Homemade Catalina/French Dressing

This is adapted from a recipe I found on kitchensimplicity.com. I made it lower in sugar and used a healthier fat source.


Catalina Dressing
Makes 1.5 cups total

¼ cup fire-roasted tomatoes (canned)

¼ cup splenda or sweetener of choice

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup onion, chopped (or ½ teaspoon onion powder)

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon worcestershire sauce

½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Put all the ingredients in blender and puree until smooth and combined. Shake or stir well before using. Refrigerate any unused portion.

Great on a salad with bleu cheese!

Breakfast quick "breads" or bars or...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana "Cake"
makes 4 small or 2 large servings:
1 c oats
1/2c egg whites
2 cups water
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 scoop chocolate pb protein powder (Xtreme Formulations)
1 sliced banana
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut shreds

Beat together everything but banana and coconut. When it is well mixed, add the banana and coconut and stir.
Pour into a 8x8 pan (pre-spray with cooking spray)
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Change the flavor by the flavor of protein powder, adding vanilla extract or other extracts and different fruit/nuts, etc. I didn't add any splenda and this was sweet enough, but someone with more of a sweet tooth might like some sweetener added.

 Banana "Bread" and Caramel Apple Upside Down "Cake"

Banana "Bread"
 makes 4 small or 2 large servings:
1 c oats
1/2c egg whites
2 cups water
1 tsp baking soda
1 scoop cinnamon roll flavor protein powder (Xtreme Formulations)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 packets splenda
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
1 sliced banana

Beat together everything but banana and walnuts. When it is well mixed, add the banana and walnuts and stir.
Pour into a 8x8 pan (pre-spray with cooking spray)
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Caramel Apple Upside Down "Cake"
makes 4 small or 2 large servings:
1 c oats
1/2c egg whites
2 cups water
2 tbsp pecans, chopped
1 tsp baking soda
2 scoops butterscotch protein powder (Xtreme Formulations)
1 sliced apple


Beat together everything but apple and pecans. Place apple slices in a layer on the bottom of the greased 8X8 pan, sprinkle pecans evenly over apples.Pour oat mixture over the apples, evenly distributed. 
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

 

All of these have gotten rave reviews at home and at work :)

 

Here's the protein I have been using, it really bakes up well:

 

Healthier, Gluten-free Pizzas!

Healthier Gluten-free Pizzas

These turn out crunchy and tasty! You can top them however you like, we mix it up depending on what we have in the fridge, or in this case what looked good/easy whenI  stopped at the  grocery store afetr work. These are done pretty quickly if you have ingredients ready.

 Teff Wraps. Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees F. Place wraps on a baking sheet, spray top with Pam/cooking spray (this helps them crisp, I think. Bake on rack close to top of oven for 5 minutes, flip over and bake another 4-5 minutes (watch so they don't burn).

 Baked wraps. They get really crunchy this way, so yummy. We have experimented with a lot of different wraps, these are my favorite.

 The Sauces we used this time, as I said, I was at the store, it was late, things looked good. They are all fairly low fat and don't contain  high fructose corn syrup (and were on sale).




Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey sausage, pre-cook and then chop (I used one sausage for one pizza). pepperoni in the background, we had real pepperoni for another recipe. You can get lower fat/sodium or turkey pepperoni if you want to be even healthier.

    

 Onions Sauteed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and baby portabellas sauteed with a little butter and lots of sliced  garlic. In the background is sliced green olives. I picked up a rotisserie chicken for simplicity sake for the chicken pizzas.

   

 

I'm not very good at the picture thing yet, so these are out of order. This is two wraps with the Tomato based sauce.The top picture has pepperoni and crumbled bacon on one wrap and chopped turkey sausage and crumbled bacon on the other. The next picture is just showing to spread sauce as close to the edge as you can 9reduces chances of edges burning.

