Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Truffles [Protein + Complex Carb]

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:

5 ingredients. Mix and refrigerate.

My original version of these power balls packs fiber and healthy fat power, but these quickies are protein+complex carb rich. I love bringing these to parties because they look and taste yummy, but they are secretly healthful!

Keep in mind that I usually eye ball my measurements, so recognize that this recipe is 1) to taste and 2) extremely forgiving (as are most of my recipes that I post)

• 1 1/2 C oats
• 3/4 nut butter
• 2 Tbsp honey (you can use raw honey OR if you need something leaner this is a sugar free honey out there that is an imitation honey and its delicious)
• 1/2 C extra-dark chocolate chips OR sugar-free chocolate morsels
• 1 scoop low-carb chocolate protein (I use Beverly International UMP for this because it has a creamy texture)
• optional: 1 heaping Tbsp sugar free hot fudge

Really great tips:

1. when you mix this, use your hands (the warmth of your hand melts the butter a bit so that it combines better with the oats)
2. when rolling these into balls, mash it in your fists back and forth (the warmth of your hand melts the butter a bit so that it combines better with the oats)
3. you may need to add more nut butter or honey if your batch needs more sticking power
4. pop these in the fridge for an hour before serving

Vanilla Protein Pancakes

This recipe is brought to you by bodybuilder, Charles Williams.  Bodybuilding has turned him into a kitchen fiend! He is always looking for lean ways to recreate delicious foods. Why let your taste buds suffer when you there is a whole world of delicious lean foods to be had!

I can never get enough of protein pancakes. Who can pass up a protein rich food disguised as a treat?!

Ingredients:

• 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Power
• 1/2 Cup Oats (Blended)
• 1 Egg White
• 1/4 Cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 TB Unsweetened Coconut Milk (or milk of choice)

Directions:

1. Grind oats in blender (on blend mode is sufficient)
2. Stir dry ingredients together
3. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix well (batter will be thick)
4. Heat pan on medium heat or low-medium heat
5. Spray pan with nonstick spray and slowly spoon or ladle batter into pan
6. Cook time will vary based on the size of your cakes.  Mine took about a minute and 30 seconds before I flipped them
7. Top with fruit, Greek yogurt, sugar-free maple syrup, or smother that bad boy with peanut butter

Nutrition:

Calories: 383
Protein: 36
Carbs: 41
Fat: 9
Sugar: 8
Sodium: 275

Recipe and nutrition count graciously provided by Charles Williams. Charles Williams – Designer by day, Bodybuilder by night

Sweet Potato Hash Brown Sticks

Hash brown sticks for on the go, but even cleaner yet are these waffle iron sweet potato hash browns!

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, shredded (Use a grater, or food processor for shredding. I used a mandolin and they still turned out great)
  
• 3 tbsp of flour (you can use any flour of your choice. I like coconut, garbanzo bean, oat, almond, buckwheat and quinoa flours)
  
• Butter flavored zero calorie cooking spray (I love Emeril Lagasse’s zero calorie Buttery cooking spray) OR olive oil OR vegetable oil

Optional awesomeness:

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp stevia
  OR
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat your *waffle iron on a low or medium low setting *(if you do not have a waffle iron, see below for my variations)
2. Pat your shredded sweet potatoes dry with a paper towel – get that moisture out!
3. Sprinkle the flour and mix (by hand is fine). I call it a dough, it starts feeling that way.
4. Once heated, spray with cooking spray then layer the shredded sweet potato on the iron. Thickness mar vary by waffle iron, but I’d say about 1/4″ or less, then you smoosh it down when you close the iron.
5. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until brown and crisp on the outside. The first one is always a botch, so don’t be discouraged!

*If you want to form these for frying, mix 3-4 heaping tablespoons oat flour (you can use any flour of your choice. I like coconut, garbanzo bean, oat , almond, buckwheat and quinoa flours) and then form into logs. I like to squish my logs down so they are thinner and crispier.

Baking With Protein Powder

My journey of cooking with protein powder has felt like being in a pitch black cave – bumping and tripping my way through a tunnel I know nothing about.  I’ve been bumping around this cave for some time now and am starting to get to know this cave…and even feel comfortable, familiar and confident.

What I hated most with protein recipes – that darn RUBBERY texture! That airy texture that made you feel like you were eating an old, hard kitchen sponge…that was supposed to be healthy for you.

