About Sheila Watson Kraklow

Sheila Watson Kraklow is a writer with professional expertise in the foods industry with cumulative work experience spanning several generations. Because of her interest in gourmet cooking Sheila is continually experimenting with upbeat, current recipes and is investigating all the new food trends. As a well versed Food Writer, Sheila contributes recipes and articles to several food-related magazines, food/health websites, and has written several appealing cookbooks including the "Idiosyncratic Cookbook" available on Amazon.

Sweet & Savory Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Salsa

August 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Poached Chicken Breast

Serving Suggestion

This summer has been one where I come across an abundance of summer fresh fruits at the local farmers market.  I bought too much and had to find ways to use it up, that is how this recipe came to me.

After eating several tender and delicious slices of the (Colorado favorite) Rocky Ford Cantaloupe I bought from a local farmer, I had a lot left over.  It is just too good to simply toss into the garbage, so I made a summer salsa out of it.

Salsas do not have to be savory and steaming hot, they do not have to be hot enough to scorch your chili-seared palate. They can be mildly hot; made with the pleasantly warm Anaheim chilis, fresh Vidalia onions, pungent but mild garlic cloves; even elephant garlic will do for this recipe, and some legendary Rocky Ford cantaloupe.

The process for making this tantalizing salsa is uncomplicated but the result of your efforts will be a complex, mouth-tingling, sweet/hot triumph.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced Rocky Ford cantaloupe

2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, diced

2 medium sized Vidalia onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 Anaheim chili peppers, diced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tbsp. chili flavored olive oil

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions:

Wash the melon with an apple cider vinegar and water solution (2 cups water to ½ cup vinegar) rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth.

  1. Slice the melon into wedges, cut off the rinds. then cut the wedges into a small dice, add to a medium sized bowl.
  2. Cut the tomatoes into a small dice; add to the bowl with the cantaloupe.
  3. Peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic, and add to the bowl.
  4. Cut the stem ends off the Anaheim’s peppers, cut each pepper in half-length wise, and then cut into strips.  Cut the strips into a small dice, add to the salsa bowl.
  5. Add salt, sugar, and hot sauce, olive oil, and lime juice.  Stir the ingredients well.
  6. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and stow in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

For my meal using this delicious Cantaloupe Salsa I offered it as a cool summer bonus slathered over a poached chicken breast. I served it with some Microwave-Roasted Red potatoes.

I know you have used a summer fruit in an unusual way – leave us a comment below and tell us just how you did it.  Did you make your own salsa, or a unique and adventurous fruit jam or preserve?  Please share the recipe here.

Nutritional Information:

Per ½ cup serving

Calories: 50

Carbohydrates: 21

Fats: 3g

Sugars: 13g

Salt/Sodium: 15mg

Fiber: 1g

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Summer Fresh Green Beans with Bacon & Onion

August 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Bright and beautiful as they simmer on my stove!

Buying fresh produce at the local farmers market is pure pleasure for not only am I supporting the local economy I am buying foods at their peak of perfection.  This morning I bought 2 lbs. of bright and beautiful, emerald colored green beans.

I also bought some small onions, a jar of whipped honey from a local bee-keeper,  a Rocky Ford cantaloupe,  a light green and lovely honey-dew melon, and a Rattlesnake watermelon. (The rind on them is reminiscent of the pattern on a rattle snake skin.)

First thing I did was to wash (with a mild soap and vinegar solution) the melons, dried them and stowed them in the refrigerator.  I rinsed the green beans in a solution of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. salt and 6-8 cups cool fresh water, drained them and rinsed the solution off and then let them air dry. These were set aside marked, in my mind only with the word “SUPPER”.

