Category: Recipes

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Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Eating to improve athletic performance, shed fat, or build strength doesn’t mean boring food. Let’s work together to fuel your goals. Contact me.

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Peanut butter heaven! This higher protein lower carb peanut butter overnight oats recipe is a convenient breakfast or easy make-ahead snack. 30g of protein per serving and lower in carbs vs. traditional overnight oats.

I love the convenience of overnight oats for a grab-and-go breakfast. Naturally, most recipes tend to be heavy on the carbs due to high oat content. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but often we’re looking for a more nutrient- balanced meal or snack that will better contribute to daily protein intake.

8 oz. wide-mouth mason jars are the perfect size to make 3 or 4 servings from this recipe, and easier to eat from than standard diameter mason or jelly jars. If you want to make larger portions or scale up the recipe, jump to the 16 oz. size.

Reducing carbs

In this recipe I substituted half of the oats with fully cooked riced cauliflower to reduce total carbohydrates. The cauli provides excellent texture, increases volume, and has no taste…..it’s totally overwhelmed by delicious peanut butter! I have a number of clients who have difficulty incorporating vegetables into their diet, and this recipe is a simple example of how to incorporate a “hidden” minimally processed veggie. Between the oats and the cauliflower, these peanut butter overnight oats provide 9 g of fiber per serving. It’s very filling!

  • Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
  • Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Protein Source

For the protein power, I used Vanilla Bean Trutein. It’s a blend of whey, egg, and casein protein. It’s a product I’ve been using for years, and found to provide the best texture and taste. The recipe is forgiving if you want to use a different type of protein power, you’ll likely need less water for pure whey, and more water for pure casein or plant-based.

The quantity of water added dictates the final texture and thickness, and the oats will become thicker after refrigeration. 1 cup of water will make very thick oats using Trutein. Add in 2 tbsp. increments beyond this to get to where you think you want it.

It’s simple to adjust these peanut butter overnight oats for your needs. A few examples:

  • For higher carbs, add more oats or mix in some fresh or frozen fruit – tart cherries would be AMAZING!
  • For lower carbs, double the riced cauliflower and eliminate the oats – aka overnight “n’oats”
  • Adjust the fat by using more or less peanut butter.
  • For a vegan option, utilize vanilla flavored soy protein or plant-protein blend

8 oz. wide-mouth mason jars are the perfect size to make 3 or 4 servings from this recipe, and easier to eat from than regular mason or jelly jars. If you want to make larger portions or scale up the recipe, jump to the 16 oz. size.

Peanut butter heaven! This higher protein lower carb peanut butter overnight oats recipe is a super-convenient breakfast or on the go snack. 30 g of protein and half the carbs of traditional overnight oats.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad-free.

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Kalua Pork Tenderloin

Kalua Pork Tenderloin

This Kalua pork tenderloin is a leaner adaptation of traditional Hawaiian Kalua Pig. Pressure cooking the pork tenderloin in coconut water yields maximum flavor with lower fat.

Kalua pig is a traditional Hawaiian dish made by roasting a whole pig underground over hot stones. It takes about two hours to get the imu oven hot enough, then 6-8 hours to roast the pig. In an online search for faster ways to enjoy this favor, I discovered a number of simpler kalua pork recipes utilizing a pressure cooker/Instant Pot to speed cooking time. All of the recipes utilized pork butt, which is a tough and fatty cut good for stewing and slow cooking. FYI- pork butt is from the shoulder, not even close to the pig’s bum.

Despite being warned not to use a leaner cut, I decided to experiment with pork tenderloin. Lean pork is a high quality protein source, rich in B vitamins, and also a good dietary source of creatine. From a protein, calorie, and fat perspective, it’s comparable to chicken breast.

Comparison of Pork Butt, Pork Tenderloin, and Chicken Breast (4 oz. raw):

CutCaloriesFat (g)Sat. Fat (g)Protein
Pork Butt21014520
Pork Tenderloin
Chicken Breast		136
136		3.9
2.9		1.3
0.6		23.3
25.4
Data from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html

Notes about the recipe:

Ensure the pork is cut into even-sized pieces to avoid some being over-cooked and other under-cooked. Searing each piece on both sides before pressure cooking adds to flavor and texture, so don’t skip this step. Cooking the pork in coconut water keeps the meat more tender, I don’t recommend substituting for regular water or broth.

Kalua Pork
Sear pork pieces before pressure cooking.
Kalua Pork
Final Product!

After cooking the pork, remove the pieces and return the Instant Pot to the sauté function to boil off excess water from the juices. Then pour the concentrated flavorful juices back over the pork.

This kalua pork tenderloin is a healthier adaptation of traditional Hawaiian Kalua Pig. The lean meat remains moist and flavorful by cooking in in coconut water!

