I’ve seen tons of chocolate avocado pudding recipes all over Pinterest, so with some wonderfully ripe avocados sitting in my fridge, I figured now is the best time to try my hand at my own creation. And I have to say, I was quite pleased with the results.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Makes 3, 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
1 medium avocado
1 medium banana
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp agave
2 tbsp semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions
Put all ingredients, except chocolate chips, into a food processor and process until smooth. Scoop into a bowl and stir chocolate chips in. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes until chilled and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions
Unsweetened shredded coconut
Sliced almonds
Whipped Cream

Nutritional Stats
Per 1/2 cup serving

232 Calories  /  14g Fat  /  37g Carbs  /  8g Fiber  /  18g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Giveaway Winners!

I chose my 5 lucky Premier Protein giveaway winners using random.org.

Kate says : September 5, 2012 at 5:27 pm
i’m starving right now so chocolate pb sounds faaaaaantastic

fromicecreamtoamarathon says : September 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I want to try the chocolate peanut butter protein bar!!

runningeater September 7, 2012 at 7:42 am
I followed you

Shannon (@caloah) September 7, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Hello.. my name is Shannon and Im a Protein Baraholic. (Seriously not even joking tho!) The Chocolate Peanut Butter sound right down my alley! Would love to try it out. 🙂
This one cracked me up! I can totally relate.

alw6ys September 8, 2012 at 2:42 am
Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch protein bar!

Congrats to all five winners! Please contact me at brittany.barr@gmail.com with your address so I can send the info on over to the wonderful people at Premier Protein!

Finally, a big thanks to Premier Protein for sponsoring such a great giveaway!

*Winners have until 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, 9/11/12, to respond. If I don’t hear back from you, I will be choosing a new winner.

Foodie Friday: Chocolate Protein Oats

I already have my breakfast planned for tomorrow.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and while this week I’ve been on a protein pancake kick, I’m ready to start the weekend with my favorite breakfast; chocolate protein oats.

More specifically, Coach’s Oats. I’ve recently been introduced to these little lovely bites and don’t ever want to go back to regular oats again. These oats aren’t rolled, but they aren’t steel cut either. They do, however, have that same texture and bite as steel cut oats, which is my favorite, but cook in no time like rolled oats!

Coach’s Oats are prepared in an entirely new way. The groats are toasted to bring the natural sugars to the surface of the oat, then cracked into small pieces. This patented Cracked n’ Toasted™ process means that Coach’s Oats are never mushy, always naturally delicious and cook in just 3 to 5 minutes on a stovetop or in the microwave.

Chocolate Protein Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk (Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla is my favorite!)
1/2 banana, mashed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup oats (Coach’s Oats are my favorite, of course!)

Optional Toppings
1/2 tbsp nut butter (I love Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread)
Fruit – figs, banana, strawberries, blueberries, etc
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon

Directions
Heat a small pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add your 3 egg whites and cook through, mashing into small pieces. Once cooked, put the egg whites in a bowl off to the side.

Turn heat to high and add water, almond milk, mashed banana, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and oats to the pot. Stir to incorporate everything and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the head to low and stir until everything has just about come together. For the last minute of cooking, add your egg whites back in and stir well.

Pour everything into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

I immediately top mine with peanut butter.. I truly believe melty peanut butter is the best thing in the world.

Speak Up!

What are your favorite oatmeal toppings? Do you change them up or always reach for the same thing?

What I Ate Wednesday #14 – Rainy Day Adventures

We had some awesome plans last Saturday to rise and shine super early and head to Rehoboth Beach for the day. We haven’t been to the beach at all this summer so I was looking forward to it all week!

And then the weather forecast changed. To rain. All day. What do you even do when you’re at the beach and it’s raining? Exactly.

Well, fine then! We slept in, had a nice, relaxing morning, and then packed up and headed over to Alexandria, VA for the day! For what, you ask? Wine.

But not just any wine. Trader Joe’s Two-Buck Chuck. Yep. We drove 1.5 hrs each way for Trader Joe’s wine. Don’t worry, we got some good eats on the way too!

[Breakfast]
Cinnamon protein Coach’s Oats, topped (of course) with Earth Balance coconut peanut spread and fig. Naturally, I had my Tone It Up Bombshell Spell and some coffee with almond milk on the side. Perfect way to start the day!

[Snack]
A relaxing morning turned into a very late lunch, so I munched on some baby carrots in the car. Nothing exciting.. or worth picturing.

