Easy looking waffle recipe

Easiest looking waffles.

(source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ rakratchada torsap)


Melt 250g butter
 add
200g of sugar
add five eggs and
300g flour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6eHoxJzgxw&feature=g-user-u 

Serve with syrup, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce and whip cream OR
Fresh fruits and sour cream. Yum!

 (source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/Grant Cochrane)

Indian Beans Recipe - Fat Free

For things that need hours of boiling, why add fat? You can't taste it. You won't miss it. The stew will taste just as delicious with or without the oil. So try this recipe and see if you enjoy this lower calorie version.

1 cup black eyed peas, soaked for 4 hours
blended to a puree: 1 large tomato, 2 x 1inch pieces of ginger, 1/2 onion cut into big chunks
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder or flakes
(Optional) MDH Chana masala powder
salt

1. Boil the soaked beans for 2 hours in 2-3 cups of water.
2. Throw out the dark boiling water. Add fresh water. 2 cups.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Boil for 2 more hours.

DONE!

Or if you want to slow cooker this, put all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours.

DONE!
Because there is no added fat, I just count the calories/points of the beans.

Enjoy!

Baked Pakora Recipe Test Results

Baked Pakoras

I made my own recipe for Baked "Pakoras. These were very good. And a teeny tiny fraction of the calories.

Ingredients:
1 head of Cauliflower cut to bite-size pieces
1-2 Broccoli heads cut to bite-size pieces
2 green peppers cut to 1inch pieces
salt to taste
2 tsp. Garam Masala powder
1/2 cup ground chick pea flour
2 tsp turmeric powder
(optional) any other spices like chilli powder, amchur, etc. 
2 tbsps oil

Steps:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Wash all the veges and coat evenly with the oil.
3. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients one-by-one and toss thoroughly and evenly.
4. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Lay out all the vegetable pieces evenly on the cookie sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cooked.
5. You could flip the vegetables over mid-way through the cooking process.

Serve as is or with Ketchup, Indian Mustard, Hot sauce or anything you like.

Older Post:
I love pakoras but they are deep fried and don't serve my weight loss purposes well. Ergo the search for a healthy pakora recipe.

I found this online:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=453708

The recipe writer says it's delicious. I believe the writer... I just need to test it for myself. I will let you know how it turns out.

Cheers!

Cabbage Bandha Kopir Chhenchki

Kalo Jeera phoron
Red chillies
Mustard oil
Shredded Cabbage
(Optional) Jeera powder for taste - very little
Cover and cook
Salt

Lau Ghonto

Lau/Zuchini/Squash - Shredded or sliced thin
Cumin seeds
Whole Gorom Moshla
Ginger
Green chillies
Red chillies
Turmeric
Tomato
Optional - Fish pieces/Shrimp pieces
Optional - Bori/Pokora
Salt

Meat pie

I watched a great meat pie recipe here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKfhcQet-6M

I think I added some garlic for flavour. But kept the recipe mostly the same. I think I also thickened the meat with some flour. Here are the pictures of the wonderful pastry top.

The pie came out quite delicious!! Didn't last very long.

Delicious Breakfast

Just some nice photos of breakfast one morning.

 Croissant, fried eggs, and breakfast potatoes.

1 large baking potato, diced
1 large yam, diced
2 tsps of oil
1 tsp oregano
salt
pepper
Put it all together and cook on medium heat in a skillet or put in a 350degree oven for 40 minutes till it's all tender. :)

Summer Squash with Shrimp (Chinese inspired)

I got inspired by a delicious dish I had eaten at my friend's house. It's one of those unobtrusive, family, Chinese recipes that don't get served in restaurants. It was a bitter melon and ground pork dish. I had totally different ingredients: some farmer's market summer squash and some shrimp. Here's what I came up with... it was quite delicious! It was hearty, healthy and very filling with a cup of steamed rice.

2-3 medium summer squash sliced thin (about 4-5 cups)
6 medium shrimp, deveined, peeled,washed
2 tbsp black bean paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp garlic minced
2 thin slices of ginger
salt, to tastepepper, a pinch
2-3 tsp vegetable oil

Take a nice big wok if you have one, easier to cook with.

