Bailey’s Mocha Protein Shake

Wake yourself up and get ready for a great day with this delicious protein shake! Instant coffee gives it a dose of eye opening caffeine for early mornings. For a healthy boost, add ground flax to provide fiber and omega-3’s. On the other had, the optional addition of Bailey’s Irish Cream will make it a decadent cocktail for late nights. Have it your way!

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Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup ice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 packets stevia
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbs ground flax seeds (optional)
3 oz Bailey’s (optional)

Combine and blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth. Split between two glasses.

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Cheers!

Boozy Berry Protein Shake

Enjoy this unique cocktail right after a workout and just before heading to the pool. It’s perfect for muscle recovery and party pre-gaming. Score!

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Ingredients:
1 cup ice
3/4 cup milk
1 cup strawberries
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
3 oz vodka (I used coconut flavored)

Combine and blend all ingredients in a high powered blender. Serves 2.

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Yum! Can’t wait to try out more concoctions to share with you!

Starbucks Breakfast

You can count on decent breakfast options almost anywhere since Starbucks Coffee is found all around the Western world.

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Conveniently, Starbucks provides calorie counts on display and nutrition brochures are readily available.

Here are some good options for breakfast at Starbucks:

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– Banana and almonds

– Egg white sandwich or wrap (my favorite is the one with turkey bacon and white cheddar)

– protein box (egg, roll, fruit, and cheese)

-Greek yogurt with honey and granola

-Oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts

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Pair any of these options with iced tea, coffee, or a skinny latte/ macchiato/ frapuccino. There you have it! Enjoy a breakfast with enough protein to hold you over until your next meal!

Make a Perfect Smoothie

Good morning! Today I took a trip to Jamba Juice to get inspired for the next week or two of recipes for Karolina’s Kitchen. I’ll be posting lots of healthy protein shake and smoothie concoctions for you!

Jamba Juice gave me some ideas to get started.

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There are lots of great choices on the menu- smoothies, breakfast wraps, oatmeal… But what caught my eye today were the yogurt parfait toppers.

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I like that these are part smoothie and part parfait. Frozen fruit is blended with nonfat greek yogurt and topped with granola and banana slices for a smoothie that has some extra bite to it. I picked the 12 oz berry topper. The chunky strawberry banana topper (with fruit and peanut butter) sounded great, too!

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Yum! As I was enjoying my snack, I checked out their “boosts” brochure. Boosts are options you can add to your smoothie to customize it. You can add soy or whey protein, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, caffeine, multivitamins, oats, or immunity boosting zinc and vitamin C to your smoothie. I’ll be putting boosts in my creations, too!

The boosts I plan to use are:
-Chia seeds
-Ground flax
-Whey protein isolate
-Greek yogurt
-Nut butter
-Oats
-Spinach

Check back for smoothie recipes soon! Until then here’s how to make a perfect smoothie every time:
– 1 – 1.5 cups of fruit
– 1/4 – 1/2 cup greek yogurt
– 1/2 – 1 cup liquid

Happy creating!

What to order at Chipotle

Chipotle is by far my favorite fast food restaurant! I love that you can build your meal exactly how you want it to be. Their barbacoa shredded beef is to die for. If you’re looking for a flavorful, filling, yet healthy meal, Chipotle is the place to be.

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Here’s my go to meal:

Bowl with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, barbacoa, double portion of mild salsa (pico de gallo), and shredded lettuce. Sometimes I leave off the rice or beans and add guacamole, but that costs a little more so I usually only get it when someone else is buying ;)

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If you want to build a healthy chipotle meal, here’s how to do it:

1. Pick a bowl or salad

2. Choose brown rice over white rice (or no rice!)

3. Pinto and black beans are both great options (or no beans!). Be sure to get the fajita veggies too!

4. Pick a protein. They’re all good options- chicken, carnitas, steak, barbacoa. The new tofu option is a little more processed, but may be a good choice for vegans and vegetarians.

