My Strawberry Coffee Protein Shake

We spent a fun and active week in Portland, OR at the end of July  to celebrate The Captain’s birthday.  It was hot… 90°F and upwards… and so much drier than we are used to. I had forgotten how we take our cooling, moist ocean breezes for granted here on the Island.
 
We left the car in a Park and Ride lot early one morning and rode the speedy MAX commuter train into downtown so we could spend the day exploring the the city core on foot.  At one point in the afternoon we stopped at  nice-looking Starbuck’s, and decided to splurge on a pair Frappucinos to cool us down and also give us a bit of a caffeine boost to power us through an afternoon of shopping… tough, I know.

I cannot for the life of me remember what I ordered… probably something with vanilla and skim milk, no whip.. but I do remember what The Captain ordered… a Strawberries & Creme Frappucino with an extra shot of coffee… because the barista came over to tell him that their Strawberries & Creme Frapps don’t actually have any coffee in them, and asked if he really wanted some… which he certainly did… 2 shots.  And gosh, it was pretty delicious, and looked amazingly like the picture on their web site although it came in a plastic container.
 


Now this drink has been on my mind a lot ever since… and today I decided to give it a try.. with a bit of a twist... and no whip.

We did a strenuous Metabolic Aftershock workout this morning that really worked our legs hard, then stretched and then went out for our usual half-hour walk… and when we got back, we were both quite hungry.  There were some fresh strawberries in the fridge at their peak of ripeness so I put together a few ingredients in the immersion blender and came up with these drinks.

You could use any milk you like, and any vanilla protein powder, too. I happen to love the North Coast Naturals 100% ISO whey. Halve the ingredients if you want to make a single shake. 

Unfortunately my pictures are not pretty, but the drink was delicious!  There is no need to add any sweetener, but if you wanted more color, you definitely toss in a few more berries!  This was a real pick-me-up after our workout and walk, and gave me enough fuel to last several hours.

Strawberry Coffee Protein Shake
Makes 2 servings

• 3/4 cup cold coffee
• 1-1/4 cups cold vanilla Almond Breeze
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 6 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. Put all the ingredients into a container and then whizz for a couple of minutes with your immersion blender.
2. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy!

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 144; Protein 25g; Carbohydrate 5g; Fat 3g; Fibre 1g.

Toss it all together and blend!

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Do you ever add protein to your coffee drinks.. or coffee to your protein drinks?

If you like this idea I hope you will PIN it or share it on Twitter via @WeCanBegin2Feed... thanks!

Strawberry Salad with Roasted Garlic

Here is one of those truly fabulous ideas that I wish I had thought of myself… and after you read this you may well wonder why you didn’t think of it too.

But thankfully, Kristina did, and wrote a blog post about it that appeared in my inbox one day last week… and I kept it there, to remind me to get the ingredients to make it, SOONER rather than later.

The only other time I have ever eaten roasted garlic was on a friend’s boat… she served it with camembert and crackers as an appie before dinner.  I remember that I really liked it but have just never had an occasion to try it myself.

Kristina’s Raspberry and Roasted Garlic Big Salad was just the motivation I needed.
Well, I went hunting for fresh raspberries yesterday in my favorite local markets… the berries growing here are not quite ready to pick yet… but they were just so darned expensive that I didn’t buy any.  But I did spy some lovely strawberries and thought they might do just as well.

So today, after The Captain washed our balcony deck and watered the flowers and tomatoes and herbs and strawberries, we decided we should have lunch out in the sunshine and I knew this salad would be perfect. A sunny and beautiful day deserves a sunny and beautiful lunch!

I referred to Kristina’s post on how to roast the garlic and then did that right away so it would be cooled before lunchtime rolled.  You cannot imagine how great it smells as it is cooking. MMMmmmm.  I am sure everyone walking past my open windows enjoyed it as well.

And of course I made enought for both of us… if you love garlic as much as we do, you won’t have to ask why!

I didn’t make it up EXACTLY like Kristina did, so will give you my ingredients and the recipe for the little dressing I made too, but you will have to check her original post to get the low-down on roasting the garlic…  it was truly fabulous! 

We both really enjoyed it and I will be making it again, certainly… but I think next time I will use a whole head of garlic for each salad. It is THAT good!  I might even add some slices of baked chicken breast and serve it for dinner.  It is absolutely company-worthy too.

Of course my Weight Watchers friends may gasp at the N.I., but just use fewer cashews and you can lower the fat content easily...

Thanks to Kristina for the great idea – and of course  her lovely photos always add to the temptation to make up her recipes, too.