1. Warm the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger till aromatic.
2. Add the shrimp. Cook till just pink. Add a tsp of soy sauce and a sprinkling of salt. Stir.
3. Add the squash, black bean paste, remaining soy sauce, some more salt, a little pepper, and the sesame seed oil. Mix well.
4. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat till the squash is cooked.

What to do with all those Bananas?

Make Banana Bread!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-banana-bread/

Or turn them into muffins.

I put a chocolate icing on top. Icing is a pretentious word for melting 1/4 cup of chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp of skim milk in the microwave for 30 seconds ... or until it's smooth, liquid and easy to spread. Stir patiently and thoroughly and spread it on the cake immediately. The chocolate will harden quite quickly (in about 5 minutes or so).

And OFCOURSE I substituted half the butter for unsweetened applesauce.

(source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ rakratchada torsap)

Chicken Soup куриный суп

A simple, healthy soup.

What you will need:

4 Whole Chicken thighs, washed
2 medium onions, peeled
2 large potatoes, peeled
1 large carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced (optional)
1-2 tsp oil or butter
salt
pepper
2 tbsp dill
a dollop of sour cream to serve

1. Take a large soup pot, fill with approximately 12-15 cups of water. Place the chicken in the pot, make sure the chicken is submerged in the water. Add one whole onion in the pot. Cover pot and boil for 40 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, warm some oil. Dice the second onion and add it to the pan. Mildly fry for 5 minutes on medium heat. The onions shouldn't get any colour, they should just soften. The recipe doesn't call for celery, but I added one diced celery into the pan to saute as well.
3. Add the sauteed onions and celery to the soup pot. Add salt, pepper, dill and carrots.
4. Immediately after step 3, Take the chicken out of the pot but keep the soup boiling still.
5. Peel the potatoes. You can add them whole to the soup pot or dice the potatoes and add. Boil for another 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
6. Finally shred the cooled chicken and add to the soup pot. Let the soup come to a boil once more.

And you're done. I've managed to make the recipe look difficult, but it's the simplest thing ever. Enjoy!

Here's a couple of good videos for it:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fTUlJ-lAmk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wVffxH08Eg

Good Eats at Banff

I actually took some pictures of the food I ordered...

So the first place was the Wild Flour which is a wonderful place that serves wholesome, earthy, tree-hugger type food. The food is very delicious. The bakery is attached and you can see the bakers at work while you wait in line to order your food.

The day I took this picture I got the Swiss Cheese, Arugula, Ham and Tapenade pressed panini sandwich. I ended up taking the ham out because I didn't feel like eating meat that day. The sandwich was warm and deeelicious!!

 

The next morning I decided to try something other than a chain for my latte. I chanced upon the first of 3 cafes, all called Evelyn's. Despite there being three of these on the same street that only spans about 5 blocks, I was very happy with what I received. The food was delicious, the view from my chair was perfect for people watching, and the weather was phenomenal... how could I possibly complain? I also ordered the Vegetable Puff Pastry. Little did I know that it was Indian inspired and turned out to be so spicy that I couldn't handle it more than 1 bite every 5 minutes. But it wasn't bad. The filling was ok, but the texture of the pastry was perfect.

 The view I enjoyed...

The Secret to Soft Dough that rolls easily

Well, it took me a while to figure this out, but here it is...

If you want a soft dough using plain, all-purpose flour, then whether or not you add egg, milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oil, anything.... doesn't matter... to get soft dough.... (drumroll)....

... Mix the dough with
........................WARM WATER.

The dough will form easily, then let it rest for 15 minutes. The dough will be soft, pliable, easy to work with and will have a very pleasant texture.

Finally! Successful Empanada & Chibureki Dough

This dough comes out flaky when deep fried; the surface is crispy and the inside is soft. Just perfect texture. Don't try anything else. This is it.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp oil/butter
3/4 to 1 cup of luke warm water (tap water is fine)

Method:
1. Mix the dry ingredients.
2. Mix in the oil thoroughly. It should be distributed throughout the flour.
3. Add 1/2 a cup of water and start mixing the flour. Depending on your flour, you could need between 3/4 to 1 cup of water. The dough should NOT be hard.
4. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Tip: When frying Empanadas or Chibureki, the oil has to be quite hot. All this time, I've been frying in oil that wasn't the right temperature. The oil must be so hot that the empanadas will colour in the oil after roughly 2 minutes of frying. That's quite hot!

That's it! Enjoy!

