EggNog Bread

On the night of the fifth day of “The Twelve Days of Christmas Recipes” I whipped up a new recipe for “Healthy EggNog Bread”! I have been just dying to bring you a healthy “eggnog” dessert. It’s pretty tough to do because traditional eggnog is so high in fat and sugar. Low and behold, I stumbled across a healthier version of the delicious beverage at Whole Foods, Plantation. It never fails, whenever you are looking for a healthy alternative just drive to your nearest Whole Foods!

Rice Dream EggNog flavor is my secret weapon in this recipe! Along with some vanilla extract and ground nutmeg of course. I have one more recipe for eggnog that I want to do for you but that’ll have to wait a few more days. 🙂

Back to the secret ingredient, Rice Dream Eggnog. It is lactose free, cholesterol free, gluten free, low in sodium and 100% vegetarian. In 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of Rice Dream, there are only 160 calories, 2 grams of fat and absolutely no cholesterol. In a traditional cup (8 fluid ounces) of eggnog you get a whopping 343 calories, 19 grams of fat and 150 mg of cholesterol.

Now, I will say, that while I am all for healthy alternatives to sweet treats, if eggnog is your favorite thing in the world, enjoy a glass! Yes, it’s a lot of calories but if you enjoy a glass once or twice during the Holidays, at least you won’t feel deprived. I think it is important to not get overly obsessed with calorie counting and dieting. It is my goal to help you enjoy delicious treats and meals while still getting the taste of your favorite flavors!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Oat flour
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup whole ground flax seed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Rice Dream Rice Nog
2 egg whites
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients, oat flour, stevia, ground flax seed, baking powder, baking soda and ground nutmeg. Stir until blended.

2.) In a small mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients, applesauce, Greek yogurt, Rice Nog, coconut oil, egg whites and vanilla extract. Stir until all ingredients are blended.

3.) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well until the batter is free of any lumps. Lightly grease a loaf pan and pour the batter in. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

4.) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is firm. *Be sure to let the bread cool completely before cutting, it needs time to firm up. If you cut it hot it will feel mushy in the center. I had great results chilling the bread in the refrigerator and then serving.

Enjoy your yummy and healthy Eggnog Bread!

Written by: Loryn Huff

Certified Personal Trainer, Champion Figure Competitor, NEW Mom and Owner of Femme FIT Company, Ft. Lauderdale.

Light & Sweet Pumpkin Cornbread

Day Four of the “Twelve Days of Christmas Recipes”! Here we are with a special treat, Light & Sweet Pumpkin Cornbread that you can serve for breakfast, bring to an office Holiday party,serve as an appetizer or eat with my yummy Black Bean Turkey Chili recipe! 

This recipe is completely “SKINNY” compared to a regular old cornbread recipe. Most recipes call for butter, oil and loads of sugar and this recipe is FREE of ALL of those fattening things. The best part is you still get all the flavor and yummy crunch that you get from traditional cornbread with a little hint of the SUPER FOOD, pumpkin!

Give this recipe a try and don’t feel guilty about having a satisfying piece of cornbread during the Holidays!

*Inspired by this recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup Oat flour (Can sub whole wheat flour or gluten-free Oat Bran)
1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (can sub sweet potato puree)
1/4 cup Light Coconut milk (canned works best)
1 tablespoon Coconut Nectar (can sub agave nectar or honey)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon maple extract

*Fun Foodie Fact: In this recipe I use coconut nectar instead of agave nectar or honey. Coconut nectar is extracted from coconut blossoms from the coconut tree and naturally contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It is one of the lowest glycemic liquid sweeteners and is very low in fructose, so it is a better substitute for agave nectar.

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons cold water. Stir for 20 seconds and set aside.

3.) In a large mixing bowl, combine ground cornmeal, oat flour, stevia, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Lightly mix with a fork until blended.

4.) Next add pumpkin puree, coconut milk, coconut nectar, flax seed mixture and maple extract. Gently stir until there is no more visible dry flour. DO NOT OVER MIX!

5.) Lightly spray a loaf pan OR muffin tin. Pour mixture in desired pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time may be less if you decide to bake in muffin tins.

6.) Let cool completely before cutting or serving!

*Makes one small loaf of bread OR 6 muffins.

I’m going to leave you with this Holiday themed picture of my little boy, Oliver playing with Christmas lights under his very first Christmas tree! Happy Holidays to you and your family! : )

Written by: Loryn Huff

Certified Personal Trainer, Champion Figure Competitor, NEW Mom and Owner of Femme FIT Company, Ft. Lauderdale.

