Pumpkin Pancakes and Greek Quinoa Recipes :)

It’s the weekend! And it’s fall! That means two things:

1. It is menu planning and meal prep time, and
2. Pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere... including my pancakes J

In terms of weekend food prep, I’ve got a pretty good Saturday routine down. Sleep in, eat, gym with my mom, eat, grocery shop, eat, food prep, and then, obviously, eat again. This weekend, however, I switched it up a bit and included a couple new recipes in my menu, so it required a little extra shopping time. I also had to prep all my food around a kitchen window renovation, so things were a little slower than usual. I had to leave a couple things until today, but finally have got it all prepped and packed, and done! Whoot whoot! All ready for the week.

This weekend I also made two different kinds of post-workout pumpkin pancakes. And both were yummy! Pumpkin puree just has a way of making baking rich, lush and delicious. And, even though it's available all year, it just seems to fit the best with fall.

The first was based on my basic Cinnamon Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing, but with a ¼ cup of canned pumpkin puree added to the batter, and a tablespoon of pumpkin added to the icing. The second creation was adding a ¼ cup of canned pumpkin puree to my Chocolate Zucchini Protein Pancake with Chocolate Icing. Mmmmm, the additional moisture added from the pumpkin made the pancake very dense, and in the absence of cinnamon, the pumpkin flavor really came out, and paired well with the peanut butter and bananas on top. What a delicious way to get in those post-workout carbs and protein!

After opening up a big can of pumpkin and only using ¼ cup at a time, it lasts awhile, so I have been trying it out in different things. Pumpkin works really well in yogurt with some oats, walnuts, bananas, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pretty much autumn in a bowl J This has been my new bedtime snack for the past week. I also tried it out in an oatmeal cookie. While the execution of baking the cookie went a little awry (I tried frying it like a pancake because I didn’t want to wait for it to bake in the oven), it still tasted really good- especially with some chunky peanut butter on top! I based this creation on this recipe from the Powercakes website, but I used a chopped up Brownie Questbar as chocolate chips instead. It all came together quite nicely.

 

I am always looking for new ways to use pumpkin in baking or recipes, so let me know if you have other ideas J

I have also been using the fall weekends to build and experiment with other recipes as well. One of my new go-tos for a weekday meal has been a spanakopita/ Greek inspired quinoa bake. I based this recipe off of a side dish my girlfriend Leanna used to make, but made a couple changes to make sure that it included the right amount of carbs and protein I needed for a mid-morning snack. I also started baking it as a casserole so I could easily slice and package up individual servings to heat and eat at work. It’s a pretty simple recipe with only a few ingredients, but is full of flavor and can be adapted to suit any macros or particular tastes. Enjoy!

Spanakopita Quinoa Bake

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

·         240g uncooked quinoa

·         1 bunch (about 6) green onions

·         3-4 cloves of raw garlic (or to taste- I like a little bit more)

·         300g raw spinach (about one of the big boxes)

·         ½ bunch of fresh dill

·         ½-1 lemon, juiced

·         1 ½ cups egg whites

·         To taste- black pepper and garlic powder

·         1 ½ cup dry cottage cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Dice up green onions and garlic. Sautee in a pan sprayed with Pam.
3. Once onions and green onions are soft, add in spinach to wilt. Remove from heat.
4. Stir fresh dill and lemon juice into onion, garlic and spinach mixture. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, mix egg whites, pepper, and garlic powder together.
6. Add cooked quinoa to egg mixture. Mix well.
7. Add spinach mixture to quinoa and egg mixture.
8. Pour into sprayed baking dish.
9. Sprinkle cottage cheese on top.
10. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes or until egg is set and cottage cheese is melted.
11. Remove from oven. Let cool. Slice and serve or slice and store for an easy, re-heatable meal later.

This dish turned out really good! The combo of the garlic, onions, fresh dill and lemon really gives it that Greek-inspired flavor, while the quinoa and cottage cheese provide the carbs and protein to make it a satisfying meal. Options to switch it up a bit include using feta with (or instead of) the cottage cheese, swapping the quinoa with another grain for variety (I’m sure rice would work well!), add different vegetables (like peppers or sundried tomatoes) or change the herb (maybe some oregano?). Endless clean possibilities. Try it out and lemme know what you come up with!

