Easy Chia Pudding

Chia seeds are jam packed with nutrients so imma add them to everything and nobody is gonna tell me otherwise.

Seriously though, chia seeds are the powerhouse of the seed family: packed with antioxidants, fibre, protein and omega-3’s… you really can’t go wrong by adding them to your diet. For me, they really help with regulating my digestion and I won’t go a day without having them – mostly adding them to porridge and yoghurt.

Chia seeds are one of the most fibre dense foods available, specifically soluble fibre. What does this mean? In the same way that chia seeds create a gel when mixed with water, the same process happens in your digestive system; they absorb water to form a gel and in turn soften stools for easier passage.

Anyway, heres the recipe – give your body the love it deserves:

Ingredients:
160g Non-fat greek yoghurt (I used Fage brand)
2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp chia seeds
Flavour drops of choice or vanilla extract
+ toppings of choice

Method:
Not much to it, just mix it all together until combined (without toppings), pour into a glass or bowl and refrigerate for an hour (or until you can turn the bowl/glass upside down without it falling out).

Then, top with what you like 🙂



I topped mine with some Malt-ish crumbles, sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spread and strawberries 😍


Hope you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to follow the blog to receive updates directly to your inbox or you can follow me on Instagram for all things foodie.


Recipe: Chicken ‘kebab’ with potato wedges + yoghurt sauce 🥘

I was asked to participate in a local TV show which involved trying (and in my case re-creating) typical takeout foods. Say yes, regret later.


The programme consists of judging local takeaway eateries and then a guest chef re-creates a healthier alternative. Each week has a different theme and a different guest chef; I was hoping for pizza but alas I got kebab week. Nonetheless I was up for the challenge and did my own take on a kebab by doing a chicken edit with homemade oven-baked potato wedges + yoghurt sauce.


Join me in making this re-creation and follow these easy steps:


MARINATING THE CHICKEN.

Usually I don’t really measure my ingredients when doing a recipe for the first time, I like to experiment freely and then re-work the measurements after. But this one worked so well, I want to guide you through everything I used. Feel free to add more (or less) of any of the ingredients as you prefer.

3 Large chicken breasts, sliced lengthways*
1/4 Cup olive oil
3-4 Tbsp smoked paprika
3-4 Tbsp bbq seasoning
1/4 Tsp Cayenne or chilli powder
3-4 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2-3 Tbsp italian herb seasoning
salt to taste

Toss it all in a bowl, rub all the herbs and spices into the chicken breasts – use your hands and get messy. Then, set aside and leave marinating while you prepare potato wedges.

Tip: marinating in advance gives the chicken more flavour. You can also use chicken thighs for a more authentic chicken kebab flavour as thighs tend to have a higher fat content and will add a bit more flavour to the skewers.


LETS MAKE POTATO WEDGES.

First, turn oven on and set to 170-180 degrees C then get these ingredients:

1 Jar of cooked potatoes (400g drained)
2 Tbsp garlic granules
1 tbsp italian seasoning
Drizzle of olive oil
salt to taste

Slice potatoes into wedges, and marinate them with your remaining ingredients – again use your hands (its the best way). Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper and lay your wedges onto them without any overlapping. Set aside.

Tip: Did you know that cooked potatoes sold in jars have better calorie and carb content than normal cooked potato? Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself! The brand that we used here, in comparison to normal cooked potatoes was HALF the carbs per 200g. HELLO POTATO PARTY.



PREPARE THE CHICKEN KEBABS.

Grab some skewers, I used metal ones but the wooden ones will be fine just make sure you soak them in water beforehand so that they don’t burn in the oven. Then ‘needle’ the skewer through each piece of breast and place over a deep dish like so:



COOKING TIME

Place the wedges on a higher tray of the oven and chicken on a lower tray as you don’t want your chicken to burn before it cooks. Cook in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. However, halfway through you will need to swap chicken to a higher level – when you do this pour the juices that have fallen into the tray over the chicken. If there isn’t much there, then pour a drizzle of olive oil and place back into oven, on a higher tray.

Note: the chicken might create some smoke so be wary of this when you open the oven (especially if the smoke detector is right above it like mine – oops).


