Simple Vanilla PB Mug Cake

I have been really enjoying my Simple Chocolate Mug Cake quite often lately. I love that I can quickly make up a cake in order to enjoy a bit of sweetness with only a few carbs or fat and lots and lots of protein.

I have also been sharing my precious cakes with The Captain, but when I offered to make him one last night for a snack, he sorta turned up his nose. He said he didn't want that much.  I was quite taken aback.

Okay then, if a whole cake was too much, I suggested we share one and then he told me that he really didn't feel like chocolate... and that the cake is a bit too dry for his liking.   Hmmmm.

Well, I have vanilla whey powder as well as chocolate, so I offered to make him a slightly smaller cake... vanilla with peanut butter, with a moister texture,  and he quickly agreed.

I used vanilla whey, with PB2, almonds milk, and a bit of baking powder.  And, in order to make the outcome a bit moister, I used less than a whole scoop of the vanilla whey protein powder.  That made the batter wetter, and the cooked cake definitely moister.  Clever, right?

Of course you could use any peanut flour you like, and even unflavored whey... just add a bit of vanilla extract when you mix.

I do think it is a nice change from the chocolate... and it really is a better batter!  The PB2 gives it just a hint of peanut butter flavor... very subtle... so it is still good with any kind of fruit or toppings you might like.

Here is the recipe.  Hope you like it.

Simple Vanilla PB Mug Cake
makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2/3 scoop (about 21g) vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 Tbs PB2
• 1/4 cup nut milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Coat the inside of a microwave safe cooking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add the nut milk and stir.  You want a brownie batter consistency so if it is a bit thick, add more nut milk a couple of drops at a time.
4. Spoon batter into prepared baking dish.
5. Cook in microwave oven for 1 minute on HIGH. Time may vary slightly.
6. Remove cooked cake from microwave and allow to cool about 30 seconds before removing cake to serving dish.
7. Top as desired or eat plain.

Per serving, without toppings.

Weight Watchers Smart Points = 2.

Calories 132;

Fat 3g;

Saturated Fat 1g;

Carbohydrates 7g;

Sugar 2g;

Protein 22g

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What about you? Chocolate or Vanilla PB?

Simple Chocolate Mug Cake

I admit to having what I like to call a latent sweet tooth.  It sorta lays in wait and does not show itself very often... thankfully... but when it does appear, it demands to be placated and satisfied almost immediately.  I have come up with a Simple Chocolate Mug Cake, using ingredients that I always have in my panty. It tastes somewhat sweet and satisfies that need.  But it is also actually very low in sugar and carbs and fat, overall, and jam-packed with protein... and flavor!  It is gluten-free, and grain-free, too.

I can pretty much whip it up in a couple of minutes and if you have a sweet tooth that needs attention, you know how important immediacy can be!  You have just got to get something sweet into your mouth as quickly as possible so it might just as well be something that is not going to break your macro/calorie/Smart Points bank, right?

The 3 main ingredients in my Simple Chocolate Mug Cake are chocolate based... chocolate whey protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, and chocolate PB2... and then I add almond or other unsweetened nut milk and a bit of baking powder.  I mix them together and pop into the mike for a minute. The aroma is wonderful. Gives me something to savor and anticipate while I am waiting a few seconds for it to cool enough to slide out of the baking dish and into a serving bowl.

And it also gives me a bit of time to decide if I want or need toppings... yogurt, nut butter of some kind, berries, cinnamon... you know... the really good stuff.  Sometimes I just want plain chocolate cake and eat it right out of the baking dish!  It is that good.  I am thinking you could also make up an icing with protein powder or even top it with whipped coconut cream.  Mmmm.  Yep. Gotta try that!

Now, I have used a plant-based protein powder instead of whey to make this cake. And it works, but you need to cook it a bit longer for some reason.  Your choice.

I have also used a variety of nut milks, depending on what I have on hand.  I am sharing the nutritional information using unsweetened original Almond Breeze.  And if you don't have chocolate PB2, use the plain one, or failing that, use a second tablespoon of the cocoa powder. You will get an even chocolatier cake!  Is that even a word?

Okay, I did not make it in a mug... but you could!  My baking dish is a small glass bowl... about 4 inches across and about 3 inches deep.

