Pumpkin Pecan Banana Bread

Pumpkin-Pecan Banana Bread

Of course, on Thanksgiving Day, the dinner takes center stage. But what do you eat for breakfast Turkey Day morning? I know my husband likes to “hold out” for the feast, but I HAVE to eat breakfast… I need something to compliment my Thanksgiving Blend coffee while I (religiously) watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I whipped up this recipe a few weeks ago and I think it will be perfect for Thanksgiving morning. (Tip: Make the bread the day before Thanksgiving to keep your oven free on Thanksgiving Day.)

This bread is made with only clean, healthy ingredients so you can save your calories for later in the day (just keepin it real), plus it will fill your morning in the most festive way.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Ingredients

• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup organic unsalted butter, softened (can also substitute coconut oil)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp each pure almond extract and vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp each salt, baking soda, baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar in the raw
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter, eggs, extracts and honey in a large bowl using a mixer
3. Add pumpkin puree and mashed bananas and beat until smooth
4. Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tsp cinnamon) in separate bowl and gradually add to wet mixture
5. Fold in pecans
6. Pour batter into (greased) loaf pan
7. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp raw sugar. Then sprinkle this mixture on the top of the bread
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes (or until center comes out clean with a toothpick)
9. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

#pumpkineverything! But really!

Fall is my favorite season. I get a pumpkin spice latte the day its released, my house gets converted into a pumpkin patch (well, just touches of harvest decor here and there), and I stock up on pumpkin yankee candles.

So, accordingly, I needed to bake something that incorporated the spirit of fall. I found a recipe on pinterest for the worlds best pumpkin bread...and I was determined to make it better- healthier, cleaner, and yummier...plus in muffin form!

Despite modifying almost every ingredient from the original recipe, these turned out really well! My husband said they were amazing!

They are perfect for breakfast with a rich cup of coffee or great for dessert too. I like them slightly warmed so the chocolate chips are all melty inside. Delicious!

Yield: 2 dozen muffins

21-Day Fix Portion: 1 yellow substitute per muffin

Ingredients

1. 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin (about ½ a regular can)
2. ¾ cup honey
3. ½ cup coconut oil (melted but not hot)
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 tsp vanilla
6. ¼ cup milk (I use organic)
7. ¼ cup water
8. 1 ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
9. 1 tsp each:
• ground cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• salt
• baking soda
• baking powder
10. ½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (ingredients 1-7). I recommend using a mixer.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (ingredients 8-9)
3. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix til combined
4. Fold in the chocolate chips
5. Scoop into lined muffin tins (about ⅔ full)
6. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Oats & Honey Granola Bars

I always love discovering new recipes and converting them to healthy, clean options.

Last week, I found this gem in Parents magazine, changed it up a bit, and created a batch of granola bars that my husband has been raving about for a week now! So, I figured I would share them with you!

Tip: Make them on a Sunday, so they will be fresh for breakfasts or snacks during the week. They will stay fresh for 5-7 days.

Yield: 16 bars or 32 squares

21-Day Fix Portions: 1 yellow substitute

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼- ½ cup of dried fruit of choice (raisins, cranberries, etc- look for the no sugar added varieties) OR nut of choice (chopped) OR mini semi-sweet chocolate chips OR a combination of any of those options (personalize them for what you like!
• ½ cup coconut oil (melted, but not hot)
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, flour, salt, and choice of toppings
3. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, and vanilla (Tip: Measure and add the oil before the honey- the remaining oil on your measuring cup will prevent the honey from sticking, making sure you get all of it in your bowl)
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Press mixture into a 13x9 pan lined with wax/parchment paper
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes (or until golden brown)
7. Allow to cool completely before cutting into these (very important)

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Third time’s a charm right?

I've redone this recipe 3 times now in the past year as I've progressed in my journey to a healthier me. The original muffin recipe I shared on this blog back in 2013 included sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar, and white flour. I tried to get healthier around the start of the new year on my own, and made a few modifications to this recipe then. Now, after being involved in Beachbody programs and educating myself further on healthy, clean eating, I decided to revamp this recipe once again, and I think it turned out great.

Yield: 2 Dozen

Serving Size: 1 Muffin

21 Day Fix Portion (per muffin): 1 Yellow

Ingredients:

• ½ cup honey
• 1 stick organic, unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3- 4 bananas
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp plain, nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (I found this at Walmart. Gold Medal brand)

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350

2.      Cream butter, honey, and eggs

3.      Mash bananas and beat into mixture

4.      In a separate bowl, stir baking soda and salt into greek yogurt (as you stir, it might fizz a little and turn into the consistency of mousse)

5.      Add greek yogurt mixture into muffin batter and mix well.

6.      Gradually add in flour. Stir until completely blended.

7.      Line 2 muffin trays with paper cupcake/muffin liners (to make 24 muffins total)

8.      Spoon in batter (about 2/3 full- I use an ice cream scooper for easy and even filling)

9.      Bake for 20-25 minutes

10.  Cool before enjoying

No Bake Granola

I love granola bars- but now that I’ve started reading nutrition labels and eating clean, I don’t really love what they are made out of.

So, I began testing out some different homemade granola recipes and after some good ol’ trial and error, I am pretty pleased with this concoction. Very minimal ingredients, very minimal effort, maximum taste and snacking satisfaction.

Here’s what I like most about them: I think the level of sweetness is balanced. The texture is good- not too sticky, not too hard, not too soft.  You can eat them as granola bars or crumble into pieces to top your yogurt. You can also swap out the fruit and nuts as desired, and maybe even add a few chocolate chips on top (because a girl’s gotta have chocolate, right?)