 

 
 Pre-baked pizzas. In the picture on the right: One is BBQ sauce, chicken, onions, bacon and a thin slices of goat cheese (http://www.murrayscheese.com/drunken-goat.html), oh and bacon ;) The other is Alfredo sauce, chicken, baby bellas&garlic, bacon and thin slices of a hard cheese kind of like parmesan (http://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-library/espresso-bellavitano)

 

The two on the left have the tomato based sauce, one has pepperoni, baby bellas&garlic, bacon and the espresso cheese, one has sausage, green olives, onions and goat cheese. Oh and bacon :)

Bake the topped pizzas 5-8 minutes, until warm and melty. Yummy. 4 mini-pizzas fed 2 hungry adults.

Almond Muffins - wheat free, gluten free and delicious!

This is from a recipe on T-nation, you can really customize it with any flavoring or add-ins you like. I used almond extract, I have seen it made with canned pumpkin (cook a little longer), nuts would be good, zest of lemon and poppy seeds would be awesome...anything you can think of. You can make big muffins, mini-muffins (my first batch here was minis), muffin tops...I have no idea how it would be in a small loaf pan, but I bet it would work.

Almond flour is expensive, but worth it if you aretrying to go wheat-free/gluten-free.

Basic Muffin Recipe

Made 21 mini-miffins, not sure how many large it will make.

2c almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3-1/2c Splenda
1/2c butter or coconut oil, softened
4 eggs
1/3c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Spray or grease a muffin tin, or line with paper cups.

Mix all the dry ingredients. Mix all the wet ingredients. mix together well, either by wooden spoon or with a hand mixer.

Spoon into  muffin tins, leaving a little room for expansion.

Bake 10-15 minutes, until set in middle (check wwith toothpick). Less time for mini-muffins, more time for larger and for muffins with moist add-ins, like pumpkin.

Enjoy!

Bonus Topping/glaze/dip

You can make this any flavor, depending on the protein you use and if you add zest or extracts, and you can make it thick like frosting, dip consistency or pourable, like a glaze depending on how much milk/milk substitute you use.

1 Scoop Whey or mixed protein powder
1 tbsp coconut flour
splash of 1/2 & 1/2 or almond milk (I used whole milk)

Mix well, adding more liquid if needed for desired consistency. Enjoy guilt-free on top of muffins (or by the spoonful :) ).



These brownies are amazing! Paul makes them for me :) This is from an ebook, full of great recipes, by Leigh Peele called Body By Eats Desserts. order it here (when redesigned, apparently):

http://www.bodybyeats.com/?hop=henlem

Veggies Noodles

We finally got a noodle shredding device and have been making lots of veggie noodles. My favorite are zucchini. You can use any shreddable vegetables. I saute them in a little oil and spices, depoending on what I am going to serve over them.

Here is the shredder we got:

http://www.amazon.com/GEFU-13460-Spirelli-Spiral-Cutter/dp/B0026RMEK4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380644377&sr=8-2&keywords=vegetable+noodle+maker

Here is a fancier version:

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380644490&sr=8-1&keywords=vegetable+noodle+maker


Here are some massive amounts of raw noodles:

 

 And In the process of being sauteed:

 

So far I have had chicken and Thai peanut sauce over them and red curry pork over them. Any type of saucy food you might serve over noodles can be served over veggie noodles, if you are looking for a no-grain, low carb choice. We like lots of vegetables for their nutrient content, as well as for their bulk. I can cut weight and still have a large volume of food with lots of vegetables.

Slow Cooker Red Curry Pork

Slow Cooker Red Curry Pork

We committed to a huge amount of pork via Sam's club having a deal on pork shoulder. We ended up with 2 massive roasts, about 6 lbs each. Pork shoulder is perfect for slow cooker recipes. One favorite is just to pour two bottles of low sugar barbeque sauce over it, cook on low 8-10 hours and then add black beans or any bean of choice for easy bbq pork and beans. This curry recipe has become the other new favorite.

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup Thai red curry paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

6 lb pounds boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, trimmed (ours had a bone in it)

2 cans coconut milk (enough to halfway cover the pork. If you want less fat, use 1 can coconut milk and 1 can water).

 

Mix everything but the pork in the slow cooker, blending with a whisk until smooth. Add the pork roast, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until falling apart.

 

We serve ours over veggie noodles that were lightly sauted with a little coconut oil and garlic.

 

This makes a week's worth of meals for 2.

