Protein Artist

Category: Resources

  • Butternut Squash Tater Tots

    Do not use frozen butternut squash cubes. It will roast and yield so much water, that the mixture will not hold. Because there is oil in the mixture, it will appear crispy, like fried foods. Remove from the oven when both sides are golden. Freeze and enjoy again in your air fryer! Also, freeze 6 small tots in a ziplock bag, and drop into your purse. It will defrost during traveling. 

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups cooked butternut squash
    • 3 tsp oil 
    • ½ onion
    • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, leaves only, discard stems
    • 1/2 tbsp cumin, optional
    • 1/4 cup almond flour
    • 2  ghee for calories, optional
    • ginger, optional 
    • pinch of salt

    Directions:

    1. Roast chunks or cubes or slivers of butternut squash in the oven until you can pierce through it with a fork. 
    2. Put all the ingredients into the food processor and pulse until it feels like a burger mixture. 
    3. Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper. 
    4. Bake on 350, and flip when golden on the bottom.

    Did you know? You can use the Pumpkin Masters Carving Kit for kids (from the dollar store) to speed up meal prep. Peeling and chopping butternut squash can be very taxing.

    pumpkin carving kit

  • Gluten-Free, grain-free Scallion Pancakes made with SCD legal farmer cheese (DCCC)

    Gluten-Free, grain-free Scallion Pancakes made with SCD legal farmer cheese (DCCC)

    Finally, my fantasies have come true! Here are gluten-Free, grain-free scallion pancakes made with SCD legal farmer cheese (DCCC), and no cauliflower. These are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Combine ingredients in a bowl, and form thick, thin, or large plat patties. Fry until golden. Yields about 2 dozen. You may freeze 3 per zip-lock bag and have a handy snack to enjoy–defrosts quickly in your purse. The eggs, oil, and almond flour serve as a binder, and the dryness in the farmer cheese creates a firm mixture for shaping. These are so delicious–but very filling. So eat slowly.

    Amazing gluten free grain free scallion pancakes

    Ingredients:

    • 2 eggs
    • ½ cup almond flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon white pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon fresh grated or dried ginger powder
    • ¼ cup oil
    • 1 cup SCD legal DCCC (video here) or buy SCD legal farmer cheese
    • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
    • 5 bunches green onions, chopped (18-20 ounces, estimate).
  • SCD Yogurt in Instant Pot, 24 hour fermented lactose free

    SCD Yogurt in Instant Pot, 24 hour fermented lactose free

    Contraband yogurt on the airplane
    Contraband yogurt on the airplane

    SCD yogurt has to be fermented for 24 hours to be SCD legal. In the process, the bacteria converts the lactose to digestive enzymes and protein. The amount of probiotics in SCD yogurt is estimated to be 50 times more than store-bought probiotics tablets. One spoonful in the early stages is enough to build a tolerance for this super powerful “medicine” in a cup. Personally, I find it easiest to prepare the yogurt in my 3 quart instant pot. [You know you love my videos, so please subscribe to my channel! :)]

    Yoghurt is considered a “full liquid” for those after surgery or compromised GI tract. Depending on the milk that you use, you can assume at last the following nutrition facts per cup:

    Food              | Calories | Fat  | Carbohydrates | Protein
------------------+----------+------+---------------+--------
Whole Milk Yogurt | 149 cal | 8.0g | 11.4g         | 8.5g
Whole Milk        | 146 cal | 7.9g | 11.0g         | 7.9g

    Video Instructions:

    Directions:

    • Simmer the milk (3 quarts) in a large pot until it reaches 180-degrees. Remove from stovetop.
    • Refrigerate until it cools to 80-degrees.
    • Pour into 3 quart instant pot.
    • Image result for 1/8 + 1/16 teaspoonAdd 1/2 cup legal yogurt starter, or 1/8+1/16th of GI Pro yogurt starter. Whisk well until mixed.
    • Press the YOGURT button on the 3 quart instant pot, and press the plus or minus until 24:00 appears on the display.
    • In a few seconds, a beep will be heard, signaling that the fermenting countdown has started.
    • Do not use the instant pot lid to cover the pot. Rather, use the lid from the large pot. The yogurt does not cook with pressure, so there is no reason to keep the pressure lid on.
    • After 24 hours, the 3 quart instant pot will beep and show YOGT on the display, signaling that your yogurt is done. Pour into storage jars and refrigerate. Your yogurt will stay fresh for at least a week.

