Showing posts with label protein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label protein. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Fresh Lime-Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

Fresh Lime-Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

Cool and refreshing, this is the perfect summer smoothie! I have made it three times over the last few days since it is insanely hot here and I just could not face my normal hot protein drink for breakfast. I did use fresh limes to make these, but you can probably use bottled lime juice – but the fresh juice and zest will make for a better smoothie. I plan on making these at least somewhat frequently so I made ice cubes from the juice and zest so I can make this even faster by just popping two of them into the blender and reducing the amount of normal ice cubes. You can also use a higher fat yogurt and your favorite milk if you prefer – and can also add more protein powder or omit it entirely.

4-5 ice cubes
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (120 calories, 21.25 grams protein)
1/2 cup regular or low fat milk or soy milk (for testing I used low fat soy milk) (35 calories, 2 grams protein)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (50 calories, 10 grams protein)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Juice and freshly grated zest of ½ lime (10 calories)
Dash salt

Add the ice cubes to a blender or food processor and whirl until the ice cubes are crushed. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour into a glass and serve chilled.

Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

215 calories, 33.25 grams protein

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Strawberry-Watermelon Frozen Yogurt

Strawberry-Watermelon Frozen Yogurt

I have been on a frozen yogurt kick recently. Partly because I bought a whole ton on sale. And partly because I dropped my ice cream maker and broke the cover. Which was a major tragedy and the week it has taken to get my replacement lid has been an eternity given the 95+ degree temperatures. Since my experiments with chocolate ice cream made without my beloved ice cream maker produced an ice cream that was OK, but not fantastic, frozen yogurt seemed like a good idea. You could probably toss this in an ice cream maker, but the resulting frozen yogurt has a great texture as is - as long as you eat it soft or semi-soft. If it freezes too long it becomes very hard and can be trickier to soften than ice cream. If you want to make it in advance, consider using some higher fat yogurt for a creamier consistency. If you do not have frozen fruit you can use several ice cubes with fresh fruit. I freeze my own fruit, but if you can find frozen melon and berries (without added sugar) you can certainly use them.

1/2 cup frozen watermelon cubes (23 calories, 0.5 grams protein)
1/3 cup frozen sliced strawberries (16 calories, 0.3 grams protein)
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (120 calories, 21.25 grams protein)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (50 calories, 10 grams protein)
1 tablespoon sugar substitute (for testing we used liquid Splenda and liquid Stevia) Dash salt

Add the watermelon and strawberries to a blender or food processor and whirl until the fruit is pulverized. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture is thick and smooth. Scoop into a bowl and serve immediately, or freeze for up to an hour before enjoying.

Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

209 calories, 32 grams protein

Friday, September 2, 2011

Mini Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Mini Spicy Black Bean Burgers

I do adore these tender, spicy little sliders! Black soy beans have more protein than regular black beans, and in most recipes you cannot tell the difference, so I almost always use them. I love the flavor smoked paprika adds to this recipe, but you can certainly use any paprika you have on hand, and can also adjust the amount of heat by increasing the amount of crushed red pepper, using a mix of dried pepper flakes, adding some cayenne or hot sauce, or even by using finely minced fresh hot peppers. This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by using Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce and a vegetarian egg substitute. I love it with my Roasted Red Pepper and Yogurt Sauce, but it is also excellent with just a little sour cream or yogurt, salsa, barbecue sauce, or even sugar free chutney.

2 15-ounce cans drained and rinsed black soy beans or black beans (for testing we used black soy beans) (880 calories, 77 grams protein)
2 finely minced scallions (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon regular or Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1 beaten egg white or egg substitute (16 calories, 3.6 grams protein)
1 scoop heat stable unflavored protein powder (for testing we used Any Whey protein powder) (70 calories, 17 grams protein)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Roasted Red Pepper and Yogurt Sauce (optional)

Smush the beans in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in the egg white until well blended, and then add the remaining ingredients until well-blended. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and generously grease with non-stick cooking spray. While the pan is heating, form the bean mixture into 10 small patties and set on a large plate or platter. Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are heated through and have a golden-brown crust. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold by themselves, or in lettuce leaves topped with the roasted red pepper and yogurt sauce.