[Lunch]
Here’s the exciting part. We googled for a good 30 minutes looking for the best place to go for lunch and ended up at Caphe Banh Mi. If you’re in the Alexandria area, definitely go!

We started out with a vegetarian summer roll with tofu, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, and other veggies with a peanut dipping sauce. The sauce made it for me.. anything peanut [butter] related is a big green light! For our meals, we both tried pho (our first time!) Nathan got the traditional and I got the chicken. Traditional is the way to go! The beef was so rich and delicious and I could have eaten all of his! But instead, I ate all of mine. Topped with bean sprouts and fresh Thai basil. YUM!

[Snack]
Old towne is such a cute place! We walked around looking for a place to get a sweet treat and found Pop’s. Peanut butter chocolate pretzel ice cream. This is no joke. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of it (because I ate it too quickly), but that sample picture will do. I would make the drive for the ice cream.

[Dinner]
Late lunch + snack = late [lazy] dinner. Steamed some broccoli in the microwave, topped it with chicken and bbq sauce, and called it a day!

[Summer Staple]
Wine! Yep, I went there. Every summer day is better with a glass of wine.

Trader Joe’s in Maryland doesn’t sell wine and we’ve heard so many good things about it. But the biggest thing is that we’re trying to find every way to cut back on our wedding budget, so when Nathan heard about Two-Buck Chuck taking home a big prize, we knew we had to give it a try.

Results are in! And it was totally worth the drive. Wedding attendants, get ready for some Two-Buck Chuck! 🙂

Speak Up!

Where is your favorite place to day-trip? Have you ever taken a day trip for a meal? … Or a drink? 😉

What I Ate Wednesday #12 – Baltimore Restaurant Week

Baltimore Restaurant Week is one of my favorite weeks of summer. I guess winter too, but someone summer just seems better!

I absolutely love trying new restaurants and this is the time to do it. You get to taste 3 courses for $30, and if you choose the right place, you’re really getting a steal! Often, the restaurants on the list serve entrees ranging from $20-$40, so to add an appetizer and dessert to that makes it all worth it.

This time around, we decided to check out Salt. It’s a trendy little restaurant that we’ve been to before, but it’s been years. And while we usually use restaurant week as an excuse to try something new, we just couldn’t pass up the incredible menu.

Being that we went out on a Friday, the first part of my day is uber normal. Aka not so exciting. Except for this awesome pancake!

[Breakfast]

Chocolate coconut protein pancake topped with Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread, coconut, and cinnamon plus Bombshell Spell with ZICO. I’m absolutely obsessed with the coconut peanut spread. It’s like a little taste of heaven melted over chocolatey goodness!

[Snack]

(not pictured)
Apple

[Lunch]

(not pictured)
Mixed green salad with cucumber, tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, carrots, zucchini, diced avocado, & chili sesame tofu. This tofu recipe is divine and so simple. I’ll be sharing it soon!

[Snack]

(not pictured)
thinkThin Creamy Peanut Butter Blizzard + a few pieces Almond Maple Pecan Snackle Mouth. The blizzard was a fun way to mix up my usual protein bar and the little chunks at the very bottom were so tasty! And the Snackle Mouth is really something special.. I was lucky enough to win a couple boxes and I hope to be featuring these (or some new products soon to launch!) in a giveaway very soon!

[Dinner]

The most exciting part of the day. Everything on the menu sounded absolutely phenomenal and we couldn’t make any decisions without asking for recommendations (of course!)

Primaterra Pinot Noir • Roasted Red Pepper Tapinade with freshly baked bread

Cool Vichyssoise Soup
Dungeness crab, pommes frites, chive oil

Country Pork Terrine (not pictured)
Pistachios, figs, dijon mustard

I went for the soup, Nathan for the terrine. We were both equally pleased with our choices and it was something new for each of us to try.

Grilled Swordfish with Charred Gazpacho Vegetables
Lemon and olive quinoa, avocado puree

Crispy Creek Stone Farms Beef Belly Confit
Ginger glaze, white kimchi with asian pears, spicy sriracha creamed corn

The swordfish had been recommended to me by a friend and the side dishes sold me. It was delicious and I savored every last bite. But Nathan totally won. The beef belly confit was rich and savory with a slight sweetness from the creamed corn, which wasn’t all mush, as some would assume. If I went back the next day, I’d get the beef belly confit, hands down!

