Fit Cooking: Hawaiian Island Banana Bread: No Sugar Added

What is a health and fitness minded gal to do when you have a huge bowl of over-ripe bananas?



Make Hawaiian Island Banana Bread, of course! Being the sugar conscious person I am, I replaced sugar with stevia, a plant based extract that tastes like sugar without the highs/lows...and without the guilt!

Hope you enjoy this! I am loving my warm slice of banana bread as I blog this with a hot cup of coffee. Yum!

Hawaiian  Island Banana Bread : No Sugar Added




Preheat oven to: 350

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar OR 1/2 cup stevia that is 2 to 1 to sugar (use half as much)

1 cup ripe mashed bananas

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds or even trail mix! I just love to add nuts: more protein and more texture!

DIRECTIONS:

Spray non stick spray on bread loaf pan.  Stir dry ingredients in 1 bowl. In another larger bowl, mix shortening, stevia (or sugar you naughty girl), mashed bananas, eggs and nuts. Add combined dry ingredients and mix until batter is blended. Pour in bread/loaf pan and bake 55 minutes until brown and slightly crunchy on top. (I cook mine a few minutes more since I love crunchy crust.) Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. TIP: Serve with FAGE yogurt for protein or alongside scrambled egg whites. Reheat in toaster so it's warm and crunchy.

Kiana’s Mini Meal: Egg White Spinach Frittata: Cook 1x / Eat 3x

Here is a new recipe that I just discovered and Fit-Momified. It makes the perfect "Mini Meal" since it has lean protein (egg whites,) veggies (spinach) and lots of flavor. I made this last Sunday for brunch and put individual slices into containers so I could reheat them during the week. It is so tasty and good for you! Enjoy!

Tip: don't forget to put remaining slices into containers for easy Mini Meals!

Fit Mom Prep Time: 15 minutes - yay!

Clean up: 1 pan, 1 bowl

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 2 cups baby spinach


• 1 cup diced tomatoes


• 1 clove minced garlic


• 1/2 cup low fat shredded cheese or parmasean cheese


• 3 roma tomatoes sliced


• 2 whole eggs and 6 egg whites


• 1 Tbs milk


• Salt and pepper


• Options, options, options: crumbled turkey bacon, left over turkey, ham, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, put rack about 6 inches from broiled. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in oven safe skillet on medium heat. Add spinach, diced tomatoes, garlic. Saute for 6 minutes.

In large bowl, beat eggs and egg whites and milk. Stir in spinach mixture and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat rest of the oil in same pan. Add egg mixture and reduce to low. Gently shake pan to get ingredients to settle. Put pan in oven and bake 10 minutes until eggs are set. Remove from oven, sprinkle a little parmasean on top, then turn oven to broil and heat for 2 minutes until browned. Remove from oven, slice into pie shape pieces. Serve with whole grain toast, preserves, fruit, coffee, juice. omg.

Tip: don't forget to put remaining slices into containers for easy Mini Meals!

Kiana's Mini Meal: Fit Mom Burrito

I got home from the gym and was running really, really late to pick up my daughter from school. I didn't want to be late since they charge a zillion dollars "per 5 minutes" you are late. I don't like paying for things that I don't have to, gives me more money to buy "fun" things...like shoes! The point is, I was late and I was starving! Here is a healthy, Go-To Mini Meal. Takes about 3 minutes and you probably have the ingredients (or similar) in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• Corn tortilla (or flat bread, lavash, whole wheat pita, or whole wheat or low carb tortilla)


• Organic black beans (or non-organic)


• Handful of spinach (or your favorite green veggies: squash, kale, romaine, celery, bell peppers....)


• Handful of cheese (any type is yummy)


• Hot sauce

Directions:

Microwave the tortilla for 10-15 seconds. Remove. Microwave the beans 15 seconds, sprinkle cheese on top microwave another 10 seconds. Add beans and hot sauce to tortilla, top with spinach. Eat for energy!

Kiana's Mini Meals: Healthy Chinese Stir Fry

Kiana's Motto: Cook 1x: Eat 3x!




Here is one of my favorite, healthy recipes.

