Easy Healthy Veggie Packed Stir-Fry

This super healthy dish is easy, delicious and low calorie. If you leave out the meatballs, it is the perfect Meatless Monday dish. You could even add mushrooms or tofu as a meat substitution. This recipe serves 4-5 people.

1 package Mann’s Power Blend (Shredded brussel sprouts, napa cabbage, kohlrabi,
broccoli, carrots & kale.)
1 Mann’s Nourish Bowl, Monterey Risotto Flavor (kale, kohlrabi, brown rice, butternut squash w roasted garlic sauce.)
1 T or 1 scoop Protein Essentials InstaBroth, Chicken Flavor
1/2 c warm water
1 Package Aidells Chicken Meatballs, Carmelized Onion Flavor
1 t olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
1 clove black garlic, smashed
salt & pepper

Bake Meatballs in oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, saute garlic and shallot in olive oil for a minute. Add the Mann’s Power Blend. Stir and cook. Add salt and pepper. Follow directions on Mann’s Nourish Bowl (open sauce packet & rice packet, combine with kale, microwave 3 min.) While the Nourish Bowl is in microwave, add InstaBroth powder to warm water. Stir until combined. Add to Superfood Blend on stove. Stir to combine. Add the Nourish Bowl contents to the Superfood Blend on stove. Stir. Finally, add the cooked meatballs to the vegetable blend in the pan on the stove.
If desired, serve over rice, quinoa, couscous or pasta. Enjoy!

Extra, super time saver: most of these ingredients are available at Target #multitasking!

 

InstaBroth Great Taste with Benefits!

InstaBroth is all the gelatin and collagen goodness of bone broth in an instant! InstaBroth isn’t just about great taste and convenience; check out the top 5 benefits of InstaBroth.

Anti-inflammatory: The glycine provided by the pasture raised collagen in InstaBroth may have some anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Weight Loss: InstaBroth is low in calories and high in protein; which can help you feel full. This is in part  due to its collagen and gelatin content, which can promote satiety.

Bone & Joint Health: Numerous studies have  shown that collagen and gelatin improve bone and joint health and reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Sleep and Brain Function: Glycine taken before bed has been shown to improve sleep and brain function.

Gut Health: InstaBroth contains gelatin. Gelatin is hydrophilic (attracts water). Because of this, it coats and protects the mucosal lining of the digestive tract, helping to heal the gut lining.

www.proteinessentials.com

 

 

Hydration Important During Cooler Spring Days

May 3, 2016 by Kathleen Sullivan

Dehydration can occur in virtually every physical activity scenario. It does not have to be hot outside. You can become dehydrated cycling, golfing, exercise walking or running on a cool spring day.

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids through sweating than it takes in. The consequences of mild dehydration include muscle fatigue, loss of coordination and decreased energy or athletic performance.

Hydration is required before, during and after exercise. Athletes are advised to begin exercise well hydrated and replace fluids during exercise to promote adequate hydration. Additionally, rehydrate after exercise by drinking enough fluid to replace fluids lost during exercise.

Sports drinks provide hydration, but not all sports drinks are healthy. Perform 100 is the next generation of sports nutrition. Perform 100 is a performance and recovery supplement that provides hydration, while also protecting joints and tissues. Perform 100 improves performance and energy with 25g collagen protein and BCAAs. Take Perform 100 before, during and after workouts for maximum benefits and hydration.

Healthy Delicious Raspberry Bars

It’s berry season, well almost. The raspberries in the grocery store right now are pretty tasty. This recipe is a healthy take off of the popular raspberry and oat bar. Raspberries not only taste great, with their gritty burst of sweetness, but they are an excellent source of nutrition. Raspberries are high in vitamin C and potassium. High in fiber, they also aid the body in detoxing and reducing inflammation.

You will need two mini loaf pans, or similar baking pan.