Simple Chocolate Mug Cake
makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop (about 32g) chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbs chocolate PB2
• 1/4 cup nut milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Coat the inside of a microwave safe cooking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add the nut milk and stir.  You want a brownie batter consistency so if it is a bit thick, add more nut milk a couple of drops at a time.
4. Spoon batter into prepared baking dish.
5. Cook in microwave oven for 1 minute on HIGH. Time may vary slightly.
6. Remove cooked cake from microwave and allow to cool about 30 seconds before removing cake to serving dish.
7. Top as desired or eat plain.

Per serving, without toppings.

Weight Watchers Smart Points = 3.

Calories 166

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 1g

Carbohydrates 8g

Sugar 3g

Protein 28g

Printable Recipe

Dry ingredients before mixing together.  See the difference in color of my 3 chocolatey ingredients and then the baking powder?

Thick brownie-like batter after stirring in nut milk.  Not runny at all but very moist.

Cooked cake, cooling a bit before placing in serving dish.

With yogurt and berries.

With yogurt and a drizzle of sugar free chocolate mint syrup.

Whether you dress it up or enjoy it plain, you are sure to love this easy peasy chocolate cake!

Do you have a sweet tooth?  How do you satisfy it quickly?

3 Ingredient Frozen Skinny Chocolate Pies

Wait. What?  Frozen Skinny Chocolate Pies? And only 3 ingredients?  That's right. It's true. And they are fabulous!  Just a little bit of chocolately goodness and it's frozen so just perfect for these warm Summer days. Gluten free, almost fat free too.

I have no idea where this recipe started but I can tell you I found it on the new social media channel called Connect, on the Weight Watchers Canada app.  They are calling it a rather crass name that I won't repeat... totally unappealing... so I have changed the name but not the ingredients or the goodness!

So what is in these little goodies, you are wondering? What makes them skinny?  Well, they are made from coco powder, and de-fatted peanut flour and a banana.  I happened to use Protein Plus peanut flour the first time I made them, and have used PB2 since then, and I am sure they would be just as good with chocolate PB2 as well... and I hear there is a new de-fatted peanut flour around now too, called PB & Me. Haven't seen it yet, but when I do, I will be trying it for sure.  I really think these de-fatted peanut flours are a Weight Watchers best friend!

The whole recipe is only 1 Smart Point on the Weight Watchers program.

So, let's get to it, shall we?

3 Ingredient Frozen Skinny Chocolate Pies
Makes 6 pies

Ingredients:

• 1 medium banana
• 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbs de-fatted peanut flour of choice

Instructions:

1. Mash the banana in a medium bowl.
2. Add the cocoan and peanut flour.
3. Blend well.
4. Spoon mixture into 6 silicone muffin cups.
5. Freeze at least 2 hours. 
6. Eat frozen.

Per serving of 6.

Weight Watchers Smart Points = 1*

N.I. per individual pie with Protein Plus peanut flour:

Calories 30

Fat 1g

Saturated Fat 0g

Carbohydrates 6g

Fibre 1g

Sugar 3g

Protein 2g

N.I. per individual pie with PB2 peanut flour:

Calories 28

Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 0g

Carbohydrates 6g

Fibre 1g

Sugar 3g

Protein 1g

*On the Smart Points program, bananas are zero points, and 1 Tbs of cocoa powder has zero points, so the only thing to count is 1 SP for the de-fatted peanut flour.

Mash the banana and then add the other ingredients.

Mix till well-combined. Batter will be lumpy.

Place in silicone muffin cups.

Enjoy your frozen treat!

Printable Recipe

What's your favorite quick frozen treat to make in the Summer?

If you like this recipe, won't you consider PINning it please?

Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce

I have to admit that the idea for this dish is not my own... but the original recipe I saw had so many more ingredients in it... that I decided to simplify it and share it with you as I prepared it.  It's a long title I k,now Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce but I didn't want to leave out any of the important descriptors!

I understand that there are lots of great peanut flours out there right now... I have yet to try any but PB2 so I am calling for it here. I use it on a regular basis, actually and only enjoy real peanut butter as an occasional treat these days. When I need it in quantities, such as for this recipe, I always use PB2.

Anyway, it's very easy... toss it all into the crock pot and let it simmer for  6 or 7 hours.  And enjoy the aroma as it cooks!  You're welcome.

