Chocolate Ricotta Milkshake – SB Phase 1

I need chocolate…..I don’t just want it, I need it. Any time I’ve ever tried a new way of eating or a diet, the first thing I’ve done is make sure I can have chocolate in one form or another. I know, its a sickness.

As you know, I started South Beach this week and I was very happy to see that I could still have chocolate – kind of. I can have unsweetened cocoa powder and a sugar substitute – that’s the same right?

I was craving a chocolate milkshake the other night and found a few recipes that I could use on phase one. I found a few and sort of made a mixture….this is what I ended up with:

Chocolate Ricotta Milkshake (phase 1)

2 cups skim or low fat milk(I used almond)

1/4 cup part skim Ricotta cheese

2-3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

3-4 tsp Stevia or Splenda

1 tsp vanilla extract

ice

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until desired consistency.

I topped it with whipped topping ( no sugar) and I’m not sure if its allowed on this phase, but I wanted it so there it is.

Sorry about the picture, but it was torture trying to get a good pic and I gave up and pigged the whole thing down.

I thought it was pretty good – it made enough for more than one milkshake – not that anyone else in my house would try it. And trust me – you can’t taste the ricotta….it just gives it a thicker consistency. This definitely works when you have a craving for chocolate. I won’t say that it replaces a milkshake…. it kind of turned out like really cold chocolate milk, but hey who’s complaining?

Berry Fruity Cobbler

I have to say I’m loving the dessert section of this cookbook so far. To me, its much more fun baking than it is cooking. Today I wanted to keep it simple ( I know, what a surprise!) but also come up with something that included fruit….since its unseasonable warm here in good old Ohio. I had some strawberries, blueberries and apples so I figured I would throw them all together and make a cobbler.

I looked a few up online and kind of did a combination. I used Splenda instead of sugar and whole wheat flour instead of regular. I have to say that although its pretty good for a sugar free dessert, using regular sugar and flour would have produced better results.

BERRY FRUITY COBBLER

5 apples peeled, cored & sliced                                                                     

15   small strawberries

2 cups blueberries

3/4 cup Splenda ( or sugar)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups whole wheat flour (or reg flour)

2 cups Splenda (or sugar)

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Place apples, blueberries and strawberries in ungreased 9×13 pan ( i used ceramic pie plate). Stir together 3/4 cup Splenda and cinnamon and sprinkle over fruit. Combine the rest of the ingredients, except butter, and stir in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over fruit. Top with melted butter. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until apples are tender and cobbler is lightly browned. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.