Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

protein

National Peanut Day

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Did you know today, September 13th, is National Peanut Day?!

"PB&J" Oatmeal

My favorite food has its own holiday. For good reason, too, because peanuts are:

  • Full of protein with 7 grams per ounce.
  • Contains Monounsaturated fats that help your heart and brain stay healthy.
  • Food source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during periods of lack of oxygen. For example, high altitudes and clogged arteries.
  • High antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.
  • Not to mention tasty!

Celebrate today by snacking on peanuts, grabbing spoonfuls of peanut butter, and making tasty, peanut-filled recipes!

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Peanut Butter Crust
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate-Peanut Truffles
Bitter Chocolate Waffles topped with Peanut Butter and Banana
High Protein Cookies
High Protein Cookie Dough

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What’s your favorite way to eat peanuts? Are you going to join me in celebrating?

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the stevia giveaway. 

P.P.S I was featured on the Fitblogger yesterday. Check it out HERE.

 

 

Flourless Quiche Crust

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The death and destruction Hurricane Irene caused makes my heart go out to those who lost their homes, family, and friends.

When sadness strikes, sometimes we just need a little comfort. The word, “quiche,” sounds too fancy to be called comfort, but the creamy, eggy dish does just that-comforts.

Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

~This quiche is made with whole brown rice-no flour. It is a great way to use up your leftover rice. You can use some of my suggested fillings below, or create your own mix. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Serves 6

Brown Rice Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 egg*
Preheat oven to 350*. Mix rice thoroughly with the egg. Spread mixture evenly on a 9″ pie or tart pan (greasing the pan is optional. My quiche came out fine without it). Spread the mix up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
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Filling Ingredients:
  • 4 eggs*
  • 1 cup milk or milk substitute (like almond milk)
  • 2 cups filling, ideas below
  • 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
Whisk together eggs, milk, fillings, salt, and pepper. Pour into Brown Rice crust and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool ten minutes before slicing and serving.
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*May substitute egg whites for whole eggs if desired.
Filling Ideas:
  • Veggie: Chopped bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spinach.
  • Mediterranean: Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, capers, and roasted red peppers.
  • Meat Lover’s: Bacon, ham, pepperoni, salami, turkey.
  • Hawaiian: Canadian bacon, onions, pineapple.
  • Leftover: Throw anything and everything you have in the fridge into the quiche.
This is a lot healthier than your typical quiche with the flaky crust full of refined flour and fat. Check out Panera’s Spinach Artichoke Quiche nutrition facts: 540 calories, 34g fat (19g saturated), 165mg cholesterol, 910mg sodium, 38g carbohydrates, 8g sugar, 19g protein. The majority of the calories come from white flour, cheese, cream, and butter.
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With my quiche, you get whole grains and fiber from the brown rice, vitamins from the healthy vegetables you add, protein from the eggs, and a filling meal.
But, of course, you don’t want to be lectured about the health of the quiche. You want to eat it!
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I wish I could send this quiche to all of those on the East coast affected by the hurricane. Instead, I give you this recipe and send you a prayer.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have you, a family member, or a friend, been affected by hurricane Irene?

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Blissful Bites Giveaway!

Kat’s Chia Protein Pancakes-Guest Post

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Kathleen is going to show you how to make Protein Chia Pancakes! 

Hey My Spoonful of Sugar Free Readers!

My name is Kathleen and I blog over at KatsHealthCorner. I am so excited that Alex asked me to do a guest post for her today. I am going to share with you one of my favorite breakfast recipes.

When you think of Breakfast, what is one thing you think of?

The first thing I think of (after oatmeal of course) is Pancakes!

These pancakes are full of good-for-you ingredients that improve your health.

  • Oat bran in full of protein, fiber (both soluble AND insoluble), iron, reduces your total and LDL cholesterol s, helps prevent against diabetes, keeps you regular, and help you maintain your weight.
  • Chia seeds are like nutritional super-heroes! They contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, all of the essential amino acids except taurine, antioxidants, fiber, and are like super soakers! They can turn a liquid into a pudding!
  • Bananas are rich sources of potassium (one VERY important electrolyte), vitamin B6, fiber, manganese, and vitamin C.
  • Cinnamon helps control your blood sugars, ups your metabolism, lowers cholesterol, and when combined with honey can help relieve arthritis pain.

