If you make chili, sloppy joes or taco filling from scratch, try grating a few zucchini's and adding the pulp to your dish. The zucchini cooks down to almost nothing and adds a nice dose of (undetectable) fiber and vitamins to your food. The flavor is mild and does not alter the overall appeal to the dish. I added 3 grated zucchini's to a pot of chili that I made this week and you really couldn't tell that it was in there. The green specks in the food look like herbs. If you don't want the green flecks you can always peel the skin and then grate the veggie. You will lose nutrients by omitting the skin but something is always better than nothing.
Also my mom made Eggplant Parmesan with long slices of zucchini (instead of eggplant) and it was super good. Just another way to add veggies to a carnivore's diet.
Note, if you buy a block of extra firm tofu and grate it, the "strings" make a nice addition to stir fry dishes. The strings soak up the flavor from the pan.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Low Fat Mini Cheesecakes
Here is a yummy cheesecake receipe made from splenda and a tofu based cream cheese spread. The dessert is low carb, low fat and easy to make. Prep time is 10 minutes. Cooking time is about the same.
INGREDIENTS:
2 (8 oz.) containers of Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese" spread
2 eggs
1/2 cup Splenda **OR** granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 foil cupcake liners
12 Nilla Wafer Cookies (omit if you want the dessert to be sugar-free)
DIRECTIONS:
Place cream cheese spread in a bowl and mix well, until there are no lumps. Add the eggs, vanilla and Splenda (or sugar). Mix well.
Place the foil cupcake liners on a baking sheet (remove the paper liner) and then lay 1 Nilla Wafer cookie inside each liner. Spoon 1/8 - 1/4 cup of cheesecake mix into each foil cup. Fill the cups as high as you like (the mix won't spill over as it cooks).
Bake the cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool then top with your favorite fruit pie filling or fresh berries (mixed with lemon juice).
** I've served this dessert at two dinner parties and both times, the guests never knew that they were eating a tofu based product. The cheesecake flavor and texture is spot on. **
INGREDIENTS:
2 (8 oz.) containers of Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese" spread
2 eggs
1/2 cup Splenda **OR** granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 foil cupcake liners
12 Nilla Wafer Cookies (omit if you want the dessert to be sugar-free)
DIRECTIONS:
Place cream cheese spread in a bowl and mix well, until there are no lumps. Add the eggs, vanilla and Splenda (or sugar). Mix well.
Place the foil cupcake liners on a baking sheet (remove the paper liner) and then lay 1 Nilla Wafer cookie inside each liner. Spoon 1/8 - 1/4 cup of cheesecake mix into each foil cup. Fill the cups as high as you like (the mix won't spill over as it cooks).
Bake the cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool then top with your favorite fruit pie filling or fresh berries (mixed with lemon juice).
** I've served this dessert at two dinner parties and both times, the guests never knew that they were eating a tofu based product. The cheesecake flavor and texture is spot on. **
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Pasta Pomodoro Sauce `ala Rob
Ingredients:
4-6 large beefsteak tomatoes (or 10 romas)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Score tomatoes with an X on the bottom, place in a large pot of boiling water to blanch. Par boil for 1 minute (turn over occasionally in the water) then remove from pot and rinse. Let tomatoes cool then peel skin and dice.
Heat a large skillet. Place olive oil in skillet and heat for 15 seconds. Add diced onion and crushed garlic. Sweat the onion and garlic until they barely start to brown. Add tomatoes, salt and both peppers. Lower the heat and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the basil towards the end of your cooking process.
Serve over pasta, grilled fish or chicken.
4-6 large beefsteak tomatoes (or 10 romas)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Score tomatoes with an X on the bottom, place in a large pot of boiling water to blanch. Par boil for 1 minute (turn over occasionally in the water) then remove from pot and rinse. Let tomatoes cool then peel skin and dice.
Heat a large skillet. Place olive oil in skillet and heat for 15 seconds. Add diced onion and crushed garlic. Sweat the onion and garlic until they barely start to brown. Add tomatoes, salt and both peppers. Lower the heat and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the basil towards the end of your cooking process.
Serve over pasta, grilled fish or chicken.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Garlic Beef Cabbage Rolls
Great as an appetizer or main dish. Very diabetic (or Atkins) friendly meal.
Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large head red cabbage
1 zucchini (grated)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons flour
toothpicks
water (for boiling cabbage)
Directions:
Remove core from the head of cabbage then pry off the leaves, trying to keep them whole/untorn if possible. You can cut the head in half and then pry apart the leaves if it's too hard to core the cabbage head. The goal is to get boats or cups to place the meat mixture into.
Boil the cabbage cups for 2 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Drain and cool.
Grate zucchini and mix with salt, pepper, soy and flour. Heat a nonstick pan on high. Brown ground beef and crushed garlic. Add zucchini mix and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spoon the garlic beef mixture into a cabbage cup and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.
Not all of the cabbage cups will be easy to roll. Cut the middle rib of the cabbage leaf out if it makes it easier to roll.
