Family Style Chili - A much better copy-cat of Stagg Classic Chili! Plus a note about nightshades...

Family Style Chili

This makes a big pot of delicious chili that is great to serve at family gatherings. It can easily be made ahead and reheated if needed. The flavor is well-rounded yet mild enough that kids love it too. Our recipe is reminiscent of a commercial brand of chili called Stagg Classic Chili. Homemade is always better, and this chili is no exception. I did not set out to re-create Stagg's chili, it just happened.

Our recipe is easier to digest than some chilis, and is nice and tomato-ey as well. It is also less acidic than most tomato-based chilis, due to a touch healthy sweetener being added.

Note that green peppers assault some people's taste buds. If you are one of these people or have a family member who is, just replace the green pepper with a red bell pepper, or even a yellow one. Green bells are technically unripe anyway, and are the most bitter tasting of the three. Red bells are usually the sweetest.

Goji berry bush

Bell peppers are also a member of the nightshade plant family, and some people are sensitive to that, if so, omit the bell peppers (and the tomatoes for that matter!). By sensitive, I mean, some folks experience arthritic-type symptoms when they consume members of the night shade family. Maybe I should just call this nightshade chili! Uh, OK, don't eat this chili if you want to avoid vegetables from the nightshade family.

Other members of the night shade family are: chili peppers (all), potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams), tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, goji berries, cape gooseberries... Just so you know.

Cape Gooseberry fruits

So, back to the chili recipe! It makes a hearty, delicious meal and I think you will love it.



Family Style Chili Recipe:

2 pounds organic ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, diced small (about 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, diced small (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, smashed with some of the salt
1 1/2 T. chili powder, to taste
1/2 t. cumin powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 15-ounce cans organic kidney beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can organic great northern white beans, undrained (or a 3rd can of kidney beans)
1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste
1 28-ounce can organic diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can organic crushed tomatoes
1 cup organic chicken stock
1 t. organic beef base
1 c. purified water
3 T. Golden Lakanto zero-cal sweetener or organic coconut palm flower sugar (replaces brown sugar)
2 t. sea salt or BioSalt, to taste


Method:

In a soup pot, saute the ground beef with the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until the vegetables are tender, breaking up the meat and stirring frequently.

Add the remaining ingredients, mixing together well.

Simmer, covered for about 90 minutes, to blend the flavors well.

Check for seasoning and adjust if needed before serving.


Serving Ideas:

Serve over buttered and seasoned baked potatoes for a gluten-free meal.

Serve over steamed and buttered summer squash for a low-carb meal.

Serve in a bowl with gluten free organic corn chips, cheese, and sour cream on top.

Serve with homemade organic corn bread and raw honey butter.

Serve over homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

Serve over steamed tamales.

Serve in a bread bowl topped with cheese.

Serve any way you please!


Photos of the process:

Enjoy,

Leila.

Kettle Turkey Pot Roast - Copy Cat Chuck-A-Rama Recipe

Kettle Turkey Pot Roast

Imagine tender chunks of savory turkey that fool you into thinking you are eating slow simmered roast beef! 

I LOVE this recipe. My family loves this recipe. I think you will love it too.

Chuck-A-Rama does a great job of making their kettle turkey pot roast. Have you had it? It's by the roast beef, you must try it. It tastes like very tender roast beef with yummy carrots and potatoes, swimming in a tasty broth.

I have also had another version of this at a restaurant I can't remember the name of, that was equally delicious. This version version had a delicious thicker gravy and a ton of black pepper - zowie! A bit much for tender mouths. Chuck-A-Rama's Kettle Turkey has a much thinner brothy sauce that is delicious, but makes a lousy gravy, since it just runs off everything.

I decided it was time for me to recreate a version at home that is the best of both worlds. I wanted a thicker gravy-like sauce that wasn't quite so peppery. I wanted the big chunks of tender fall-apart meat. I wanted it to taste beefy, not like turkey. And I wanted lots of carrot and potato chunks too.

I'm thrilled with the results and my family loves it. I created this recipe around 2008,and I have made it when ever I see turkey thighs being sold at my local market. It's great that you do not have to thaw the meat first. This recipe is very forgiving, as you will see with the 2 variations I have listed below the recipe.




