For those of you who are not familiar with the Egg Cream, it is a drink that contains neither egg or cream. It is usually made up of sugary chocolate or vanilla syrup, seltzer water, and milk.
In this version, you get the same taste as the original without any sugar. The S/C Value is an amazing 0/0!
Sugar-Free Vanilla Egg Cream
Serves 1
Sweet Leaf Vanilla Creme Liquid Stevia
Unflavored seltzer water or club soda
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
In a tall glass (no ice), add heavy cream. Add about 8-10 drops of the vanilla stevia. Stir.
While stiring the cream mixture quickly, slowly add the seltzer to the top of the glass. The drink should become foamy on top.
Serve and enjoy!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
New to Me: Vanilla Liquid Stevia
Tonight I tried a truly amazing product. I am confident that I will be able to get my family and husband off sugar-filled drinks for good!
The amazing product is called Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia.
It comes in several flavors, including vanilla (the one I tried), berry, english toffee, chocolate, root beer and orange.
The bottle says it can be added to water, seltzer, yogurt, smoothies, and more.
It has a fantastic taste. The bottle costs about $14, but you only need a few drops to get a great taste, costing only pennies per serving.
The amazing product is called Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia.
The bottle says it can be added to water, seltzer, yogurt, smoothies, and more.
It has a fantastic taste. The bottle costs about $14, but you only need a few drops to get a great taste, costing only pennies per serving.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Pancetta
I made this pasta recipe for dinner last night.
The S/C Value per serving is 4/2. The dish has 32 grams of carbs per serving and 5 grams of fiber!
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Pancetta
Serves 4
4 Tbsp. UNSALTED butter (salted will make the dish too salty)
4 ounces of pancetta, sliced very thin
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, stems removed
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups of hot cooked whole wheat pasta (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water when draining the pasta)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups of spinach
Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook pancetta until crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
In the same skillet, add squash and remaining butter. Cook until lightly brown (about 4 minutes). Add thyme and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook for about 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add broth and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Once thickened, add squash mixture to the warm pasta. Stir in spinach until the leaves are wilted, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Add pancetta and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
The S/C Value per serving is 4/2. The dish has 32 grams of carbs per serving and 5 grams of fiber!
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Pancetta
Serves 4
4 Tbsp. UNSALTED butter (salted will make the dish too salty)
4 ounces of pancetta, sliced very thin
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, stems removed
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups of hot cooked whole wheat pasta (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water when draining the pasta)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups of spinach
Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook pancetta until crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
In the same skillet, add squash and remaining butter. Cook until lightly brown (about 4 minutes). Add thyme and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook for about 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add broth and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Once thickened, add squash mixture to the warm pasta. Stir in spinach until the leaves are wilted, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Add pancetta and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
New to Me: Sugar Free Donut Holes!!!
At Whole Food's last night with my BFC friend Ruth, we discovered Nutrilicious Brand Sugar Free Glazed Donuts. Yum!!
For an SC Value of 0/1, you can eat three of these delicious donuts holes. Each hole has 6 carbs and 0 grams of sugar. They are sweetened with maltitol.
I heated mine up for a 20 seconds in the microwave, and even my husband was impressed that they were sugar free.
I am eating mine with some coffee and 1 carb serving of Uncle Sam's cereal so I am sure to get my fiber!
For an SC Value of 0/1, you can eat three of these delicious donuts holes. Each hole has 6 carbs and 0 grams of sugar. They are sweetened with maltitol.
I heated mine up for a 20 seconds in the microwave, and even my husband was impressed that they were sugar free.
I am eating mine with some coffee and 1 carb serving of Uncle Sam's cereal so I am sure to get my fiber!
Friday, December 4, 2009
New to Me: Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea
I have been a big fan of Celestial Seasoning's Teas since I visited their factory in Boulder, Colorado. It is a really cool place, and they have a great business going on there.
Every Christmas, Celestial Seasoning's comes out with a holiday line of teas.
At Whole Foods, I found the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride flavored tea and decided to give it a try. I love sugar cookies and would try pretty much anything that claims to taste like them.
The tea is very good! It has a delicious natural sugar cookie flavor and tastes even better with a little stevia and some cream. A cup prepared with stevia and a splash of cream has an S/C Value of 0/0.
I am going to experiment with the tea and try heating up some So Delicious coconut milk and brewing the tea in the coconut milk to see if I can make something similar to a Sugar Cookie Tea Latte.
Celestial Seasoning's also has some other holiday flavored teas. All are listed on their website.
If you are ever in the Denver area, I really recommend taking the factory tour!
Every Christmas, Celestial Seasoning's comes out with a holiday line of teas.
At Whole Foods, I found the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride flavored tea and decided to give it a try. I love sugar cookies and would try pretty much anything that claims to taste like them.
The tea is very good! It has a delicious natural sugar cookie flavor and tastes even better with a little stevia and some cream. A cup prepared with stevia and a splash of cream has an S/C Value of 0/0.
I am going to experiment with the tea and try heating up some So Delicious coconut milk and brewing the tea in the coconut milk to see if I can make something similar to a Sugar Cookie Tea Latte.
Celestial Seasoning's also has some other holiday flavored teas. All are listed on their website.
If you are ever in the Denver area, I really recommend taking the factory tour!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Quick Raspberry Chocolate "Tiramisu"
I was craving something sweet and wanted to come up with a really low sugar, low carb dessert that would not cost me one of my carb servings for the day.
I became a big fan of mascarpone cheese since the first time I had tiramisu. This is inspired by a real tiramisu, minus the ladyfingers and coffee. This recipe is for one serving, but could easily be doubled if you need a dessert for two or more.
The dessert has an S/C Value of 1/0 (only 3 grams of carbs) with 1 gram of fiber. The creamy marscapone cheese and raspberries were enough sweet yumminess to make a satisfying dessert.
2 Tbsp. mascarpone cheese (this is similar to cream cheese and can be found in the gourmet cheese section of many grocery stores. I actually got this at Meier today.)
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of stevia (I use NuNaturals brand)
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
10 fresh raspberries
sprinkle of cocoa powder
Combine the cheese, vanilla, cream, and stevia and stir quickly until combined. Scoop onto a dessert plate or bowl, and position raspberries around the cream, as desired. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Enjoy!
I became a big fan of mascarpone cheese since the first time I had tiramisu. This is inspired by a real tiramisu, minus the ladyfingers and coffee. This recipe is for one serving, but could easily be doubled if you need a dessert for two or more.
The dessert has an S/C Value of 1/0 (only 3 grams of carbs) with 1 gram of fiber. The creamy marscapone cheese and raspberries were enough sweet yumminess to make a satisfying dessert.
Raspberry-Chocolate Tiramisu
Serves 12 Tbsp. mascarpone cheese (this is similar to cream cheese and can be found in the gourmet cheese section of many grocery stores. I actually got this at Meier today.)
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of stevia (I use NuNaturals brand)
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
10 fresh raspberries
sprinkle of cocoa powder
Combine the cheese, vanilla, cream, and stevia and stir quickly until combined. Scoop onto a dessert plate or bowl, and position raspberries around the cream, as desired. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Enjoy!
Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta
I modified this recipe from a Martha Stewart recipe, and it turned out fantastic. I can tell that this will be one of my new favorite meals. I used a rotisserie chicken to make it even easier.
The S/C Value for 1/4 the recipe below is 3/2, and each serving has 6 grams of fiber.
Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta
6 ounces of healthy pasta (I used Dreamfield Healthy Carb Spaghetti)
3 tablespoons olive oil
zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (You may also use 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes if you do not have fresh peppers)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the lemon zest, garlic, and jalapeños and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pasta, lemon juice, peas, salt, pepper, and remaining oil and cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes, adding the chicken at the end. Add the Parmesan and toss well. Serve.
Working Out- Lean, Long and Strong
So recently I started working out again. Jorge says that working out is not necessary to losing weight, but I feel better when I am doing it.
I have to recommend a book that I used last year before my wedding. I dropped the 15 lbs that I recently put back on by doing this workout and eating what I thought was more healthy. Now I know the reason I could never get rid of the belly bulge was because of the sugar intake. I would start out the morning with a fat free yogurt, fresh fruit, and some brown sugar. There was more sugar in that meal than I have all day now!
The book is called Lean, Long, and Strong by Wini Linguvic. This woman is amazing, and really knows about fitness for women. The strength training exercises can be done in 12 minutes once you get the hang of them, and they incorporate the moves with stretches that really create long, lean muscles. You do 4 short workouts a week and they can be done at home with stability ball and light weights. She also recommends doing 2-3 20 minute cardio sessions a week and explains how to get the most out of short cardio workouts.
It really changed my body at the time. I wish I would have kept up with it instead of going crazy and not working out after the wedding. If I did, it would have gave me less work to do with Jorge! I have been doing different exercise videos on demand because I like seeing the workout on a video, but since I got such quick and wonderful results from this book, I am going back to it. The exercises are not terribly difficult, and the stretches really keep you from getting sore. They are effective and make your body feel great.
Wish me luck!
I have to recommend a book that I used last year before my wedding. I dropped the 15 lbs that I recently put back on by doing this workout and eating what I thought was more healthy. Now I know the reason I could never get rid of the belly bulge was because of the sugar intake. I would start out the morning with a fat free yogurt, fresh fruit, and some brown sugar. There was more sugar in that meal than I have all day now!
The book is called Lean, Long, and Strong by Wini Linguvic. This woman is amazing, and really knows about fitness for women. The strength training exercises can be done in 12 minutes once you get the hang of them, and they incorporate the moves with stretches that really create long, lean muscles. You do 4 short workouts a week and they can be done at home with stability ball and light weights. She also recommends doing 2-3 20 minute cardio sessions a week and explains how to get the most out of short cardio workouts.
It really changed my body at the time. I wish I would have kept up with it instead of going crazy and not working out after the wedding. If I did, it would have gave me less work to do with Jorge! I have been doing different exercise videos on demand because I like seeing the workout on a video, but since I got such quick and wonderful results from this book, I am going back to it. The exercises are not terribly difficult, and the stretches really keep you from getting sore. They are effective and make your body feel great.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Great Video About the Dangers of Sugar
I really recommend watching this video. It is 1.5 hours long, but it really is worth watching. You could even listen to it while working or doing something else.
It is absolutely scary how bad sugar is for you and how the traditional ideas of health and eating are so wrong.
It is really important to watch this and get the correct information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
It is absolutely scary how bad sugar is for you and how the traditional ideas of health and eating are so wrong.
It is really important to watch this and get the correct information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Sweet and Tangy Chili Meatloaf
Here is a healthy, tangy meatloaf recipe that I have modified slightly to make it a belly fat cure friendly protein that even has some added fiber.