 

XOXO

Jen

Plums, Pancakes and Pizza Recipes (No, Not All Together)

If you have been following my (currently non-existent) WIAW posts over the past few months, you would have noticed that I have been keeping it pretty basic with minimal changes week to week. While I usually love mixing it up, because the summer was so busy, I just didn’t have time to think about it and kept it simple by doing what I already knew. From week to week I knew what I needed to buy, how to prep it and what all the macro (fats, carbs and protein) counts would be. It didn’t require much thinking which is how I needed it to be.

But finally (finally!!) things are slowing down a bit and I was inspired to try something new in the kitchen. This week it resulted in two really yummy recipes J Both provide a good balance between protein and carbs, and both can be modified to fit different macros, tastes and preferences. One is sweet and one is more savoury. Enjoy!

Plum and Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

This recipe is a small twist in my basic Cinnamon Zucchini Protein Pancake. My parents have a plum tree in their backyard. It grows those delicious sweet and sour prune plums. At this time of year, my mom often makes a plum cake, which I love, so I wanted to find a way to recreate those flavours in a cleaner cake. The answer was a plum pancake J

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):

Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 40g (about ¼ cup) shredded zucchini
• 60g (about 2) soft prune plums
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP vanilla protein powder

Directions:

1. Pit and chop up plums. Pre-heat and spray small frying pan. Add plums and sauté on low heat until soft and slightly caramelized.
2. In a small bowl, mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon together.
3. Add in egg whites. Mix well. Add in zucchini, plum and walnuts.
4. Pour into the pre-heated, (re)sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 2 minutes (or until done).
5. To make the icing, stir together yogurt and protein powder.
6. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

 

 

 

I also topped mine with some chia prune jam. It turned out exactly as I expected. The pieces of plum in the cake really tart it up, which goes well with the sweet yogurt icing. I’m thinking of tripling this recipe and trying it out in a loaf pan to see how it slices up. A perfect portable, pre-portioned and prepped high protein and carb snack! It could even be used as a pre- or quick post-gym meal.

 

Quinoa Pizza Bites/ Casserole

This recipe started out as a way to satisfy a pizza craving (while meeting my carb and protein counts for the day). While sometimes nothing but a slice will do, other times, it’s really just the flavors I want. This recipe was a way to combine those flavors (tomato sauce, cheese, garlic and oregano) in an easy to prepare and package way for one of my meals during the week.

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 180g (1 cup) uncooked quinoa
• 300g spinach
• 6 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 ½ cup egg whites
• 125g (about ½ cup) dry cottage cheese curds
• garlic powder, oregano and black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook quinoa according to package directions. When in doubt, I follow these instructions for quinoa.
3. Wilt spinach in a pan and set aside.
4. In a bowl, mix the egg whites, tomato paste and seasoning together.
5. Add in cottage cheese, cooked quinoa and spinach. Mix well.
6. Drop mixture into sprayed muffin tins or pour into sprayed 9X9 pan.
7. If making muffins, bake for 20-25. If baking in a pan, bake, covered, for about 20-25, then remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Let cool and individually portion and package for an easy grab-and-go protein and carb filled meal.

 

This recipe turned out great! My first batch, made into muffins, were a little under seasoned, so I made sure to add more into my second batch, which I baked in a pan. This was delicious and very satisfying as a morning snack throughout the week. Depending on macros and personal tastes and preferences, parmesan cheese can be added to the mixture or melted on top for more flavor. Other “toppings” (like peppers and onions) can also be added into the mixture for different flavors and textures. The variations are endless! I might try a “Greek” inspired mix next time with feta and fresh dill!

And finally, even though I didn’t create this recipe, I had to share! I recently tried this protein and chocolate chip cookie dough brownie and almost died. It was amazing!! It uses a Quest bar, which I have heard a lot about, but haven’t tried out that much. This was a delicious way to eat it though! Mmmm.

