Blueberry & Banana High Protein Pancakes
I feel like it's been forever and a day since I've posted loads of food recipes! Once upon a time back in the early days) I was posting three or four times per week, but that's when I had nothing else to do alongside ;-)
Recently I've been spending a lot more time doing my own inner work which is my track of to becoming a better person and coach. I've also been doing a lot of brainstorming- figuring out how to make my mark on this world and how best to make a difference in your lives. With the news of Scott's passing a few weeks ago it made me think more deeply about how I show up and the actions I take.
On another lighter and altogether delicious note, if you've been keeping up with me on Facebook page you'll know I have been busy creating recipes for a 'porridge' e-book to be ready for you very very shortly. Sign up to my newsletter for a special launch offer coming in the next couple of weeks!
In the meantime it's the weekend and so I reckon pancakes should be on the agenda. It's been a while!
Mmmmm pancake brunch!
These ones are super duper simple and also super duper high protein- all natural protein by way of the chickpea flour, chia seed and a little nut butter.
I love the flavour of these, although if you are not such a fan of chickpea flour you might want to sub half with ground oats or another grain for a neutral flavour. I have used banana and frozen blueberries, but for for an autumnal twist why not try stewed apple or pear.
If the hot sun comes out as it has done most days this week, I may well whip up another batch and sit out in the garden. Indian summer bliss!
Recipe: chickpea flour pancakes
Serves 1 (3 small pancakes)
Ingredients:
½ cup chickpea flour (aka gram or garbanzo flour)
2 tsp chia seed (or flax)
¼ tsp baking soda
1 heaped tsp coconut sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup water
1 tbs peanut or almond nut butter
toppings of choice- I used mashed banana, blueberries and soy yoghurt
Method:
Mix/mash all ingredients together until you have a thick but spoonable/runny batter. Ideally, allow to stand for 2-3 minutes to thicken a little more whilst you prepare your toppings.
Dollop into three equal sized pancakes into a large oiled frying pan. Cook for 2 minutes then flip and cook for another minute or so until both sides are golden.
Layer up with mashed or sliced banana and blueberries (or fruity filling of choice!) and a little non dairy yoghurt for extra messyness ;-)
Serve immediately.
Spicy peanut and broccoli... with a high protein twist!
Let me tell you right now how much I love this spaghetti! Don't get me wrong I love black beans in their natural form, it's just that sometimes I get a little bit 'beaned out' and I want to get my protein hit in other ways.
Plus it looks super cool :-)
This simple 10 minutes dish ramps up the protein count to crazy numbers. We talking up 40g per serving (depending on your serving size obviously-mine was quite large). Black beans, broccoli and peanut butter all combined in one easy dish. It's a no-brainer for those looking to increase their protein count on a plant based diet. And for that matter it's great for those looking for a high protein and/or low carb meal in general. I don't accurately measure the ingredients when I make this dish so the measurement below are estimates- you don't need to be too accurate- it's more the concept! You could of course add other veggies too, this is really stripped back to basics.
For the last few months I've actually struggled to get hold of this pasta (they do other bean pasta types in their range too), however I recently went to a vegan food show in London and spoke to the supplier who said they'd had some issues with the EU allergy labelling regulations, but all was now sorted now it should be back in UK stores within the next few weeks… Yeah!! I assume the same is available worldwide whether it be this brand or another similar version.
The only ingredient is black beans, ok I appreciate it is processed to a certain degree since it has been made into a spaghetti style product, but considering its pure ingredient profile and variety it can bring to my meals I'm totally cool with that as an alternative to beans or other types of pasta once in a while.
So tell me, what's your favourite go-to high protein vegan meal?
Have you tried bean pasta yet?
P.s this post isn't sponsored in anyway... I just love the bean pasta ;-)
Recipe: Black beans spaghetti with broccoli and spicy peanut drizzle
Serves 1 hungry person! (me after an intense workout)
Ingredients:
1 small head of broccoli- chopped
1 cup/2 handfuls of bean spaghetti
sauce- 2 tbs peanut butter, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp hot sauce, 3 tbs boiling water
Method:
Steam the chopped broccoli florets for 5-8 minutes until cooked to your preference.
Meanwhile boil the bean spaghetti for 5 minutes according to pack instructions.
Serve the spaghetti and pile the broccoli on top.
Mix the sauce ingredients together and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with extra chilli flakes if you fancy.
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Hate protein shakes? ...try this chocolate mousse!
In recent weeks I've been aiming to bump up my protein levels a little bit as I felt my progress had plateaued in my strength training workouts. I'd always been very much one for avoiding supplementing protein powders as I didn't like the idea of isolated protein and was never a big fan of the taste and texture of protein shakes.
However...
Everything changed for me when the new high-protein white hemp powder recently came on the market. Prior to this i'd typically resort to the natural green hemp which left a lot to be deciding the taste department unless well camouflaged. I buy my hemp protein here from Real Food Source (they sell both types of hemp) but I understand it's becoming more widely available wherever you are in the world. It's also a much higher protein ratio at 72% compared to the traditional green hemp at 50%, the main difference being the white hemp has had the fibre removed. For me, in following a plant-based diet I get so much fibre in my day-to-day meals that I haven't any concerns with this simple refining of the white hemp protein.
white hemp 72% protein powder
Seriously, if you're not a fan of plant-based protein powders, try this stuff. I still wouldn't go for many other protein powders and definitely not the flavoured pre-made blends with unnecessary ingredients, and to be honest I'm still not a fan of it in shakes (though I did make one I liked here). This mousse packs a huge protein punch plus a load of super foods in one hit... so for me it really does tick every box!
As with most of my recipes like this you can swap in and out ingredients to suit your tastebuds and also what you have to hand. Also I often use 20g of protein if I'm having a snack or 30g to 35g if I need more of a meal on the go when combine this with a green smoothie on the side and I'm ready to rock!