I started making this a few years ago. I previously used 1/4 c. of regular white flour breadcrumbs and 1/4 c. of rolled oats in order to limit the empty carbs and add some fiber.
However, today I was able to find wonderful whole wheat bread crumbs. I decided to use 1/2 a cup of these instead.
If you cannot find whole wheat bread crumbs, I recommend it the way I used to make it. By using half bread crumbs and half oatmeal, you get the flavor of the bread crumbs and the fiber in the oatmeal.
The S/C Value for 1/4 of the recipe below is 1/1.
1 c. tomato sauce (canned with no added sugar- I used Muir Glen Organic)
1 Tbsp. xylitol
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. whole grain italian bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa brand. This adds 8 grams of fiber)
1 egg
1 pinch of stevia
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 9 x 5 bread loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine 1/3 c. tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. xylitol, mustard, 1 tsp. chili powder, onion flakes, parsley, and salt. Stir. Add beef, bread crumbs, and egg and combine until mixed. Shape into a loaf and pat into the pan.
Combine remaining tomato sauce, chili powder, and a pinch of stevia. Taste and adjust stevia until the sauce is slightly sweet. Pour tomato mixture over the meatloaf.
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
I started making this a few years ago. I previously used 1/4 c. of regular white flour breadcrumbs and 1/4 c. of rolled oats in order to limit the empty carbs and add some fiber.
However, today I was able to find wonderful whole wheat bread crumbs. I decided to use 1/2 a cup of these instead.
If you cannot find whole wheat bread crumbs, I recommend it the way I used to make it. By using half bread crumbs and half oatmeal, you get the flavor of the bread crumbs and the fiber in the oatmeal.
The S/C Value for 1/4 of the recipe below is 1/1.
Chili Meatloaf
Serves 4-61 c. tomato sauce (canned with no added sugar- I used Muir Glen Organic)
1 Tbsp. xylitol
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. whole grain italian bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa brand. This adds 8 grams of fiber)
1 egg
1 pinch of stevia
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 9 x 5 bread loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine 1/3 c. tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. xylitol, mustard, 1 tsp. chili powder, onion flakes, parsley, and salt. Stir. Add beef, bread crumbs, and egg and combine until mixed. Shape into a loaf and pat into the pan.
Combine remaining tomato sauce, chili powder, and a pinch of stevia. Taste and adjust stevia until the sauce is slightly sweet. Pour tomato mixture over the meatloaf.
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
New to Me: WheatSticks
I found these delicious snacks at Cost Plus World Market. I have had the original CheeseSticks snacks made by John WM Macy, but these are a new version with whole grains and fiber!!
They are a crunchy cheesy cracker with 2 grams of fiber and only 14 grams of carbs in 3 sticks!
The S/C Value for 3 sticks is 1/1.
They are a crunchy cheesy cracker with 2 grams of fiber and only 14 grams of carbs in 3 sticks!
The S/C Value for 3 sticks is 1/1.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Back to Reality
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I will get back to cooking healthy belly fat cure friendly meals this week. I still have a bunch of ideas of things that I want to make, but if anyone has any requests, please leave a comment.
I love trying new foods and would love to help out anyone else who may be craving a belly bad favorite food. If you are craving something, let me know and I will try to come up with a more healthy version!
I will get back to cooking healthy belly fat cure friendly meals this week. I still have a bunch of ideas of things that I want to make, but if anyone has any requests, please leave a comment.
I love trying new foods and would love to help out anyone else who may be craving a belly bad favorite food. If you are craving something, let me know and I will try to come up with a more healthy version!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse, Pumpkin Ice Cream, and Adult Pumpkin Milkshakes
So tonight I made a really simple pumpkin dessert that can be enjoyed several ways.
First, it can be enjoyed as a Frozen Pumpkin Mousse that takes about 3 minutes to make.
Second, if you have more time, you can throw it in the freezer for some Pumpkin Ice Cream.
Lastly, you can use the ice cream as a base for a delicious frozen Adult Pumpkin Milkshake.
The S/C Value for 1/4 of the recipe below is a 3/1, with 10 grams of carbs and almost 3 grams of fiber!!
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse
serves 4
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin, frozen (I froze mine in a ziplock bag, but you could also use an ice cube tray)
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. xylitol (I powdered this in my coffee grinder first)
1/8 tsp. stevia (add more to taste)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
In a blender, blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth, stirring several times if necessary.
Serve in a bowl, as frozen Pumpkin Mousse, with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Make recipe for Pumpkin Mousse above. You may want to add additional stevia, as the ice cream will be less sweet when frozen.
Add 1 tsp. of hard alcohol and blend (I used vanilla vodka).
Pour into a bowl with a tight closing lid. Freeze for several hours until firm.
The alcohol added to the Ice Cream will keep it scoopable after freezing.
Make the Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe, as listed above.
In a blender, put 2-3 scoops of the ice cream, 1 1/2 ounces of vanilla vodka, and a spash of milk substitute (So Delicious coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw and a dollop of whipped cream.
Enjoy!
First, it can be enjoyed as a Frozen Pumpkin Mousse that takes about 3 minutes to make.
Second, if you have more time, you can throw it in the freezer for some Pumpkin Ice Cream.
Lastly, you can use the ice cream as a base for a delicious frozen Adult Pumpkin Milkshake.
The S/C Value for 1/4 of the recipe below is a 3/1, with 10 grams of carbs and almost 3 grams of fiber!!
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse
serves 4
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin, frozen (I froze mine in a ziplock bag, but you could also use an ice cube tray)
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. xylitol (I powdered this in my coffee grinder first)
1/8 tsp. stevia (add more to taste)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
In a blender, blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth, stirring several times if necessary.
Serve in a bowl, as frozen Pumpkin Mousse, with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Make recipe for Pumpkin Mousse above. You may want to add additional stevia, as the ice cream will be less sweet when frozen.
Add 1 tsp. of hard alcohol and blend (I used vanilla vodka).
Pour into a bowl with a tight closing lid. Freeze for several hours until firm.
The alcohol added to the Ice Cream will keep it scoopable after freezing.
Adult Pumpkin Milkshakes
Serves 1Make the Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe, as listed above.
In a blender, put 2-3 scoops of the ice cream, 1 1/2 ounces of vanilla vodka, and a spash of milk substitute (So Delicious coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw and a dollop of whipped cream.
Enjoy!
Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Here is a great recipe for Thanksgiving. I used to love my mom's sugary sweet potato casserole, but this is a way better option and is just as delicious.
The S/C Value for a 1/2 cup serving is 2/1 (13 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber).
1.5 lbs of butternut squash, cut into chunks (I used already peeled and sliced chunks that I got from Whole Foods)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. xylitol (or a pinch of stevia)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, toss squash, butter, xylitol, cinnamon and salt. Toss to coat.
Spread squash evenly on a rimmed baking sheet (covered with foil for easy clean up).
Roast for 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Enjoy!
The S/C Value for a 1/2 cup serving is 2/1 (13 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber).
Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Serves 41.5 lbs of butternut squash, cut into chunks (I used already peeled and sliced chunks that I got from Whole Foods)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. xylitol (or a pinch of stevia)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, toss squash, butter, xylitol, cinnamon and salt. Toss to coat.
Spread squash evenly on a rimmed baking sheet (covered with foil for easy clean up).
Roast for 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Enjoy!
Mock Apple Crisp
So this recipe is pretty amazing. I found recipes online for it, but adjusted the ingredients to make it belly fat approved.
The amazing part of the recipe is that the Apple Crisp does not contain apples! It contains zucchini, but your family or guests will not be able to tell. The zucchini amazingly turns into apples by removing the seeds from the zucchini, cutting it to look apple-like, and cooking it with lemon juice, sweetener, and spices.
The results are amazing. For 1/6th of the recipe below, the S/C Value is 3/1. A serving has 20 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.
My husband did not realize that it did not contain apples. After I told him, he said that he thought that the "apples" were not as sweet as real apples, but that he liked it a lot. When I make it again, I will be sure to add additional stevia to sweeten them up a bit more.
I use a tiny amount of blackstrap molasses in the crisp topping. It adds a very very tiny amount of sugar, but it adds a great flavor that makes up for the lack of brown sugar.
Mock Apple Crisp
Serves 6
For the filling:
4 c. zucchini (peeled, sliced, and seeds removed, resembling slices of apples)
1/2 c. xylitol
1/4 tsp. stevia (or more to taste
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan, heat zucchini, xylitol, stevia, lemon juice, and spices. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the "apples" are soft. Taste and add more stevia if necessary. Set aside.
For the crisp topping:
1/4 c. oatmeal (I ground mine into fine crumbs)
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c. unbleached flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp xylitol
1/8 tsp. stevia (add more to taste)
1 tsp. blackstrap molasses
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt butter in the microwave until liquified. Stir in xylitol, blackstrap molasses, and vanilla extract. Add butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the topping is crumbly. Taste and add more stevia if necessary.
Butter a baking dish. Add zucchini mixture and sprinkle the top evenly with crumb topping.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp is bubbly and browned.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Enjoy
The amazing part of the recipe is that the Apple Crisp does not contain apples! It contains zucchini, but your family or guests will not be able to tell. The zucchini amazingly turns into apples by removing the seeds from the zucchini, cutting it to look apple-like, and cooking it with lemon juice, sweetener, and spices.
The results are amazing. For 1/6th of the recipe below, the S/C Value is 3/1. A serving has 20 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.
My husband did not realize that it did not contain apples. After I told him, he said that he thought that the "apples" were not as sweet as real apples, but that he liked it a lot. When I make it again, I will be sure to add additional stevia to sweeten them up a bit more.
I use a tiny amount of blackstrap molasses in the crisp topping. It adds a very very tiny amount of sugar, but it adds a great flavor that makes up for the lack of brown sugar.
Mock Apple Crisp
Serves 6
For the filling:
4 c. zucchini (peeled, sliced, and seeds removed, resembling slices of apples)
1/2 c. xylitol
1/4 tsp. stevia (or more to taste
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan, heat zucchini, xylitol, stevia, lemon juice, and spices. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the "apples" are soft. Taste and add more stevia if necessary. Set aside.
For the crisp topping:
1/4 c. oatmeal (I ground mine into fine crumbs)
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c. unbleached flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp xylitol
1/8 tsp. stevia (add more to taste)
1 tsp. blackstrap molasses
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt butter in the microwave until liquified. Stir in xylitol, blackstrap molasses, and vanilla extract. Add butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the topping is crumbly. Taste and add more stevia if necessary.