My mother is Chinese and cooks 10 course Chinese Meals as if she's ordering a pizza. This is my Fit Mom Modified Asian Stir Fry version: more veggies, leaner meat, less salt and brown rice instead of white rice. It's so tasty and is ideal for Mini Meals during the week.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. oil

1.5 lb. Meat of your choice: chicken breast, ground sirloin, ground turkey, lean beef or pork

2 cups chopped of 3 of your favorite veggies: try new veggies, buy what is on sale or buy 1 green, red and yellow vegetable

1/4 cup chopped onion: scallion,green, brown or red

3 - 4 cups bean sprouts

salt

low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. water

Directions:

Heat oil in non stick pan over med/high heat. Add onions to hot oil. Saute briefly. Add meat, stir fry until almost cooked. Add diced veggies, stir the entire time. Drizzle low sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbs. water & top with bean sprouts and cover, turn heat to low.

Serve hot over noodles, brown or white rice.

TIP:
Portion individual EZ Mini Meals to reheat during the week.

Slow Roasted Turkey Breast

I love turkey! We eat it year round, not just for Turkey Day. It's a healthy, lean protein choice. Here is a favorite recipe I will make in the morning and it's ready when we get home for dinner. It's like the "chef" is cooking for us all day! Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!



Watch: "Kiana's Fit Cooking" on "Fit Mom TV" on Air NOW! New episodes!

Slow Roasted Turkey Breast

1 (5 1/2 pound) bone-in turkey breast, skin removed
2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or natural low sodium seasoning
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried sage
3 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
1 carton or 2 cups low sodium chicken broth

In hot pan, heat oil to very hot. Sprinkle garlic salt on both sides of turkey. Put in pan and brown both sides of turkey breasts. When brown, remove from heat and put into slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the chicken broth, soy sauce,  Worcestershire sauce, flour and sage. Pour over turkey in the slow cooker.Cover slow cooker, and cook turkey 8 hours on Low or 4-5 hours on high.

Serve alongside brown or white rice, sweet potatoes, salad and green beans.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Cooking: Blueberry Brown Rice Pudding

Kiana's Fit Cooking

Blueberry Brown Rice Pudding

Easy and OMG delish. Use left over brown rice and make this mouth watering breakfast/dessert.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Cooking: Sesame Ahi Tuna & Watermelon Basil

Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna on Watermelon Basil

Exotic and nutritious. Impress your family and friends with this amazing high protein dish. Join Kiana and Celeb Chef, Eldon Pico.

Ribollita in Crosta: Hearty Healthy Vegetable Soup with Kale

Here is a favorite recipe I love to make.  It is so healthful and it is impressive to serve.  It makes me feel good to know I am feeding my family this healthy and oh so delicious, hearty soup. It is filled with fresh vegetables and the wonder vegetable: Kale. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

4 ribs celery, diced

2 tsp. rosemary

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 cup canned chopped tomatoes

6 cups low sodium chicken broth (no msg)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 cups kale - remove stems, rinse and rough chopped

1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans drained

6  3/4 inch rustic bread (mostly crust works best)

3 oz. Fontina cheese cubed

6 Tbs. grated Parmesan



Directions:

In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Cook onion, garlic, carrots, celery until soft appx. 12 minutes.  Add rosemary, tomatoes and stock. Braing to a boil, add bay leaf, salt and pepper.  Cover, lower heat and simmer until squash is soft appx. 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add kale, beans and cover for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Spoon into oven safe bowls and cover with torn slices of bread-using mostly crust (it will be mushy if you use only the soft inside part of the bread.). Put a little broth onto bread, sprinkle parmesan and Fontina cheese on top.  Bake until soup is bubbling, cheese is melted and bread is brown and crunchy appx. 25 minutes. Serve with side salad or on it's own.





Kale: a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; considered to be anti-inflammatory. Contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.

Eat fit on a "lean" budget - Whole Roasted Rosemary & Lemon Chicken $7

Whole Roasted Rosemary Lemon Chicken
Eat fit on a "lean" budget
Feeds 2-4 on $7

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken
4 Medium Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
5 Large Peeled Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
1 Lemon, halved
1 Head of Garlic
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. fresh or dried Rosemary, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from refrigerator let sit out a few minutes to take chill off. Peel carrots and potatoes. Rinse and strip and dice celery. Chop into large pieces. Place in medium size oven safe pan, slightly larger than the chicken. Lightly hit garlic to separate cloves and remove skin.  Add potatoes, garlic and veggies to pan. Rinse chicken inside and out, pat dry and remove giblets. Rub chicken skin with oil, add salt and pepper. Place rosemary and lemon halves into chicken cavity.  Place chicken on top of veggies in pan.

Put in oven: 20-25 minutes per pound of chicken. i.e., 4 lb. chicken takes 1 hour 20 - 40 minutes. Using a thermometer inserted into the chicken thigh, remove when it reaches 180 degrees. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes before carving and serving.