Need a customized nutrition plan with support and accountability to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me.

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Blueberry Burst Breakfast Muffins

Blueberry Power Breakfast Muffins
Blueberry Power Breakfast Muffins

Need a portable breakfast to jam out of the house quick in the morning? These vegan high protein blueberry burst breakfast muffins are filling and wholesome, with delicious berry sweetness. 8g of protein per muffin, with low sugar.

I created this recipe for my athletes who follow a vegan diet (or do not tolerate dairy). Ensuring adequate high quality protein intake is critical. Instead of milk or other dairy, these muffins use tofu (yes, tofu!) in the base. Soy is an all-star source of plant protein. It’s lean, contains adequate concentrations of all essential amino acids, and is relatively well digested and absorbed. Even if you don’t care for tofu, you will like these muffins. The tofu is blended down, and then combined with flavorful almond flour, oats, pancake mix, banana, and juicy blueberries to create the batter.

Notes about the recipe

A high power blender is required for this recipe (I use a Vitamix). Make sure the tofu is extra firm variety, and add any water in the tofu package into the blender.

Blended Tofu

Blending down the tofu takes a bit of patience at first. Crumble it as much as possible as you add it to the blender. Start on low power and gradually increase speed; scrape down the sides and mix with a spoon as many times as necessary until it blends uniformly. If needed, add 1 tbsp. water to help the process. Once able to blend smoothly for 30 seconds on high speed, add banana, cinnamon, and baking powder. An additional 1 tbsp. of water may be needed after adding these ingredients to be able to mix on high again. The mixture should look like the picture at left – it’s very thick, but pourable.

The banana and blueberries provide very light sweetness to the muffins. If you prefer sweeter, add monkfruit or other sweetener to the blender mixture when you add the baking powder. Be sure to save some blueberries to place on top of each muffin for some extra sweet bursts! Optionally, sprinkle on a few oats (or chopped nuts) for a little bit of crunch.

For baking, I used a metal 12-well muffin pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Baking time may vary if you use a silicone muffin pan. The muffins popped out easily after cooling for a few minutes.

Will this recipe work with other fruit? Absolutely! Some other suggestions are raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries (but in pieces).

For meal prep

Blueberry Power Breakfast Muffins

I recommend prepping these blueberry burst breakfast muffins on Sunday for busy weekday mornings. Cool the muffins completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for 5-6 days. While they taste good cold, I prefer them zapped in the microwave or toaster oven. Pair with a portable plant yogurt cup, and you’re out the door with a delicious breakfast.

Need a portable breakfast to jam out of the house quick in the morning? These vegan high protein blueberry burst breakfast muffins are filling and wholesome, with delicious berry sweetness. 8g of protein per muffin, with low sugar.

Need a customized nutrition plan with support and accountability to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me.

For more tips and meal ideas, follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad-free and more enjoyable.

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Lean Skillet Carne Asada

Lean Skillet Carne Asada
Lean Skillet Carne Asada

No time to marinate and grill? This quick and flavorful lean skillet carne asada uses choice steak cooked on the stovetop in a rich citrus spice blend.

I love carne asada, but often don’t have time to wait for a marinade or get the grill going. This recipe adapts the traditional recipe to for stovetop cooking, providing all of the flavors without extra steps.

Beyond the time savings, there are other advantages of this lean skillet carne asada. By using top round meat chunks aka “choice beef stew meat” it’s lower in total fat and saturated fat. You won’t see much fat marbling in it, and it’s doesn’t have a lot of connective tissue like other stew meat such as chuck.

Further, choice beef stew meat is much less expensive than whole steaks. Locally, flank steak is $12.99/lb. and choice stew meat is $6.99/lb. Meal prep at almost half the cost is a winner!

Notes about the recipe

For the limes and oranges, be sure to juice them completely and also add the pulp. For maximum extraction, I use this simple hand juicer to save time while also measuring the volume of the resulting liquid.

If the stew meat pieces are very large or are all different sizes, cut them smaller to get them all around the same size. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but we want them to cook evenly. Further, it’s important to remove the pieces from the pan before they are completely cooked. A good indication is when you first start to see a lot of liquid develop in the pan. The pieces will continue to cook after you remove them and cover in foil. During this time, additional juices will release. Pour it back into the pan with the citrus spice mixture to further enhance the flavor.

Serving suggestion: cauli rice mixed with lime and chopped cilantro, warm corn tortillas, and pico de gallo salsa, and avocado.

If you do decide to go the traditional grilling route, the mixture of juices and spices shown in the recipe works perfect as a marinade for flank steak. Place the steak in a bowl and coat with the marinade and cover, allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours before grilling. Note that flank steak has a higher fat content than choice beef stew meat.