Butter a baking dish. Add zucchini mixture and sprinkle the top evenly with crumb topping.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp is bubbly and browned.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Enjoy
Friday, November 20, 2009
Cold Brew Coffee
For the last year, I have been obsessed with cold brew coffee.
A coworker of mine introduced me to it, and I fell in love. Basically, the brewing process is done over a long period of time (12-24 hours), but the result is a smooth, sweeter, less acidic brew.
I have been buying 2 pints of it a week at Zingerman's, a local deli, and been making coffee protein smoothies.
I used to use splenda in my coffee, and with the natural sweetness of the cold brew coffee, I have not missed the sweetener at all, even when I drink the coffee on its own.
You can order cold brew coffee pots, cold brew concentrate, and more at Toddy Cafe.
A coworker of mine introduced me to it, and I fell in love. Basically, the brewing process is done over a long period of time (12-24 hours), but the result is a smooth, sweeter, less acidic brew.
I have been buying 2 pints of it a week at Zingerman's, a local deli, and been making coffee protein smoothies.
I used to use splenda in my coffee, and with the natural sweetness of the cold brew coffee, I have not missed the sweetener at all, even when I drink the coffee on its own.
You can order cold brew coffee pots, cold brew concentrate, and more at Toddy Cafe.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Broccoli with Parmesan and Lemon
My husband made a really delicious side tongiht that was great with the chicken fingers. See below.
This kicks up the flavor of the broccoli and makes it feel like you are having a treat!
One cup of the broccoli is a S/C Value of 2/0.
Broccoli with Parmesan and Lemon
Serves 2
1 small head of broccoli
salt and pepper
olive oil spray
shredded Parmesan cheese
juice from 1/2 a lemon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (we used a toaster oven). On a baking sheet covered with foil, spray a thin coat of olive oil. Put broccoli on the baking sheet, spray lightly with oil, and season with a little salt and pepper.
Roast the broccoli for 5-10 minutes, or until soft. Cover the broccoli with cheese (to taste) and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the Parmesan is melted and slightly browned.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with lemon juice, and serve.
Enjoy!
This kicks up the flavor of the broccoli and makes it feel like you are having a treat!
One cup of the broccoli is a S/C Value of 2/0.
Broccoli with Parmesan and Lemon
Serves 2
1 small head of broccoli
salt and pepper
olive oil spray
shredded Parmesan cheese
juice from 1/2 a lemon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (we used a toaster oven). On a baking sheet covered with foil, spray a thin coat of olive oil. Put broccoli on the baking sheet, spray lightly with oil, and season with a little salt and pepper.
Roast the broccoli for 5-10 minutes, or until soft. Cover the broccoli with cheese (to taste) and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the Parmesan is melted and slightly browned.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with lemon juice, and serve.
Enjoy!
Chicken Fingers!!
Tonight I made real, crunchy breaded chicken fingers. They were delicious! I experimented with deep frying them, using Smart Balance Oil which is a healthy oil. They turned out fantastic!
The most amazing part of these chicken fingers were the S/C value and fiber content. For 1/4 of the recipe below, the S/C Value is 0/1 with 4 grams of fiber!!
I served the chicken fingers with S/C value 0/0 hot sauce.
They were delicious when deep fried, but will be just as good if you oven fry them. See below for instructions for both.
1 c. of ground Uncle Sam's cereal (I used my coffee grinder to grind the cereal)
1 tsp. season salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
2 tsp. water
1/4 c. whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into thin strips
In a flat shallow dish, combine cereal and seasonings. Stir until well combined.
In another shallow dish, combine eggs and water.
Put the flour on a plate or shallow dish.
To bread the chicken:
Take chicken strips and lightly coat with flour, making sure to coat each side. Brush off any excess flour. Next, dip chicken strips in the egg mixture, coating each side. Finally, roll the chicken in the cereal breading. Set aside.
To deep fry:
Heat oil to 250 degrees. When hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain on a plate with several paper towels, and serve while hot.
To oven fry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips on baking sheet which has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
The most amazing part of these chicken fingers were the S/C value and fiber content. For 1/4 of the recipe below, the S/C Value is 0/1 with 4 grams of fiber!!
I served the chicken fingers with S/C value 0/0 hot sauce.
They were delicious when deep fried, but will be just as good if you oven fry them. See below for instructions for both.
Whole Grain Chicken Fingers
Serves 41 c. of ground Uncle Sam's cereal (I used my coffee grinder to grind the cereal)
1 tsp. season salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
2 tsp. water
1/4 c. whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into thin strips
In a flat shallow dish, combine cereal and seasonings. Stir until well combined.
In another shallow dish, combine eggs and water.
Put the flour on a plate or shallow dish.
To bread the chicken:
Take chicken strips and lightly coat with flour, making sure to coat each side. Brush off any excess flour. Next, dip chicken strips in the egg mixture, coating each side. Finally, roll the chicken in the cereal breading. Set aside.
To deep fry:
Heat oil to 250 degrees. When hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain on a plate with several paper towels, and serve while hot.
To oven fry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips on baking sheet which has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Apple Pie a la Mode Cocktail
I am working on some recipes for the holidays. Some of the other Belly Fat Cure bloggers are planning on all posting recipes also.
I decided to start the weekend early (way early) with a cocktail. I will include this with my holiday recipes, but I wanted to post it in case anyone would like a cocktail for the weekend.
1 1/2 ounces of vanilla vodka
3 ounces of Sobe Fuji Apple Pear Life Water (Zero Calorie) (see below for a picture)
dash of cinnamon
ice
heavy cream
1 packet truvia (or other sweetener)
2 dashs of cinnamon
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add vodka, Sobe Life Water, and a dash of cinnamon. Shake together for 1 minute.
On a small plate, combine truvia and two dashed of cinnamon. Stir and spread over the plate.
On another plate, pour a small amount of heavy cream.
Working quickly to avoid drips, dip the rim of a martini glass in the heavy cream, followed by the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Pour the drink into the glass and serve. Enjoy!
I decided to start the weekend early (way early) with a cocktail. I will include this with my holiday recipes, but I wanted to post it in case anyone would like a cocktail for the weekend.
Apple Pie a la Mode
serves 1
1 1/2 ounces of vanilla vodka
3 ounces of Sobe Fuji Apple Pear Life Water (Zero Calorie) (see below for a picture)
dash of cinnamon
ice
heavy cream
1 packet truvia (or other sweetener)
2 dashs of cinnamon
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add vodka, Sobe Life Water, and a dash of cinnamon. Shake together for 1 minute.
On a small plate, combine truvia and two dashed of cinnamon. Stir and spread over the plate.
On another plate, pour a small amount of heavy cream.
Working quickly to avoid drips, dip the rim of a martini glass in the heavy cream, followed by the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Pour the drink into the glass and serve. Enjoy!
Margarita Pizza
Today I made a pizza from one of my favorite flat bread wraps.
My friend, Maria (Hi Maria. Miss you!), introduced me to these a few years ago. They are delicious and have 7 grams of fiber in 1! I got this package at CostCo.
The pizza has an S/C Value of 3/1.
1 Roll-Up Flat bread
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1+ tsp. italian seasonings (I used a Tuscan blend that had garlic, pepper, rosemary, onions, chilies, basil, and sea salt. However, you can use any blend of spices that you like. Just add them to taste).
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 basil leaf, cut into thin strips
three very thin slices of a small tomato, cut into halves
In a 450 degree toaster oven, heat the flat bread until slightly hard.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine olive oil and spices. Microwave for 30 seconds to soften the spices.
When the flat bread is crisp, brush the olive oil on the crust and top with mozzarella cheese, then tomato slices, and the basil. Return to toaster oven and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.
Cut and serve. Enjoy
My friend, Maria (Hi Maria. Miss you!), introduced me to these a few years ago. They are delicious and have 7 grams of fiber in 1! I got this package at CostCo.
The pizza has an S/C Value of 3/1.
Margarita Pizza
Serves 11 Roll-Up Flat bread
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1+ tsp. italian seasonings (I used a Tuscan blend that had garlic, pepper, rosemary, onions, chilies, basil, and sea salt. However, you can use any blend of spices that you like. Just add them to taste).
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 basil leaf, cut into thin strips
three very thin slices of a small tomato, cut into halves
In a 450 degree toaster oven, heat the flat bread until slightly hard.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine olive oil and spices. Microwave for 30 seconds to soften the spices.
When the flat bread is crisp, brush the olive oil on the crust and top with mozzarella cheese, then tomato slices, and the basil. Return to toaster oven and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.
Cut and serve. Enjoy
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cookies
So I have been searching the internet trying to find a natural, sugar free, low carb cookie. I have figured out that any truly sugar free cookie will not turn out exactly like the cookies that we all love because cookies need sugar in order to get that crunchy morsel cookie texture. However, I found a substitute that tastes good even though the texture is different.
My recipe is based on a recipe that I found online that sounded good but used almond flour. I am allergic to nuts, so I could not make these cookies without a trip to the ER from breathing in the almond dust.
Here is a link to that recipe with the almond flour. If anyone tries it, please let me know how it is!
I used the above listed recipe as a basis for the recipe below, but substituted regular flours for the nut flour. The cookies have a great taste but have a more cake-like texture. The S/C Value for 2 cookies is 0/1.
1 stick of butter
3/4 c. xylitol
1/4 c. maple flavored maltitol syrup (I used this for a brown sugar taste)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. vanilla whey protein (I used Jay Robb brand)
1/2 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. sugar free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. With a mixer, cream butter, xylitol, maltitol until butter until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
In a bowl, combine the whey powder, flours, baking powder, and soda. Slowly add this mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
Stir in 1/2 c. of chocolate chips.
Spoon dough on an ungreased cookie sheet (scoops that are smaller than a golf ball). Push down tops of the cookie with a fork. Bake for about 9 minutes. Flip cookies and let cool on the baking sheet.
This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies
My recipe is based on a recipe that I found online that sounded good but used almond flour. I am allergic to nuts, so I could not make these cookies without a trip to the ER from breathing in the almond dust.
Here is a link to that recipe with the almond flour. If anyone tries it, please let me know how it is!
I used the above listed recipe as a basis for the recipe below, but substituted regular flours for the nut flour. The cookies have a great taste but have a more cake-like texture. The S/C Value for 2 cookies is 0/1.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
12 Servings (2 cookie per serving)
3/4 c. xylitol
1/4 c. maple flavored maltitol syrup (I used this for a brown sugar taste)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. vanilla whey protein (I used Jay Robb brand)
1/2 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. sugar free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. With a mixer, cream butter, xylitol, maltitol until butter until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
In a bowl, combine the whey powder, flours, baking powder, and soda. Slowly add this mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
Stir in 1/2 c. of chocolate chips.