DONT FORGET THE SAUCE

While the chicken and wedges are cooking, prepare the sauce:

100g Non-fat greek yoghurt or queso batido desnatado
Drizzle olive oil
1 Tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tbsp garlic granules
1 Tbsp italian herbs
1 Tsp cider vinegar or lemon
salt to taste

Whisk it all together until combined and done. Set aside.


TIME TO EAT.

Once chicken and wedges are ready, remove from oven.



With a tea towel grab the end of the skewer and using a serated knife – slice chicken downwards. Transfer onto plate, add potato wedges, yoghurt sauce and side salad. Or for the TV show I made them into wraps – delicious any way you prefer it!

Hope you enjoy this recipe, or if you watched me on the show… hope you enjoyed my awkwardness – at least the mask covered the one spot that decided to make an appearance the day before.

Check out the blog for many more recipes, follow and receive them direct to your inbox OR follow me on instagram for more recipes, videos and nonsense 🙂

You can watch the show here.

World Vegan Day 🌼

Today is World Vegan Day, an annual event celebrated by Vegans all over the world. The event was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”.


In the beginning, The Muscle Bakery wasn’t a reaction to any culinary changes but more of a personal development in the way I saw food. However, as my clientele developed and my skills improved, the demand began evolving and I was catering to the needs of my customers as well as developing my own cooking/ baking style.

The request for Vegan food has grown incredibly over the past few years, and even more so in the last year. When I began, my Vegan customers were a very select amount. But now it seems to be the other way around which is actually surreal to see; the way our culinary culture has changed.

With the growth of knowledge, we are all becoming more conscious of the world around us and it’s up to us to change that. So in contrast to when we began, we have developed with these changes, becoming an exclusively veggie friendly bakery.

We have also completely removed plastic bags and looking into veggie friendly packaging and labels.

We also offer a discount to all customers when they return their plastic containers or bring their own bags.


Everyone’s little efforts, make a big difference.


DID YOU KNOW:


A person showering for 2 months uses up the same amount of water that it takes to produce enough livestock for one beef burger.

Broccoli has a higher protein content per calorie than beef.

Every minute, 7 million pounds of excrement are produced by animals raised for food in the US.

Plastic is the only existing material that CANNOT break down naturally.

There is officially so much plastic in the world that any fish we eat, by default also contains plastic.

If every human skipped just ONE meal of chicken per week, environmental effects would be like removing 500,000 cars off the road.

82% of starving children live in countries where food is grown to feed animals in the west.

Brad Pitt, Beyoncé, Ellen Degeneres, Liam Hemsworth, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, Alec Baldwin and Bill Clinton are vegans.


To celebrate this day, we have put together a collection of our best Vegan recipes to inspire you guys; to show that eating Vegan (& veggie) is also super fun and tasty (and not just about eating leaves and carrot sticks).


VANILLA WAFFLES

Vanilla Pancakes


Say yes to waffles with this tasty vanilla flavour waffle, topped with soy yoghurt, cookies, fresh berries and zero syrup.


BLUEBERRY SLICES


Imagine if you married up a cookie, a scone and a cake… this is what our Blueberry Slices are like.


COFFEE COCONUT TRUFFLES


Coffee and coconut? imma go and say yes my friends. Soft truffle centre made w/ coconut flour, infused with instant coffee and coated in luxurious dark chocolate.


CHOC BROWNIES


Fudgey brownies to brighten the day. Using Soy yogurt as a secret ingredient, a recipe to make over and over again.


CHEESY NACHOS


Cheesy nachos without the cheese? C’est pas posible. Thanks to the use of nutritional yeast, make any tortilla your b**tch and make them into badass nachos.


FLAPJACKS


Flapjacks are usually laden with butter, not these tho. With added peanut butter… theres nothing to not love!


GOJI HOB NOBS

Goji Hob Nobs


Hob Nobs minus the gluten and the buttah + added health from the goji berries. Give them a whirl.


PROTEIN PANCAKES

protein pancakes


These pancakes are so tasty, it fooled all our non-vegan friends.


BBQ TOFU

bbq tofu


The easiest way to make tasty tofu, using bbq sauce and not much else! Pair it up in a salad or a spud for maximum taste bud party.