No time to marinate and grill? This quick and flavorful lean skillet carne asada uses choice steak cooked stovetop in a rich citrus spice blend.

Need some help with your nutrition? Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals.

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Whole Grain Apple Bread

Whole Grain Apple Bread

Because who doesn’t love bread? Infused with almond and Fuji apple, this low-sugar whole grain apple bread is a satisfying afternoon snack or delicious treat on a weekend ruck. Skip the Starbucks and give this a go.

Notes about the recipe:

The combination of stone ground whole wheat plus almond flour provides the bread with a heartier, nuttier taste. However, white flour or a gluten-free flour will also work.

For the vanilla protein powder, utilize a blend of egg, whey, and casein (see recommendation in recipe). Pure whey and pure casein are more heat sensitive do not bake well. A plant-based protein blend will likely work.

Although the apples and applesauce provide a hint of sweetness, this bread has very low sugar. If you want this to taste more like a desert, add a tablespoon of dry sweetener such as Splenda, monkfruit, or Swerve. Regular sugar also works, but will change the nutrition.

For baking, I used a glass 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper and lightly misted with coking spray. This allows the loaf to easily pop out of the pan. If your pan is metallic, cooking time may vary. Start checking at 30 minutes with a toothpick test.

After the loaf cools, it can be stored in the fridge covered for up to a week…..but it won’t last that long. 😉

Whole Grain Apple Bread

This bread can be re-heated in a toaster oven or warmed for a few seconds in the microwave. Highly recommend topping with a smear of almond butter or peanut butter, or have with some yogurt and more applesauce. Yum!

Infused with almond and Fuji apple, this whole grain apple bread is a satisfying afternoon pick-me-up or delicious snack for a hike.

Contact me to discuss a customized nutrition plan and coaching to meet your physique and performance goals.

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Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Keep it simple. This easy recipe for juicy cilantro lime chicken is a perfect prep for tacos, burritos or a bowl.

Key points to ensure perfectly cooked and flavorful cilantro lime chicken:

  • Cook chicken to ~80% complete and set aside in a bowl, leaving all the juices behind in the pan. It’s ok if the center of the pieces don’t seem done, they will cook the rest of the way when returned to the pan for browning.
  • Mixing a small amount of flour (white, wheat, or rice) into the lime juice will help thicken the liquid and make sure all of the flavor gets stuck to the chicken. It will also help brown the pieces.
  • 1 tbsp. of cilantro provide as a moderate flavor. If you love cilantro, add more!

For dinners, my personal favorites is putting this chicken in street tacos with lettuce, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. As a lunch meal prep, I eat with rice or cauli rice and pico de gallo salsa wish some shredded mozzarella.

Tangy and flavorful, this Cilantro Lime Chicken is a quick meal prep for taco night. Quick to make and only a few basic ingredients.

Need a customized nutrition plan with support and accountability to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me.

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Fluffy Blueberry Power Pancakes

Power Pancakes
Power Pancakes

As a pre-training breakfast, these fluffy blueberry power pancakes provide a boost of protein and nutrients versus classic pancakes. Easy to make, with simple ingredients. 110 Calories and 10 g of protein per pancake.

What makes them fluffy blueberry power pancakes? They’re higher in protein and lower in fat than typical pancakes, but just as fluffy and delicious as regular. Instead of regular pancake mix, oil/butter, and milk, this recipe uses Kodiak cakes pancake mix, egg white, and Greek yogurt. The sweetness of the blueberries inside the pancakes and on top is an excellent swap for maple syrup to increase micronutrients.

Any type of berries will work great in these pancakes. For strawberries, cut them into small pieces first.

The cooking conditions matter to make sure the pancakes are fluffy. To ensure even cooking, pre-heat the pan on low-medium heat for a few minutes before adding the batter. Lightly mist the pan with cooking oil right before adding the batter. It’s better not to crown the pan with too many pancakes. I cook a maximum of three at a time in a large ceramic nonstick pan. For fluffy pancakes, don’t flip them until you clearly see multiple bubbles forming on the surface, and do not press down on the pancakes with a spatula.

These are a great pre-training breakfast – lower in fat and fiber (to potentially avoid GI upset), good dose of carbohydrates, and some protein. Enjoy!

As a pre-training breakfast, these fluffy blueberry power pancakes provide a boost of protein and nutrients versus classic pancakes. Easy to make, with simple ingredients. 110 Calories and 10 g of protein per pancake.

Looking for directed and customized help to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me. 

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This keeps the website ad-free.

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Persian Lean Beef Kabobs (no-grill)

Persian Beef Kabobs

Inspired by Persian kabob koobideh, these healthy and flavorful oven-broiled lean beef “kabobs” are a simpler-to-make version. Pair with roasted pepper, tomato, basmati rice, and tzatziki garlic cucumber dip.