Spoon dough on an ungreased cookie sheet (scoops that are smaller than a golf ball). Push down tops of the cookie with a fork. Bake for about 9 minutes. Flip cookies and let cool on the baking sheet.
This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies
General Tso's Chicken
This recipe is based off of a weight watchers recipe. I made some changes to give it more flavor and to make it a belly healthy recipe.
I served this with 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli and 1/4 cup of brown rice.
The only source of carbs in the dish are the xylitol (12 grams for the whole dish), cornstarch (7 grams for the whole dish), and minuscule amounts in the scallions and garlic. I think that this makes the S/C Value for the chicken 0/1.
The S/C Value for the total meal (with the broccoli and brown rice) would be 1/2.
3/4 c. chicken broth
1Tbsp. xylitol, ground into a fine powder (I use my coffee grinder)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. oil (I use Smart Balance)
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flaked
1 lb of chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water
Stevia to taste
Combine broth, xylitol, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for two minutes.
Add chicken and cook until chicken is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add sauce mixture, reduce heat until simmering. Simmer for about 3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. When the chicken is cooked through, taste sauce and add a pinch of stevia if you want the sauce to be sweeter.
Dissolve cornstarch into the water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and let sauce bubble and thicken. When sauce is thick, remove from the heat.
Serve and enjoy.
I served this with 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli and 1/4 cup of brown rice.
The only source of carbs in the dish are the xylitol (12 grams for the whole dish), cornstarch (7 grams for the whole dish), and minuscule amounts in the scallions and garlic. I think that this makes the S/C Value for the chicken 0/1.
The S/C Value for the total meal (with the broccoli and brown rice) would be 1/2.
General Tso's Chicken
Serves 43/4 c. chicken broth
1Tbsp. xylitol, ground into a fine powder (I use my coffee grinder)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. oil (I use Smart Balance)
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flaked
1 lb of chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water
Stevia to taste
Combine broth, xylitol, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for two minutes.
Add chicken and cook until chicken is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add sauce mixture, reduce heat until simmering. Simmer for about 3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. When the chicken is cooked through, taste sauce and add a pinch of stevia if you want the sauce to be sweeter.
Dissolve cornstarch into the water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and let sauce bubble and thicken. When sauce is thick, remove from the heat.
Serve and enjoy.
Pumpkin Oatmeal
This is a great fall breakfast! The oatmeal is filling and the pumpkin and spices remind you of a sinful dessert. It is easy to make and only takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare.
The S/C Value for the oatmeal (without any syrup if you choose to add it) is 1/2.
1/2 of "milk" (I used So Delicious coconut milk, but almond milk could probably also be used.)
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. pumpkin, canned
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 small pinch of xantham gum (to thicken). (You could skip this if you don't have xantham gum; it may just be thinner oatmeal)
1 pinch of stevia (I use NuNatural brand, which tastes the best), to taste. You could probably also use a packet of truvia or any other sweetener.
In a small saucepan, combine milk, cream, pumpkin, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add oatmeal and lower temperature to simmer. When oatmeal is soft (after about 3 minutes), add xantham gum and stir. Once thickened, remove from heat.
Serve it as is or with a small amount of Jospeh's Sugar Free Maple Syrup.
Enjoy!
The S/C Value for the oatmeal (without any syrup if you choose to add it) is 1/2.
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Serves 11/2 of "milk" (I used So Delicious coconut milk, but almond milk could probably also be used.)
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. pumpkin, canned
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 small pinch of xantham gum (to thicken). (You could skip this if you don't have xantham gum; it may just be thinner oatmeal)
1 pinch of stevia (I use NuNatural brand, which tastes the best), to taste. You could probably also use a packet of truvia or any other sweetener.
In a small saucepan, combine milk, cream, pumpkin, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add oatmeal and lower temperature to simmer. When oatmeal is soft (after about 3 minutes), add xantham gum and stir. Once thickened, remove from heat.
Serve it as is or with a small amount of Jospeh's Sugar Free Maple Syrup.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
While I am away: Truffle Butter
I am at my family's house watching my 2 year old nephew, so I will be somewhat out of commission for a few days. He has a lot of energy!
I was surprised today to find out he loves my Uncle Sam's cereal! He is starting out on the right foot!
Here is a Truffle Butter recipe that is an excellent way to give your vegetables (or eggs) a kick!
I was surprised today to find out he loves my Uncle Sam's cereal! He is starting out on the right foot!
Here is a Truffle Butter recipe that is an excellent way to give your vegetables (or eggs) a kick!
Truffle butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoon truffle oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Using a spoon, mix butter with respective ingredients. Roll each into a log shape and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours, then soften to room temperature before serving.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
New to Me: Toasted Flax Seeds
I was at Trader Joe's last week, and I picked up a bag of Trader Joe's Toasted Flax Seeds. I figured I would be able to put them on my oatmeal in the mornings to get the extra boost of fiber and healthy flax seed oil.
I tasted them out of the bag and was surprised that I actually like the flavor. They have a light nutty taste and are not at all overwhelming.
Since then, I have found myself sprinkling them on a lot of things! There are only 4 carbs in 2 Tablespoons (which is a huge amount), and also 4 grams of fiber.
Here is an article from WebMD telling you how great flax seeds are for you.
Tonight I made the Keema Indian Beef recipe I that posted a few weeks ago. I sprinkled a tablespoon of them on the beef and brown rice for an added 2 grams of fiber and some healthy flax seed oil. It is delicious!
I think I may sprinkle some on my ice cream too!
I tasted them out of the bag and was surprised that I actually like the flavor. They have a light nutty taste and are not at all overwhelming.
Since then, I have found myself sprinkling them on a lot of things! There are only 4 carbs in 2 Tablespoons (which is a huge amount), and also 4 grams of fiber.
Here is an article from WebMD telling you how great flax seeds are for you.
Tonight I made the Keema Indian Beef recipe I that posted a few weeks ago. I sprinkled a tablespoon of them on the beef and brown rice for an added 2 grams of fiber and some healthy flax seed oil. It is delicious!
I think I may sprinkle some on my ice cream too!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Ginger Asparagus
For lunch today, I made some ginger asparagus. I love asparagus, even plain, but this recipe kicks up the flavor.
For about 1/4 the recipe (or 4 whole spears) the S/C Value is 1/0.
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces.
1/2 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp chopped ginger root (peeled)
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp flax seeds, toasted
In a skillet, boil 1 cup of water. Add asparagus and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook about 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender but still crisp. Drain asparagus and plunge in cold water to stop the asparagus from continuing to cook.
Wipe the skillet dry (being careful not to burn yourself). Add the oil and heat over high heat until hot. Add asparagus, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or just until asparagus is heated through. Remove skillet from heat; stir in the flax seeds and sesame oil.
Serve hot and enjoy!
For about 1/4 the recipe (or 4 whole spears) the S/C Value is 1/0.
Ginger Asparagus
Serves 41 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces.
1/2 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp chopped ginger root (peeled)
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp flax seeds, toasted
In a skillet, boil 1 cup of water. Add asparagus and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook about 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender but still crisp. Drain asparagus and plunge in cold water to stop the asparagus from continuing to cook.
Wipe the skillet dry (being careful not to burn yourself). Add the oil and heat over high heat until hot. Add asparagus, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or just until asparagus is heated through. Remove skillet from heat; stir in the flax seeds and sesame oil.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Tonight, I made my FAVORITE ice cream!! This has convinced me that I can make my sugar-free lifestyle last.
With sugar-free whole wheat cookie dough, this recipe is about a 1/1 S/C Value, depending on how much cookie you use. If you do not feel like making sugar free cookie dough, try to find a low sugar cookie dough to use. I saw a brand of refrigerated dough at Whole Foods that had only 6 grams of sugar per cookie. That would make this ice cream about a 4/1 or 4/2, depending on how many cookies you use.
If you like plain vanilla ice cream, skip the cookie dough for an S/C Value of 0/1!
2/3 c. Xylitol
1 vanilla bean, split (you can skip this and add more vanilla extract if you want)
2 3/4 c. heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp if not using the vanilla bean)
1/8 tsp. xantham gum
1/8 tsp. good quality stevia (I use NuNaturals brand, which is the best)
1 Tbsp. hard alcohol (I used Navan vanilla cognac)
*cookie dough, chopped into small pieces (enough to make about 5 large cookies)- You should try to use sugar free or low sugar cookie dough. I made my own sugarfree cookie dough (see my post about cookie dough below), but I have seen organic already made dough that has only 6 grams of sugar, per cookie.
Melt the xylitol in a saucepan over low heat until almost completely melted. Add vanilla bean scrapings and bean pod. Heat xylitol and vanilla until the xylitol is completely melted. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and stir until sweetener completely dissolves.Remove saucepan from heat.
In a large bowl, beat yolks with electric mixer until they turn light yellow. Slowly add the rest of the heavy cream and continue to beat. Remove the vanilla pods from the xylitol and add xylitold to the cream mixture. Beat well. Slowly beat in stevia, xanthan gum and vanilla extract. Chill for at least four hours.
Turn on your ice cream maker and add mixture. When ice cream is almost hardened, add the cookie dough. Remove from ice cream maker and serve, or freeze to make the ice cream more firm.
With sugar-free whole wheat cookie dough, this recipe is about a 1/1 S/C Value, depending on how much cookie you use. If you do not feel like making sugar free cookie dough, try to find a low sugar cookie dough to use. I saw a brand of refrigerated dough at Whole Foods that had only 6 grams of sugar per cookie. That would make this ice cream about a 4/1 or 4/2, depending on how many cookies you use.
If you like plain vanilla ice cream, skip the cookie dough for an S/C Value of 0/1!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Serves 102/3 c. Xylitol
1 vanilla bean, split (you can skip this and add more vanilla extract if you want)
2 3/4 c. heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp if not using the vanilla bean)
1/8 tsp. xantham gum
1/8 tsp. good quality stevia (I use NuNaturals brand, which is the best)
1 Tbsp. hard alcohol (I used Navan vanilla cognac)
*cookie dough, chopped into small pieces (enough to make about 5 large cookies)- You should try to use sugar free or low sugar cookie dough. I made my own sugarfree cookie dough (see my post about cookie dough below), but I have seen organic already made dough that has only 6 grams of sugar, per cookie.
Melt the xylitol in a saucepan over low heat until almost completely melted. Add vanilla bean scrapings and bean pod. Heat xylitol and vanilla until the xylitol is completely melted. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and stir until sweetener completely dissolves.Remove saucepan from heat.
In a large bowl, beat yolks with electric mixer until they turn light yellow. Slowly add the rest of the heavy cream and continue to beat. Remove the vanilla pods from the xylitol and add xylitold to the cream mixture. Beat well. Slowly beat in stevia, xanthan gum and vanilla extract. Chill for at least four hours.