You can substitute raw lettuce leaves for the cooked cabbage.
Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large head red cabbage
1 zucchini (grated)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons flour
toothpicks
water (for boiling cabbage)
Directions:
Remove core from the head of cabbage then pry off the leaves, trying to keep them whole/untorn if possible. You can cut the head in half and then pry apart the leaves if it's too hard to core the cabbage head. The goal is to get boats or cups to place the meat mixture into.
Boil the cabbage cups for 2 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Drain and cool.
Grate zucchini and mix with salt, pepper, soy and flour. Heat a nonstick pan on high. Brown ground beef and crushed garlic. Add zucchini mix and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spoon the garlic beef mixture into a cabbage cup and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.
Not all of the cabbage cups will be easy to roll. Cut the middle rib of the cabbage leaf out if it makes it easier to roll.
You can substitute raw lettuce leaves for the cooked cabbage.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Strawberries & Cream
Tastes just like homemade strawberry ice cream.
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen/sliced strawberries
3/4 cup fat free half & half (coffee creamer)
4 teaspoons sugar or 4 Splenda packets
Directions:
Mix the cream and sugar. Spoon the sweetened cream over the frozen berries. The cream will freeze when it hits the berries making a thin coating of ice cream-like ice on the outside. Serve immediately.
** Don't defrost the berries, serve frozen.
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen/sliced strawberries
3/4 cup fat free half & half (coffee creamer)
4 teaspoons sugar or 4 Splenda packets
Directions:
Mix the cream and sugar. Spoon the sweetened cream over the frozen berries. The cream will freeze when it hits the berries making a thin coating of ice cream-like ice on the outside. Serve immediately.
** Don't defrost the berries, serve frozen.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Crack Pot Roast
It's so easy to make and tastes so good, I call it "crack" pot roast
Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef chuck roast
3 carrots (peeled then cut into 3 large chunks)
2 potatoes (peeled then cut in half)
1 large onion (peeled then cut into 4 large chunks)
2 zucchini (cut off ends then cut in half)
2 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix (dry seasoning packet)
1 cup water
Directions:
Pour water and 1 onion soup packet into the crock pot. Wash the roast and then place it into the crock pot. Place all of the veggies on top of the meat and sprinkle the second packet over the top of the meat and veggies. Put the lid on and walk away for 5-6 hours. If you are home during the cooking process, then remove the veggies from the pot after 3 hours, so that they don't get too over cooked or mushy. If not then it's OK ... as Rob and Uncle John say ... "it all goes down the same".
** Food Network tip = place cold items into a cold crock pot, place warm items into a heated crock pot !! (Apparently, if you do the opposite and merge hot items and a cold pot then you are inviting salmonella into your dish.)
Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef chuck roast
3 carrots (peeled then cut into 3 large chunks)
2 potatoes (peeled then cut in half)
1 large onion (peeled then cut into 4 large chunks)
2 zucchini (cut off ends then cut in half)
2 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix (dry seasoning packet)
1 cup water
Directions:
Pour water and 1 onion soup packet into the crock pot. Wash the roast and then place it into the crock pot. Place all of the veggies on top of the meat and sprinkle the second packet over the top of the meat and veggies. Put the lid on and walk away for 5-6 hours. If you are home during the cooking process, then remove the veggies from the pot after 3 hours, so that they don't get too over cooked or mushy. If not then it's OK ... as Rob and Uncle John say ... "it all goes down the same".
** Food Network tip = place cold items into a cold crock pot, place warm items into a heated crock pot !! (Apparently, if you do the opposite and merge hot items and a cold pot then you are inviting salmonella into your dish.)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Chickastrone Soup
Rob was sick so I attempted to make him Chicken Noodle Soup … long story short, I added tomatoes to the broth which turned the yellow soup, a funny shade of red. After I had my little cry, I decided to add more veggies and call the soup Minnestrone. The soup turned out yummy and hearty. I play with the addition of new veggies and fresh herbs if I have them on hand. This soup freezes well, is great as a leftover and works well at dinner parties. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 box chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts (skinless) - OPTIONAL
2 carrots – diced
3 zucchinis - diced
½ yellow onion - diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
½ cup frozen white corn
1 cup frozen spinach (I don’t defrost the spinach before I measure it out)
1 can diced tomatoes (8oz)
1 cup dried pasta (any kind)
Add whatever other veggies you have (mushrooms, celery, parsnips, etc)
Seasonings:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian Herbs (mix of oregano/basil/parsely)
½ tsp dried celery seed
3-4 cups water
Bring chicken broth and 3 of the 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized stock pot. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to med/low. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add all of the remaining ingredients. Simmer the soup for at least 1 hour. I simmer for 2 hours or longer -- until the chicken falls apart into shreds, and the pasta breaks apart into little bits. I like it when the veggies are small and not chunky. If you prefer a chunkier soup, perhaps if you are serving it at a dinner party, then simmer for less time. Add the 4th cup of water if the soup gets too thick as it simmers.
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