Recipes

Do-It-Yourself Protein Bars

• INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 1 3/4 cups honey
• 2 1/4 cups protein powder (I used Muscle Milk. I don't know how the other flavors would taste, but chocolate is really good)
• 3 cups dry oats or granola
• INSTRUCTIONS:
• Place peanut butter and honey in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 70-90 seconds. Mix in protein powder and oats or granola (it will be thick!). Press into a 9x13" pan and place in the refrigerator to cool. Cut into bars and serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge so that they keep their shape easily.

Zucchini Black Bean and Rice Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Pure Wesson Canola Oil
• 1 1/2 cups quartered (lengthwise) sliced zucchini
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 can (15 oz) Rosarita Premium Whole Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with garlic
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup instant white rice, uncooked (quinoa is great too!)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese blend

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes, and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
2. Add rice, stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Servings: 4 (1 1/4 cups serving size)

Calories: 276

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Blue Cheese

1 c 1% milk

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs butter

3/4 c extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild, and it was also excellent)

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

4 c cooked elbow shaped pasta

1 lb cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/2-2/3 c hot buffalo wing sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)

Instructions

Stir in the milk and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the butter. When sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, add the cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is silky and well blended.

Place your cooked, drained pasta in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over it and stir it to combine.

In a separate bowl, toss the cooked chicken with the hot sauce, evenly coating and moistening the meat evenly. Use more or less hot sauce depending on your spice preference.

Gently stir the chicken into the pasta, followed by the crumbled blue cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Simple Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and brown sugar; cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk, and cinnamon; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Transfer mixture from pan to food processor or blender; process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Serve warm. Makes 6 cups.

Dark Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs Chia Seeds
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Almond Milk (you can use any milk or any flavor for chia seed pudding! This is just what I used this time)

Instructions:

• Mix chia seeds and almond milk and let set in fridge for four hours or until thick. Top with whatever you choose, I did strawberries, but you can do other fruits, nuts or if you need it to be sweeter you can add maple syrup, honey, or agave. Enjoy! Makes one serving.

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup quinoa
• 1 Cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 apple, diced
• 2 Tbs butter
• Brown sugar and cinnamon to taste

Instructions:

• Rinse quinoa then bring quinoa, cinnamon stick, and almond milk to a boil and cook until quinoa is soft. In another pan, saute apples in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until soft. You may also add almond milk if you need more moisture. Once cooked, mix into quinoa and serve. Makes one serving.