    Dannon Whole milk is the SCD legal yogurt starter that contains required strains and no pectin
    Dannon Whole milk is the SCD legal yogurt starter that contains required strains and no pectin

     

    Image result for gipro starter gi health
    GI ProStart by GI ProHealth Inc. is a powdered starter that you keep refrigerated and on hand for at least 30 batches.

     

    Read:

  • Horchata Morning Coffee, 10x less sugar than Starbucks

    The well-known stereotype about weight loss surgery is that patients regain their weight by “drinking” Starbucks calories. While there is much truth to that, it is more important to think about what you can control. We are all capable of reading nutrition facts, and that knowledge will be your power.

    For example, a pumpkin spiced latte from Starbucks has about 50 grams of sugar. That equals to 12 teaspoons of sugar (4 grams per teaspoon). What can you do to get your fix at home for cheaper and with smarter calorie choices?

    The Big Reveal

    Horchata drink mix powder
    Horchata drink mix powder

    I recently found a horchata drink mix powder. If I add only a single teaspoon to my coffee, the cup will yield 10 sugars, which is about two spoons of granulated sugar. I use it instead of sweetener, honey, or any other flavors. Don’t forget that your favorite creamer has sugar too.

    Ready to make the switch? Let me know how you like it.

  • Purple Cabbage Salad

    Combine in saucepan:

    • Equal parts of oil and apple cider vinegar
    • 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
    • Stir 1 pack purple cabbage until soft to your liking (a few minutes)
    • Add lemon, salt, pepper, honey to taste.
    • Sprinkle with sesame, toasted or raw, optional
    • Serve warm or chilled.

  • Grocery Shopping on an empty stomach

    I went shopping on an empty stomach….and even bought a Spiralizer, which will turn those Zucchini into “Zoodles.”. What will you be cooking today?

  • Eucalyptus Oil on Zits and Post-WLS Acne

    Eucalyptus Oil on Zits and Post-WLS Acne

    eucalyptusoilAfter weight loss surgery, my hormones began to fly up and down without warning. Suddenly, I began to look like a teenager again, both in size, and with the pimples on my face! I tried face washes and zinc vitamins. ultimately, I wanted something that would dry up the zits before they got to the point where I would want to pop them.

    I read online about the virtues of eucalyptus oil, and it also happens to be my absolute favorite scent. I purchased a small $3 bottle, and was really surprised. The warning says that the oil is toxic and should not be swallowed. I carefully dabbed a tiny drop of oil on a soon-to-be zit spot on my chin. I applied it two more times that day. By the next morning, the inflamation vanished. This zit will never be born!

    Hey, it’s only a $3 bottle, and it’s worth a shot, right?

  • Omega + C Orange Salmon Endives, 19.5 grams protein, 290 calories

    Omega + C Orange Salmon Endives, 19.5 grams protein, 290 calories

    IMG_3423The perfect winter lunch to pack in the nutrients and prevent the sniffles.  Endive is enriched with Vitamin A and ß-carotene, which have antioxidant properties. Carotenes convert to vitamin A inside the human body.  The orange delivers your vitamin C right in between the smoked salmon, which is high in omega fatty acids. All ingredients combined are sweet and moist, perfect for chewing.

    Belgian endives has creamy white, compact leaves.
    Belgian endives has creamy white, compact leaves.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 ounces skinless boneless smoked salmon
    • 4 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, with chives if possible
    • ½ naval orange
    • 4 endives slices

    Directions:

    Peel and slice orange into small bits.  Reserve half in airtight container and refrigerate. Cut or tear salmon into small pieces. Peel off four endive slices from the bunch. Spread each slice with one tablespoon cream cheese.
    IMG_3418
    Evenly divide the orange slices onto the cream cheese. Pack the salmon tightly in between the orange slices.  This is a perfect lunch to prepare the day before and take to work.   It is worth investing in a quality orange, so that it is sweet and juicy.  My favorite brand of smoked fish is available at Costco or Sam’s Club, “Paramount Reserve”

  • 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.

  • How to Keep Avocados Fresh Without it Turning Brown

    How to Keep Avocados Fresh Without it Turning Brown

    This easy trick is courtesy from the women’s health magazine. Just cut a red onion into fairly large chunks into an airtight plastic container, and place the avocado half (with the pit) on top.  The skin should be touching the onion chunks.

    Put the lid on the plastic container, throw it in the fridge, and brown avocados will be a thing of past. How does the trick work? The onion emits sulfur gases, which help stop the oxidation process that turns avocados brown. Here’s a video that details the trick, courtesy of Chow, an online resource for recipe demos and cooking tips: