"Be Careful With It!" Banana Bread....

Yep, you heard it...I didn't stutter. BE CAREFUL with this stuff! Between me and you...after making this, I OD'd on it not once, but TWICE, before learning my lesson of not having them around all the time - lol.

There are a ton of Paleo banana bread recipes floating around out there. Most of them are fairly unimpressive, too similar to the last, don't have much of a "bread" consistency, blah blah blah. This gem, however, is so delightful that a smile comes to my face just writing this post about it :)

I'm giving credit to tahini being in it, which has to be the "culprit" of creating such a delicious, moist, bread-y treat. I got the original recipe from whatrunslori.com. It is her pumpkin swirl banana bread. Seems pretty delicious on her site...but I, of course, had to make an alteration or two ;) The first being to eliminate the pumpkin swirl in it. It is too pasty, heavy, and makes the delicious banana part of it sink in and change texture. And, as maple is the key to this big girl's heart...I added a touch of good ol' Grade B syrup in there.

Here it goes!

This is with the pumpkin swirl. 1/4cup pumpkin puree, 3 Tbsp cocoa powder (although not exactly recommended) 

1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
3/4 cup shredded, dried, unsweetened coconut
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs (or 1/3 cup egg beaters)
2 tsp maple syrup (get the good stuff!)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease loaf pan (or muffin tin) with coconut oil
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl
3. Put your mixture into your loaf pan, or evenly distribute into muffin tin
4. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center is firm. Let it cool for a bit, remove from pan (or tin), and allow to cool on wire rack.
5. Have a chaperon around so you don't make the same overdose mistake I did (and have to cut your run short lol)

oh. em. gee. SO good! Be careful, and enjoy!

Mexican Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

As per the request of Sarah Deutschmann, my triathlete badass client (who may also carry a gun, so don't mess with her)...who spent a load of $$ on stuffed peppers at a local cafe recently...and wished she hadn't. :) so...I decided to put these on the "Better Than" Menu this week. Based on a onelovelylife.com recipe....here we go!

4 bell peppers, sliced in half step to tip, seeds removed
1 16 oz. package of fresh ground turkey breast
1 cup quinoa
1/2 medium onion, dived
1 - 15 oz - can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 - 4 oz - can diced green chiles (don't drain!...extra flavor!)
1/4 cup cilantro (optional), minced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 can enchilada sauce of choice
1/2 cup lite mexican cheese blend (got mine from Trader Joe's)

1. Add quinoa and onion to a medium saucepan w/ 2 cups water (or chicken stock for more flavor). Bring to boil over medium-high heat, and keep at boil for 5 minutes. Cover, turn off heat, and let steam for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork
2. In large skillet, brown ground turkey with salt/pepper.
3. Pour quinoa/onion mixture into large mixing bowl. Add ground turkey, black beans, tomato, green chiles, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour enchilada sauce into 9x13'' baking dish. Divide filling among peppers, and nestle stuffed peppers into the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes. Serve peppers drizzled with sauce spooned out from pan. Enjoy!

Pretty easy, fairly easy to pack for meals later in the week. Tasty! If you're a saucemaster like I am, you can also serve with a bit of salsa on the side or drizzled on top. Yummo!

Ragnar Relay Replenishment Bars

Nothing says carby, nutty protein bar like running 200 miles with 11 of your closest (or don't even know some of 'em) friends! Cumberland, MD to DC...each runner gets 3 legs of varying distances...tons of muddy hills, sleeping in vans, and reflective vests. Sounds like a good time, huh?

Being the foodie that I claim to be, I took it upon myself to organize food for our van of 6...and volunteered to create some fun replenishment bars to look forward to between runs. After making batch 1, I quickly discovered that these are going to become one of those things that I make oodles of different ways, never repeating the same method.

Here's batch 1:

1/4c oat flour (you can make your own by taking oats and tossing in food processor for a bit)
1/4c almond meal
3/4c rolled oats
1 scoop protein powder (I use "About Time" because it is the most natural stuff on the market)
3/4c Trader Joe's Omega Trek Mix
1/4 tsp salt

1/4c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 Tbsp flaxseed meal (this, combined with the almond milk, ends up creating a pseudo egg for us to bind things)
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking pan
1. Combine the flaxseed meal with almond milk, vanilla, and honey in small bowl. Set aside so it can thicken as you put together everything else
2. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl
3. Add wet to dry and mix! Spread evenly in bowl, place in oven for about 15 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven, cool a bit in the pan, remove from pan and allow to cool on rack. Once cooled, cut into squares!

