‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder Recipe

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Pie has a bad reputation and it’s no wonder why. A small slice of apple pie with a modest ½ cup scoop of vanilla ice cream has 571 calories, 27 grams of fat and scant protein.  Of course, a piece of decadent pie on special occasions isn’t going to ruin results earned from working out, running or whatever you do; but, it just isn’t the right fuel to keep an active person feeling well and going strong.  If you have a sweet tooth (like me) and want a little slice of heaven more frequently than on July 4th and Thanksgiving, whip up my ‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder tonight. Based on a super-easy summer recipe my mom used to make during my childhood in blazing hot Arizona, this no-bake pie is modified for maximum performance with no-sugar added and fat-free products along with a couple scoops of protein powder. Yeah, that’s right, I said protein powder.


‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder Recipe

  • 1 quart no-sugar added sherbet
  • 2 scoops whey protein powder, vanilla flavor
  • 1 8-oz container no-fat, dairy-free whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 pre-made chocolate cookie pie crust (Keebler Ready-Crust Chocolate)
  • ½ cup fat-free chocolate syrup
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, cored and sliced

Scoop entire container of sherbet into large mixing bowl; let sit for a few minutes to soften a bit. Sprinkle protein powder over sherbet a little at a time (to prevent clumping); mix in by hand or with beaters. After all protein powder is incorporated, fold in whipped topping with spatula until combined. Spoon entire mixture into prepared chocolate cookie crust; freeze for 3 hours or overnight until firm. To serve, cut into 8 slices with knife run through hot water. Top each slice with 2 ounces of strawberries and 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup. Serves 8.

Nutrition information (per 1/8 of pie with toppings): calories 275, total fat 6g, saturated fat 1g, trans fat 2g, total carbs 48g, sugars 9g, protein 9g.

Note: If you want to clean this recipe up even more, skip the pie crust and just spoon the sherbet mixture into the pie pan.  This removes about 100 calories, 4g of total fat (2 of which are trans fat), 14g carbs and 6g sugars.

Running with Women’s Intuition – Altra Zero-Drop Shoe Review

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Altra Intuition zero-drop running shoe

I finally got to take my new Altra Intuition running shoes out for a sweet tempo run today. The only thing that would have made the experience better is if I didn’t wait until noon and 90+ degree temperatures.  First, thanks to Altra and Woman’s Running Magazine for hooking me up with these awesome “zero-drop” shoes, I’ve been eager to try them since I read that they were named “Best 2012 Debut” by Runner’s World and “Editor’s Pick – Most Innovative” by Competitor Magazine.  The big hype on this shoe is the “zero-drop” from heel to toe and female-centric construction — not just a “shrink it and pink it” strategy some shoe companies force on us ladies.

You’d have to be under a rock not to know about the barefoot / minimal running revolution that’s been discussed to death. You know, wearing absolutely no shoes or shoes with a “minimal” construction instead of thick heeled clunkers. The point is that a runner’s biomechanics  can be reverted to the preferred natural gait where the mid-foot strikes the ground first, etcetera, and so on.  Just check out Pose Running  for more on this technique.  I had the opportunity to be coached by Dr. Romanov himself a couple years ago.

Since then, I’ve worn quite a few brands of minimal shoes and had success with many (and fewer injuries) except for that one paper-thin pair (not going to mention the name here, but you can message me) that fell apart after 60 miles!  However, I have to admit, I miss some of the cushioning on long runs that most of these minimal shoes lack.  What I love about these Altra Inutitions is that they have a fully-cushioned mid-foot area yet are still surprisingly light (8.1 oz) with zero-drop from heel to toe. Based on my run today, I bet my feet wouldn’t feel beat up in the least after a marathon.   Plus, the roomy toe-box is perfect for gals with wider feet, bunions or both.