 

Easy Delicious Strawberry Pie

This has now become a staple in our menu.

Ingredients:
1 prepared pie crust, thawed
2-3 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1 package fat free cream cheese, room temperature

Method:
1. Prepare the pie crust as per package directions.
2. Place strawberries, 1 tbsp lime juice and sugar in a pot and set on medium-low heat. Cook for 20 minutes until it gets fairly thick.
3. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tbsp of cold water. Add to the strawberry mixture and stir till it thickens. Cool for 30-45 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, add 1 tbsp of lime juice to the cream cheese, add 1 tsp of sugar and mix thoroughly.
4. Assemble: Take the pie shell. Spread the cream cheese on the pie. Top with strawberry mixture.

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes at least. Makes 8 servings at least.

Enjoy!

Awesome & Quick Bruschetta

This is a bruschetta that is absolutely delicious, very quick to make and has quite a strong flavour to it. Instead of doing the traditional thing and toasting sliced bread, my girlfriend put the bruschetta on a triscuit. I modified and put it on a melba toast instead, and it was incredible!! The only thing is, don't put the tomato preparation on the toast until you are about to put it in your mouth, otherwise the toast will get soggy.

Ingredients:
2 medium Hot house tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh or dry basil
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the above ingredients up. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Put it together:
1. Take 4 pieces of melba toast.
2. Spread 1 tsp of goat cheese on each toast.
3. Just before you are ready to eat, place as much tomato mixture on each toast as you want.

Bite in and enjoy!!!

Another vegan breakfast idea: Mushroom Bruschetta

I've really been challenged with breakfast, after I decided to seriously look into vegetarian or vegan breakfast options. Nothing seems to do the same job as Eggs, Bacon and Toast.

However, I've been slowly shifting my focus. I don't need to be filled with any one food group all the time. In our society, the stress on proteins is quite high. All this time, I was leaning towards it because a small quantity keeps one full for a long time. But now, I'm seeing that that is useful if you eat little quantities everyday or don't have access to food for long periods of time (4-6 hours). Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with eating complex carb meals that have some protein in them. The roughage from vegetables does the trick of keeping you full longer. And more vegetable roughage helps prevent colon cancer. Yay!

So, yesterday while YouTubing, I found this mushroom bruschetta idea. There are two versions. I just married them together.
The two original ideas are:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCBQQ-gkQE
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ8XJzi2h24

This is my version.

Ingredients:
2 slices bread, 1-2 tsp butter
2 cups Mushrooms sliced (I had 2 large portabella mushrooms)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine or any wine

1/4 cup red onion diced
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp parsley chopped

1. Heat the skilled on medium high. Add the olive oil and garlic.
2. When garlic starts to sizzle, put in the sliced mushrooms and cook till the liquid evaporates and there's a nice light brown colour on the mushrooms. This can take 10 minutes or so.
3. Add the wine and let it evaporate. About 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and place the mushrooms in a glass or metal bowl.
5. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

6. Once cooled, add the onions, lime juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

I didn't toast my bread in the toaster. I pan-toasted it with some butter. You can do either. There's a difference in the amount of moisture that is retained in the toast. The pan-fried version tends to be a bit chewier on the inside. Do whatever appeals to you that day.

Place mushrooms on Toast and ENJOY!!

Crisp, Clean, Carrot Salad

I really dislike carrots, so for me to make this is a testament to how delicious it is. It is light, not too carroty, crisp, refreshing, and tart.

Ingredients:
0.5 kg carrots (roughly 6 medium)
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
salt

1. Peel, wash and grate the carrots.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add salt to taste. Mix thoroughly.
3. Refrigerate the salad for 20-30 minutes.

This goes well with anything. And it's so easy to get 1 serving of vegetable by serving 1/2 a cup of this. So easy. So good.

Really Great Potato Salad

I saw this recipe on Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen).

The two main tricks are: cooking the potatoes and dicing them well ahead of time so they get cool and retain their shape, and using some sour cream instead of mayonnaise only.

Ingredients:
3-4 large potatoes
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup: combine fat free and low fat mayonnaise
3 scallions, chopped
1 celery stalk, minced
2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
1-2 tsp mustard
salt
pepper

1. Boil the potatoes with skin on. When the potatoes are tender, drain the water and cool the potatoes in the fridge.
2. Once cooled, peel the potatoes, and chop into 1cm cubes.
3. Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This potato salad has a great texture whereby the potato doesn't melt in your mouth, but retains it's shape and character. The refreshing near tartness of the sour cream is so soothing. The scallions are milder than onions and the celery is, again, very refreshing.