Strawberry Salad with Roasted Garlic
Makes 2 servings

• 1 head garlic, roasted and cooled
• 3 cups mixed salad greens, washed and dried
• 2 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup raw cashews

1. Tear the salad greens into bite size pieces and divide between 2 serving bowls or plates.
2. Add half of the cucumbers, strawberries, and cashews to each bowl.
3. Gently squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of their papery coverings and place half of them into each bowl.
4. Toss the salads and then spoon the dressing over the top before serving.

Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium strawberry
• 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• drizzle of lemon juice
• dash of salt

1. Mix all ingredients and then spoon half over each salad.

Per serving, salad and dressing.
Weight Watchers P+ = 9.
Calories 326; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 24g; Fat 24g; Fibre 4g.

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Raw head of garlic, sprinkled with EVOO, salt and pepper…

and roasted…. cooling on the counter.

Mine and his… waiting to be dressed with….

this little mixture.

The final product, ready to enjoy.

A sunny day and a sunny salad… I need some new unbreakable dishes for al fresco lunches.

Yup, it’s all for you!

What d’ya think?  Are you a garlic fan?

Have you ever roasted garlic?

Any other ideas as to how to enjoy it, other than on crackers?  Maybe roasted chicken?

#CanadaDay Frozen Vanilla Protein Pops

Happy Canada Day!

Canada is turning 145 today!  And Canadians across the country and around the world will be decked out in red and white to celebrate!

And we will be eating red and white foods too… angel cake with strawberries was always a family favorite to top off a barbecue or picnic.

I am not eating wheat right now, so no angel cake for me, but I did make some Frozen Vanilla Protein Pops… red and white, and so tasty.   A lovely cold and guilt-free treat for a warm Summer day.  Do give them a try.

My 6 frozen pop moulds have a volume of about 2 cups… measure yours by filling them with water and then emptying them into a measuring container to find out the volume and then alter the ingredients accordingly.

Frozen Vanilla Protein Pops

Makes 2 cups total – in 6 frozen moulds

• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
• Dash of Stevia or Splenda (optional)
• 4 – 6 small fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1. Blend the protein powder, Almond Breeze, yogurt, and sweetener, if using.  
2. Pour the mixture into the moulds till each is about half full.  
3. Cut the strawberries into slivers and place the pieces into the moulds.  
4. Add the remaining liquid to each mould. If any are not completely full, top off with a bit more Almond Breeze.  
5. Freeze the moulds for several hours.
 

Per serving, 1/6th of whole recipe.

Weight Watchers P+ = 1.

Calories 57; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 3g; Fat 1g; Fibre0 g.

Fill the moulds and then place them in the freezer for several hours

To eat, remove from the base … you may need to put them in a bit of tepid water for a minute or two to loosen.

After a few bites, pieces of frozen strawberry become apparent… this is a really tasty treat!

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That Beautiful Berry and Chicken Salad... yeah, THAT one.

I have been seeing ads on television this week for a new salad at Wendy’s that has berries and chicken and almonds… my mouth waters whenever I see the pictures on the screen.  It looks fantastic… so I decided to make up a version and have it for dinner.

I am pretty happy with the results, especially the dressing!  We both thoroughly enjoyed it and I know I will be making this over and over, all summer long.

Here is how I put it together.

Mixed Berries and Chicken Salad With Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 3 cups mixed salad greens, washed and spun dry
• 4 ounces cooked and cubed chicken breast (I used a can of Kirkland seasoned chicken breast)
• 2 Tbs chopped white onion
• 10 slices of long English cucumber, slivered
• 2 small white mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 4 fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries, thawed (mine has blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
• 1/2 ounce slivered almonds

Strawberry Dressing
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1 Tbs white vinegar
• 1 Tbs water
• Dash of Stevia or Splenda, your choice
• 2 tsp olive oil 

1. Tear the mixed salad greens and divide between 2 serving bowls or plates.
2. Divide the rest of the ingredients between the 2 bowls and layer on top of the greens in the order listed.
3. Prepare the dressing by placing the strawberries, vinegar and water in a blender and puree.  Add the olive oil and combine well.
4. Pour the dressing evenly over each of the 2 salads before serving.

Per serving, salad and dressing.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 276; Protein 31g; Carbohydrate 19g; Fat 10g; Fibre 7g.

Before dressing...

And after...

Enjoy!