Lean Buffalo Burger with Tzatziki Sauce

Healthy Burger? Yes! I’m not the biggest red meat eater, but I do occasionally enjoy a nice lean steak or a ground buffalo/bison burger. Buffalo is an extremely lean cut of meat that is full of flavor and has a wonderful texture. I purchase grass-fed, organic buffalo meat from my local Whole Foods store, you should also be able to find it at a Fresh Market or other natural, organic foods store.

During the last couple of weeks of my show diet I was so sick of eating boring chicken, so I went wandering around Whole Foods only to find ground buffalo! I had it before and knew of how lean it is so I grabbed a pound and made some burger patties out of the lean meat. I put only salt & pepper on them and they were totally amazing! I felt like I was cheating on my diet, so for the last few weeks I’ve been obsessed. I wanted to create a fun recipe for you so I figured I would make a burger on a whole wheat pita with some yummy homemade tzatziki sauce. This is a great lunch or dinner to make for the man in your life or when you are entertaining guests for a lunch or BBQ. You could also use Ezekiel or whole wheat burger buns for a “real” burger feel.

Fun-Foodie Fact: 100% grass-fed buffalo is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than chicken and fish, offers more protein than beef and is packed with omega-3 and omega-6.

BURN FAT and gain LEAN MUSCLE with this fun and delicious healthy burger recipe!

Ingredients:

Burger:

1 pound ground, 100% grass-fed Buffalo/Bison meat
1 teaspoon worsteshire sauce
1-2 gloves minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
4 whole wheat pita’s/Ezekiel burger buns/whole wheat burger buns

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 small container (6 ounces) Fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons (about 1/4) chopped cucumber
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped Dill
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

Buffalo Burger:

1.) In a mixing bowl, mix ground buffalo, sea salt & pepper, minced garlic, worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. With your hands, mold the mixture into 4 patties.

2.) Place patties on medium-high heat on a flat skillet or grill top. Cook burgers to desired level of “done-ness”. Remove from heat.

Tzatziki Sauce:

1.) In a small mixing bowl, combine fat-free Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, fresh chopped dill and chopped cucumber. Stir with a spoon or fork until oil, yogurt and remaining ingredients are completely blended. Add seas salt & black pepper to taste.

2.) Serve buffalo burgers on warm whole wheat pita or burger bun (Ezekiel or whole wheat are good options) and top with as much tzatziki sauce as you’d like. I also topped mine with some arugula, but you can be creative with your toppings. 🙂 ENJOY!!!

Skinny Macaroon Mini-Muffins!

I whipped up this recipe today while my little man, Oliver took a nap. It was a chore trying to get him to fall asleep today, he’s got 3 teeth coming in and he has been super cranky! So while he slept I took some “me” time to create a new recipe! 🙂

Healthy mini-macaroons!

The other day I was at Whole Foods and saw that coconut flour was on sale, so I picked up a bag. It is AMAZING for “healthy baking” and is high in fiber and low in digestible (non-fibrous) carbohydrates. I researched how to bake with it and came up with this delicious coco-nutty treat! It is PACKED with PROTEIN and FIBER and tastes like dessert!

*I love adding protein powder to all of my “figure-friendly” recipes, but I will note that if you would rather not add it you can sub the protein powder for oat flour, whole wheat flour, etc. If you want to sub the protein for coconut flour in this recipe you’ll have to add more liquid. Coconut flour is VERY absorbent so you will need to increase the coconut milk. I have not tried it without the protein powder yet so I’m not sure how it will work, but I would start by adding and extra 1/2 cup of coconut milk and see how thick the batter is. If it’s too thick, keep adding. 🙂

Fun Foodie Fact: Coconut oil has been described as the “healthiest oil on earth”. Coconut oil is largely comprised of “medium chain fatty acids” (unlike most other forms of dietary fats) and has been researched to protect against heart disease, lower the risk of atherosclerosis, acts as a protective antioxidant in the body, supports immune system function, helps prevent breast, colon and other cancers, and countless other amazing protective mechanisms!

*So start replacing your olive oils and vegetable oils with coconut oil!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 scoops vanilla whey protein powder (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used Silk brand)
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 egg whites
1-2 tablespoons reduced-fat, unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine applesauce, egg whites, vanilla and coconut extract, stevia and coconut milk. Stir with a fork until blended.

3.) Add protein powder (or other flour), coconut flour, baking powder and coconut oil. Stir until all ingredients are blended.

