Crustless Lemony Goat Cheesecakes

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I got the idea of making a goat cheesecake after spotting it on the menu at Abattoir on Wednesday. I didn't order it, for I thought I could make my own lower-carb and higher-protein version. It has double the calories of my usual fat free cheesecakes; I wasn't able to find any reduced fat fresh goat cheeses. I used some fat free cream cheese, but not enough to cover up the slight tang and the sweetness of goat cheese. If the calorie count is too high for you, use smaller ramekins and reduce baking time, use fat free sour cream, and/or use a reduced fat goat cheese.

Ideas for toppings: reduced balsamic vinegar, fresh blueberries and blackberries, lemon curd, fresh whipped cream

Tips when making this:
-Be careful when placing and removing the roasting pan from the oven. It is pretty heavy, and you don't want to splash water in the cheesecakes. You could line the ramekins with tinfoil, but I was too lazy to do this.

-Be careful when removing the ramekins from the roasting dish. I accidentally dropped one because my hands are too small to hold one at a time, and I dipped the thumb of my oven mitt into the cheesecake :(.

Equipment:
-Food processor
-Plastic spatula
-Food scale
-Zester
-1/4 t measurement
-4 4-6 oz ramekins
-Cooking spray
-1 large roasting pan

Ingredients:
-6 oz fresh goat cheese
-4 oz fat free cream cheese
-1 serving egg substitute
-1/2 cup Splenda granular
-1/2 cup light sour cream
-zest of 1/2 lemon
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-3/4 t vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
-Pinch of kosher salt

1) Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Place cheeses in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

3) Add egg substitute and Splenda to food processor. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

4) Add the light sour cream, zest, juice, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

5) Coat each ramekin with cooking spray and then fill each with equal amounts of cheesecake batter. Arrange them in the roasting pan so that they don't touch, and then fill the pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

6) Place roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekins from the roasting pan, and let them rest for 30 minutes at room-temperature. Cover with saran wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Each cheesecake has
190 calories
10g fat
8.75g carbs
16.5g protein

So Good Spicy Fried Chicken and Tomato Salad

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We southerners sure love our fried chicken. This is a healthy, low calorie, somewhat low carb, and high protein comfort meal you can make in 20 minutes.

I found this hot sauce and low fat sour cream at Whole Foods. The sauce is spicy and tangy, with flavors of vinegar, carrots, sweet potato, cilantro, garlic, and onion. This is my favorite brand of low fat sour cream; it is really rich, and it is a great substitute for creme fraiche on the cherry tomatoes. I combined the hot sauce and sour cream to make a tasty dipping sauce for the fried chicken.



Ingredients:
-1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, fat trimmed and pounded to 1/4-1/2'' thick
-2 T panko bread crumbs
-Egg Beaters for dipping
-pinches of your favorite spices, such as sea salt, pepper, and paprika
-3 T low fat sour cream
-1 1/2 T hot sauce
-handful of cherry tomatoes
-balsamic vinegar to taste
-sea salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat a medium-sized skillet to medium-high heat.

2) Mix the Egg Beaters, pinches of spices, and 1/2 T of hot sauce in a small bowl. Spread out the panko on a plate or on wax paper. Put these near the stove.

3) Dip both sides of the chicken in the Egg Beaters mixture, shake the excess off, and then cover with panko. Spray the skillet with butter-flavored cooking spray, and add the chicken. Cook for ~4 minutes per side.

4) Meanwhile, wash the cherry tomatoes, halve them, and sprinkle on sea salt and pepper. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar, and then drop 1 T of sour cream on the tomatoes.

5) Spray the chicken with cooking spray and flip over.

6) Mix the remaining 2 T of sour cream with the remaining 1 T of hot sauce. This will be the dipping sauce for the fried chicken.

7) Remove the chicken from the pan when the panko is golden and crispy.

8) Plate everything, and savor it!

Depending on the size of your chicken breast, your meal will have roughly
200 calories
3g fat
12g net carbs
and 30-35g protein

Cocoa-Nutty Protein Cupcakes

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These cupcakes are very moist, and they're filled with healthy fats. If you are a fan of Mounds, then try these!

Dry ingredients:
-1/2 cup almond flour
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1 & 1/2 scoop (45g) chocolate micellar casein
-1/2 cup & 1 T granulated Splenda
-2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 t baking powder
-1/4 & 1/8 t salt
-1.5 oz raw walnuts
-1.5 oz cacao nibs & macadamia nuts

Wet ingredients:
-3 large room-temperature eggs
-1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
-2 T unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil
-3/4 t vanilla extract
-3/4 t almond extract

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) Chop the walnuts and spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Put them in the oven and take them out when they are golden and fragrant.

3) Put all the dry ingredients except for the nuts and cacao nibs in a food processor and grind to a fine consistency.

4) Whisk all the wet ingredients except for the coconut oil vigorously in a large bowl until combined and a bit frothy.

5) Whisk the dry ingredient mixture with the wet ingredients until combined.

6) Coconut oil is a semi-solid when it is at room-temperature. Put it in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 30 seconds on medium-low. After the oil is a liquid, pour it into the bowl containing the batter. Whisk until combined, add the nuts and cacao nibs, and whisk until combined again.

7) Spray a 12 muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Fill each cup until it is 3/4 full.


8) Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out dry.

Per cupcake:
Calories: 157
Fat: 11g
Net carbs: 4g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 8g

Seriously Nutty Protein Birthday Cupcakes for the Gym Rat in Your Life

My boyfriend (Hulk) is turning 24 on Monday. It took me 3 batches, but I finally concocted a delicious low carb, high protein cupcake recipe.

Dry ingredients:
-3/4 cup almond meal*
-1 & 1/2 scoop (45g) french vanilla micellar casein
-6 T granulated Splenda
-1/4 & 1/8 t salt
-1/4 & 1/8 t baking powder
-3/4 t cinnamon
-3 pinches nutmeg
-1.5 oz raw hazelnuts
-1.5 oz raw walnuts

Wet ingredients:
-3 room-temperature eggs
-6 T unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
-2 T apple butter
-3/4 t vanilla extract
-3/4 t almond extract

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) Chop the nuts and spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Put them in the oven and take them out when they are golden and fragrant.



3) Put all the dry ingredients except for the nuts in a food processor and grind to a fine consistency.

4) Whisk the wet ingredients vigorously in a large bowl until combined and a bit frothy.

5) Whisk the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until combined. Add the toasted, chopped nuts and mix.

6) Spray a 12 muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Fill each cup until it is 3/4 full.




7) Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out dry.



Each cupcake has 169 calories, 12.5g fat, 3g net carbs, 2g fiber, and 10g protein

*Almond flour is finer than almond meal. If you use almond flour, reduce food processing time.

Frosting recipe to come! Covering casein's texture is a little tricky.