Calorie Wise Side Dish

    For any of my fellow calorie counters out there, who have been seeking a way to cut carbs from your diet, this is the answer you have been looking for. I was watching one of those Diet Shows like Bulging Brides, or what have you on a lazy Sunday morning. Then, low and behold, I came across this jewel of an idea.
    Instead of spending around 127 calories on a 1/2 cup of rice, we can spend no more than 25 calories on a whole cup of cauliflower "rice". This way we get to indulge in our favourite recipes without worrying about our waistlines.

Cauliflower "Rice":

Directions:

(1) Remove the leafy stem from the cauliflower.

(2) Break the cauliflower head down in to more manageable pieces.

(3) Working in batches, add the cauliflower florets into a food processor. Process until you achieve a crumbled texture similar to rice.

Before

After

(4) Store in a microwave safe container until ready to use.
(5) Once you are ready to make your cauliflower "rice", loosen the lid on your microwave container and
cook for four minutes on high in your microwave oven. Use as you would rice in a stir fry or under a curry.

6 Delicious Fruit Smoothie Recipes

    Every once in a while my little guy gets a hankerin' for some "Boester Juice". No this isn't a typo, he actually pronounces it "Boester Juice". I think it's so cute, I can't bring myself to correct him. But since we don't have a Booster Juice in this corner of the world, I am left to make something similar myself.
    I often keep frozen fruit in my fridge, so it's just a matter of deciding what I want the Smoothie to taste like. Today I threw some frozen strawberries, frozen mangoes, frozen banana, kiwi, pineapple and a peeled red apple into my blender. Next, I had some raspberry yogurt that was fast approaching it's best by date, so I tossed that in there too. I added some cranberry juice (because that's all I had on hand), as well as some water to help the blender along, and started the blender to liquefy. And that's all it takes to please my five year old.
    This is also something that I eat as a post gym snack. I'll fill the blender pitcher with whatever ingredients I have laying around, blend it up, pour out a portion for the little guy and then add some protein powder for myself (protein will not harm your child. I just feel it's something he doesn't need to add to his diet). This usually keeps me full right up until lunch time. If you are being conscious of your calorie intake, it is important to know that a smoothie is generally a meal replacement. It should not be used as a beverage to accompany a meal.
    I use frozen banana's when I make smoothies. When the banana's have been blended from frozen, they create a creamier texture than those that have been just tossed in at room temperature. This way I also have a use for banana's that are starting to over ripen. There's only so much banana bread someone can eat. Peel the banana's that are starting to show brown spots and cut them into chunks. Put the chunks into a resealable plastic bag and pop it in the freezer.

Fruit Smoothies

    Here are 6 smoothie "recipes" that I often play around with;

(Adapted from The Ab's Diet by David Zinczenko)

Summer Smoothie:
2/3 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup cubed honeydew melon
4 oz low fat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 tsp. vanilla protein powder (optional)
3 ice cubed, crushed

* Makes two 8oz servings

PB & J Smoothie:
3/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 tsp. peanut butter
1 medium banana
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 tsp. vanilla protein powder (optional)
4 ice cubes, crushed

* Makes two 8oz servings

Halle Berries Smoothie:
3/4 cup instant oatmeal, nuked in water or fat free milk
3/4 cup fat free milk
3/4 cup mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
2 tsp. protein powder (optional)
3 ice cubes, crushed

* Makes two 8oz servings

Banana Split Smoothie:
1 Banana
1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1/8 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup 1% milk
2 tsp. protein powder (optional)
6 ice cubes, crushed

* Makes two 8oz servings

(Adapted from Janet and Greta Podleski's Eat, Shrink and be Merry)

Fuzzy Peach Smoothie:
1 carton (6oz) peach yogurt
3/4 cup 1% or skim milk
1/2 cup each frozen banana and frozen peaches
2 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (optional)

*Makes two 8oz servings

Peanut Butter Bananarama:
1 carton (6oz) vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cold water
3/4 cup frozen banana chunks
3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter or almond butter
handful of crushed ice
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (optional)

* Makes two 8oz servings

    There is often some of the smoothie mix left over. Instead of tossing it away, I pour it into convenient popsicle moulds I found at the Dollar Store. I have convinced my little guy that these healthy snacks are actually "treats". He gets pretty excited when he gets to eat a popsicle.

Smoothie Popsicle's ready for the freezer.

Tomato, Tomahto (Parte Seconda)

    Today, in my second attempt to rid myself of my giant surplus of tomatoes, I decided to make a simple Caprese Salad.
    Caprese Salad aka. Insalata Caprese consists of nothing more than three main ingredients. Mozzarella di Buffala (Mozzarella made from the milk of Water Buffalo), Tomatoes, and Basil, it is then seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with a really good olive oil. Words can't even describe how much I enjoy eating this. But because of the difficulty I have trying to find the Mozzarella di Buffala, I rarely get to make it. It can be made with any old regular fresh mozzarella or even bocconcini, but because of certain dietary restrictions, I don't have the luxury of making this substitute.
    This simple salad is fresh, low in calories and packed full of flavor. And if your taste buds want a little more zip, just drizzle it with a really good quality Balsamic Vinegar.