XOXO

Jen

Flipping Pancakes and Packing Up

Hey-oh! It’s the weekend! Time for some rest and relaxation, the gym, and pancakes of course! For me, however, this weekend, I only get two out of those three things.

Next weekend I’m moving out of my condo, so this weekend has been spent making arrangements and packing. Ugh. Feels like a never ending process. In the span of a week, we went from spending our Saturday night living (and eating) the high life in the city to shopping at Walmart in Surrey. Ha. How things got real- fast. Oh moving, I hate you so much.
 
Despite all the packing, the organizing, the cleaning and doing everything else that goes into moving, I’m still making it to the gym, and even started a brand new training program this today (which, as a side note, was insane! During my leg work out I was seriously sweating through my eyeballs and am pretty sure I will not be able to walk tomorrow… or even tonight.  I can already feel the soreness/ stiffness coming on- which I love. I know I did something right). Whoot whoot! #makingithappen Operation Bigger, Better, Stronger is now into full effect. The countdown is on. I have 65 days (9 weeks) until Vegas and I will be using each and every one of those days, hours, and minutes building my body so I can bring my best.

Every second, minute, hour, bigger, better, stronger, power! #thatpower



 

Repping it out at (well, resting between sets when I took the picture)

on the Smith machine

Yes, I am now following the creed of Will.I.Am and Justin Bieber... not sure if that’s better or worse that Enrique. You tell me.

As of last night (after a final trip to Menchies), I am back into competition prep mode. No, I’m not training for a show, but am preparing for a photo shoot and the look I want to create will take my complete focus and dedication over the next two months. But that’s okay, I do well in crunch times. I will confess, I will be taking two breaks or ‘off times’ during this prep. The first break will be when I go to Napa at the end of month for my dear friend Katherine’s stagette. While I can keep up with my training and eat (fairly) clean while away, I simply cannot go to Napa and not do a wine tour, right? I am pretty sure I’d be banned from ever returning if I didn’t drink at least some wine while there J And then the second break will be when the hubs and I hit Chicago in the middle of July (one month out from Vegas). Again, I can’t go to Chicago and not eat pizza. I’d be run out of the town for sure!! Plus, we have already bought tickets for a pizza and cocktails tour which will undoubtedly be amazing!! I heart Chicago. It’s really one of the best cities. Here’s a pic from our last trip there.

Our reflection in the Bean

 

 

Other than that though, no excuses. I’ve already scoped out post-move gym options in the new ‘hood, I’ll be prepping all of my meals for the weekend of the move, and I will do what it takes to keep up with my training schedule. I’m making it happen.

Somehow within all the chaos going on because of the move, I created and tried out a new pancake recipe yesterday morning. After being phased out of my competition prep food plan in March, bananas are (temporarily) back on the menu. And, in homage to the Chunky Monkey cupcake I inhaled/ ate last weekend, I wanted to try to make a banana pancake. It turned out yummy. Here’s the recipe:

Chunky Monkey Banana Pancakes

Ingredients (for 1 serving)
 
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup/ 30g oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 17g vanilla protein powder (I used a whey based powder, but you can use whatever you like. Be aware, however, each powder and brand had different absorption so you may need to adjust the amount)
• 50g/ half a banana
• ¼ egg whites

Vanilla Icing:

• 2 TBSP non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP/ 7g vanilla casein

Directions

1. Mix the three dry pancake ingredients today until well blended.
2. Mush the banana into the egg whites (you can keep the banana chunky or puree it right in- your preference).
3. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Pour batter into a pre-heated sprayed pan.
5. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip. Cook 2-3 minutes on the other side.
6. While the pancake in cooking, make the icing by mixing the yogurt and casein together.
7. Once the pancake is cooked through, top with the icing while still warm.

 

I also added some chunky peanut butter (which I just rediscovered- OMG, amazing!) on the top of mine with the icing. While it was a little dry (next time I might add a couple of tablespoons of milk to the batter), it was still really yummy with the peanut butter and bananas- one of my favorite combos.