It is a creamy and very thick sauce. And because this dish has so much meat in it, and I had mine over cauliflower rice, I didn't bother with more veggies as a side dish.  But I think it would be nice with a few slices of steamed carrots or green beans.

Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce
Makes 2 large servings

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx 12 ounces in total)
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 4 Tbs PB2
• 2 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat crock pot with a non-stick spray for easy cleanup.
2. Cut chicken into chunks about 1-1/2 inches square and place in the bottom of the crock pot.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the curry powder, coriander, garlic, and ginger.
5. Add the PB2 and coconut milk and stir altogether till well blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are well coated.
7. Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
8. Remove and serve over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
9. Garnish with green onion slices, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 240; Protein 39g; Carbohydrates 8g; Fat 8g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

Are you a peanut flour fan?  What is your favorite brand?

PB2 and Banana Smoothie Bowl

In keeping with my theme of having cold breakfasts on these hot Summer mornings, I want to share another fun new breakfast dish with you... or rather another breakfast 'bowl.  I call it PB2 and Banana Smoothie Bowl.

Is there anyone out there who has not enjoyed the pleasure of eating what has become commonly known as banana soft-serve or nice-cream?  You just take a frozen banana and a bit of almond or coconut milk and blend them together till creamy... lovely.  I like to  add flavorings to mine so this breakfast was just an extension of that idea.  I added some PB2, some yogurt and some vanilla protein powder, to turn a dessert snack into a hearty cold breakfast, just right for a hot Summer morning.

I always have a few frozen bananas, peeled and cut into chunks, in a sealed container in my freezer, just waiting to toss into the food processor for quick snacks and desserts... a great way to use over-ripe bananas.

PB2 and Banana Smoothie Bowl

Makes 1 serving

• 1 small banana, peeled, cut into chunks, and frozen
• 2 Tbs PB2
• 2 Tbs unsweetened almond milk
• 3/8 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1. Place banana chunks in food processor or blender along with the almond milk.
2. Process till smooth and creamy.  Stop appliance and push ingredients down occasionally if necessary.
3. Add the other ingredients and blend well.
4. Remove to bowl and serve immediately.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 6.

Calories 255; Protein 23g; Carbohydrate 38g; Fat 3g; Fibre 7g.

Too thick to drink, it needs a spoon!

Printable Recipe

Are you a smoothie-for-breakfast fan?  Ever eat yours out of a bowl?

Hot and Spicy Peanut Sauce

Sometimes I want hot pasta, and when I do, I make up a big bowl of gluten-free black bean spaghetti and slather it with a tasty sauce.  This Hot and Spicy Peanut Sauce is very flavorful, and when you read the ingredients, it may sound like an odd combination. But it is truly delcious and I have enjoyed it a couple of times now.  It is a mixture of some of my favorites!

If you are a fan of hot sauces, then go ahead and use more sriracha! I kept it to 1/2 teaspoon but you might like more.... and my shredded cheese is a blend of 3 different cheeses that I purchase at Costco but I think that shredded parmesan or asagio would work nicely too. Just gives it a bit of a salty tang. I use a gluten-free soy sauce called tamari... use your own favorite.

I am going to make it again and have it with lightly sauted zoodles...

If you give it a try, I would love to know what you think!

Hot and Spicy Peanut Sauce
Makes 1 serving

• 4 Tbs PB2
• 1 Tbs water
• 2 Tbs tamari
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp sriracha
• 1 green onion, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese

1. Mix the PB2 with water and tamari till smooth.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and sriracha and mix well.
3. Pour over the top of your noodles.
4. Top with onion slices and cheese shreds.

Per serving, sauce only.

Weight Watchers P+ = 5.

Calories 167; Protein 19g; Carbohydrate 9g; Fat 8g; Fibre 3g.

Are you a fan of hot and spicy?

PB2 and Banana Waffles

You know I have been experimenting several times a week with my new waffle maker!  And finding all kinds of fun and delicious combinations… The Captain is such a great guinea pig for my creations.  And if you know me at all, you HAD to know this was coming.  PB2 and Banana Waffles.  Oh my!

I never cared for peanut butter as a child. The only way I would eat it is in PB and Banana sandwiches… which my own Mother never made for us, but I do recall having them at a young male cousin’s birthday party once.  I think that may be the only time I ever ate peanut butter.  Then, fast forward to my early 20s when my first Mother-In-Law showed me how to make my own peanut butter in the blender… with Just raw peanuts.  It has been love ever since.

