lúcio’s amped-up empanadas [brazilian empanadas]

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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

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  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.
    blog_brazilianempanadas_filling
  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.
    blog_brazilianempanadas_filling2

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:
    blog_brazilianempanadas_dough

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.
    blog_brazilianempanadas_frogs
  8. Bake the empanadas at 350° for 15 minutes.
  9. Eat!

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GG WP!

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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.

tracer’s banoffee pie [dairy-free banoffee pie]

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When Overwatch was first announced at BlizzCon 2014, I was so insanely excited by the fact that the universe existed on Earth. This meant instead of digging into my Azeroth cook book for inspiration, I could just pull inspiration from cultural cuisines. So, we’re taking a trip around the globe with our favorite Overwatch heroes, starting with the poster girl — Tracer!

For this recipe, I decide to create a healthier version of Banoffee Pie which is found in Tracer’s hometown of London, England.

If you’re not familiar Banoffee Pie, you might be thinking “what the heck is a banoffee?” Banoffee Pie consists of bananas and toffee (or dulce de leche) and then is covered with delicious whipped cream. Yum!

Enough talk, let’s get moving!

UNIT COMPOSITION

blog_banoffeepie_ingredients

  1. 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
  2. 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
  3. 2 tablespoons of agave
  4. 2 scoops of Quest Salted Caramel protein powder
  5. 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
  6. 3/4 cup of pecans (reserve 1/4 cup)
  7. 1 cup of coconut milk (reserve 1 tablespoon)
  8. 1 cup of coconut cream, chilled
  9. 2 bananas (reserve a few slices for decoration)

BUILD ORDER

This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prep. Cook time is about 30 minutes. This makes 8 servings.

Each slice contains: ~13g of Protein, ~15g of Fat, and ~15g of Net Carbs

OPENING

  1. Set a sauce pan on low heat.
  2. Add your coconut milk, 2 scoops of protein powder and agave to the sauce pan.
  3. Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will create the dolce de leche for the filling. It should end up being a paste-like consistency. Remove from heat when done.

MID GAME

  1. Place your cinnamon protein bars in a microwave safe bowl. Add in 1 tablespoon of coconut milk. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave again for 30 seconds.
  2. In a food processor, grind your pecans. Reserve 1/4 of a cup for decoration.
    blog_banoffeepie_nuts
  3. Add in your melted protein bars, cinnamon and shredded coconut. Blend until smooth. This will form your crust.
  4. Press your pecan mixture into a spring-form pan. Using a spoon, spread the mixture until you have an 1″ edge.
    blog_banoffeepie_crust
  5. Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

LATE GAME

  1. Whip your chilled coconut cream.
  2. Remove your pie crust from the fridge.
  3. Pour in your dolce de leche and spread evenly.
  4. Top with sliced bananas.
  5. Top with your whipped cream. Spread the whipped cream evenly.
    blog_banoffeepie_bananas
  6. Now, use your reserved crushed pecans to decorate the pie. I recommend cutting out a stencil for Tracer’s hair. I free-handed it, but it was a bit messier than I wanted!
    blog_banoffeepie_tracer
  7. Add in your extra banana slices for the outline on Tracer’s goggles.
    blog_banoffeepie_outline
  8. Carefully remove the spring-form from the pan.
  9. Eat!

GG WP, Hero!

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Wicked!

Now, cut yourself a slice and enjoy. You’ve earned it!

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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.