I also want to try it with a little chocolate next time. I thought about it for this recipe (and seriously spent way too long debating whether or not to add it in), but in the end wanted the vanilla flavoring more. If I were to add in the chocolate, I would either add a tablespoon of cocoa to the batter or make chocolate icing instead of the vanilla. Or, if your diet permits it, you could also add in a couple chocolate chips, or make a chocolate sauce. The possibilities are endless. See, I told you I thought about it for a long time).

 

Okay, enough about pancakes and back to the packing. Ugh. Seriously, how do I have so much junk??

XOXO

Jen

It’s a new dawn, a new day and a new week!! For a Monday (and for a morning for that matter), I was feeling unusually good!



Sunrise on the way to work this morning!
Hopefully a sign of things to come this week
#shinebrightlikeadiamond today!

After feeling a little crazy/ overwhelmed last week, I am starting to feel back in control and excited for what the next two weeks will bring. Things are starting to fall into place.

 

For the photo shoot on Saturday, I have my hair, makeup, nail, threading and tanning appointments all booked. And, for the show next, next weekend, I have my hair, makeup, waxing and tanning appointments all booked as well. Yes, it actually takes that much work, and that many people to make me look presentable. In the weeks leading up to a show, things aren’t pretty (again, my poor husband). Preparing for a show is like planning a wedding! There are so many details to coordinate! I still need to figure out the timelines/ schedules for the days of the event, transportation, food options/ menu planning, purchase tickets for the show, pick out outfits and pack up my bag. Seriously, I didn’t put this much time or energy into my own wedding! But, while it is a lot to do (and a lot of expense!), it is all worth it. This is when it starts to all come together. This is when you start to see all the hard work, sacrifice and time and energy invested manifest into what you have been envisioning for months every time you pumped out one more set, or said no to a dinner invite, or passed out on the couch before 10pm. This is the fun part :)

 

A quick weekend wrap up: Sleep ins, protein pancakes, workouts, dinner with (both sets) of parents (and when I say dinner, I mean, I brought my own Tupperware filled with clean eats- which I eat out of off my grandma’s china), Sunday food prep and quality time with the hubby. What more can a girl ask for?

 

I tried a new protein pancake recipe this weekend. Out of zucchini, I subbed in shredded beets to make a chocolate beet pancake. Here’s the recipe:

  

Chocolate Beet Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

 

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):

 

Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 TBSP cocoa (or to taste)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 50g shredded beets (zapped in the microwave for 45 secs)
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 7g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in beets and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, frying pan coated with a non-stick spray. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, and coconut oil.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

 

It was good! A little less sweet, and more “earthy” if you will, than the zucchini pancake, but still delicious- especially with a little prune chia jam on top. It is also carb and protein packed which I needed after a tough shoulder and tri workout!

 

Only 18 days out! The countdown is on!!

XOXO
J

WIAW :) and Pre-Workout Snack Recipe

Here's what's on the menu for today.

It's a weight training day which means an extra pre-workout snack in the afternoon (not pictured above, see below). This week, I made chocolate protein muffins to eat on the bus on my way home from work/ to the gym. They are simple, easy to make, turned out delicious and have been fueling my tough new workouts. Only 18 days out to the show!! Things are tightening up and I am starting to get tired, but this is it! This is the final push. Love it!!

Reason to be fit #0197: For the smile I will have once I reach my goal.

Here's a full breakdown of my food plan fueling me this week:

Meal	Menu Item	What You Need To Know...
M1: Breakfast	Barley and buckwheat porridge.	I made a new batch of this porridge on Sunday prep and incorporated some of the tweaks I suggested in my other post.
M2: Snack	Quinoa and kale frittata.	A yummy little casserole dish filled with lots of veggies and protein.
M3: Lunch	Yam and chickpea chicken curry.	Again, I made a new batch this weekend and made a couple of changes. Still tasty :)
M4: Snack	Tuna on a bed of broccoli slaw and avocado.	Soooo yummy with a little lemon squirted on top.
M5: Pre-workout	Chocolate protein muffins.	The perfect, portable pre-workout snack made from egg whites, protein powder and oats.
M6: Post-workout/ dinner	Tilapia served over a bed of brown rice with a salad of raw veggies and a scoop of yogurt. This is served without the rice on non-weight training days.	The Greek yogurt mixed with the warm rice and crunchy veggies is heavenly! I also added in some fresh dill. Very satisfying.
M7: Snack (optional- but let’s be honest, I eat it every night!)	Greek yogurt mixed with a half a scoop of casein and strawberries.	Still eating this every night, but in different variaties. Sometime vanilla, sometimes chocolate. Always delicious!

