Herbed-Shrimp and Avocado Wraps

I'm always looking for new lunch ideas.  I whipped this up yesterday and I think it is a strong contender to be my new favourite lunch!  This recipe makes enough filling for two generous size wraps/sandwiches, but I was so hungry after a triple-morning workout that I ate it all -- half in a wrap and the rest on the side!

It was super easy to make!  First I chopped up some cooked shrimp and added it to a bowl.

Then I chopped up some fresh herbs from my garden.  I used parsley, tarragon, and basil -- feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

I then added the chopped herbs to the shrimp along with some diced celery, avocado and dijon mustard.

I mixed it up and added a little salt & pepper to taste.  I then put half of the mixture into an Ezekiel wrap and enjoyed it with a side of grape tomatoes.  A fabulous, quick lunch that I will definitely be having again soon -- maybe even today!!

Enjoy!!

Herbed-Shrimp and Avocado Wrap

150 g peeled, deveined and cooked shrimp, chopped

100 g celery, diced

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used a mix of parsley, basil and tarragon)

1/8 large avocado

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.  Serve over a wrap, or on a toasted bun.  Enjoy!

Banana Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

Recipe Revised: June 8, 2014

You know when you need a quick grab and go breakfast? Well, these are perfect -- a muffin take on oatmeal with egg whites. I added in banana and apple sauce for some added sweetness.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  This recipe is really easy -- basically you can add everything to the Vitamix, and let it do all the work for you!

First, I added 2.5 cups of rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind), 2 medium bananas, 1 egg, 1 cup of egg whites, 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce, 1/2 c vanilla unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp coconut oil, into my Vitamix and blended until smooth.

Pour this mixture into a bowl and add in an additional 1/2 cup of oats, 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder and 1 cup of frozen raspberries and mix until combined.

I use an ice cream scoop to portion them out into paper-lined baking cups (which have been lightly misted with oil). Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.  Let them cool a bit and enjoy!!  Makes about 20 muffins.

Banana Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided (not the quick cooking kind) 

2 bananas (200g)
1 egg

1 cup egg whites
1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c. almond milk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp coconut oil

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

1 cup frozen raspberries

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Blend 2.5 cups of oats, banana, apple sauce, almond milk, egg, egg whites, vanilla, coconut oil, baking powder, and baking soda and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and add in the remaining 1/2 cup of oats, protein powder and raspberries and stir to combine. 

Scoop into paper-lined baking cups that have been lightly sprayed with oil.  Bake at 350F for 25 min. Let them cool and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

PB-Banana-Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

I was over at my mom's this weekend and she had a banana that had seen better days.  I thought it would make a nice addition to the cookies I had made a few weeks back and add a nice natural sweetness.

These cookies are so easy to make!  They take just minutes and make just over a dozen -- the perfect amount!  Here is what I did:

First I added 3/4 cup of gluten free oats and 1/4 tsp baking soda to my Vitamix and blended them until they were a 'flour' consistency.  Then I added 1 medium ripe banana, 1 egg, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil (I am pretty sure this can be left out, but I haven't tried that yet), 2 tbsp Hemp Pro 50 protein powder and a tsp of pure vanilla extract and blended until smooth.  I took the mixture out of the blender and put it in a bowl and added an additional 1/4 cup of rolled oats and 2 tbsp of chocolate chips.  Mix until just combined.

I used a mini-scoop to portion out the cookies, which I baked on parchment paper.  Place the cookies in a 350F oven for 12-15 minutes.  Let them cool and enjoy!

Turkey, Spinach and Broccoli Egg Bake

This egg bake makes a nice quick breakfast!  I like to put it on a slice of toasted Steady Eddie bread with a few slices of nitrate-free Oven-Roasted Turkey for a satisfying meal.

It's super easy to make -- here's what I do:

Pre-heat your oven to 375F.

In a pan (I use my Le Cruset cast iron pot) over medium-high heat, I browned 1 link of extra-lean turkey sausage that I removed from the casing.  If you don't have turkey sausage, you can just use 100 g of extra-lean ground turkey.  To the browned turkey, I added 1 diced sweet yellow onion and about 1 tsp of salt.  Saute the onion for a few minutes until it is translucent, then add 1 clove of minced garlic, and 200 g of chopped baby spinach.  Saute the mixture for an additional minute or two until the spinach is wilted.  Take off the heat and set aside.

Finely chop 100 g of broccoli and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, and 1 cup of cottage cheese.

To that mixture, add one 500 mL carton of egg whites, 1/3 cup of oat bran (or you can use 1/3 cup of oatmeal that you have ground up in a blender), and a about a tbsp of fresh chopped parsley and stir to combine.

Lightly spray a 9.5 x 13" cake pan with olive oil.  Dump the turkey/onion/spinach mixture into the pan and distribute it evenly.  Next sprinkle the chopped broccoli overtop.

Then carefully pour the egg mixture overtop, trying to make it as even as possible.

Bake at 375F for 45 min, or until it is puffed and set in the middle.  I then turn the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the top.  Be sure to keep an eye on it, so it only browns and doesn't burn.

Let it cool and cut into 6 large squares.  Enjoy!!

Turkey, Spinach and Broccoli Egg Bake

Preheat oven to 375F

1 extra-lean turkey sausage link (or 100 g of extra-lean ground turkey)
1 sweet onion, chopped into a fine dice
1 clove of garlic, minced
100 g broccoli, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 carton of egg whites (500 mL)
1/3 cup oat bran (or 1/3 cup oatmeal that has been blended up into a 'flour')
parsley
salt and pepper

Remove the sausage from its casing and brown over medium-high heat.  Add the diced onion and some salt and saute until translucent.  Add in the chopped garlic and spinach and saute until the spinach has wilted.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Chop the broccoli and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combined the eggs and cottage cheese and mix to combine.  To this mixture add the egg whites, oat bran and parsley.

Prepare a 9.5 x 13" pan with a light spray of olive oil.  Layer on the turkey/onion/spinach mixture, then the broccoli.  Pour on the egg mixture and ensure everything is distributed evenly.

Bake at 375F for 45 min or until the middle is set.  Turn the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the top (be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn).

Cool and cut into 6 large squares.  Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (calculated using My Fitness Pal)

Per 1 slice:

Calories:174
Total Fat: 4 g
  Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 91 mg
Sodium: 417 mg
Potassium: 399 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 12 g
  Dietary Fiber: 2 g
  Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 23 g
Vitamin A: 58%
Vitamin C: 39%
Calcium: 11%
Iron: 13%

Macros:
Carbs: 27%/Protein: 52%/Fat: 21%