First Spring Herbs Omelette Sans Yolks

This week I noticed the herbs I planted last spring in pots for a summer rental were sprouting! These early sprouts are the most delicate lovely tasting of the season. After all the heavy rains last night there were just enough to I make an omelette.

Follow the post for instructions of how to make a fluffy egg white omelette that is posted today April 17, 2011
Once beaten you need only incorporate the herbs..mine were chives, tarragon and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste at the end to keep the omelette tender.

I paired it  on my plate with two tiny bananas grilled lightly in the cast iron

YUM!!

Simple Baked Apple

While in Italy in February I came across this Italian version of a baked apple. It was on the buffet at the Hotel Lungarno in Florence

The hotel served both apples and pears prepared in this manner. 

4 Apples

4 Tablespoons of sugar

Water

Place apples in a baking pan. Pierce each apple 3 or 4 times with a paring knife. Pour boiling water up 1/3 up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle each apple with one tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 3 or 4 hours at 250 degrees  until soft. 

That is the basic recipe to which I added the following:

Reduce the liquid and float a few cardamon seeds in the liquid. Place the apples in a storage container and pour the liquid over the fruit. Cover and cool in the refrigerator.

This is recipe works for apples or pears. Perhaps it would also work for peaches, and any other reasonably hard fruit. You can vary the amounts of water or sugar, as well as the types of sugar and the spices used to flavor the water/syrup.

This keeps well in the refrigerator and is a nice way to begin the day. You can also add flavored yogurt or flavored vanilla custard sauce for an interesting dessert.  

Note: I have used fat free sugar free jello pudding with more skim milk than is called for to make pudding and flavored it to cover over the artificial flavors. It works pretty well for a faux custard sauce.

Crisp and Fluffy Quinoa-Millet Pancakes

I have always thought that using the "healthy grains" would result in inferior baked goods..ie: rubber..

But on a diet that shuns wheat, sugar and fat,  I thought I would try an experiment.

Here  is the result ..gluten free, fat free, high protein pancakes that are every bit as good as the "real" deal! No kidding!



Sift together dry ingredients:

5 Tablespoon powdered buttermilk..I used Organic Valley buttermilk blend which is a blend of buttermilk and skim milk 3T =110 calories and 1 gm of fat. Powdered low fat buttermilk will work too

1/2 Cup Organic whole grain quinoa flour from Bob's Red Mill

1/2 Cup Organic millet flour Arrowhead Mills

2 teaspoon Baking powder

1teaspoon salt



Mix together wet ingredients:

 2 large egg whites

one Cup of cooked Quinoa

1/2 Cup Applesauce
  I used Organic applesauce by Eden

1Tablespoon of agave syrup or not


Alternate adding the dry mixture to the wet. Sometimes it comes out perfect but sometimes you may want to add a bit of water..I used 1/4 cup water total  for the cakes you see, but you need to look at it and see if you need a bit more or a bit less..you want a thickish batter..experiment..if it is really thick it will rise up to make a fluffy pancake and if thin it will be more crepe-like

Place a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium high heat Drizzle in a thin coating of oil..I actually use a tasteless olive oil for this..

Spread batter and wait until it is nicely browned before attempting to flip the cake..go gingerly on this til you get the knack as these cakes are a bit more delicate than wheat cakes but they will definitely hold together well.  Using a metal spatula and just a modicum of care will do the trick.

And Voila!! You have a fat free gluten free delicious pancake

This recipe is a starting point..you could add fruit or nuts to the batter..or serve with fruit on the side..also you could add flavorings..cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg.. Use agave syrup instead of maple if you are watching your glycemic levels. Try changing out the applesauce for pureed banana.

 

Be Creative!

Spicy Lentils with peppers and Tomatoes

This recipe by Martha Rose Shulman from her book Mediterranean Light is a favorite of mine. I used french lentils and watched the cooking time so they would not overcook

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 pound (2 cups) brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped...I used a red one
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh or canned tomatoes (without juice), peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Combine the lentils, water and bayleaf in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add salt to taste. Drain and retain some of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole and add the onion and garlic. Saute' over medium-low heat until the onion is tender and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and chili peppers and saute' another 5 to 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender, and add the tomatoes and drained lentils.

Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from the lentils if the mixture seems dry. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice if desired, and serve, or allow to cool and serve chilled.

This dish will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I am now using a vacuum packaging machine which allows me to keep things longer. I also freeze some of them in the bag and re-heat by boiling the bag..make sure to label and date the bags if you do this!

Per Portion

Calories 189
Fat      2G
Sodium 12 MG
Protein   13G
Carbohydrate  31G
Cholesterol     0G

Easy Low Fat Meringue Cookies

These cookies use a store-bought product and I simply dipped them  in glazes to improve them.


I found Vanilla Meringue cookies called Spaans at Whole foods. These are tiny meringues that taste mostly like sugar. the nutritional content says that 15 cookies equal 100 calories and have no fat.

Using two seperate recipes I was able to make them easily into a company worthy dessert.

Glaze #1 is from Jacques Pepin and is the chocolate sauce he suggests for his angel food cake..already on the blog it is one part unsweetened cocoa, one part water, one part cane sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar till fine and has no lumps. Mix in water thoroughly..heat til boil constantly mixing to prevent burning. Let the glaze dry for an hour or so or it will remain soft.

The other recipe comes from the Tassajara Recipe Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown. It is a lemon glaze with walnuts. Sift confectioners sugar. Measure one cup. Add to it 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice..Theoretically you could substitute orange or grapefruit juice. Then mix until it is consistency of cream. I altered the 1/2 cup of walnuts which appears in the original recipe to keep the recipe lowest fat..I take one full walnut and mince it.


Dip the cookies one at a time..for the chocolate sauce just dip and place on a plate. When you have as many chocolate ones as you want start dipping in the lemon dip and press each cookie into the minced walnuts..you should get to use one walnut to 16-20 cookies and then you will need another walnut to mince.

When dipping shake off excess glaze before you set cookies to dry in one layer on a plate.

To serve let dry then place on a clean plate..if any stick to the original plate use a metal spatula to loosen.

The cookies with the chocolate have roughly the same amount of fat added as the ones with walnuts so a serving of 16 cookies contains about 3 grams of fat. These can be served with fruit or sorbet or alone.

Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a very comforting winter soup that can be cooked ahead and kept in individual portions for later use.

1 1/2 cups navy beans, cleaned and sorted and soaked overnight
3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf
3-4 sage leaves fresh or dried
2 large cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
6-8 cups kale, stemmed and chopped to spoon size

Simmer the beans in 3 quarts of water with the bay leaf, sage and garlic cloves until the beans are completely soft, about 2 -2 1/2 hours.

Remove one quarter of the cooked beans, puree them in a food mill blender or food processor and then return them to the pot. The puree will give the soup a creamy background texture.

Heat a  the oil in a skillet and add the onions cooking medium heat,  til transparant. If it seems there is not enough oil you may drizzle a bit of water in now and again until it is done. When soft add the nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and several grindings of pepper. Stir frequently to prevent the yeast from sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mixture to the cooked beans.

Cook the kale by sweating in a bit of water..not much..just to keep from sticking..combine it with the beans and add enough water to bring the volume to about 3 quarts. Bring to a boil and simmer for around an hour. Check seasonings and serve

This soup recipe is by Edward Espe Brown from his book The Tassajara Recipe Book. I have left out cream which he adds at the end. I have also lowered the amount of fat by substituting 1 tablespoon of oil for 2 tablespoons of butter.  

Carrots Parsnips and Cipollini Onions

24 cipollini onions
6 medium/large carrots peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 medium/large parsnips peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
crystalized ginger cut into tiny bits amount to taste
water

Put cipollini into boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and stop the cooking with a shower of cold water. Peel the outer white paper skin from the onions and pat dry. Pour oil into a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Lightly brown the onions.




Next add parsnips and carrots and saute for a few minutes. The parsnips will turn from white to yellowish.

Then add water just to cover along with maple syrup and crystalized ginger. I used 2 small pieces minced.
Boil all over medium high heat until the liquid reduces to almost none and the vegetables are cooked through. If your veggies are getting fully cooked and there is still a lot of liquid, remove the vegetables from the liquid and then reduce the liquid to an amount just enough to moisten the vegetables and pour over the reserved vegetables and serve.

