Rocky Road Protein Frozen Pie

Cuz it's a ROCKY ROAD baby!

So here's the quick and dirty version of how this dessert came to be. It started in church (doesn't everything?). I was greeter so essentially my job is to hand out the church programs to people coming in. There is also this magazine for kids and pre-teens called "Pockets from the Upper Room." Well I usually flip through it with my oldest daughter every month and every month they have some yummy (totally not WLS-friendly) recipe in there. This month's recipe was a cookies 'n cream pie.

Fast forward to this evening. I wanted to make dessert. Cuz if I don't then I have to watch people eat dessert that I can't eat which makes me very grumpy. Sooooo...I began to think. About pie. But I didn't want cookies 'n cream. And for that matter I had no cookies (danger food for me ya see...). So I began to think what I had on hand. Chocolate pudding? Check. Whipped topping? Check. What else? Let's see...sugar free chocolate chips...nuts...sugar free marshmallows...DING! Idea! Light bulb! And so ths idea was born.

WARNING: This is the kind of dessert that makes me very happy that I live with other people. If you live alone, invite others to share this with you. Trust me...you do NOT want to be alone with this pie. I was alone with it for 30 minutes and the damn thing drove me from my home! I hadda sit outside until others joined me.

Nik's Rocky Road Pie

Ingredients:

1 package sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding
2 scoops of your favorite chocolate whey (I use this)
1.5 cups skim milk
1 tub of fat-free whipped topping (I use Fit and Active from Aldi's)
1/4 c. sugar-free chocolate chips
1/4 c. nuts (I used chopped walnuts but slivered almonds work too)
4 sugar-free marshmallows, sliced into mini-pieces (I find this works best using kitchen scissors that have been sprayed with nonstick)

For crust:

2 c. Fiber One twig cereal, crushed
1.5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp Splenda
2 tbsp sugar-free chocolate syrup
3-4 tablespoons butter spread (or butter if you can swing it...I use Blue Bonnet Light)

Directions:

1. To get your crust started, combine cereal crumbs with unsweetened cocoa powder and Splenda and whisk until thoroughly mixed.

2. Add syrup then butter then mix (I find it works best by hand) until a coarse meal forms.

3. Press crust into a pie plate and bake in preheated 350 oven for 10 minutes

4. In a bowl, combine pudding mix and protein powder and whisk until combined. Add milk and beat with hand mixer until fully mixed (be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl). Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

5. When crust is done, remove from oven and allow to thoroughly cool (this works best on a wire rack)

6. When pudding mixture is slightly set, remove from refrigerator and add chocolate chips, nuts, and marshmallows. Add entire tub of whipped topping and gently fold using a spatula or scraper until fully mixed.

7. Pour mixture into pie crust and spread evenly. Freeze for about 3 hours. Remove from freezer a few minutes before serving and put any leftovers back into the freezer.

Oh...sweet Lordy this is good! And the stats aren't bad either. Again, this assumes MY ingredients. 'Cept the marshmallows which weren't in "le database." For those add an additional 2.5 calories and .98g of carbs per slice. The stats assume 1/16 of the pie which is what I eat. Your family would probably eat 1/8 but still...not bad at all in comparison to what they COULD be eating...doncha think?

Mexican Lasagna

So ok, before we start one note of caution: when you're cooking chew gum. Seriously. Cuz I made this one this evening so I could photograph it and I was just a'tastin' the ingredients. Now it is done...and beautiful...and yummy (I had a small nibble) and I'M TOO DANG FULL TO HAVE A SLICE!!!

Moving on...


Nik's Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken, whatever)
Optional but I used: 1 cup textured vegetable protein
1 small can of mild green chiles
1 small onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 packet of taco seasoning
2.5 cups 2% Mexican blend cheese
1 can fat-free refried beans
1/2 a jar Enchilada sauce
Either 4 small low-carb, whole-wheat tortillas OR 2 Flat-out wraps (I used the Fit and Active brand multi-grain wraps from Aldi's)
6 oz. chorizo sausage, either sliced or casings removed (I went for the latter)

Optional toppings:

Unflavored greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
Salsa

Directions:

1. In a sprayed pan, sautee onions and green peppers until soft, add green chiles and warm through.
2. In a sprayed skillet brown ground meat and chorizo.
3. In a separate large bowl combine TVP with an equal amount of water. Add salt and pepper and stir to incorporate.
4. Combine meat mixture, veggie mixture and TVP in the large bowl with taco seasoning.
5. In a 13x9 casserole dish spread a layer of the meat mixture. Top with a enchilada sauce, refried beans, then cheese cover with one of your wraps (trim it if it is too big for your casserole dish). Repeat your layering so that you end up with the top layer being cheese which should come level with your casserole dish.
6. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.
7. Extract and remove from heat. Allow to cool about 10 - 15 minutes before cutting

Just finished lasagna out of the oven. Mmmmmm...