Fake Fried Chicken (using Seitan)

Ok. So: Does deep fried Seitan really taste like fried chicken? The absolutely honest verdict: YES. (If the Seitan has been cut to 1-2cm size cubes.

I was quite shocked. This is really good. You just have to try it out to believe it.

Ingredients:
Seitan
Oil for frying
flour for dredging
egg substitute or 1 egg
bread crumbs + Italian seasoning

1. Make sure all the excess moisture from the Seitan has been thoroughly dried with a paper or cloth towel.
2. Heat the oil on medium heat.
3. Cut the seitan into 2cm cubes.
4. Dredge it in flour.
5. Coat it with egg substitute (mixed with water) or beaten egg.
6. Coat with breadcrumbs you have flavoured.
7. Shallow fry in oil.

That's it.

So so delicious. Gotta try it to believe it.

Vegetable Pot Pie

I don't know why I didn't find a simple recipe like this online. So I went and did it as per my imagination... which wasn't very wild, really. Chicken Pot Pie, a fantastic dish, usually has very little chicken in it. Adding too much chicken doesn't help the pie, because the pie is about the gravy and the texture of the pie crust (at least to me). Theoretically, removing the chicken should also produce a really nice pie. And it did. Here it is:

1.5 cups of steamed vegetables (more on that below)
2 tbsp oil (canola or olive)
2 tbsp flour
1.5 cups of skim milk
30-60 g of cheese  (I had mozzarella cheese, you can use anything you like)
1/4 tsp of dry thyme, oregano and basil
salt
pepper

To assemble the pies:
3 ramekins
Prepared pastry dough - I used the individual sized pastry shells from the frozen section of the grocery store. You can either make your own, or buy the full sheet and cut it to fit your ramekins.

Fresh Vegetables: I like to use the fresh stuff as much as I can, mostly for the flavour. There is a big difference between fresh veges and frozen veges.BUT if you're in a bind and need to use up the frozen stuff, feel free to do so.

For this recipe I used what I had in my fridge: mushrooms, orange bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, half a large potato, green beans and a handful of pitted black olives. I cooked each one individually in the microwave as my roux was cooking. I like my pie filling thick, so I drained the cooked vegetables of any excess water, so that it wouldn't water down my pie filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees C.
1. The Roux: Warm your pot on medium-low heat and add the oil.
2. Add the flour to the pot and stir frequently. As it is cooking, you want the flour to change colour a little, and have a slightly nutty smell.This took me a good 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat. It's too easy to burn the roux, so keep an eye on this as you stir.
3. Add the milk, 1/4 cup at a time, and stir incessantly. May no lumps form. And may the mixture be a smooth consistency once all the liquid has been added. Let this cook for 5 minutes and stir every minute.
4. Add the cheese and stir till it all melts and becomes a homogenous, smooth mixture. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the spices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember you haven't salted your vegetables, but you have added cheese.
6. Add all the vegetables and cook this wonderful concoction for another 3 minutes or so.

Taste this now. Add salt/pepper as necessary.

Putting the pie together:
7. Divide the pie filling amongst the ramekins.
8. Neatly lay out your pie crust on top. Cut a generous cross on top to let the steam out.
9. Place in middle rack of oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
10. If the crust isn't golden yet, broil for another 30 seconds to a minute. Keep an eye on it, so that the crust doesn't burn.

And there you have it. Just absolutely wonderful stuff. Makes 3 servings. Each has 1 (daily recommended) serving of vegetables. This is not a low-fat dish, but it is quite delicious.

Enjoy!!

Food that is Surprisingly tasty

This morning I made myself some multi-grain toast and as a treat, decided to spread a little bit of butter on it. As I washed a small cucumber, I decided not to eat it. But after I sat down, and then bit into my delicious toast, I thought the cucumber would go well... and did it ever! It tasted refreshing and divine. I felt full for a while after eating this. I did have an egg with this too, but I really wasn't enjoying the taste at all.