Crock Pot Turkey Pot Roast:

1 large onion, diced into cubes
2-3 turkey thighs (about 3 to 4 lbs, frozen)
1 t. seasoned salt, to taste
60 grinds fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 envelope dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1-2 t. organic beef base
1/4 c. sherry cooking wine, optional
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Herbs de Province
1 bay leaf, optional
2 3/4 c. water
1 3-ounce package brown gravy mix (or mushroom)
12 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
6 to 8 potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into big chunks
4 to 6 ribs celery, cut into big chunks, optional


Method:

Place the cubed onion in the bottom of a large oval shaped crock pot.

Season the frozen or thawed turkey thighs with seasoned salt and pepper. Place in the crock pot on top of the onions.

Add to the crock pot the garlic, onion soup mix, beef base, sherry, Worcestershire, Herbs de Province, bay leaf, and water.

Cover and cook 3 or more hours (until the meat is fall-of-the-bones tender).

Lift meat out of the crock pot and remove skin and bones, leaving big chunks of meat. Set aside.

To the crock pot add the package of brown gravy mix. Stir to combine with the hot liquid remaining in the crock pot.

Add all of the chunked carrots, potatoes, and celery to the crock pot. Toss to coat with the sauce.

Return the boned turkey to the crock pot. Lay the meat on top and gently spoon some of the sauce over top.

Place lid on crock pot and cook another hour or so, until the vegetables are tender.

Add more water as desired. Check for salt before serving.


Alternate Methods:

Alternate Method # 1 (Use this if you want to cook the meat ahead of time, my favorite method):

Right before you go to bed: Place the diced onions in the bottom of the crock pot. Lay the frozen turkey thighs on top. Season the meat with the salt and pepper. Pour in about 1 cup of water and put on the lid. Cook on low while you sleep. In the morning, remove the meat and remove the skin and bones and set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredient listed together, tossing the vegetables well to coat. Lay the big chunks of turkey on top. Spoon sauce over the meat. Cover and cook on lowest setting until the vegetables are tender. Add water as desired. Taste for salt before serving.

Alternate Method # 2 (use this method is you are going to be gone all day):

Dump all of the sauce ingredients and into the crock pot, starting with the water, onion soup mix, brown gravy mix, beef base, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, Herbs de Province, bay leaf, onions, and garlic. Stir well. Season the frozen or thawed turkey thighs with the seasoned salt and pepper and nestle into the sauce, spooning sauce over top. Lay all the vegetable chunks on top. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender. Remove the meat and skin and de-bone. Place back into the crock pot and gently stir before serving.

Moki is hoping for a turkey treat! Please mom???

Moki has been such a good patient boy...

Enjoy, 

Leila

Copy Cat Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing - Formulated and tasted side-by-side for accuracy! Fresher tasting than the original.

This is not just another average copy cat recipe. This dressing actually tastes like the real deal!

Copy-Cat Olive Garden Salad Dressing

This is the best copy cat version of Olive Garden's Italian salad dressing that I have tasted so far. I actually like this better than Olive Garden's bottled version. Their bottled version does not taste as fresh as my version does. Their soybean oil tastes a bit funky (usually rancid) and has some other off-taste in there that I'm not sure of where it is coming from...

Anyway, I have tasted many copy-cat versions of Olive Garden's dressing. There are a lot of versions online. They are not it. Most of them are too sour (too much vinegar), or are flat tasting, or are too runny, or have too much mayonnaise in them... They just aren't right.

My version has a zesty punch, but is balanced with all the other flavors. You need to have a hint of sweet to tame the vinegar, and enough salt to blend all the flavors and keep the dressing rich and tasty when it is actually dressing your salad. This dressing is thick and creamy enough to cling to the lettuce and not just end up as a watery mess at the bottom of your salad bowl.

I like my blend of seasonings but I may actually smash a clove of fresh garlic with the salt called for in my recipe next time. I do not taste fresh garlic in Olive Garden's version, but I think it would taste better with fresh garlic.