How to prepare them:

Ingredients:

2 cups garden fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and snapped into 2 inch pieces

1 slice smoked bacon, cut in half

1 small fresh onion, cut into a large dice

1 tsp. sea salt

2 cups water

Directions:

  1. Break off the ends, or cut them but since they are so tender the ends break off easily.  Then snap them into two or three pieces and drop them into a bowl.
  2. Place both pieces of the bacon onto the bottom of a medium sized saucepan, place pan over high heat and cook the bacon, flip it over once, sauté until it is crisp; around 5 minutes; then remove the bacon momentarily.
  3. To the same saucepan, add the diced onion, reduce heat to medium and sauté the onion until it starts to soften, 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the snapped green beans, salt, and water.  Bring the heat back up to high and bring to a boil, add the bacon back into the boiling green beans, cover.
  5. Reduce heat to simmer and cook beans 5-8 minutes depending on how soft you want them. (I like them to still have some crisp left in them)

These summer green beans are a great side dish served piping hot, right off the stove but here are a few serving suggestions to consider.

a)      Drain the beans after they have reached your desired point of perfection, add ½ cup sour cream; 2 tsp. minced fresh garlic, and 1 heaping tsp. cracked black pepper.  Scoop into a baking dish and bake 15 minutes.

b)      After draining the beans add ½ cup fresh made or jarred pesto, stir and serve.

c)      Drain lightly then add ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 4 oz. cream cheese, stir until cheeses are combined, serve over crunchy buttered toast points.

d)      Add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 can cream of mushroom soup and french-fried onion rings, stir and serve – call it Mock Green Bean Casserole.

These summer-time fresh, bright green jewels can add beauty to almost any meal; don’t be timid in your cooking, buy some fresh green beans, at their peak of freshness — and use them.

Green Beans offer wonderful nutritional benefits they offer the post-menopausal diner with a substantial and refreshing boost by giving her a low calorie (85 in one raw cup) zero cholesterol, high fiber, low carbohydrate vegetable option, for minimal cost and easy preparation.

Do you enjoy garden fresh green beans and have a favorite method of preparing them?  Leave a comment below and tell us how you do it.

Nutritional Information in the Recipe Above:

1 cup, cooked

Calories: 70.5

Fat: 1.2g

Cholesterol: 1.5g

Carbohydrates: 11.4g

Fiber: 2g

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Late Summer Globe Zucchini with Pork Chops

August 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Zucchini dish recipeRight now–in late summer is the time to start eating garden fresh, mild, and delicious zucchini. All types of zucchinis are bountiful at this time of year, plus they are packed full of those good-for-you nutrients.

I’ve been given several different kinds of this glorious summer squash this year, and love cooking and eating it.  Now, don’t turn your nose up at the word squash, it’s not all bad!

Zucchini is one member of the squash family that I find to be mighty in its simplicity and grand in its adaptability-and it tastes good.

Zucchini can be eaten raw in salads and offered as a dipping tool in a relish tray, it can be shredded and included in breads and muffins thereby pumping up the nutrition value of the quick breads and cakes. The tender morsel can be sliced, diced, shredded, and cubed, sautéed, floured and fried, filled with cheese and baked, and steamed, boiled, or cooked on a BBQ grill.  Also zucchini is easily processed to freeze; then its bountiful blessings can be available during the winter when fresh garden vegetables are not in season.

Nutritionally speaking the zucchini is packed full of fiber so it helps with digestion and does a good job of promoting good elimination and that makes it valuable in fighting that belly-fat we all hate.   It is very low in calories, has zero fat, and as in most vegetables it has zero cholesterol. Zucchini has a large amount of water content so it is low in carbohydrates. Plus the fiber content is high if the zucchini is eaten unpeeled, offering almost 10% of the RDA of fiber for a day.

The meal I’m offering here is a simple one in which I used one Globe zucchini; also known in the Mexican culinary world as Calabacitas.  These squashes are round, tender, and delicate with small, very edible seeds tucked inside.  Simply cut off the ends and cut the orb into large cubes.