Note: fresh ginger can be used instead of preserved, or you can skip the ginger and add any number of other flavorings. Good accompaniments for carrots and parsnips are: apples,chives, curry, mustard, tarragon, thyme, parsley, dark sesame oil, cheril, cumin, mint or chile.

Marinated Tofu Open-Faced Sandwich

Many of us think tofu isn't very appetizing. This recipe by Deborah Madison from her book The Green's Cookbook, has changed my mind. It's wonderfully tasty with a bit of a crust and easy to make. Best of all, the marinade can be boiled, strained and reused. Once you have the marinated tofu you can use it for a quick meal and it seems to last quite a while without spoiling.







 I have adjusted the recipe to be consistent with my low fat diet. Ms. Madison also offers that this recipe can be used in her recipe for vegetable brochettes also found in the Greens Cookbook. I have yet to try that recipe.

1 or two packages firm tofu, 14 to 18 ounces each
1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, porcini or shitake
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil or I use 1/4 cup
1/2 cup of sherry or wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce...I use the low sodium to keep salt content down
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt..could omit if you are watching salt intake
several twists black pepper

cut the tofu into slabs 1 inch thick. and set to drain..this is done by setting them on a bread board or back of a baking sheet and raising one end; point the lower end toward the sink to let the water drain off. Cover the tofu with another tray and weight it down with something heavy like a few cans of tomatoes. Let the tofu drain for about a half hour. This will remove the excess water and allow the marinade to penetrate without being diluted.

While the tofu is draining, prepare the marinade. Simmer the mushrooms in the water for 15 minutes. Heat a small heavy skillet and toast the oregano or marjoram slowly til it is fragrant. Add the oregano and remaining ingredients to the pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer slowly a few minutes more.
Remove the tofu from the draining board and arrange it in a single layer in a square  or rectangular non-corrosive pan. strain the marinade through a coffee filter, paper towel or fine cheesecloth and then pour over the toful. Cover with plastic or a lid and refrigerate at least a day but preferably longer. The tofu can marinate 4 or 5 days. Then it can be seperated from the marinade and stored for use later. The marinade can be boiled, strained and reused, if the tofu was well drained. I freeze the marinade for the next time.

When you are ready to make the sandwich you can grill the tofu in a cast iron skillet that has been wiped with olive oil with a paper towel. Brown on all sides. Then slice the thickness in two and place on a very good slice of toasted whole wheat bread..I love the organic stone ground whole wheat bread from le pain  quotidian..a bakery with many outlets in New York and other locations. Ms. Madison suggests you put mayonaise and horseradish on the bread..then the tofu, followed with a slice of fresh tomato. I substitute Smart Beat Nonfat mayonnaise dressing..which is a very good mayo substitute that tastes just like mayo and I add to it. For horse radish I use Gold's Prepared Grated Horseradish, which is available in the refrigerator case of many supermarkets. Then I top with a slice of tomato or canned tomato in winter.
I served it with a frisee and fennel and apple salad with fat free apple cider dressing.
Its a delicious meal!
Note:
Here is the nutritional content in tofu so that you can determine the amount you wish to serve as a portion

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4467/2

Soups using Whole Grains

Martha Rose Shulman is a cookbook author who has been writing about lighter cuisine since the late 1970's. Her first book called the Vegetarian Feast is a wonderful compendium of vegetarian fare. Mediterranean Light is another. At the end of each recipe she  includes the nutritional content of the food allowing you to judge whether this is a recipe that fits with your nutritional goals. Articles by her are often found  in the New York Times. I found this article, on using whole grains in soup recipes, in the Times blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/soups-with-heft/

Yogurt Cake

In 1994 I bought a book by Jacques Pepin titled Simple and Healthy Cooking. In its introduction Pepin speaks of reducing the proportions of fats and sugars while always maintaining his focus on taste. This is a book to which I return over and over for its high quality healthy renditions of favorite foods. I strongly recommend you buy this book and try your hand at his wonderful easy recipes. All of his recipes in this and other books have the nutritional content which allows you to keep track of what you are eating. Pepin continued to produce books with the same themes and they are well worth reading.