Preparation of authentic Persian kabobs at home requires substantial effort – it takes time and skill to press the meat onto required large flat metal skewers and they must be cooked on a very hot gas grill or over coals. This recipe captures the flavor of kabobs with less effort.

As an alternative to grilling, these “kabobs” are formed as patties and broiled in the oven. Further, this version substitutes full fat beef and lamb for lean ground beef.

Kabob Spices

It’s important to use all the spices. If you don’t have a local Persian grocery store, Amazon has it all. One seasoning you may not be a as familiar with is savory and tangy za’atar spice blend which usually contains thyme, sesame and sumac. It’s great to incorporate as meat seasoning, sprinkle on salad, or spread and baked on flatbreads.

Kabob Broiling Setup

Critical to the setup is an elevated rack. To elevate the baking rack, place a cooling rack on a baking sheet lined with foil. Under each corner of the cooling rack, place small wads of foil to create space. Spray the rack with cooking spray. This ensures the meat will not stick, get soggy, and fall apart as the juices render. Should you decide to broil some roma tomatoes and green peppers as a side, cook those first.

  • Baking Rack Setup for Kabobs
    Baking Sheet Setup
  • Beef kabobs before broiling
    Kabob patties before broiling
Inspired by Persian kabob koobideh, these healthy and flavorful oven-broiled lean beef “kabobs” are a simpler-to-make version. Pair with roasted pepper, tomato, basmati rice, and tzatziki garlic cucumber garlic dip.

This recipe was inspired by my client, Elysia! Contact me to discuss a customized nutrition plan and coaching to meet your physique and performance goals.

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Tzatziki Garlic Cucumber Dip

tzatziki garlic cucumber dip

Tangy and cooling, this simple tzatziki garlic cucumber dip is a healthy topping for a sandwich, burger, wrap, or kabobs. Or let’s not kid ourselves – eat it with a spoon as-is. 10g of protein per serving.

I created this lower calorie, higher protein version of Tzatziki as a sub for mayo or other typical sandwich, burger, and wrap condiments. It utilizes the classic ingredients – dill, lemon, garlic, and cucumber for the base and alloys you to optionally add fats if you want them, using a splash of olive oil or my favorite, a za’atar spice blend (thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac).

Preparing the cucumber: I tried incorporating the cucumber two different ways – as thin slices or grated. Both options work great and it depends on the texture you want/how you’re going to use it. If you decide to grate the cucumber, use a large hole grater so the pieces aren’t too small. To avoid the dip from becoming watery, sprinkle the cut or shredded cucumber with salt, wait a few minutes, and pat dry to remove excess water before adding to the yogurt mixture.

Spices: to save time I used dried dill weed and garlic powder. It will only taste better if you use fresh! This recipe is for a moderate level of “garlicky”, feel free to adjust up or down to your preference. For fresh garlic, substitute 2 tsp. garlic powder for 1 large clove of grated garlic.

Tangy and cooling, this simple tzatziki garlic cucumber dip is a healthy topping for a sandwich, burger, wrap, or these kabobs.10g of protein per serving.

Contact me to discuss a customized nutrition plan and coaching to meet your physique and performance goals.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad-free.

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Chipotle Turkey & Black Beans

Chipotle Turkey & Black Bean Tacos
Chipotle Turkey & Black Bean Tacos

This one-skillet spicy chipotle turkey & black beans dish is highly nutritious to eat standalone as chili, or to throw into some tacos.

Simple and speedy, this recipe is great for family dinner or meal prep. It also freezes well for nights you need a quick and satisfying meal. From start to finish, you’ll only need 30 minutes in the kitchen.

All seasonings are important, but the cornerstone of this chipotle turkey & black beans is peppers in adobo sauce. It provides a slight smoked pepper flavor. If you don’t care for black beans, pinto beans would also work well. Drain the canned beans and tomato before adding to the skillet so the mixture does not become watery.

I recommend pairing with soft corn tortillas (heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to make more pliable, or heat directly on the grill for some char).

There are a number of easy ways to modify this dish:

  • For lower carbs, omit the beans
  • To increase the fat, use 100% 93/7 ground turkey
  • For additional veggies, add more green peppers or stir in a bag of riced cauliflower (microwave first and completely squeeze the excess water from the cauliflower)
  • By swapping the ground turkey for crumbled seitan, this dish is also an excellent vegan choice. Seitan is low in the amino acid lysine, however the black beans contribute some of this essential amino acid (see recipe notes).
This one-pan spicy chipotle turkey & black bean dish is highly nutritious to eat standalone as chili or to throw into some tacos.

Balanced and healthful eating for your performance and physique goals can also include tasty food! Contact me to discuss your goals, and how I can support you as a coach.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad-free.