I used a blend of both Parmesan and Romano cheeses. I may just go back to using only Romano, increasing the portion to 3 T. (21 grams). Romano is stronger tasting, so you decide what you'd like.

The xanthan gum is critical to my recipe. The dressing will be very runny without it. Notice that the first ingredient in Olive Garden's version is WATER. That is why water is the first ingredient in my dressing too. It is much too vinegary if you do not add the water. Olive Garden's trick to thicken their dressing is adding the xanthan gum. Go get yourself some xanthan gum, I use it in almost all of my salad dressing recipes. Guar gum is an alternate option to using the xanthan gum. Look in your local health food stores or in the gluten free baking section of grocery stores to find it.

The annatto powder is used to give a richer color to the salad dressing, omit it if you choose to.

Olive Garden's ingredient listing on their salad dressing bottle:
water
distilled vinegar
soybean oil
high fructose corn syrup
salt
eggs
Romano cheese
garlic
sugar
xanthan gum
spice and spice extracts
parsley
lemon juice concentrate
calcium disodium EDTA (to protect freshness)
extractives of annatto.
(Contains milk, eggs).

I used my formulating background to recreate this dressing for my family and for yours. I hope you enjoy it! I conducted side-by-side taste test comparisons. I also compared ingredient lists. My version is healthier, although not sugar-free. I may formulate a sugar-free version later. My goal for this recipe was to as closely duplicate the original as I possibly could at this time. Let me know your thoughts on this recipe after you try it for yourself.




Leila's Copy Cat Version of Olive Garden's Italian Dressing:

1/2 c. (100 grams) purified water
1/2 c. (128 grams) Best Food's Mayonnaise (contains eggs)
about 1/2 c. (87 grams) white distilled vinegar (I prefer white wine vinegar)
1/4 c. (60 grams) extra-light olive oil (regular olive oil tastes too strong)
2 T. (36 grams) IMO syrup to replace corn syrup
2 T. (16 grams) Parmesan cheese
2 T. (14 grams) Romano cheese
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 t. sea salt
2 t. xylitol, or slightly more, to taste
1/2 t. + 1/8 to 1/4 t. xanthan gum (3/4 t. xanthan gum makes dressing thicker than Olive Garden's)
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. parsley flakes
20 grinds fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t. granulated garlic
1/16 t. red pepper flakes
1/16 t. annatto powder (Mexican foods section of grocery store)


Method:

Mix the water, mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, and IMO syrup together until fully combined with a stick blender (or blend by hand).

Add the cheeses and lemon juice.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, xylitol, xanthan gum, Italian seasoning, parsley,black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and annatto powder.

Sprinkle the dry seasoning blend over the liquid and mix until well combined.

Chill in a jar with a tight fitting lid to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve over a salad of romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, vidalia onion slices, black olives, pickled pepperoncini, garlic croutons, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Leila.

Copy Cat Tiger's Milk Bars in 2 flavors - Part 3 - How I refine my formulas

Peanut Butter & Jelly Tiger's Milk Bars!

Tiger Test Batch No. 2 is in the house!

I'm impatiently waiting for the chocolate coating to set up on this newest batch of Tiger's Milk protein bars. I made a few subtle changes to formula No. 1, we will soon see how it went.

See Tiger's Milk bar formula No. 1 HERE.

See my first post about Tiger's Milk bars HERE.


ATTENTION MY DEAR VIEWERS:

This post on my copy-cat Tiger's Milk bars has been given a new home due to the sugars they contain. If you want to see my formulas for these bars, please visit my blog called Beaute and the Feast. Thank you. 

Part 1: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-part-1-how-i.html

Part 2: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-part-2-how-i.html

Part 3: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-in-2-flavors.html

Please note that my goal was to first copy the original...THEN remake them into a healthy and tasty protein bar! The healthy improvements are coming.





...Well, lets see what formulating round 3 yields! Who's gonna eat all these protein bar experiments???

Enjoy!

Leila Cheetah Girl.

Copy Cat Tiger's Milk Bars - Part 2 - How I engineer Copy-Cat Formulas

Copy-Cat Tiger's Milk Bar - TRIAL # 1.

Trial No. 1 for my Copy-Cat Tiger's Milk Bars Now completed! See my formula below.