 

 

Wafflepocalypse

Here are 2 different protein waffle recipes, both wheat-free! We liked the chocolate oat ones a little more, but only because the cocnut waffles dried out a little (I kept them warm in the oven while I cooked the remainder and that may have been a mistake). waffles are a great, make-ahead breakfast choice, you can reheat them in the taoster or microwave, or even eat them cold like bread.

The first Protein waffle recipe is from :

http://www.sixpacksmackdown.com/2012/12/19/easy-protein-waffles-recipe/

he has a video on how to make them. I didn't get that fancy, I just mixed everything together and poured it onto the hot waffle iron. I doubled the recipe. Choose any flavor protein powder.

Chocolate Protein Waffles

1/2c oats
2 whole eggs or 4 egg whites
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
6 Tbsp milk (any type, almond, coconut, whole milk)
Splenda , to taste (1 or 2 tbsp)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Whisk everything together or place everything in the blender and blend until smooth.

Makes 4 waffles.

The entire recipe has approximately 30g carbohydrates, 60g protein (depends on type of protein) and 6-10g fat depending on the type of milk you use and whether you use whole eggs or egg whites. Tailor it to fit your dietary needs.

The Second Recipe comes from a blog I just happened to stumble across when craving waffles and searching for a recipe, I am going to spend more time browsing her blog, as it looks like a lot of wheat-free solutions to every day recipes and her waffles were good.

The blog is:

http://wellnessmama.com/1696/coconut-flour-protein-waffles/

and here is the version we made:

Coconut Protein Waffles

Makes  6 waffles
Ingredients:

8 eggs

½ cup melted coconut oil

½ cup coconut flour (plus a little more, in case batter seems thin)

1 T cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Crack the eggs into a medium sized bowl and beat with whisk
2. Add the melted oil, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and mix well
3. Add the coconut flour and mix well
4. Batter should be thick. If it is too thin, add a little more coconut flour.
5. Spoon into heated and greased waffle iron and cook until light brown and firm to touch (about 3 minutes )
6. Serve with sugar free syrup, real maple syrup or any topping you like :)

I didn't do any nutrient calculations, just kick back and enjoy these on a weekend and don't worry.

Lime-Peanut Chicken

This is from the cookbook "Global Grilling" by Jay Solomon

The marinade, blend in the blender or food processor:
1/2c peanut butter
1/4c peanut or vegetable oil
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chili pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

the chicken:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed or sliced for skewers

Place chicken and marinade in a large ziploc bag, squeeze the air out and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 hours-overnight.

Prep the grill, put the chicken on skewers and grill 10-20 minutes until done.

REALLY YUMMY :)

Gingered Chicken Noodles

Originally from the cookbook "Hot & Spicy Chicken" by Valerie Ferguson

12oz skinless, bonless chicken breast (we bumped it up to 24 oz), cut into bite size pieces
8oz zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
10oz eggplant, chopped in similar size pieces to the zucchini
2 tsp vegetable oil (we used coconut)
2 inch piece fresh ginger root, finely minced
6 green onions, chopped
2 tsp ready-made thai green curry paste (I used a heaping tablespoon, spice it up!)
14oz can coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
4 oz medium egg noodles (we used soba noodles, yummy)
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat half the oil in a large nonstick pan (wok) over med-high heat. Add the chicken and stir fry until golden all over (it will finish cooking later). remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the ginger and green onions, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. add the zucchini and cook 2-3 minutes, or until beginning to turn golden, Stir in the curry paste, lower the heat and cook one minute.

Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, eggplant and chicken pieces and simmer for 10 minutes. add the noodles and simmer an additional 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the noodles are tender. stir in the coriander and lemon juice. salt and pepper to taste, and if desired, add a shot of fish sauce.

This was really good. It would've been spicier with the addition of a fresh green chili, which I will add next time I make it.