These guys are GOOD! Of course, I ended up taking it to another level in batch 2...using pecans, walnuts, and raisins instead of the omega mix...and then used About Time Cinnamon Roll protein instead of the Chocolate PB that I used in batch 1. YUM! I'm resisting temptation tonight to do a 3rd batch...and waiting until tomorrow :) Batch 3 alterations will include coconut flour, banana chips, a tad bit of carob chips, and maybe banana protein. We'll see ;) 

...did somebody say....AUTUMN?!?!?

Oh, my favorite time of year. Squash, cool weather, cider, and running! 

I'm going to just act like the last few months (of me not blogging) didn't happen...and continue on as if I never left ;) After all, its not like I relocated, got a new gym home, and discovered a new skill of mine (ACE hardware is my new BFF....and apparently I love home improvement projects. Come check out the new kitchen!)

So...back to the squash....particularly PUMPKIN! Got 2 new recipes to share...pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and vegan pumpkin cranberry scones. Both variations on goodies I found floating around online...with my own little twists. Here we go!

(adapted from afoodiestaysfit.com...)
Even Healthier-fied "Healthified Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies"

RECIPE

• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 tsp Stevia (get the natural stuff. I used what comes in a tall spice-looking type container from good ol' Trader Joes)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 Tbs. vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, egg and vanilla and mix well (wet mixture)
3. Combine by whisking: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a separate bowl (dry mixture)
4. Gradually add DRY mixture to WET and mix until just combined
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Grease cookie sheet and use an ice cream scoop to measure out
7. Bake for about 10 minutes until they no longer look wet
8. Let sit on pan for 2 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool

I cut a ton of calories out via excluding sugar in the original recipe. And I'm not huge on major sweetener subs, so I drastically cut the conversion of the sugar-to-stevia...so the cookies have a hint of sweet, but not overly sweet. They seem to still be a hit! 


Next up....(adapted from the hungryherbivore.com)
Vegan (until I added eggwhite wash before sprinkling turbinado sugar on top for a little finesse) Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
1.5 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp raw honey
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup cranberries (if using dry- plump them as you would raisins, by adding them to some water or orange juice and allowing them to get rehydrated)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice and whisk together to ensure even distribution of the ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients; pumpkin, honey, and also your cranberries. Incorporate all ingredients together, scones make a dry dough(like biscuits) but if you think your dough is too dry and all your flour hasn't been incorporated, add non-dairy milk 1 tbsp at a time.
4. You can make these 'drop' scones by using a measuring scoop and dropping the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, or you can cut them into triangles (like Starbucks!). To make triangles, roll dough into one large ball and then flatten slightly. Cut the dough like you would cut a pizza! I first cut in half, and then divide each section into 'slices'.
5. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Not gonna say these are fabulous...they're a bit tart, but not too bad! Nice w/ a hot cup of Chai on a rainy afternoon ;) 

....Got any autumn recipes that you've been waiting all summer long to make? Shoot me an email with them and share! I'll post it up for all to see! :) wearebetterthan@gmail.com

Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers w/ Dilly Cucumber Salad

This might've been the first time I've ever read Self magazine. Not knocking it, it's just not my go-to. But, when American Airlines hit me with a "use it or lose it" speech about my frequent flyer miles, and my only real options were getting free magazine subscriptions, I went ahead and got it. Much to my surprise, I found a pretty awesome recipe lurking on page 152 of the April 2012 issue. Here's the recipe link:

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes/2012/04/chickpea-sweet-potato-burgers 

My only revision: since my beloved Trader Joes didn't have tahini, I used the "tahini sauce" that they had. It's essentially a more tahini-based hummus (with lemon juice, garlic, salt). The good news is: it greatly reduced the calorie content of the recipe, compared to using actual tahini. Nevertheless, delish. 

check out my mandoline marks on the cuke lol

I will say, the one thing that'll get some additional love the next time this recipe hits the Harris table is some sauce! Yes, I'm widely known to be a saucemaster. Maybe a light tahini dijon? Or Raspberry tahini? Who knows...but at least a little something to drizzle over these bad boys to give them a little extra punch on their way down. 