Turn on your ice cream maker and add mixture. When ice cream is almost hardened, add the cookie dough. Remove from ice cream maker and serve, or freeze to make the ice cream more firm.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Roasted Kale
My vegetable experiments continue. Tonight I made baked kale. I have had kale chips before (basically pieces of kale cooked until they are crispy). This is very similar, just baked a little less. The result is soft kale leaves with crispy edges. Kale is a mild flavored green, and I prefer its taste to spinach. I did not expect my husband to like it, but he did!
I served it with a French Flat Bread that I got at Trader Joe's. It was a quick and delicious meal. The S/C Value for a whole cup of cooked kale is 2/1.
1 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
Dry the kale leaves as much as possible after washing. Trim the kale to remove the thick stem. Chop the kale into bit size pieces.
Toss dry kale leaves, oil, garlic, and seasoning in a large bowl. Put the kale on a baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove when the edges of the kale just begin to brown.
If you want to make kale chips to serve with your favorite dip, allow the kale to cook until all leaves are light brown, about 15 minutes.
I served it with a French Flat Bread that I got at Trader Joe's. It was a quick and delicious meal. The S/C Value for a whole cup of cooked kale is 2/1.
Roasted Kale
Serves 21 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
Dry the kale leaves as much as possible after washing. Trim the kale to remove the thick stem. Chop the kale into bit size pieces.
Toss dry kale leaves, oil, garlic, and seasoning in a large bowl. Put the kale on a baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove when the edges of the kale just begin to brown.
If you want to make kale chips to serve with your favorite dip, allow the kale to cook until all leaves are light brown, about 15 minutes.
Chocolate Chip Cookies- Attempt 1
Tonight I decided to try some some sugar-free, whole wheat chocolate chip...
While I cannot say they turned out horribly, they definitly leave a lot to be desired.
The cookie dough, however, tasted pretty good actually! I decided to scrap baking the other 1/2 of the dough, and I will use it for my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream that I am going to make next week. I threw it in the freezer until then.
In this attempt at creating the perfect cookie, I used a mix of xylitol and stevia in the cookies. I think maybe I needed to use some more xylitol to reach the right sweetness.
I also used 100% white whole wheat flour also. This could have been a problem. I have read a lot of recipes saying that you should never use 100% whole wheat flour in cookies, but I based the recipe off of the recipe that I found on the bag of white whole wheat flour.
Next time I am going to use more sweetener and use 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 regular flour.
I will report back!
While I cannot say they turned out horribly, they definitly leave a lot to be desired.
The cookie dough, however, tasted pretty good actually! I decided to scrap baking the other 1/2 of the dough, and I will use it for my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream that I am going to make next week. I threw it in the freezer until then.
In this attempt at creating the perfect cookie, I used a mix of xylitol and stevia in the cookies. I think maybe I needed to use some more xylitol to reach the right sweetness.
I also used 100% white whole wheat flour also. This could have been a problem. I have read a lot of recipes saying that you should never use 100% whole wheat flour in cookies, but I based the recipe off of the recipe that I found on the bag of white whole wheat flour.
Next time I am going to use more sweetener and use 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 regular flour.
I will report back!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Potato- Zucchini Latke
Tonight for dinner, I made Filet Mignon. If you are looking for a fast way to make a filet without using a grill, check out this website.
Since meat always goes well with potatoes, I was looking for a potato dish without a ton of carbs. I found a recipe that combines zucchini and potatoes to make tasty Latkes (or potato pancakes). My husband never had them before, but he liked them! I served them with sour cream with chives and some applesauce.
Three latkes have a S/C Value of 3/1 (no including the sour cream or applesauce)
Since meat always goes well with potatoes, I was looking for a potato dish without a ton of carbs. I found a recipe that combines zucchini and potatoes to make tasty Latkes (or potato pancakes). My husband never had them before, but he liked them! I served them with sour cream with chives and some applesauce.
Three latkes have a S/C Value of 3/1 (no including the sour cream or applesauce)
Potato-Zucchini Latkes
Serves 4
3 medium zucchini, peeled
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
salt and pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium potato, peeled
2 eggs, beaten2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
salt and pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
Grate zucchini and potato, either by hand or in a food processor. Drain well in colander. Remove any additional liquid by wrapping the grated vegetables in paper towels and squeezing well. Mix in the egg, flour and seasonings (it is easy to do this by hand).
Form mixture into 12 latkes.
Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry latkes on both sides, and drain on a paper towel. Serve while hot!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Baked Quinoa Pudding
It is that time of year when I start to crave rich, creamy desserts like pumpkin pie and rice pudding.
I found a recipe online for Baked Quinoa Pudding and adapted it to fit the plan. It has to bake for a couple hours but it is worth the time investment. If you want, you can add raisins or dried fruit to the pudding a few minutes before it is finished baking. I love all things vanilla, so I chose to skip the fruit (and any added sugar) and left it plain.
If you have not heard of Quinoa, read more about it and its health benefits here.
The S/C Value for 1 serving is 1/1 (without any added fruit).
*2 cups of half and half
1/2 c. xylitol
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. guar gum
1/4 c. quinoa (uncooked)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. stevia (I recommend NuNaturals brand. It is the only kind I have tried that does not have any bitter taste)
cinnamon or nutmeg
*Note- I used cream and half and half to minimize the milk sugars as much as possible. You can use any kind of milk, cream, or a combo of both.
Heat oven to 325. In a ovenproof dish or bowl with high sides (that has been lightly coated with butter), combine cream (half and half, milk, etc), quinoa, salt, guar gum, and xylitol. Stir to combine.
Bake for 1.5 hours, stirring often. After 1.5 hours, add vanilla and stevia (and fruit if you are using) and bake for another 30 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove and let cool. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg.
I found a recipe online for Baked Quinoa Pudding and adapted it to fit the plan. It has to bake for a couple hours but it is worth the time investment. If you want, you can add raisins or dried fruit to the pudding a few minutes before it is finished baking. I love all things vanilla, so I chose to skip the fruit (and any added sugar) and left it plain.
If you have not heard of Quinoa, read more about it and its health benefits here.
The S/C Value for 1 serving is 1/1 (without any added fruit).
Baked Quinoa Pudding
serves 6
*2 cups of heavy cream*2 cups of half and half
1/2 c. xylitol
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. guar gum
1/4 c. quinoa (uncooked)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. stevia (I recommend NuNaturals brand. It is the only kind I have tried that does not have any bitter taste)
cinnamon or nutmeg
*Note- I used cream and half and half to minimize the milk sugars as much as possible. You can use any kind of milk, cream, or a combo of both.
Heat oven to 325. In a ovenproof dish or bowl with high sides (that has been lightly coated with butter), combine cream (half and half, milk, etc), quinoa, salt, guar gum, and xylitol. Stir to combine.
Bake for 1.5 hours, stirring often. After 1.5 hours, add vanilla and stevia (and fruit if you are using) and bake for another 30 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove and let cool. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg.
New to Me: Sparx Candy
I just picked up a tube of Sparx Candy at the neighborhood grocery store. These sweet, fruit flavored little tic-tac type candies taste like they are loaded with sugar, but are actually made almost entirely of xylitol and natural fruit flavorings.
I cannot seem to find nutritional information on the anywhere, including on the Sparx website.
They will satisfy any craving you have for hard candy. They come in Berry, Citrus, and Fruit flavors.
I cannot seem to find nutritional information on the anywhere, including on the Sparx website.
They will satisfy any craving you have for hard candy. They come in Berry, Citrus, and Fruit flavors.
Healthy Restaurant Choices- Uno Chicago Grill
I spend a lot of time guessing the nutritional information for meals that I get at restaurants , really having no idea whether or not I am even close with my estimations.
I love when restaurants have complete nutritional information and have been surprised lately by some of the restaurants that have gone full disclosure. When I say complete nutritional information, I mean listings not only showing the carbohydrates, but also the grams of sugar.
Uno Chicago Grill is one of these places. A few weeks ago, my husband and I ate here. I got the Multigrain Flatbread Veggie Pizza. It was really filling. After having a house salad as an appetizer, I ended up eating about 1/3 of the pizza.
The Tomato and Cheese, Sausage, and the Mediterranean Multigrain Flatbread all have an S/C Value of 2/2 (for one-third of the pizza). Add a salad with no croutons, and you have a easy time meeting your S/C Value goals!
If you like Uno Chicago Grill, watch for my upcoming post where I will be re-creating their Deep Dish Cookie Sundae!
I love when restaurants have complete nutritional information and have been surprised lately by some of the restaurants that have gone full disclosure. When I say complete nutritional information, I mean listings not only showing the carbohydrates, but also the grams of sugar.
Uno Chicago Grill is one of these places. A few weeks ago, my husband and I ate here. I got the Multigrain Flatbread Veggie Pizza. It was really filling. After having a house salad as an appetizer, I ended up eating about 1/3 of the pizza.
The Tomato and Cheese, Sausage, and the Mediterranean Multigrain Flatbread all have an S/C Value of 2/2 (for one-third of the pizza). Add a salad with no croutons, and you have a easy time meeting your S/C Value goals!
If you like Uno Chicago Grill, watch for my upcoming post where I will be re-creating their Deep Dish Cookie Sundae!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cauliflower Hashbrowns
I had 1/2 of a head of cauliflower left over from my fried rice last week, so I decided to experiment.
Inspired by how well the cauliflower held up as rice, I decided to try to make the cauliflower taste like fried potatoes. I am pleased with the results! I tried chopping up the cauliflower into different sizes, and smaller chunks taste more like fried potatoes because you taste more of the yummy brown charred parts of the cauliflower.
One serving as prepared below has an S/C Value of 2/1, including the sour cream dipping sauce!
Cauliflower Hashbrowns with Sour Cream and Chives
Serves 1
1 c. raw cauliflower, chopped into small pieces (about the size of a pencil eraser or smaller)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
Sprinkle of season salt or salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 Tbsp. oil (I use Smart Balance)
1 Tbsp Sour Cream
Chives (either fresh or dehydrated)
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add cauliflower and seasoning and sautee until cauliflower is golden brown. Serve with sour cream and chives, and enjoy!
Inspired by how well the cauliflower held up as rice, I decided to try to make the cauliflower taste like fried potatoes. I am pleased with the results! I tried chopping up the cauliflower into different sizes, and smaller chunks taste more like fried potatoes because you taste more of the yummy brown charred parts of the cauliflower.
One serving as prepared below has an S/C Value of 2/1, including the sour cream dipping sauce!
