Clean Quinoa and Berry Breakfast Bake & AdvoCare Update

A Berry-Licious Healthy Breakfast Option

If you're eating clean and tired of scrambled eggs or oatmeal for breakfast, I have the perfect recipe for you: this delicious berry and quinoa breakfast bake. It’s AdvoCare friendly (for both the Cleanse and Max Phase) and my kids and hubby loved it too, win-win!!!

I know I've been talking about AdvoCare a lot lately—but I can't help it. I love the products and the program and it’s been so exciting for me personally to see the positive changes AdvoCare has made to my body and my life. And even BETTER, I've seen how much happier and healthier it’s made several people that are near and dear to me.

I don't just talk the talk, either. I’m a firm believer in practicing what you preach. I just wrapped up my second 10-Day Cleanse mid-February to get rid of that last bit of holiday “fluff.” Here’s my before/after pic. Not too shabby for 10 days, right? Total belly buster! (To learn more, visit www.Advo949.com or email me any time at Advo949@gmail.com.)

10-Day Cleanse complete! I'm 4 pounds lighter, 2.5 inches smaller, and leaner with less mid-section "fluff." I'll take it!

Now, on to that yummy recipe!!!

Clean Quinoa and Berry Breakfast Bake
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 cups dry quinoa
4 cups water
Coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil spray (I used coconut)
½ cup egg whites
1½  cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free preferred)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 packets of stevia powder (about ½ teaspoon)
1½  cup blueberries, washed any stems removed
1½ cup strawberries, washed, stems removed, cut into small chunks

Directions:
Rinse quinoa in cold water, unless already pre-rinsed. (A mesh strainer works well for this step.)

Place rinsed quinoa and water in a medium-to-large pot with a lid. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it becomes soft and translucent and the germ ring becomes visible along the outside edge. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish (I used glass) with coconut oil spray or olive oil spray. (Coconut oil will taste better with this recipe.)

In a large bowl combine, egg whites, coconut milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and stevia. Stir well.

Add berries, mashing them a little as you stir.

Fold cooked quinoa into the berry mixture and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour quinoa/berry mixture into baking dish and use a spatula or large spoon to make sure it is evenly distributed in the dish. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees until the edges begin to brown and the eggs whites set.

Spoon onto plates or into bowls and sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon and stevia powder just prior to serving. 

Fresh out of the oven. Yum!!!

Results:
I’m not gonna lie…this smells too good to be good for you—especially while it's cooking in the oven. The scent is like cinnamon-berry cobbler or pie—or both—mooshed together. Divine!

There’s a lot of wiggle room with the different ingredients you could try in place of the berries here (I’m thinking my next test will be a peanut butter/banana/cinnamon version).

But if you want a berry-licious, healthy, protein-packed breakfast—that isn't plain eggs—this will hit the spot. It makes a great afternoon snack or good-for-you dessert, too. 

Let me know what you think, and if you come up with variations of your own, I'd love to hear about them. 

Until next time,
Ryann

P.S. If you've been on the fence about giving the 24-Day Challenge a try, now is a fantastic time. The 24-Day Challenge Bundle is now customizable so you can choose energy drink and shake flavors and pick which vitamins are right for you (which is really exciting)! Just email me at Advo949@gmail.com and I can share my favorites and help walk you through choosing which products best suit your needs. 

Quinoa Pepperoni Pizza Bites

A healthy alternative to pizza--that REALLY tastes like pizza!!!

Woohoo! Just in time for football season (Go Ravens!) I’ve found it: a healthy alternative to pizza. You’re probably thinking, yeah right, there’s no place for a healthy grain like quinoa in my PIZZA. But you, my friend, would be wrong. These little gems are ideal for serving during the big game on Sunday or any time you’re in the mood for great pizza flavor without the fat, calories, and carbs that come with a traditional pie.

There are a handful of quinoa pizza bite recipes floating around out there and they all seem pretty similar. I based my recipe off of this one and just reduced the amount of cheese, tweaked the seasonings, and added a little pepperoni.

Quinoa Pepperoni Pizza Bites
Makes 22-24 mini “bites”

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups water
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
½ cup pepperoni (about 15 whole), chopped
¾ cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Olive oil spray
Pizza Sauce (for dipping, I used the fat-free one from Trader Joe’s)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa and two cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed and grain is soft and translucent.

While quinoa is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, crack and beat the eggs. In a large bowl, add the beaten eggs, garlic, basil, tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Stir well to combine.

Lightly spray a mini-muffin tin with olive oil. Using a spoon, place a scoop of the quinoa mixture into each muffin space. Press down with the back of the spoon (or your hand) to “pack” the mixture until it’s flush with the top of the pan. (This is a little messy, see photo below.)

A little messy, but ready for the oven!

Repeat until you run out of the quinoa mix. (My test batch yielded 23 “bites.”)

Place the mini-muffin tin in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Place a clean towel over the pan, flip it over, and the pizza bites should pop right out. (Hope you used that olive oil spray so they don’t stick!)

Serve with your favorite pizza sauce for dipping. (I heated the sauce up a little in the microwave and it was delish!)

Results:
These. Are. Awesome. No joke, these little pizza bites are one of the best things I’ve made in a while. They make perfect appetizers, snacks, or they can even be a main dish. Just add a salad and you’re good to go. The fact that you get to dip them in pizza sauce makes them super kid friendly too. Better still, I read that they freeze and re-heat well so you could double the batch and have them on hand if you’re short on time/energy.  

Bottom line, these quinoa pizza bites are delicious, much better for you than traditional pizza, and they are easy to make. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Until next time,
Ryann