Other vegetarian dishes that have worked for me in the last few days have been:
1. Sarson Ka Saag
2. Rice and stir fried Gui lan
3. Rice and Fresh Soft Tofu boiled with bean sprouts. Accompanied with a sauce of chilli paste/soy sauce/vinegar
4. Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce Sandwich
5. Falafel, Tabbouli Sandwich
6. Rice, Dal, Tomato Chutney, Sabji

Read The China Study. Do it.

Some Vegetarian/Vegan recipes

I am reading the book "The China Study". Please read it if you can.

A couple of vegetarian recipes that worked out over the last 2-3 days:
1. Shepherd's pie with Ground Round
2. This Tofu recipe: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/08/saffron-scented-tofu-scramble-breakfast.html
3. Pan fried spinach: Recipe below

I hate tofu. Really don`t like it. I`ve tried to like it time and again. But the more I try, the closer I get to getting used to it.

Some secrets to cooking tofu: Don`t skip any of the steps.

1. Get the freshest tofu you can. The older stuff will smell awful and fall apart.
2. Dry the tofu thoroughly in kitchen towels.
3. Break or cut into small pieces and pan fry. This changes the outer texture somewhat and that really helps. You don`t have to deep fry. For 2 cups of tofu, use 2 tsp of oil to pan fry in a non-stick skillet.
4. Add salt during the pan-frying process above.

Recipes I can't wait to try:
Cream of Wheat
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/12/20/gingerbread-swirl-creamy-wheat-cereal/
Cinnamon Rolls
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/coffee-cake-cinnamon-rolls-orange.html
Tofu:
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/08/01/five-ingredient-tofu-scramble/
Breakfast Sandwich:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/06/breakfast-sandwich-vegan-recipe-in-15.html
Veggie Burger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z8W35FEzg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6H_M52Sng
Other Breakfasts:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2004/04/recipes-breakfast.html

I think it's safe to say that the fewer processed foods you eat the better. So, ultimately, I'll be removing ground round, tofu and all those things from my diet. There are so many recipes to try WITHOUT using processed vegetables.

Pan Fried Greens

Now, this recipe is for die-hard greens lovers - like me. If you aren't particularly fond of greens, you probably want to try a different recipe.


Ingredients

Greens - any kind will do. Really. Lettuce, Arugula, Chinese greens, Spinach, Kale. Whatever.

1 clove of garlic, whole

2 tsp oil

salt

Wash and chop the greens.
Heat your pan.
Add oil.
Add the whole clove of garlic. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds.
Add the greens. Add salt.
Toss/mix. Cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with fresh rice.

I found this works best with a particular kind of Chinese greens that don't really wilt when cooked. They retain a delicious crunch and lose the raw flavour. The greens are called "Gui Lan Chinese Greens" and they look like the picture here: Gui Lan/Chinese Broccoli, GaiLan

The Mystery of Asparagus Guacamole (Recipe included)

You know how you can't describe the taste of sugar... you have to taste it yourself...? Well, that was the case for me and the Asparagus Guacamole. I love asparagus. I cook it often (at least 2-3 times a month). I love Guacamole and always make my own because it tastes better and has a better texture than the store bought fare. I couldn't imagine Asparagus tasting ANYTHING like Guac. I was a non-believer.

Well, last night, I wanted to do Mexican night for supper. I didn't want to spend 5 whopping points on guac, so I decided to give this a try. I had so little belief in this recipe that I almost bought an avocado. If it wasn't for a selection of completely unripe avocados, I would have bought one.

So the verdict? It's nearly inexplicable...

Asparagus Guacamole IS REALLY LIKE Avocado Guacamole!! It has an eerily similar look, colour, texture, flavour and taste to regular Guacamole. How does that happen? I really don't know. There are a few things to keep in mind while preparing the Guacamole in order to achieve the right texture:
1. Use fresh asparagus only
2. Don't boil the asparagus. Steam it or microwave it with no added water.
3. Do puree the asparagus. You can't mush it with a fork.

 And remember, unlike real guacamole - which you can eat on it's own if you were so inclined, this asparagus guacamole can only be used as an accompaniment. Although, on it's own, it's quite a tasty preparation.

And here's the recipe:

1 lb fresh asparagus spears

2 scallions (green onions), chopped

2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp of lime juice

1 tbsp half-fat mayonnaise

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

salt to taste

Wash the asparagus. Chop into 1 cm pieces. Discard the tough stems. Make sure you do this. Otherwise the dish may be ruined.
Place the asparagus in a microwave safe bowl and microwave till tender. Don't overcook. Stir occasionally to  ensure even cooking. In my small microwave it took 7 minutes to cook the (less than) 1 lb of asparagus.
Take the asparagus out of the microwave and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. I stirred it occasionally to hasten the cooling process.