TOFU NUGGETS


Chicken nuggets is so last year, try these tofu nuggets instead.


VEGAN BANANA BREAD

vegan banana bread


Would you believe us if we said a can of pop can replace an egg? This recipe shows you how.


BASIC VEGAN PANCAKES


The simplest and tastiest pancakes you’re ever gonna make! A firm favourite amongst our followers.


We hope these recipes inspire you and remember: even if you swap ONE meal a day to a Vegan meal… you ARE making a difference.


Join us with your feedback #WorldVeganDay \ @themusclebakery \ @themusclebaker


For 20% off Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20
For 5% off iHerb use code: JCB887


HAPPY VEGAN DAY 🌱

Treat or Treat? 👻

We made a post last year about Halloween, so this year we are gonna skip all that mumbo jumbo and head straight to the treats… no tricks. Its the best part of this holiday anyway, right?


Showcasing our favourite Halloween-ey treats that we’ve rustled up to date:


SPIDERWEB SMOOTHIE BOWL


Get in the Halloween mood with this easy to make smoothie bowl, decorated with yoghurt spiderweb!


FRANKENSTEIN PROTEIN POPS


These Frankenstein Pops are a firm favourite with the kiddos! Laced with peanut butter, decorated with chocolate and coloured in green… fun to make… and EAT!


VEGAN WITCH FINGERS


These Witch Fingers are made with all the healthiest ingredients, but full of all the scare!


FRANKENWEENY CUPCAKES


Try these Frankenweeny cupcakes…The cutest Halloween cupcakes you ever did see.


PROTEIN WORMS


Snack on these protein worms today. Lucky for you they are choc orange flavour!


WORMY MATCHA CAKE


Dont be spooked out by this Matcha cake, what you see ain’t really worms… but walnuts!


HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR HALLOWEEN THEME RECIPES!


Don’t forget to tag us if you try any of these recipes, you can find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery/ @themusclebaker


For 20% off Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20
For 5% off iHerb use code: JCB887


HAPPY (HALLOWEENY) BAKING!

Everyday, should be Pancake Day.

Pancake day is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day for us food fiends, a day where you are OFFICIALLY allowed to eat pancakes pretty much all day (not that we wouldn’t anyway).

Now, what is a pancake?

Quite simply, it’s a cake that you cook in a pan. What makes it so awesome? … IT’S A CAKE YOU COOK IN A PAN. DUH.

We trawled the internet to see what it had to say about pancakes and found this:

PANCAKE / Something you eat for breakfast. I had pancakes this morning.

However, not to be confused with:

PANCAKES / A life changing miracle of fluffy happiness man. So i had some pancakes today, it was so great, i gave my pants to a hobo.

 

Anyway, to celebrate such a phenomenal day we scoured our recipe archives and dug out our tastiest pancake creations AND made a new recipe (scroll to end for that one):


Vegan Pancakes

Vegan Pancakes_main

The pancakes are everything you want pancakes to be; soft, scrumptious, moist, tasty and filling. Top it with rich Vanilla Agave nectar and you have an absolute winner! Perfect for Vegans and Non-Vegans alike.


Easy Lemon Pancakes

Lemon Pancakes

This is our basic staple protein pancake recipe, easy to make with only a few key ingredients. No culinary skills required.


Spinach & Blueberry Pancakes

SpinachPancakes

Looking for something a little more adventurous? Try these Spinach pancakes topped with blueberries! Don’t be put off by their green colour, they are super delicious and extra nutritious. Eating pancakes and getting your greens in at the same time, whats not to love?


Simple Pancakes with Choc Sauce (Dairy-Free)

Simple Pancakes MAIN

Anyone looking for a Dairy-Free pancake option, look no further. These delicious pancakes with a rich choc sauce topping will hit the spot! (Sharing will be the only problem).


Chocolate Pancakes (Low-Carb)

LowCarbPancakes

Similar to our basic protein pancake recipe, except using ground almonds instead of oats making them perfect for those on lower carb diets. Have them simple or topped with your fave sauces or nut butters.


Protein Waffles (i.e. pancakes with abs)

Waffles Header

What happens when your pancakes go to the gym? They become waffles. (Just like these damn fine Strawberry Vanilla Waffles.)