This stuff is YUMMY. Now for the carbophobes out there, you CAN substitute the wrap/tortilla action with something like zucchini but I wouldn't. Why? If you use flat-outs or the Aldi's brand you are getting not a lot of carbs (You use 2 for the whole lasagna and each has 17g of carbs, 9 of which come from fiber. And 100 calories. So really, you're not getting many calories OR carbs and in return you are getting good fiber, k? So breathe and eat yer damn carbs!

For those of you obsessed with stats, here are the stats using MY INGREDIENTS. Yours may vary.

And if your mouth is watering at this, check out some other Mexican inspired favorites of ours:

Fiesta Tuna boats
Chicken enchiladas
Taco casserole (scroll down for the recipe)

Next up: We travel down to the bayou to offend the sensibilities of good Cajuns with WLS friendly shrimp 'n grits!

The "Official" Triple X method post

I needed one central place for the Triple X method to be so I could link back when the need arises. So here it is kids…(doesn’t this feel like when you’re in the car and you started singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the wall” and you get to 92 bottles and you are SO over it?)

Nik’s Triple X method to perfect triple thick shakes every time

Step 1: Load your blender with your liquid base (this assumes milk. It works to thicken water based shakes but it never quite achieves “triple thick” status), protein, and any flavor additives (sugar-free syrup, pudding mix, Splenda, whatever. But not frozen fruit yet).

Step 2: Turn your blender on.

Step 3: Walk away for two minutes. Yes two whole minutes. Trust me this works. Go write a check (preferably to me…kidding…kinda…), check your voicemail, check your e-mail. JUST GO DO SOMETHING FOR TWO MINUTES.

Step 4: Turn blender off. If it has gone long enough you should get a phenomena that I call “Gurgle Pop” wherein a very large air bubble comes to the surface and bursts. The shake will already be thick and creamy looking but it’s not totally there yet.

Step 5: To get it triple thick you gotta add some ice. How much is up to you. I add ice until 2 cubes break the surface of the liquid. But I drink freakishly large protein shakes. So if you have smaller pouch capacity than me (and 98.7% of you do), play around with your amounts and find what works best for you.

Step 6: Blend again on ice crushing mode until your blender begins to purr like a kitten (mmmmm…that thought makes me sleepy…).

Step 7: Pour in glass. Add whippage or anything else as you see fit. Live. Love. Be happy.

K?

SOME DISCLAIMERS:

-Two minutes is a LONG time in blending time. If you have other people in the house who are sleeping and, if you like me have a blender that rivals a jackhammer in decibel power, you might want to plan your escape route before starting this process (shout out to kilmarlic on OH for that tip)

-As I said before, but bears repeating, your shake will be large. Make accommodations! Perhaps go back to that fateful day in kindergarden when your teacher taught you the "s" word...(share, people, share!!! What kinda kindergarden teachers did YOU have?)

Kahlua and Scream!

I have been having such fun playing with the protein products I plan to demonstrate at the Protein Shake Pouch Party for Dr. Von Reuden’s support group later this month. If you are a patient of DVR and want to attend, call in to the office and reserve your space today! (/end shameless self promotion)

So this morning I wanted to try something a little different with my Vanilla Click. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record but I really like this stuff. It is so versatile. With the mocha you are sort of attached to the chocolate flavor. Vanilla? You can bury that flavor in a million other things if you try hard enough.

If any of you have checked out my protein shake list, you may have noticed my “mudslide” protein shake. I modeled it after the drink at Applebee’s which is a concoction of chocolate, Kahlua and cream. Now I’m not much of a drinker, but to my understanding there is a drink that is simply Kahlua and cream. I think this protein shake speaks to those who loved that particular drink and hence it’s name.