Well I am here to put an end to your protein powder cooking woes!! (or…at least give you some tools to help you tweak your recipe closer to “yum” than “yuck”)

Rule #1:  The ONE QUARTER (1/4) rule

Keep your whey protein powder to no more than 1/4 of your batter. You have to combat the whey’s after-cook rubbery tendency with moisture ingredients to help weigh it down, hence the 1/4 rule.  Some people will actually say much less (like 1/8), but it kind of depends on your recipe and your taste buds.

Rule #2:  MOISTURIZE

A main moisture element is necessary, but your recipe does not need to be limited to just one.  I will use things like water and applesauce, or baby food and water, or coconut oil, or peanut butter or cottage cheese – or any combination of these.

Rule #3:  BLESS BE THE TIES THAT BIND

Don’t forget your binding agent of eggs! Or egg whites, of course.  Depending on your recipe, sometimes things like honey or peanut butter can be enough of a binding agent.

Rule #4:  BAKE TIME

Whey protein gets rubbery when cooked (baked, pan fried, cooked) and though these rules help to combat it, one of the key things to watch out for is cook time.  I have found that my protein versions of recipes often are fully-cooked sooner than the allotted recipe cook time.  So if you are making pancakes, you may need to flip sooner OR if baking cookies, cut it short by 5 minutes (or more!).  Bottom line, watch the first batch and don’t hesitate to check it prematurely. You can always put it back, but you can’t reverse the rubber.  With some of my recipes that I post I even mention to under-cook it a little. The ingredients that have to be cooked (like eggs), will be cooked very early on, so you don’t have to worry about bacteria.

Rule #5:  NOT EVERY GIRL LIKES FLOURS

This rule is made to break. Flour works well with whey because it helps give volume, but most of the time I try to find ways to omit it (even the healthy flours) because I am trying to have a specific nutritional content.

Here are some flours that I have worked with that are high-protein, gluten-free and high-fiber:

almond flour – brings hints of almond flavor 
amaranth flour – I have never baked with SOLELY amaranth, so as far as flavor I cannot personally attest, but I do know that it is jam packed with protein, fiber, lysine, and essential amino acids
buckwheat flour – a hearty flavor
coconut flour – has a very very mild taste
garbanzo bean/chickpea flour – has a bean flavor that is very distinct to me, but most people I have served cannot pin-point it
oat flour – rich and full flavor 
quinoa flour – delicate and slightly nutty flavor

So, if you can keep these 5 rules in mind your limits for protein recipes will know no bounds! Think pancakes…cookies…breads…muffins!! And say bye-bye to rubber. Document as you go so you can learn and tweak your recipes. The best way to lead a healthy fit life is to be skillful in the kitchen. Some of the best lessons are learned by trial and error! Document, tweak and share with the rest of us!

Cooking with whey is even easier than baking and a lot less rules, but that’s another story 🙂

Protein Cookies: Oatmeal & Chocolate Peanut Butter

Easy, healthy, CLEAN cookies for even the bodybuilder in my house. These take me 15 minutes! 8-10 minutes in the oven and voila!

Dry Ingredients:

1/3 Cup zero cal sweetener
2 cups old fashioned oats
3 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (or a baking blend of cardamom, cinnamon (yes more cinnamon), nutmeg, allspice)

Wet Ingredients:

1 (4oz) individual size container No Sugar Added applesauce OR fruit baby food (berry and banana flavors work well and add enough moisture)
1/2 C PB (you can make this with as little as 2 TBSP. I tried it for my own batch (less fat) and they turn out great.  I tweaked the recipe for more PB to make it a little less dense and add more fat for my husband’s off-season diet)
2 egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp water

Extra Awesome:

if your diet allows for extra carbs/fats
raisins
nuts
SF chocolate chips
measure by handful or 1/2 cup

Suggested Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl (do not stir yet)
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture (add your Awesome at this time too) and mix on low speed or by hand until fully blended. I try not to overbeat this mixture
5. Prep cookie sheet with Zero Calorie butter flavored cooking spray
6. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet OR bake these as bars (lay the dough as a sheet and cut them after baking)
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Careful not to overcook – almost better to slightly “under-cook” these. The eggs will be cooked within the first few minutes, and the oats (especially if you use quick oats) will be chewy enough early on. Under baking these means for softer cookies rather than crunch bars or that terrible protein spongy-ness.

The above directions are what helped me get a texture that was really enjoyable for even the non-healthful eaters of our home, BUT it does not need to be followed to the letter. For example, you can combine all ingredients at once to save you time; you can also drop the dough by the spoonfuls on to your pan (no ball forming necessary).  The key thing is not over-baking.

