Protein Artist

Tag: lactose intolerant

  • Pineapple Meatballs with Protein Powder, 17 grams protein, 340 calories

    Pineapple Meatballs with Protein Powder, 17 grams protein, 340 calories

    IMG_3660This sweet meatball recipe with protein powder to hold the meat together instead of flour or breadcrumbs. For this recipe, I use lunch buddies cups because they are easier to find with no sugar added than the ordinary canned varieties.  I also use ground beef chuck rather than lean beef, so that I have all the fats that I need from this meal. Ground beef chuck comes from the shoulder and neck area of the cow and is usually very fatty but also has an immense amount of flavoring.  With this yummy sticky sweet sauce, you will be licking your fingers every time you sit down to this dish. Freezes very well. Perfect for lunch at the office.
    Ingredients

    • 1 lb ground beef chuck (76g,1120c
    • 1 scoop unjury protein powder chicken soup flavor, or plain unflavored (21g, 100c)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (120c)
    • 2 tablespoons hot water
    • 1 packet onion soup mix, about 16 tablespoons (320c)
    • ¼  cup  tomato juice (.25g, 12c)

    Sauce:

    • 1 cup tomato juice (1g, 50c)
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (60c)
    • ¼ Cup Granulated Splenda
    • ¼ cup white vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (2g,22c)
    • 1 lb pineapple tidbits, no sugar added (4 lunch buddies cups) (4g,240c)
    • Pineapple juice reserved from pineapple tidbits

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350.  Open the pineapple cups or can, and pour off the juice into a small saucepan.  Pour the pineapple tidbits into an oblong oven pan.

    Mix ground meatballs ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
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    Form into tiny teaspoon-sized meatballs. Drop onto large frying pan and Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side on medium heat.
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    Place cooked meatballs into the pan with the pineapple tidbits.
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    In the saucepan, add remainder of ingredients and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbling, about 8 minutes.
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    When sauce is done, pour  over meatballs and pineapple tidbits.

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    Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
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    Divide into 6 portions by separating 5-6 meatballs into each container first. Then, add the pineapples and sauce to make sure you will get your protein in first.

    Yields: 6 portions, 4 ounces each, at 17 grams protein, 340 calories.

  • Pastrami Stuffed Delicata Squash

    Pastrami Stuffed Delicata Squash

    IMG_3246Delicata winter squash is high in vitamin A and C. Besides for its beautiful designs, the skin is edible after roasting or baking, which saves you time in the kitchen. It also boosts your nutrient intake — the skin of vegetables often contains fiber and other vitamins and minerals.  This squash bakes very quickly in the oven. 

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Delicata Squash
    • 4 slices pastrami deli, 4 ounces   )
    • 1 ounce fresh spinach leaves
    • 1 shallot, about 1 ounce
    • ½ fresh red grapefruit, peeled
    • 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa )

    Directions:

    Scrub squash skin well, or peel if you’d like.
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    Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.

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    Place face down in a shallow pan.  Cover with aluminum foil  and bake on 450 for 15 minutes.

    In food processor, combine other ingredients and pulse until chopped. Scoop into squash halves, forming high mounds with leftover mixture.
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    Cover pan and return to oven for 20 more minutes. Allow to cool before cutting in half and dividing into four portions. Otherwise, the filling will spill out.  Reheat and serve. Refrigerates for up to one week in airtight container.

    Yields: 4 portions, about 3 ounces each, 8g protein, 105 calories

  • Mango Ginger Chicken Dinner, 11.5 grams protein, 169 calories

    Mango Ginger Chicken Dinner, 11.5 grams protein, 169 calories

    IMG_3133The most exciting part of this chicken dinner is not the sweet taste, but the mango bits that help with the chewing of the chicken. You may skip the cornstarch if you don’t favor a thick creamy sauce.  Mango might aid in decreasing risk of macular degeneration and colon cancer, while improving digestion and bone health, as well as skin and hair.

