Healthy Chocolate and Banana Pizza

I was feeling creative in the kitchen this morning trying to think of a way I could incorporate my new Dark Chocolate hummus into a breakfast recipe.  So I thought of doing a breakfast pizza.  It was super easy to make!  This would be great for lunch, dessert, snack... pretty much anytime you could go for a simple meal and chocolate (which is all day for me lol).  

Ingredients

• 1 small Ezekiel tortilla
• 1 TBL Dark Chocolate hummus (brand is Hope Hummus)
• Sliced banana (I used 1/2 of a banana)
• Cinnamon
• Unsweetened coconut (I used 1 tsp)
• Ezekiel almond granola

Directions

I put the tortilla in the toaster oven to get it crispy.  I toasted it on level 6 in my toaster, I think it was a little over 4 minutes.  

Once tortilla is ready spread on hummus, banana, cinnamon, coconut and granola.  I used a very small amount of granola.  I just wanted a little extra crunch.  to make this more filling you can add extra banana and granola, or maybe even make it like a quesadilla by sandwiching everything between two tortillas.  

Check out my YouTube video for a tutorial!  

Make sure to Like my Facebook page so you get can get even more of my healthy recipes, motivation, workouts and tips!

Frozen Avocado Balls

I just love avocado.  I could easily eat several of them a day either as a snack or as an addition to my meals.  Unfortunately this would not be good for my waistline so I need to watch my portions.  I used to think I should just eat the entire avocado because it would just turn brown and go bad if I tried to store it.  What I have discovered now is a new trick of freezing my leftover avocado.  

I will take the remaining half of an avocado and use a measuring spoon (tablespoon size) to scoop out avocado balls.  Its kind of like using a mellon baller.  I will then lay the avocado balls on parchment or wax paper and put them in the freezer (I lay it on a cookie sheet for stability since my freezer is too overloaded to lay on the shelves).  I let them freeze for anywhere to 15-30 minutes and then i just pop them in a freezer baggie or small freezer safe container.  They stay perfectly green so its a great way to preserve the avocado.  

I pop them in my shakes which is a great way to add additional nutrients, fiber, and healthy fat.  They also make tyne shakes so incredibly creamy!  You may think it sounds weird but you can't even taste the avocado.  You can definitely tell the difference with the smooth creamy texture though.  

Sweet & Salty Shakeology Snack Bars

Ingredients: 
4 scoops chocolate Shakeology
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries 
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 TBL raw honey 
1 TBL coconut oil 

Directions:  
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

Melt peanut butter, coconut oil and honey and melt in microwave (30-45 seconds should do it). Add to dry mixture along with almond milk. 

Mix well by hand or with heavy wooden spoon. 

Press mixture into parchment-lined 8x8 baking dish. Make paper longer than pan so it hangs over the sides.

You can now add some toppings here if you'd like. I sprinkled some white chocolate chips and dried coconut on top. 

Let sit in refrigerator for at least 3 hours before cutting. Just pull on the sides of the parchment paper and lift the whole thing out. I cut mine into small squares about 1-2 inches in size. 


Sprinkle with sea salt as you are about to eat them. Don't put the sea salt on it ahead of time because it liquefies in the fridge! These last in the fridge at least a week. They can be frozen too! 

Make sure to Like my Facebook page so you get can get even more of my healthy recipes, motivation, workouts and tips!

How to Make Perfectly Poached Eggs

I love eggs.  They are healthy, delicious, and such a great option for a meal at any point in the day.  One of my favorite egg dishes that I make is poached eggs on toast.  I like to add avocado, cilantro, and Sriracha sauce.  These are simple additions but the flavor is mind blowing good.  

I used to be really bad at making poached eggs.  They always disintegrated in the water leaving me with hardly anything worth eating.  I found that adding some vinegar to the water keeps them together nicely.  

So here are my secrets to perfectly poached eggs:

• Add a few tablespoons white vinegar to the water
• Make sure water is at a rapid boil
• Create a whirlpool 
• Drop eggs in to swirling water
• Poach for 2-3 minutes (3 minutes leaves them moderately runny)
• Remove with slotted spoon
• Pat dry (underneath the spoon) with a paper towel to absorb the water

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR A DEMO!

Make sure to Like my Facebook page so you get can get even more of my healthy recipes, motivation, workouts and tips!