Cauliflower Hashbrowns with Sour Cream and Chives
Serves 1
1 c. raw cauliflower, chopped into small pieces (about the size of a pencil eraser or smaller)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
Sprinkle of season salt or salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 Tbsp. oil (I use Smart Balance)
1 Tbsp Sour Cream
Chives (either fresh or dehydrated)
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add cauliflower and seasoning and sautee until cauliflower is golden brown. Serve with sour cream and chives, and enjoy!
Cinnamon Vanilla Stuffed French Toast
I made this today for breakfast. I was in the mood for french toast, and wanted to try making it with whole grain flourless bread.
The bread is tasty but a bit dry, so I tried to add some moisture by stuffing the french toast with some cinnamon cream cheese filling.
I diluted some sugar free maple syrup with water so I could have the maple flavor without having to count the syrup as one of my carb choices for today.
As prepared, this French Toast has an S/C value of 0/2.
French Toast
2 slices (thawed if Frozen) Ezekiel 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread
1 egg, beaten
1 packet of Truvia or equivilent sugarfree sweetener
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. water
Filling
2 Tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese
sprinkle of cinnamon, to taste
1/2 packet of truvia
1 tsp. heavy cream
Topping-
1 tsp. Sugar Free Syrup (I use Joseph's Maple Syrup)
1 tsp. water
In a shallow, wide container (I used a square zip lock plastic lunch container), combine egg, 1 packet of Truvia, vanilla, 1 Tbsp cream, and water. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese, Cinnamon, 1/2 packet of Truvia, and 1 tsp. heavy cream. Blend together.
Spread cream cheese mixture over bread and sandwhich the two pieces together. Soak sandwich in egg batter, turning and coating each side of the bread until most of the egg mixture is absorbed.
In a small frying pan, heat a small amount of butter over medium heat. Add french toast sandwich and cook until brown on both sides.
Remove the french toast from the pan and set aside. In a small bowl or cup, combine 1 tsp of sugar free syrup and 1 tsp of water. Stir until combined. Spread mixture over french toast and serve.
Enjoy
The bread is tasty but a bit dry, so I tried to add some moisture by stuffing the french toast with some cinnamon cream cheese filling.
I diluted some sugar free maple syrup with water so I could have the maple flavor without having to count the syrup as one of my carb choices for today.
As prepared, this French Toast has an S/C value of 0/2.
Cinnamon Vanilla Stuffed French Toast
serves 1French Toast
2 slices (thawed if Frozen) Ezekiel 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread
1 egg, beaten
1 packet of Truvia or equivilent sugarfree sweetener
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. water
Filling
2 Tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese
sprinkle of cinnamon, to taste
1/2 packet of truvia
1 tsp. heavy cream
Topping-
1 tsp. Sugar Free Syrup (I use Joseph's Maple Syrup)
1 tsp. water
In a shallow, wide container (I used a square zip lock plastic lunch container), combine egg, 1 packet of Truvia, vanilla, 1 Tbsp cream, and water. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese, Cinnamon, 1/2 packet of Truvia, and 1 tsp. heavy cream. Blend together.
Spread cream cheese mixture over bread and sandwhich the two pieces together. Soak sandwich in egg batter, turning and coating each side of the bread until most of the egg mixture is absorbed.
In a small frying pan, heat a small amount of butter over medium heat. Add french toast sandwich and cook until brown on both sides.
Remove the french toast from the pan and set aside. In a small bowl or cup, combine 1 tsp of sugar free syrup and 1 tsp of water. Stir until combined. Spread mixture over french toast and serve.
Enjoy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sweet Tea Vodka
UPDATE: Someone pointed out an article that said that the makers add sugar to the vodka. I guess it is ok in moderation, but it is prob not the best for the belly fat cure. Sorry for the incorrect information. There is a lot of mixed information on the internet. Who knew ;-)
I was at a local restaurant this weekend, and it occurred to me as I ordered my favorite new drink that not everyone yet knows about Sweet Tea Vodka. When I asked for a Sweet Tea Vodka and Water, the server had no idea what I was talking about. At this moment, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a post on the blog to enlighten anyone reading this who may not have tried this fabulous concoction yet.
For people 21 and over, Sweet Tea Vodka is a delicious brew of premium vodka that has been soaking in sweeten tea leaves. Somehow, by some miracle, the vodka ends up tasting exactly like southern style sweet tea minus any carbs or any sugar. It is drinkable on its own, but I think it is best when mixed with water, actual unsweetened ice tea, or even lemonade.
I like to add 1 1/2 ounces to a glass of ice and fill the rest of the glass with water. It tastes just like the sweet tea that is served in South Carolina! And the S/C Value is 0/0! It has become a favorite drink of mine because you get that sweet taste without the hidden sugars found in a lot of beverage mixers, such as soda, tonic, or juice.
One thing to note- because the vodka tastes so delicious, you have to be careful of how much you are drinking. It would be very easy to lose track of how many drinks you have had and wake up with a horrible hangover!
I was at a local restaurant this weekend, and it occurred to me as I ordered my favorite new drink that not everyone yet knows about Sweet Tea Vodka. When I asked for a Sweet Tea Vodka and Water, the server had no idea what I was talking about. At this moment, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a post on the blog to enlighten anyone reading this who may not have tried this fabulous concoction yet.
For people 21 and over, Sweet Tea Vodka is a delicious brew of premium vodka that has been soaking in sweeten tea leaves. Somehow, by some miracle, the vodka ends up tasting exactly like southern style sweet tea minus any carbs or any sugar. It is drinkable on its own, but I think it is best when mixed with water, actual unsweetened ice tea, or even lemonade.
I like to add 1 1/2 ounces to a glass of ice and fill the rest of the glass with water. It tastes just like the sweet tea that is served in South Carolina! And the S/C Value is 0/0! It has become a favorite drink of mine because you get that sweet taste without the hidden sugars found in a lot of beverage mixers, such as soda, tonic, or juice.
One thing to note- because the vodka tastes so delicious, you have to be careful of how much you are drinking. It would be very easy to lose track of how many drinks you have had and wake up with a horrible hangover!
New to Me: Virgils Diet Cream Soda
A few years back, I had Virgil's Micro-brewed Root Beer, and I was instantly in love. It was the best soda I had ever had, and I never wanted to go back to artifically flavored, corn-syrup filled sodas. Virgil's makes a quality product using the best ingredients. However, one of those ingredients is sugar, so it has been awhile since I have had one of their delicious sodas.
I was at World Market this weekend and found a diet version of Virgil's heavenly soda. I knew that Virgil's is all about quality and would be unlikely to put a chemical sweetener in it's product. I looked at the label, and I am pleased to report that Virgil's diet line of sodas are sweetened with Xylitol and Stevia! With a mere 6 calories and only 2 grams of carbs, one 12 ounce bottle has a 0/0 S/C Value!
I had the Diet Cream Soda which has a wonderfully creamy vanilla taste. It is fantastic!
For those of you who are 21, it would be awesome mixed with an ounce and a half of vanilla vodka for the Ultimate Cream Soda!
I was at World Market this weekend and found a diet version of Virgil's heavenly soda. I knew that Virgil's is all about quality and would be unlikely to put a chemical sweetener in it's product. I looked at the label, and I am pleased to report that Virgil's diet line of sodas are sweetened with Xylitol and Stevia! With a mere 6 calories and only 2 grams of carbs, one 12 ounce bottle has a 0/0 S/C Value!
I had the Diet Cream Soda which has a wonderfully creamy vanilla taste. It is fantastic!
For those of you who are 21, it would be awesome mixed with an ounce and a half of vanilla vodka for the Ultimate Cream Soda!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Oven-Fried Cheese Sticks
I love bar food. I try to stay away from it, for obvious reasons, but sometimes you just need some greasy fried goodness. I try to find ways to satisfy those cravings whenever possible.
This is based of a recipe I used to make, with one small tweak to make it even more healthy! I used to use Cornflake crumbs as a breading for the cheese sticks. However, Uncle Sam Original Brand Toasted Whole Wheat Flake Cereal makes these even healthier and even adds some nutritious flax seeds!
The S/C Value for two cheese sticks is 0/1. This determination is assuming that you use the full amount of the coating on the cheese sticks (which I never do).
Oven-Fried Cheese Sticks
(serves 4)
1 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 c. whole wheat white flour (I used King Arthur Brand)
2 egg whites, beaten
Tbsp. water
1 c. of Uncle Sam wheat flake cereal, crushed into fine crumbs
1 8 ounce package of mozzarella string cheese (8 sticks)
Combine garlic salt, oregano, and the crushed wheat flakes. Set aside.
Mix egg whites and water together.
Coat each string cheese with a thin layer of the flour. Dip floured string cheese in the egg mixture, then roll in the wheat flake mixture. Make sure the string cheese is completely coated with flour, egg, and the wheat flakes to avoid the cheese sticks melting out of the breading while baking.
Refrigerate the cheese stick for about 30 minutes (This also helps keep the cheese sticks from oozing.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet in foil and spray or coat the foil with a thin layer of oil. Bake the cheese sticks on the pan for about 7-8 minutes, or until melted and golden.
Serve with low sugar pizza sauce and enjoy while hot!
This is based of a recipe I used to make, with one small tweak to make it even more healthy! I used to use Cornflake crumbs as a breading for the cheese sticks. However, Uncle Sam Original Brand Toasted Whole Wheat Flake Cereal makes these even healthier and even adds some nutritious flax seeds!
The S/C Value for two cheese sticks is 0/1. This determination is assuming that you use the full amount of the coating on the cheese sticks (which I never do).
Oven-Fried Cheese Sticks
(serves 4)
1 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 c. whole wheat white flour (I used King Arthur Brand)
2 egg whites, beaten
Tbsp. water
1 c. of Uncle Sam wheat flake cereal, crushed into fine crumbs
1 8 ounce package of mozzarella string cheese (8 sticks)
Combine garlic salt, oregano, and the crushed wheat flakes. Set aside.
Mix egg whites and water together.
Coat each string cheese with a thin layer of the flour. Dip floured string cheese in the egg mixture, then roll in the wheat flake mixture. Make sure the string cheese is completely coated with flour, egg, and the wheat flakes to avoid the cheese sticks melting out of the breading while baking.
Refrigerate the cheese stick for about 30 minutes (This also helps keep the cheese sticks from oozing.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet in foil and spray or coat the foil with a thin layer of oil. Bake the cheese sticks on the pan for about 7-8 minutes, or until melted and golden.
Serve with low sugar pizza sauce and enjoy while hot!
Healthy (and inexpensive) Microwave Popcorn
So a few weeks ago, I heard a news report on how bad microwave popcorn can be for you, and how you really should never eat it. Apparently the bags are coated with some chemical that has been linked to cancer.