I didn't calculate nutritional info...eat it and enjoy it, it's good for you. ;)

"Paleo" Pizza Crust (Gluten-free, Wheat-free)

We made this and agreed it is very good, we need to refine our cooking technique, as we burnt  the edges once we topped it. I thinnk this crust would be good made sweet instead of savory for a tart and possibly good for a quiche crust, too. Lots of experiments in mind. In the meantime, enjoy. We topped ours with low-cal BBQ sauce, chicken breasts chunks (pre-cooked), red onion, and mozarella. Super yummy.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp olive oil (I used a garlic olive oil)
1 1/2c almond flour
1/4c tapioca flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp oregan (dried)
1/2 tsp dreid basil
1/4 tsp dried garlic powder
I Substituted an italian spice blend for the oregano/basil/garlic in an equal amount

Place the eggs and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a fork to break up clumps and combine well. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Set aside and let rest 5-10 minutes, then split into two equal parts and form 2 round balls.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, rack in middle position.

Roll each of the balls out between two sheets parchement paper, either round or rectangualr, to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Place cr usts on a baking sheet lined with parchement or a baking mat. Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm, Remove crusts from oven and turn oven to broil. top with deired toppiongs and broil 5-10 minutes (watch closely, we burnt our edges).

This recipe was originally on www.paleocupboard.com

2 Veggie Pancakes - Both yummy! Carrot-Ginger and Potato-Zucchini!

These recipes are both from Cooking Light Magazine,  we put them in containers with 4 oz cooked chicken breast for fast and healthy lunch options, served with a green salad on the side it makes a really filling and satisyfying meal.

Potato-Zucchini Skillet Pancakes
3 cups shredded Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb)
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 8 oz)
1 cup shredded onion (about 1 small)
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 whole eggs)
1/4 cup matzo meal (I used bread crumbs)
1/4 tsp salt
dash fresh ground pepper
4 tsp canola oil, divided (I used coconut)

Place potatoes, zucchini and onion in a strainer in the sink and press out excess liquid (the original recipe has you wrap them in a clean towel and squeeze, I find this gross, so I strain them while I prep the other stuff). Combine potato mixture, eggs, crumbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir gently to blend.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spoon about 1 cup mixture onto hot pan; spreading to a 6-inch diameter. cook 3 minutes a side, or until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate to keep warm (if serving as a meal, we let them cool for meal packing). repeat with remaining mixture.

The nutritional info includes a cherry tomato salad that we didn't make, so it is a little less than this:

Calories (Approximate) 242
Fat 8g
Protein 8g
Carbs 34g
Fiber 3g
Iron 2.7mg
Sodium 504mg
calcium 35 mg

Carrot-Ginger Pancakes with Asian Dipping Sauce

Let me just say... these smell amazing, taste amazing and are my new favorite cold lunch as well as warm meal. I had a hard time packing them up for the week because I wanted to eat them all right away. paul agreed they will be made again!

I recommend doubling this recipe, so you have lots :)

Pancakes:
2 1/2 cups coarsely shredded carrots (about 1lb)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2c egg sub (I used 2 whole eggs)
3 tbsp cracker meal (again, I used bread crumbs, you can get gluten free ones)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil, divided (I used coconut oil)
cooking spray
green onion strips for garnish (optional, fou-fou)

Sauce:
2 tbsp low-sodium soy (or regular)
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced/grated ginger
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Combine first 4 pancake ingredients in a large bowl. Combine eggs, crumbs and salt in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to carrot mixture and stir to blend.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-low heat. Using about 1/4 cup mixture per pancake, spoon 4 pancakes into pan and spread to 4" diameter (we had two pans going at once for speed of prep). Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate to keep wearm, if serving, or just let cool for packing meals. Repeat with remaining oil/pancake mixture.

To prepare dipping sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.

For meal prep we put chicken in a container, topped it with two pancakes and about a tablespoon sauce over both.

Per 2 pancake serving and 1 tbsp sauce:
Calories 129
Fat 4g
Protein 5g
Carbs 18.1g
Fiber 3.9g
Cholesterol 0
Iron 1.3mg
Sodium 562mg
Calcium 60mg

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a healthier version of Kung Pao Chicken, originally from Cooking Light.

1 tbsp cooking oil of choice, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger, divided
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2c fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp coarsely chopped salted peanuts

1) heat 1 tsp oil in a lrge nonstick skillet over med-high heat. add broccoli and 2 sp ginger to pan; saute 1 minute, add water. cover and cook 2 minutes, until bnroccoli is crisp tender. remove broccoli from pan and keep warm.