Prepare your other ingredients: slice the scallions, crush the garlic, chop the coriander leaves.

Once the asparagus has cooled, add scallions and place in a blender. You want to pulse for 30 seconds and mix the ingredients. Keep repeating the process until you see a nice, homogenous mixture. I don't recommend blindly pureeing for X minutes because the texture will not be what you want.

Once you are happy with the texture of the guacamole, add salt, lime juice, crushed garlic, mayonnaise and coriander leaves. Adjust the salt and lime juice to taste.

To make our Chicken Fajitas, I took a Tortilla (from La Tortilla Factory), added small pieces of cooked chicken, grilled peppers and grilled onions, salsa, sour cream and this wonderful guacamole. And just like regular guacamole, I just couldn't stop eating this. I don't know how the flavour of the asparagus is transformed to something so close to guacamole. If you eat it by itself, you can definitely smell and taste the asparagus. But in the fajita, I couldn't tell.

I am a believer.

Sadly, I don't think I'll ever eat real Guacamole again. :(
I think I can live with that. Especially because regular guacamole is 5 points for 1/2 a cup, and this one is 1 point for 1 cup.

Eat Not That Which is Processed

One day I wanted to discover HOW MUCH processed food I was consuming without being aware of it. So I thought to myself: Let's start with processed things in my freezer, and then break down further by meals in the day. I opened up my freezer and found the following: Hash browns, breakfast sausages, bacon, orange juice, frozen waffles/pancakes, and frozen whipped topping. Awesome. Almost my entire breakfast plate is processed food. Interesting. Let's move to lunch and dinner...this must be a bit better... opened the freezer again: prepared frozen entrees for lunch, prepared frozen vegetables (like green giant peas or brussel sprouts, frozen chicken, fish sticks/fish fillets with seasoning/sauce. Ok, so let's say 60% of my lunch and dinner are processed. How about snacks? Frozen wings, hot dogs, hamburgers. How about dessert? Icecream, cheesecake, popsicles.

At this point I hadn't even gone into my pantry/cupboards that are filled with canned soups, instant noodles, packaged snacks like popcorn, pudding powders, twinkies, etc.

So once this enormous realization kicked in: that I have inadvertently made processed foods the foundation of my meals, I got into a self-directed battle to remove processed foods from my diet while not feeling deprived. It was a slow process but it's not just about NOT BUYING processed items. It's also about being in the mindset that maybe I don't need to eat hash browns everyday. Foods prepared more simply can make the bulk of my diet and more complicated home-made treats can be for special occasions.

So, when I want to have hash browns, I buy a potato, chop it into small pieces, pan fry it with spices and some oil and voila. I know all the ingredients that are in my meal. Unlike the times when I'm eating frozen hash browns, I am not trying to guess what's been done to what tastes faintly like potatoes in perfectly shaped cubes, that probably have components that won't exit my body until I turn 98. This realization of wholesome potatoes feeding my body Feels Good.

I don't like eliminating things from my diet. I like eating. But there are some things I've decided are just not worthy of human consumption. Hot dogs are one such item. You can read up all about it online or just read the list of ingredients in a hot dog packet, but here's a video that took all my love of hot dogs and made it vanish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAn0PBjhwW4

Amazing Indian Chai Latte

 (source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ Sura Nualpradid)
I've had little luck finding good Chai at the latte joints. Now I have a recipe that I can enjoy at home when I'm relaxing. Here it is:

1 cup skim milk

1 cm piece of peeled and washed ginger

1 tsp tea leaves

1/2 tsp 'MDH Tea Masala' (if available) otherwise use a pinch of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cardamom

1-2 tsp Splenda or sugar

Put milk,ginger,tea,spices above in a microwave safe bowl and microwave till the milk comes to a boil. Pour the concoction through a sieve and into your favourite cup. Add Splenda and stir.

Enjoy!!