I found some information online about making your own microwave popcorn. It is really easy and really delicious. It also allows you to use your preferred oil, good quality popping corn, and whatever seasoning you like.
My favorite variety thus far is Jamaican Jerk Popcorn!
2 tsp. oil (I have used coconut oil and Smart Balance Oil, and both are great)
1/2 tsp. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (I used Island Spice brand that I got in Jamaica this spring), plus more for sprinkling after the popcorn is popped.
In a brown paper lunch bag, add ingredients and shake to coat the kernels. Fold the top of the bag over three times to seal. Place the bag on a paper towel in the microwave, and microwave on high for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, depending on your microwave. The best way to figure out the time is to stand by and stop the microwave when the pops slow down to about 3-5 seconds between each pop. You can always re-pop any kernels that do not pop the first time.
To make Old Bay Style Popcorn, substitute 1/2 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning.
I found some information online about making your own microwave popcorn. It is really easy and really delicious. It also allows you to use your preferred oil, good quality popping corn, and whatever seasoning you like.
My favorite variety thus far is Jamaican Jerk Popcorn!
Jamaican Jerk Popcorn
1/4 c. unpopped popcorn kernels2 tsp. oil (I have used coconut oil and Smart Balance Oil, and both are great)
1/2 tsp. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (I used Island Spice brand that I got in Jamaica this spring), plus more for sprinkling after the popcorn is popped.
In a brown paper lunch bag, add ingredients and shake to coat the kernels. Fold the top of the bag over three times to seal. Place the bag on a paper towel in the microwave, and microwave on high for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, depending on your microwave. The best way to figure out the time is to stand by and stop the microwave when the pops slow down to about 3-5 seconds between each pop. You can always re-pop any kernels that do not pop the first time.
To make Old Bay Style Popcorn, substitute 1/2 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning.
Not so Crazy Mocha
Back in Pittsburgh, there is an awesome coffee shop called Crazy Mocha. I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough healthwise) to have one on the first floor of my office building.
Crazy Mocha's signature drink used to be The Crazy Mocha, a sweet, creamy, heavenly blend of coffee, ice, ice cream, and chocolate. Last time I was there, they stopped serving ice cream and no longer had the Crazy Mocha.
I re-created this drink this morning for breakfast, but took out the sugar and added some protein and a little fiber. I used a small scoop of my Chocolate Ice Cream that I made last night (maybe a 1/4 cup) to give it the rich chocolatey taste. You could use up to 1/2 c of the ice cream for an S/C Value of 0/1.
1/2 c. cold coffee
1/2 scoop of Jay Robb's vanilla protein powder (this is the best kind I have ever had and is all natural)
1 small scoop of Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream (see below)
2 tsp. Benefiber
Blend everything together until smooth!
Crazy Mocha's signature drink used to be The Crazy Mocha, a sweet, creamy, heavenly blend of coffee, ice, ice cream, and chocolate. Last time I was there, they stopped serving ice cream and no longer had the Crazy Mocha.
I re-created this drink this morning for breakfast, but took out the sugar and added some protein and a little fiber. I used a small scoop of my Chocolate Ice Cream that I made last night (maybe a 1/4 cup) to give it the rich chocolatey taste. You could use up to 1/2 c of the ice cream for an S/C Value of 0/1.
Not-So-Crazy Mocha
1/2 c. ice1/2 c. cold coffee
1/2 scoop of Jay Robb's vanilla protein powder (this is the best kind I have ever had and is all natural)
1 small scoop of Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream (see below)
2 tsp. Benefiber
Blend everything together until smooth!
New to Me: So Delicious Coconut Milk
I love dairy products and have been looking for a low sugar alternative to dairy (other than drinking straight cream which I am sure cannot be good for me). A lot of people have suggested Almond Milk as a substitute. I am deathly allergic to nuts, so that would not work out so well for me.
Someone suggested So Delicious Coconut Milk during the first week of our online meeting. I went to Whole Foods later that week and bought it. You can find it in the refrigerator section near the sugar-filled milk. The unsweetened kind only has 1 gram of carbs and 0 grams of sugar in 1 cup and tastes a lot like real milk. My husband said it reminded him of skim milk, but tasted pretty good! The coconut taste is very very slight and may not be noticed if you did not know what it was.
This morning I had it on my cereal and it was great subsitute to regular milk.
I am going to try to make yogurt out of it next week!
Someone suggested So Delicious Coconut Milk during the first week of our online meeting. I went to Whole Foods later that week and bought it. You can find it in the refrigerator section near the sugar-filled milk. The unsweetened kind only has 1 gram of carbs and 0 grams of sugar in 1 cup and tastes a lot like real milk. My husband said it reminded him of skim milk, but tasted pretty good! The coconut taste is very very slight and may not be noticed if you did not know what it was.
This morning I had it on my cereal and it was great subsitute to regular milk.
I am going to try to make yogurt out of it next week!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
American Heart Associations Advice on Limiting Sugar
Here is an article from the AHA regarding how dangerous high intake of sugar can be to your health. Scary stuff!
The AHA says, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not, people should limit their added sugar intake. The AHA recommends less than six teaspoons of added sugar each day for women and less than nine teaspoons for men.
To put that into perspective, consider the following: there are about 9 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can of Coke alone!!
Obviously we all know how much sugar is in soda. But what about some supposedly "healthy" foods?
The AHA says, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not, people should limit their added sugar intake. The AHA recommends less than six teaspoons of added sugar each day for women and less than nine teaspoons for men.
To put that into perspective, consider the following: there are about 9 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can of Coke alone!!
Obviously we all know how much sugar is in soda. But what about some supposedly "healthy" foods?
- One 6 ounce container of strawberry yogurt sweetened with sugar has about 5 teaspoons
- One packet of instant apple cinnamon oatmeal has about 3 teaspoons!
Chicken Fried Rice
So, I am a huge fan of fried rice. Sometimes I break down and eat it even though it is one of the worst things a diabetic could eat because of the insane amount of carbs in one serving.
Tonight, I made a version of fried rice that uses grated cauliflower instead of rice. It was delicious! I gave it to my husband without telling him that it was cauliflower, and he did not even notice that the rice was missing.
I got the recipe for which I based my version of the fried rice on Healthy Indulgences (wonderful website!!)
If you eat 1/2 of the recipe below, the S/C value would be about 4/2. It tastes so good that I will not miss the carb laden version that I have been eating! If you do not have 4 grams of sugar to spare for dinner, try omitting either the carrots or the onions, or use 1/4 c of each.
Chicken Fried Rice (serves 2-3)
1/2 lb of chicken, cut across the grain in thin slices
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp oil (I used Coconut, but whatever should work. The coconut oil gives the dish a slightly sweet flavor)
2 c. grated Cauliflower
1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. of matchstick sliced carrots (I used the pre-cut version)
10 snow pea pods, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
1 clove of garlic
5 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
dash of garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
In a frying pan over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until cooked through. Take chicken off of heat and set aside.
In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat. When hot, add onions and cook until soft. Remove onions from the pan and set aside. Add carrots, chopped pea pods, and garlic and cook until soft and set aside with the onions.
Add cauliflower to the frying pan and saute for a minute or two, adding more oil if necessary. Add 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. sesame oil, garlic powder, and pepper and stir until all of the cauliflower is coated with the soy sauce. Cook until the cauliflower is soft. Add the remaining vegetables. Stir until combined.
Then, push all the vegetables to the side of the pan. Scramble the eggs in the open space on the pan, using a spatula to dice up the cook egg. When the egg is cooked, incorporate it into the vegetables.
Add the cooked chicken to the vegetable/egg mix. Add remaining 2. Tbsp soy sauce and 1/4 tsp. of sesame oil. Stir fry the mixture until chicken is warm. Serve and enjoy!
Tonight, I made a version of fried rice that uses grated cauliflower instead of rice. It was delicious! I gave it to my husband without telling him that it was cauliflower, and he did not even notice that the rice was missing.
I got the recipe for which I based my version of the fried rice on Healthy Indulgences (wonderful website!!)
If you eat 1/2 of the recipe below, the S/C value would be about 4/2. It tastes so good that I will not miss the carb laden version that I have been eating! If you do not have 4 grams of sugar to spare for dinner, try omitting either the carrots or the onions, or use 1/4 c of each.
1/2 lb of chicken, cut across the grain in thin slices
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp oil (I used Coconut, but whatever should work. The coconut oil gives the dish a slightly sweet flavor)
2 c. grated Cauliflower
1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. of matchstick sliced carrots (I used the pre-cut version)
10 snow pea pods, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
1 clove of garlic
5 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
dash of garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
In a frying pan over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until cooked through. Take chicken off of heat and set aside.
In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat. When hot, add onions and cook until soft. Remove onions from the pan and set aside. Add carrots, chopped pea pods, and garlic and cook until soft and set aside with the onions.
Add cauliflower to the frying pan and saute for a minute or two, adding more oil if necessary. Add 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. sesame oil, garlic powder, and pepper and stir until all of the cauliflower is coated with the soy sauce. Cook until the cauliflower is soft. Add the remaining vegetables. Stir until combined.
Then, push all the vegetables to the side of the pan. Scramble the eggs in the open space on the pan, using a spatula to dice up the cook egg. When the egg is cooked, incorporate it into the vegetables.
Add the cooked chicken to the vegetable/egg mix. Add remaining 2. Tbsp soy sauce and 1/4 tsp. of sesame oil. Stir fry the mixture until chicken is warm. Serve and enjoy!
Follow up to Sugar Free Ice Cream
It is fantastic (see below)!! I skipped the chocolate chips, and I calculated the S/C Value. It is an amazing 0/1 for a 1/2 c. serving.
Sugar Free Ice Cream
One of my favorite desserts is ice cream. The idea of living without it is not acceptable for me.
I have looked into Clemmy's, which seems to be the only all-natural sugar free ice cream that I could find. Since they do not sell it in Michigan, I decided to attempt to make my own.
I have been looking around for recipes for sugar free chocolate ice cream, and I stumbled on an awesome blog that has a lot of recipes that are sugar and gluten free. It is called Healthy Indulgences, and the recipes look fantastic!
I am making the Premium Chocolate Ice Cream tonight. I used Xylitol as my primary sweetener, and also used NuNaturals Pure Stevia, as per the recipe.
I cannot wait to try it!
I have looked into Clemmy's, which seems to be the only all-natural sugar free ice cream that I could find. Since they do not sell it in Michigan, I decided to attempt to make my own.
I have been looking around for recipes for sugar free chocolate ice cream, and I stumbled on an awesome blog that has a lot of recipes that are sugar and gluten free. It is called Healthy Indulgences, and the recipes look fantastic!