4.) Fill lightly greased mini-muffin tin with the batter. I sprinkled a pinch of unsweetened, reduced-fat shredded coconut on half the batch and left the other batch “naked”. It’s totally up to you if you want to add the coconut, but they do look prettier. 🙂

5.) Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

6.) Let cool for 15-20 minutes and ENJOY!

*Makes 26 mini bites OR 12 regular sized muffins.

Healthy.Delicious.Chocolate.CAKE.

The name of this recipe says it all. It’s healthy, delicious and it’s chocolate CAKE! When’s the last time you had a piece of CAKE you didn’t feel guilty about? Probably never.

Choc-Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Some people call their recipes “healthy” and it’s a bit of a stretch, but I guess the word “healthy” can be very subjective. Some people think that if it’s gluten-free it’s healthy, or if there’s no crisco added, oh my goodness it’s healthy! Well, my definition of a “healthy” recipe is a little more strict. I create my “figure-friendly” recipes to be low in carbohydrates with no added processed sugars, and only small amounts of clean fat sources. But most importantly, I LOVE to use protein powder, fat-free Greek yogurt or whipped cottage cheese to make my dessert recipes moist and high in protein.

I guarantee you if you make this cake for a friend they will have no clue that it is a 100% healthy recipe. The natural peanut butter is a great substitute for oil that keeps this chocolaty cake moist and gives it a wonderful peanut butter-y flavor. I plan on being sneaky and making this dessert for Thanksgiving to see if anybody catches on that it’s a guilt-free dessert. 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup oat flour (You can also use whole wheat flour, almond flour, etc.)
2 heaping scoops chocolate protein powder (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup Stevia in that Raw *great for baking
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons organic peanut butter
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (you can sub fat-free milk or yogurt, just need the moisture)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine applesauce, ground flaxseed, cold water, almond milk and peanut butter. Mix with a wisk or fork until completely incorporated.

3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the mixture and stir until a smooth batter forms.

4. Pour the batter into a bread/loaf baking tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. *Lightly press the center of the cake to make sure  it is done.

Note: Let the cake completely cool. If you cut it while it is still very hot it will be slightly soft in the middle. Let it set and it will have a wonderful “cake-y” texture.

*I used ProGrade Chocolate Meal Replacement Protein powder so the carbohydrates and calories are a little higher. You can lower that carbohydrate content by using a protein powder without the added carbs. 🙂

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I LOVE the lettuce wraps that they serve at P.F. Changs. They are seriously AMAZING, but also a little on the

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

fattening side for what is considered a “healthy” dish. An order of P.F. Changs chicken lettuce wraps will give you 530 calories and 24 grams of fat. An order of P.F. Change vegetarian lettuce wraps will give you a whopping 610 calories and 36 grams of fat. Which is surprising, you’d think the vegetarian version would get you less calories and fat, not MORE!

This is a great recipe that is full of veggies and very low in fat. The only fats I add to the entire recipe is 1/4 cup chopped cashews (189 calories and 15 grams of fat). The flavor in this dish comes from fresh herbs and spices. The cashews and chopped cucumber give these lettuce wraps a really nice crunch while the red pepper gives them a nice, spicy kick!

These are especially great to make when you want to have a fun and creative dinner while still watching your carbohydrate intake. This is one of my favorite Friday night dishes!

Ingredients:
1 lb. thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 bag broccoli slaw
1 head butter bib lettuce
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
4 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
2 TBSP crushed red pepper (use less if you don’t want them too spicy!)
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
Light cooking spray

Healthy, Low Carb Dinner!

Directions:

1.) Cut thinly sliced chicken breasts into small cubes. Toss in 2 TBSP of low sodium soy sauce, 2 TBSP crushed red pepper and salt & pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

2.) Spray a large saucepan with light cooking spray and sautee chopped garlic and green onion for about 2 minutes.

3.) Add broccoli slaw, cook for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. I cover it with a lid sometimes to quicken the process.

4.) Add in chicken and chopped cashews, stir until well mixed.

5.) In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 TBSP soy sauce, dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. Wisk until completely incorporated. Pour over top of the broccoli slaw and stir until all the ingredients are coated with the sauce.

6.) Remove broccoli slaw mixture from heat and place in a large serving bowl. Top with freshly chopped cilantro and cucumber. Add salt & pepper to taste.

7.) Separate butter bib lettuce into leaves and place one on top of the other on a serving dish. Serve and ENJOY! 🙂