    Ingredients: 

    • 2 Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Cutlets (40g, 220c)
    • 1 teaspoon chopped Ginger (2c)
    • 1 Tablespoons Coconut or Olive Oil  (120c)
    • 1 mango, peeled and cubed, about 7 ounces (2.8g, 201c)
    • 1 stalk celery, chopped into tiny bits (.3, 6c)
    • 1 Tablespoon cashew butter (2g, 80c)
    • 1 packet artificial sweetener
    • 1 teaspoon (frozen cube) crushed ginger (5c)
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (1g, 11c)
    • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar (10c)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, diluted in 4 ounces water (20c)

    Directions:

    Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the garlic and celery and saute for 10 minutes on medium until translucent.
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    Add cashew butter and stir until melted. Chop chicken into tiny bits. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink.

    Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the mango with the sweetener, cumin, ginger, and nutmeg.
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    Pour the mixture over the cooked chicken and gently stir to cover the chicken pieces.
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    Add soy sauce, vinegar, water and cornstarch mixture and salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 more minutes.

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    Yields:  4 servings at ½ cup each, 11.5 grams protein, 169 calories

  • Butternut Cashew Bake, 10 grams protein, 375 calories

    Butternut Cashew Bake, 10 grams protein, 375 calories

    IMG_3101In my opinion, butternut squash has the texture of potato with the sweetness of yams. Topped with nuts, these two textures will blend beautifully in any temperature (eaten warm or cold). Butternut squash is an excellent source of potassium. At 582 milligrams of potassium per 1 cup (cubed), this winter squash tops the charts when compared to bananas at 422mg. One cup of butternut squash provides a whopping 437% percent of your vitamin A needs for the day. Vitamin A helps your eyes adjust to light changes when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. It is recommended that women consume 800 mcg and men consume 1000 mcg of vitamin A daily. Gastric bypass patients are typically advised to take 200% of the daily value.

    In butternut squash, you will also find 52% of vitamin C and 10% or more of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium and manganese. Lastly, early information from scientific studies suggests that beta-carotene might help people who already have Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 small butternut squash, about 12 ounces (3g,135c)
    • 9 ounces cashews, soaked in water overnight  (40.5g, 1244.25c)
    • 1 tablespoons olive oil (120c)
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon allspice

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cut the butternut squash into round slices. Spread slices out in a flat pan.
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    Mix oil with spices into a paste and spread across the top of all the slices.  Top the slices  with soaked cashews.
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    Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Uncover pan and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat as needed.

    Yields: 4 portions at 4 ounces each, 10 grams protein, 375 calories per serving.

     

  • Popeye’s Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie, 2 grams protein, 157 calories per cup

    Popeye’s Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie, 2 grams protein, 157 calories per cup

    IMG_3081“It will work if the change will motivate your tastes buds.” This is a very interesting quote from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, the documentary about the value of juicing.  and explains how the smoothie must intrigue your sense of taste for your lifestyle changes to be permanent.  Since bypass, I’ve been able to explore new foods and be as daring as ever, keeping me motivated but also satisfied! For example, never in my life would I sit down to a bowl of kale. But now, I can eat a kale chip and be delighted for half a day. What a gift this bypass has become!

    Adding any citrus fruit to a smoothie containing raw spinach increases your body’s ability to absorb many of the beneficial nutrients in spinach, including iron. Raw spinach also contains higher proportions of vitamin C and the antioxidant gluathione than cooked spinach. Masking the bitter flavor with fruits not only makes this smoothie taste delicious, but also adds vitamin C which works like your stomach acid used to when absorbing the micronutrients that you are feeding it.