5. Get any salsa you like, but skip the sour cream and cheese. Ask for a large helping of lettuce on there, too! For healthy fat, pay the extra $2 or so for a scoop of guacamole, or just skip it.

6. Say “no” to the chips and soda. Go for a free water cup and help yourself to the fresh lemons if you need some flavor in your agua.

This meal will be around 500 calories, full of fiber, protein, complex carbs, and vegetables. It will also taste amazing!

Cheesecake in a Cup Recipe

This recipe is genius and delicious! All you need are fat free ricotta cheese and lemon curd to throw together a delightful lemon “cheesecake” snack. Ricotta cheesecake is lighter and fluffier than New York style cheesecake. I think it’s much more delicious than the super dense cream-cheesy New York style.

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All you need to do is stir together 1 tablespoon of good lemon curd and about 3/4 cup of fat free ricotta cheese.

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This cheesecake snack tastes much more indulgent than yogurt, but boasts the same high protein content! What a treat :)

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Skinny Raspberry Mojito Poptails

I love mojitos! I love them even more now that I have a stash of them in the freezer on popsicle sticks. Go to Marshall’s or Ross and pick up an inexpensive ice pop mold set for about six bucks and get to work!

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sprite Zero or soda water + 1 packet stevia
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
1.5 oz white rum
Juice of 1 lime

1. Combine raspberries, mint, rum, and lime juice in a blender or food processor and pulse to break up the raspberries.

2. Add the Sprite or soda water + stevia to the mix and stir to combine. Pour the cocktails into 6 ice pop molds and freeze overnight.

3. To remove an ice pop from its mold, run the mold under hot water for a few seconds.

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These mojito ice pops are very refreshing and low calorie! Each ice pop has only 22 calories. If you’re hoping to get a bit of a buzz, experiment with adding more rum. Be careful, though! Too much will keep the mixture from freezing!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Dip

This dip is made healthier by putting the cheese where it has the biggest impact on flavor- the surface! Cheese mixed into casseroles and dips doesn’t taste much different than yogurt or milk. Inside the dip, you’ll find a heaping portion of veggies, reduced fat cream cheese, greek yogurt, and a flavor boost from shredded chicken and Sriracha!

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Ingredients:
8 oz package of frozen chopped spinach
14 oz can of artichokes in water
2 oz cooked or canned chicken breast, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 oz low fat cream cheese
1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded lowfat mozzarella (or parmesan)

1. Thaw the spinach in the microwave and squeeze out all the excess moisture. Drain and chop the artichoke hearts. Drain the shredded chicken, if using canned. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the garlic in the hot oil for about a minute before adding cream cheese and yogurt. Stir until melted. Add sriracha, spinach, artichokes, and chicken. Stir to coat and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the dip to a small baking dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

4. Serve with raw vegetables or flatbread for dipping… Or just eat it plain! Check out the nutrition facts for 1/4 of the recipe:

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With that much protein in so few calories, this snack will fill you right up!

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Paleo Spaghetti

Yesterday was a rainy day that begged comfort food- a perfect day for Spaghetti! I was excited to try out this great Italian spice blend, Spezia 11, from a tasting party last weekend. This fresh, handmade blend of herbs and seasonings is delicious on chicken, flatbread, meatballs, vegetables, and just about anything needing Mediterranean flair.

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The herbs made my spaghetti sauce outstanding!

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Ingredients:
1 summer squash, spiralized
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
6 oz ground turkey
2 tbs Italian seasoning (such as Spezia 11)
1/2 cup sugar-free marinara sauce (such as Victoria’s White Linen Marinara from Costco)

1. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in olive oil until softened. Add garlic and sauté for a minute more. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, brown to ground turkey. Once no longer pink, add the Italian seasonings. Add the sautéed vegetables back in. Stir in the marinara sauce and heat until bubbling.

3. Serve over lightly sautéed or raw summer squash. This sauce is great on regular spaghetti or zucchini noodles too!

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