Posts in "Recipes"
Protein Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition.

After partnering with Naked Nutrition to make a smoothie earlier this year, I was thrilled when they reached back out and wanted to send me some of their Naked Cookies to try, which are loaded with protein and contain a lot less sugar than a “regular” cookie. I immediately thought it would be so fun to make a little ice cream sandwich as an after-school snack, so that’s exactly what we did (complete with rainbow sprinkles for a certain 4 year-old).

These chocolate chip cookies have 10g of protein and only 1g of sugar, so they are a great snack anytime. I love to throw one in my bag when I’m teaching back-to-back barre classes or just have a lot of errands to run. They’re also free of gluten and soy (the main ingredient is almond flour instead of wheat).

Ice cream sandwiches are really easy to make but they don’t hold up super well so I prefer to put them together as soon as you’re ready to eat them—I tried to make these ahead of time and store them in the freezer, which got the job done, but they’re definitely best enjoyed as soon as they are assembled.

Protein Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients (makes 1 sandwich):

  • 2 Naked Cookies

  • 1 small scoop of your favorite ice cream

  • Any toppings you enjoy: sprinkles, crushed nuts, etc.

Instructions:

  1. Unwrap two of the cookies and place them on a plate or paper towel with the smooth side down.

  2. Place a small scoop of your ice cream onto one of the cookies, then top it with the other cookie. Gently press it down to spread the ice cream out to the edges of the cookies. Roll in sprinkles if desired.

  3. Store in the freezer until ready to eat or enjoy immediately.

Feel free to mix up your flavors and toppings to change it up every time! I used the chocolate chip cookies with classic vanilla ice cream but they also have oatmeal raisin and sugar cookies. I’ve got my eye on an oatmeal raisin sandwich with pumpkin or some other fall-y ice cream next time.

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Peanut Noodles with Ground Pork and Cucumber

This is one of my favorite recipes to make when I have a jar of empty peanut butter in my pantry—obviously you don’t need to wait for that as you could easily just spoon some into a mixing bowl to make the sauce, but there’s something so satisfying about using the empty jar to shake up the sauce and use every last bit of peanut butter (don’t tell Ender I’ve been doing this, he usually gets to go to town on the empty jars as a treat).

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or whatever is left in an empty PB jar)

  • 3-4 tablespoons warm water

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • A splash of rice vinegar

Remaining ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound of ground pork (optional—you could also use shrimp, tofu, chicken, or just omit the protein entirely)

  • 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil (I prefer avocado or vegetable oil for this)

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2-3 green onions, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • A drizzle of sriracha or sambal oelek (optional)

  • A package of noodles, cooked according to package instructions (maybe a minute or two less so you can finish cooking in the pan with sauce)

  • Half of a large cucumber, diced

  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet, add half of the green onions and garlic and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add ground pork and sauté until browned, about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and some of the hot sauce if you are using it.

  2. While the pork cooks, prepare your noodles according to package instructions.

  3. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for sauce and whisk until smooth.

  4. Remove pork from pan and add the sauce. Transfer noodles to the pan and toss gently to combine.

  5. To serve, top noodles with pork, diced cucumber, remaining green onion, and a wedge of lime.

Additional toppings that would be delicious are toasted peanuts, crispy shallots, and cilantro—enjoy!

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Chocolate Coconut Almond Smoothie

This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition.

Sophie started preschool a few mornings a week last month so I have been all about quick and easy breakfasts, and to me there is nothing easier than a protein shake. In the past year or so, I’ve started using protein powders more and more, but I tend to be pretty picky about the ones I like—I don’t love when they have tons of ingredients or artificial sweeteners and I always test them first by drinking them mixed with only water to see if the flavor is actually enjoyable on its own—there’s nothing worse than realizing you’re out of almond milk when you had planned to grab a quick protein drink for breakfast!

Naked Nutrition recently reached out to ask me if I would like to try some of their products and I jumped at the chance to test another protein powder—their Naked Shakes come in a variety of flavors and are sweetened with organic coconut sugar and monk fruit extract. The protein source is pea protein and it also contains MCT oil, which totally boosts the satiety factor. I ordered the chocolate flavor and got to work on a smoothie recipe that I really look forward to on my busy mornings!


Chocolate Coconut Almond Smoothie

Ingredients (makes 1 smoothie):

  • 1 cup milk of your choice

  • 2 scoops Naked Nutrition Chocolate Naked Shake

  • 1 banana

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter (you can sub peanut butter or any nut butter, or skip this)

  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut

  • A handful of ice

  • Optional additions: A drizzle of honey or agave, a handful of spinach

Instructions:

Pour milk into blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend for 30-45 seconds, or until everything is incorporated and very smooth. Enjoy immediately.


This chocolately almond smoothie with coconut is really more like a shake, with two scoops of Naked Shake, almond butter, coconut, and a banana for extra creaminess. You can use whatever milk you prefer, but I really like it with almond milk since it builds on that almond flavor and makes this quick breakfast feel like a decadent Almond Joy bar! Pour it into a to-go cup with a straw or garnish your favorite glass with some shredded coconut and enjoy it either on the go or at your leisure, depending on the kind of morning you’re having today.

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