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Baked French Toast with Fruit and Yogurt

I really like baked French Toast and rarely make it for breakfast because it just seems to take too long... but for dinner, bring it on!  It is delicious and pretty and can be different every time you make it with the variety of seasonal and frozen fruits that are so plentiful... and though I chose a Plain Greek yogurt, you can certainly use a flavored one if you prefer.

The addition of Greek yogurt not only adds a luscious creaminess to the taste of this dish, but it adds protein which makes it much more satisfying, and for longer.

The nutritional information is going to depend on the type of bread and yogurt you choose but this will give you an idea of how many Points Plus it might contain. I did include the fruit I used.  I used a hearty Dempster's mulitgrain bread, and Chobani Greek yogurt.... one kiwi, about 2/3 cup of sliced fresh strawberries, and 1/3 cup of frozen/thawed blueberries and blackberries.

Baked French Toast with Fruit and Greek Yogurt
Makes 2 servings

• 4 slices whole grain bread
• 1/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar free syrup
• fresh or frozen/thawed fruit of your choice
• 1/2 cup 2% Plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Coat a baking dish large enough to hold 4 slices bread, with non-stick spray. Lay the bread slices in the dish.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, eggs, and syrup and pour over the bread slices in the baking dish, making sure each slice of bread is coated with the mixture. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and crispy.
5. Remove from oven and divide the 4 slices of bread between 2 serving plates.
6. Garnish with the fruit and yogurt, and pour a bit more syrup over top, if desired.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 11.
Calories 430; Protein 21g; Carbohydrate 65g; Fat 11g; Fibre 9g.

Lay bread slices in prepared pan. I could only fit 2 in a pan so used 2 pans.

While toast is baking, prepare your fruit. 

It will be golden and crunchy when it is baked.

The underside will have more egg mixture baked on it and will be darker.  Serve either side up, as you prefer.

Top the bread slices with fruit and yogurt.

Drizzle with a bit more syrup if you like.

And prepare to hear lots of compliments!

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Heart-Healthy Strawberry Oatcakes For Your Valentine

It is fun to come up with something special for Valentine's Day... and this year, because it is on a Tuesday, special breakfasts are likely to fall by the wayside in favor of dinners and desserts.

Save this for the weekend if you don't have time to make it on a weekday morning..... but do give it a try.  Somehow strawberries just ooze romance, and the rich, luscious Greek yogurt tops it all off with an air of decadence!

Strawberry Oatcakes

Makes 2 servings

• 1/4 cup quick (not instant) oats
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• 2 packets Splenda or dash of Stevia
• 2/3 cup of Almond Breeze, vanilla unsweetened
• 1 cup chopped strawberries, divided 

1. Wash, hull and chop fresh strawberries and set aside.( I used 6 medium strawberries.)
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt and sweetener.
3. Add the Almond Breeze and stir to combine.
4. Fold about 1/3 of the strawberries into the mixture.
5. Preheat skillet and coat with non-stick spray.
6. Use 1/4 of the batter for each oatcake.  Pour enough batter for 1 cake into the skillet.  Allow to cook about 2 minutes then flip and cook second side for 2 minutes.
7. Remove and keep warm while you make 3 more oatcakes. Respray pan as necessary.
8. Divide the cakes between 2 serving plates and top with syrup, yogurt and garnish with whole strawberries.

 Per serving, including yogurt, but not syrup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 258; Protein 14g;  Carhohydrate 43g; Fat 3g; Fibre 6g.

Don't chop the strawberries so small that they will get lost in the batter.

Add the Almond Breeze to the combined dry ingredients...

and stir till mixed.

Then fold in a handful of chopped berries.

Cook each cake for a couple of minutes.

Then flip over and cook the second side.

Arrange them on plates...

top with Greek yogurt and more chopped berries...

whole berries and a bit of syrup, too.

  



And enjoy with your Valentine!

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Stewed Strawberries with Yogurt and Couscous

I wanted to have strawberries for breakfast today, and made up this dish to take advantage of the color and flavor of the lovely berries we are enjoying this summer.  And couscous is a nice change from oats.

The ingredients are simple so you can easily alter the proportions to make any number of servings you like.

I think this would also be nice with fresh peaches, or blueberries, rhubarb, cranberries or even apples... and vanilla yogurt would be delicous!