Altra warns that the Intuition model runs ½ size too small, but I found that not to be the case (at least with my feet) – so I had to deal with a dreaded return.  But, the customer-service department was very friendly and apparently has a “no questions asked” 30-day guarantee on “worn, unworn and defective” purchases – free shipping and returns too! BTW, the web site says the Intuitions are $99 retail, not bad. Really, my only negative on these shoes is that they aren’t the “coolest” looking shoes in town, but I’d much rather have happy feet, so who cares!

Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day this Saturday – Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta Recipe

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This Saturday, June 16th, has been declared Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day. Not sure who made this official proclamation of nutritious noshing, but I’m supporting it all the way for every day because I’m really into colorful stuff to eat that doesn’t come from a box.  As a carrot-crunching, mushroom-munching, lettuce-loving, zealot of zucchini, broccolini and celery, I usually have no problems getting my 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day as recommended by the USDA  — check out their Fruits and Veggies Matter campaign that lists out more specific measurements for age groups and activity levels.

One of the best things about the spring and summer seasons is the bounty of fresh vegetable choices available to us city-dwellers and suburbanites. Say “no” to the canned food aisle and check out the produce section of your favorite grocery story or, better yet, head to the nearest farmer’s market for inspiration. Eat your picks fresh in a salad or grill, roast, steam or sauté them up lightly in a skillet to retain optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – for these same reasons, experts say that microwaving and boiling in water should be avoided.

Here’s what I’m having as the side to my beef fajitas on Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day, a 1-cup serving of Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta.  Simple to make, delicious to eat and inspired by a recipe from a favorite Mexican Food restaurant. This delish veggie dish is also yummy as the filling in vegetarian tacos, as a topping on chicken or fish or in an omelet.

Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup fresh corn taken off the cob
  • 1 cup shelled edamame beans (use frozen if you have to)
  • 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce.

In large skillet over medium-high, heat oil and sauté corn and edamame for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and sauté for another minute. Reduce heat to medium and stir in garlic and soy sauce until well-combined. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Nutritional details: calories 118, total fat 1.7 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, cholesterol 0.0 mg, sodium 115 mg, potassium 119 mg, total carbohydrate 20.2g, dietary fiber 1.6g, sugars 6.3g, protein 6.4g. Daily recommended values: vitamin A  17.3%, vitamin B-12 0.0%, vitamin B-6 1.6%, vitamin C 58.1%, vitamin D 0.0%, vitamin E 0.2%, calcium 4.6%, copper 1.2%, folate 4.5%, iron 8.0%, magnesium 3.7%, manganese 4.0%, niacin 3.4%, pantothenic acid 3.0%, phosphorus 3.7%, riboflavin 1.5%, selenium 0.5%, thiamin 5.3%, zinc 1.3%

Some Kind of Bun-derful – Dad’s Jalapeno Cheese Hamburger Bun Recipe

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For those of you looking for freakishly, über-healthy recipes today, I digress. But what a tasty tangent I’ve taken – hamburgers! And, for the record, hamburgers are not at all “bad” for you when enjoyed in moderation; it’s the cheese, bacon and fatty condiments that make them a sinful splurge.  Actually, did you know that lean hamburger meat (95%) has only 5.1 grams of total fat per 3-ounce serving while a chicken thigh with the skin off (!) has a whopping  9.3 grams for the same-sized serving? If you don’t believe me check out this awesome chart on 29 ways to love lean beef.

Now, my dad and I consider ourselves to be experts on every aspect of the meaty subject matter, from grilling them up to gobbling them down. In fact, most Thursday lunch hours are spent finding out which restaurant in town does hamburgers best – and ‘wow’,  it’s hard to decide, so we’ll keep searching like the selfless sleuths that we are.  When one of our favorite burgers stopped coming on a deliciously soft, slightly spicy Jalapeno bun, my dad decided to take matters into his own hands and the following Jalapeno Cheese Hamburger Bun recipe is the result.  The hamburger patty is also homemade because he had the luxury of time — it was Memorial Day. But, if you’re in a hurry, pick up a frozen pack of HEB Fully Cooked Lean Hamburgers, a mouth-watering winner from the grocery store’s healthy Fully-Fit product line.  The hamburger buns do take some time to make, but keep well in the freezer if you want to bake up a stash.

