Vanilla Cinnamon Protein Pancake with Peanut Butter and Berries

This makes 2 servings
prep and cook time: Approximately 10-12 minutes

 Pancake:
4 oz water
3/4 cup egg whites (I used Market Pantry Egg Whites in the carton)
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Market Pantry Vanilla Whey Protein from Target)
1 tsp cinnamon

 Filling:
2 tbsp natural peanut butter (or any other nut butter that you prefer)
1 cup of fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)


Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium high heat and add a tsp of extra virgin olive oil, or spray with a little non stick spray.

Place all the pancake ingredients in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds.

Pour into skillet and let the pancake sit for about 1 minute.

Using a spatula start to lift the edges of the pancake, like an omelette.

After the top of the pancake starts to look a little "set" carefully flip the pancake over and cook for about 30 seconds.

Remove from pan and let cool for a few seconds. Spread peanut butter over the pancake and fill with fresh berries and fold over. Dust with a little extra cinnamon.

I am actually quite addicted to this for breakfast. It's delicious and very nutritious after a workout.

My husband and I share this in the morning. I just cut in half...or more like 1/3 and 2/3. He says I over-feed him a bit. ;) 

You could make two smaller ones, eat one now and one later; or cook several small ones on a griddle.

A great variation of this is to add a cup of fresh spinach to the pancake ingredients. It turns green, but you get all of the benefits of a full meal of protein, carbs, and vegetables that you can take on the go.

For today's workout we did the following:

Morning Workout

40 minute Kettlebell 'til you Drop on FitnessBlender.com

Afternoon Workout (hopefully)

Easy pace 20-30 minute run 

Tilapia with Rye, Brown Rice and Lentil Vegetable Soup

This is a simple lunch. 

It takes a little effort to prepare the soup ingredients ahead of time. 

But then you are set for the week with all the soup components ready to go for a quick, healthy and hearty lunch or dinner. 

In the past this soup has been a staple for me. Something that I could eat to give my body a break after a little over indulgence. It also works for those times when you want a little reprieve from meat but still want to have your protein. 

If you hadn't already learned this, a grain and legume make a complete protein. 

This is one of my favorite soups to incorporate into a week of quick lunches. It has rye wheat berries, brown rice, and lentils. Then you can add any vegetables that you have.  The hardest part of this soup is just cooking the grains and lentils ahead of time. This will take you about an hour. After that, putting a soup together will only take you about 10-15 minutes. Perfect for busy days. 

Ingredients:

Rye Wheat Berries (I use Bob's Red Mill) cooked according to package directions. 

    I usually cook 1 cup dry rye berries for the week. If you have never used this grain before, a little goes a long way.

Brown Rice  (I cook 2 cups) You can always use brown rice!

1/2 bag of dry Lentils, any kind will work

These are all just cooked according to package directions then stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

The Soup:

32 oz can Crushed Tomatoes with Basil (I open the can and transfer to an airtight container for fridge storage)
Chicken stock or Vegetable Stock, homemade or purchased
Vegetables (anything you have in your fridge will work! Leftover grilled vegetables are fantastic!)
Diced carrots
Diced zucchini
Fresh spinach or kale
Sliced mushrooms
diced onion
diced celery
crushed garlic
(You can also use frozen vegetables)


I usually make up 2 servings at lunch. Here are the basic measurements:

1 cup of crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup rye berries
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup lentils
1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
1 cup of diced vegetables

Now add the seasoning

Seasoning for 2 servings:

dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Heat to simmer over medium high heat until vegetables are tender and serve.

Variations:
Top with a poached egg
Serve with pan seared Tilapia (Today's choice)
Serve with a whole grain piece of toast and slice of cheddar cheese

For me this falls into the category of "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Healthy eating is all about planning ahead.

Here is the workout for the day as well:
I love Melissa Bender Fitness www.benderfitness.com and most days choose to incorporate her workouts into my plan.
We did both of these this morning and will doing Back and Bicep weights this afternoon/evening.

20 Minute Cardio Fat Burn HIIT
15 Minute Interval HIIT Workout: Bodyweight


Afternoon Weights:
Supersets: do each superset for 4 sets 8-10 reps then one minute rest before going to the next set of exercises.

Standing curls
Standing one arm rows

Hammer curls-alternating arms
Wide bent over row-both arms

Isolated one arm curls-seated or standing
Bent over Back Fly's- or lay over a stability ball or bench

I just wanted to share a little of the fit side of our life. It's not all cake, ice cream and tortillas. We usually operate on the 80/20 plan. We eat well about 80 percent of the time and have a little fun the other 20 percent of the time.

Happy Monday!