Stewed Strawberries with Yogurt and Couscous
Makes 4 servings

• 1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups strawberries, washed and cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp Splenda
• 1 cup plain fat free yogurt

1. If you have time you can make up the couscous using the Dashboard Method, or by putting 1 cup water into a small saucepan and heating it to the boiling point.  Stir in the couscous, cover the pan with a lid and then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside for 5 minutes.  The couscous will absorb the water.
2. Put the strawberries into a small saucepan with 1/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer and bubble for about 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and Splenda.
3. To serve, divide the plumped couscous among 4 cereal bowls.  Place 1/4 cup yogurt on top of the couscous in each bowl.  Then top with one quarter of the strawberry compote... approximately 1/2 cup.
4. Serve while still warm.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 122; Protein 6g; Carbohydrate 24g; Fat 1g; Fibre 3g.

Cut the strawberries into chunks.

Cook until soft in a bit of water.

Put prepared couscous into bowls.

Put yogurt on the top.

And then top with stewed berries.

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Warm Quinoa and Strawberries Breakfast Bowl

I knew I wanted to have hot cereal for breakfast this morning - and decided to chop up some fresh strawberries to add to it... quinoa is always a nice change from oatmeal.  It has lots of protein, and the added fat from the almonds helps this breakfast stick to your ribs till lunchtime.

If you like, you could use maple syrup in place of the honey, or even Splenda, to lower the P+ count by one.

Warm Quinoa and Strawberries Breakfast Bowl
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cups raw quinoa
• 2/3 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• ½ cup Almond Breeze, original unsweetened
• ½ cups water
• Dash of cinnamon
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 Tbs slivered almonds　

1. Place quinoa, milk, and water in a small  saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in strawberries, cinnamon, and honey.
4. Remove pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Divide the mixture into 2 cereal bowls.
6. Sprinkle 1 Tbs slivered almonds on top of each bowl,  and serve.　

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 252; Protein 7g; Carbohydrates 38g; Fat 8g; Fibre 5g.

Vanilla yogurt makes a great, tasty topping.

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Beautiful Balsamic Strawberries

This recipe was given to me some time ago, by a friend I met through Weight Watchers.... it is such a lovely way to enjoy the luscious berries that are so plentiful in the late Spring.  A perfect, light way to top off dinner.

Strawberries with vinegar and pepper may sound unusual, but the sweet-tart combo is delicious, and if you use dark vinegar, the balsamic marinade tints the strawberries a gorgeous deep red.  If you don't have vanilla yogurt on hand, use plain and stir a dash of vanilla extract into it.

Balsamic Strawberries
Makes 4 servings 

• 4 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
• 2 Tbs unpacked brown sugar
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 Tbs mint leaves, optional

1. Combine strawberries, sugar, vinegar and pepper in a bowl.
2. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, stirring at least once.
3. Serve in 4 small glasses or bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt.
4. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 76; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 1g; Fibre 3g.

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'Frenched' Strawberry and Cream Cheese Sandwiches

One of my Weight Watcher pals mentioned something about a grilled strawberry and cream cheese pita yesterday... and today I decided to take that idea one step further and I created these 'Frenched' Strawberry and Cream Cheese Sandwiches.

The P+ values shown are for the ingredients I have used... it will vary depending on the bread, cheese, and milk used.  But the idea is so lovely.  It is rich and delicious and makes a pretty plate.  This is sure to become a weekend morning favorite, as long as fresh strawberries are available.

'Frenched' Strawberry and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Makes 2 servings

• 4 slices whole grain bread
• 1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup fat free milk
• dash of cinnamon
• 8 medium strawberries

1. Break the egg into a bowl that is wide enough to lay your bread slices in.  Add the milk and cinnamon and whisk till frothy.  Set aside.
2. Divide the cheese wedge in half.  Spread each half over a slice of the bread.  You will have 2 slices that are covered with cheese, and 2 that are left plain.
3. Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries.
4. Spray a saute pan with non-stick spray and set over medium heat.
5. Take a slice of the bread that is covered with cheese and lay the opposite side into the egg mixture to absorb a bit of it into the bread.  Place the slice, egg-side down in the saute pan, and then cover the cheese with strawberry slices.
6. Lay one side of a plain slice of bread into the egg mixture to coat and then cover the bread in the pan, egg side up.
7. Let the sandwich cook a couple of minutes until browned, then carefully flip over and brown the second side.
8. When it is done, set in a container to keep warm.  Repeat with the second sandwich.
9. When both are cooked, plate and drizzle your favorite syrup or a bit of honey over the top.

Per serving, without syrup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 213; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 30g; Fat 6g; Fibre 5g.

Note:
Any kind of  milk or non-dairy milk will work in this recipe.
Substitute 2 egg whites for the egg.
If using soft cream cheese, about 1 Tbs should be enough.

Waiting to be covered with the plain, egg-dipped slice of bread.

After flipping in the pan.

Pretty and delicious.

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