Tasty Low-Carb Spinach Souffle

Green food: are you grossed out or curious? I decided to post this recipe for a couple reasons: 1. If you’re not too picky about eating greens then you’re definitely a strong figure kind of person. And 2. If you’re hardcore about your diet, you know the importance of eating greens and meeting your protein needs. Why not combine them into a

low-carb, high-protein, antioxidant-rich dish?

One of my favorite quick and easy frozen meals that I stumbled upon a year or so ago was Stouffer’s Spinach Souffles. I LOVE this dish. I’ve got to hand it to Stouffer’s–it’s pretty darned good. However, even though it sounds crazy healthy, unfortunately, it’s just a little on the heavy side for me. The souffle is served in one of those single size packages, but the label reads that one whole package serves three people. It’s not big! It’s the same size of any Lean Cuisine or Smart One frozen entree. When I discovered this one, I tried to limit myself from eating too many per week, but I found myself gobbling down a minimum of three or more. The good thing about them is that they’re made with real food: eggs, cream, spinach, etc. The bad thing is that the calories for the entire package rings in at 450, there are 30 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbs, and 18 grams of protein. I guess that’s not the worst thing in the world, but I prefer more protein, and a little less of everything else.

So I tried a few souffle recipes to mimic the Stouffer’s version and eventually gave up. I couldn’t make anything to compare. Until recently–I’ve been making these AMAZING protein pancakes, and I thought I’d switch my recipe up a bit. Instead of applesauce, eggwhites, and protein powder–I used eggwhites, spinach, and cottage cheese. I blended the mixture ’til it turned a pretty bright green and then cooked it in coconut oil. The result? An AMAZING spinach souffle, JUST like my Stouffer’s version, and all for about 250 calories, virtually no carbs, and around 40 grams of protein. The picture may not look appetizing, but the coconut oil makes the dish taste fabulous! I was so shocked! And the best part was that this recipe produced even MORE than the little Stouffer container! When I tried the recipe again, I switched up my ingredients to try something new: I added a scoop of protein powder. My thinking was that the powder might change the consistency from “souffle” back to a thick pancake. (I love the feeling of tricking my body into thinking it’s eating carbs when it’s not!) So anyway, I was right, the mixture created a green fluffy pancake. I know what you’re thinking, a spinach pancake? I promise I’m not lying when I say I loved it even more than the souffle. It didn’t taste of spinach at all–even though it was green! It honestly tasted just like a regular protein pancake! I had a ton of protein, hardly any carbs, and I filled my belly with important vitamins and nutrients. LOVE IT! I wonder what kind of pancake I can make next…

Ingredients:

• one bunch spinach (I used fresh spinach leaves and filled my blender–without packing it down
• one cup egg whites
• one scoop protein powder
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions: Throw all ingredients (except oil) in a blender and blend til the consistency is smooth. Heat up a large skillet and get the coconut oil hot. Pour your mixture in the pan and cook on a medium-med low heat until done. If you want more of a “fluffy” pancake, avoid stirring the mixture–just flip when appropriate.

*If you want more of a souffle instead of a pancake, leave out the protein powder.