See my first post about Tiger's Milk bars HERE. As I have researched this project, I have found that there is quite a cult following for these Tiger's Milk protein bars. They are a guilty pleasure for many. I frequently hear comments about protein bars in general, that are like, "No one eats protein bars because they want to or because they like them, they choke them down just to get a quick dose of protein and curb their appetite fast." I pretty much agree with that.

However, that is not the case for me and Tiger's Milk bars. I discipline myself when it comes to eating these though, they aren't exactly health food anymore. I will buy 4 to 6 every year or so and I hide them from my kids. With out fail they find my stash and eat them all. Do you have any idea of what that torture is like? You're sitting there, you remember your tiger bar stash. You get all pumped about the idea of eating one. You go to your stash - and it's totally wiped out! My kids got smarter and figured out that it was a good idea to leave me at least one. They do not enjoy seeing their mother act like a tiger because she was denied her Tiger's Milk bar! Seriously.

I could not find ANYTHING even remotely close to a Tiger's Milk Bar knock-off anywhere. I saw comments online that others are searching for how to make them too - all dead ends. Grrrrr (like a tiger), now I'm getting stubborn. Watch out, when that happens, I actually figure stuff out!

I did see that there was also a Tiger's Milk Nutrition Booster drink powder that people are still pining away for.  Like at this website HERE. Hmmmm...  I don't remember if I ever tried the drink mix as a child, but it was so highly praised, I'm tempted to figure out a recipe for that too! There is also a highly sought after Tiger Cookie recipe on the back of the old Tiger's Milk tin. I researched and found the original recipe for those tiger cookies. I will be posting it soon.

Tiger's Milk Drink Mix, 1963.

When I reverse-engineer foodstuffs, I go to the actual product ingredient label and nutrition facts panel. Thank you for those, then I don't have to go by just taste and texture alone.

I write down their ingredient list in order, like a recipe card (it helps to clearly see each ingredient). Then I look at the nutrition facts. How much in carbs, sugars, fats, proteins, etc... I look at which of the ingredients on the list fit into each category (like soy protein isolate fits into the protein category). I look up any "mystery " ingredients and what section they fit into on the nutrition facts panel.

I most definitely look at what is in the commercial product ingredient list that I DON'T want in my formula (a lot of the "mystery" ingredients, sugar, starch, etc.).

Here, I must point out a pet peeve of mine: It bugs me when people automatically assume that any ingredient that is lengthy in spelling, or is unfamiliar to them, is deemed automatically as bad. It's just not the case. I hate it even more when these same misinformed people negatively blast the ingredient online. My point is, please educate yourself. Check your sources (do any of them have an "agenda"?). It does take a little time but it is so worth it.

I do research on the foods that are like my chosen project,  if there are any. I think of what I know from past formulating and cooking experience. I ponder  and brainstorm for a while... Then I "wing it" and start writing guesstimate proportions.

When it comes time to make my trial formula, I get out my ingredients and line them up in the order I will use them. I have my notes handy along with a good scale. I measure and weigh everything, writing it down immediately. I document the processes used as well. Then I write down my results and include details like taste, sweetness level, texture, moisture, after-tastes, etc... I then write down what I would like to change and my ideas for doing that. REPEAT...


ATTENTION MY DEAR VIEWERS:

This post on my copy-cat Tiger's Milk bars has been given a new home due to the sugars they contain. If you want to see my formulas for these bars, please visit my blog called Beaute and the Feast. Thank you. 

Part 1: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-part-1-how-i.html

Part 2: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-part-2-how-i.html

Part 3: http://beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com/2015/11/copy-cat-tigers-milk-bars-in-2-flavors.html

Please note that my goal was to first copy the original...THEN remake them into a healthy and tasty protein bar! The healthy improvements are coming.



Have fun!

Leila (Kitchen Cheetah Tigress).

Copy Cat Tiger's Milk Bars - Part 1 - How I incubate a formulating idea

I have a confession. I love Tiger's Milk Bars.

But as a Kitchen Cheetah (which is in the cat family), and considering the fact that I am a LEO, I guess I should not be surprised.

