Joy of Cooking II

After last month’s article on my love for cooking, I got asked to post my favorite clean recipes.  I’ve compiled a few of my favorites here for you, and they range from stuff I eat year-round, to stuff I eat when prepping for a show.  I’ve included breakfast items, as well as some healthy dinners and side dishes.  Hope you enjoy! BP’s Protein Pancakes: Why I love this recipe: you can use the base of this recipe and add anything to it – pumpkin, chocolate chips, sugar free syrups, fruit, etc.   Base: 4 egg whites 1/3 c oats or oat bran (I prefer oat bran, because it gives it a more realistic texture.  You can also grind your oats up into oat flour) ½ scoop BEAST Whey 1 t baking powder 2t sugar free/fat free jello pudding mix Add-ins:  ¼ c pumpkin puree (use vanilla protein powder and cheesecake or vanilla flavored jello mix) Cocoa powder (use chocolate protein powder and chocolate jello mix) Chocolate chips Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, other fruit Torani sugar free syrups (my favorites are chocolate chip cookie dough and pumpkin pie) You can really play around with the flavors of protein powder that you use, as well as the Jello pudding mix that you use.  I like to get creative, and I have different pancakes almost daily.  Sometimes I do chocolate chip, sometimes chocolate pumpkin, maybe banana…….it all depends! Stuffed Baby Peppers Why I love this recipe: Because they make a fantastic side dish that I can eat whenever I want PAM olive oil cooking spray 2 T evoo 3-5 slices turkey bacon 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 3/4 c reduced fat or fat free ricotta cheese 1/2 c chopped green onion salt/pepper 20 baby peppers, give or take a few Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350.  Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.  Set aside. Spray a medium non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Cook the turkey bacon fully on both sides until crispy.  Remove and chop, and set aside.  Add a little olive oil to the same skillet and cook the onion until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.  Set aside and cool for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey bacon, ricotta cheese, and green onion.  Season with salt and pepper. Using a paring knife, cut 1/2 inch from the stem end of each pepper.  Remove the seeds and veins.  Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with the cheese mixture.  Place all filled peppers on the baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes until the peppers soften and the cheese is warmed through. Ezekiel Bread French Toast (so simple, I'm embarrassed to post it). Why I love this recipe: Do I need a reason? 2 slices Ezekiel Bread (I use the plain, but the cinnamon raisin would probably be craaaazy good) 1 T skim milk (yes, just 1 T - trace cals!!) 2 egg whites 0.5 oz Torani sugar free vanilla syrup OR 1 t vanilla extract pinch of cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg splenda (optional - I usually only use 1 packet) fresh orange zest (this MAKES this recipe - do NOT omit this.  If you don't have an orange to zest, use orange extract). Stir all ingredients, except the bread, in a pyrex dish until combined.  Soak both sides of the bread until all the moisture is absorbed.  I sometimes leave mine in the dish for a bit while I make some coffee.  Once coated, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and get it relatively hot BEFORE you put the bread on it.  Brown on each side for a few minutes.  Top with blueberries and maple syrup (I use sugar free both on season and off).  You'll be amazed at how freaking good this tastes. You can also stuff the French toast with a mixture of greek yogurt, some fat free cream cheese, and pumpkin if you want. Mama P’s Chili Why I love this recipe: because it comes from my mother’s kitchen. 2 T olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 packages lean ground turkey (7% fat) black pepper dijon mustard red wine lemon juice chili powder dill parsley cayenne pepper basil oregano red pepper flakes Tabasco sauce 1 can tomato paste 1 large can diced tomatoes 1 can kidney beans 1 can black beans corn black olives (optional) Heat oil in a large pot.  Saute chopped onion until transparent.  Add grilled chicken or ground turkey, and brown for a few minutes.  If using the turkey, spoon off excess fat after browning.  Return pot to low heat and add all remaining ingredients.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. I do not measure my spices EVER, so I don't have exact measurements for them.  I do tend to put in slightly more dill, because it gives the chili a surprisingly amazing flavor. Bok Choy Why I love this Recipe: I am obsessed with Asian flavors, especially during contest prep 3 heads baby bok choy, separated 5 cremini or shitake mushrooms, sliced 3 T shallots, chopped 1 t fresh grated ginger 1/2 c bean sprouts (the big ones) 1 green onion, chopped 1-2 T fresh chopped cilantro 1-2 T peanut or sesame oil 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped 1-2 T soy sauce 1/2 c water Heat the peanut/sesame oil until it's hot.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute or 2.  Add mushrooms and cook until they start to release water.  Once they do, add the bok choy and all remaining ingredients and cook until all the liquid evaporates. Bon apetit!! Beth is an NPC and OCB figure competitor and has been competing for 3 years.  When she’s not rocking the stage in her stiletto heels, she’s either at work as Project Manager at a Pharmaceutical company in Durham, NC or she’s in the gym training clients or teaching spin classes.  In her very minimal free time, Beth likes to sleep, eat, play with her dog, and spend time with her friends (who also like to sleep and eat).