I’ve never been a big fan of protein shakes made with the combination of protein powder and fat free milk or water. I came across a lot of great low carb and high protein baked goods but I never seem to have ALL of the ingredients. Thus, I decided to just make a recipe up using stuff I might just have lying around and lo’ and behold – it was actually pretty good. Just thinking about the chocolate  soufflé is making me drool. Anyway, check out the easy recipe below:

What you need:

1 leveled scoop (70 cc, 70 mL, or roughly 27g) Chocolate casein

I used Gold Standard 100% Casein.

3 eggs (separated to get 3 egg yolk & 3 egg whites)

I used Judy’s Organic eggs from Whole Foods

1 tsp vanilla extract

I used Kirkland’s Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tbp unsweetened cocoa

I used Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa

1/8 cup of brown sugar

I used Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Sugar

¾ cup fat free milk

I used Whole Food’s Organic Fat Free Milk

3-4 ramekins bowl

I had it from buying it for $3.99 at Ross.

Stovetop

1. Fill sauce pan with ¼ of water with heat at low-medium so the water is simmering and not boiling like mad
2. Using a medium metal mixing bowl or even a medium pyrex glass bowl, place the protein powder into the bowl and place the bowl in the water filled saucepan.
3. Slowly add the fat free milk (1/4 cup) at a time while whisking the milk and protein powder together. Once the powder is mixed turn off the heat and let the bowl cool.

Egg Whites/soufflé puffiness part

1. Separate the yolk from the egg whites, placing the egg whites in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer and whisk the egg whites till it gets foamy (like 30 seconds), then add in 1/8 cup of brown sugar. Whisk again until it thickens and when you pick up the whisk (2mins), you get a stiff peak.

Cooled Powder & Milk Mixture (aka chocolate mixture)

1. This is a good time to preheat the oven at 400F.
2. Whisk 1 tsp vanilla extract into the mixture and tbp of unsweetened cocoa to the mixture
3. Using the same whisk, break the three egg yolks and whisk evenly. Add in two spoonful of the cooled (its okay if the mixture is still a little warm) to the beatened egg yolks. Then in three parts, mix in the rest of the powder+milk (So, pour 1/3 of the chocolate mixture to the yolk, mix till its even, then repeat two more times).

Combining chocolate mixture, yolk, and egg whites

1. Add the mixture from previous step into the egg whites, again in three parts making sure that its evenly mixed every time.

Baking

1. Pour the mixture into the ranskin bowl till the line of the bowl.
2. Using another baking tray, fill water to half of the tray and place the ranskin bowl into the water bath (see picture on right)
3. Now bake for 14-16 minutes. Your protein-rich soufflé should have risen.

Disclaimer: I used a mini electric oven to bake the souffle because the gas oven was out. Should be the same temperature in the gas oven though, you might not have to use the water bath in the gas oven if you place the bowls on a cooking tray.

Looks, Texture, and Taste

It’s funny how the top of the souffle looks slightly burnt, I think I

overcooked it a bit since I had to rush it over to the mini oven from the gas oven after my apartment started smelling like gas.

Below the deceiving top layer of the souffle lays the moist and fluffy delicioso mousse-like souffle. It looks like the picture on the right, half eaten.

I can barely smell/taste the protein powder. The souffle is not too sweet and very sponge-like, just how I’d like to have my souffle. Couple this baby with your own protein ice cream and/or favorite fruit, and you’ll be in for quite a treat.

Three Important Types of Protein to Know

Whey (fast-absorbing)

Whey protein is found as a by-product of milk and cheese productions. This type of protein can be quickly ingested into the body quickly. Because of that whey protein shakes are the best protein shakes for post-workout recovery.

Casein (slow-absorbing)

Casein protein accounts for about 80% of proteins in cow milk and cheese. This type of protein has the ability to coagulate (gel or clot) in your stomach, which causes it to digest very slowly. I opt to use for Casein powder instead of milk is because milk contains fats and carbohydrates, which I do not need for my purposes.

Egg (medium-absorbing)

Egg protein is found in [you guessed it] eggs. These proteins take about one and a half to three hours to absorb into your body (medium absorption rate). As a side note, careful nutritional inspection will reveal that egg yolks are quite good for you too. Here is a comparison between egg white and egg yolk.

How to Take These Proteins

Whey Protein

Because whey protein can be absorbed quickly, it is best consumed immediately after a workout. After an intense workout, your body is in a state that craves nutrients. Failure to provide proper nutrition will force the body into a catabolic state (you do not want this). After a workout, you need simple carbohydrates to quickly push the body out of its catabolic state and whey protein to help your muscles rebuild. After my workouts, I drink a shake consisting of sugar and whey protein mixed at ~2:1 ratio. For example my post-workout protein shake consists of

• Water
• 50g of whey protein (usually 2 scoops)
• 100g of pure cane sugar OR 125g of honey

(About ~80% of honey is sugar, giving 100g of sugar total.)

I prefer using 125g of honey because it is more soluble it contains potassium which also aids in muscle recovery and helps prevent cramps.

Casein Protein

Because casein protein is absorbed very slowly, it is best to consume this protein before you sleep. The reason for this is because your body goes into starvation every night and runs on catabolism. Sleep is really the best time for your body to rebuild and recover, but it cannot do it if it is in a catabolic state. The slow release property of casein protein provides your body with a constant small source of protein to keep your body from catabolism. My pre-sleep shake is quite simple: water and casein protein (no other non-sense).

Egg Protein

Egg proteins fall in between the two extremes and it is also a truly natural gold-standard source of protein. Some people suggest drinking whey protein in the morning to combat catabolism from sleep, but I prefer to incorporate eggs into my breakfast. Why?

• One egg contains more than 6 grams of high quality protein containing all the essential amino acids our body needs to build and maintain muscle mass.
• I need my breakfast to keep me full longer than 2 hours. Egg protein take longer to absorb than whey protein. Eggs also contain several B vitamins required for energy production (good way to start your day full of energy).
• I don’t want to drink protein powders all day.
• Eggs is one of the best fat burning foods.

You shouldn’t eat more than 1 egg per day because of its cholesterol content. The good news is that cholesterol is only found in the egg yolk. So my optimal breakfast would contain, 1 whole egg (with yolk) + 1 egg without yolk, giving me ~10g of egg protein to start my day. I opt for 1 whole egg because the B vitamins and other useful nutrients are only found in the yolk.

Conclusion

Smart protein consumption is crucial to fitness success. I guarantee that if you follow this protein consumption plan, you will notice results quicker from your exercises. You will not be as sore during workouts, allowing you to workout longer. You will be sore less often, allowing you to exercise more often. You can even tweak your protein consumption (add more nutrients) to make them act like protein diet shakes and replace meals. Also, retaining more muscle mass will help you will lose fat quicker. As a bonus, check out my post on the best protein powder and optimize your protein consumption today!