I have been yearning for cake and so today made his yogurt cake.

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Corn or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup sifted cake flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
5 cups fresh blueberries, washed drained and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking pray and set the pan aside. ( I used a bit of oil on a paper towel instead)Place the sugar, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Combine with a wisk until well blended. Add the milk and yogurt, mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and mix gently until they are incorporated. Place the eggwhites in a copper or stainless steel mixing bowl. Beat by hand with a large balloon whisk or with an electric mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) at medium to high speed until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold them into the batter. ( don't be too perfect with the folding..the idea is to not completely deflate the whites which will lift your cake..some streaks of white will be ok) pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a cake rack until it is lukewarm, then inbert it onto the rack and cool it completely.
To serve, cut the cake into 10 pieces. Tope each piece with 1/2 cup berries. I used frozen berries from Maine and sprinkled a bit of confectioners sugar through a sieve over the top of the cake.

This cake freezes well so I cut it in half and wrapped it first carefully in waxed paper then tucked it into a ziplock bag. To defrost place in the refrigerator

Here is a slightly different version..Lemon flavored

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/138450/Lemon-Yogurt-Cake-with-Fresh-Berries

each piece is 162 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.6 grams saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 64 mg sodium

Apple Walnut Jumble

Here is a fast and tasty snack/dessert.

Core a good organic apple..apples should be crisp and have a bright taste. Slice and cut up into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon break into it 3 walnut halves..that is 6 grams of fat!! good fat though loaded with Omega 3's
finally add 3 tablespoons of multigrain cheerios. Sometimes I mix in a teaspoon of ground flax seed to add more omega's and make it even better for lowering cholesterol.

Mix all together and enjoy!

Pan Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

This a quick and delicious idea. With a damp mushroom brush, a soft bristle brush somewhat like a complexion brush, brush off the surfaces of the mushrooms..Don't soak in water..just wipe ..you can use a dampened kitchen towel too. Then put a little olive oil on your hands and rub over the surfaces top and bottom. Next, find a cast iron pan with a cover and  that will hold the portobellos in one layer. Wipe the pan with a little oil..a paper towel will do the trick to wipe oil on the surface yet sop up excess so it is not in the food. Chop a large clove of garlic and sprinkle on the surface of the pan and over the tops of the mushrooms which should be placed in the pan, add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook low heat, turning every now and again. The mushrooms are done when there is mushroom juice in the pan and it looks cooked thru..you can cut one if you are uncertain. One Mushroom Cap will be a good starter or alternatively can be put into other dishes as a side or an ingredient. The cooking time is about 15 minutes or a bit more.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta or Spaghetti Squash

In a small pot combine one cup of (sugar free) tomato sauce, 3 or more smashed garlic cloves, one teaspoon olive oil, scant salt and some ground pepper. Cook low simmer. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. This sauce is best without the addition of cheese as the spicy quality is dumbed down by the addition of cheese.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is very good and a low calorie substitute for pasta. It  can be sauced just the same as pasta. It is easy to cook and at 42 calories a cup vrey diet friendly.
Here is the rest of the nutritional data on spaghetti squash:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2655/2

To prepare:

Slice a squash in half. You will need a big heavy knife and some muscle power..they are hard on the exterior..I actually used a rubber mallet to get my knife through it today.

With a spoon scrape out the seeds. Then in a cast iron pan large enough or casserole grease lightly the pan and the cut surface with a small quantity of olive oil...just to keep it from sticking. Then place cut side down in the bottom of the pan and cover. Put into a pre-heated oven 350 degrees. It is done when the shell is pierced with a large cooking fork and the flesh is tender and soft. Using tongs or a fork take the squash from the pan..Holding with oven mitts you can then scrape out the strings of squash with a dinner fork into a bowl. I use a quarter of a small squash for a serving..about a cup and today made a simple tomato sauce which will appear in the next post.