And not only are these pancakes packed full of all of these health benefits, but they are also supah filling and easy to make!

Blend together the egg whites, oat bran, chia seeds, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon

until the batter is smooth.

Pour batter in a bowl and let stand for a minute or two (it will thicken) as you heat up your skillet.

Pour batter onto skillet in pancake shapes (you may have to spread them out a ‘lil). Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. They don’t get bubbles – just check them and flip when firm and light golden brown.

Layer pancakes with sliced frozen blackberries and drizzle with a little maple syrup.

Ok, maybe a lot of it. 😉

The thawing berries make the syrup are red and pretty–Like a royal cloak! Hehe, the berries make the syrup royalty! 😀

Jam; Peanut Butter; Nut Buttah; Applesauce; Coconut Butter; Mashed Banana; thawed berries + packet of stevia = healthy berry syrup;

The possibilities are endless!

Protein Chia Pancakes

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup oat bran or rolled oats
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds (or ground flax)
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Blend together the egg whites, oat bran, chia seeds, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon until the batter is smooth. Pour batter in a bowl and let stand for a minute or two (it will thicken) as you heat up your skillet.

Pour batter onto skillet in pancake shapes (you may have to spread them out a ‘lil). Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. They don’t get bubbles – just check them and flip when firm and light golden brown.

Stack on a plate, layer with sliced frozen blackberries, and drizzle with a little maple syrup.

PANCAKES ARE THE BEST!!!!

Do you like Pancakes? I LOVE THEM!

Have you ever tried Chia Seeds? I recently got a bag from my friend, and I love them! They are kind of like flax, but in a super-hero way.

I’ve been thinking of how to make these Vegan and keep them protein pancakes. Some of my ideas – silken tofu in place of the egg whites; chia + water in place of eggs with a scoop of protein powder. Have any thoughts?

xoxox,

Kathleen

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Thanks so much, Kat! I am excited to try them out for myself. You all know how much I love chia!

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

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Sorry to leave you all hanging with that delicious stack of…

Chocolate Waffles!

Pure torture to live another day without these.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you have two options:

  1. Make these into pancakes.
  2. Go buy a waffle iron.

Print
Bitter Chocolate Waffles

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

~These waffles have no added sweetener, so they are bitter. If you are not a fan of bitter chocolate, top your waffles with lots of fresh fruit! Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour (simply blend oats in blender until smooth)
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water or milk substitute
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons oil or applesauce
  • Optional: Add a few tablespoons of ground flax for extra fiber and omega's. Substitute 1/2 of oat flour for protein powder of choice. Add a handful of chopped unsweetened chocolate for an extra boost of flavor!

Instructions

  1. First, combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Then, add wet and mix until smooth.
  3. Follow your waffle iron's instructions to cook. Make sure you cook it thoroughly. I made the mistake of taking them out too soon, and I ended up with a bowl-full of waffle pieces!
  4. Top with any combination of nut, fruit, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate shavings, or anything else you can imagine!
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/11/bitter-chocolate-waffles/

They freeze well, so you can make a big batch to save for later. Simply throw them in your toaster to warm. Much better for you (and tastier!) than Eggo’s frozen waffles.
This batch is topped with a dollop of Peanut Butter Frosting, Banana Slices, and Shaved Unsweetened Chocolate.
You could probably make my One Size Fits all Pancakes made with brown rice flour in a waffle iron, too, if you are feeling adventurous.
If you haven’t tried the Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate combo yet, do it. It’s worth it. I have so many recipes with that delectable combo.
Click HERE for nutrition information on Oats and HERE for nutrition information about chocolate. They both boast plenty of good properties.
Try not to drool all over your computer.
In other news, I have finally hopped on the Twitter bandwagon. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure the whole thing out. My Twitter name is SugarFreeAlex, so make sure to follow me!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have a twitter account? If so, any tips or tricks?