The barley and buckwheat porridge in the morning is just so satisfying! Building on the recipe from last week, this time around, I sub out the wheat bran, and added a oat and flax seed porridge mix instead. I also omitted the coconut oil, reduced a cinnamon a bit and added in two scoops of vanilla protein powder. These changes also required me to add in an extra cup and a half of water. It turned out a lot more moist than last time and I have been heating it up with 1/3 cup of apple sauce and melting 1 tsp of coconut oil on top. Absolutely heavenly!

While most of the other menu items on this week's meal plan are quite similiar to what I was eating last week, I did try out a new pre-workout snack. Working with what I need to consume carb and protein-wise before my workout, I tried out a new protien pancake/ muffin recipe. What I got was the perfect on-the-go pre-workout snack. Not only that, they are also very delicious, and as a bonus, quick and easy to make.

Pre-workout Chocolate Protein Muffins or Pancakes

Ingredients for 1 serving

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 10g chocolate whey protein powder (or any other flavor)
• 1 TBSP cocoa (because who doesn't love extra chocolate flavor)

 
Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Depending on whether you want muffins or pancakes:
• For muffins: Pour into 2 sprayed muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Be careful not to over bake as they will dry out fast.
• For pancakes: Pour batter into a sprayed pre-heated pan. Flip pancake after 4 minutes.

To help save time, I recommend tripling or quadrupling the recipe to have extras on hand for the week. Also, this can be used as a base for even more yumminess. Depending of what your nutritional requirements are or what you are craving, you can also stir in some fresh fruit or nuts and top with nutbutter or yogurt protein icing!

Happy "pump" day!

XOXO
Jen

Weekend Wrap Up and Protein Pancake Recipes

After a crazy busy long weekend last weekend (including a friend’s birthday dinner downtown, a bikini appointment, a massage therapy session, two Easter dinners, posing practice and a full day of food prep- on top on my regular training schedule), I was really looking forward to this weekend full of no plans J No plans = dreamy. No plans means I can sleep in, take my time at the gym, make my food when I want, and spend some time with the hubby.

Saturday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland marathon (interspersed with eating), bed.

Sunday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland, food prep, eat, final Homeland, bed.  

See a theme?

My weekend in pictures:

Vanilla and chocolate protein pancakes

At the gym refueling between workouts

My adorable husband- isn't he cute?

 

All my #favouritethings in life!

Both mornings (as all weekend mornings do) started with protein pancakes. I love me some protein pancakes, and this weekend both recipes were both soooo delicious. Each started with the same base (oats, protein powder, and egg whites), but different flavours, add-ins and toppings were used. There are soooo many protein pancake recipes out there, but these are the ones I have created to fit my nutritional requirements.

Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, coconut oil and protein powder.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 11g fat; 34g carb; 38g protein

Super simple, but utterly delicious! This was sooo good. The yogurt based vanilla icing was almost like cream cheese icing and it even started melting into the warm pancake. In addition to the icing, I also topped with a spoonful of homemade chia jam. It was like eating cake... without the guilt.

That was Saturday morning. Sunday morning, I made something similar, but chocolate-ed it up!

 

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Pancake with Chocolate Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 2 tsp cocoa (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g chocolate protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cocoa 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, coconut oil and cocoa.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 12g fat; 39.5g carb; 32.5 protein

Again, I ate this with chia jam on top (just to get in those chia seeds), but the icing mixes up so smooth and fudgy that it would be delicious without the jam.

I'm always looking for new ideas. Have any tried and true #proteinpancake recipes? What do you top your pancakes with? Please share!

XOXO
J