Jalapeno Cheese Hamburger Bun Recipe

  • 1 package yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoon canola oil  (plus more for greasing bowl)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1/3 cup Mission brand sliced nacho jalapeno peppers, minced

Add warm water to stand mixer bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let sit 10 minutes, until frothy. Add the oil, 1 egg, and sugar to the bowl, lightly mix just to combine. Add the flour, salt, cheese, and jalapenos and mix on medium-low speed with the hook attachment until the dough comes together, approximately 2 minutes. If dough isn’t cleaning the sides of the bowl, mix in additional flour one tablespoon at a time.

Increase mixer speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover it with a damp towel and let rise for 1 ½ hours in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and each half into 5-6 pieces (to suit the size of your burgers). Roll into rounds and flatten with the palm of your hand onto parchment-lined baking sheet; placing buns about 1/2-1 inch apart.

Cover with a damp towel and let them rise for 25 minutes. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush tops of buns with the egg wash. Bake in oven preheated to 350 F degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 10 -12 buns.

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Baked-and-Better Chocolate Protein Donut Recipe for National Donut Day!

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It’s all about donuts this week; National Donut Day is on Friday, June 1st! Keep reading for donut recipe below!  As far as guilty pleasures go, this sweet treat ranks right up there as a go-to goodie whether morning, noon or night. While more than 10 billion donuts are made per year in the United States alone, I never really imagined that health-conscious runner types would be consuming their fair share. But, apparently so – and not even behind closed doors! Case in point, the annual Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, NC that attracts nearly 8,000 sugar-slash-jogging junkies who run 2.5 miles, stop and eat a dozen donuts each and then turn around and gut it back to the finish. Even one of my own favorite hometown races, Chuy’s Hot to Trot in Austin, serves up glazed sugar donuts and the company of “Elvis” himself as a post-race treat.

Of course, eating these carbo-bombs on a regular basis is not such a good thing; at some point your body is going to rebel — and that’s going to manifest as sugar crashes, unwanted weight and slower finish times. But don’t start grieving the goodbye just yet. My recipe for Baked Chocolate Protein Donuts will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you fueled up through the morning with 7.5 grams of protein (each) – that’s more than an egg!

Baked-and-Better Chocolate Protein Donuts

For Donut Batter:

  • 3/4 cup almond flour (also called Almond Meal)
  • 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder
  • 3/4 cup whole-grain flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 3 tablespoons Truvia sweetener (Stevia)
  • ¼ cup egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Baking spray

For Glaze:

  • ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Mix first eight ingredients together in medium mixing bowl. Add egg whites, canola oil, stirring until well-combined. You can add a tad more or less water to achieve desired batter consistency which should be fairly thick. Mist mini donut pan with baking spray. Fill each mold 1/2 full with batter with a spoon or using a Ziploc bag to “pipe” in. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

In small microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.  Stir in milk and vanilla.  While glaze is still warm, dunk tops of each donut in glaze or drizzle across the tops with a spoon. Makes 12 mini donuts.

Nutritional Information (per 1 donut with glaze):  Calories 106, Total Fat 5.4g (1.0 saturated, 1.2 polyunsaturated, 2.8 monounsaturated), Cholesterol 0.2mg, Sodium, 54mg, Potassium, 143mg, Total Carbohydrate 9.1 g (dietary fiber 2.0g, sugars 2.0g), Protein 7.5g.

Note: if you don’t have a mini-donut pan, you can substitute a muffin pan. Or, hook yourself up with one through the Amazon link below. Also, you’ll find some of the other “stuff” used in this baked doughnut recipe.