Cheese Blintz Crepes - Low Carb/High Protein

Oh yeah baby!  Crepes aren't just for Mother's Day anymore!
These are so good, no one will know how healthy they are.  Healthy enough for any diet, but yummy enough for special occasions - but why restrict yourself to one day a year?  You're special EVERY day!

Filling one serving-multiply recipe for more servings
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat ricotta
splenda to taste
1-2 drops almond or vanilla extract

Crepes (makes about 8 crepes)
1 cup Bob's Lowcarb Baking Mix
3/4-1 cup milk
4 eggs
40g protein powder of choice
splenda to taste (3-4 packets)

Warm filling in microwave and stir well.  Sometimes the cottage cheese makes the mix watery.  I have been using 1 tablespoon of coconut flour to absorb the moisture.

Blend crepe ingredients in blender.  Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot, nonstick pan sprayed well with Pam.  Turn over when the top looks almost cooked.  Crepe will only need to cook for less than a minute on the other side.

Fill crepes with cheese filling and top with fruit of choice!

Nutrition info for 2 crepes and filling:
calories - 450
carbs - 29g
fat - 15g
protein - 55g

Defatted Coconut

I'm always on the lookout for "better" ingredients.  Coconut is one of those things that usually don't fit into my diet because they're coated in sugar and high in fat.  Let's Do...Organic is a company that puts out, among other things, partially defatted coconut.  This stuff is great in lots of things - cookies, cakes, pancakes, coconut cream pie, etc.  The nutrition profile is much better than the other stuff!

Black Bean Chocolate Cake

*adapted from recipe found at www.healthyindulgences.net

Ingredients:
1 can of black beans, well-drained (make sure they are unseasoned, salt ok, but no garlic!)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
3/4 cup Whey Low sweetener (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy whipping cream or butter)
1Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Blend beans in blender until smooth
Add eggs and continue to blend
Add remaining ingredients and blend well

Pour into greased 8x8 pan
Bake for 40-50 min at 325

Nutrition Info (1/12th of cake)
145 calories
7g fat
20g carbs
7g fiber
8g protein

**actual pic of bean cake, but not my pic**

Defatted Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients-
1 1/3 cup reduced fat coconut flour (Lets Do... Organic)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg
1 cup sweetener of choice (mine is Whey Low)
1 cup Bob's Redmill Low Carb Baking Mix
1 cup healthy cereal of choice (I used Optimum Slim)
1 cup oatmeal or oat mixture (I used Old Wessex 5 grain cereal)
1 tsp vanilla or coconut extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions-
Combine wet ingredients
Combine dry ingredients
Combine all ingredients
Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet and flatten some
Bake at 350 for 12 min

Nutrition info (based on 18 cookies)
Calories-110
Fat-5g
Carbs-19g
Fiber-3g
Protein-5g

Great Grains and Super Seeds

Quinoa and Amaranth seeds are slowly making their way into my cooking.  Searching for a healthier alternative to rice, I discovered these two seeds.  They both contain a significant amount of complete protein per serving, plus fiber.  Both can be used in place of rice - I have also used Amaranth in place of corn grits in my cheesy polenta.  I have also used them both in place of rice in my rice raisin custard with great success.

Both of these grains are also available milled into flour.

Please note, these seeds need to be rinsed well prior to cooking as they both have a bitter coating.

Guar Gum/Xanthan Gum

They sound like things you probably wouldn't want to eat.  They're certainly not normal kitchen staples of your average Betty Crocker...  But learning a little about these ingredients may change your mind - and revolutionize your cooking.

Ok, revolutionize may be a strong word.  However, they have definitely been a positive addition to my pantry.  These two ingredients are all-natural thickeners.  They will make your protein shakes nice and milkshake-thick, and will prevent your ice cream from forming hard ice crystals.

From Bob's Redmill
"Both ingredients are frequently called for in gluten free recipes and can seem exotic at first, but they both serve the same general purpose as thickeners and emulsifiers. Quite simply, both these ingredients help keep your mixes mixed.
One of the differences between the two products is where they come from. Guar gum is made from a seed native to tropical Asia, while xanthan gum is made by a micro organism called Xanthomonas Camestris that is fed a diet of corn or soy.
In the kitchen, there are also important differences in using xanthan gum vs. guar gum. In general, guar gum is good for cold foods such as ice cream or pastry fillings, while xanthan gum is better for baked goods. Using a blender or a food processor is a great way to get the gums to dissolve properly."

Anyhoo, I'm not a "gluten-free" baker, so my practical application of these two gums has been limited to protein shakes and ice cream.

For ice cream, it is recommended that you use both gums together.   Xanthan thickens the ice-cream, and guar gum makes it creamy.  You should use roughly half the amount of xanthan as guar.  In 4 cups of liquid I would use 1/2 tsp guar gum and 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum.  Don't overdo it!  Too much of this stuff and you will have a solid gelatinous blob.

For protein shakes I generally use 1/4 tsp guar gum in 16 oz of fluid.

PB2 Whipped Cream Frosting

As promised, here is the recipe for the peanut butter frosting...

Ingredients-
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2-3 tablespoons PB2
2-3 tablespoons sweetener (I use Whey Low powdered sugar substitute)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Dr Oetker Whip It (if you have it, not critical)

Directions-
In cold bowl whip cream, sugar, WHIP IT, and vanilla.
As soft peaks form, sprinkle PB2 in.  Do not overmix.

Nutrition (per tablespoon)
Calories-60
Fat-5g
Carbs-3g