“Mini” Party Menu

I recently hosted a couples shower for my friends who adopted a little boy. The event was to be all-grown-ups, in the evening and…over DINNER!  To host a party over dinner is a big undertaking in my mind because I am Filipino. Our culture is all about feeding your guests – and that’s regardless of meal time! So having an event right over a meal (6:00) meant lots and LOTS of food.

My co-host came up with the idea to have mini bundt cakes instead of a traditional cake or cupcakes.  This turned out to be a BRILLIANT idea (and ridiculous moist and delicious).  The “mini” spawned the idea for the rest of my menu.

Pictures now, recipes to follow 🙂

I did forget to get pictures of the Steak Nacho Sauce and Chip station (where I put salsa in a giant margarita glass in the middle of an extra large, wide mouthed wood bowl and found small nacho trays, perfect for single-person munching!  AND I forgot to get a picture of the Mini Hot Dog station – adorable.  Hawaiian mini buns, hot mini weenies, and the works of condiments. Yummm. Hit!

*Chocolate chip cookie dough dip  -served with graham crackers and animal crackers for dipping
*pastry balls in chocolate sauce on individual spoons
*mini bundt cakes
*cranberry cherry cream jello flutes
*guacamole and goat cheese toasts
*antipasto skewers over olive oil and cracked pepper
*red apple “jubilation” (apple, berry citrus, champagne punch)
*shrimp cocktail in mini footed bowls
*sushi
*crudites
*chicken bacon artichoke flat-bread
*pepperoni flat-bread

Sweet Ginger Soy Chicken

My husband trains like a bodybuilder and when he cracks down that means his diet gets really lean and methodical. This makes for some fun new inventions in the kitchen! I love helping him eat clean (I mean, heck, who’s really benefiting here? *wink*)

This took 15 minutes 🙂

Ingredients

• 1 (2.3 lbs) pkg chicken, sliced
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2-3 tsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic (use 1 heaping tbsp ready minced, its faster prep)
• 1 heaping tbsp minced ginger
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey or sucanat
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame  (rinse in cold water in colander and set aside) OR  1 can green peas, drained

Directions

1. Heat sesame oil in pan on medium heat
2. Add onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, then add 3 cloves garlic and cook additional 2-3 minutes or until onion is translucent
3. Add chicken and ginger
4. Stir in broth, soy and honey. Then add edamame/peas and cook until tender

Sorry, no picture as of yet!…it was gone before I could get a good pic! Ah, well…

Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce

My kid brother made me proud – he made these gyros from scratch! He did a half-lamb, half-beef blend and served it on whole wheat pita with tzatziki sauce, grilled onions and fresh diced tomatoes. Yum!

This was spun from the recipe by Alton Brown. Robert’s only alterations were adding Oregano and Thyme and doing the beef-lamb blend. For the tzatziki sauce he exchanged the plain yogurt for Greek yogurt.

Rosemary Garlic Drumsticks

Ingredients

• This recipe coats 10 chicken drumsticks:
• 1-2 eggs (I only needed 1, but depending on how large your eggs are you may need 2. This is only to coat the drumsticks)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dehydrated garlic
• 1/2 tsp dehydrated onion
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp paprika (for color)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• olive oil

Directions

1. Set oven to 350°F
2. Whisk the egg(s) in a wide mouth bowl (so you can dip the drumsticks easily)
3. Mix all remaining ingredients in another wide mouth bowl or plate (so you can roll the drumsticks easily)
4. Coat drumsticks in egg, then roll in spices (I’m not gonna lie…I totally used my fingers to smudge some around to ensure it was well seasoned)
5. In a skillet on medium heat, add oil and lightly brown the drumsticks (this is only for aesthetics, so don’t go crazy with trying to cook or fry them here)
6. Place the drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up)
7. lightly spray with oil or 0 calorie butter to keep the drums moist
8. Bake for 25 minutes on one side then flip and bake for a final 15 minutes, or until cooked through (juices will run clear)

Garage Chili

Brown the meat

Season while browning

• 2 lbs 96% lean sirloin or 99% ground turkey or chicken
• 1 tsp ground onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Meanwhile…

Fire it up

Throw the following in the slow cooker (or do this stove top on low to medium low)

• 4 (15 oz) cans beans, strained (Organics tri-bean blend, garbanzo, kidney, black, white northern, porkNbeans, or Ranch style pinto beans)
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, strained
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, strained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala (this is a blend of coriander, pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon)
• 1 Tbsp high quality chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon

Strain the browned meat and stir in to chili mixture and it will be ready to eat in 30 minutes, BUT it will taste best if you let it simmer for 2-4 hours *wink*