Recipes from AFM Readers

AFM’s readers enjoy healthy foods, and what better month to share the winning submissions from our reader recipe contest than February? The following recipes (pages 26 and 28) were creative, easy to make, and pleasing to the palate. Meet these cooks and fall in love with their nutritious dishes—we sure did!

Workout Goodies: Pumpkin Pie Protein Oatmeal 

by Susan Dikeman

An Austinite and runner who works as a pre-K teacher in Cedar Park, Susan Dikeman knows all about the need for quick, portable, and sustaining food. As part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance (thefoodette.com), Dikeman also knows how to put together a tasty recipe. She likes to prepare this goodie in a coffee cup for easy consumption.

What You Need

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (like Quaker Quick-1-Minute Oats)
1 cup milk
3/4 scoop vanilla protein powder
4 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
 

How To Make It

Combine oats, milk, and protein powder in a microwavable bowl. Mix well: All the powder should be dissolved in the milk, as lumps of protein powder in oatmeal is not yummy.
Stir in pumpkin puree and pie spice.
Cook in microwave on high for a total of three minutes, stirring after every minute.  When cooked, stir in brown sugar and enjoy!

Healthy Remakes: Snap Kitchen’s Vegetable “Lasagna”

by Mike Reinhart

Matt Reinhart, a chef at Snap Kitchen for two years, has a background “cooking all over.” This recipe is one of the perennial favorites at the Austin prepared-food-to-go outlet; the pasta is gone and, while it’s not vegan, there are no carbs in this healthier riff on a traditional winter favorite.
 

What You Need  

1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ pound roasted red bell pepper, peeled and diced
3 pounds eggplant, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
2 ½  pounds summer squash, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 pounds zucchini, sliced ¼-inch thick
6 ounces sautéed mushrooms
¼ cup of basil for garnish
2 cups marinara
4 ¼ cups low-fat herbed ricotta cheese
1 ½ teaspoon vegetable cooking spray
3 ounces Parmesan cheese

How To Make It

Layer one half of vegetables, marinara, and herbed cheese in a
9 x 12 inch baking pan.  
Repeat the layers and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.  
Bake at 350 degrees, covered 45 minutes, and then uncovered at 300 degrees for an additional
30 minutes.

Desserts Without Guilt

by Linda Wagner

Linda Wagner is a nutrition coach who owns her own business (Linda Wagner Nutrition); in addition to seeing clients, she also writes a blog. A springboard diver in college who trained at the University of Texas, Wagner has lived in Austin about ten years now. She created this recipe, which is low in calories, with the idea that it can be used as both a dessert and a breakfast.
 

What You Need  

16 ounces coconut milk (alternately, use almond milk but Wagner prefers the creamy, mousse-like consistency that the coconut milk provides)
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 dropper cocoa bean extract
2 droppers liquid vanilla stevia
¼ cup organic chia seeds
 

How To Make It

Using a blender, mix the first four ingredients. Taste and make adjustments as needed. Put the blended chocolate mixture in a
glass bowl.

Add the chia seeds to the mixture in the glass bowl and stir with a spoon.
Let sit for two hours or as long
as overnight in the refrigerator
to thicken.

Garnish with fresh berries and enjoy!