Healthy Lemon Poppyseed Oat Muffins

 

Summer may be coming to an end, but the flavor doesn't have to! Lemons are tart, refreshing, and always remind me of summer sunshine.  That's why I decided to tweak my usual blender banana muffin recipe to include the fresh flavor of lemon! 🍋

If you look through my blog, you'll see this muffin recipe in many different flavors. I'm always experimenting with different flavor combinations. These muffins always hit the spot as an after lunch (or dinner) sweet treat that uses all natural ingredients (NO fake sugars!) so you don't have that crash later. Heck you could even have one with your morning coffee!

Healthy Lemon Poppyseed Oat Muffins

~2 cups oats, blended to flour-like consistency*

~1 tsp baking soda

~1/2 tsp salt

~1 T poppyseeds

~2 ripe bananas

~2 T honey

~1 medium lemon, juice and zest

~2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Blend oats in food processor or blender, place in bowl. Add baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. Blend bananas, honey, lemon juice and zest, and eggs together. Combine dry and wet ingredients in bowl. Line muffin cups (12) and spray with cooking spray, fill 2/3 full of batter. Sprinkle tops with poppyseeds (optional). Bake 12-15 minutes or until done in center. Enjoy!

*If you want more texture, you could leave a cup of oats whole. Could also substitute whole wheat flour for oats. 

Clean Eating Chicken Parm

We tried out a new recipe this week. Chicken Parm is one of my favorites, but wanted to try a lightened up version. It worked perfectly with a side of spaghetti squash and red sauce. It was a quick & easy dinner. And as you can see, the girls enjoyed helping with the prep as well. I love that I am able to teach them how to eat healthily :)

Clean Eating Chicken Parmesan

-1/2 cup cornmeal

-1/2 cup coconut flour**

-1 tsp. garlic powder

-2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel (lemon zest)

-½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

-½ tsp. ground black pepper

-1 large egg, lightly beaten

-¼ cup water

-6 (4-oz.) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

-2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided use

-6 cups raw mixed vegetables

-Fresh parsley (for garnish; optional)

** You can use any combination of corn meal, coconut flour or almond flour for this recipe. Cornmeal and coconut flour is what I used but almond flour would work great.

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. Combine almond flour, garlic powder, lemon peel, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish; mix well. Set aside.

3. Combine egg and water in a shallow dish; whisk to blend.

4. Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture; dredge in flour mixture until evenly coated. Set aside.

5. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Add chicken breasts; cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

7. Place skillet in oven; bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each chicken breast reads 165° F.

8. While chicken is baking, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in medium skillet over medium heat.

9. Add vegetables; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp.

10. Serve one chicken breast and 1 cup vegetables per serving garnished with parsley, if desired.

Lemon Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins

I make the same oat muffins every week for meal prep but I wanted to a new twist on them this time :)

I think I've found a real winner with this lemon coconut chocolate chip version! The lemon and coconut adds just the right amount of flavor and they are a nice afternoon "treat"... must better than going through the drive-thru at Starbucks to get a sugary baked good.

Will you try these in your weekend meal prep?!

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients and Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 2 mini muffin pans  with olive oil
cooking spray or line with paper liners, lightly spray them as well, set aside.

2. Blend Dry Ingredients and Set Aside in a bowl:
~2 Cups Whole Oats
~1 tsp baking soda
~1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

3. Blend these ingredients and then mix into the above ingredients
~2 ripe bananas
~2 eggs
~2T Honey
~1 tsp real vanilla extract
~1 cup plain Greek yogurt

~Zest and Juice of 1 lemon

4. Divide the batter between 2 prepared mini muffin cups, filling each nearly to the top.
5. Put three to four chocolate chips on top.
6. Bake for 18 minutes, until the tops of the muffins set and a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.
7. Remove from the pan and enjoy or store in the fridge and enjoy throughout the
week.

*Important to store in fridge as there is greek yogurt and no preservatives in
the ingredients.

Greek Chicken and Veggies

Another yummy meal prep is in the books! ✅✅✅

This recipe is super flavorful and has some of my favorite things in it... quinoa, lemon, chickpeas, feta, you get the idea.

It's been a much loved lunch so far this week!! It's super easy to prepare and you don't need a million ingredients.

Here's the recipe~ I hope you'll include it in your meal prep this week :)

Ingredients:

~1 1/2 pound - chicken breast

~1 1/2 cup - quinoa, dry

~2 cups - chicken broth, low-sodium

~15 ounce- chickpeas, canned

~5 cup spinach

~1/2 tsp paprika

~1/2 tsp salt

~1/2 tsp black pepper, ground

~1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

~2 tablespoons feta cheese crumbles

Dressing::

~1/3 cup olive oil

~1/4 cup lemon juice

~1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

~3 cloves garlic

~1 tablespoon dried oregano

~1/2 tsp ground black pepper

~1/2 tsp salt

~1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Whisk together dressing/marinade mixture. In a seal-able container or gallon zipper bag, combine chicken and half of the marinade mixture. Seal and refrigerate the chicken for up to a day.


2. Cook quinoa; boil 2 cups of chicken broth, then add 1.5 cups of quinoa and allow to soak. Fluff after five minutes. Set aside.


3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Rinse and drain a can of garbanzo beans and toss them into the heated pan to toast. Add paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and toast for a few minutes, then add spinach and cook until wilted. Set the chickpeas and spinach aside, scraping the spices off a bit as well, and return the skillet to the heat.


4. Cook the chicken until no longer pink.


5. Assemble bowls, dividing ingredients into 5 containers. Layer quinoa with chicken, spinach/chickpeas mixture, then fresh grape tomatoes. Top with remaining dressing and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Makes 5 bowls. Can be frozen.

Clean Eating Lemon Blueberry Oat Muffins

I love making treat recipes that seem indulgent but are really not :)

These Lemon Blueberry muffins really hit the spot this week. They even taste a little bit like spring!

You could use any fruit you have on hand, but I like the lemon blueberry combo.

Try them with your meal prep this weekend!

Here's the recipe!

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Blend Dry Ingredients:
~2 Cups Whole Oats
~1/2 tsp Salt
~1/2 tsp Baking Soda
~1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2. Pour Dry Ingredients into a separate mixing bowl

3. Blend Wet Ingredients:
~2 Ripe Bananas
~1/2 cup applesauce
~3T Honey
~2 eggs
~juice of one medium lemon
~zest from one medium lemon

4. Pour Wet Ingredients into Dry and Combine

5. Fold in:
~1 cup of washed blueberries (I use fit fruit wash)

6. Spray a 12 count muffin pan with olive oil spray. Spoon in batter until each
muffin is about ¾ full. This will ensure that the muffin puffs up over the top giving
the muffin a nice muffin top.

7.Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Muffins are finished when a knife
inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool and Enjoy!