#PWMF (Play With My Food) Contest Finalists: Protein Category

Previously on Bariatric Foodie: We all drooled over the finalists in the Taco Casserole and Eggchilada categories.

And now we’ve come to the last. Protein!

This one was a bit harder to judge, mostly because I didn’t require the recipe to be based on any one BF recipe. I have learned better! One person’s “to die for” protein is another person’s “to hurl for” nightmare. So instead I challenged folks to use a BF protein shake recipe to inspire them to create a protein treat all their own. This, of course, meant that it didn’t technically have to be a protein shake!

And so our last judge, Julia fretted over this category a lot. Because, in her words, each recipe got yummier, more decadent and drool-worthy.

This is Julia here (oh la, la!). She had RNY. She’s lost a boatload of weight (and seems to have gained an inner sex symbol but I digress…) and is a very adventurous cook (Jerk Shrimp & Caribbean Quinoa Salad, anyone?). She also writes the “Dear Foodie” column for Foodie News! Julia is also an “IRL” (in real life) friend. We both attend a local meet-up called “Bariatric Batsh*t Crazy Chicks” (no, I did NOT think up that name although I love it!). Say hi to Julia!

And say hi to her picks for the top three protein recipes. Remember, one of these Foodies will win a $50 Amazon gift card. Everyone who entered a recipe will get the chance to win a free box of Quest bars. And the entire Foodie Nation will get all the recipes submitted. YAY!

Now, in no particular order:

Stephanie’s Mini-Mocha Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Neufchâtel
• 4 oz Greek yogurt
• 1/4c Egg Beaters
• 2 scoops CLICK mocha
• 1/4c SF Torani caramel
• 6 packets Splenda 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Thoroughly mix cheese and yogurt in a food processor or in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium (or old school-style with a fork when I’m just too lazy to wash anything else!). Add remaining wet ingredients and mix again. Add dry ingredients and mix until well-blended. 
3. Place 4 1-cup ramekins (or pampered Chef prep bowls if you are like me) in a baking pan, adding hot tap water to the pan until halfway up the sides of the bowls. Spray ramekins lightly with non-stick spray. 
4. Fill prepared ramekins with equal amounts of batter. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Take ramekins out of the water bath and cool (I use a rack to speed up the process because I am impatient). 
5. I usually eat one as soon as they are cool enough to safely eat – about 15-20 minutes or so. The texture is a little mousse-ier at this point but so good!
7. The others are good from the fridge for several days ( if they last that long!). The texture will be a little denser, closer to traditional cheesecake.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces milk (cow or soy – I used Soy Slender Chocolate flavor)
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Syntrax Chocolate Truffle)
• 1 heaping Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 6 pumps Torani sugar free salted caramel syrup
• 2 packets of Splenda
• 1 Vitalicious sugar free velvety chocolate vitatop, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

1. Pour first 6 ingredients into your blender and blend on high until doubled in size and very frothy. 
2. Add liquid into your ice cream maker and blend in the maker until it is the soft serve consistency you are seeking.  
3. Pour out into a bowl and add the chopped up vitatop.  Gently mix until combined.  
4. If you want it like hard ice cream, put it into the freezer at this stage until is frozen solid.

Note: If you are a new post-op (or a post-op who wants to cut the calories or who is triggered by such items) and cannot have add-ins like sugar-free vitatops, feel free to omit them, the ice cream will still be delicious!

• 1/3 c. Click Vanilla or Mocha Latte Protein Powder (can also use whatever brand you have- might have to add more splenda if its not sweet enough)
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 t. instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 t. hot water, then cooled (if using vanilla protein powder)
• 2 t. Splenda, or more to taste
• 1/4 t. cocoa powder
• 1 T. sliced almonds (optional)

1. Add the protein powder to a small bowl and make sure there aren’t any lumps. 
2. Add the Greek yogurt, Ricotta cheese, coffee and Splenda. Mix well- you don’t want any lumps.
3. Pour the mixture into 2 dessert dishes. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder. 
4. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. 
5. Chill for 1 hour.