Banoffee Pancakes

banoffeepancakes

Pancakes, Banana and Toffee rolled into one epic stack of pancake porn with a whopping protein content of almost 50g. *Gym buffs rejoice*


Cookie Protein Waffles (more pancakes with abs)

waffleoreo

These pancakes also went to the gym to get its pump on, and met sexy oreo there… and well… Oreo Cookie Protein Waffle was born…


Pancake Cake

PancakeCake

PANCAKE CAKE!!! Layers of chocolate pancake, with protein frosting with more protein frosting and then a protein choc drizzle. 50g protein per slice of 4… WADDUP!


AND OUR LATEST RECIPE:


Vegan Spinach & Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:
Handful Spinach Leaves
1 Cup Ground Oats
1 Banana
1.5 Cup Milk of Choice
1 Scoop Soy Protein Isolate (or sub with preferred protein powder)
1 Tbsp Maple Zero Syrup (or agave/ honey)
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tsp Baking Powder

Method:
Add all the ingredients into a high speed blender ( we used a Nutri Bullet)  and set aside for about 5 minutes. You need to let it set so that the chia seeds get to work and soak up some of the moisture.

Note: If you like your pancakes thick and chunky, the recipe as above will make them like that, however if you prefer thinner ones, just add more water or milk.

Prepare a non-stick pan with a dab of coconut oil or coconut oil spray (We used the latter) and turn hob heat onto medium, which is approximately 4 (of 6) on ours.

Start by pouring a spoonful of batter with a tablespoon and cook for several minutes. Then, flip over gently using a spatula and let cook for another several minutes.

Then, drizzle your favourite sauce, fruit or even nut butter and enjoy these delicately moist and delicious pancakes!

Yields 2 servings.

Nutritional Info (per serving of two):

411 Cals | 8.3F | 61.4C | 22.6P

 


Or you could even go for the easy option and buy yourself some Protein Pancake Mix! Our favourite flavour is the Maple!


Note: Please make sure your pan is non-stick or else you are going to have a BAD TIME making pancakes! Read our How: To Pancakes for more help!

Hope this post gives you all some pancake inspo.

Don’t forget to tag us in your creations, you can find us on all social media platforms @themusclebakery.

Lots of love & Pancakes
The Muscle Baker <3

 

 

 

Hello Halloween. 

Did you know that most experts trace trick-or-treating back to the European practice of “mumming,” or “guysing,” in which costume-wearing participants would go door-to-door performing choreographed dances, songs and plays in exchange for treats! (Yes, that’s right… dancing.)

Although it is unknown precisely where and when the phrase “trick or treat” was coined, the custom had been firmly established in American popular culture by 1951, when trick-or-treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat” featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.


One thing is for certain, each year the popularity for this celebration increases with everyone wanting to join in on the pumpkin carving, fancy dress wearing and treat making.

We decided to jump on the bandwagon (but only for the treat making) and made these delicious Spiced ‘Franky’ Muffins.

SPICED 'FRANKY' MUFFINS


Author: The Muscle Bakery. Spiced muffins topped with Pumpkin Spiced flavour PB and decorated with an easy ‘spooky’ face.

Ingredients

3 Cups Carrot or Pumpkin Puree

3/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

2 Scoops Apple & Custard Whey (can use any whey you prefer)

5 Egg Whites

1/4 Cup Sweetener (optional)

1 Tsp Cider Vinegar Topping: 2 Tbsp Water

2 Scoop Vitafiber

60g Peanut Butter Co Pumpkin Spice Decoration: Dark Choc Chunks

Sukrin Icing

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 170 Degrees C.
  2. In a bowl mix together all your dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in your wet ingredients until you get a thick batter.
  3. Prepare a muffin tray with muffin cases and pour batter into each, should be enough for 12.
  4. Bake for 30-40mins (until soft and springy to touch and golden on edges).
  5. Leave to cool completely.
  6. To make PB frosting mix water and vitafiber and whisk vigorously, microwave for 30 seconds or heat in pan till vitafiebr dissolves. Then spread over your cooled muffins and store in fridge for an hour so it can set.
  7. You can decorate as you please, we used dark choc chunks and Sukrin i ing made as per instructions on packaging.

Nutritional Info (per slice):138 Cals | 4.5F | 17.7C | 7.7P

Free from Gluten & Wheat.


We also dug out our favourite Halloween themed recipes from previous years (including one that never got published), have a scroll:


PROTEIN WORMS

proteinworms

Using beef gelatine, straws and a hella lot of patience… make these disgusting looking high protein worms! Recipe here.


SPIDER MATCHA CAKE

haloween-matcha-cake-1

Spooky green cake made with Matcha and using walnuts to simulate worms and a ‘cream’ topping painted with a spider web. All the Halloween things, under one frightful recipe. Click here for it.


BLOODY FINGERS (VEGAN)

bloodyveganfingers

This recipe was made for Bulkpowders but never published! So, we thought we’d dig it out just for you guys. Easy, no baking, made Vegan and no that isn’t real blood just a bit of Vegan friendly red dye! Recipe below.

BLOODY FINGERS (VEGAN) 


Author: The Muscle Bakery. No bake fingers, kinda like Nakd bar’s but scarier.

Ingredients

5 Pre-soaked dates*

25g Walnuts

25g Chopped Hazelnuts

2 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Cacao

1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar

1 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 Tbsp Brown Rice Protein

2 Tbsp Ground Almonds

6 Blanched Almonds

Concentrated Vegan Red Food Colouring

Directions

  1. Add your pre-soaked dates, walnuts and hazelnuts to a bowl and start mushing them down with a utensil of your preference. The edge of a wooden rolling pin is perfect for this to really grind everything together.
  2. Start adding all the rest of the ingredients in the order they are listed, mixing with a spoon, leaving the ground almonds till last. Your mix should remain kind of sticky up until that point, the ground almonds will add the final touch to make them easier to roll. Roll them into finger shaped bars and place on a baking sheet.
  3. Dip your 6 almonds into the colouring so that the tips are smudged with red, press them onto your rolled up fingers and whack them in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  4. No doubt the trick or treaters will be pleased when they come knocking!

Nutritional Info (per slice):182Cals | 8.1F | 25.2C | 4.6P

Free from Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Egg & Sugar (agave contains sugars)


HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR HALLOWEEN THEMED RECIPES


Don’t forget to tag us if you try any of these recipes, you can find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery

For 15% discount on Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY15

For 10% discount on iHerb (on your first purchase) use code: JCB887


HAPPY (HALLOWEENY) BAKING!

<3

Happy Day of PANCAKES! *foodies rejoice*

Pancake day is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day for us food fiends, a day where you are OFFICIALLY allowed to eat pancakes pretty much all day (not that we wouldn’t anyway).

Now, what is a pancake?

Quite simply, it’s a cake that you cook in a pan. What makes it so awesome? … IT’S A CAKE YOU COOK IN A PAN. DUH.

We trawled the internet to see what it had to say about pancakes and found this:

PANCAKE / Something you eat for breakfast. I had pancakes this morning.

However, not to be confused with:

PANCAKES / A life changing miracle of fluffy happiness man. So i had some pancakes today, it was so great, i gave my pants to a hobo.

 

Anyway, to celebrate such a phenomenal day we scoured our recipe archives and dug out our tastiest pancake creations:

1. Vegan Pancakes

Vegan Pancakes_main

The pancakes are everything you want pancakes to be; soft, scrumptious, moist, tasty and filling. Top it with rich Vanilla Agave nectar and you have an absolute winner! Perfect for Vegans and Non-Vegans alike.

2. Easy Lemon Pancakes

Lemon Pancakes

This is our basic staple protein pancake recipe, easy to make with only a few key ingredients. No culinary skills required.

3. Spinach & Blueberry Pancakes

SpinachPancakes

Looking for something a little more adventurous? Try these Spinach pancakes topped with blueberries! Don’t be put off by their green colour, they are super delicious and extra nutritious. Eating pancakes and getting your greens in at the same time, whats not to love?

4. Simple Pancakes with Choc Sauce (Dairy-Free)

Simple Pancakes MAIN

Anyone looking for a Dairy-Free pancake option, look no further. These delicious pancakes with a rich choc sauce topping will hit the spot! (Sharing will be the only problem).

5. Chocolate Pancakes (Low-Carb)

LowCarbPancakes

Similar to our basic protein pancake recipe, except using ground almonds instead of oats making them perfect for those on lower carb diets. Have them simple or topped with your fave sauces or nut butters.

6. Protein Waffles (i.e. pancakes with abs)

Waffles Header

What happens when your pancakes go to the gym? They become waffles. (Just like these damn fine Strawberry Vanilla Waffles.)

7. Banoffee Pancakes

banoffeepancakes

Pancakes, Banana and Toffee rolled into one epic stack of pancake porn with a whopping protein content of almost 50g. *Gym buffs rejoice*

8. Cookie Protein Waffles (more pancakes with abs)

waffleoreo

These pancakes also went to the gym to get its pump on, and met sexy oreo there… and well… Oreo Cookie Protein Waffle was born…

9. Pancake Cake

PancakeCake

And last but not least is the most epic of them all…. PANCAKE CAKE. Layers of chocolate pancake, with protein frosting with more protein frosting and then a protein choc drizzle. 50g protein per slice of 4… WADDUP!

 

OR you could give these guest recipes a try:

Vegan Pancakes with peanut butter and topped with Reeses Mini Cups by @burtonsbakes

burtonspancakes

Savoury Sweetcorn Protein Pancakes by @the_beltsander

beltsander

Or you could even go for the easy option and buy yourself some Protein Pancake Mix! Our favourite flavour is the Maple!

 

Note: Please make sure your pan is non-stick or else you are going to have a BAD TIME making pancakes!

Hope this post gives you all some pancake inspo.

Don’t forget to tag us in your creations, you can find us on all social media platforms @themusclebakery.

We are now on Snapchat too! Add us! 😛

 

Lots of love & Pancakes
The Muscle Baker <3

 

 

 

News Update // September 15

Hello everyone!

Instead of hassling all of you with emails (which are so 1995), we have decided to create a monthly blogpost where we talk about our events, news, recipes, products, tips, fans and much more… This way you can view if you so please, and no fingers will be strained in the process of having to delete from your inbox! Win/Win really! 😀

EVENT // 17.08.15 // CLOCK TO ROCK CHEQUE PRESENTATION:

When we were approached by the fellow cyclists who were taking on the challenge to cycle from Big Ben to Gibraltar, we were more than happy to provide them with sponsorship in the form of our treats. Who would be crazy enough to take this challenge? Not us, thats for sure!

We gave them a selection of treats to set them on their way which helped them in the first leg of their journey… they however, mentioned that the rest of the time they kept guzzling down Coke’s to help keep their sugar levels up and keep them awake!

In this picture below they had just arrived into Gibraltar; faces of utter happiness.

C2R3

Here we are at the cheque presentation held at La Parrilla Restaurant with a Giant Chocolate cake donation because extra cake never goes a miss.

C2R2

In total they raised £7, 804 which was donated to the Cancer Relief Centre.

C2R1

WELL DONE BOYS!

 

EVENT // 21.09.15 // SHORJI LOCATION STORE OPENING:

We joined our little buddy Shorji down at her brand new store as she held a week-long opening, we donated a Giant Malt to a lucky winner and came along on the last day armed with tasty treats for her visitors.

Shorji 1

The creator of Shorji, Christel Mifsud, hand makes each of her creations after having designed all the patterns from scratch herself. She prides herself in bringing the best quality of sportswear, the best materials and of course all catered for with a big smile. We own 2 shorji creations and they are worth every last penny, not only does she create perfectly fitting sportswear, her customer care is second to none and is always happy to adjust each item to your comfort.
Shorji 2

To get your hands on some Shorji creations visit her at her store situated on 17A Cornwalls Lane or check out her website/ FB Page.

 

RECIPE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH //

We have been creating lots of wonderful recipes across our site, Bulkpowders and GymVersus however we decided to highlight our latest creation of Cinnamon & Almond Cookies. Why? Because they are awesome (DUH) but also because they use an ingredient called Vitafiber. This is a high fiber sugar/ flour replacement alternative and much like in cookies, you can use in lots of wonderful recipes!