My mom would shop at health food stores when I was little (she still shops at health food stores) and would often let me pick out a treat there. I would often select one of these Tiger's milk Bars. I love the chewy texture they have. They used to make a flavor called Peanut Butter & Jelly that I absolutely loved. They stopped making this flavor many years ago. A sad day. My mom did not have candy, chips or soda pop in the house. We rarely had desserts either. We did eat fruit, and I remember pulling homemade buttery honey taffy with my mom. My tiny hands could hardly pull that slippery warm taffy. I sure loved eating it though!  Anyway, she did us a favor in keeping junk food out of the house.

As I look at a Tiger's Milk Bar ingredient label, I'm now inclined to think that Tiger's Milk Bars are not much elevated above junk food status. Hmmmm, I don't think the ingredients were exactly the same as when I was a child. No matter, I want to remake them. 

So here is what I'm thinkin'...

I think I will keep the carob coating. this is one of the rare places where I would actually choose carob coating over chocolate... It's a nostalgia thing. About the only other time I like carob is over bananas,which are then rolled in sunflower seeds and frozen (another treat my mom made me when I was little). Carob pods grew (on trees) in Southern California where I grew up. I remember a friend of my moms picked some and told me I could eat the carob pods. I did, and soon after got sick and threw up. Let's just say I never ate carob pods again.

Anyway, I will start with an organic smooth salted peanut butter.Tiger's Milk Bars also list peanut butter powder. I do not have any of that right now, so ill just pour off the oil that floats on top of my peanut butter, and call it good for now.

For the protein component, I will experiment with a combination of non-fat dry milk powder, soy protein isolate (or whey protein isolate), and a touch of calcium caseinate (which is also in my homemade healthy High Protein Coffee Creamer Powder). Maybe I will even add collagen powder! Good idea.

Then I think I will make a binding syrup of IMO syrup, raw honey, a little vegetable glycerine, a touch of stevia extract powder, and gums for added soluble fiber and binding power. I'll heat it up gently, adding the raw honey last.

I may use inulin or IMO powder in place of the maltodextrin and use Hi-Maize resistant starch (a dietary fiber) instead of the rice flour they use.

And I'll add a little calcium/magnesium powder for good measure.

Last, I'll melt down some some naturally sweetened carob coating from the health food store and en-robe the formed protein bars.

Sounds like a good rough sketch to me.

I included the ingredient labels for the Protein Rich and peanut butter & honey flavor. I like these too.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Author, Leila.

P.S. This post on Tiger's Milk Bars and the 2 subsequent trials that follow are being moved to my new blog called beauteandthefeast.blogspot.com. 

Due to the brown sugar and corn syrup these copy-cat recipes contain, they do not belong on Kitchen Cheetahs, which is a clean eating blog.

When I remake these bars using healthy sweeteners like IMO, Erythritol, Stevia, and such, I will post the healthified Tiger's Milk bar recipes here on Kitchen Cheetahs. T-T-F-N!

Tiger's Milk Nutrition Bars, Protein Rich Flavor

Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 bar (35 g) Servings Per Container: 24 Amount per Serving Calories Total 140    from Fat 45 Amount per Serving % Daily Value+ Total Fat  5 g 8%   Saturated Fat  2 g 9% Cholesterol  0 mg 0% Sodium  60 mg 2% Potassium  105 mg 3% Total Carbohydrate  18 g 6%   Dietary fiber  <1 g   Sugars  13 g Protein  6 g % Daily Value Vitamin A   IU 15% Vitamin C   mg 10% Thiamin (B1)   mg 35% Riboflavin (B2)   mg 40% Niacin (B3)   mg 20% Vitamin B6   mg 30% Vitamin B12   mcg 25% Biotin   mcg 6% Pantothenic acid   mg 15% Calcium   mg 15% Iron   mg 20% Phosphorus   mg 20% Magnesium   mg 30% Copper   mg 20% * Daily Value not established. + Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Peanut Butter (roasted peanuts, salt), Corn Syrup, Carob Coating, Brown Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Powder, Carob Bean (Ceratonia Siliqua) Powder, Soy Lecithin (as an emulsifier), *, Soy Protein Isolate, Peanut Flour, Dry Milk (nonfat), Rice Flour, Contains Less Than 2% of calcium caseinate, Calcium Phosphate (Calcarea Phosphorica), Magnesium Phosphate, Dextrose, Natural Flavors, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Ferrous Fumarate (Iron), Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Niacinamide, Calcium D-Panthothenate, Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), Copper Gluconate, Thiamine Monohydrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin (Vitamin H)