Also, what is your favorite waffle topping? You already know mine!

Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary

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Sometimes the simpler the dish, the better the taste.

Not everything has to take 3 hours to prep, 1 hour to cook, overnight to chill, and another hour to cut and serve.

 

Although sometimes the journey is better than the end result, more time enjoying the company of others with a great dish is never a bad thing.

This dish takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook, five minutes to cool, and less than a minute to devour!

Plum and rosemary might sound like a strange combination, but it works. It captures the sweet, the savory, and the sour all in one delicious bite.

 

 

Socca is a chickpea flatbread. It can be made in a variety of ways, but for this particular recipe it is best thoroughly-cooked with crispy edges and no custard center. Check out Pure2Raw for more ideas, or my recipe for Pesto Socca Pizza with Grilled Veggies and Chicken Sausages.

 

Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary

~Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, nut-free, corn-free, soy-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil (olive oil would work fine, too)
  • 4 plums
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary, dried or fresh

Preheat oven to 425*. Mix together the chickpea flour, salt, and water in a small bowl. Batter will be thin. Spread the oil on a 10-12 inch round pan and then pour the batter in the pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the socca is slightly set but still soft on top.

In the meantime, thinly slice the plums. Take the socca out of the oven and layer the plums on top of the socca in a circular formation (or just throw ’em on top if you don’t care about the look!). Sprinkle with rosemary and place back in oven. Bake for another ten minutes or until the socca’s edges are brown and crispy and the plums are soft.

Let cool for five minutes before slicing. You may either slice the socca in the pan and serve or carefully lift it out of the pan and slice and serve on your favorite plate.

The leftovers taste great, too. It made for a wonderful post-workout snack.

Enjoy.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

If you could bottle and save time, what would you do with it?

Homemade Protein Bars

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Supposedly “healthy” protein bars resemble candy bars more than energy-lifting, muscle-building real food bars.

Consider a typical protein bar like the PowerBar:

Power Bar High Protein Bar Chocolate Peanut Butter

Nutrition Facts per Bar:

Calories 300

Calories from fat 50

Amount/Serving
% DV*
Total Fat 6g
9%
  Saturated Fat 3.5g
18%
  Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg
1%
Amount/Serving
% DV*
Sodium 210mg
9%
Total Carb 39g
13%
  Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
  Sugars 19g
Protein 23g
46%

Ingredients: POWERBAR TRISOURCE™ PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE), GLUCOSE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), CANE SYRUP, GLYCERIN, MALTITOL SYRUP, NATURAL FLAVOR, PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, ALMOND BUTTER, MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC GLUCONATE, IRON (FERROUS FUMARATE), COPPER GLUCONATE, CHROMIUM ASPARTATE, VITAMINS: VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), PANTOTHENIC ACID (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B2, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

The commercially-made protein bars contain four different kinds of sugars, highly-processed proteins, and a multitude of preservatives. The 38-ingredient long list compared to my recipe with only 6 ingredients, no sugar, and a natural source of protein.

Simply take my recipe for High Protein Cookies and bake in a pan instead of making it in cookie form. Cut into squares and wrap for on-the-go convenience.

I calculated that it costs less than $3 to make an entire batch of homemade protein bars (makes about 20 bars at 15 cents each!). Compare that to buying commercial protein bars that can cost $3 each!

Mine taste better, too.

Nutrition Facts per Bar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 115
Calories from Fat 58
Total Fat 6.4g
Saturated Fat 2.1g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 37mg
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g
Dietary Fiber 3.7g
Sugars 2.3g
Protein 5.1g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 4% • Iron 10%

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

What are your thoughts on commercially-made protein bars? Do you buy them? If so, do you have a favorite kind? Would you consider making your own?

If your still in the mood for protein bars, try making Sweet Potato Spice bars or some Crazy Healthy Granola bars!

Again, apologies for the bad camera pictures!