Sautéed Globe Zucchini with Pork Chops

Makes one ¾ cup serving:

Ingredients:

2 bone-in, center cut pork chops

1 large Globe zucchini, unpeeled, cubed

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp. sea salt, divided

½ tsp. crushed black pepper

3-4 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle pork chops lightly with sea salt (Optional: Dredge in flour on both sides and shake off the access) Set the seasoned/dredged chops aside for10 minutes to allow the crust to form on the meat.
  2. In the meantime cut zucchini into 2 inches cubes, sprinkle lightly with remaining sea salt and the crushed black pepper. Toss the cubed, seasoned zucchini into the remaining whole wheat flour.  Remove from flour and shake off the excess flour, reserve.
  3. Place an eight inch sauté pan over high heat, add olive oil and when the oil is hot add the seasoned pork chops; browning on both sides.  Reduce heat to medium and cover the sauté pan.  Cook pork chops, turning every 2-3 minutes until almost done.
  4. About 10 minutes before the meat is cooked through, push the pork chops over to the far side of the sauté pan, add the seasoned, dredged zucchini cubes and cover the pan loosely, so the steam can escape.  Cook the zucchini for 5 minutes or until browned on one side (set a timer) then carefully turn each chunk of zucchini over to brown. Check the chops to ensure they are not getting too browned, turn if needed.
  5. Once the zucchini is browned on two sides it is done.  Remove all items to a serving plate and serve immediately.

Cooking the zucchini with the pork chops endues the vegetable with the a bit of the savory pork juices which also helps the veggie to form a perfect, crunchy crust; all of the above produces a delightful but simple meal.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 68

Fat: zero in the zucchini (Olive oil has 40g)

Carbohydrates: 6g

Fiber: 2g

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Low-Fat & Lavish Sugar-Free Cheesecake Mousse

August 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

Healthy Cheesecake MousseInto each and every life must come something so divine, smooth, and delicious that you actually crave it. The following recipe is all that, and more!

The original recipe calls for full fat cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar; in this reconstructed recipe I have eliminated a lot of the fats, and reduced the sugar content to almost zero processed sugars.

So get out your electric mixer and get ready to make this mousse – you will want it often, maybe even more than sex, but then again– maybe not!

I don’t know about you, but at this post-menopausal stage of my life this post – almost everything stage, when disappointments come, concerns pile up like leaves in the fall, and those times when my aches and pains steal all joy; these are the times I need, yes NEED a soothing something. Now, this can be something either to touch or eat – here is one such thing, to eat!

Ingredients:

Servings: 1 to 4 (1/2 cup servings) Depending on my mood!

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup Splenda or other powdered granulated sugar substitute

8 oz. non-fat and sugar free vanilla coffee creamer (half & half can be used)

2 tbsp. toasted marshmallow sugar free syrup (DaVinci)

Directions:

  1. Add softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed; beat the cream cheese to whip.
  2. Add Splenda or your choice of sweetener, and beat on high speed until well combined.
  3. Add coffee creamer and flavored syrup; whip on full speed until the mixture thickens – about 2 minutes.
  4. Scoop into individual dessert cups or ramekins. Place into refrigerator to chill, at least 2 hours.

Variations:

  • Add 2 tbsp. lime juice and 1 tbsp. sugar-free lime Jell-O with the Splenda
  • Add 1 tbsp. cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp. DaVinci sugar-free chocolate syrup when beating the cream cheese
  • Sprinkle in ½ cup sugar free strawberry, raspberry, or blackberry jam, or orange marmalade in with the coffee creamer
  • Stir in ½ cup chopped pistachios, cashews, or macadamia nuts just before portioning and chilling
  • Add ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice and a few chopped cherries just before chilling
  • Add 2 tbsp. sugar free orange Jell-O to the mixture along with the Splenda and whip, then gently fold in 1 – 4 oz. can of very well drained mandarin orange sections
  • Sprinkle in a packet of Pure Lemon from Crystal Lite along with the Splenda

This mousse can also become a great topping over slices of pound cake or angel-food cake, or it is great in-between layers of white or yellow cake.  What’s more it can be scooped into a graham cracker or cookie crust, chilled and served topped with fresh fruits or whipped topping.