I am making the Premium Chocolate Ice Cream tonight. I used Xylitol as my primary sweetener, and also used NuNaturals Pure Stevia, as per the recipe.
I cannot wait to try it!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Roasted Fennel
I have taken the opportunity to expand my veggie horizons while on the Belly Fat Cure program.
Fennel is a vegetable that I tried just recently. I always held back because I was afraid that I would not like the anise like taste. However, I am pleased to report that the flavor is mild and delicious. The S/C value for the Roasted Fennel is 0/1.
Roasted Fennel (serves about 1)
1 bulb of Fennel (trim off the green stalks)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Juice from a 1/2 a lemon
Preheat oven to 375. Cut fennel bulb in half, remove the inside core, and slice the fennel into thin strips. Place fennel on a baking sheet covered with foil . Generously brush olive oil on the fennel. Sprinke with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon all over the fennel strips.
Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fennel, and bake for another 10 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
Serve as is, or sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy
Fennel is a vegetable that I tried just recently. I always held back because I was afraid that I would not like the anise like taste. However, I am pleased to report that the flavor is mild and delicious. The S/C value for the Roasted Fennel is 0/1.
Roasted Fennel (serves about 1)
1 bulb of Fennel (trim off the green stalks)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Juice from a 1/2 a lemon
Preheat oven to 375. Cut fennel bulb in half, remove the inside core, and slice the fennel into thin strips. Place fennel on a baking sheet covered with foil . Generously brush olive oil on the fennel. Sprinke with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon all over the fennel strips.
Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fennel, and bake for another 10 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
Serve as is, or sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy
Mom's Keema- Indian Beef
This is one of my favorite dishes. I love ethnic foods but find it hard to know exactly what is in them when I eat at restaurants. This dish has the spices and tastes of Indian Food with a limited amount of sugar.
The beef alone has a S/C value of 2/1. I like it best over vegetables and rice. I usually eat it over 1/2 c. of brown basmati rice (SC value of 0/1).
1 Tbsp. Canola Oil (I use Smart Balance Oil)
1lb ground beef (I think 80/20 beef works best here since you are not adding much additional fat. It keeps it moist. However, I have used beef up to 94% lean and still had great results.)
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 medium sized onion, chopped into fine pieces (I use my food processor)
1 medium sized tomato, chopped (I also use my food processor)
1 inch of ginger, crushed OR 1 Tbsp of ginger paste (found in your ethnic foods department in a jar)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp gran masala
1 tsp salt (adjust to your tastes)
In a deep frying pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. When hot, add 1/2 tsp mustard seed. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion. Cook until light brown.
Add the tomato and ginger that is crushed. Keep stirring for 1 min. Then add ground beef , turmeric powder, cumin, coriander powder and gran masala and salt.
Lower to heat to med low and cook for 7-8 mins or until beef is cooked.
The beef alone has a S/C value of 2/1. I like it best over vegetables and rice. I usually eat it over 1/2 c. of brown basmati rice (SC value of 0/1).
Keema Indian Beef
Serves 41 Tbsp. Canola Oil (I use Smart Balance Oil)
1lb ground beef (I think 80/20 beef works best here since you are not adding much additional fat. It keeps it moist. However, I have used beef up to 94% lean and still had great results.)
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 medium sized onion, chopped into fine pieces (I use my food processor)
1 medium sized tomato, chopped (I also use my food processor)
1 inch of ginger, crushed OR 1 Tbsp of ginger paste (found in your ethnic foods department in a jar)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp gran masala
1 tsp salt (adjust to your tastes)
In a deep frying pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. When hot, add 1/2 tsp mustard seed. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion. Cook until light brown.
Add the tomato and ginger that is crushed. Keep stirring for 1 min. Then add ground beef , turmeric powder, cumin, coriander powder and gran masala and salt.
Lower to heat to med low and cook for 7-8 mins or until beef is cooked.
Old Bay Sauteed Shrimp
Last week, I was really craving Old Bay. I love the seasoning, and I use the low sodium version as a seasoning on my popcorn all the time.
I wanted to make Old Bay Shrimp, but I did not feel like having the mess associated with peeling and eating steamed shrimp. I found another way to make the shrimp and still get that great Old Bay flavor.
The Old Bay Sauteed Shrimp has an S/C Value of 0/0. I served the shrimp with a boiled Artichoke (S/C Value of 1/1) dipped in a French Vinaigrette Dressing (Brianna's Homestyle Brand is a S/C value of 0/0). This would also be great with some roasted fingerling potatoes (S/C Value of 0/1 for half a cup).
Serves 2-3
1 1/2 lb shrimp (I used large USA caught shrimp)
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, original
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Peel and devein shrimp, if necessary. Pat the shrimp dry and put them in a resealable bag. Add Old Bay and shake to coat the shrimp.
In large skillet, melt butter on medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turn pink, curl up slightly, and are cooked through
Serve while hot.
I wanted to make Old Bay Shrimp, but I did not feel like having the mess associated with peeling and eating steamed shrimp. I found another way to make the shrimp and still get that great Old Bay flavor.
The Old Bay Sauteed Shrimp has an S/C Value of 0/0. I served the shrimp with a boiled Artichoke (S/C Value of 1/1) dipped in a French Vinaigrette Dressing (Brianna's Homestyle Brand is a S/C value of 0/0). This would also be great with some roasted fingerling potatoes (S/C Value of 0/1 for half a cup).
Old Bay Sauteed Shrimp
Serves 2-3
1 1/2 lb shrimp (I used large USA caught shrimp)
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, original
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Peel and devein shrimp, if necessary. Pat the shrimp dry and put them in a resealable bag. Add Old Bay and shake to coat the shrimp.
In large skillet, melt butter on medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turn pink, curl up slightly, and are cooked through
Serve while hot.
A Quick Dose of Buffalo Chicken Dip
Today I was really craving Buffalo Chicken Dip. For those of you who have not had this delicious party food, it is a creamy and spicy dip that tastes like buffalo chicken wings. It has become an obsession for some of my friends, and we make it for every party!
Buffalo Chicken Dip is a wonderful mix of chicken, ranch dressing, cream cheese, and hot sauce. It is excellent when paired with tortilla chips and celery.
I mixed up a single serving version to satisfy my cravings. Based on the brands used below, one serving of the dip alone has an S/C value of 2/0 (1.5 grams of sugar and 2 grams of carbs). See below for a list of delicious dippers and their S/C values.
2 Tbsp of full fat cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia brand)
1 Tbsp of ranch dressing (I used organic Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 1/2 tsp of Frank's Red Hot (more or less can be used, depending on taste)
Chicken chunks, shredded (I used about one heaping tbsp size scoop of Valley Fresh 100% Natural white meat canned chicken)
In a small microwave safe bowl, smash cream cheese with a fork. Add ranch and hot sauce and stir to combine. Flake chicken with a fork and add to cream cheese mixture. Combine. Microwave for 5-10 second intervals, stirring after each, until the dip is hot, soft and creamy.
Enjoy with any of the following:
Tortilla Chips- I used about 1 ounce of Tostito's brand Scoops for an S/C value of 0/1. You may be able to find a better option. This is just what I had at my house. (The total S/C value for the dip and chips would be 2/1.)
Celery- A whole stalk only has an S/C value of 1/0! (The S/C value of the dip and celery would be 3/0)
Buffalo Chicken Dip is a wonderful mix of chicken, ranch dressing, cream cheese, and hot sauce. It is excellent when paired with tortilla chips and celery.
I mixed up a single serving version to satisfy my cravings. Based on the brands used below, one serving of the dip alone has an S/C value of 2/0 (1.5 grams of sugar and 2 grams of carbs). See below for a list of delicious dippers and their S/C values.
Single Serving Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 Tbsp of full fat cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia brand)
1 Tbsp of ranch dressing (I used organic Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 1/2 tsp of Frank's Red Hot (more or less can be used, depending on taste)
Chicken chunks, shredded (I used about one heaping tbsp size scoop of Valley Fresh 100% Natural white meat canned chicken)
In a small microwave safe bowl, smash cream cheese with a fork. Add ranch and hot sauce and stir to combine. Flake chicken with a fork and add to cream cheese mixture. Combine. Microwave for 5-10 second intervals, stirring after each, until the dip is hot, soft and creamy.
Enjoy with any of the following:
Celery- A whole stalk only has an S/C value of 1/0! (The S/C value of the dip and celery would be 3/0)
Salmon with White Wine and Chives
I made this recipe for dinner on Monday night. It turned out fantastically!
The salmon dish has a S/C value of 0/0! I served the salmon with steamed broccoli (2/0 for a whole cup) and a serving of Cascadian Farms Straight Cut French Fries (I found them at Whole Foods). I was amazed that 18 fries had a S/C value of only 1/1!! It was a delicious and filling meal! I dipped the fries in the wine sauce from the salmon, and it reminded me of moules frites (mussels with fries) from one of my favorite restaurants.
Salmon with White Wine and Chives (serves 2)
1 lb Alaskan Salmon (any fresh caught salmon would work)
salt, to taste (I used pink Himalayan salt)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp unbleached white flour (I used King Arthur brand)
1 cup of dry white wine (I used 1492 Chardonnay/Viogneir/Chenin blend)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped chives
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season salmon with salt, to taste. Place on a baking sheet (with foil for easy clean up) and roast for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is opaque in the middle.
While the salmon is cooking, melt butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour, then add wine. Bring the wine mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let wine mixture simmer until it thickens, about 10 or so minutes.
Stir in chives and a pinch of salt.
Serve over the salmon and enjoy!
The salmon dish has a S/C value of 0/0! I served the salmon with steamed broccoli (2/0 for a whole cup) and a serving of Cascadian Farms Straight Cut French Fries (I found them at Whole Foods). I was amazed that 18 fries had a S/C value of only 1/1!! It was a delicious and filling meal! I dipped the fries in the wine sauce from the salmon, and it reminded me of moules frites (mussels with fries) from one of my favorite restaurants.
Salmon with White Wine and Chives (serves 2)
1 lb Alaskan Salmon (any fresh caught salmon would work)
salt, to taste (I used pink Himalayan salt)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp unbleached white flour (I used King Arthur brand)
1 cup of dry white wine (I used 1492 Chardonnay/Viogneir/Chenin blend)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped chives
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season salmon with salt, to taste. Place on a baking sheet (with foil for easy clean up) and roast for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is opaque in the middle.
While the salmon is cooking, melt butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour, then add wine. Bring the wine mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let wine mixture simmer until it thickens, about 10 or so minutes.
Stir in chives and a pinch of salt.
Serve over the salmon and enjoy!
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