    In addition to the iron and C, one cup of fresh spinach leaves blended into a smoothie provides almost 200 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K. Vitamin K prevents osteoclast activation, an activity that breaks down bones leading to osteoporosis. Factor C0-Q10, another antioxidant in spinach, strengthens muscles, especially your heart muscle, preventing and treating many cardiovascular diseases. Add in the avocado, and you have a healthy balance of fats, carbs, and fibers to round out your metabolic process for absorption. Finally, the allspice will nudge the flavor of all the ingredients and tickle your senses. Be bold and try this!  Post your comments and let us know how it worked for you.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup spinach leaves, packed (0.9 g protein,7c,  fat  0.1 g, Carbohydrate 1.1 g,  fiber 0.7 g)
    • 1 cup mixed berries, (70c, fiber 5g, protein 0, fat 0, carbs 17g)
    • 2 cups tomato juice (2g,100c, Fat 0, carbs 20, fiber 2g)
    • 3 ounces baby carrots, or 1 snack pack (1g,35c, 0 fat, 7 carbs, fiber 2.5g )
    • 1 apple, cored  (.6g, 95c, Carbohydrate 25 g, fiber 4.4 g,  Fat 0.3 g)
    • 1 avocado (4 g, 322c, Carbs 17 g, Fat 29 g, Fiber 14 g)
    • 1 teaspoon Allspice

    Directions: Blend all ingredients until finely blended.

    Yields: 4 cups, at 2 grams protein, 157 calories per cup per cup.  Recommended one cup daily after gastric bypass surgery.

  • Chicken Tarragon Salad on Apple Chips, 11.2 grams protein, 170 calorie

    Chicken Tarragon Salad on Apple Chips, 11.2 grams protein, 170 calorie

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    7 apples chips with 1/2 chicken thigh cutlet

    Let the feasting begin!  Your meal might look like a plate of hors d’oeuvres, but you will be filling up with sweet and juicy goodness.  At only 2 ounces, this meal can afford a side dish as well.  Works fantastic with the savory Low-Carb Cauliflower Latkes Bites at 6.3 grams protein, 110 calories. Together, your meal will total to 17.5 grams protein, 280 calories. The cold chicken salad is specifically made with fresh boneless skinless chicken thigh cutlets, the juiciest part. Do not overcook! The tarragon will add an exotic flavor, which to me, tastes like a cross between lemongrass and black licorice. The cold chicken salad on top of the apple chips is a perfect combination of elegance, simplicity, and nutrition. This is a perfect finger food for traveling.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Cutlet, fresh or semi-thawed (20g, 110c)
    • 3 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
    • ¼ cup Pacific Soymilk (2.5g, 35c)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil (40c)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • 2 tablespoons Lite Thousand Island Dressing (0g,16c)
    • ⅓ ounce Apple Chips Snack, about 7 chips (70c)

    Directions:

    Slice chicken into finger-like strips.
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    In a small saucepan, combine chicken, soy milk, oil, tarragon, salt and cumin.
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    Cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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    In food processor, pulse chicken with thousand island dressing for 10 seconds.
    Fits perfectly in two  GladWare Mini Round Food Storage Containers for portion control. Refrigerate leftovers.
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    Yields: 2 servings, 2 ounces each, 11.2 grams protein, 101 calories

  • Low-Carb Cauliflower Latkes Bites, 6.3 grams protein, 110 calories

    Low-Carb Cauliflower Latkes Bites, 6.3 grams protein, 110 calories

    A perfect vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free and non-dairy recipe.
    A perfect vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free and non-dairy recipe.

    You want the taste of greasy potato latkes, but you don’t want the fat or the carbs. You want the high protein but you also want that deep onion flavor.  So here you have it; the best of both worlds.  Conveniently packed into mini muffin sized bites for portable nutrition. Store three pieces in a ziplock bags and freeze. Reheat as needed.

    Pairs well with Creamy Protein Dipping Sauce for an added 3 grams protein per meal.

    Ingredients

    • 4 ounces cauliflower, fresh or frozen (1.9g,25c)
    • ¼ large onion, or 1 ounce chopped (.27g,10c)
    • 2 ounces cashews, soaked in water overnight (10g, 314c)
    • 1 egg (6g, 70c)
    • 1 scoop unjury protein powder, plain unflavored  (21g, 100c)
    • 1 ounce  French Fried Onion (177c)
    • ½ cup Pacific Soymilk (5g, 70c)
    • ½  teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Directions:

