CREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE

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Remember Orange Julius?  The best orange milkshake found at the mall?  Apparently the chain still exists, but I haven’t seen one in years, and I’m sure they are terribly unhealthy.  Well, I got my fix while in Montreal at Aux Vivres.  Ever since I had their healthier ‘Le Creamsicle’ smoothie, I have been trying to recreate it.  I used avocado for thickness and left out the dates because I think there’s plenty of sweetness in the fruit juice.  It is delicious as a smoothie, or poured into a bowl with toppings added.  My latest find is this grain free granola, which goes perfect on top!


CREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE
 
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This smoothie is my best stab at recreating 'Le Creamsicle' from Aux Vivres in Montreal.
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast
Cuisine: smoothie
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup carrot juice
  • ½ avocado
  • ¼ cup canned coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Chop up ½ a ripe avocado.
  2. Place in a blender with the liquids and blend until smooth.
  3. Drink as a smoothie, or pour into a bowl and top with granola.
Notes
Be sure to use canned coconut milk. It will be too soupy if you use the kind from a carton!

Trader Joe's sells small bottles of carrot juice if you don't have a juicer or don't want to make your own.
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PROTEIN NUT BUTTER CUPS

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Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven.  Reese’s peanut butter cups and peanut M&M’s are my weakness.  It’s a slippery slope.  I tell myself just one more…and then the bag is gone!  Needless to say, it’s not safe for me to have these in the cupboard.  But sometimes you NEED a little treat, right?!  Enter the newest addiction in our house: protein nut butter cups!  I found this basic idea on Sequins and Stripes and knew it would be a hit.  At roughly 94 calories and 1 gram of (unrefined) sugar each, you don’t have to feel guilty about going back for more.  There are a number of modifications I tested to change up the flavor, too.

only 5 ingredients

Start by mixing the nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and protein together for the filling.  I tried this with chocolate peanut butter whey protein, just because we had it on hand.  The second time I made this, I used a chocolate plant protein.  The third time (yes, we have been making this way too often!), I added an 1/8 tsp mint extract to the chocolate topping for a chocolate mint flavor. So good!  I also tested salted peanut butter and unsalted, and salted was best for the standard recipe, and unsalted went better with mint.

Using a mini muffin pan with liners, scoop out the dough.  I used a mini ice cream scoop to make measuring a bit easier. The whey protein creates a stiffer dough that doesn’t stick, so you could also use your hands.  The plant protein creates a more runny consistency best suited for a scooper.

Flatten each ball out using the scoop or by pressing down on a spoon.

Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  While the balls are chilling, start on the chocolate topping.  Mix together melted coconut oil, cacao, and maple syrup (plus mint extract if you are using it).  Get the chilled balls out of the freezer and top each with about a teaspoon of chocolate sauce.  Time to go back in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

These are so easy and taste even better than the original Reese’s.  It may not be a work of art, but hey, my taste buds don’t care.  Store these little guys in the freezer until you’re ready to eat.  They are a perfect little treat!


Protein Nut Butter Cups
 
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These knock-off Reese's peanut butter cups will satisfy your sweet tooth without any of the guilt.
Author:
Recipe type: dessert
Cuisine: dessert
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
  • ¼ cup cacao powder
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • optional: ⅛ tsp mint extract
  • FILLING:
  • ¾ cup nut butter
  • 1 scoop chocolate peanut butter protein powder
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Mix the nut butter, protein powder, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil together.
  2. Use a mini ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to divide the batter into 24 lined mini muffin cups.
  3. Press down the scoop to create a flat surface, and then pop in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
  4. While the filling hardens, make the chocolate topping. Mix melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and cacao powder together until smooth. Add mint extract if desired.
  5. Take the the filling back out of the freezer, and add about a teaspoon of chocolate topping to each muffin cup.
  6. Put the tray back in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until chocolate coating is firm. Store them in the freezer and resist the urge to eat them all at once!
Notes
You can use any kind of protein, but I think the chocolate peanut butter flavor is a perfect match. Plant protein leads to a runnier filling, but tastes just as good.

Switch up the nut butter for some variations. Smooth, chunky, salted/unsalted, almond, cashew, peanut, the possibilities are endless!

Test out different extracts in the chocolate topping. Mint is excellent, and I plan to try coffee extract with coffee protein powder. Also, test out maple extract!

Adjust the sweetener to your liking. I imagine it would also work well with honey or agave.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 94 Fat: 7.9 Saturated fat: 3.3 Unsaturated fat: .4 Carbohydrates: 4.1 Sugar: 1.1 Sodium: 11.2 Fiber: .5 Protein: 3.1 Cholesterol: 2.3
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A note on ingredients:

We go through a good amount of cacao, so I buy in bulk from Amazon.  Steve consumes a lot of protein powder, so he does the ‘subscribe and save’ option on the protein below through Amazon.

 

ZOODLES AND MEAT SAUCE

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I have been on a zoodling kick after getting a spiralizer for Christmas!  Zoodles are a great substitute for pasta and grains, and can be made from a wide range of veggies.

You can use this as a base recipe, and add different vegetables and spices to change it up.  I made a variation with mushrooms, and subbed one can of tomato sauce for diced tomatoes and it turned out really well.


ZOODLES AND MEAT SAUCE
 
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Easy recipe for zucchini noodles and meat sauce without all the gluten and carbs. It can be dairy free if you leave out the cheese topping.
Author:
Recipe type: gluten free, sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 2 zucchini
  • 2 cans of tomato sauce
  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated or diced
  • sprinkle of grated cheese, optional
  • 3 tbsp of spices* It seems I am always missing a spice, so I have tried with a mix of basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, and thyme. All of these flavors lend themselves to Italian dishes!
Instructions
  1. First, slice the ends of the zucchini off and spiralize. The smallest blade makes an angel hair type zoodle. The medium blade makes a spaghetti or linguini sized zoodle.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Add half of the spices, diced onion, and garlic to the meat.
  3. Once meat is browned, add the cans of tomato sauce and the other half of the spices and stir to combine.
  4. In a separate skillet, heat a splash of oil and add zoodles. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent zoodles from sticking.
  5. Add zoodles to meat sauce, and top with cheese if you please!
Notes
This recipe is best eaten fresh. If you plan to have as leftovers, keep zoodles separate from meat sauce. The zoodles release moisture over time, and would make the sauce more soupy after sitting in the fridge.
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