Introduction to General Practice

Last Monday I met the General Practice Clinic that I’ll be spend half of this year – and it’s great! The consultants are really enthusiastic and eager for me to become a part of the team. They’re really motivating and willing to help me :). I’m so excited for this year – I think it will be an amazing experience!! But unfortunately we’re going to be bombarded with assessments… so that’s something I won’t be looking forward to! Oh and I was concerned about finding a gym in the small town where I’m placed but turns out I have access to the hospital gym – $3 a week and it has plenty of weight and cardio equipment. Yay!! I can’t wait to get into the swing of things.

Motivation: Jessica King

 

I’ve got a bunch of awesome recipes to share with you 🙂

 

Lemon Protein Slice from www.proteinpow.com – YUM!! Love these!

 

Serves 6

For the crust:

1 tbsp coconut flour

6 tbsp oat flour

1/4 cup vanilla whey protein

1 tbsp pea protein (or vanilla casein)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

4 brazil nuts (could sub with almonds)

1 tbsp grated fresh lemon zest

1/2 a big lemon’s worth of lemon juice (20mL)

1 serve Stevia

For the filling:

2 tbsp fresh lemon zest

1 big lemon’s worth of lemon juice (40mL)

1/2 cup vanilla whey protein

3 tbsp coconut flour (or almond meal)

15 macadamia nuts (could sub with cashews)

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Blend the crust ingredients together and press the doughy matter onto a cake pan

Bake at 190 degrees Celcius for about 10 minutes

Meanwhile, blend the filling ingredients together

When blended and crust is cooked, press the filling batter onto the crust and put back in the oven for no more than 20 minutes

I then sprinkled coconut powder on top but this is entirely optional 🙂

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 200.8

Total fat: 8.4g (2.2g sat)

Total carbs: 13.6g

Sugar: 2.0g

Protein: 17.7g

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes from dessertswithbenefits.com – these have an amazing texture; so soft! It took me a little while to love the taste because they weren’t as sweet as I’d hoped, but they’re still really yummy! Next time I think I’ll add more sweetener.

 

Serves 12

For the cupcakes:

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup + 1 tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt

1/2 tsp instant coffee 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 serve Stevia

1+1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the frosting:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup light coconut milk

6 serves Stevia

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 scoops chocolate whey protein

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line/spray a cupcake tin

In a small bowl, whisk together the quinoa flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, flax, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Stevia

In a large bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, coffee, vanilla extract, then whisk in the milk

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet

Whisk batter for ~20 seconds, or until batter is fluffy and even

Scoop the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for ~20 minutes, or until surface springs back when tapped

Take the cupcakes out of the pan immediately after removing from the oven, let cool on a wire cooling rack

In a medium-szed bowl, add the coconut oil and coconut milk, and (if coconut oil is solid) microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the coconut oil has melted

Stir in the Stevia, then the cocoa powder, then the protein powder

Frost the cooled cupcakes and serve!! I found that I needed to put the frosted cupcakes in the fridge before serving to help the frosting set

These aren’t very sweet, so feel free to up the Stevia in the cupcakes!

Nutritional info: per 1 muffin

Calories: 143.4

Total fat: 5.6g (3.2g sat)

Total carbs: 5.2g

Sugar: 1.6g

Protein: 7.4g (even without protein powder!)

 

Chicken Cashew from crunchymama.net – my boyfriend’s new favourite lunchtime bulk-cook recipe 🙂 super yummy!! Also, my boyfriend divides the recipe up into 4 serves instead of 6.

Serves 6

1 kg chicken – cut into chunks

1 cup roasted cashew nuts

1/2 red pepper – diced into same size as chicken

3 spring onions – cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tbsp ginger – grated

For the marinade:

1 egg white

2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce OR Bragg’s aminos

1 tbsp tapioca flour aka arrowroot

For the sauce:

4 tbsp reduced salt soy sauuce

2 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tsp tapioca flour/arrowroot

Combine marinade ingredients and mix chicken into marinade for at least 30 minutes

Combine sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside

In a large non-stick pan, cook the chicken pieces for 2-4 minutes until just cooked

Drain chicken onto some paper towels

Saute the spring onion and ginger for a minute

Add capsicum and sauce. Cook until it is thick and bubbly

Add chicken back to the pan and stir until the chicken pieces are covered in suace

Throw in the cashews, stir, and serve

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 248.9

Total fat: 4.4g (1.0g sat)

Total carbs: 6.8g

Sugar: 2.7g

Protein: 42.0g

Sodium: 676.9mg (this would be reduced if you replace the soy sauce with Bragg’s aminos)

 

Casein Pancake

Serves 1

1/3 cup egg whites

1/2 scoop vanilla casein protein

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the ingredients together

Pour into a hot non-stick pan and cook

I served this with sugar-free maple syrup 🙂

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 97.9

Total fat: 0.5g (0.2g sat)

Total carbs: 1.8g

Sugar: 0g 

Protein: 20.0g

 

 

Stop wishing for something – go out and do it!! 🙂 x

Holiday’s Over :(

I have been so so busy! Last week we had orientation to introduce us to what we will be doing this year (general practice, paediatrics, women’s health, and psychiatry) and I had temporary accommodation with some of my fellow students. I didn’t want to wake people with my breakfast preparations every morning (sorry blueberry pancakes) so I made these and I think they’re really great!! Easy grab-and-go breakfast that is yummy, filling, and healthy :).

