Peanut Butter & Jam Ricotta

Today I accidentally created a great snack!  I was looking through my refrigerator and spotted an unopened large container of Ricotta Cheese.  For me, Ricotta has always been something of a savory food addition (Lasagna or Cannolis) but I had heard from some friends on ObesityHelp that they have Ricotta as a staple in their diet - including sweet treats!  I decided today was the day to try it out.  I've been craving Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches lately, but bread is a no-go!  So, instead I decided to try to re-create the flavors.  It turned out delicious!

Here is my recipe to share:

Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jam Ricotta!

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Ricotta Cheese (I used Frigo brand part-skim)
2 tbsp. PB2
1 tbsp. Torani Sugar-Free Raspberry Syrup
1 packet Sweetener of your choice (Optional, if you want it sweeter - I used Stevia myself.)

Directions:

Super easy - just combine all three ingredients and mix!  I prepared mine in a 1-cup portion cup and just stirred with a spoon.

Nutrition Information:

225 Calories, 13g Carbs, 14g Fat, 17g Protein, 2g Fiber, 7g Sugar

I hope you enjoy!  I won't be enjoying this treat often, but I do look forward to being able to satiate my PB&J cravings!  This will definitely be something I have during my pureed foods stage!

An unexpected recipe... Asian Chicken Broth!

In my current pre-surgery Gastric Bypass journey, I am trying out new recipes that will be enjoyable and nutritious after surgery.

Today, my goal was to make Egg Drop Soup!  Alas, as I was getting to the last step - beating an egg and adding to my boiling broth - I discovered that my dearest husband had hard-boiled all of the eggs in our house!  After a brief chuckle and a funny text message to husband dearest, I decided to seize this opportunity to test a recipe idea I had for the clear liquids phase of the diet.

Note: It's a lovely yellow color - with a little bit of foamy top from the protein powder!

I bring you:

Protein-Added Asian Chicken Broth (a.k.a. Egg Drop Soup without Eggs)!

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1 c. Water
1/4 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp. Ginger Paste
1/4 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 scoop Syntrax Unsweetened Medical Protein Powder

Directions:

In a small pot, add the Chicken Broth Mix to the water. If you prefer using premade mix, simply add in 1 cup of chicken broth. Add Sesame Oil, Ginger Paste, Soy Sauce. Bring to a boil. Usually here is where you would add 1 beaten egg to the liquid (while stirring). Turn off heat and continue to stir for one minute.
Right before drinking, mix in 1 scoop of unflavored protein powder.

Nutrition Information:

(via MyFitnessPal):

Without Eggs	With Eggs

I hope you enjoy!  I, for one, will be utilizing this recipe without egg during my clear liquids phase because it is so tasty! Then when on the pureed foods phase, this will be a good source of protein and a great source of flavor in the sometimes monotonous diet!