The options for uses and flavors in this luscious, lavish, and obsessively addicting dessert are limited only by your imagination; go for it!

 Nutritional Information: Per serving

Calories: 56

Fats: 1.2g

Carbohydrates: 4.4g

Fiber: .02g

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Steak, Pineapple & Sundried Tomato Pesto Kabobs

August 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sundried Tomato Pesto Kabobs recipe

I love fresh pineapple and do try to buy and use it often.  One reason we should eat lots of this pretty, yellow, citrus fruit is that it is so good for us; pineapple has delicious and really marvelous properties that do aid woman (and men) in the battle of the bulge. They help promote good digestion, and what’s more add lots of Vitamin C to our systems.  The juices of the pineapple are so refreshing in summer drinks and add their sparkle to many dishes from entrees to desserts.

In this recipe a tender cut of beef steak and a beautiful fresh pineapple are cut into chunks and the steak is then marinated in divine sun-dried tomato pesto and a splash of the fresh pineapple juice.  The marinating process is not a long one since the active enzymes (the ones that aid in digestion) in the fresh pineapple juice begin their work of breaking down the cells of the meat as soon as they are comfortably combined.  Then we simply skewer the meat and pineapple on metal skewers; and the wholesome kabobs come forth.

Tips for buying a delicious fresh pineapple:
  1. A ripe pineapple is more yellow in color than green
  2. The fruit should have a sweet, pineapple scent
  3. The pineapple will be very heavy for its size and the top leaves should look fresh, not wilted
  4. There should be no dark or soft spots on the rind of the fruit
  5. If the pineapple is leaking any juices it is overly ripe or damaged, look for a different one

Ingredients:

2 – 6 to 8 oz. Strip steaks or other tender cut, trim off most fat and cut into 2 inch chunks

1 fresh pineapple, trimmed, peeled, cored, and cut into 2 inch chunks

½ cup fresh pineapple juice

1 cup of a 12 oz. jar sun-dried tomato pesto

4-6 metal skewers

Directions:

  1. Cut the top off the pineapple, trim off the outside rind, clean up the edges leaving no “eyes” on the fruit.  Using a pineapple coring tool, cut the center core out of the pineapple.  Then cut the fruit into thick rings and then into 2 inch pieces. (Try to save as much juice as you can from the core, and peeling process, or run a few slices through a juicer to accumulate the ½ cup needed.)
  2. Trim the steaks, removing most of the fat, not all; fat will create a lot of flavor.  Cut meat into the same size pieces as the pineapple, 2 inch pieces are great.
  3. Pour the (1 cup) pesto into a gallon sized zip-lock bag or 10 inch square baking dish, add pineapple juice and stir to combine.
  4. Add steak chunks and toss lightly with a wooden spoon. Close the bag or cover the baking dish with cling wrap and refrigerate for 25-30 minutes.
  5. Starting with meat push one piece onto the skewer, add a pineapple chunk, repeat until you have 4-6 pieces of meat on each skewer, alternating a steak chunk, then a pineapple chunk until the skewers are all used.

Place filled skewers (kabobs) onto a broiler pan, and then place under a medium high flame or heat and broil for 10- 15 minutes; turning once and keeping an eye on the kabobs so they don’t cook too fast or burn on the edges.

Pour the remaining pesto into a microwave safe bowl and using medium power heat the sauce until it bubbles; use a dipping sauce for the kabobs.

To go with the kabobs I did serve buttered whole grain noodles, a big hunk of Italian Flat bread, and steamed broccoli florets.

Pineapple Nutritional Facts:

1 cup fresh pineapples contains  well over 100% of the RDA for Vitamin C

Pineapples have zero saturated fat, zero cholesterol, and  low sodium content

Fresh pineapple has super high levels of Vitamin B6, minerals like copper and manganese, and is very high in fiber which can help post-menopausal women have slim-trim waists.

Fresh pineapple also has certain high levels of bromelain which is said to help fight inflammation – which is wonderful!

