Pumpin Protein Waffles with Turmeric and My Golden Milk

A week or so ago, I joined a new fitness blogging group on Facebook and one of the first conversations I read and took part in, was about turmeric... it's health benefits and how to add it into our diets.

I knew that turmeric has long been considered a superfood by many in the healthy living community, and I have thought from time to time that I would like to start using it more often, but it was this FB chatter that really prompted me to act.

I purchased a 100-gram bag of pure turmeric and that same day made my first cup of Golden Milk. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have been making it every couple of days since.  I did use a recipe that I found online, but changed it a bit.   The author does not take credit for it and said that this recipe and variations have been around forever, so I am taking the liberty to share my own version.

If you don't use Stevia, you may want to put a spoonful of honey into this mixture.  It will counteract and bitterness you may taste in the turmeric and make you feel like you are having a luscious treat!

Golden Milk

Makes 1 serving.

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tsp tahini
• 1 tsp turmeric
• healthy dash of cinnamon
• small dash of black pepper
• bit of Stevia to sweeten

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan on the stove over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and stir till well-combined.  Do not let boil.
2. Remove to cup and enjoy!

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 2.

Calories 73; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 3g; Fat 6g; Fibre 1g.

 I was pleased, too, that The Captain liked the taste and texture of it. It is quite thick and creamy.

And now I am working on coming up with more and different ways to add turmeric to our diet.  It has a very brilliant orange color, so it seems a natural to me that it would go more readily into dishes we already expect to be orange.  Don't you agree?  And because the mornings are getting cooler here, well at least a little bit cooler, I pulled a can of pumpkin out of the pantry and set about to making some pumpkin protein waffles... I knew that I could easily hide the turmeric in this batter because it is already orange with pure pumpkin....yup, pumpkin season is about to launch, and so Pumpkin Protein Waffles with Turmeric were born!

Just make sure that if you are using canned pumpkin that you select pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling in this recipe.  As for me, I cannot wait till fresh pumpkins are in the local markets as I do love baking and cooking with them.

I recently received some Vege Pro-7 Protein Powders from North Coast Naturals, so I chose to use the vanilla flavor in these waffles. Vege PRO-7 is very tasty and it features super foods like organic bio-fermented whole grain brown rice, organic sprouted chia, organic Canadian hemp protein, organic pumpkin seed, and other nutrient-dense proteins.  And it has no added artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours. Vege PRO-7 is also made without wheat, soy, dairy, egg, gluten or pea.  And I love it because it is also low fat and low carb, too.  But of course you should use your favorite protein powder.

I also used North Coast Naturals Ultimate Daily Cleanse to add a bit of bulk and more nutrients to my batter. You can use ground flax seeds if you like.

And, one more thing.... I understand that some people find the taste of turmeric a bit bitter, so add a sweetener to this recipe if you must. I didn't, as I think the cinnamon negates any bitter taste, and I topped my waffles with a bit of sugar free syrup and a couple of banana slices.

My recipe makes 2 servings so either share with your friend, or freeze some for another day.  You could also cut it in half.

Pumpkin Protein Waffles With Turmeric
Makes 2 servings

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup egg whites (4)
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 2 Tbs Ultimate Daily Cleanse or ground flax seeds
• 1 heaping tsp turmeric
• dash of cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients together and let sit for a couple of minutes.
2. Cook in your waffle make according to directions... I used half for each of 2 double waffles.
3. Keep covered and warm till ready to serve. 
4. Top as desired.

Per serving, without toppings

Weight Watchers P+ = 5.

Calories 195, Protein 25.1g; Carbohydrates 10g; Fat 7g; Fibre 6.3g.

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Printable Recipe

Are you ready for pumpkin season too?

Do you add turmeric to your diet?  What is your favorite way?

High Fibre Egg White Muffins

I think that egg whites are a really good way to get some extra protein into my daily menu. I often start my day with egg whites or eggs mixed with egg whites as the base for omelets crammed with a variety of healthy veggies... tomatoes, onions, spinach, peppers... you get the picture.

You may have heard that I am giving carb cycling a try these days... and yes, fitting it within my Weight Watchers program quite nicely, for those who are wondering.  These High Fibre Egg White Muffins are great for my low carb/higher fat days.  I love them as an after workout snack or to satisfy that mid afternoon urge to nibble, too.

They are very portable, but require a cooler if you plan to store them for more than an hour or so.

They are really simple, only require a few ingredients... if you don't use the North Coast Naturals Ultimate Daily Cleanse (and why don't you?) then you could try ground flax seeds, or a mixture of ground flax and crushed psyllium husk.

I like them slightly sweetened, but leave out the Stevia if you like... and feel free to slather them with nut butter after they have cooled a bit... or have them with a bit of cheese.  Mmmmmm.

High Fibre Egg White Muffins
Makes 6 muffins

• 1 cup egg whites (or 8 egg whites)
• 2 Tbs Ultimate Daily Cleanse
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Dash of Stevia

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Beat all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Spoon batter into 6 prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
6. Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to one day.

Per serving of 2 muffin2, no toppings.

Weight Watchers P+ = 1.

Calories 59; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 3.5g; Fat 1.2g; Fibre 1.9g.

Printable Recipe

What is your favorite after-workout recovery snack?

Get Lean Gluten Free Cookbook Review

Look what landed in my mail box last week!  It could not have come at a better time for me.

I put my hand up and said 'yes, please' to accepting a copy of this new book from Jeremy Scott Fitness through my association with FitFluential.  But before it arrived, I really little idea what to expect and had no assurance I would even like it.

And I don't like it... I LOVE it!

This book is a great reference for anyone who wants to live gluten free and not gain weight doing it.

It starts out with 9 tips to going gluten free, getting lean, and staying that way.  And then goes on to offer a 10 day guide for carb cycling to boost your metabolism and burn fat.  There are easy-to-understand meal templates and 40 lovely recipes that fit into the plan.  Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks.  They are easy to follow and use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.

Even if you are not living gluten free, you can certainly enjoy these recipes and the carb cycling meal plan that is based on whole, real, unprocessed foods. 

This book is available at Amazon and I hope you will go and grab a copy for yourself.