The cucumber salad was AWESOME! I could eat it for days and days. Highly recommend! 

Quinoa Banana Blueberry Date Muffins

Need a good pre or post-workout quick eat? Check 'em out! No added sugar...(Although I do admit, that in my first batch I did put 2 total Truvia packets for the whole dozen muffins)...tried to utilize the sweetness of the bananas and dates to make these as low-empty calorie as possible!
Recipe & nutrition facts:
http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/ts-blueberry-date-quinoa-muffins/

Tricolor quinoa from good ol' Trader Joes!

Enjoy, then save the rest in the freezer! Take them out when needed & warm up before you eat!

Inessa's Avocado Chickpea Salad

If you're in the mood for contrasting textures in a combo that brings you a great protein and healthy fat source...BOOM! Inessa took care of us. Check out her Avocado Chickpea salad, with a little crumbled feta. It is a great afternoon snack, lunchtime side, or picnic meal!

freshly cubed avocado with freshly cracked pepper and sea salt

Don't be afraid to scoop up some goodness with one of those onion wedges!

For my Livestrong fam, here's the recipe link:
http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/inessas-avocado-chickpea-salad/

Everyone else, here it goes!

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large red onion, cut into wedges

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (or more, to taste)

1 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar (or more to taste)

Salt and pepper

Arrange red onion wedges on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until slightly browned, but still crunchy.  Allow to cool slightly (maybe 5-10 minutes).  Combine all ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, more olive oil if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix and enjoy!

Soup's On!

So....flipping through Fitness Magazine on Saturday's crazy-windy, chilly afternoon, this smoky black bean soup recipe (by Laraine Perri) jumped out at me, just begging me to make it :) I, of course, being me, didn't have the self-control to actually follow the recipe for what it is....therefore, I made my creative alterations, and voila....Smoky Black Bean with Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Soup:

http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/ts-smoky-black-bean-soup-apple-chicken-sausage/

262 calories per serving (pretty large serving, at that)...smoky-spicy, and pocket-friendly!

top with a dab of lite sour cream for a cool contrast

To add a bit of funk to your sour cream garnish, zest a lime and add about a teaspoon of honey to your sour cream, whip together, and enjoy!

Jamie's Butternut Squash Turkey Meatloaf

....aaaaaaand, we're off! High five to Jamie for hooking us up with a killer butternut squash turkey meatloaf recipe! Everything is inputted into Livestrong (yes, I know...you guys already know I'm obsessed with that site lol), so here's the link with both recipe & nutrition info (and for my fellow livestrong'ers, since it is a recipe on there, if you make it, you just have to type in the name of it and it'll add it to your meals without having to do all of the extra work!). Super high in protein, low fat...filling and delicious!

http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/jamies-butternut-squash-turkey-meatloaf/

A few pics of the journey de meatloaves:

Spinach, garlic, & onions

Squash & onion mixture

Mini-loaves

Deeee-lish! Topped with a little extra TJ's peach salsa ;)

Feel free to get creative with it!! Try a different salsa in it...maybe make it more Italian style, with some stewed tomatoes instead of salsa, and fresh chopped basil! These were great! Easy, healthy, a sweet and savory combo, and a fabulous first dish for our recipe sharing! Thanks Jamie!

New Directions...

...sharing is caring, right?!?! Who wants to hoard knowledge that benefited them, when they can help others be as badass as they are?!? :) So, what we're doing with the betterthanfitness blog is transitioning it into a fun & healthy recipe sharing portal, for all of my past, present, and future clients...and other fitness foodies that wanna join in! 

Here's what we're gonna do. What's your favorite healthy bites recipe? What's that snack that you rely on to get you through that mid-afternoon daze at the office, that satisfies that crunchy sweet tooth that gets ya every time ;) Let's keep it creative, healthy, and deeee-licious! :) Whatever that go-to recipe is for you, shoot it over to me (wearebetterthan@gmail.com)...yours truly will then whip it up in her glamorous Arlington kitchen, take some photos, and post the whole shabang (photos, potentially a bit of dialogue, and recipe/link) on here for everyone to check out! We're in the process of creating one killer recipe hub! :) 

Stay tuned in the next few days for recipe numero uno!