Makes 10 servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

966 calories and 97.6 grams protein total (without sauce)
96.6 calories and 9.76 grams protein per serving (without sauce)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Chocolate "Super Fudge" Pudding

The first month post-op this pudding - or the frozen pudding pops - were a total lifesaver. When I mix up a batch of pudding I typically will package some of the mixed pudding in 1-ounce and 3-ounce containers and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you package the pudding in these smaller containers it will chill and set in 5-10 minutes. I make two sizes of pudding pops. The first is in a typical 3-ounce ice pop mold and the second is a "baby" 1-ounce mold. Before I purchased the molds I just used a 1-ounce medicine cup with a sturdy toothpick stuck in it, but I now make so many of pudding pops and ice pops that the plastic and silicone molds are much handier and environmentally friendlier. (They are also easier to handle and a lot less messy!)

1 4-serving package sugar free chocolate pudding (for testing we used Better Bowls Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding (160 calories, 12 grams protein)
1 scoop unflavored or chocolate protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Chocolate Splendor Whey Protein Powder (100 calories, 20 grams protein)
1/4 cup dry skim milk (60 calories, 6 grams protein)
2 cups skim milk (172 calories, 16.8 grams protein)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the dry ingredients until well blended. Slowly whisk in the milk and stir until well mixed. Add the vanilla and mix until well-incorporated. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. The mixture can also be poured into small cups or ice pop molds and froze for at least three hours before eating.

Makes 18 servings (about 1 ounce each)

492 calories, 54.8 grams protein
27.3 calories, 3 grams protein

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

This ice cream has a dark, rich, chocolate flavor and creamy consistency that I adore! I typically use the Chocolate Splendor protein powder by Unjury, but any chocolate protein powder that you like should work. You can use skim milk or low fat soy milk, but the ice cream will not be as rich and will be closer to ice milk in consistency. I use an ice cream maker for mine, but if you do not have one you can make it without an ice cream maker - it just will not be as creamy. And quite frankly, no where near as good! If you do not want to use an ice cream maker, make sure you mix it in a blender or with a mixer to get it light and fluffy and stir it every 20-30 minutes as it is freezing until it is too hard to stir. I use the Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa, but you can use any unsweetened cocoa you like. The Hershey's Dark unsweetened cocoa makes an even darker ice cream, but I like the flavor of the Ghiardelli better, personally. You can eat this right out of the ice cream maker for a very soft serve, place it in the freezer for a few minutes for a more traditional soft serve style, or for an hour for a hard ice cream. However, due to the lack of sugar this ice cream does become quite hard in the freezer due to the lack of sugar. You can take it out a little bit ahead of time to soften, or do so quickly by microwaving for 10-20 seconds at half power.

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Chocolate Splendor Whey Protein Powder (200 calories, 40 grams protein)
1 cup full fat vanilla or regular soy milk or 2% or regular milk (for testing we used soy milk) (131 calories, 8 grams of protein)
1 tablespoon Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa (15 calories, 1 gram protein)
2 packets Truvia or Splenda (or your favorite artificial sweetener) (5 calories)
2 tablespoons chocolate sugar free syrup (Torani or DaVinci)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Whisk together all of the ingredients well. Put the freezer bowl in the ice cream maker. Insert the beater and cover with the lid. Turn on the machine and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. After fifteen minutes, scape the sides of the bowl and turn back on and stir for another 10-15 minutes, or until the ice cream is soft-serve style. Spoon out with a soft spatula or spoon. Eat immediately, or place in freezer-safe containers.

Makes 4 servings.
12.25 grams of protein, 88 calories per serving

Friday, July 8, 2011

Dark Chocolate Pro-Co-Coa

Dark Chocolate Pro-Co-Coa

A variation on the recipe I use the most, this deep, dark chocolate drink is one of many different variations I will be posting over the next few weeks. For all the basics on tips and how to make my Pro-Co-Coas, make sure to read the original recipe. The Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa is an essential part of this recipe. Not only does it make for a rich, dark chocolate flavor – it makes the cocoa a dark, dark almost black brown color.

2 cups hot water
1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Chocolate Splendor Whey Protein Powder (150 calories, 30 grams protein)
1 1/2 tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (30 calories, 1.5 grams protein)
1 tablespoon chocolate sugar free syrup (Torani or DaVinci)
Dash vanilla extract
Mix everything together in a 20-ounce or larger mug or cup. Enjoy hot.

Makes one serving.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

180 calories, 31.5 grams protein