2) heat remaining oil in pan, add renaining tsp ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes, or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

3) combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with whisk. add mixture to pan, cook one minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. return broccoli mix to pan and toss to coat. sprinkle with peanuts.

4 servings:
Calories 239
Fat 7.9g sat 1.1, mono3.7, poly 2.3
Protein 30.9g
Carb 11.4g
Fiber 3g
Chol 66mg
Iron 1.8mg
Sodium 589mg
Calcium 60mg

Serve with rice of your choice :)

Flaxseed (or any Omega Oil) Salad Dressing

This get s a thumbs up from both Paul and myself. Original recipe is from Oxygen magazine, Dec. 2005.

Makes 1 cup dressing

3/4c flaxseed oil (I used Udo's 3.6.9 blend)
1/4c red wine vinegar
1 1/2tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp oregano

MIx all ingredients in a bowl or dressing cruet. keeps 5-7 days refrigerated.

Nutrients per Tablespoon:
Calories 91.5
Fat 10g
Sat. fat 1g
Carbohydrates: trace amount
Fiber : trace amount
Protein: trace amount
Sugar :trace amount

Enjoy over a huge plate of mixed salad greens :)

Perfected Oatmeal Puffs

Somewhere between a pancake and a muffin,these are a great portable breakfast or pre-workout snack - complex carbs, fiber, a little protein. For a complete breakfast on the go, add a second protein source (eggs or a shake).

This was originally in Muscle & Fitness when female bodybuilder Laura Creavalle had a recipe every issue. I tweaked it a little.

Ingredients:

• Old Fashioned Quaker Oatmeal- Plain (1/2 cup dry), 6 serving
• *Dole Pineapple Chunks in 100% Pineapple juice No Sugar Added, 1.5 cup, run in blender to puree.
• Egg, fresh, 2 large
• egg white, fresh, 10 large
• Milk, 1%, 3/4 cup
• Cinnamon, ground, 1/2 tbsp
• Raisins, 1 miniature box (.5 oz)
• *Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, 3 tbsp-4 tbsp

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes to soften and meld flavors.

Preheat a large non-stick pan over med-high heat . Her recipe said use cooking spray, I have always found cooking spray burns and gives a nasty flavor when pan cooking like this. I brush my pan with coconut oil (this will add a little calories, but it is good fat).

Pour batter in 1/4 cupful amounts into pan,like pancakes. Cook til golden brown one one side, flip and repeat. if they are still soggy in the middle, turn your heat down a little so they can cook longer but not get burnt.

makes 20 - 1/4c puffs.

Orange Ginger Soup

It has been a long time since I posted! It isn't that I haven't been cooking or eating, though!

I have been busy lifting, working and going to school..whew.

Here is a recipe we made recently, it is from "Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover" by John Berardi, Micheal Williams and Kristina Andrew This cookbook is full of amazing recipes! I haven't made anything pout of it that wasn't good.

You can purchase a copy of it here :
http://www.gourmetnutrition.com/ it is well worth the money :)

Carrot, Orange and Ginger Soup
makes 4 large servings or 8 small servings

Soup base:

2 tsbp coconut oil (or butter)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
6 cups baby carrots
3/4c fresh orange juice
1/2 can coconut milk
3 cups lowfat milk (I used the entire can of cocnut milk, 14oz, and 2 cups milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

I added 3 stalks of celery, chopped, to the soup base.

Garnish (to make it a complete meal):

cooked chicken breast, cubed. Add what yopu need to make it a meal per servong (I added 5oz per serving)

Preheat  a large pot on med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp cocnut oil, then the onions and celery, saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the remaining oil, ginger, cinnamon and chili powder and saute 1 minute more. Add the carrots, OJ, cocnut milk and milk. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until carrots are soft (10-15 minutes). let mixture cool for a few m inutes (go walk the dog). Add salt & Pepper and then puree with food processor or blender until smooth.

