Creamy Chicken Potato Soup (with veggies too)

Creamy Chicken Potato Soup*
I made this last night for dinner and my husband and I really enjoyed it! We both have had colds so I feel it was perfect for us. I made it dairy and gluten free but you don't have to. I would recommend using the unsweetened almond milk though to cut calories and fat. If you want to make it lower carb, substitute cauliflower instead of potatoes, one head of cauliflower should work.
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (cubed)
2 garlic cloves (pressed)
1/2 white onion (diced)
2 stalks of celery (diced really small)
4 to 5 medium carrots (chopped to 1/2 inch pieces)
5 medium sized yellow potatoes, leave peal for nutrients (cubed to 1 to 2 inch pieces)
1 to 2 cups frozen broccoli
Sea Salt (I didn't measure this so just put some in and add more if you need to)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon Paprika
5 tablespoons flour ( I used brown rice flour)
2 Cups low sodium chicken broth
1 to 2 Cups  Unsweetened Almond milk (vanilla or original are fine), start out with one cup
1 Tablespoon of butter or oil of your choice (I use earth balance soy free, dairy free buttery spread)

Directions:
Heat pot over medium heat, place butter, onion, garlic, parsley, paprika, salt, and chicken breasts in pan. Stir around and let cook for a few minutes. Add celery and let cook until chicken is almost done. In another pot (while chicken in cooking) bring water to boil (enough to cover potatoes and carrots). Cook potatoes and carrots until they are soft (but not falling apart). Scoop out about half the potatoes, drain water off, and place them in your blender, add half the almond milk and blend until smooth (but not pasty, and it's ok if some carrots get in there). Pour creamy potatoes, chicken broth and flour in pot with chicken. Stir really well. Scoop carrots out of pot when they are ready and place in chicken pot (it's ok if some water comes with). Add broccoli and stir. You may need to add more liquid depending on how thick you want it. I ended up adding about 1 cup or so of the water from the potato and carrot pot. Let cook until broccoli is done (making sure to stir so it doesn't scorch on bottom).
Eat and Enjoy!

*this is not necessarily low carb so limit how many carbs you eat the rest of the day so you aren't having a carb overload. It's not too bad though and the flavor is sooo good.

Amazing Low Carb Crepes

So this morning I was really craving crepes. I didn't feel like eating my usual protein shake, but I still wanted something that would satisfy my crepe craving but be high in protein. I remembered a recipe I saw over a year ago and decided to try and replicate it. I could not longer find the original recipe so I played it by memory and it worked out great! They are fast and only take a couple ingredients. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
5 egg whites
1 Tablespoon Almond Flour
2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together. Heat up stove/iron. Melt 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil on iron to keep them from sticking. Pour a scoop of batter on hot pan/iron. Cook on one side for 4 minutes or until light brown, flip and cook the same on that side. Top with topping of your choice. Remember not to add sugar. I like to put a small dab of almond butter, drizzle honey, and add a few slices of bananas to mine. Sometimes I will even add a small dab of vanilla unsweetened coconut yogurt. These do taste more eggy than regular crepes but I love them!

mmm..So Yummy

Let it get light brown

Chocolate Nutter Cups

I love chocolate! Seriously though, I do. One time I ate so much in one day that I got very sick (we won't go into details) that it was called "chocolate poisoning", just not a severe case of it. Granted the chocolate I did eat was raw and 100% Pure Cacao...but anyway, the point is, I LOVE chocolate. There is one problem with most chocolate bars though, either they are full of a bunch of crap (most of which I can't pronounce) or they are full of sugar (specifically refined sugar or corn syrup). I don't want to put those things in my body, but I still want to enjoy some chocolate every once in a while (not everyday, even though sometimes I want to haha). Then there's the fact that raw or "healthy" chocolate bars are ridiculously expensive. So I decided to make something that would satisfy my chocolate craving and at the same time not contain all the junk.

Watch out though! They aren't low in calories or fat and they do have sugar (if you use maple syrup). I wouldn't advise sitting and eating an entire one of these, as tempting as it may be. A half of one is more than enough. I made some with almond butter for me and some with peanut butter for my husband. I can't eat peanut butter, but I am sure they are just as good as mine! So when it comes to the nut butter you use, you can really choose any that you want, hazelnut, cashew, almond, peanut, you get the picture. If you love chocolate as much as me, go and make these and let me know what you think :) 

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa or Cacao Powder
• 1/4 Cup Almond Butter (you can also use peanut butter or any nut of your choice)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup (to cut calories you can use liquid Stevia or Truvia and do one drop-full)
• Small Pinch of Salt (I forgot to add this to mine, so it's not a big deal if you don't add it)

Directions:

Heat Coconut Oil and nut butter until melted and mixed well. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup and salt, stir until combined. The batter is supposed to be a somewhat thick liquid.

Place cupcake liners in muffin/cupcake tin. Scoop/pour batter into lined tin. Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid. Eat and enjoy!

I ate a bite of one, which is why it looks like that

I added a few semisweet chocolate chips
to the top of this one :)

Left side is peanut butter, right side is almond butter

This is one of the peanut butter ones

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

I LOVE crockpot dinners :) I found a recipe similar to this one on Natalie Hodson's website but changed a couple things to satisfy the flavors I enjoy. Crockpot recipes are great because they can be quick, easy, and healthy. And the best part is you don't have to stand there and cook it, which is a plus for everyone. I also really love this one because it can go with so many different things! Sometimes I will put it in a wrap, on a salad, over wild or brown rice, or use it for lettuce wraps. I am sure there are plenty of other things you can eat it with as well. Try it out and let me know what you think and how you used it. Oh and one more thing, you can also freeze it to have it ready for another day. 