Cinnamon Almond Cookies

We buy our Vitafiber from Bulkpowders, however we have a few in stock in our online Shop for anyone based in Gibraltar who may be interested.

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH //

We decided to highlight this product after a recent bout with tummy issues led us to try these out. The doctors claimed it was IBS but without an accurate diagnosis, the need to heal the stomach issues was growing. Even scaling back our meals to its simplest and closely monitoring all foods ingested, the problem was still there, and the nudging pain still constant. So, after reading up on friendly gut bacteria we decided to try these out (which happened to be on the penny sale at Holland & Barrett at the time… yay us).

Acidophilus

Just a week after consuming them and the tummy had settled and the pain was beginning to decrease.

Research in recent decades has confirmed that supplementing with acidophilus can help our digestion and also treats diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leaky gut syndrome and reduces lactose intolerance and increases our absorption of calcium, B vitamins and can even improve appetite*

Did you know that Fage Total Yoghurts contain the very same friendly bacteria that will help your gut stay in a happy place.

*Sourced from Probiotics.org. Read more here.

DIET HACK OF THE MONTH //

Salads are awesome. No combination is ever wrong, you can tailor it to suit your taste and add all your favourite things. It’s basically a giant savoury flexbowl of gains. 

Our latest favourite salad combo involves popped potatoes as crunchy ‘croutons.’ (Promise its tasty) Not sure about you guys but, we love a bit of crunch when eating a salad. Unfortunately, most store bought croutons are quite calorific and add extra (unnecessary) calories so this is our quick fix for those who don’t have time to maybe make croutons from scratch themselves.

DietHack-Croutons

Grab your favourite bag of popped potato chips, in this case we have used some Morrisons Nume Paprika flavour (which are currently our favourite) and crumble them over your prepped salad. Garnish as you please and enjoy! You can choose to use half the bag or all of it.

If you want a higher protein alternative, Novo Chargrill Chicken Protein Bites available at GibProtein are also really tasty and go perfectly with a healthified Caesar-style salad.

 

CAKEY CREATION OF THE MONTH //

Our most popular cake to date is no doubt our Vegan Snickers Cake. Layers of cocoa sponge using an egg-less blend of flours and almond milk. Frosted with a raw caramel layer, topped with cocoa ganache, low-fat peanut butter sauce and homemade Snickers Bars. A sight (and taste) to behold!

Snickers Cake

To pre-order a cake, check our calendar to check availability then email us or FB msg us!

FAN PICS OF THE MONTH //

FanPic

Special thank you to all those amazing customers who keep buying our products, who praise us and support us in everything that we do.

We love seeing your pictures so remember to share them with us via our social media platforms 🙂

 

Have a healthy, happy day everyone.

With love

The Muscle Baker

<3

FREEZE! Top 8 Recipes to help you BEAT THE MELTDOWN!

The temperatures are soaring, doing anything has you resembling a wet dog and you are actually looking forward to getting to the gym today, for no other reason than there is air conditioning there… We feel ya!

But, there is something that can help… These refreshing selection of recipes we have created will help take you from wet dog to cooled down kitty cat IN NO TIME!

Have a go…

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA ICE-CREAM //

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Frozen bananas + peanut butter + whey = DELICIOUSNESS!

Recipe here //

COCO PRO ICE POPS //

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CocoPro High Protein Coconut Water in Pineapple flavour makes for the perfect protein ice-pops!

Recipe here //

RASPBERRY FLUFF ICE-CREAM //

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Who knew frozen raspberries and whey would make such a delicious treat! Make fluff or ice-cream with the very same recipe!

Recipe here //

GREEN MACA SMOOTHIE //

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Add some ice to this nutritious refreshment for a light, low-fat, vegan-friendly summer drink!

Recipe here //

PROTEIN JELLIES //

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Jelly is great no matter the occasion! Try this one for a supped up protein version!

Recipe here //

TOP TIP // WE LOVE ADDING LOADS OF ICE TO OUR COLA BCAA’S FOR A QUICK (EASY) REFRESHMENT! TRY IT WITH YOUR FAVOURITE FLAVOURS!