And now I have discovered PB2 which is just peanut flour, really.  I use it regularly in my kitchen and I have discovered it is a very good sub for grain flours sometimes.  So it was a natural that I was eventually going to make PB2 and Banana Waffles.  Hope you like them too.

PB2 and Banana Waffles
Makes 2 servings

• 2 Tbs PB2
• 1 large banana
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup egg whites

1. Mash half of the banana in a medium bowl.
2. Cut the other half into slices and set aside.
3. Add the PB2 to the mashed banana and blend in the egg and the egg whites till well combined. 
4. Spoon batter into your waffle iron and bake according to instructions. Remove them to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
5. Top waffles with banana slices and a bit of syrup serve warm.

Per serving, including banana slices but not syrup
Weight Watchers P+  = 4.
Calories 144; Protein 13g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 4g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

Nutty Truffles

I  had a bit of a hard time coming up with a name for these little balls… they have so many tasty and healthy things in them that it was not easy to focus on just one to name them. So, I am simply calling them Nutty Truffles.  Once you read the ingredient list, you will see why.

I made up the batter and then left it in the fridge for about an hour because as gooey as it is, it is much easier to work with when it’s cold.

I used my favorite North Coast Naturals 100% ISO vanilla whey protein powder and their hemp seeds to make these little goodies. You can use your own favorite brands. I also used PB2 instead of peanut butter just to keep the calorie count down… use your favorite nut butter of course.  It’s just a template… feel free to experiment.

 

Nutty Truffles
Makes 11 truffles

for the truffle batter:

• 4 Tbs PB2
• 3 Tbs Almond Breeze, vanilla unsweetened
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
• 2 Tbs almond meal
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

for the coating:

• 1 Tbs hemp seeds
• 1 Tbs fine coconut, unsweetened 

1. Mix all the truffle batter ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate till chilled, about one hour.
2. Mix the coating ingredients together in a very small bowl and set aside.
3. To make the truffles, scoop out a portion of the batter with a small spoon, and roll into a ball with your hands.
4. Drop the ball into the coating mixture and roll it around till completely covered.
5. Set on parchment paper and repeat process 10 more times.
6. Refrigerate till ready to eat.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 46; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 3g; Fat 2g; Fibre 1g.

Drop the rolls into the coating mixture.

Roll around till completely covered.

Set on parchment paper and put back in fridge to chill before serving.

The whole recipe N.I. is as follows so you can recalculate for each truffle if you happen to make more or fewer with your batter.

Calories 508; Protein 45g; Carbohydrate 29g; Fat 26g; Fibre 15g.

Printable Recipe

Black Bean Noodles with Thai Peanut Sauce

When I first gave up gluten a couple of years ago and stopped eating wheat-based pasta, I found brown rice pasta… and also occasionally enjoyed the white rice pasta favored by The Captain’s sister.  I never cared for either cold though, in pasta salads.

Then I decided to try a Paleo diet for a few months, and started using spaghetti squash in place of noodles. The firm strands of the baked spaghetti squash make a nice replacement for noodles in many dishes, particularly with tomato-based sauces.  But like the rice pastas, I just didn’t care for it cold at all.

Then I got a spiralizer and discovered zucchini noodles.  Zoodles quickly became my pasta of choice and I love them with both hot and cold sauces.  But lately, just when harvest here should be at its peak… sadly, the zukes are not very nice at all.  They are either too large and subsequently quite tasteless, or way too small to put through the spiralizer to make zoodles.

Lucky for me that I had come across and purchased this Organic Black Bean spaghetti at Costco a few weeks ago.  It has a high protein content 23g per serving, is gluten-free and quite tasty.  And for the low-carbers out there, it has only 5 net carbs per serving too…. and that all works out to 3 Points Plus if you are a Weight Watcher.  Oh yeah... it is also vegan and kosher.

I admit, the color of the cooked noodles does tend to put me off a bit, but the texture and the taste is very good.   They are good hot or cold.  And they only take 6 minutes to cook… I wish I had discovered them while we still lived on the sailboat.

The first time I tried them I ate them hot with a tomato and ground beef sauce.  Delicious.  Filling with great staying power.

