Lemon Blueberry Mini Protein Muffins featuring Premier Protein

This post is sponsored by Premier Protein®. I'm excited to share this new recipe featuring Premier Protein 100% Whey Protein Powder with you. 

I bought a basket of blueberries at the Farmer's Market yesterday. Today I used a handful in a batch of Lemon Blueberry Mini Protein Muffins. They will make a great grab-and-go breakfast with yogurt or a shake or for afternoon snacks this week. I love having something like this ready for the week ahead. It helps make making the healthier choice much easier.

Shelly's Lemon Blueberry Mini Protein Muffins

1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Liquid Sweetener
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix, dry
2 Tablespoons Almond Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar-Free Lemon Pudding Mix, dry
1/4 cup Premier Protein 30 g. Vanilla 100% Whey Protein Powder
Pinch salt
1/4 cup Fresh Blueberries (frozen work great too if you are still some months away from fresh in your neck of the woods)

Mix egg, milk, sweetener (I used Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup you find in coffee aisle, you can use maple syrup, honey, whatever you love) and oil (applesauce or cottage cheese can sub for oil but 1 T divided between 12 muffins is really not a lot) and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix pancake mix, almond flour, pudding mix, Premier Protein 30 g. Vanilla Milkshake 100% Whey Protein Powder and salt.

Tip dry into wet and stir till combined. Pour into a non-stick mini muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place 3 fresh blueberries in each muffin.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes till lightly golden. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

If you make these Lemon Blueberry Mini Protein Muffins or are inspired by them to create your own Premier Protein powder recipe post it on Instagram and tag it #PremierPowderRecipes for a chance to be featured on Premier's Instagram feed.

Hope everyone has a great week!

This post is sponsored by Premier Protein® #ad #PremierPowderRecipes For the purposes of this post Premier Protein provided me with product used. Want to learn more about Premier Protein products LIKE their Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram and tell them The World According to Eggface told you to stop by. 

Easy and Healthy Dinner: Cauliflower Rice

Looking for an easy and healthy dinner idea... I love Cauliflower "rice" it not only gives me my take-out food fix but preparing it almost as fast as going to pick up take out. It only has 20 calories per cup (plain) and is packed with vitamins and nutrients. It's way lower in carbs than white or even brown rice and prepared in one of the recipes below you won't miss rice at all. Cauliflower rice is really a blank canvas so it's easy to adjust one of these recipes to the ingredients you have on hand. It's a great way to save money and use up any leftovers.

Row 1 (L to R): Shelly's Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto, Shelly's Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice, Shelly's Spanish Style Fried Rice (served as a side with Barbacoa-Style Beef, Guacamole & Greek Yogurt)

Row 2: Shelly's Cauliflower Beef Fried Rice Bowl, Shelly's Shrimp Fajita Cauliflower Rice (see below), Shelly's Sicilian Deconstructed Riceless Rice Balls

Row 3: Shelly's Quick Mexican Fried Rice (served as a side with Real Good Enchiladas), Trader Joe's Frozen Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry Mix with Shelly's Egg Foo Young Bites, Shelly's Spanish Style Fried Rice (topped with cheese)

You can break-up a head of cauliflower into florets and pulse the florets a few at a time in a food processor until reduced to the size of rice grains or use pre-riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen) which is way less work and less cleanup. If you have a Trader Joe's around they carry both the fresh and frozen pre-riced cauliflower. Most major supermarkets carry them as well as larger stores like Walmart and Target. A favorite of mine is Green Giant steamer bags of riced cauliflower, plain or some have added veggies. Birds Eye has some steamer bags that are seasoned. Steamer bags make dinner super easy because there is less to clean-up.

You'll just need to adjust cooking times for fresh versus frozen. From fresh: Saute with a drizzle of olive oil for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally till the cauliflower "rice" becomes slightly golden then saute in the pan with other ingredients. From frozen: Microwave (or cook) as package directs then saute the "rice" in the saute pan with other ingredients.

Shelly's Fajita Shrimp Fried Riceless "Rice" 

1 (12 oz.) Steamer Bag of Cauliflower Rice (cook as directed)
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, diced (any color, I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green for color and flavor difference)
1 Small Zucchini, diced
10-12 Medium (uncooked, peeled and deveined) Shrimp, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Fajita or Taco Seasoning (Cumin, Oregano, Chili blend)
Salt to taste

Microwave cauliflower rice steamer bag per package directions and set aside. Saute onions, peppers, and diced zucchini in a drizzle of olive oil till tender and slightly golden. Add seasoning and shrimp until they just turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes depending upon their size. I like to chop the shrimp a bit so more bites have shrimp in them and they cook faster. You can leave them whole if you prefer. Add steamed cauliflower "rice" to the pan and stir till well combined. Cook till warmed through. Add salt to taste.

Hope these inspire you to create some cauliflower rice creations of your own. If you post them online tag them #Eggface so others can check them out.

The Best Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Have you noticed that almost all peanut butter cookies have a crosshatch pattern on the top? It sort of reminds me of a hashtag but of course, peanut butter cookies were happening long before the Internet. I am #OBSESSED with these sugar-free, lower fat, no white flour peanut butter cookies. Pressing the little hashtag design in the top of each cookie with a fork allows them to get a little crispy and extra yummy in those raised areas.

I've made 2 batches since New Year. We celebrated with one batch as we watched the ball drop New Year's Eve (Happy New Year Everyone!) and I gave the remainder of that batch to my neighbor but I couldn't stop thinking about them so I made another batch and this one I'm not sharing. They are #MineAllMine

They make a great treat but I've been eating them as breakfast with Greek yogurt. Want a little extra protein mix some chocolate protein powder into your yogurt and crumble one of these cookies on top... Hello! Peanut Butter Cup for breakfast.

Shelly's Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies 

1 cup Almond Flour (blanched, not meal)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 cup Butter, softened
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Swerve, Granular
1 Large Egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream softened butter and peanut butter (crunchy or creamy, whatever you love, just watch added sugars) with the Swerve until well combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until dough comes together.

Roll the dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press the balls down with the palm of your hand to about 1/2 inch thick and press the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern on the top.

They puff a bit but don't spread. Bake 20 minutes, until just barely beginning to firm up and are lightly golden on the bottom. Remove and let cool on the pan. They will firm as they cool. Makes 16-20 cookies.

If you make them, take a pic and post it on Instagram or Twitter. Add #Eggface I'd love to see.