Ashley's FIT KITCHEN RECIPES

Having a passion for fi tness and nutrition, accompanied with my love to cook and bake from scratch, means I spend a lot of time in the kitchen creating recipes that add nutritional value and taste delicious. I believe in using whole foods that have great nutritional value and fl avor. I am often asked for easy and healthy recipes, so I’ll be sharing a few recipes with you!

I’ve included three recipes for you to try this spring. They are easy, healthy and delicious recipes that I believe will become staples on your menu. I know you’re focused on the FIT Spring Cleaning Tips I outlined for you, so I’m sharing these recipes to encourage your healthy and balanced lifestyle.

The first recipe is Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal which is the perfect make-ahead breakfast to serve your family or company, or even a great way to meal prep your breakfast for the week, as it makes six servings. Who doesn’t love carrot cake, especially for breakfast? There’s no cream cheese frosting, but I believe you will find that this is both satisfying and delicious.

BAKED CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

(makes 6 servings)

2 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ cups shredded carrots

2 ½ cups coconut milk (or other nondairy milk)

⅓ cup maple syrup

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8x11 inch baking dish with coconut oil (I used a 1.5 quart baking dish and two 7 ounce ramekins)

Mix dry ingredients; mix wet ingredients; add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish (or ramekins for individual servings).

Bake for 35 minutes (or 30 minutes for ramekins).

The second recipe I’ve included is for an energy packed pudding called Raspberry Chia Pudding. It’s easy to make with only three ingredients. Mix this up the night before and you’ll have two servings for a breakfast or snack tomorrow. Chia seeds absorb liquid and form a gel to get the pudding consistency. Chia seeds offer an abundance of nutritional value, as they are little powerhouses filled with fiber, protein and healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acids). Give this a try and feel free to experiment with other fruit. The fruit is naturally sweet, but you could add a little natural maple syrup or honey to make it a bit sweeter.

RASPBERRY CHIA PUDDING

(makes 2 servings)

1 ¼ cups flax milk (or other non-dairy milk)

½ cup raspberries

¼ cup chia seeds

Blend raspberries and flax milk in blender. Add chia seeds and stir to combine. Place in refrigerator for at least three hours or overnight. Mixture will gel into a thick pudding consistency. Top with additional raspberries and optional maple syrup or honey.

The third recipe is one of the latest and greatest food trends: turmeric milk, aka golden milk. This is an anti-inflammatory beverage that I’ve incorporated into my nightly routine. I truly enjoy drinking this before bed, as it’s comforting, relaxing and nutritious. Loaded with antioxidants, turmeric is known as a healing spice, and the blend of spices I’ve used in my Golden Milk recipe are necessary to enhance absorption of these anti-inflammatory compounds in the body. Heat this up tonight to reap the benefits and help you relax before bed. I think you’ll enjoy this new nightly beverage.

GOLDEN MILK

(makes 1 serving)

1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Dash black pepper

1 teaspoon coconut oil

½ tablespoon maple syrup

Combine all ingredients and heat on stovetop or in microwave and enjoy warm. No time to heat this, but still want the benefits of golden milk? Skip the coconut oil, combine ingredients in a jar and shake to mix well.

Basil Chicken

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30–35 minutes

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 free-range organic chicken breasts, uncooked

1 ½ teaspoons organic thyme, dried

2 tablespoons organic basil, dried

3 teaspoons organic garlic salt

9 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 F. Place the uncooked chicken breast in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix to combine the thyme, basil, salt and oil. While stirring, pour the spices evenly over the chicken. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the chicken for several hours prior to cooking. Bake the chicken for 30–35 minutes or until the juice from the meat runs clear. Reserve the broth/sauce to pour over rice, quinoa or potatoes and serve with a side of fresh or steamed vegetables.

Dark Chocolate PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes | Chill Time: 1 Hour | Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon pure organic maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

¾ cup organic creamy peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS: Place paper liners in a 12 cup pan and set aside.

Bottom Layer: Combine the ingredients for one chocolate layer and mix until creamy. If needed, warm the entire mixture over a very low heat to maintain a liquid consistency. Spread 1-1 ½ teaspoons of chocolate in the bottom of each paper cup and freeze on a level surface for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Top and Bottom Layers

3 teaspoons organic cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

1 ½ tablespoons pure organic maple syrup

¼ cup organic coconut oil, melted

Filling:

While the bottom chocolate layers are freezing, combine the ingredients for the peanut butter filling and blend until creamy. (For a less dense peanut butter filling, reduce the peanut butter by one eighth of a cup. Do not increase the coconut oil as it will cause the mixture to be too oily.) Spoon two teaspoons of the filling onto each of the frozen chocolate layers and smooth to the edge of the cups. Freeze for another 15 minutes on a level surface.

Top Layer:

While the middle layers are freezing, combine the ingredients for two chocolate layer recipes and mix until creamy. Cover each peanut butter filling layer with 2-3 tablespoons. of chocolate or until the peanut butter is completely covered. Finally, freeze for at least 30 minutes on a level surface. Serve chilled.