Peanut Butter & Honey Flavor

• 1.23 oz Bar

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Bar (35 g)
Servings Per Container 24

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140

Calories from Fat 50

% Daily Value

Total Fat	5g	8%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	80mg	3%
Potassium	150mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate	19g	6%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	14g
Protein	5g
Vitamin A		15%
Vitamin C		10%
Calcium		10%
Iron		20%
Thiamin		40%
Riboflavin		40%
Niacin		20%
Vitamin B6		30%
Vitamin B12		30%
Biotin		6%
Pantothenic Acid		15%
Phosphorus		20%
Magnesium		30%
Copper		20%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Ingredients: Peanut Butter (Roasted Peanuts, Salt), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Honey, Carob Coating [Sugar, Palm Kernel and Palm Oil, Carob Powder, Whey Powder, Milk, Nonfat Dry Milk, Soy Lecithin (as an emulsifier), Salt, Natural Flavor], Nonfat Dry Milk, Peanut Flour, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup, Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, contains less than 1.5% of Brown Sugar, Calcium Caseinate, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Dextrose, Natural Flavors, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Ferrous Fumarate, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Niacinamide, Calcium d-Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Copper Gluconate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Salt.

DIY High Protein Coffee Creamer - Sugar-Free, Low-Carb & Healthier than Coffee Mate!

 High-Protein, Low-Carb Coffee Creamer Powder.

Replace unhealthy sugar-filled creamer with this great tasting protein packed creamer!

This is a really cool formula and I have not seen anything out there like it anywhere. I have been thinking about making a healthy creamer for a long time. Creamer manufacturers make a liquid slurry and then spray dry it into a powder form - Not something we can do at home. Quite a conundrum....

Plus, I wanted a creamer powder that would enhance my diet, not take away from it! Commercial creamers are as bad for you (or worse?) than margarine. This creamer is a delicious and healthy way to include more protein in your diet. You also avoid all the empty carbohydrates and unhealthy fats too. It is wonderful added to herbal chai, herbal coffee substitutes, fruit smoothies, boba drinks, hot cocoas, protein drinks, herbal milk teas, herbal Thai tea etc...

It takes only a few minutes to make this super easy creamer powder. Now you have a better alternative to the corn syrup and chemical laden commercial creamer powders. PARTY.


Here is the ingredient label to Coffee Mate creamer powder:

Note: They say 1 tsp (2 grams) is a serving. Who ever uses only 1 tsp.?

According to their label: 1 gram is carbohydrates (sugar) + .5 g is saturated fat + .5 g is other stuff. 

That means Coffee Mate is 50% corn syrup solids (sugar), and 25% fat. The sodium caseinate is at least 15 % of the formula, probably a little bit more, because the rest of the ingredients are listed as being less than 2% (which would fall under 10% of the total).

This is a cool way to read an ingredient label, huh?

Coffee Mate ingredient label.

Personally, I can do without all the corn syrup solids (the main ingredient), unhealthy hydrogenated fats, and aluminosilicate (aluminum), and artificial flavors. What about you?

Did you notice that the protein content per serving was a big fat ZERO?

I'm good with the sodium caseinate (milk derived protein) and natural annatto coloring (annatto is a brick red colored spice and colorant used in Mexican cooking). I find the lecithin powder colors this enough to make it look like Coffee Mate's creamer powder. If you are against all dairy, this creamer is not for you. I personally find these proteins agreeable to me and they have a much nicer texture than gritty vegetable proteins.

Our creamer dissolves nicely in liquids, and gives a milky look to them. This is low in lactose, due to the type of milk proteins used. Note that this is not a dairy-free creamer. Making a non-dairy creamer powder will be a project for later...

I noticed that if your beverage sits a while (as in, it's starting to get cold), the protein in this creamer settles to the bottom of the glass a bit. I just give it a stir, and it's fine.