Dietary Nutritional Facts:

In 2 kabobs with ¾ cup noodles:

Calories: 385-390

Fats: 5g

Carbohydrates: 60g

Fiber: 5g

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Low Sugar Strawberry & Bran Muffins

August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Strawberry & Bran Muffins recipe

You know you want one!

Summertime is a great time to add fruit to meals, breads, and desserts; here is a good method of doing just that.  By taking some beautiful, fully-ripe, dark red strawberries and a few other great ingredients, you can make these tender, strawberry laced, bran muffins.

The recipe is offered here because it is quick, easy, full of those good “real foods” that are needed for our specific time of life — and they is basically sugar free.

In developing low sugar content and sugar free recipes for many, many diabetics I had to come up with creative ways to produce baked goods that people actually liked to eat. Why bother to make them if they are not satisfying? Developing these recipes was not an easy task but one I did accomplish. (Do you hear buttons popping off my shirt from pride?)

Two big secrets when for baking success when using sugar replacements:

  • Use two or more different types of sweeteners
  • You must add a little sugar to get any browning effects on the baked goods

I most certainly do love just picked, warm from the summer sun strawberries! Do you have a favorite summer fruit? Leave a comment below about your favorite fruit and how you use it.

Summers Bounty Strawberry Bran Muffins (Low Sugar)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick styled)

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp. oat bran

¾ cup honey, oat & nuts dry cereal (Great Grains)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

2/3 cup milk

¼ cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla

½ cup Splenda, stevia or other granulated sugar replacement

1 cup sugar free or reduced sugar, strawberry jam

1/2 pint, fresh ripe strawberries, mashed (1 cup total)

2 tbsp. agave syrup

Directions:

Preheat heat oven to 350oF. Place cupcake papers into a standard muffin pan.

  1. Pour cereal into a large mixing bowl, add brown sugar, egg yolks, milk, oil, vanilla, and sweetener; stir and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
  2. In the mean-time — wash, hull, and mash strawberries in a medium sized bowl, add agave syrup; stir and reserve.
  3. Combine baking mix, whole wheat flour, and oat bran; stir with a wire whisk, to break up the baking mix and combine together.
  4. Add egg whites to a medium sized bowl and beat until soft peaks form, set this aside momentarily.
  5. Add jam and macerated berries to the wet ingredients, then add this to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine.
  6. Fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture and incorporate lightly but totally.
  7. Scoop batter into muffin pan using an ice cream scoop, bake 15-20 minutes or until tester inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
  8. Cool five minutes before removing from muffin pan.

These can be drizzled with thin vanilla frosting or left without any garnish – they are delicious plain!

Nutritional Information: 1 Muffin

Calories: 175

Carbohydrates: 19

Sugars: 16g (2 tbsp. in whole recipe)

Fiber: 3.5g

Fats: 2.9g

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Grandson Tim Makes Goodies – Apple Crostata & Dunkers

August 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

This summer was a big one for me. I moved away from my family, started a new life in a new city, made new friends, and discovered the horrors held within the process of being divorced. One bright spot has been the pure pleasure of having my 15 year old grandson Timothy Paul staying with me twice in four months, a real treat for a lonely Nana!

Yesterday we were watching some foodie TV (yes he likes it — for a little while) and after the program we were watching ended he mentioned he’d love to have a slice of the Apple Crostata that a certain beautiful Italian chef had just demonstrated.

“I have all the ingredients” I said “want to make one?” He beat me to the kitchen and we began our culinary adventure.

I didn’t have fresh apples but did have a can of sugar-free apple pie filling. This was a reasonable facsimile, we agreed.

I got out the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, flour, butter, and salt; some things for the filling and some for the crust.  Then Tim asked if he could add something – “Sure” I said, choking just a little on the words. I wondered secretly “Is he going to change my recipe?” GASP! Tim had grabbed the ground ginger.

