Blueberry Protein Smoothie

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This smoothie has been called the Wakey Monkey Smoothie in my recent meals. That’s its original name because it’s from a little café in Saluda, North Carolina called Wakey Monkey Café. This is my copycat version of the smoothie because I loved it so much, I had to recreate it. My version is a little bit different than the original version but it’s still an amazing smoothie that has been on repeat in my meal plans.

Blueberry Protein Smoothie
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Blueberry Protein Smoothie

Servings

1

smoothie
Prep time

2

minutes
Cooking time

3

minutes

This smoothie is a great start to your day. It’s refreshing and filling!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen blueberries

  • 1 banana

  • 3/4 cup oat or almond milk

  • 1 tablespoon PB2

  • 2 scoops protein powder

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender.
  • Blend until smooth.

Notes

  • You may add ice or additional oat/almond milk to reach your desired consistency.

Strawberry Mint Protein Smoothie

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This smoothie is simple and refreshing. It’s a great start to your morning or it’s an awesome snack!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 banana
  • 3/4 cup oat milk (or almond milk)
  • 1/2 cup spinach
  • 5-6 mint leaves
  • 2 scoops chocolate protein powder

To Make It

  • Place all ingredients in a blender.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Add ice cubes if needed to reach desired consistency.

Quick & Easy Chicken Marsala

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Chicken marsala might be one of my favorite meal to cook at home. It’s quick and easy to make while tasting delicious and comforting. You can serve it over pasta, with a side of mashed potatoes, or with roasted veggies. Here’s my version of chicken marsala that’s been adapted from a few different recipe sources over time.

Chicken Marsala (serves 4)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1.5 pounds chicken tenderloins
  • 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup marsala cooking wine
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

To Make It

  • In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and paprika. Set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, thoroughly coating all sides of chicken with flour.
  • Place chicken in skillet and cook until golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  • Add butter to skillet. Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the marsala wine to the skillet. Using a spatula or wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove any browned pieces. Add the chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture reduces by half, about 15 minutes.
  • Add cream to skillet. Stir.
  • Return chicken to skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!

Air-Fried Pistachio Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy

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This recipe is adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors From The Blue Ridge Mountains. It was so much fun turning this recipe into an air-fryer recipe and the outcome was quite delicious.

Air-Fried Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

For the pork

  • 3/4 cup shelled, roasted, salted pistachios
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 center-cut pork chops

For the mushroom gravy

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced pancetta
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

To Make It

In a food processor, combine the pistachios, bread crumbs, and pepper. Process until the pistachios are finely chopped (but not ground). Transfer to a large plate.

Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl.

Coat both sides of each pork chop in the egg mixture and then in the pistachio mixture.

Place the pork chops in the air-fryer. Spray generously with cooking spray. Air-fry at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the pork chops over. Spray generously with cooking spray and continue air-frying until the pork is cooked through.

While the pork is air-frying, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it starts to crisp (about 4-5 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes), stirring frequently. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and cook, stirring frequently, until the gravy has thickened (about 4-5 minutes).

Serve pork chops topped with gravy.

Enjoy!

Air-Fried Chicken Schnitzel

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My current obsession is turning recipes that requiring frying into an air-fryer recipe. This is one recipe that worked perfectly for the air-fryer. It’s become a weeknight night go-to dinner in my house because of how quick it is to throw together, the fact that I usually have all of the ingredients to make, that it’s essentially chicken nuggets for adults, and it’s quite tasty!

Air-Fried Chicken Schnitzel (makes 3-4 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon paprika, divided
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups bread crumbs (preferably panko but any bread crumb will work)
  • olive oil cooking spray

To Make It

  • You’re going to prepare 3 bowls.
  • In one bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, the garlic salt, the kosher salt, and the black pepper.
  • In the second bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water.
  • In the third bowl, combing the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of paprika.
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess. Then dunk the chicken in the egg mixture. Let any excess egg mixture drain off. Next coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture. Finally, spray each side of the chicken generously with the cooking spray.
  • Place the chicken in the air-fryer basket and cook at 400F for 14 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, flipping the chicken at the half-way mark.

Note: You can also use chicken breasts; however, you will want to place them in a plastic bag and pound them until they are 1/2-inch thick.

Recipe adapted from – What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want