I’ve been having a little bit too much fun with my Ellie Krieger cookbook the last few days. I’ve eaten moderately and well within my allotted calories, and I haven’t gone overboard on junk, but I’ve been slacking off a bit with vegetables and whole grains and I’ve been eating a little bit too much sugar and white flour. I don’t have any regrets, but I need to return my focus to really clean eating for the next few days.

However, during my “feasting,” I discovered some really tasty, husband-approved healthy recipes that I thought I would share with you. The recipes are light, but don’t taste like health food.

My first discovery was a delicious pumpkin flan. This is definitely not an everyday food, but I know that sometimes I want to treat myself, but don’t necessarily want to flood my body with saturated fat or sugar or chemicals. I rarely eat dessert (other than fruit or a little dark chocolate), but I still like having the option of giving myself a nice moderate treat every now and then. This is only about 100 calories per serving, and the pumpkin gives you a good dose of fiber and nutrients. It’s sweet, but not too sweet (one of my main complaints about standard desserts), and the eggs make it rich and filling.

First, spray four 4 oz. ramekins with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, make the caramel by melting three tbsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small sauce pan. Stir the whole time as it thickens. Once it is a nice syrupy consistency, spoon it into the ramekins. Work fast, because the stuff will harden quickly. Set those aside.

Next, mix together 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1 egg yolk, 1 whole egg, 2 more tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

For the next step, the recipe called for a mix of whole milk and evaporated milk. I had neither of those things, so I just added nonfat milk to a saucepan and reduced it until I had about 3/4 cup of nice thickened milk. (I would guess I started with about 1 cup…maybe a bit more). Whatever you are using, heat it up in a saucepan and reduce it slightly, then add to the pumpkin mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, then place the ramekins in a big baking dish. Fill the baking dish about halfway with boiling water…this will keep the edges from burning and will make it easier to remove the flans from the ramekins. Then, place the baking dish in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the custards are set.

You can eat these hot, but I much prefer them thoroughly chilled. Regardless, when you are ready to eat, run a sharp knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen the flan, then invert onto a dessert plate. The caramel should run down all around the pumpkiny custard. Yummy!

There are two foods that I really wanted to share with everyone. One is a brand new discovery for me–shirataki noodles! The other is an old favorite–homemade hot cocoa. I realized that lots of people have never made cocoa from scratch…trust me, it’s much better made yourself.

Shirataki noodles are made from a combination of tofu and the starch of a particular asian plant that I cannot pronounce. The exciting part? There are 40 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrate, and 4 grams of fiber in the entire package! I made up two packages for the husband and I to eat yesterday, and we have tons of leftovers. They are incredibly filling. They are also very easy to prepare, as they do not require cooking. They come packed in water, so you just rinse and heat. I added them to a skillet with chicken, garlic, ginger, carrots, cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil, and fresh basil, scallions and cilantro. Just stir the sauce through and you are all done. I will definitely be buying those again. Look for them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the tofu.

My other tidbit for the day is my strategy for making yummy hot cocoa. I just add a packet of spenda and a heaping spoonful of unsweetened cocoa power to the bottom of a cup. I love to add cinnamon, nutmeg, and sometimes a nice spoonful of dried ginger, as well. I then wet these ingredients with a splash of vanilla and mix it thoroughly until the mixture becomes a paste with no lumps. (This is key…it’s pretty much impossible to get a bunch of dried powders to properly mix into a full cup of milk, at least in my experience.) I fill up my mug the rest of the way with milk and once again stir thoroughly until the paste is disolved into the milk. Then I microwave my mug until it is hot and drink! (The friend who taught me this technique likes to use nonfat milk, but then cool off the hot liquid with a splash of cream.)

Happy eating!

I have the yummiest dinner last night! I was feeling creative so I mixed up a batch of homemade puttanesca sauce…it was delicious. Flavorful and tasty and not too heavy!

First, I sauteed two shallots and one diced red pepper in some olive oil. When those had gotten carmely and sweet, I added a can of diced tomatos, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. (Easy on the salt…you’ll be adding more salty things later). When the sauce was partially reduced, I added a big handful of chopped fresh basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a couple tablespoons of capers, a squirt of anchovy paste, and a drained 6 oz. can of albacore tuna. (Traditional puttanesca sauce has olives in it, but the husband hates them, so I just added extra capers instead.) I realized a bit late that I didn’t have nearly enough fresh garlic, so I compensated by crushing in the garlic at the very last minute and adding a little garlic powder. Served it over whole wheat spaghetti with a grating of fresh parmesan. Delicious! And the husband loved it!