So the fun began; we laughed and talked while we worked, and soon he had a pretty cool looking (kind of shaped like the state of Texas) Crostata crust.  After jazzing up the filling with a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the purloined ginger and some stirring and pouring, we had a lumpy-bumpy, but totally-rad, Apple Crostata. Tim asked, “What can we do with the left-over dough?”  I talked him through the simple process of little pie crust cinnamon rolls that he called Dunkers, “snacks for later” he said!  I agreed wholeheartedly, thinking of a mug of coffee with a few, just before nap-time.

Do you bake anything with your Grandchildren or other pint-sized gourmets? Leave a comment and tell us the story!

Here is our fun-filled and adventurous recipe.

Tim’s Awesome Cinnamon-Ginger Apple Crostata

Ingredients:

1 can apple pie filling, sugar-free or sweetened

2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground ginger

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Pie Crust:

2 c cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, ice cold, cut into patties

4-6 tbsp. ice cold milk (or water) milk helps the crust brown

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400oF.

  1. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together over and into large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the ice cold butter to the flour mixture and using a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like cornmeal.
  3. Add 4 tbsp. cold milk, stir to combine into a soft dough ball, if the  dough is too stiff add more milk 1 tbsp. at a time.  Do not over work; just combine until dough starts to form.
  4. Dust the work surface with flour, pat the dough into a circle and roll to a ¼ inch thickness.  Position dough into a pie plate.
  5. Pour pie filling into a medium sized bowl add cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and ginger; stir to combine well. Pour filling into the center of the pie dough in the plate.
  6. Begin carefully pulling the sides of the dough over the filling, creating folds and creases as you lay the crust over upon the filling. Brush tops of crust with softened butter, sprinkle/dust lightly with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and the Crostata crust is beautifully browned. Cool to room temperature (if you can wait) before serving.

This blessed my post-menopausal soul more than any “good-for-me food ever could; ready for some fun? Try baking with your Grandchildren. We did have the dunkers too, he dunked in milk and I in coffee!

Funny thing with our awesome Apple Crostata; it only made two servings!

Nutritional Information:

Recipe makes 6 servings.

Calories: 298

Carbohydrates: 42g

Sugars: 12-15g

Fats: 14g

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Caesar’s Wilted Lettuce

August 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

How to make a wilted Caesars saladMy mother simply loved Wilted Lettuce when I was a small child, and I suspect a whiny one! I did not like this method of preparing lettuce. But I did eat it because not having at least one serving was not allowed. Now, though, at this time of my life, I love it as much as she did.

Ever the foodie and epicure, I had to vamp it up, bring it into the 21st. Century, so I developed my own version of the old-fashioned method. This new-fangled version is not any more difficult to make, but does include a few things not in my mother’s version. Sorry Mama!

One addition that makes this my own, personal recipe is the addition of some homemade Caesar-styled croutons. Also, I’ve added (and you can omit) some protein and some heat!

This is a good recipe for post-menopausal gals. It offers a few essential food items that do add greatly to this method of eating to promote health and well-being through nutrition. After all, “Nutrition is my mission.” This has been my mantra for at least 10 years – getting as healthy as possible by eating real foods as often as possible.

What is “good for you” in this recipe? Outside of the fresh vegetables, olive oil, and heat-giving spices — it’s vinegar. This is an old-time remedy for old-age ailments. Really, it is!

Do you know some other remedies that call for cider vinegar? Share them with us. Leave a comment about it!

Apple Cider Vinegar has many healing properties but I will just list a few. It helps fight high cholesterol, combats fatigue, helps folks our age fight the curse of arthritis, and aids in breaking up the uric acid so commonly known to cause gout. It has been used as an aid in weight loss. What’s more, it’s touted as a wonderful means of lowering or regulating too-high or too-low levels of blood pressure – a real plus if you are prone to one of these condition.

The day before preparing this dish/meal, make the croutons.

