Saturday 19 October 2013

Review of the Chocolate Banana Bread




Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe


http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet/277533-what-do-all-pudding.html

Ingredients

1 Ideal Protein Banana Pudding Packet
1 Ideal Protein Chocolate Pudding Packet
2 egg whites
1 tbsp non-fat milk
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pam spray

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
  3. Spray a mini loaf pan with Pam
  4. Bake for about 15 minutes

Review

I was a bit leery about this recipe.  I'm not a huge banana fan, but I do like banana bread.  I was happily surprised.  The loaf looked beautiful (I wish I had taken a picture before it deflated!).  What I really liked about this loaf was that neither the banana or chocolate flavours were overpowering.  They worked well together, without one or the other taking over.

The loaf was moist on the inside (could have probably baked it a few more minutes).  The portion size was nice.  It really felt like I was having a piece of banana bread!  It would have been nice to have chocolate chips or walnuts in it, but other than that, it was great!

LittleStar's Rating:


Review of the Ideal Protein Rotini



Review

I prepared the Ideal Protein Plain Rotini per the instructions - 10 minutes in boiling water.

The idea of having pasta while on a low card diet is amazing, as is the taste of the rotini.  I find it very similar to whole wheat pasta.  The portion size is not huge, but enough to be satisfying.

I've had the rotini with sauce made with peppers, mushrooms, fire-roasted tomatoes (like the picture shows).  I've also added ground beef, pieces of chicken, or meatballs.  I often make two packets and save half for the next day.  It reheats beautifully in the microwave.  I've also had the pasta cold, with some Walden Farms salad dressing, and veggies such as cucumber, peppers, celery.

I love the rotini, it's versatility, it's taste, and it's texture.  Highly recommended!


LittleStar's Rating:

Review of the Crackers


  

Crackers Recipe


 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=577037762335899&set=pb.417669588272718.-2207520000.1382205873.&type=3&theater


Ingredients

1 Ideal Protein Crispy Cereal Mix
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch dry chives
1/4 tsp sea salt
Pam spray
1 pinch baking soda
1/4 tsp sage powder
1.5 oz water
1 tsp olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
  3. Line a pyrex with aluminum foil and spray with Pam
  4. Pour mixture and bake in the oven for 15 minutes
  5. Take out, cut in pieces and flip
  6. Back in the oven for 5 minutes
  7. Take the crackers out.  Let cool

Review

I read in another recipe for crackers to make them really thin, by folding the aluminum foil in half, and using a rolling pin to spread out the mixture.  It worked great, and made the crackers very even in thickness.  When they first came out of the over, they were still quite soggy and hard to cut into pieces.  The extra 5 minutes (I left them in about 8 minutes) really made the difference in making them crispy.

Crackers are wonderful when they are crispy and can be dipped in soup and not get soggy.  These crackers really meet the mark!  The first bite had that nice crunch!  They were thin enough to allow the crispiness, but thick enough to be satisfying.  I like the garlicky flavour, but would probably add even more garlic next time.  Dipped in the golden goddess soup (http://idealproteinrecipesandfoodreviews.blogspot.ca/2013/08/review-of-golden-goddess-soup.html) made for an extremely satisfying meal.  I loved the quantity of crackers, and they were sturdy enough to be dipped into the coup.

LittleStar's Rating:


 

Saturday 12 October 2013

Review of the Key Lime Tarts




Key Lime Tarts Recipe
http://breezinentertainment.typepad.com/its_a_breeze_diet_clinic/2011/08/dessert-recipe.html
 

Ingredients

5 packets of True Lime Flavoring
1 Ideal Protein Vanilla Pudding
1 Ideal Protein Maple Oatmeal
3 Egg Whites
Non-stick Spray
Splenda

Directions

  1. For the Filling: In 3 oz of water, drop one teaspoon of True Lime flavoring, add Splenda to taste: should be sweet but tart. Add Vanilla pudding, mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Mix Maple Oatmeal, one egg white and 1 1/2 oz of water. Stir until a stiff but manageable dough forms.
  3. For Meringue: Beat two egg whites until stiff peaks form
  4. Lightly coat muffin tin with non-stick spray, moisten hands and with 2-3 teaspoon of dough, roll into balls.
  5. Place one dough ball into each baking cup. Press ball down and make as thin as possible to cover tin and form a cup.
  6. Bake for around 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  7. Take key lime filling out of refrigerator and stir one packet of True Lime flavoring.
  8. Place filling into crusts and top with small dollop of meringue and enjoy!