I had a really hungry day yesterday. I just wanted to eat everything in sight. My strategy when that happens is to nibble all day long, but stick to very healthy foods and try to keep portion sizes small. If I try to convince myself that I don’t need food, I just end up binging later. I did okay…ate CONSTANTLY, but mainly stuck to healthy food.

Food:
–Small orange
–Two tsp peanut butter
–1/4 cup Greek style nonfat yogurt
–Pumpkin oatmeal pancakes
–Coffee with cream

–1/4 cup raisin pistachio trail mix

–Small orange
–Black beans, tomato and avocado wrapped in a 50 calorie low carb tortilla

–Light rye crackers and laughing cow
–v-8
–Bell pepper sticks

–Luna bar

–Banana

–1 cup whole wheat pasta with puttanesca sauce

–.3 oz 85% dark chocolate

–Glass of nonfat milk
–Two pieces of dried tamarind

Steps: 10085

Happy Easter everyone! I hope everyone is having a good holiday. Mine has been good so far…I’ve been working on a paper all day, but the husband is making me dinner tonight! I am excited!

Yesterday I went to a potluck dinner. Those can be troublesome when you are trying to eat healthily, but I fared surprisingly well. I ate a small piece of fish before I left so that I wouldn’t be starving when I went and wouldn’t be tempted to eat any fattening entrees. I brought a big dish of beautiful roasted asparagus so that I would definitely have something healthy to fill up on. Luckily, other people also brought healthy items! So I filled up on my asparagus, mixed raw veggies sticks, fresh berries, and orange slices (straight from the tree in someone’s backyard!). As is my habit, I picked a couple less healthy things that I really wanted. In this case, I took two mini egg rolls and a small helping of some croissant bread pudding (which I also brought).

I know it might sound odd that I brought such a rich, fattening dessert with me. But there is a method to my madness. I know that if I try to convince myself to go entirely without treats at holiday get togethers, I end up caving in at some point and eating a bunch of mediocre junk food. If I bring a dessert, I know how rich it is, so there’s no way I am going to overindulge…no deluding myself into thinking that it’s not that bad. Furthermore, if I make it myself, I know for a fact that it will be delicious and satisfying. I know there have been times in the past where I’ve eaten a mediocre dessert and had decided that the best way to remedy my disappointment was to eat another dessert and then another until I found a really good one…only get through the night feeling sick to my stomach and completely unsatisfied with the mediocre junk I’ve been downing. I know others may disagree, but I know that for me, if I want dessert once in a while, it’s better to eat a small portion of the best version of the real thing that I can get my hands on.

On an unrelated note, I just tried the most wonderful hommeade apple cinnamon oatmeal! It’s very simple. You just cook up some rolled oats and water on the stovetop with grated Granny Smith apple, cinnamon and nutmeg. I grated up about half an apple for a single serving of oatmeal, but you can add more or less to taste. I ate mine with a drizzle of honey on top, but it definitely didn’t need it…the apple adds all the sweetness and flavor you need. I will definitely be making that again!

I’ve really prioritized sleep for the last couple of nights, and yesterday was much better. For the moment, I feel sane.

I really recommend sesame crusted chicken for a fun alternative to breading. I’ve never been a huge fan of breading, but I love this, and it’s really simple. You just pour out lots of roasted or toasted sesame seeds onto a dinner plate or other work surface, mix in some seasonings, and then take a piece of raw chicken or fish and press it down into the sesame seeds. They stick just fine without any egg or flour. Then just throw it into a nonstick pan to cook. There are only two things you have to really watch: 1) Don’t let the seeds burn in the pan. They should be fine, but watch to make sure that your heat isn’t too high. 2) Once you’ve put the meat in the pan, don’t touch until you need to flip it. The seeds have a tendancy to fall off and not be as pretty if you flip the meat back and forth a lot or otherwise move it around. I know that some places charge a lot for sesame seeds, but you can get huge containers of them for cheap in the Asian section of the grocery store.

