Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I’ll be the first to admit, the name of these pancakes sounded sketchy to me. But they were super easy to make and seriously tasted so awesome. I topped mine with a few raspberries, blackberries, one Tbsp 100% maple syrup and served with a scrambled egg (with spinach) for a protein packed breakfast.

Makes: 6 servings - Serving size: 2 pancakes

Each Serving Contains: 1 Protein, 0 Carbohydrates, 0 Vegetables, 1 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 cup full-fat cottage cheese

3 large eggs

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

 

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese and eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

In a mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg mixture with flour and melted butter and mix with a spoon until combined.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour out a small amount of batter and let the pancakes cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.

I think this could easily be done in a waffle maker too! 

Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta (clean eating)

If you think clean eating can't be delicious, this recipe will prove you wrong. I can’t say enough how phenomenal this pasta dish was. Also, it says 4 servings, but it makes a very large batch. It ended up being 6 servings for me. I’ve never cooked the spinach this way and I was nervous it wouldn’t work but it did. New cooking hack! This is definitely going into my dinner rotation. Also, feel free to add mushrooms or other veggies that you enjoy too.

Makes: 4 servings

Each Serving Contains: 2 Proteins, 1 Carbohydrate, 2 Vegetables, 1 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 cups baby spinach

1 tsp dried basil

1 14.5-oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used organic)

2 cloves garlic

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, liquid drained

2 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions (omit salt). Add spinach to boiling water for the last minute of cooking.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and basil. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic and drained tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in ricotta cheese.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 3 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

5-Ingredient Bread (clean eating)

When it comes to bread I am so very picky. I’m a bread lover to the core but I’ve always been anti-wheat bread (or pasta or tortillas for that matter). It’s just a nasty taste to me. So when I saw this recipe on a clean eating website I did not have very high expectations, despite the great reviews. The bread turned out pretty dense but it was actually really good! Especially toasted! I sprinkled some everything but the bagel seasoning on the top before I baked mine. Because there’s no preservatives, if you’re not going to eat it up in 3-4 days, I would suggest freezing half and pulling it out as needed. As a party of one, I take out 1/3 of a loaf from the freezer at a time. I can’t wait to try it as rolls next time to use with sandwiches.

Makes: 12 servings - Serving size: 1 slice

Each Serving Contains: 0 Protein, 1 Carbohydrate, 0 Vegetables, 0 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp yeast

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 cups warm water

3 cups whole wheat flour

 

DIRECTIONS

Add yeast, salt and honey to water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Gradually mix in flour until dough forms and is not sticking to your hands. Add flour in increments of 1 Tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Put in lightly oiled bowl and cover with damp towel for 20-30 minutes. Mine didn’t seem to rise much after 30 minutes so I did an hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place in lightly oiled loaf pan and bake 15-20 minutes, until hollow when tapped.

Note: Optional toppings / additions before baking:

• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Sprinkle with garlic powder
• Herbs: oregano, parsley, rosemary
• Sun-dried tomato
• Olives

You can also roll into 12 individual rolls instead of using a loaf pan.