Creamy Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

We have made chia pudding before but we are making it that much more luxurious in our new Coconut version. We are introducing more fats into our diet as we cut back on refined carbohydrates. This recipe is made with coconut milk and it deliciously rich and satiating…great when you are craving dessert! And great for those KETO dieters as chia is so high in fibre so keeps your carbs to where they need to be 😉

Creamy Coconut Chia Seed Pudding (make 4 servings):

2 cups coconut milk (not light, we used A-Roy D)
1 tsp pure powdered Stevia (more or less to appeal to your taste)

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

(optional 1 tbsp shredded coconut per serving)

Non Blended Version:

1) Combine the coconut milk, Stevia, vanilla, cinnamon and chia seeds together in a bowl. Let sit then stir again after 5 mins. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or ideally overnight. When ready to serve, top with more cinnamon/stevia and shredded coconut (1 tbsp per portion)!

Smoother Blended Version:

*Once done, blend the mixture until creamy and smooth*

Macronutrient Beakdown (per serving):

Calories-312

Fat-22g

Carbohydrates-18g (net carbs-4g)

Protein-7g

Fibre-14g

Italian Tricolor Chicken Thighs

Where does the term Tricolor come from? It is actually the name given to a salad made in Italy with tomato, buffalo mozzarella and avocado/basil (aka three colours…red, white and green). The colours also mimic the colurs of the Italian flag. But it’s not salad season so we used these great Italian flavours in a fun, warm, winter recipe friendly way to make a delicious dinner which hit the JMFitFood table! 

Italian Tricolor Chicken Thighs (makes 6 servings, 3 thighs each):

15 boneless skinless chicken thighs (after trimming the fat this weighed approx 1.70lb)
1 tsp coconut oil

salt and pepper

Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Toppings:

Tre Stelle bocconcini (200g), sliced
3 raw plum tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the thighs with salt and pepper (after trimming any excess fat). Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat and place the chicken thighs evenly in the pan to sear them. Sear on both sides until browned (about 5 mins a side) and only a bit of pink remains (they won’t be fully cooked through at this point). 

2) Meanwhile, put all pesto ingredients into a food processor and blitz until combined into a nice paste. If you need more liquid to get the right consistency add a little water. Top each thigh with a bit of the pesto, then slices of tomato and slices of bocconcini on top. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper.

3) Bake in the over in the same pan for about 5 mins finishing on broil to get the cheese extra melt-y and slightly golden on top. Serve with a side of greens if you are going keto or a nutrient dense carb of your choice if not going keto!

Macronutrient Breakdown (per serving):

Calories-385

Fat-28g

Carbohydrates-4g

Protein-29g

Grain Free Protein Pizza

Let’s be honest, we all love PIZZA!! But if you’re going without grains, on a ketogenic diet or allergic to wheat/gluten, you likely don’t get to enjoy pizza very often if at all. Well you can now with this grain free keto friendly pizza! Set on top of a seasoned homemade chicken breast crust, this zaaaa is high in protein, low in carbs and big on TASTE! It’s sure to be a hit with the whole family. Thanks to my client Mel from bringing this great idea to the table (literally 😉

Grain Free Protein Pizza (per serving=2 slices):

Crust:

600g chicken breast, raw and cut into cubes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Toppings:

1/2 cup JMTraining Pasta Sauce (or another no sugar added, all natural version works too)
1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup green olives, sliced
60g (6 slices) Maple Leaf Natural Selections Italian Style Cooked Ham (cut into squares)
60g Maple Leaf Natural Selections Sliced Pepperoni 

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Put the cubed chicken and all other crust ingredients into a food processor and blitz a few times until ground. Spread the mixture on the parchment in a rectangle or circle about 1/4 inch thick (or thinner if you like a thinner base). Put in the oven for 10-12 mins or until the chicken is fully cooked. Take out and bring the heat of the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Spread the pasta sauce on the base then add on your toppings evenly. Sprinkle with dried basil and top with cheese. Put it back into the oven for 10-15 mins or until vegetables are softened to your liking and the cheese is melted. Feel free to broil for 2 mins to get the cheese bubbly and slightly browned just make sure you are watching. Slice and enjoy guilt free any night of the week!