Food:
–1/2 Ezekiel English muffin with peanut butter
–strawberries
–Coffee with cream

–Veggie sticks
–.5 oz dark chocolate

–Veggie wrap sandwich
–v-8
–Light string cheese

–Trail mix (peanuts and dried fruit)
–Orange

–Sesame crusted chicken
–Bulgar wheat with soy sauce and sesame oil
–cabbage

–Spiced sautéed banana

Steps: 9511

Pumpkin ricotta something that I invented a few months ago. I saw a can of pumpkin and was suddenly struck with a terrible craving for pumpkin pie. So I just started throwing things together and came up with a surprisingly yummy concoction that satisfied my craving. The amounts below are approximate…I tend to eyeball the measurements and adjust the quantities until I’m happy with the taste and texture. The result is surprisingly good and quite low calories. You also get a good dose of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Note about the cream cheese: I love the way the texture turns out with a little bit of cream cheese mixed in. I use the regular stuff, but I’m sure you could use a reduced fat cream cheese. It even works to omit it.

Mix together the following ingredients:

1 can of pumpkin
1/2 to 3/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
~3 tablespoons of cream cheese (optional)
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
artificial sweetener to taste

Serve cold or room temperature. Garnish with cinnamon or, if you are feeling decadent, with a little bit of whipped cream or dark chocolate chips. For me, this makes about 5-7 servings.

I woke up sick this morning…sore throat, croaky voice, runny nose, etc. Not the end of the world, but being sick causes me to crave comfort food, which can be a bit hard to come by when you’re trying to eat healthily. I made it through breakfast through sheer force of will…nothing seemed good to me, but I forced myself to down an egg and some cherry tomatoes. Lunch on the other hand…I had just the thing.

I love black bean chili. It’s flavorful, high in fiber, low in fat, and the spices feel wonderful on a sore throat. Furthermore, it’s dirt cheap to make. When I have time, I make it with dried beans, which are even less expensive, but it tastes perfectly good made with canned beans if you need it to be ready in a hurry.

In my experience, the main problem with quick chilis can be the texture…it’s hard to get that wonderful, thick consistency when you’re cooking something quickly. While it’s not perfect, I have a couple of tricks that help significantly. The first is to reserve a portion (1/4 to 1/3) of the canned beans and mash them, then stir them into the soup. This thickens the soup very effectively. My second trick concerns heat. Normally, I like to cook soups over a medium to low flame for a long time. But if you’re making a chili in a hurry, crank the heat to high as soon as you have all of the liquid ingredients added. Wait at least until the beans start to split open before lowering the heat.

What do I put in my chili? Depends on what I have on hand, but I typically start with lots of celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic, which I saute in a bit of olive oil until soft. Then I add diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), whole and smashed canned black beans, and chicken broth. I season my soup with cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. For heat, you can add cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, fresh chilis, or asian chili paste. The latter is actually my favorite. You get much more flavor than with cayenne and you don’t run the risk of burning yourself.

To garnish, try chopped tomatoes, nonfat yogurt, crumbled turkey bacon, or chopped cilantro…all are delicious.

Last night, the husband made a traditional German dish called rouladen. It is delicious meat rolls stuffed with garlic, onion and bacon and topped with wonderful meat gravy.

I know what you’re thinking, but it’s actually really easy to make this a low calorie recipe. The delicious gravy is naturally low in both fat and starch. Pretty much the only things I changed from the original recipe were to replace the bacon with turkey bacon (I actually like it better that way) and to hunt for the leanest cuts of beef I could find.

The husband prefers to eat his rouladen the traditional way, over rice or potatoes, but I serve mine over a bed of wilted spinach…it’s a wonderful low calorie/carb/point way to soak up some of the wonderful sauce.

4 slices of beef, ¼ inch thick
1 cup red wine (If you prefer not to use wine, just add extra mustand and soy sauce)
½ cup dijon mustard
½ cup soy sauce
4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
~ ½ onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Combine the mustard and soy sauce. Spread some of the mustard/soy sauce combination on each meat slice.
2. Top meat slices with chopped bacon, onion and garlic. Roll slices up, skewer them closed.
3. Brown meat rolls in a large pan…do not cook through.
4. Combine leftover soy sauce/mustard mixture with the red wine. Add leftover onion, garlic and bacon. Add mixture to pan until meat rolls are almost covered.
5. Cover the pan and simmer for 1 ½ hour s or until meat is tender.
6. When rolls are done, remove from sauce. Raise heat on pan and reduce sauce until thickened. (This step is optional, but recommended)
7. Serve with rice, potatoes or spinach to soak up the yummy gravy.