Motivation: Ellie Gonsalves

Protein and Fiber Breakfast Bars from www.proteinpow.com (altered slightly to suit me)

Serves 4 (1 serve = 2 bars)

1/4 cup psyllium husks

1/4 cup whey protein (I just used vanilla)

1/4 cup casein protein (again, I used vanilla)

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2og walnuts – chopped

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees

Mix the ingredients together, except for the walnuts

Fold in the walnuts, then pour the mixture into a small brownie pan

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Nutritional info: per 1 bar

Calories: 90.5

Total fat: 3.3g (0.9g sat)

Total carbs: 8.0g (4.5g dietary fiber)

Sugar: 1.7g

Protein: 7.9g

 

Feta-Filled Protein Crêpes, again from the amazing Anna at www.proteinpow.com

Serves 1

1 large egg white

1/8 cup pea protein powder (I used vanilla flavoured because that’s all I have)

1/8 cup lite coconut milk

25g low fat feta

Optional: feel free to add herbs and spices to the crêpe before cooking it

Mix the ingredients together (except the feta) and pour into a hot hot non-stick frying pan

Flip the crêpe

When cooked, fill with the cheese (or with whatever you want!)

Nutritional info: per serve, with low fat feta

Calories: 153.5

Total fat: 6.0g (4.5g sat)

Total carbs: 0.5g

Sugar: 1.3g

Protein: 23.3g

 

 

Hopefully I’ll get into the swing of things very soon and my posts (both on my blog and on my facebook page) will become more frequent and regular :). Don’t give up – if you’re sick of starting over, just give up giving up!! 🙂 x

Work Experience

I’ve just completed my work experience at a local gym, and it was great!! I had fun chatting with personal trainers and learning about different techniques that they incorporate for their clients. However, I do think it would be very difficult to complete rely on being a PT – so many clients would cancel or just not show up for appointments (which I think is very disrespectful). I got a good review from my supervisor which is great news!

 

Motivation:

 

 

Yoghurt-Coated Berries – an easy snack!

 

Punnet of strawberries

Natural greek yoghurt

Stevia (optional)

Make sure strawberries are dry, then dip into yoghurt

Place in the freezer for a couple of hours until yoghurt is set

 

Chicken Baryani – inspired by watching MKR the other night 😛

 

Serves 5

1 large onion – finely sliced

1 bay leaf

3 cardamom pods

1 small cinnamon stick

1 tsp turmeric

4 skinless chicken breasts – cut into large chunks

4 tbsp curry paste (I used Patak’s balti paste)

750mL reduced salt chicken stock

Chopped coriander and toasted flaked almonds to serve

Cook the onions with the bay leaf and other whole spices for 10 minutes

Sprinkle in the turmeric, then add chicken and curry paste, and cook until aromatic

Pour over the stock

Place the tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum, allow to simmer for 5 minutes

Turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes

Stir well, mixing through half the coriander

To serve, scatter over the rest of the coriander and the almonds

I chose to serve this with cauliflower rice but you can serve with brown rice if you want!

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 313.4

Total fat: 8.2g (1.2g sat)

Total carbs: 7.7g

Sugar: 3.9g

Protein: 48.8g

 

Cauliflower Rice

Serves 4-5

1 head of cauliflower

Oil (I used flaxseed)

Salt and pepper

Chop the cauliflower into florets, then put in a food processor and blend until it resembles rice

Heat a frying pan, coat with oil, then cook cauliflower rice with salt and pepper until it starts to turn golden

 

Blueberry Coconut Protein Pancakes

Serves 1

1/4 cup egg whites

1/4 cup protein powder (i used vanilla whey)

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/3 cup oat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

2 tsp vanilla essence

3 serves Stevia

Combine all ingredients except blueberries

Gently fold in blueberries

Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto a frying pan coated with non-stick spray

Cook until edges begin to bubble, then flip and cook the other side

Repeat until batter is all cooked

Nutritional info: per serve

Calories: 323.4

Total fat: 6.3g (2.5g sat)

Total carbs: 33.7g

Sugar: 7.9g

Protein: 30.4

 

 

If you want to do something – do it!! So many people want something but don’t actually go out and get it because they are waiting for ‘later’…. just do it 🙂 x