    • Preheat oven to 350. In food processor, chop all ingredients until mixture looks like lumpy baby food. Spray mini muffin pan with oil spray.
    •  Evenly divide mixture into 21 cups. 3 cups will be empty.
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    • Press one or two small French Fried Onion bits into each cup.
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      Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.
    • Refrigerate leftovers.
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    Yields: 21 mini cupcakes. Serving Size: 3 pieces, 2 ounces total at 6.3 grams protein, 110 calories

     

     

  • Oven-Baked Pastrami Eggrolls, 12 grams protein, 214 calories

    Oven-Baked Pastrami Eggrolls, 12 grams protein, 214 calories

    In this recipe, I replaced the cabbage and carrots with a package of broccoli slaw. You can find broccoli slaw in most supermarkets in the vegetable isle near the salad mixes.  The meat will only taste as good as the quality of your deli purchase.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 package Broccoli Slaw
    • 1 Package Pastrami, 7 ounces
    • 1 Package Eggroll Wrappers
    • 1 teaspoon chopped Ginger
    • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
    • 1 Tablespoons Teriyaki
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon white pepper

    Directions: 

    Stir-fry the broccoli slaw with the oil, salt, and pepper.  In the meantime, chop the pastrami into tiny bits. Add to the almost-soft vegetables, along with the ginger. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the mustard and teriyaki.  Check one strand of broccoli to make sure you can chew it well before considering the mixture cooked to  your liking.

    Measure about three heaping tablespoons into a 2 ounce measuring cup, and use it to fill one egg-roll wrapper.
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    Roll up the wrapper as per the directions on the package.  Freeze the unbaked rolls and bake as needed.
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    Spray with oil spray on parchment paper and over wrapper, and bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

    Yields: 12 eggrolls with ⅛ cup mixture in each. Serving Suggestion: 2 eggrolls, 12 grams protein, 214 calories

  • Crunchy Kettle Corn Chickpeas, 4.5 grams protein, 120 calories per ounce

    Crunchy Kettle Corn Chickpeas, 4.5 grams protein, 120 calories per ounce

    IMG_2768This is a sugar-free and gluten-free high-protein snack that is perfect for keeping around for an emergency crunch while working, or at the movies.  Besides being an excellent vegan and gluten-free source of protein and fiber, chickpeas also contain exceptional levels of iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. This versatile snack will surprise you in flavor and nutrients. Compare to popcorn, at 106 calories and 3 grams protein per ounce, but with little nutritional value.  Refrigerate leftovers.

    Ingredients:

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 500. Mix all ingredients together slowly, making sure the chickpeas do not crush. Spread mixture in a flat oven pan.  Sprinkle with salt,  favorite spices, and Kettle Corn Seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes, shuffle and break apart mixture. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, tossing frequently. Remove from oven when edges turn brown. Enjoy room temperature or warm.

    Kettle Corn Seasoning Nutrition Facts (varies by brand)
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    Yields: 5 ounces of snack, 5.4 grams protein, 144 calories per ounce

  • Chunky Cream of Chicken Noodle Soup, 7 grams protein, 93 calories

    Chunky Cream of Chicken Noodle Soup, 7 grams protein, 93 calories

    Easy to cook, and hearty to eat. Gluten-free spaghetti squash noodles with non-dairy cream base.IMG_2800

    Ingredients

    • 3 Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Cutlets (60g, 330c)
    • 3 ½ cups homemade chicken stock (21g, 516c)
    • 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) Cashew Cream (15.4g,444)
    • 1 ½ cups Spaghetti Squash, cooked (.9g, 46.5c)
    • 1 bunch fresh dill
    • 2 zucchini (4.8g, 66c)
    • 2 cups water
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

    Directions: 

    Peel and chop zucchini and dill into tiny pieces.  Chop chicken into tiny cubes. Add to large pot with water and 1 cup chicken stock. Cook for 20 minutes on high. Lower to medium and add 2 ½ cups chicken stock, cashew cream, and spaghetti squash, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes. How to cook spaghetti squash, click here.

    Yields: 60 ounces soup, or 15 portions of 4 ounces each.  Add more chicken to increase the protein.