Baked Falafel

 

• ▢15 ounces chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ▢½ cup white onion finely diced
• ▢1 cup fresh parsley lightly packed
• ▢1 cup fresh cilantro lightly packed
• ▢½ teaspoon salt 
• ▢¼ teaspoon pepper 
• ▢1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢1 teaspoon coriander
• ▢2 teaspoons cumin
• ▢2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢2 Tablespoons flaxseed (or one egg)
• ▢1 Tablespoon olive oil (for greasing the pan)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add chickpeas, onions, parsley and cilantro to a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Process until well combined (but still chunky).
• Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, baking powder and flaxseed. Process until well mixed and fine. (mixture will ball up in the processor).
• Generously grease a large baking sheet with oil (olive or canola).
• Roll about 2 Tablespoons of falafel mixture into balls and then flatten into discs and place on baking sheet evenly spaced.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, flip and bake on second side for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown)
• Remove from oven and serve with tzatziki sauce, in a pita, or on a salad.

(Source: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/baked-falafel/#wprm-recipe-container-8937)

Pumpkin Muffins

 

• 15 ounces pumpkin puree 
• ▢½ cup butter, melted
• ▢¾ cup brown sugar
• ▢¾ cup sugar
• ▢2 eggs
• ▢1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢1 ¾ cups flour 
• ▢1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• ▢2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢½ teaspoon salt 
• ▢1 cup mix-ins - chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin puree and melted butter until smooth.
• Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk until combined and there are no lumps.
• Add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
• Add dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
• Add mix-ins like chocolate chips, etc. and stir until evenly distributed.
• Pour ¼ cup of the pumpkin muffin batter into each well of the muffin tin, and smooth out the top.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are set and a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs. (I bake mine for 15 minutes but I am 5000 ft above sea level).
• Let pumpkin muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove them and transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Source: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/pumpkin-muffins/#wprm-recipe-container-30707)

Roasted Butternut Squash

 

• 1 large butternut squash (3 lbs) peeled, cut into 1″ cubes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, dried thyme, dried rosemary, garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp EACH pepper, paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add squash to prepared pan.
• Melt butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Drizzle 2/3 butter mixture over squash then mix until evenly coated.
• Spread squash in a single layer so it isn’t touching.
• Roast for 15 minutes, stir and spread back into an even layer. Continue to roast an additional 10-15 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. Broil 1-2 minutes if desired. Remove from oven and toss with remaining butter mixture.

(Source: https://carlsbadcravings.com/roasted-butternut-squash/#wprm-recipe-container-34315)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• ▢2 pounds (~3 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ▢2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• ▢1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to your largest sheet pan and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder on top. Toss to coat all the sweet potatoes and then spread out to arrange in an even layer. You don't want any potatoes overlapping or you'll end up with steamed potatoes instead of roasted potatoes. Flip every 10-15 minutes cooking for a total of 27-35 minutes. (I flip every 10 minutes and bake around 30 minutes)

(Source: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes/)

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Ingredients

The Spices

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (I use Morton table salt for this because it’s fine and better for coating)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

The Chicken

• 2 teaspoons avocado oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts 

Instructions

1. Cut the the chicken into thin pieces: Cut each chicken breast into thin, flat pieces (not bite-sized but something that looks like a thin chicken breast). For example: if a one-pound package gives me two chicken breasts, I’m often cutting it into 3-4 thin pieces per breast. Thin chicken is essential! And delicious! Pat the chicken breasts dry if they have a lot of moisture on them.
2. Coat the chicken with spices: Toss the spices together so they’re mixed well; sprinkle mixture over the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the oil and toss (I use my hands but tongs will work). You want to thoroughly coat the chicken. You can give it a short rest if you want, but I find that the flavor is excellent even if it just goes straight into the air fryer, and that’s how I usually make it.
3. Air fry: Preheat the air fryer. Place the chicken on the air fryer basket / grate in an even layer, leaving a bit of space for air to circulate around. Air fry the chicken at 415 degrees for 10 minutes. If you have larger pieces of chicken, you’ll want to go closer to 13 minutes. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

(Source: https://pinchofyum.com/ridiculously-good-air-fryer-chicken-breast)

Cottage Cheese Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

 
Ingredients

• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

• ½ medium banana

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese

Instructions

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium low heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside. 
• (Source: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/cottage-cheese-banana-oatmeal-protein-pancakes/)