Tag: fast recipe

Recipes

Peanut Butter Protein Fluff

Alasen Zarndt

If you are trying to increase your protein intake, this is a snack you have to try! This delicious peanut butter fluff packs in 30g of  protein per serving. It’s quick and easy to make too (win).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250g) full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. powdered peanut butter
• 1 scoop (25g) collagen protein
• favorite garnish (banana, granola, blueberries)

Instructions:

Add the yogurt, peanut butter powder, and collagen into a small mixing bowl and whisk together using a hand mixer, until fluffy.

Transfer the mix into a bowl and top with your favourite toppings to serve.

   

Recipes

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Alasen Zarndt

This recipe is a great “make ahead” snack to have throughout the week. It’s a perfect snack for breastfeeding, and gives you a ton of healthy fats and 14g of protein per serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (170g) chia seeds
• 3 cups (700ml) coconut milk
• 2 scoop (25g) vanilla collagen protein powder (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. espresso powder
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 cup (125g) raspberries, frozen

Instructions:

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until most chia seeds are broken down and the pudding is thick and creamy.

Portion out into jars or small bowls and top with frozen raspberries.

Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Serve cold.

   

Recipes

Leek and Pea Soup with Basil

Alasen Zarndt

When optimizing postpartum recovery, don’t miss out on this soup. This fresh and delicious soup is perfect for anytime of year. It’s another great option to batch make in advance and freeze for when you have a busy week ahead.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• 3 ¼ cups (400g) leek, chopped
• 4 cups (1L) water
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 3 cups (450g) garden peas
• ½ cup (15g) fresh basil, chopped
• 1 ¼ cup (150g) light feta, crumbled

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the leek for 2 minutes. Add the water and the stock cubes. Bring to the boil and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add in the garden peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Put three-quarters of the basil into the soup, turn off the heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth.

Divide the soup over 4 bowls and sprinkle with the crumbled cheese and the rest of the basil to serve. Season with freshly ground pepper.

   

Recipes

Hearty Beef and Veggie Chili

Alasen Zarndt

This chili is an all-time favorite at our house for two reasons: It’s incredibly easy to make and it’s delicious.

Oh, and it contains a huge helping of veggies in it, which makes my little nutrient-density-loving heart happy.

My kids love it topped with cheese and I love it served over brown rice or a sweet potato. We even eat it with Frito-style chips sometimes. It is also something that is super easy to freeze and thaw, so I almost always make a double or triple batch of it. This let’s us have a super fast meal on a weeknight if needed, that’s still super healthy.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of high quality ground beef or bison
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes (no salt added)
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 can of garbanzo beans
  • 2 cans of pinto beans
  • 1 8oz can of diced green chilis (optional)
  • 16 oz of diced root veggies of your choice (for this, I love using the Healthy 8 veggie blend from Trader Joe’s. Here’s a copycat recipe in case you don’t have TJ nearby or need ideas)
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP chili seasoning
  • 16 oz organic beef bone broth

Instructions

Open all of the cans of beans, chilis, and tomatoes. Drain the water from the beans, but do NOT drain the tomatoes or chili.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the ground meat, until it is cooked through. Add in the diced onion and stir occasionally until the onion softens and releases its water. Then add in the chili seasoning and stir until everything is evenly coated.

Add in the 16oz of chopped root veggies. Cover and cook until the veggies are softening (but not cooked through). If the veggies or meat is sticking to the bottom of the pan, you can add a few oz of the beef stock in this step to prevent that.

Once the veggies have begun to soften, add in the diced chilis if you are using them. Mix thoroughly. Next, add in the diced tomatoes and all of the beans. Stir the mixture to evenly distribute.

Finally add in the remaining bone broth and bring the chili to a simmer. You can simmer in as little as 10 minutes, or wait up to two hours to serve if you keep it over very low heat. You can also add the chili to a crock pot at this point and cook on low heat for up to 6 hours.

If you made a double batch, separate half of the chili out to freeze once is it cooked. Wait until it is cooled to room temperature before placing in a freezer bag and freeze it flat for easiest storage and thawing.

Recipes

Quinoa Three Ways

Alasen Zarndt

Quinoa is a pretty common staple in our house. It makes a wonderful side dish and it is also a nutrient dense whole grain that is quick to cook and versatile. When cooking quinoa, you can soak it before cooking in plain water for one to eight hours to reduce cooking time, increase digestibility, and reduce phytic acid (which impairs the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium). You cook quinoa like rice: 2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Here are a couple of our favorite ways to prepare this nutritional powerhouse!

Olive Oil and Herb Quinoa

  • 2 cups of quinoa (I love to use tri-color quinoa for this one because it looks pretty)
  • 2 cups of chicken bone broth (or stock)
  • 4 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP of Herbes de Provence
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the quinoa in plain water for at least one hour (can be soaked overnight). When ready to cook, rinse the quinoa in a mesh colander and place in a saucepan. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Add the olive oil and Herbes de Provence to the quinoa and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the fresh parsley, if desired and serve.

Coconut Quinoa

  • 1.5 cups of white quinoa
  • 1 14 oz can of full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Soak the quinoa in plain water for at least one hour (can be soaked overnight). When ready to cook, rinse the quinoa in a mesh colander and place in a saucepan. Add the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the milk is absorbed. Garnish with the unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired.

Citrus and Beet Quinoa

  • 2 cups of red quinoa
  • 2 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 medium onion
  • 5 roasted beets (you can find these pre-cooked in the produce section, or you can roast your own)
  • 1 orange
  • 1 TBSP of coconut oil
  • 2 tsp of either coconut sugar or maple syrup
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 oz of feta cheese (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the quinoa in plain water for at least one hour (can be soaked overnight). When ready to cook, rinse the quinoa in a mesh colander and place in a saucepan. Add the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Cut the onion into thin slices and set aside. In a separate pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the garlic and onion to the pan and sauté until the onion releases it’s water, then add the maple syrup or coconut sugar. Continue to sauté until the onion turned golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Cut the beets into slices. Zest the orange peel and juice the orange. Combine the quinoa, onions, beets, orange juice and zest, and feta and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.