 

(source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ Jomphong)

Low Points Snacks - Arranged by Points

My biggest enemy is wanting a yummy taste in my mouth even when I'm not hungry. Having a list of eligible snacks that are arranged by points seems like a good idea especially when you have a limited number of points left before the day is about to end. For example: It's 8:30 p.m., you only have 1 point left, but you got the munchies. Well, looking up the table and fighting the good fight (against gluttony) seems like the best course of action. So here are the snacks:

0 points:

Cherry/Grape tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Cucumbers
Celery
Peppers (Green/Red/Yellow)
Apple
Grapes
Pear
Orange
Berries (Strawberry/Raspberry/Blueberry)
Fresh Pineapple

1 point:

1 La Vache Qui Rit/Laughing cow cheese
1/4 cup Humus + Carrots/Celery

2 points:

Amazing Indian Chai Latte
String Cheese + Baby Carrots
Cottage Cheese + Strawberry/Kiwi
1 Boiled Egg (This is an especially good treat because it keeps you full for at least 2 hours)
2 points crackers (Melba Toast/Wasa/etc) with Fat Free Salsa

3 points:
Tuna Salad with lettuce/cucumbers/shredded cabbage/etc
Cobb salad with infinity greens, 1 boiled egg, a little ham and fat free dressing
Mixed salad with salad dressing and bacon bits


Clearly this list needs a lot of work. Please comment below to suggest more items, and I'll incorporate your comments into my article for a more comprehensive list. If you want, I can make this a printable list as well.

What a great article!!

How to stop Over-eating.

http://johnshore.com/2010/01/07/how-to-stop-overeating-with-one-simple-realization/

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

This is a weight watchers recipe. It was just ok. I won't be making this again. It's a fair number of points for not enough taste payback.

Ingredients

6 oz pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup(s) (sliced) uncooked red onion(s), chopped
1 1/4 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large egg(s)
2 egg white(s), large
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste
10 oz cooked frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Press pie crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate until ready to use. To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until a knife inserted near centre comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

PointsPlus™ Value: 6
Servings: 8

Healthy Meal Ideas for Weight Loss

Eat every 2-3 hours. 5-6 meals a day.

Breakfast: Milk/Banana/Fruits/Egg Whites/Boiled Egg
Snack: Fruits/Veggies
Lunch: Chicken thighs cooked in Garlic, sour cream, chopped coriander/steamed broccoli/steamed cauliflower/shredded cheese
Snack: Cheese sticks/carrots/veggies/fruits
Dinner: Steamed fish/Asparagus/Omelette with shredded cabbage+fish+mustard sauce
Protein Shake: 0.5 cups milk+frozen yogurt+frozen mangoes+protein powder

Body Building

Here are some great recipes from this site.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/gredeker2.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rotw26.htm

Light Fish Recipes

I've been trying to get some good fish recipes. Most fish fillet recipes ask to be grilled in the oven where the edges of the fillet get painfully dry and the middle is sadly soggy.
The only option is to keep all of it consistently soggy by wrapping it in tin foil for the duration of the cooking.

However, this recipe just gave me some ideas:
http://blog.bodybuilding.com/nikki01198/2011/08/17/recipe_for_delicious_tilapia/

It won't matter how the fish is cooked if the topping or salsa on top is delicious. I have cilantro, lime juice, red onions and tomatoes at home. I might just chop everything up, sprinkle the lime juice and salt, mix and top on the "grilled" fish. Of course, serve with asparagus or another vegetable on the side. Since I'm going to substitute the rice with complex carbohydrates, I might splurge and pan fry the fillet with 1 - 2 tsp of oil.

Here's another promising one if you have a little bit of orange juice in the house (which I do at this time):
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fitexpert9.htm

I'll be substituting white fish for the salmon. I'll also be skipping a bunch of ingredients I don't actually have.

Traveling for Work: Eating Healthy

I've been traveling heavily for work recently, and in 6 short weeks I've realized that eating out and eating sandwiches is not going to work for me. I'm in my early 30s and realized in my late 20s that eating food from restaurants and even eating prepared food from grocery stores wreaks havoc with my digestion. I feel bloated and sluggish, I have low energy, there are issues of a gaseous nature that I won't divulge too much... And don't solve your digestion problems by popping a TUMS in your mouth. Do yourself and your longevity a favour and eat healthy. Solve the problem at the root... don't treat the symptoms. I know someone that has a TUMS tablet with his meals every single day... what does he eat you wonder? 100% restaurant food. Every meal is cooked outside his house.