Key Lime Tart
Coconut meringue, blue berry coulis

Goat Cheese Donuts
Lavender honey, vanilla sea salt, coffee ice cream

Finally, the best way to end a wonderful meal; with an even more wonderful dessert. I opted for the tart while Nathan chose the donuts. Really, he’d choose anything fried, but drizzled with honey and ice cream on the side? He couldn’t say no! They were fantastic, but I definitely preferred my key lime tart. It was light, sweet, and tart, and just the perfect ending to the meal.

[Summer Staples]
Fresh fruits and veggies. Not a day goes by that I don’t get my fill of all of the freshness that summer has to offer and Salt definitely feels the same way. All of my favorite restaurants are those that take advantage of the freshest ingredients available and plan their menus around that. Why offer farm-raised tilapia when rockfish are jumping?

Speak Up!

What would you have ordered? Are you a meat-and-potatoes kinda person or a sea-foodie?

What I Ate Wednesday #11 – Day Tripper

I bet you have that song stuck in your head now.

No? How about now?

Over the weekend, Nathan and I were tasked with seeing 2 wedding bands. The first one was in DC and with that being at least an hour away, we decided to make a day trip of it. Clearly the first thing to do when deciding on a day trip is to pick out where we can stop for lunch, drinks, and dinner. Who doesn’t plan their day around food?

Breakfast

Typical.. a chocolate coconut zucchini protein pancake (similar recipe to this guy!) topped with the new Earth Balance coconut & peanut spread, coconut, and cinnamon. Of course, I ha my Tone It Up Bombshell Spell and Chocolate Coconut coffee with almond milk. Between the coconut & peanut spread and the chocolate coconut coffee, I was in heaven!

P.S. Make sure to check back soon.. I’m hoping to be doing something fun with Earth Balance!

We made our way off to DC where we had reservations at Oyamel, a José Andrés restaurant. I love tapas restaurants and being able to taste a bunch of things makes it such a fun experience. I would definitely go back!

Lunch

We had to do it fancy and got a pitcher of Farmer’s Fresh Mimosas with plum and lemon verbena. Delicious! I could have had the whole pitcher myself 🙂 The fresh salsa was wonderful and the Mexican squash salad was light and delicious. I loved the topping of queso fresco and crushed peanuts. This is definitely a dish I would consider a summer staple.

I followed that up with a chicken taco with their homemade guacamole and grilled scallion. I have to admit, the guacamole might have been my favorite part of the meal (other than the mimosas!) Next time, I’m definitely getting that to start! I also had a fish taco with pico de gallo. Once again, so fresh and light. We each finished off our meal with Mexican coffee. Full of flavor and a nice jolt to our systems! It was a great meal and so nice to have a light lunch before hitting the town!

After lunch, we explored DC a bit. We took a nice walk over to the Lincoln Monument and then found some much needed air conditioning at the American History Museum. The heat must have messed with our heads; once we cooled off at the museum, we realized we’d much rather cool off with a beer. Off to RFD! After splitting the pitcher of mimosas, I decided to keep it at one beer. What was that beer you ask? Oh, I can’t remember because I forgot to take a picture! Professional blogger over here 😉

Don’t you worry though, I definitely didn’t forget to take a picture of my froyo!

Snack

I don’t mess around with froyo (also a very important summer staple.) Mostly peanut butter with a touch of cheesecake, dulce de leche, and coconut. And of course I had to top it with peanut butter cups. I have a slight obsession with chocolate and peanut butter. Can you tell?

Dinner

Since Nathan indulged my obsession, I indulged his and we went for pizza for dinner! Matchbox features tons of pizzas with a thin, crispy crust. We started off with the large apple/pear salad. I would give the salad a big miss next time. I wouldn’t call it a large and, unfortunately, I had no desire to take a picture of it. But at least we got a little veggie!

When it came to ordering the pizzas, we went back and forth with what we wanted to split. They have so many different kinds and they all sounded wonderful! If we could have, I would have gotten a different kind of pizza for each slice, but since we could only split it in half, we went for the Oven Dried Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella (their version of the margherita pizza) and the Veggie with roasted garlic, artichokes, oven dried tomatoes, pecorino romano, and mozzarella. We each tried a piece of each and went our separate ways. He finished the margherita and I finished the veggie. It’s why we work 🙂

And dessert? Oh right.. had that before dinner. Whoops! (I would have had another one if I had my chance!) We did finally make it to see the band, but the food was the real highlight of the day trip!

Speak Up!

Where is your favorite day trip? Do you plan where you’re going to eat before you head out or just see where the road takes you?

