Protein Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Happy Friday, everyone! What better way to celebrate than with CHOCOLATE! Not just chocolate but healthy, protein-packed chocolate covered strawberries? Does it get much better than that?!

These babies have just a few, natural ingredients. I'm talking cacao, natural sweeteners, coconut oil, and the best vegan protein powder around! They make for the perfect guilt-free dessert or snack while still bringing the flavor, and they're super quick and easy to whip up. Grab a couple before or after the gym, as a post-dinner dessert, or even to top off your morning oats. They're great any time! 

Here's What You'll Need:

-8 oz fresh strawberries
-1/4 cup coconut oil, softened to room temperature or slightly melted
-1 1/3 tbsp (that's 1 tbsp + 1 tsp) Naked Nutrition Less Naked Chocolate Pea Protein Powder
-1 1/3 tbsp (that's 1 tbsp + 1 tsp) Cacao powder (I used this one)
-1 tsp pure maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the coconut oil, Naked Nutrition protein powder, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt until smooth.
2) Dip each strawberry into the chocolate mixture and place on a parchment lined plate. You may want to use a spoon or knife to spread the chocolate.
3) Put the plate of strawberries in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
4) Enjoy!

It's that simple, and you have yourself a delicious treat to last the weekend! Yes, they'll go that fast. Let me know what you think in the comment's below!

Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Protein Cookies (Vegan + GF)

Chocolate almond butter banana protein cookies - what a freakin mouthful, am I right? But each ingredient is so important and adds such an extra punch of flavor to this recipe that I couldn't leave one out. So chocolate almond butter banana protein cookies it is!

They're vegan. They're gluten free. They take only 8 (YES 8) minutes to bake. They're delicious. AND you can even eat the batter because did I mention they're vegan and delicious? Plus you get some great protein thanks to Naked Nutrition's Chocolate Less Naked Pea Protein Powder and almond butter. So let's not waste anymore time and get this thing started!

Here's What You'll Need:

-2 scoops Naked Nutrition's Chocolate Less Naked Pea Protein Powder
-1 tbsp cacao powder (I use this one)
-2 tbsp coconut flour
-1 banana
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
-2 tbsp unsweetened almond butter (I use this one)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-2 tbsp sweet almond coconut butter (optional; I use this one)

Makes about 8 cookies

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mash the banana in a bowl until relatively smooth.
3) Add in all of the other ingredients minus the almond coconut butter and mix thoroughly until it forms a dough-like consistency.
4) Form the dough into balls about an inch in diameter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5) Flatten the balls slightly using your hand or the back of a spoon to form a cookie shape.
6) Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, and then remove to cool.
7) (Optional) Warm up the almond coconut butter until it becomes semi-liquid and drizzle-able. Drizzle some on top of each cookie.
8) Allow the cookies to cool (and the almond coconut butter to harden).
9) Serve, and enjoy!

If you just can't wait, I do have to say that they're also great warm! Either way, they're a great pre or post-workout treat or just a great protein-packed snack or dessert. Also make sure to check out Naked Nutrition's other vegan protein products, and let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments below!

Cauliflower Nachos

Cauliflower has easily become one of my favorite veggies. It's delicious on its own or roasted, and it can literally be made into or the vehicle for basically anything - pizza crust, rice, buffalo "wings", you name it! It just has a naturally great flavor without being overwhelming. 

So earlier this week when I was craving nachos, I figured why not?! Sweet potato nachos are delicious, so why not swap out the chips (or sweet potatoes) for cauliflower this time. I just sliced the cauliflower into thin, chip-like pieces, seasoned them a bit, and they were the perfect base for some delicious nachos.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 head of cauliflower, sliced into 1/4-1/2" strips (they will naturally break into "chips", and you can cut them into smaller pieces if desired)
-2 tbsp avocado oil
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp Just Spices Flavors of Mexico Seasoning (the code juststacy15 will get you 15% off)
-1/2 cup black beans
-1/2 large tomato, cubed
-1/4 cup red onion, chopped
-1/2 avocado, cubed
-1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
-1/4 cup salsa
-1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Instructions:

1) Toss the cauliflower pieces with the avocado oil, sea salt, black pepper, and Flavors of Mexico spice blend, and spread the cauliflower evenly over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2) Cook in a preheated oven at 450 degree for 15-20 minutes until tender.
3) Remove from the oven, and evenly spread all of the other ingredients over the cauliflower.
4) Return the cauliflower to the oven at the same heat for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts.
5) Remove, serve, and enjoy!

Easy peasy, right?! And it's oh so delicious! You won't be missing those chips, trust me! I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Five Ingredient Tuna Cakes (GF)

So if you haven't already seen me talk about Safe Catch tuna on Instagram, let me give you a little introduction. They sell pretty much the only canned tuna I will ever buy again. They have the lowest mercury limit of any tuna brand (their elite tuna is 10x stricter than FDA regulations), making it safe for both pregnant women and children to eat regularly. They test every single tuna and pack each can with just the tuna and it's natural juices. Does it get any better than that? It actually does because you can use the code allroads for 10% off your order on their website!

I've loved playing around with this tuna in the kitchen ever since discovering it, and I can't wait to bring you guys some delicious recipes here on the blog. To start it all off I made these super easy, super delicious tuna cakes. They're perfect for an easy dinner, and the leftover are great to pack for lunch.

Here's What You'll Need:

1) 5 oz Safe Catch Elite Tuna
2) 1/2 cup cooked Chosen Foods quinoa
3) 1/4 cup onion, chopped
4) 1 tbsp German mustard
5) 1 egg

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the ingredients with your hands.
2) Form the mixture into 2-3 patties (depending on size), squeezing tightly to rid of excess liquid.
3) In a pan on the stove top over medium high heat, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. If the patty crumbles a bit when flipping, just reassemble it using a spatula. 
4) Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!

I served mine over a couple of tomato slices. They'd also be great on their own or on top of a salad. You can add some extra mustard or hot sauce for a little kick. Let me know how you ate yours and what you think in the comments below!

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (GF)

It's officially fall, and therefore, officially pumpkin season in my opinion. So get ready for all of the pumpkin recipes! 

I love pumpkin flavored everything pretty much. From coffee to pies to baked goods, it really never fails. So I thought I'd start it off with a very classic All Roads Lead to Healthy pumpkin-style recipe, pumpkin waffles. I decided to kick it up a notch and make it pumpkin pecan, and you guys, it's SO freakin' fall and so freakin' delicious!

Here's What You'll Need:

-1/2 cup quinoa flour
-1 scoop Vanilla Ka'Chava (you can use the code allroadshealthy10 for a $10 store credit)
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-1/2 cup organic canned pumpkin
-2 tbsp Purely Pecans pecan butter
-1 egg
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1) Preheat your waffle maker.
2) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
3) Pour one half of the mix into the waffle maker and cook according to waffle maker instructions.
4) Remove, and repeat with the second half of the batter.
5) Remove, serve, and top each waffle with your favorite toppings.

I topped mine with some extra pecan butter, a little maple syrup, and some pumpkin seeds which I'd highly recommend. Let me know what you think in the comments below!