While I just passed that judgement, it's really hard to not do that if your lifestyle doesn't support healthy cooking and healthy eating. But, guys, you make your lifestyle! Don't give yourself lame excuses. You really can spend 20 minutes cooking something simple... it won't taste as good as hot crunchy onion rings plated in front of you... but you won't have heart burn and you won't gain weight every day either.

Anyway, I'm done with my preaching. There are a few key items that I'm battling: I don't have a microwave in the room, I don't have a kettle or a coffee maker. However there are many grocery stores around the hotel. Another criteria is I'm not going to carry around 350ml bottles of condiments everywhere. So flavouring has to be really simple but good. SO Here's what I'm planning on doing. I have purchased a rice cooker. I'm going to start experimenting cooking MEALS with said rice cooker and see what happens.

Things I plan on experimenting with:
1. Rice with vegetables and shrimp
2. Potatoes and chicken with vegetables (don't know if I'll do a soup or a steamed dish)
3. Maybe pasta with chicken or ground beef
4. Steamed veggies and chicken or meat

One idea: Steam veggies in rice cooker and eat with rotisserie chicken. For warming up leftover chicken, maybe I can throw it in the rice cooker with more veggies.

Hmm... I'll have to try it out.

Condiments:
1. Soy sauce packets from Chinese fast food joints
2. Salt/pepper from fast food joints
3. Packets of pickles I discovered at an Indian take out place.
4. Ketchup? (I can't see myself putting ketchup on anything really)
5. Chilli sauce from Chinese fast food joints

I will post more when I actually cook something.

Here is a site with a couple of links that aren't bad:
http://frugaldoesabodygood.blogspot.com/2006/06/rice-cooker-one-pot-meals.html

I'm seeing a pattern with the dishes.... mostly rice. But why does it have to be only rice? I'm going to experiment with some other items and update.

Zapekanka & Kissel запеканка и кисель

This is a Russian dish. This is very popular with children but is a very simple tasting, delicious dish. I couldn't find a recipe online, so here it is. Please try it and let me know how it turned out for you. This recipe yields enough for 6 servings, or 4 greedy servings.

Ingredients:
For the Farmer's Cheese:
4 Litres whole fat milk (3.25% fat)
500 ml whipping cream (33% fat)
3-4 cups of yoghurt OR 3-4 tbsp lime/lemon juice
1 egg
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar

Cheesecloth for straining the farmer's cheese
Strainer

For the Kissel:
2 cups of berries or grapes (any berry will do. we like blue berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything will work)
1.5 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp cold water

Zapekanka
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Boil the milk and the whipping cream together.
2. Add the yoghurt OR lime juice to the milk. Keep stirring after adding this, and wait and watch for the milk to separate into curds and whey. If the colour of the whey isn't clear, add some more yoghurt OR lime juice.
Yoghurt makes a very soft cheese. Lime juice makes a slightly more squeaky, slightly tougher cheese.
3. Strain the cheese by pouring the above through a strainer lined with cheese cloth. Tie this cheese cloth at the top to strain the liquids. Let the cheese drain for 10 minutes or so.
4. If you have a food processor or mixer, great. If not, that's great too. We will have to spend 10 or 20 minutes kneading the cheese. The texture of the cheese changes significantly after this kneading process. You will see. The fresh farmer's cheese is crumbly and the kneaded cheese is soft and holds together very well.
Knead the cheese and stop when you don't feel like kneading anymore... knead at least 10 minutes though.
5. Mix the eggs, sugar and flour into the cheese. Mix it very well.
6. Pour into a buttered, square baking pan. Level the mixture and dot with butter. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. Let the Zapekanka cool for 30 minutes.

Kissel
1. Puree the berry or grapes. Set aside.
2. Pour the sugar and water in a pot, mix well. Bring to a boil.
3. Strain the berry puree well and add to the boiling sugar-water.
4. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water. Pour into the boiling sugar-water. Stir thoroughly.
5. Let the mixture come to a boil, let it thicken. Turn off the heat.
6. Cool the kissel.

How to serve
The Kissel has to be cooled (in the fridge).
Cut a portion of the warm Zapekanka and put it in a bowl. Pour the cool Kissel till it covers the Zapekanka. For 1/4th of the Zapekanka, you will use 1 cup of Kissel.

Very Very Very Yummy!