And then I decided to try them cold.  And because The Captain would much rather have plain old wheat pasta, I made a single serving, just for me.

I cooked the 50g suggested amount for a single serving in boiling water for about 7 minutes.  Then I drained the noodles in a colander and held it under the cold water tap for a couple of minutes to cool the noodles as quickly as I could. I wanted to eat my lunch right away… if I had had more time, I would have left them in the fridge for a while to chill even more.

I made up a sauce with some PB2 and some gluten-free soy sauce (tamari) and then added some unflavored North Coast Naturals whey protein powder… to thicken my sauce and also give it a nutritional punch.  A few slices of red pepper and green onions and I was good to go… and gobble it all up! 

Next time I might add a bit of minced fresh garlic, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  I am sure any unflavored protein powder would work, too.  If you used a pea or rice protein instead of whey you could make it vegan.  A few chopped peanuts or cashews would make it company-worthy!  And of course you could serve this quick sauce over any cold pasta, or zoodles.

Black Bean Noodles with Thai Peanut Sauce

Makes 1 serving

• 2 Tbs PB2
• 1 Tbs water
• 1 Tbs tamari
• 1/2 scoop NCN unflavored whey protein powder
• 1/3 medium red pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 serving noodles of choice, prepared and chilled
• salt and pepper to season

1. Mix the PB2 and water in a small bowl until creamy.
2. Add the tamari (soy sauce) and blend well.  Set aside.
3. Slice the red pepper into thin strips.
4. Cut the green onions into short lengths.
5. Place the noodles in a serving bowl.
6. Pour the sauce over the noodles and then arrange the veggies over the top.
7. Serve with salt and pepper to season.

Per serving, sauce and veggies only.

Weight Watchers P+ = 3.

Calories 129; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 2 g; Fibre 4g.

50 g is a very generous serving. You may be happy with less. Yup, the color is not very appetizing at all.

Prep your veggies and make the sauce.

Assemble and dig in!

Printable Recipe

Have you tried black bean noodles?

Are you a fan of PB2?

Do you like to punch up your dishes with added protein/protein powder?

Chocolate PB Frozen Protein Bites

This did not start out to be a post about North Coast Naturals unflavored whey protein powder… honestly.  But since I have used it, I cannot quit raving about it.

I have been a fan of North Coast Naturals products since I first started using them during this past year. And every time I open something new from them, I am completely blown away. This unflavored whey protein is no exception there, that’s for sure.

I wanted to make a batch of my Frozen Protein Bites, and try using some PB2 instead of a nut butter, in order to keep the fat content down a bit.  I had picked up several jars of PB2 and Chocolate PB2 while we were on vacation in Portland, OR this past Summer, and then a few more on our way home from Colorado a few weeks ago. I love it.

I decided to try the Chocolate PB2 with some banana in my mixture, but didn’t want to overpower the peanut butter flavor with a chocolate protein powder… or make it too sweet tasting, which can happen with a vanilla protein powder, so I chose this unflavored version from the box of goodies that North Coast sent me a few weeks ago… I hadn’t tried it before and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a test.

And it came through with flying colors… why?  Because it has no taste. It truly is unflavored.  And it doesn’t alter the taste of any of the ingredients you put with it.  These bites are exactly what I wanted… just chocolate with peanut butter and banana. The fact that they are powered up with protein is just a bonus.  YAY!

Chocolate PB2 Frozen Protein Bites
Makes 8 bites

• 1 small – medium banana, mashed
• 1 scoop NCN unflavored whey protein powder
• 2 Tbs Chocolate PB2 reconstituted with 1 Tbs water

1. Mix the mashed banana with the protein powder till well-blended in a small bowl.
2. Add the reconstituted PB2 to the mixture and stir altogether.
3. Place about one tablespoonful of batter into each of 8 silicone muffin cups.
4. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours.
5. Store frozen and allow to thaw for a few minutes before eating.

Per serving of one bite.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 31; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 4g; Fat 0g; Fibre 0g.

Protein powder, mashed banana and Chocolate PB2 mixed with water… that is it!

Mix them all together…

and spoon into silicone muffin cups and freeze.  I use silicone because the frozen bites just pop right out of them and don’t stick.

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Do you like to have a little nibble before you work out?  

What is your favorite pre-workout snack?