Caprese Salad:

Caprese Salad Stacks. Drizzle with a little
Olive Oil and some Balsamic Vinegar
for an amazing appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
3-4 small to medium tomatoes (an heirloom variety will work best)
6-7 fresh basil leaves
pinch of salt (a coarse or flake salt similar to fleur de sel)
coarsely ground fresh black pepper
olive oil and balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Directions:

(1) Stack one slice of the mozzarella, one slice of the tomato and then top with a fresh basil leaf.
(2) Continue until all of the food has been stacked in little bundles.
(3) Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Do both these steps immediately before serving. The salt will release the juices from the tomatoes, and you don't want your tidy little bundles floating in a tomato soup.

Curry-ously Delicious

    A while ago I found the most delicious looking recipe for a Red Thai Duck Curry on a blog I frequently follow (The Pioneer Woman). I got around to making it for the first time tonight, and it did not disappoint. It had the perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy  very spicy, that you expect to get from eating Thai food. If you are a fan of curry at all, you must try this.
    The recipe calls for a Red Curry Paste. Coincidentally I had hunted down all the ingredients to make this myself on a recent trip to Montreal. Once I made it, I portioned it out and froze it for later use. It kept well, and I used it in tonight's recipe. You can purchase red curry paste already made in the Asian aisle of your supermarket, but the flavor nuances are lack luster in comparison to the homemade product.
    I had also found some beautiful looking duck breasts on the same trip, and couldn't pass on the opportunity to give them a try as well. This recipe originally suggested "pan frying" the breast until cooked. I decided to sear and reduce the fat on top of the breast until it was nothing but a delicious crust (Draining the fat as needed). I then flipped the breast over and transferred the entire oven proof pan to a preheated oven to finish cooking. I cooked the breast to a moist medium well, and let it rest until I was ready to use it on the curry.
   Typically, Thai style curry dishes are paired with an aromatic rice like Basmati or Jasmine. But in my quest to cut calories from an already calorie ridden dish, I replaced the rice with a cauliflower "rice". It added an unexpected "creamy butteriness", that I really enjoyed. As a lover of all rices, I was thinking I would regret my decision to subsitute. But I did not. This recipe has made my top 10 favorites list. I can't wait for Lunch to eat my leftover's.
 

Red Thai Duck Curry

Red Thai Duck Curry on Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless duck breasts, fat on if desired
2 tbsps. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps. red curry paste (store bought or homemade)
1 14oz can full fat coconut milk
1 cups hot water
2 tbsps. fish sauce
1-2 tbsps. fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsps. olive oil (additional)
½ whole red onion, sliced
1 whole green or red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes (I omitted these)
2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (the original recipe used basil)
Jasmine rice cooked (or you can use cauliflower "rice")

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
(2) Wash and dry duck breast. Score the fat on the breast.

(3) Place in a preheated (oven safe) pan, that has been set over medium high heat, fat side down. Cook for several minutes, draining the fat as needed. You will know the fat is finished searing, when it has become crispy and golden brown in color. (Don’t worry about cooking the duck at this point. You just want to give the skin some great color. You will finish cooking in the oven).
(4) When the duck has rendered it's fat and has reached the desired crispness, drain off the remaining fat. Flip the duck breast so it is fat side up. Transfer to the oven for 8- 10 minutes. (8 minutes for med well, 10 minutes for well done).
(5) Once the duck breast has reached it's desired doneness, remove from the oven and let rest.

Let tht duck breast rest for a
few minutes.

Thinly slice the duck breast.

(6) Now, start creating the curry. In a clean saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. of  olive oil. Go ahead and add the minced garlic to the pan. Add red curry paste to the pan and stir. Cook paste for several minutes to release the flavors.

                                                

(7) Pour in the coconut milk, hot water, fish sauce, and minced ginger. Stir and allow to cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Reduce until it reaches a sauce like consistency.

(8) In a second pan, heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Add sliced onions and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. About 3 to 4 minutes.

(9) Add pineapple and cherry tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
(10) Taste the curry sauce, which should be thickened by now. Add more spice if needed.

The sauce is thickened when a ribbon
appears after you scrape the bottom of
your pan with a spatula.

(11) Pour vegetables into the curry sauce. Stir to combine. Set heat to medium low, to keep warm. (Add a little hot water if it seems too thick, or allow to bubble longer if it needs more thickening). Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

(12) At the last minute, stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve curry mixture immediately over a hot bed of rice.

*Yields 2 Large Servings