Julia Child's Ratatouille Revised to Low Fat and Easier

I had a yen for Ratatouille and the best recipe to me has been by Julia Child and Simon Beck. Julia's recipe was for a half pound of eggplant and a half pound of zucchini. I doubled the recipe and offer some suggestions as to what would make it low fat/salt and still good.

the recipe is shown on the following site.

http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/julia-childs-ratatouille.html

I have changed it by substituting good chopped canned Italian plum tomatoes..imported please from Italy..read the label carefully...Also
I have lowered the 6 or 7 tablespoons of olive oil to fit into the very low fat diet I am following by making the following recipe changes..

When salting the zucchini and eggplants I use a half teaspoon of sea salt instead of a whole teaspoon, scattered over and mixed in by hand. Instead of sauteeing the zucchini or eggplant I drizzle over a whole tablespoon of olive oil then mix to cover each piece well with my hands..then I put them into a flat pan big enough to only have one layer of veggies so they don't lie upon eachother and roast them in the oven at 450 degrees. I turn and carefully watch so they don't burn or brown too much..follow the level of color from the original recipe. Next I do the same with the onions and the peppers..again using only 1 Tablespoon of oil..I do not add the tomato ealy as in the recipe, rather I add it when you layer the casserole at the end as the tomatoes are already soft out of the can.

The results are quite similar in taste to the original however the veggies are not swimming in oil and therefor can be made for a very low fat diet. If you have no issues with using all the oil it is luxurious but I find it isnt necessary particularly if you have become habituated to using less oil in your cooking.

I serve it with brown rice or quinoa and a salad

Home Made Fat Free Ricotta Cheese

I have not found a smooth tasty fat free Ricotta Cheese. As I like to use it in my snacks and cooking I looked up a recipe by the famed Vegetarian Food expert, Deborah Madison. I have been following her recipes since the 80's. She wrote a book with Edward Espe Brown when she was working with him..called the Tassajara Recipe Book in 1985. It is a wonderful little book of recipes from the Zen Monastery at Tassajara who among other wonderful things ran the Green Gulch Gardens where Alice Waters originally sourced her vegetables for Chez Panise.

Her Ricotta recipe is ridiculously easy to do and a lot of fun to make. I took the recipe and used skim milk and found you could get an altogether acceptable product..far better than the commercially available fat free ricotta I rejected as grainy and unpleasant..name withheld!

I used the commercially produced skim milk but think the better quality the ingredients the better the outcome. Also I used a big porcelain lined cast iron stew pot which when I let the curds form I left in my microwave. Since the microwave is insulated and small it kept the curds warm perfectly. I used white vinegar and would imagine that using the other options would change the quality of the resulting product. finally I whipped a small amount in my mini prep to see what would happen. It resulted in a ricotta cream which I am sure to use instead of custard sauce once flavored. maybe I will play with a recipe she has for floating island dessert..more to come..

Deborah Madison's recipe can be found on the link to www.about.com shown below

http://homecooking.about.com/od/beefrecipes/r/bldairy48.htm

Happy New Year! Two Steps Forward One Step Back

The new diet I have been on has helped me to lose 13 pounds since the end of August. Unfortunately my recent test results show me as having higher than acceptable Cholesterol numbers. Since the diet I have been eating is a low fat diet it is not the diet doing this. For the last number of years I have been battling a genetic pre-dispositon to high cholesterol. Being a small size..6 or a big size 4 hasn't saved me from high cholesterol. My body is just manufacturing it..just like my 98 pound mom did!
So dear reader, in addition to my normally low fat offerings I will also be adding what I call Cholesterol lowering ideas and recipes. I've been reading new books by Dean Ornish and Harvard University as well as searching the internet. When I find information that I see more than once and from credible sources I am using them to re-invent what I eat. For instance I now take fish oil and ground flax seed..more on the plan later.

While I personally will be largely vegetarian to see whether I can naturally control my body's production of cholesterol or not, without drugs..you dear reader, will see a variety of options from vegetarian to not.

I still desire to eat what tastes great and while the veggie thing is going to be a real challenge for things being as easily and quickly prepared, I am doing my best to keep it easy and fun and delicious.
For those who are interested I will be posting various links to new information regarding cholesterol and what figures into the lowering of it.