Ingredients:

2 thick slices San Francisco-style sourdough bread, trimmed and cubed

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp. Caesar salad dressing seasoning (Gourmet Cupboard)

2 cups leaf lettuce (red makes a pretty dish)

6 onion slices, cut very thin

1 small, fresh red beet, peeled, sliced, and julienned

2 tbsp. bacon drippings (this is a vital ingredient; do not omit or sub it out)

2½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar (do not use white vinegar)

1 tbsp. sugar or Splenda, Stevia, or other sweetener

¼ tsp. crushed red chili flakes

¼ cup cooked meat (i.e., bacon bits, chicken breast, roast beef), diced small

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375oF.

  1. Trim off the bread crusts. Brush both sides with olive oil
  2. Pour Caesar salad dressing seasoning into a zip-lock baggie
  3. Cut the oiled bread into chunks, big or small, and add to the baggie. Shake to coat bread cubes
  4. Sprinkle bread cubes onto a small baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until browned and crunchy – allow the croutons to cool and air-dry until needed.

Making the dish:

Before beginning, cook the meat, if using. (You will have to cook some bacon.)

HINT: Make sure the lettuce leaves are clean; they tend to have loose soil and dirt on them. Rinse well and spin-dry, or air-dry; trim off any ugly cut ends. Do not tear or cut the lettuce leaves.

  1. Arrange lettuce leaves in a shallow serving bowl and reserve.
  2. Prepare the beet, and press with a paper towel to absorb excess juices and reserve.
  3. Add bacon drippings into a small, hot skillet; add onion; sauté for 1 minute then add chili flakes.
  4. Remove from heat, add vinegar, sugar or sweetener, and stir.
  5. Immediately pour the hot dressing over the lettuce in the bowl and toss lightly.
  6. Add the meat of choice, raw beets, and homemade croutons; toss lightly. Serve immediately.

This is a super dish to serve on a warm summer evening, and it’s an easy method for eating some raw and barely-cooked vegetables.

Nutritional Values for a one cup serving:

Calories: 90

Carbohydrates: 3g

Fiber: 1.3g

Protein: 3.45g

Fats: (Saturated 3.013g) Monounsaturated: 3.58g & Polyunsaturated: 0.984g

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The Wonderful World of Lettuce Wraps

August 4, 2012 By 6 Comments

Lettuce wrap recipesI have made a discovery in this the summer of my ill-content, and that discovery is cool, refreshing, quick and easy lettuce wraps. In my part of the good old USA it has been super-hot this summer so I haven’t wanted to cook, not even for myself!  So in desperation I scoured the shelves of my e-cookbook collection and finally came across some cold, raw foods that can actually turn my post-menopausal, dietary-crank.

Because we — ladies our age — are always on the look-out for ways to incorporate raw foods into our “healthy” and healthful W.O.E. meaning way of eating; how appropriate huh? I believe these lettuce wraps could be the wave that turns the sea of cookbook pages for me. Lettuce wraps may give me a viable method of preparing and more-to-the-point enjoying some raw food meals.

Lettuce wrap sandwichesHas your doctor or healthcare professional recommended (ordered) you to see a nutritionist?  If so leave us a comment about the misadventure or the meeting, let us know all about it.  My nutritionist said that eating raw foods is “so good for us” and here is why. Raw foods still have all the nutrients inside them,  nutrients that are usually hidden just beneath the skins or peelings, you know, the things we scrape off just before we fry, char, boil, bake, or sauté all our vegetables?

Mistake number one! Eat those veggies and fruits raw for optimal bone building, fat busting, waist cinching, and skin glowing benefits – eat your lettuce wraps.