Foodie Friday: Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

As a food lover, and more specifically, a sweets lover, I’m always trying to find ways to create healthier options of my favorite foods. So when Nathan looked at our 2-day-old ciabatta bread and asked me to make bread pudding, I gladly accepted the challenge!

Now, if we’re really talking about healthifying, I would have preferred a wheat-based bread.. maybe a whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread. Mmmmm!

But these are minor details.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Make 9 – 3″ squares
Adapted from sweetlab

Ingredients
1/2 stale ciabatta loaf, cubed
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 egg
3 egg whites
1 – 13.66oz can lite coconut milk
3/4 cup unsweetend vanilla almond milk (Or other low- or non-fat milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Optional – I opted not to add as I was using vanilla almond milk)
2 tbsp agave (Or another form of natural sweetener)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 – 1/2 cup dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips
Pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread shredded coconut over a sheet pan and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, mix egg, egg whites, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla extract, agave, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Add in the cubed bread and half of the toasted coconut. Toss until everything is evenly and well coated.

Grease a 9×9″ pan and scatter a small amount of chocolate chips, about 2-3 tbsp, along the bottom of the pan. Add in half of your bread and coconut mixture. Top that with half of the leftover coconut and about 3/4 of the chocolate chips. Create another layer on top of that of the rest of bread and coconut mixture, topped with the last of the chocolate chips and coconut. Allow to rest in the pan for about 15 minutes.

While resting, preheat oven to 325°F. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean, turning halfway through. Once done, allow to rest about 15 minutes to let everything settle.

Or dig right in and burn your mouth.. it might be worth it! 😉 But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

If you like it a little sweeter, feel free to drizzle more agave or other sweetener on top. And if you’re feeling extra fancy, throw a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on there!

Speak Up!

What’s your favorite bready type of dessert? Are you a bread pudding fan? I never was until just a few years ago.. now I can’t get enough!

What I Ate Wednesday #7 – Sunday Brunch

Sundays are definitely one of my favorite days. Morning yoga in the park, hitting up the farmers market, and on some special Sundays, we do brunch.

One thing you need to know about Nathan and me is that we love deals. Groupon and Living Social are my best friend. So much so, that people poke fun at me for work.. “Oh, you’re going out to eat? What kinda deal did you get?” I have no problem with this because as a foodie, trying new restaurants (for half price, mind you) is nothing less than awesome!

This past Sunday’s brunch was at Lebanese Taverna. It may not have been a new restaurant to try, but we absolutely love the food there, so when a deal popped up for brunch, we were on that like white on rice! Or hummus on pita.. you choose 😉

I realized when I went to put this post together that I didn’t take pictures of any of my food from Sunday, except brunch sooo here’s a quick break down!

Breakfast
Cinnamon raisin protein oats & quinoa. This recipe is coming soon and you don’t want to miss it!

Brunch
Lebanese Taverna deliciousness!

Homemade Bread
This is important enough for it’s own line. Have you had their bread?! It is incredible.

Red Sangria
Pomegranate wine, triple sec, brandy, cinnamon, basil, apples, and plums. I would order that every time!

Our Feast!
Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Lebanese Salad (cucumber, tomato, mint, & onion), Chicken Kabob, and Beef & Lamb Shwarma.

My favorite parts? The baba ganoush and beef & lamb shwarma. I could eat all of it. All day. Everyday.

Booza
An ice cream trio with Pistachio-Orange (my fave!), Vanilla Cardamom (Nathan’s fave!), and Honey (the overall crowd-pleaser.)

Clearly, it was too warm outside to let the ice cream pose for a picture, so naturally, we devoured it! Sorry. (Not really.)

Dinner
Leftover thai.. steamed bean thread noodles with fresh ginger, hu-nu, onions, carrots, baby corn, scallions,bean sprouts, pork, and bean sauce in a hot pot and a side of edamame. This comes from a place called Thai Arroy. It looks like a little whole-in-the-wall, but it is the best thai food in Baltimore!

Snack Time
Homemade peanut butter froyo. This is another recipe coming soon and definitely worth checking out! It’s so easy and much cheaper than going out 🙂

Like I said.. I didn’t do such a great job of taking pictures on Sunday, so now you’re subjected to a bad Instagramed phone picture. For this, I truly apologize.

Speak Up!

What’s your favorite Sunday tradition? Are you a Sunday brunch-er?

And don’t miss my giveaway; you have until tomorrow night to enter! You could win a case of the delicious CalNaturale Svelte! Yum!