Nik’s Kahlua and Cream protein shake

8 oz. milk (I use Hood Calorie Countdown)

1 scoop cookies ‘n crème protein powder (I used Max Protein this time but usually I’d do Body Fortress)

1 scoop Vanilla Click

3-5 pumps Davinci Sugar-free Kahlua syrup

2-3 packets of Splenda (to taste…you all know about me and sweetness)

Ice (however much you use)

If you like the thickness, use the Triple X method—mix protein, syrup and milk for 2 full minutes in your blender. Yes, two minutes. The whole two minutes. Then add ice and blend again another minute or two until everything is nice and crushed. I like to top with a little poof of whippage. Use your own discretion on that one. For newbies, you might want to halve this recipe (and for that matter you might want to hold off on the Triple X method) as this makes a pretty large shake that is over 40g of protein and it just may be too much for you.

But boy is it yummy…OMG…now having never tasted actual Kahlua and Cream (I was a hopeless square as a pre-op) I can’t attest to its proximity to the original but I know one thing for sure: this is SO becoming protein ice cream this weekend!

Banana Protein Cheesecake

Ok, first of all...how come everytime I'm about to post something really good my camera starts to act stupid? Let's discuss THAT. (or not)
Protein cheesecake...YAY!!!

There is one benefit to my being so late with this. I ended up having to make another one (the sacrifices I make for youse guys!!!) and this time tried one with a hint of banana. OMG...serious yumminess going on here.

So here's the set up:


Crust

2 cups Fiber One Original cereal (the twiggy kind)

2 tbsp light butter spread (I use Blue Bonnet Light)

2 tbsp Splenda



Directions for the crust:


Using a food processor, grind together cereal, butter spread, and Splenda until a course meal forms.

Press into a springform pan (or if making cheesecake squares, into a foil lined and sprayed 9x13 baking pan)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and allow to cool

Cheesecake Ingredients

Two 8 oz. packages of Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cheese)

1 cup 0% unflavored greek yogurt

2 eggs

either 2 tsp of lemon zest OR 2 packets of True Lemon

3 scoops of your favorite vanilla protein powder (make sure the calorie range is somewhere around 100-120 calories but no higher)

1/2 c. milk

1 c. Splenda

For the banana hint:

1/2 package of fat-free, sugar-free banana cream pudding mix

Garnish shown above:

3 slices of banana
1/2 tablespoon sugar free caramel sauce

Directions:

In a bowl or cup, mix protein powder and milk until a smooth paste forms

In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and protein mixture and beat on low until incorporated (it may be lumpy...hell it will probably be lumpy...don't worry...it'll be fine)

Add lemon (or True Lemon), Splenda, and eggs and beat again on medium until everything is incorporated. Again, it will probably be fairly lumpy unless you're using protein that has been formulated for baking. Again, do not freak out. It's okay!!!

Pour mixture over cooled crust and spread to make an even layer.

NOW...if you are making in a baking pan you'd pop it in the oven and bake for 35 minutes

HOWEVER

If you are doing this in a spring form pan you do the following:

1. Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil

2. Set the pan in a larger pan (like a roasting pan)

3. Fill the roasting pan with warm water until it goes halfway up the springform pan

4. THEN put it in the oven

Keep an eye on it...especially if you are one of those perfectionists that doesn't like cracks in their cheesecake. Personally? So long as it tastes good I'm good to go.

Once the 35 minutes is up, prop the oven door open and keep the cake in there until the oven cools. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool another 20 minutes before refrigerating for about 3 hours (this is NOT a quickie treat).

It is...quite simply...lovely...

My next endeavor is to incorporate soft tofu in here somehow and remove some of the cream cheese. Stay tuned for that. Until then...enjoy!

NOTE: These slices are way bigger than I eat. I usually cut mine into 1/16th of the whole cake (these are cut into 1/8ths for the divas consumption). If you make squares they make about 24 good sized squares but as always it's flexible. Cut them as big or small as you like!

Stats: for the basic cheesecake recipe (not including the banana pudding...cuz I was just too lazy to do it up...later...maybe...)

For a round cake cut into 16 pieces: 126.25 calories, 11g carbs, 3.6g fiber, 8g protein

For 24 squares: 84 calories, 7.3g carbs, 2.4g fiber, 5.3g protein

*Note: if you use different ingredients than me, you may end up with different stats, always double check through your own food journal program.

Any way you slice it...much better stats than traditional cheesecake!