Review

This beautiful pie was going to satisfy the cravings of a homemade pie on a holiday weekend.

I didn't have true lime flavouring, so used lime juice instead.  Also added a drop of green food colouring, to really get the visual effect of the lime filling.  I didn't have the small tart shells, so I used one bigger one, and as a result, had to cook the crust for a bit longer.  I also added some Stevia to the meringue, since I tasted it before putting it on, and it really needed a bit of sweetness.

With this recipe, I was able to create a stunning pie!  It was beautiful, the meringue was a beautiful golden brown (put into the oven on broil for a few minutes), and the pie came out of the tart shell very easily.

With my first bite came the disappointment.  The pie looked and smelled so beautiful.  But the taste was not beautiful!  The maple from the oatmeal, mixed with the lime and vanilla from the filling, to the meringue taste, did not go well together at all!  The maple oatmeal was really overpowering.  The lime taste did not come through as I would have liked.  The pudding was a bit thicker than regular pudding consistency, but still wasn't the right texture for pie filling.  The meringue was ok, but didn't really add much to the whole thing.

I ended up not eating much of the crust, still at the pudding and the meringue, but was truly disappointed.  Not going to make this one again.  Definitely not worth a restricted and a non-restricted package.


LittleStar's Rating:



Thursday 10 October 2013

Review of the Homemade Mayonnaise and Crab Cakes Recipes



http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet/261885-mixn-kitchn-recipes-rainbow.html
 

Homemade Mayonnaise and Crab Cakes Recipe

Mayonnaise Ingredients

1 large egg white
1/2 tsp egg yolk
2 tbsp. light olive oil Not EVOO
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
1/8 tsp sea salt

Mayonnaise Directions

  1. Use the flat blade blender of your Magic Bullet
  2. Add egg white, yolk, 1 tbsp of oil, lemon juice, mustard, and salt
  3. Pulse quickly for 4-5 short pulses.  You will start to see it whiten and come together, then pulse for 10 seconds.  Wait a few seconds and pulse again for 10 seconds.
  4. Add your last tbsp of oil and repeat #3, pulsing only for 10 seconds at a time, until thick and creamy.

Crab Cake Ingredients

1 can white lump crab meat
1 tbsp homemade mayonnaise
1/2 packet Ideal Protein potato puree
Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Gourmet Garlic from tube
1 tsp Gourmet Chili Pepper from tube
1 tsp dried shallots
1 Tbsp roasted red peppers, dices
chives, parsley, salt, pepper

Mayonnaise Directions

  1. Drain crab meat and add seasonings, mayonnaise, potato puree and mix gently
  2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with olive oil
  3. Divide your misture into 4 equal patties, don't smush them down
  4. sear in the pan until browned, turn over and sear the other side


Review

The mayonnaise is challenging!  The first time I tried it, it was very runny.  Not mayonnaise texture at all.  I tried again, using only the egg yolk (since this seemed more common in other recipes).  It was thicker, but not like store bought mayonnaise.  The taste was good though!  I've also seen in other recipes that the egg needs to be at room temperature, which mine was not.  This is definitely a recipe to keep working on, since it would be great with other meals, like hard boiled eggs, with fluffy potato rolls, etc.  I will keep trying!

I made a few modifications to the crab cake recipe.  I had fresh crab (not imitation), so I was able to use that.  I did not have some of the spices, herbs or roasted red peppers, so I used basil, paprika, garlic salt, pepper and sea salt.

The crab cakes were amazing!!!!  So tender and moist (and mayonnaisy) on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.  The flavours really came together in these four big crab cakes.  Very generous serving.  I used 6 oz of crab meat, but could have used less for a very satisfying meal.  I laid them over spinach, which nicely wilted some leaves while leaving some crispy.

This meal was very delicious, despite using most of my protein, oil, and 1/2 packet for the day.  I am still very full, a couple of hours later.  A smaller portion would have been fine, and that's probably what I will do next time.  And I'm definitely making sure I have roasted red peppers when I make them again, since I think that would be a great flavour combination.


