Ha-ha! Amp it UP!

We’re starting the New Year’s right with this pocket-sized protein-packed snack that will power-up your day! This treat was inspired by Lúcio from Overwatch. Since he’s from Brazil, I decided to create a dish that’s common to that region.

The first thing that came to mind was empanadas! They’re filling and easy to eat. Besides, if you’re battling the forces of evil, you’re going to need to take your food to-go!

But let’s not waste anymore time — come on, let’s bring it together and cook up this recipe!

UNIT COMPOSITION

1. salt
2. pepper
3. 1/2 tablespoon of cumin
4. 1/2 tablespoon of paprika
5. 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
6. 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter)
7. 1 teaspoon of olive oil
8. 2 tablespoons of water
9. 1/5 of an onion, diced
10. 4 – 6 cloves of garlic, diced
11. 4 – 5 cherry or grape tomatoes, diced
12. 3 mushrooms, diced
13. 1 green bell pepper, reserve 3/4 for decorations, dice the remaining 1/4
14. 2 scoops of Quest Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder
15. 1 scoop of Quest Brown Rice Powder
16. 1/4 lean ground beef (I used 90/10)
17. 2 eggs

BUILD ORDER

Prep time is about ~40 minutes. Cook time is 15 minutes. This makes about 5 servings (5 empanadas)

Each serving contains: ~16g of Protein, ~5g of Fat, and ~6.4g of Net Carbs

OPENING

1. Heat a skillet on high heat. Add in your olive oil.
2. Saute your vegetables. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Once the vegetables have cooked, remove it from the skillet.
   
3. Add in your ground beef. Add in your seasonings and saute.
4. Add back your vegetables and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside.
   

MID GAME

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 scoops of protein powder and 1 scoop of brown rice powder.
2. Season with salt.
3. Add in 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of water and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil.
4. Mix until combined.
5. When it’s reached a doughy consistency, knead the dough and form it into a ball.
6. Dust a flat surface with extra brown rice flour and roll out the dough on top of it.
7. Now, here comes the tricky part — cutting out Lúcio’s frog design. I shaped a strip of aluminum foil into a makeshift cookie cutter and then stamped it into the dough. You can do this or freehand the design with a sharp pairing knife.
8. Use a regular cookie cutter (or a glass) to stamp out circles. This will be the back of the empanada.
9. Cut that circle in half like so:
   

LATE GAME

1. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on each half circle. Leave about 1/2″ inch of padding between the edge of the dough and your filling.
2. Place the frog shape dough over the half circle and crimp the edges together.
3. Combine your remaining 1 egg with 1/2 cup of water, this will be your egg wash. Gently brush the egg wash over your empanada.
4. Here’s the fun part — decorating! Using the remaining bell pepper, you’ll want to create the headphones, eyes and mouth for the frog.
5. To create the headphones, cut rings from the bell pepper. Make a cut in one of the sides and then place the bell pepper slice above the empanadas to check the fit. You may need to trim down this piece. Add in extra diced pieces to create the actual earmuffs to the headphones.
6. To create the eyes, cut out circles or use a large straw (I used a straw from bubble tea) to poke holes through the bell pepper.
7. To create the smile, just use any remaining strips of bell pepper to create a little smile.
   
8. Bake the empanadas at 350° for 15 minutes.
9. Eat!

GG WP!

These tasty treats will help you amp it up into the New Year!

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This recipe was created with support from Quest Gaming. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to learn more about how other gamers eat healthy and #CheatClean.