Macronutrient Breakdown (per serving=2 slices):

Calories-426

Fat-17g

Carbohydrates-6g

Protein-64g

appetizer dinner healthy kept lunch snack

Chocolate peanut butter cups

We all have sweet cravings and those of you trying to stick to a keto diet may find it hard to not cave and grab a cookie or sweet sugary treat. Thanks to Kylee (our PiYO instructor and great friend) we now have a great alternative dessert or snack that can fill that sweet void and conquer cravings while staying on track. Think healthy peanut butter cups you can have every day…need we say more?! We didn’t add any stevia to ours but for a sweeter version of these feel free to add some liquid or powdered stevia (we prefer the taste of powdered and buy ours at New Age downtown…where ever you get it just make sure it’s pure Stevia!)

1 cup cocoa powder 

1 cup all natural peanut butter (or raw nut butter of choice)

1 cup coconut oil

1) Melt all ingredients in a pot until combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon portions into muffin cups and then put in the fridge to set. Enjoy once they are solid and store in the fridge to keep them from melting/softening. 

Macronutrient Breakdown (per serving=1 cup):

Calories-69

Fat-8g

Carbohydrates-2g (net carbs-1g)

Protein-1g

Sugar-NONE!

Maple Vanilla Nut Latte Protein Balls

A great client of ours (Danielle) brought this recipe from Cottercrunch.com to our attention last week and it was perfect timing! We had just run out of Daryls Protein Bars and needed something to tide us over. I tend to find that many protein ball recipes and even most Daryls bar flavours taste similar. But this recipe for Maple Vanilla Latte Protein Balls definitely provides a delicious and new flavour combo we haven’t had before. Just make sure you have some self control before you make these as it would be easy to eat the whole lot in one go!

See original recipe at https://www.cottercrunch.com/no-bake-maple-vanilla-latte-protein-bites/ and our JM adjusted recipe below:

Maple Vanilla Nut Latte Protein Balls (Gluten Free)

1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (we used walnuts cus, well…maple walnut! But you could use another type for a different flavour)
1/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup coconut flour (although you could use only one type of flour if you like)
1/2 cup natural nut butter (we used peanut butter but Danielle said Almond was even better!)
1 tbsp ground coffee (we used the Organic coffee from CostCo but any work)
1/3 cup Vanilla Protein of choice (we used Bluestar IsoSmooth Vanilla Dream, will need extra for coating)
1/4 cup maple syrup (you can also use honey)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or you could use maple extract if you want it maple-ier

1) Chop nuts in food processor or on a cutting board if you’re like me and don’t want to wash a food processor after! Just make sure it’s finely chopped.
2) Transfer into a large bowl and add in all the remaining ingredients and mix well using your hands. Roll into 18 bite sized balls. Freeze to set then toss in extra protein powder or coffee or you could drizzle 80-90% dark chocolate over them for more crunch if you like (we didn’t do this but it would make them even better I’m sure!)
3) Store in the fridge or freezer if you want them colder.

*Depending on the type of flour and nut butter you use, you might need to adjust the amount. Add all in bowl, then if batter is too thin, add in more almond flour. If batter is too thick, add more honey or nut butter*

Macronutrient Breakdown (per ball):

Calories-99

Fat-6g

Protein-4g

Carbohydrates-6g

*Sugar-3g

*Fibre-2g

White Winter Chicken Stew

Winter is all about foods that warm us up and keep us cozy as temperatures drop. We have been making lots of stews recently but we tend to gravitate toward the tomato based varieties. This week we decided to switch it up and try a white based version and we were happy with the result! So if you’re looking for a new spin on stew look no further!

Winter White Chicken Stew

1.5lb chicken breasts, cubed

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 zucchini sliced into half moons

2 peppers, cut into inch sized pieces

600g of mini potatoes, quartered (and boiled until tender)

2 cups of chicken stock

1/4 cup of half and half (or you could use coconut milk for a dairy free version)

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder

2 bay leaves

1 tsp herb de provence

1/4 cup all purpose flour (for thickening)

salt and pepper to taste

1) Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Brown the chicken tossing frequently. Then add in the vegetables and stir to combine. 

2) Season with all herbs/spices, then add in your chicken stock, mustard and tomato paste (stir to combine). Reduce heat slightly to medium and cook until veggies and chicken are cooked to your liking.

3) Reduce heat to medium low and add in your cream. Slowly sprinkle in 1/4 cup of flour a little at a time and stir into the pot combining it with the liquid to thicken. Add more or less flour based on how thick you’d like your stew to be.

4) Add in your cooked potatoes and serve with some more greens or fresh parsley on top!

Macronutrient Breakdown (per serving):

Calories: 347

Carbs: 27g

Fat: 8g

Protein: 41g