The coconut oil I use here does not add a coconut oil flavor and adding it makes the creamer dissolve easily in liquids (hot or cold). My formula is lower in fat than Coffee Mate's, although I don't mind fat from coconut oil, since it is so good for you. The lecithin helps to emulsify the coconut oil into the water-based beverage. Lecithin is also really good for you and it helps your body digest fats in your diet, among other things.

The sweeteners I use here do not negatively impact your blood sugar levels. The IMO powder (related to inulin) is a mildly sweet tasting fiber. You could omit the IMO and just add a bit more erythritol, however, erythritol is a cooling sugar and is slow to dissolve, IMO is warming and dissolves easily, so they balance each other out. F.Y.I.

I also added Collagen (Collagen hydrolysate) powder. Why? Because it is a very clean and bio-available protein, with many health benefits! It dissolves quickly and seems to disappear into what ever you add it to. Collagen is like gelatin, except that it does not set up like gelatin (think Jell-O). At Kitchen Cheetahs, we like to add it to protein drinks, hot chocolate, soups, stews and gravies, gluten free baked goods, and of course desserts!

Here is a link to a very interesting article about gelatin (collagen) and why it is so important to our health. It's called "Gelatin, Stress, and Longevity", by Dr. Ray Peat. He discusses how collagen impacts our hormones, sleep patterns, thyroid, stomach issues, heart arrhythmia, body inflammation, aging, and lots of other cool stuff. I hope you take the time to read it. The take away? Eat collagen.

I also have special organic flavor powders that enhance the cream flavor of my creamer beautifully. Unfortunately, the public does not have access to these flavor powders, since they are made available to us because we are professional food formulators. I would recommend you add some vanilla flavor powder instead.

I really enjoy this creamer with my home made herbal chai tea, and home made boba drinks and smoothies. It is a wonderful substitute that leaves your beverages tasting rich and creamy.

I will be tweaking this recipe further...because I can't leave well enough alone. But this first recipe is definitely worth posting now. This formula is so much better than just mixing powdered milk with powdered sugar and calling that creamer - YUK. Hold out and get the needed ingredients to make this instead, you will be happy you did.

What may I do when I decide to tweak this recipe?

I will add another T. or more of melted deodorized coconut oil.
I will add at least another 2 T. of healthful collagen powder. (a T. of collagen a day is a good dose)
I may add another T. of lecithin powder.
I may lower the whey pro isolate to 1 1/4 cup and add another 1/4 cup calcium caseinate
Then I may need to up the sweeteners a bit, say, IMO to 40 grams and erythritol to 64 grams?

Anyway, here is the yummy recipe I am using now...


High Protein Coffee Creamer Recipe:

1 1/2 c. ( 120 g) plain 100% whey protein isolate
1 c. (80 g) calcium caseinate
6 T. (48 g) finely powdered erythritol
4 T. (32 g) IMO powder
3 T. (24 g) lecithin granules
2 T. (12 g) collagen powder
1 T. (8 g) Hi-Maize resistant starch, optional
Vanila flavor powder, to taste, optional
2 T. (26 g) melted deodorized coconut oil


Method:

Grind the erythritol with the Hi-Maize until finely powdered. The Hi-Maize is an added fiber that also acts as a processing aid for grinding the erythritol without it getting overly sticky. I use a small coffee mill to do this.

Weigh out all of the ingredients, except the coconut oil into a medium sized bowl. whisk to blend.

Process the powder in batches in a small food processor until all is a fine powder.

With the powder still in the food processor, drizzle the coconut oil over top of the powder. Place the lid on the food processor and pulse to blend very thoroughly. The powder will start to cling together nicely.

Transfer the creamer to an air-tight container and store in your pantry.

To use: spoon the desired amount into a hot beverage and stir to dissolve. I use 1 T. for a mug of herbal chai, or 2 T. for a big smoothie. Add to taste freely - It's healthy!

Assemble your ingredients.

Whisk the powdered erythritol with the other dry ingredients.

Here is the creamer after the coconut oil has been well blended in,

Ready to put in my pantry.

Enjoy,

Leila.