Ingredients

3 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1  16 oz Container of Low Sugar Salsa (I use Kirkland Organic Salsa because it doesn't have much sugar)

1 14.5 Oz Can of no sodium diced tomatoes

1 Can low or no sodium tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1/2 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tablespoon fresh or dried cilantro

1/2 Lemon, squeezed

Directions:

Trim any fat or undesired pieces off chicken breasts (thawed). Add chicken breasts and all other ingredients to crockpot. Stir so chicken is covered. Put lid on and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. You can serve it shredded or however you like.

Pre-workout Protein Smoothie

I love eating haha, no but seriously I do. So it is always fun for me to come up with new ways to make yummy and healthy recipes. This one I made this morning and I really liked it. It isn't very sweet, which is good because I can't handle too much flavor first thing in the morning.  This gave me just the right amount of fuel for my workout.

Side note: I want everyone to know that eating is not a bad thing, in fact eating at the right times and the right things for your body can truly enhance your workout experience. Making sure you are getting enough nutrients to fuel your body is so important! So please don't think food is the enemy :)

I love this protein smoothie for breakfast and also for a pre-workout pick me up. It is packed with protein and nutrients to keep your body fueled. It also contains carbs to stop your body from burning out too fast (because we all know that the body needs carbs whether we like it or not). 

Sorry these pictures aren't super high quality, all I had to take them with was my phone. Let me know what you think and how it works for you! Also, if you are working out right after this, I would recommend drinking only 1/2 to 2/3 of this recipe and saving the rest for after you workout.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder (make sure the sugar is no more than 3 grams)
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (sometimes I even use the coconut and almond milk mixture)
• 1 handful of spinach (I don't put a lot of spinach in it but a small handful is good)
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Almond Butter (once again if it has added sugar than you'll want to buy a different one next time)
• 1 Tablespoon all natural unrefined honey
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
• 1/2 Banana 

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until it is all mixed well. Add ice and blend some more if you desire.

Nutritional Facts (I got these by entering all the ingredients in MyFitnessPal, so they might not be exact).
Servings: 1
Calories: 397
Total Fat (g): 16
Saturated Fat (g): 2
Cholesterol (mg): 0
Sodium (mg): 135
Potassium (mg): 410
Carbs (g): 36.2
Fiber (g): 10.5
Sugars (g): 20.3 (this is from the banana and the honey)
Protein (g): 19.8
Vitamin A (%): 10.7
Vitamin C (%): 5
Calcium (%): 55
Iron (%): 24.7

Yummy Quinoa Avocado Salad

This is a great meal that is full of nutrients and taste!

• A Pinch of Salt (I like to use the Pink Himalayan Salt from Costco)
• 1 to 2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Cup Quinoa (I also buy this in a big bag from Costco)
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced and crushed
• 1 medium red, yellow, or green bell pepper seeded and finely diced
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Cup (about) seeded, peeled and cubed cucumber 
• 1/2 Cup chopped Cilantro
• 2 to 3 ripe Avocados, sliced or cubed depending on how you like it.
• To add a little spice to the recipe you can even add 1 small jalapeno seeded and diced.

Directions:

1. Follow cooking directions for Quinoa, drain if excess water, spread out and let cool on a baking sheet
2. Mix the garlic, peppers, salt and lime juice in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and whisk to combine. Add more salt or lime if desired. (this makes the vinaigrette)
3. Combine quinoa, pepper, cucumber, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette into the bowl and stir gently to cover ingredients.
4. Place avocado slices on a plate or combine in the same bowl as quinoa mixture. Drizzle more vinaigrette and serve immediately.

The following are approximations and may be more or less depending on what you add to the recipe.

Servings Per Recipe: 5 

Calories: 467

Fat (g): 32.4

Saturated (g): 4.4

Polyunsaturated (g): 2

Monounsaturated (g): 8

Trans (g): 0

Cholesterol (mg): 0

Sodium (mg): 600

Potassium (mg): 727.2

Carbs (g): 40.2

Fiber (g): 2.6

Sugars (g): 0.7

Protein (g): 7.9

No Bake Protein Bars

No Bake Protein Bars These are great for a snack or breakfast :) just don't eat too many!!! They are low in carbs but still contain fat and calories. They are delicious so enjoy! Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Almond or Peanut Butter ( I use almond because I can't eat peanuts) 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup 1/4 Cup Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder (make sure it doesn't contain very much sugar) 1/2 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 to 2 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder (if you don't use chocolate protein powder) Directions: Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper Combine Almond/Peanut butter and maple syrup in medium saucepan, melt over low heat (about 2 minutes) Stir in protein powder, cocoa, and coconut while it is still warm. Remove from heat, pour into baking dish (it doesn't matter if it doesn't fill the entire dish) Refrigerate about one hour or until firm Cut and serve *The Following are only Approximations and may be more or less if you used peanut butter and depending on the protein powder you use. This is what my ingredients comes out to be. Serving Size: 1 Bar                             Serving Per Recipe: about 16 Calories: 190 Fat (g): 13.2 Saturate Fat (g): 2.4 Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3 Monounsaturated Fat (g): 7.5 Trans Fat (g): 0 Cholesterol: 0 Sodium (mg) : 119.2 Potassium (mg): 25.1 Carbohydrates (g): 9.8 Fiber (g): 2.6 Sugars (g): 6.5 Protein (g): 8.5