LittleStar's Rating:

 Mayonnaise


 Crab Cakes 





Review of the Fluffy Potato Rolls






 

Fluffy Potato Rolls Recipe

 
 

Ingredients

1 Ideal Protein Potato Puree
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
1 pinch  sage
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch chives

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Beat egg whites until foamy, but not stiff
  3. Add in Ideal Protein Potato Puree packet, herbs, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Mix well.
  4. Spray cupcake pan with Pam
  5. Spoon batter into cupcake pan, filling up each hole about 1/2 to 3/4 full
  6. Spray top of each roll with 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' (optional)
  7. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until golden brown with bread consistency.
  8. Serve and enjoy.  Makes 3-4 rolls

Review

Bread!!  Yummy!  These look amazing on the pictures, and I was really looking forward to dipping them into the Golden Goddess Soup (http://idealproteinrecipesandfoodreviews.blogspot.ca/2013/08/review-of-golden-goddess-soup.html) that I had made.

When I made these, the only deviation from the recipe was the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.  I didn't have any, but still wanted to golden brown top.  So I sprayed the tops with a bit of Pam.

These rolls smelled, looked, and felt like the real thing.  When I broke one open, the garlic, chives and thyme smell was wonderful.  They looked fluffy on the inside, crusty on the outside.

The roll tasted really good!  They were a bit dry, so I wouldn't recommend them completely on their own.  But dipped in soup, they were wonderful.  I could also see them being great for sliders, with roasted vegetables, with sliced steak and mushrooms, and so many other combinations.  They are a great alternative to bread.  I also really like that I got 4 good sized buns, or could have made 3 larger ones.

I will definitely be making these again, perhaps trying different herbs for some variation.


LittleStar's Rating:






Sunday 6 October 2013

Review of Ideal Protein Reese's Pieces



Ideal Protein Reese's Pieces are made by combining Chocolate Soy Puffs and Peanut Soy Puffs. 

How did that commercial go?  Someone got chocolate in my peanut butter!  Someone got peanut butter in my chocolate!   Well, this is the Ideal Protein version.  I love the soy puffs because they are crunchy and sweet, and don't have a protein aftertaste.  But I LOVE this combination!  Reese's had it right, chocolate and peanut butter is the perfect mix. And the best part is that I get to have it two days in a row, since I mix the two packages together, and keep half for the next day. 


 LittleStar's Rating: 
 

Review of the Double Chocolate Brownie




Review of the Double Chocolate Brownie


Ideal Protein has a new restricted item - double chocolate brownie.  How can a brownie be delicious without all the sugar and fat that is usually in such an item?

I microwaved the brownie for 10 seconds. I then drizzled Walden Farms Pancake Syrup of half the brownie.  On the other half, I put a few spoonfuls of Walden Farms Strawberry Spread. 

I truly enjoyed the entire brownie.  I quite liked the combination of strawberry and chocolate flavour. I also really liked the pancake syrup on the brownie.  The brownie was moist, tasty and very chocolatey!  I think the 10 seconds of microwaving really helped make it more tasty.   I also think it would be great plain, or with some little extras from Walden Farms. 

Fantastic with a cup of coffee or tea!


 LittleStar's Rating: 
 



Saturday 5 October 2013

Review of the Potato Pancakes Recipe




 

Potato Pancakes Recipe


Ingredients

1 Ideal Protein Potato Puree
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch oregano
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Pam spray

Directions

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a shaker (let sit for 3 mins)
  2. Heat pan and spray with Pam
  3. Pour batter into pan (making pancake shaped portions)
  4. Cook until you can flip them
  5. Serve and enjoy.  Makes 3-4 pancakes

Review

I am always amazed at the creative recipes for the different package of Ideal Protein food.  When I saw the picture with this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  The potato pancakes look amazing!

First thing to mention is, do not use the ball in the shaker!!  What was I thinking...  so letting sit for 3 minutes was actually trying to get the dough out of the ball.  Once I got it out, it was quite thick, and not something that I could pour into the pan, per the instructions.  So I formed into ball with my finger and flattened into the pan.  Quite messy, and a bit frustrating since I felt like I was wasting some of it (I like eating every last crumb!).

