Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Thai Beef Salad
Thai Beef Salad (adapted from the New York Times)
8 ounces eye of round beef, thinly sliced
6 cups salad greens (I like Costco's Spring Mix)
1 cup torn fresh herb leaves (mint, cilantro, Thai basil or a combination)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 medium cucumber, peeled if skin is tough, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and diced
1 cup bean sprouts
Dressing
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoon Siracha Sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon splenda
1 tablespoon water
Toss greens with herbs, onion, bean sprouts and cucumber. In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon water; dressing will be thin. Use half of this mixture to toss with greens. Remove greens to a platter.
Slice beef thinly, reserving its juice; combine juice with remaining dressing. Lay slices of beef over salad, drizzle remaining dressing over all, and serve.
Nutritional Info (Whole Recipe)
Protein
Fat 13.4 g
Carbs 30.4 g
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Lighter Cheat Day Cheesecake
(Espresso Swirl Cheesecake)
(Lighter) Authentic New York Cheesecake
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen
Crust
9 whole low fat graham crackers
4 tbsp fat free milk
1 tbsp Splenda
Filling
1-lb 1 percent cottage cheese
8-oz fat free Greek-style yogurt
1-lb light cream cheese, room temperature (these are usually the ones sold in tubs)
1 1/2 cups splenda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
******To make espresso swirl cheesecake, omit lemon zest and substitute ¼ cup espresso or strong coffee***For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Process the graham crackers in a food processor to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Add in milk and splenda and pulse or stir to combine, then pour crumbs into a 9‑inch springform pan and press into an even layer using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake the crust until fragrant (and browned around the edges), 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
For the filling:
1. While the crust cools, increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Line a medium bowl with a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels. Spoon the cottage cheese into the bowl and let drain for 30 minutes (this can also be done in a fine strainer).
2. Process the drained cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth and no visible lumps remain, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add the cream cheese and yogurt and continue to process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. (Yogurt can be added with cottage cheese if you drained them together).
4. Add the splenda, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt and continue to process until smooth, about 1 minute. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time and continue to process until smooth.
5. Being careful not to disturb the baked crust, coat the inside of the pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the cheese mixture into the cooled crust and place in the oven. (If making espresso swirl, carefully pour coffee into batter and swirl it around with a fork)
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 500F. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the cheesecake reads 150 degrees, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
7. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and run a paring knife around the edge of the cake. Let cool until barely warm, 21/2 to 3 hours, running a paring knife around the edge of the cake every hour or so.
8. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. To serve, wrap a wet, hot kitchen towel around the springform pan and let stand for 1 minute. Remove the sides of the pan. Blot any excess moisture from the top of the cheesecake with paper towels. Let the
cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Info (Total Cake!!!!!)
Protein 134g
Fat 94 g
Carbs: 182 g
Approx cal 2,277
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Guac this way (also known as my late Cinco De Mayo Post)
Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about ½ teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you've chosen. If your list includes the white onion, rinse it first under cold water, then shake well to rid it of excess moisture, before adding to the avocado. (This reduces the risk of having onion flavor overwhelm the guacamole.) Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate—preferably not more than a few hours.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Cajun Turkey Meatloaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregeno
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon Creole mustard or other spicy mustard
½ Tablespoon Zatarain’s concentrated shrimp and crab boil (or subsitute 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoon Soy sauce
*optional- top with ½ cup fat free cheddar cheese*
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium pan, saute onion, green pepper, celery and garlic until translucent. Add oregeno and mustard and mix with vegetables. Saute all for about a minute then remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, shrimp and crab boil (or substitute with Creole or Cajun seasonings), fresh parsley, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. When vegetable mixture is cooled, mix with turkey mixture and place in 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Bake uncovered another 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cut into slices.
Nutritional Info for whole recipe (using Jennie O’s lean ground turkey 93/7)
Protein 134 g
Fat 48 g
Carbs 35 g
*if adding ½ fat free cheddar cheese to top, add additional 4 g carbs and 18g protein**
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Slow Roast Beef
****Notes***
- -Season the beef overnight (or if you are in a jam, at least an hour before the searing step)
- -Not recommended cooking this roast past medium.
- -Open the oven door as little as possible and remove the roast from the oven while taking its temperature.
- -If the roast has not reached the desired temperature in the time specified in step 3, heat the oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, shut it off, and continue to cook the roast to the desired temperature.
- -For a smaller (2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pound) roast, reduce the amount of kosher salt to 3 teaspoons (1 1/2 teaspoons table salt) and black pepper to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- -For a 4 1/2- to 6-pound roast, cut in half crosswise before cooking to create 2 smaller roasts.
- -Slice the roast as thinly as possible
- Ingredients
- 1 boneless eye-round roast (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds) (see note)
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours (or 1 hour before searing in step 2).
- 2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 all sides evenly with pepper. Using non stick cooking spray, heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 115 degrees for medium-rare, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, or 125 degrees for medium, 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
- 3. Turn oven off; leave roast in oven, without opening door, until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for medium, 30 to 50 minutes longer. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest 15 minutes. Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve.
- Nutritional info for a 4 oz serving of beef
- Protein: 33.9 g
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbs: 0 g
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Protein Packed Cake Pudding
After much experimenting, I finally found a way to make casein pudding cake-like!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tandoori Chicken
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 tablespoon garam marsala
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup greek yogurt
8 oz Chicken Breast (bone in or boneless)
1. Prepare spices. Spray some cooking spray unto a pan. Saute garlic and ginger for 1 minute until fragrant. Add cumin, chilli powder, and garam masala. Stir spices for 30 secs. Take off of heat. Split spice mixture in half into two bowls.
Protein 76 g
Fat 17.5 g
Carbs 4.5g
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder.
- In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper with nonstick cooking spray until tender. Add rice and garlic; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until rice is lightly browned. Add the water and curry powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork
Nutritional Info
Carbs 168.9 g
Fat 5.9 g
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Curried Chicken Salad
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Lifter's Panna Cotta
The only time when a little jiggle is good!
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water
1 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup splenda
1 cup Fat Free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
In a small bowl, mix the gelatin with the water. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften it.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer with the splenda and vanilla extract. Cook until Splenda is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved.
In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt until smooth.
Whisk the warm milk mixture into the yogurt
As you pour the panna cotta mixture into six (4-ounce) ramekins, pass it through a sieve to catch any clumps.
Chill 3-4 hours in fridge or overnight.
To serve: Fill a shallow bowl with hot water. Working one at a time, sit the base and sides of each ramekin in the water for a few seconds to melt and loosen just around the edge of each panna cotta. Remove from water. Place a plate over each ramekin, invert and allow the panna cotta to fall neatly onto the plate.
*If allowed, Garnish top with fruit or sugar free jam*
Macros!
22 g carb
28 g protein
0 g fat
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Protein Fluff Parfait
Casein Protein (DON’T USE WHEY!!!)+ Skim Milk (or water) and 2-3 strawberries
Mix powder and water (or milk) in a 1:1.25-1.5 ratio, meaning for each scoop of powder you take 1.25-1.5 scoops of water. Less water (i.e. 1.25) yields a thicker pudding and more water (i.e. 1.5) a smoother pudding. Layer the bottom of your dish with fruit and cover with fluff. Add another fruit layer and top it with remaining fluff.
Put the bowl with the mixture the in fridge or freezer for 30 min to 2 hours depending on amount. If you put it in the freezer, it’ll turn into an ice cream like concoction.
Nutritional Info per serving:
Protein 26 g
Carbs 6 g
Fat 1 g