Yield: About 8 bars

Fix Portions per bar: 1 yellow, ¼ purple (if made with raisins or cranberries added), ¼ blue (if made with nuts added), 1 tsp (PB serving)

Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 cup dates
• 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (I recommend toasting them for about 10 minutes on 350 to bring out the best flavor, but this is optional)
• ¼ cup honey or agave
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter or almond butter

Directions:

1. MIx dates with a few tablespoons of water and soak about 5-10 minutes, then drain
2. Meanwhile, melt honey and peanut butter together on the stovetop or in the microwave
3. Using a food processor, grind dates into a paste
4. Combine dates in a large bowl with all other ingredients and mix well
5. Press into an 8x8 pan lined with wax paper. NOTE: If you want to add toppings like almonds, raisins, or chocolate chips, press them on top of the granola here
6. Freeze for 1 hour before cutting into squares or crumbling into pieces

Market Hash

On Mother’s Day this year, we were visiting my parents in Nashville, TN and went to this amazing breakfast and brunch restaurant called First Watch. First Watch actually originated in Florida where I grew up, but it had been about 10 years since I dined there and was so excited to go back this time! And it didn’t let me down- in fact it was better than i remember!

The dish I ordered was called market hash. It was to die for- and it didn’t break the 21-day fix eating plan either- woohoo!

So because it was so delicious and the nearest First Watch is hours away from my current home in Charlotte, i was determined to create a copycat version of it in my own kitchen. Now, its not exactly spot on to what I ate that day, but its pretty close and quite delcious, if I do say so myself… great for breakfast or lunch...or hey, even dinner too! 

Market Hash

Yield: 1 serving

Fix portions: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, ½ blue

Ingredients

• 1 yellow container diced potatoes (I used frozen “southern cut” diced potatoes I found at publix. As with all frozen veggies, make sure you read the label so that the only ingredient is the actual food itself, in this case potatoes… Or course you could use a regular potato, but the frozen ones are a quicker option)
• 2 eggs
• 1 green container mixed red bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach (or kale)
• ½ blue container goat cheese
• Garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook potato according to package instructions (for the ones I used, I followed the instructions on the bag for cooking them in a skillet in a couple tbsp water instead of oil). Season with garlic & onion powder and black pepper (you can also add a dash of salt if you want)
2. Meanwhile, saute spinach (or kale), bell pepper, and mushroom in a separate skillet. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to taste
3. Once the potatoes are done, transfer the veggies into the potato skillet and mix to combine. Top with goat cheese crumbles. Turn off the heat and cover the skillet with a lid to stay warm.
4. In the available skillet, fry 2 eggs
5. Once the eggs are cooked, transfer the hash to a plate and top with the eggs.

Brunch Burgers

For as far back as I can remember, I have always been a Rachael Ray fan. I have her pots and pans, her cooking utensils, her knife set. I watch her show everyday and subscribe to Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Every single recipe she creates is delicious- every.single.one. She is basically my cooking idol.

So last month, her magazine did an entire issue dedicated to breakfast recipes. It was basically the best edition of her magazine ever- I’m saving the eniter magazine for future reference.

One recipe in the magazine was for Brunch Burgers, an ideal breakfast for dinner hybrid dish. I loved the concept and knew with a little tweaking I could make it 21-day fix approved. Here is the revised recipe- it is delicious and you can cook it all in one pan-easy clean up!

Brunch Burgers

Fix Portions (per burger- recipe makes 2 burgers): 1 yellow, 2 red, 1 blue

Ingredients

·         ½ lb ground turkey (93% fat free)

·         4 slices turkey bacon

·         2 eggs

·         2 teaspoons 100% pure maple syrup

·         1 tablespoon grainy mustard

·         1 whole wheat English muffin

·         2 slices cheese (cheddar or provolone)

·         Black Pepper

·         Onion powder

·         Garlic powder

·         Dried sage

·         Cayenne pepper

Directions

1.      Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high

2.      Cook turkey bacon on each side. Brush each slice with maple syrup and sprinkle with black pepper. Remove from pan

3.      Fry eggs until over-easy (leaving the yolk runny). Remove from pan.

4.      In a bowl, season ground turkey with sage, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper (I just eyeball it…probably about 1 tsp each). Mix into meat and form into patties (tip: make a thumbprint in the center of each patty- this allows for your patties to cook evenly because they rise in the middle when heated)

5.      Mix 1 tsp syrup with grainy mustard.

6.      Cook patties on both sides in cast iron skillet until cooked through. As they are cooking, brush each side with the maple-mustard mixture

7.      Place one slice of cheese on each patty. Cover with foil until cheese melts (about 30 seconds)

8.      Toast English muffin in toaster

9.      Spread remaining maple-mustard on English muffin

10.  Assemble your burgers: muffin, bacon, burger, egg. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and serve. 

French Toast Pancakes

This recipe combines my favorite two breakfast foods into one- pancakes that really do taste like French toast- who doesn’t love that? Plus, they are so healthy and easy to make!

French Toast Pancakes

*I adapted this recipe from one used on the Biggest Loser to meet the 21-Day Fix parameters.

Makes 10-12 pancakes

Serving Size: 3-4 pancakes

21-Day Fix Portion (per serving): 1½ red, 1 yellow

Ingredients

·         1 cup egg whites

·         1 cup fat free cottage cheese

·         1 cup whole grain oats

·         1 tbsp cinnamon

·         1 tsp raw sugar or stevia

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1.      Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth (about 30 seconds)

2.      Pour onto a lightly greased griddle or griddle pan (I use a very small amount of real, unsalted butter)

3.      Cook until lightly brown on both sides

4.      Drizzle with 1 tsp of 100% pure maple syrup