The recipe has been made numerous times since the photos were taken an I have added a few extra notes beneath the recipe based on my experiences.
Another quick note... I wouldn't leave out the raw cacao/cocoa as you do end up with more or a grey looking mousse and it also really help with the overall texture. Red berries might help to camouflage but I haven't tried that yet myself (I like chocolate too much!)
various toppings... hemp powder and various mix-ins ready to go!
Recipe: Chocolate hemp mousse
(based on 30g hemp- modify quantities as you see fit)
Ingredients:
30g hemp protein (approx. 1/2 scant cup)
1 heaped tbs raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 small banana mashed (see note) plus a drop of liquid stevia if desired
1 tbs chia or flax seeds
1 tsp maca powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp amla powder (my new favourite- learn more here)
approx 1/2 cup water
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mall bowl. Mix the jam, nut butter, and a little of the water to make a paste, mix this in to the dry ingredients and slowly add the remaining water until you reach your preferred thickness (note the chia thickens it up further)
You can decorate with extra nuts, cacao nibs, granola, dried fruit or my Wholeplus Toppers.
Notes: I originally used a banana to blend into the texture, but now I find i don't need to if I add a little sugar free jam and a dollop of nut butter instead which I now prefer- higher protein count for the overall volume which is my overall aim.
pre-topping... you could add extra water to make a less thick our if you wished.
Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus my FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus.
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Chocolate almond crackers
I've been busy creating recipes over at the Real Food Source again. This is one of my favourites at the moment.
For something a little different to the usual softer more traditional cookies I fancied getting experimental and creating a 'chocolate cracker' which is basically more like a biscuit with a dryer, crisp bite- perfect for eating on its own or spreading with a little nut butter. The cookies are gluten free- bonus!
The best thing about these cookie-crackers is their super high protein content- just check out how much almond these little bites contain!
Check out my post here for the full recipe!
P.s have you downloaded the FREE nut butter ebook yet.... it contains loads of fab recipes I created for them. (most of the recipes are vegan) You can download it here!
I'd love you to join me in other places too!
Why not sign up for emails in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can also find me in these places:
Speedy Seedy Gluten-Free Crackers
I love to have something on hand to pick at… whether it be my home made ‘nakd’ bars, or a bowl of chocolate frosting hiding away in the fridge waiting for a spoon to come a-dipping! But, sometimes I just fancy a savoury kick to keep me going till tea time (particularly if I know there is dessert not far away).
These crackers are perfect…. on their own, with this dip, or a dollop of nut butter. The inspiration came from this post on Oh She Glows, so simple and quick to make and so many possible variations of flours, seeds and herbs to investigate now I know how good these crackers are.
The essence of the recipe also inspired an alternative twist that I just couldn’t wait to test out…but more on that tomorrow!
Recipe: Speedy seedy crackers
Makes approx. 20 crackers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup ground almonds (if making your own do not over process so that oils are released)
- 2 tbs tapioca flour
- 2 tbs polenta (this just gives it extra crunchiness)
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp Italian herbs
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 2 tbs sesame seeds
- 2 tbs poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp olive oil
Method
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Knead dough with hands until it comes together. Place ball of dough on parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Roll out dough until it’s about 1/8th inch thick, or as thin as you can get it without ripping. With a sharp knife slice into squares.
Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment. Bake for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden in colour. Cool on baking sheet, then store in air-tight container once fully cool.
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No-Bake Protein Packed 'Power Cubes'
The ‘power cube’ was an early recipe generated by a practical need for a healthy quick fix protein kick after a gym session. They were first conceived as bars with the intention of a being a healthy cereal bar but the consistency was denser and soft (not dry and crisp) lending itself to a flap-jack style bite sized cube.
Thus, the 'Power Cube' was born!
I feel these bars could be a bit ‘Marmite’ in that you’ll either love em or hate em! The notion behind the cube was less ‘treat’ and more ‘nutrition’ but over the weeks and months I have refined the recipe to my own personal tastes, and so I happen to love them! My family members however do not proclaim these to be among my best work (but again, let me remind you of their reason for being, so best not compared to an indulgent cake!) They are very flexible and accommodating so feel free to change things about and throw in what you fancy- the idea being you get a dense protein rich oaty bar as the end of it!
These bars are rich in a balance of protein fats and carbs and so are also great to grab on the run when you are not sure when you will next be eating or to have a couple tucked away in your bag in case of emergency as a mini meal replacement! The cubes are also raw further boosting their nutritional status.
Recipe: No-Bake Protein Power Cubes
Makes a 20x25cm tray cut into 25 cubes.
Ingredients:
- 400g oats
- 30g dessicated coconut
- 30 hemp seeds (other small or ground seeds can be used)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbs ground ginger or cinnamon (optional)
- 150g isolated soy protein powder (Note: any mild flavoured plant protein blend would work)
- 3 tbs almond butter
- 3 tbs smooth peanut butter (or use all PB or almond if preferred)
- 1 ripe banana- mashed
- 1 tbs vanilla essence
- 2 tbs agave syrup
- ½ tsp stevia
- Approx ¼ cup soy milk or other non-dairy milk (just enough to hold the mixture together well)
Method:
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix and mash wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix together adding as much soy milk as needed to create firm sticky dough. Firmly press the mixture into a 20x25 cm tray (or whatever similar size you have). It is easiest to line the tray with baking parchment as this will then simply lift out when ready to cut. Place the tin in the fridge for an hour (or longer) to firm up. When firm cut into cubes and store in the fridge. The cubes will keep for a week or more in the fridge and also freeze well.
I like to make ‘gingery’ power cubes as I love ginger but feel free to vary the spices and cocoa content to your own preference.
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