Once in the pan, they did fry up nicely, a lovely brown colour on the outside.  First bite, delicious!  These are really good!  I may have overcooked a little bit, afraid that the middle would not be cooked.  I added a few drops of hot sauce, and dipped in Walden Farms Ketchup.  Fabulous!!


LittleStar's Rating:




Review of the Ideal Protein Waffles






Ideal Protein Waffle Recipe


http://idealproteinshakeitup.blogspot.ca/2012/01/ideal-protein-waffles.html


Ingredients

  • Ideal Protein Pudding Packet (I used Milk Chocolate Pudding)
  • 2 egg whites
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup) water

 

 Directions

  • Pre-heat waffle iron
  • Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt
  • Add all the other ingredients except the water and mix
  • Add the water, a little bit at a time.  The batter should not be runny - fairly thick
  • Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of the batter on each side of the waffle iron.
  • Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on your iron

Review

What a wonderful idea - waffles!  I've had pancakes, french toast, now I get to try waffles.

I used the milk chocolate pudding mix for this recipe.  I was careful with the first two waffles not to put too much batter, since the recipe indicated that they expand quite a bit.  When I opened the waffle iron once they were done, I realized my mistake - not spraying the waffle iron with Pam.  They were a bit hard to get off, and definitely not big enough to make a full waffle.  I sprayed the waffle iron for the next batch, and made the waffle much thicker (making only one waffle instead of two).  This made it much easier to remove the waffle.  I drizzled with Walden Farms syrup.

The first two waffles were nice and crunchy on the outside, but lacked any insides!  They were somewhat airy and not the soft yet firm insides of regular waffles.  The flavour, however, was nice.  The second waffle looked like it was quite dark, almost burnt, but not quite.  So I definitely would not have wanted to cook it any longer.  However, as I cut into it, it became apparent that it was not cooked enough in the middle.  I was hoping that the thicker waffle would have a firm inside, but it was definitely undercooked.

So I had two waffles that were too thin and crunchy, and one that was thicker, but undercooked on the inside.

Overall, the waffles are a nice idea, but I think I'll stick to the pancakes made from the Ideal Protein Crispy Cereal (http://idealproteinrecipesandfoodreviews.blogspot.ca/2013/08/review-of-crispy-cereal-pancake.html) from now on!!


LittleStar's Rating:

Thursday 3 October 2013

Review of the Pumpkin Spice Zucchini Muffins



Pumpkin Spice Zucchini Muffin Recipe

For this review, I made two types of muffins.  The first batch was made using the Ideal Protein vanilla pudding package, and the second batch was made using the Ideal Protein butterscotch pudding package.  I also added 3/4 tsp of pumpkin spice.

Other than those changes, I used the recipe I have previously reviewed:

http://idealproteinrecipesandfoodreviews.blogspot.ca/2013/08/review-of-zucchini-muffin-recipe.html


Review

The smell coming from the oven was heavenly!  The smell of pumpkin spices mixed with butterscotch and vanilla was getting me really excited to try these muffin.  When I pulled them out, I was surprised at how similar they looked.  I expected the butterscotch muffin to be much darker than the vanilla ones, but they looked very similar, a beautiful golden brown.

The first bite I took was of the Pumpkin Spice Butterscotch Zucchini Muffin.  It was unbelievable.  The mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other pumpkin spices jumped out at me, followed by the butterscotch flavour that was really highlighted by the spices.

My second bite was disappointing.  The Pumpkin Spice Vanilla Zucchini Muffin did not taste good.  The vanilla combined with the pumpkin spices gave the muffins an odd taste, and did nothing to highlight the lovely flavour of the vanilla pudding.  I could also really taste the zucchini, which was not pleasant in the company of the other flavours.

I continued to eat both muffins, and definitely confirmed my first bites.  The butterscotch was the right combination with the pumpkin spices and the zucchini.

Both recipes yielded two large muffins (could have easily made 3 smaller ones) and the muffins were moist.  This seems to be the case with this recipe regardless of the type of Ideal Protein pudding packet that is used.


LittleStar's Rating:

Pumpkin Spice Butterscotch Zucchini Muffin 



Pumpkin Spice Vanilla Zucchini Muffin