 

OATMEAL COOKIE WHEYHEY SANDWICH //

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This is the most decadent of them all! No baking required, you will however need some decent amount of will power to avoid eating more than one!

Recipe here //

BLUEBERRY LEMON ICE POPS //

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This combination of flavours is truly sublime and so damn refreshing! Perfect to consume pre AND post freezing! YUM!

Recipe here //

RAZZLE DAZZLE SMOOTHIE //

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Want something a bit easier to make? Add these ingredients to your blender and PERFECTO! Add ice to help with cooling down!

Recipe here //

 

MOST IMPORTANTLY…

Keep your skin safe, wear sunscreen, keep hydrated, use a portable battery operated fan if need be. (They are cool promise) or find your nearest pond or fountain and bathe yourself silly.

Our buddies at BULK POWDERS™ have some sound advice on how to survive a heatwave if you need it…

 

Otherwise, enjoy! Summer’s only come round once a year! 😛

 

Lots of love,

The Muscle Baker <3

Why Nutritional Yeast is so (fricking) awesome!

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We cannot really remember the time when Nutritional Yeast didn’t form part of our pantry, or do we want to! All we DO remember is being recommended it by a foodie friend who swore by it, and that was it… the beginning of a beautiful love affair with Nutritional Yeast. *insert love hearts here*

The name does not really help sell it, most people make the automatic connection to mainstream yeast, which is used in bread and beer ie the foods most people avoid when eating ‘healthy’. And I loosely say the term ‘healthy’ ( but, thats a post for another day).

Anyhow, we can confirm that this is NOT that same yeast, just its long lost distant cousing (at best) and this is a proclamation as to why you need it in your life. ASAP.

How is it made?
Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing a yeast in a nutrient medium for several days. The primary ingredient in the growth medium is glucose, often from either sugarcane or beet molasses. When the yeast is ready, it is killed (deactivated) with heat and then harvested, washed, dried and packaged.^

What does it look like?
We prefer using Nutritional Yeast Flakes, but it also comes in a powder form and is a yellowy colour, with a light ‘nutty and ‘cheesy’ smell to it.

Nutritional Yeast Flakes

What does it taste like?
The taste is hard to describe, mainly because you won’t believe it tastes cheesy without it being ACTUAL cheese. But it does, it gives a rich flavour to a lot of dishes and is used a lot in Vegan cooking. The savoury taste of nutritional yeast comes from glutamic acid, an amino acid that is formed during the drying process. Glutamic acid is a naturally occurring amino acid found in many fruits and vegetables and is not the same as the commercial additive monosodium glutamate. We LOVE it sprinkled in soup, to make Kale chips AND to make Cheesy Nachos ofc.

What are the benefits?
On average, two tablespoons provides 60 calories with 5 g of carbohydrates (of which 4 g is fiber).

A serving also provides 9 g of protein and is actually a complete protein, providing all nine amino acids the human body cannot produce. That’s more than in 1 cup of whole milk (8g), a large egg (6g), or one oz. of beef (7g).

Nutritional yeast is a source of B vitamins, including thiamine, folate, B-6 and niacin. Just 1/2 tablespoon of some brands will provide you with a day’s worth of B vitamins, while other brands offer between 30 and 100 percent of the B vitamins.

^ Sourced from Wikipedia.

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STILL NOT CONVINCED?
Check these recipes out, if the above didnt sway you, no doubt these will!

 

CHEESY KALE CRISPS //

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If you’re a sucker for crisps, then look no further. In no less than 3 ingredients, these crunchy Kale crisps alternative will conquer them cravings!

 

VEGAN CHEESY NACHOS //

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Doritos better move over, theres competition in town.

 

PROTEIN FLAT ROLLS //

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Struggle to find Gluten-Free breads which taste good? Try these! Added nutritional yeast for extra (awesome) flavour!

VEGAN CHEESY SAUCE //

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Although we dipped our chicken skewers in it, the sauce is Vegan friendly, wahey! Go check out for yourself.

 

Hope you enjoyed this article and selection of recipes, we hope to be doing more like this in future.

 

If there is anything you’d like to see us talk about, just comment below, we are happy to hear from you!

 

Lots of love,

The Muscle Baker <3