Crust:
2/3 c Linwoods Ground Flaxseed, Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed Mix
2 scoops Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen
1 1/2 T coconut oil
1 T maple syrup
pinch of salt
Filling:
2 T raspberries preserves
Topping:
2 T pistachios
microplaned chocolate bar

Add crust ingredients to mini food processor. Chop/Grind until the mixture comes together. Divide between two mini loaf pans. Press crust into loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until the edges are browned. Allow crust to cool before preceding.
Stir the preserves until they are easy to work with. Sread onto crust.
Chop with knife or grind pistachios in mini food processor. Sprinkle over top of preserves. Microplane dark chocolate over the pistachios.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Strawberry Orange Skillet Cake

Skillet cakes have been around for a long time. The original skillet cake was a pineapple upside down cake cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Present day skillet cakes are baked in the oven, in the same seasoned cast iron skillets. Any version of skillet cake you try will be warm, comforting and sweetly caramelized in a way that can only be achieved with a cast iron skillet. The Protein Essentials test kitchen recipe is a healthier, less sweet version with a collagen protein boost. Beauty from within skillet cake!

1 c plus 2 T flour
1/4 c Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen
5 T butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1 1/2 t vanilla
juice of half an orange
1 egg
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c almond milk
1 1/2 c strawberries, halved

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare skillet by greasing with butter and dusting with flour. Set aside.
Whisk flour, collagen, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well mixed. Set aside.
Beat 5 T butter and 3/4 c sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla, orange and egg.
Alternate adding flour mixture and almond milk just until batter is moistened throughout.
Spoon the batter into prepared skillet and smooth the top. Decoratively add the strawberries on top. Gently nestle the strawberries into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over the top.
Bake for 35 minutes until deep golden brown. Enjoy!

Protein Packed Irish Soda Bread

Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day with this easy and protein packed Irish Soda bread!

2 C flour
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen
2 T chia seeds
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 T butter, diced
2 eggs, divided
3/4 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a baking sheet.
In a large bowl whisk to combine flour, sugar, collagen, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter using pastry knife (or two knives). Mixture should be crumbly. In a small bowl whisk one egg and buttermilk. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Shape dough into a round loaf. Place on prepared pan. Cut a deep cross on top on bread. Beat remaining egg and brush over loaf.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!
Simple, protein packed and festive.

 

Perform 100 Fruit Filled Popsicles

Yep, popsicles! We know it’s a little early, but with the warm weather spreading across the country, we could not resist. Who doesn’t love a naturally good for you and delicious popsicle?! Whatever combination of Perform 100 and fruit you choose, you are getting a protein packed, vitamin rich popsicle! At about 35 calories each, Perform 100 Fruit Filled Popsicles are a healthy low calorie treat. We used a Crate and Barrel popsicle making kit. But these could easily be made in paper cups with wooden sticks or even an ice cube tray.

Make a shaker cup of your preferred Perform 100 flavor, we used the cherry flavor. Pour the drink into the popsicle molds you are using and place them in the freezer. After about an hour, add your fruit and the popsicle sticks. You might have to gently smash through the top layer of ice. For our popsicles we added blueberries. Wait for the popsicles to come to a hard freeze, unmold and enjoy!

Let your imagination be your guide with your own Perform 100 Fruit Filled Popsicles – Cherry-Lime Perform 100 with blackberries would be a great combination, Perform 100 Lemonade with stawberry pieces, Perform 100 Peach-Mango with raspberries….

Bring on summer!

 

Gelatin History and Benefits

Here is a great video highlighting the history and benefits of gelatin and bone broth.

Beauty From the Inside Out Smoothie

This recipe is adapted from Bobbi Brown’s Beauty From the Inside Out Smoothie.

1 c almond milk
2 1/2 T cocoa powder
2 T chia seeds
1 scoop Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen
1/2 frozen banana
Handful of dried cherries, craisins or cranberries
1 c kale

Add all the ingredients into the blender and blend.
Enjoy!

Beauty Cookies

The Protein Essentials test kitchen tried out Peptan’s recipe for Beauty Cookies. We made a few modifications, and the results were stunning!

1 1/2 c flour
1 c Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen
1/2 c sugar
1 c butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 t vanilla extract
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 325. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, collagen, baking soda and salt.
In large bowl using hand mixer beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and light. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture gradually and beat until the ingredients come together as a dough. Stir in the almond pieces.
Scoop about 1/2 a tablespoon of dough per cookie, place on cookie sheet, allowing space for the cookies to expand slightly. Wet the back of a spoon in a cup of cold water, this will prevent the spoon from sticking to the dough.  Use the back of the spoon to smush down the dough into cookie rounds. The cookies should be about 1/4 inch thick. At this point you can add additional decoration if desired. We used chocolate chips, red and green confetti and vanilla sugar; just sprinkle a few decorations on top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Move to wire rack and allow to cool.