Almond Coconut Protein Balls

Yes, I said protein and balls.  Now that you're done giggling to yourself, let's examine why these were one of those tasty treats I loved to have around right before a workout. For those of you who workout, and workout hard, you know that there's nothing better than that boost of energy you get right before your lifting, where you can do those extra three push-ups, or that extra 5 minutes on the treadmill. And these are the perfect treat to help you get to that point. 

These had been something I had wanted to try for a while, and I ended up with this recipe, after much research, basically because I already had all the ingredients in my house. Also, my husband loves coconut, so it seemed like a good little snack for him as well, since it was something that mixed in an ingredient he really likes, with the protein that we both really needed.

And so, out came the The Almond Coconut Protein Ball. 

There were a couple things in the recipe that I changed up a bit.  First I believe I used chocolate Unsweetened WestSoy Milk, and I also skipped the step where they microwave the almond butter.  I keep my almond butter at room temperature all the time, so I didn't have to worry about getting it to a texture that I could work with.  I also used finely chopped almonds that I had put in my food processor, rather than coarsely chopped, because that's what I prefer.  

These taste great, and were one of the snacks I brought with me to eat right before my Tony Horton workout at Fitness Atlantic 2012.  It was a great little boost of energy to get me through the hour long torturous workout we preformed.  As a matter of fact, I should make these again very soon!

Strawberry Protein Pan-Crepes

I had recently told my father that I eat Fat Free Greek yogurt with all sorts of weird stuff, in all sorts of weird ways.  He asked how.  And how do you answer that question when you use it for pancakes, and cupcakes, quiches and all sorts of other strange things. Yogurt?  Yup.

This recipe was born out of a an idea that came from one of my favorite dessert websites to reference (although there are many other recipes available on there), Dashing Dish.  I highly suggest you check it out and see what you can find.

My version, however, was brought to life by mixing my vanilla protein pancake recipe with the idea of a crepe.  

Instead of make one big pancake, I divided the mixture into two thin pancakes and used them as crepes.  And because that wasn't yummy enough (sarcasm), I took a heaping tablespoon of Fat Free Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of Fat Free Cream Cheese some Stevia, and four strawberries and threw them in a food processor until it was pureed.  I then filled the "crepes" with the mixture, rolled them, and drizzled the remainder of the puree over the top, and garnished with some freshly sliced strawberries.  More calories?  Yes.  Yummier?  Most definitely, YES! 

The Protein Pancake:  It's Limitless Awesomeness

Right now, I am walking a thin line in regards to nutrition, and where Protein powder fits in.  I know it's advantages, however, I also know that it's definitely not a whole food.  How do I know this?  The twenty-five ingredients that are listed on every single protein powder container, whether it's "natural" or not.  Some days though, I want a protein pancake.  I don't want to chug down a protein shake, haphazardly enjoying the semi-sweetness and it's mix with tasteless water.  I want the advantages of using a protein powder, with the texture of food.  For the love of food, I just want something to chew!!!  Anyway, that's where this, and several other protein pancake recipes came from.  I'm not sure where I initially got the first recipe, it may have been Oxygen Magazine, but I've modified several different times, to fit whatever food craving mood I'm in.  

For this particular recipe, I started with one scoop of vanilla protein powder, three egg whites, and a heaping tablespoon of Fat Free Greek Yogurt.  I whisk it all together until it forms a pancake batter texture.  I then pour it in a sprayed pre-heated 9 in. pan, cook one side, and then flip, and cook the other.  A little warning though, it will still be lose on top when you go to flip it, so be careful you don't fling batter all over your stove.  

For the topping I just took a quarter cup of frozen blueberries, two tablespoons of water, and a tablespoon of Stevia and heated thoroughly in a saucepan.  I mashed it all up to make a Blueberry Syrup, and then enjoyed with a dollop of FF Greek Yogurt on top.  

Modifying the Recipe

Sometimes I use chocolate protein powder, and put bananas in the batter, then cook the pancake.  I usually eat that recipe dry.  On a side note, I used to use Sugar Free Pancake Syrup, until I became super crazy about reading labels, and then decided, I'd rather eat it with nothing at all, or make my own fruit sauces.  You make whatever choice works best for you and your lifestyle!

Below is a Strawberry Shortcake version I've made with vanilla protein powder, a splash of vanilla extract and fresh diced strawberries thrown directly into the batter.