Divide into 4 large serving or 8 small, add chicken and enjoy :)

A large serving has approximately (approximate because I added celery and changed the amount of coconut milk/milk)
Calories 513
Fat 20g (mostly good coconut fat)
Carbohydrates 38g
Fiber 6g
Protein 44g (this must be with the chicken added)

Awesome reheated and even tasty cold...

Brown Rice Stuffing

I love stuffing but wheat doesn't love me! this is made from ingredients on my current plan, if you have different stuffing add-ins that you love, feel free to add them in, nuts or raisins or lean sausage would all be yummy.

This makes 5 servings for my current calorie allowance.

Ingredients:

5 tsp olive oil
2 1/2c chopped celery
1 2/3c chopped green onions (I chopped 3 bunches)
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp paprika

4c cooked brown rice

1c chicken broth or boullion

In a medium nonstick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. add celery and saute until satrting to soften. Add green onions and herbs/spices and saute 2 minutes. Add rice and stir and cook to blend and heat through. Add broth and cover, turn heat to low and cook 5 minutes, until rice fluffs up and softens. Salt to taste.

1 serving is about 7 1/4 oz or just over a cup.

Saag (Indian Spinach)

This is one of my favorites at the Indian Restaurant. I change the ingredients a little, depending on what I have on hand, but its is a tasty way to get more vegetables. I will write the original recipe and put my changes in parenthesis next to it. This recipe if from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. The original rceipe includes homemade Indian Cheese, I don't use that. This recipe is great over brown rice with chicken.

1 3/4 lbs fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (I just used a little ground fenugreek, it has a very strong flavor, maybe 1/2 tsp)
1 fresh hot green chile, coarsely chopped (or half a small can of chopped green chilies)
1 tsp cornmeal
3 tbsp peanut or canola oil (I use coconut oil and just 1/2 tbsp)
1/4c finely chopped onion
1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely grated to a pulp (I buy pre-mashed ginger in a jar, use 1 tbsp)
1c finely chopped tomatoes (I use canned most of the time)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 tsp roasted cumin seeds (I use ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Indian cheese (look up a recipe, lol)

bring 1c water to a boil in a large pan, ad the spinach, fenugreek and green chile. Cover the pan and cook gently 25 minutes. Now mash the spinach with a wooden masher or potato masher until you have a coarse puree. Blend in the cornmeal and cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over med-high heat. When hot, add the onion and stir and fry until it begins to brown. add the ginger and stir once or twice, then ad the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes over low-med heat until the color of tomatoes intensifies. Stir the tomato mixture into the spinach mixture, then add the salt, roasted cumin, cayenne and cinnamon and stir to mix. Cook gently for five minutes. Serve hot.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

This is the first attempt at making Asian Style Lettuce Wraps...

This makes about 3 servings Turkey

1lb lean ground turkey
1-2 tbsp minced ginger, depending on how much you like ginger
1-2 tbsp minced garlic (I love garlic)
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking sherry
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
dash of hot sauce to taste


Shredded carrot
Finely chopped cucumbers

butter lettuce leaves or bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried for wrapping (we eat about 2oz per person)

Preheat large nonstick pan, add turkey and break it up with a spatula as it cooks, add spices and seasoning as it cooks. Cook, stirring until turkey is done through, 10-15 minutes.

Serve with shredded carrots and chopped cucumbers , grab a little carrot, a little turkey and a little cucumber, wrap in a lettuce leaf and enjoy - you could also serve with roasted, chopped peanuts and hoisin or hot sauce of your choice, depending on your eating plan.
YUMMMMMMY

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin pie flavored pancakes - what a great fall breakfast!

Serves 2

mix together in a medium bowl:

1c old fashioned oats
1/2c water
1c pumpkin puree
6 egg whites
1oz raisins
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp splenda
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla

mix well to blend and let sit 10 minutes to soften the oats a little.

While mixture sits, preheat a large non stick pan or griddle over med heat.

Scoop into pan using a 1/4c measure or ladle, cook until browned lightly on one side, flip and cook until firm/cooked through.

These smell amazing and taste delicious!

if you eating plan allows, have topped with reddi=whip or sugar=free syrup, but they are good all on their own, too! :)