Lettuce Wraps Galore

Ingredients:

1-head or bunch leafy type lettuce – Such as romaine, endive, chard, collards, kale (including Dinosaur Kale), spinach, Bok-choy, butter and iceberg or Chinese cabbage and turnip greens

Suggestions for fillings in the wraps:

Almost any sliced meat and/or vegetables you like:

1 cup sliced tomatoes of any variety including big juicy heirloom, beef steak, or small pear, and cherry varieties

6-8 fresh asparagus spears, pencil thin

6-8 fresh, blanched green beans

1 small cucumber sliced very thin

½ cup sliced olives, any color and kind, marinated or brined

1 cup zucchini or other summer squash, shredded, or sliced very thin

1 cup sweet potatoes or yams, shredded or sliced very thin

1 cup fresh beets, shredded or sliced thin

½ cup onions, leeks, or shallots, sliced paper thin

1 cup fresh mushrooms, any kind, sliced thin

Meats & Cheeses – Herbs:

1 slice of almost any thin sliced roasted or deli-meat can be used — or omitted completely

1 cup of any kind of hard cheese that can be shredded can be used: Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, Manchego, hard Chevre, Asiago, Swiss, Baby Swiss, Cotija, Fontina, Gouda – to name a few

2 tbsp. fresh green herbs, dill, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley

Toppings/Dressings:

1/4 cup of any soft cheese, cream cheese, or creamy yogurt like Greek styled

1 tbsp. Ranch, Green Goddess, Thousand Island, or any creamy salad dressing

½ tbsp. any oil and vinegar dressing, raspberry oil and vinegar, or balsamic oil and vinegar for example

Add crunch:

2 tbsp. roasted cashews, pine nuts, macadamia, crushed Brazil nuts, or pistachios

Directions:

Simply lay out the lettuce leaves and beginning with the dressings build layers of whatever you would like to eat.

The wraps shown: #1Thin-sliced roast beef, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing.  #2 Ginger spiked sour cream, mango, pineapple, and guava chunks, with mandarin orange sections, sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.  #3 Garlic mayonnaise, Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, grated carrots, American cheese, and a shake or two of Parmesan cheese.

Build your Lettuce Wrap any way you choose, the variations are limitless.  Do keep in mind; wraps can be messy so keep a napkin handy when you dine.

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The Ultimate & Greatest Fiber-filled Cookie

August 2, 2012 By 1 Comment

If you are like me you want everything to be as easy as possible and that includes baking cookies.  Wouldn’t it be nice if the recipe threw itself together and all you had to do was eat the cookies?  Your family has been doing that for years – you bake, they eat.  Such is life, and it’s OK.

This recipe is one I made up for my pure pleasure.  It incorporates all the “good –for-me” things that my Doctor and the nutritionist with which she made me chat, insisted I must have. We won’t go into details of that chat; it was just another mildly irritating event in my post-menopausal routine.

Not wanting to stop enjoying ALL of my luscious gourmet adventures I decided “out with the old, in with the new” and cleaned out all the weightiness from my diet-plan, pantry, and snack-age. I’ve honed this recipe to its present, supreme, epicurean heights!

So this recipe utilizes iron and fiber rich golden raisins, colon scrubbing regular oats, heart invigorating clover honey, oat bran which is another intestinal scouring pad, and healthful natural sugars; the beat goes on – have a look at the recipe and see what else is cleverly tucked inside.

Coconut-Oaties

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups WHITE whole wheat flour (available at health food stores)

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup oat bran

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tbsp. cinnamon (Vietnamese is the best quality)

1 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ cup softened low fat margarine

1 cup Ricotta cheese (full fat)

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup agave syrup

¼ cup Turbinado sugar

2 eggs

½ tbsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup golden raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with a Silpat (Silicone baking mat) or parchment paper.

  1. Place the dry ingredients (flours, oat bran, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) into a large flour-sifter or wire mesh strainer; sift into a large mixing bowl to combine. Set aside.
  2. Add margarine and ricotta together in a separate large mixing bowl using an electric mixer; beat until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add brown and Turbinado sugars, and agave syrup, eggs, and vanilla; beat until well combined.
  4. Add half of the dry ingredients and stir well, and then add the remaining dry ingredients, coconut, and raisins, gently stir until well combined.
  5. Using a 2 inch ice cream or cookie scoop, drop unto the prepared baking sheet.  Place in oven, bake 9-12 minutes or until cookies are just starting to brown around the edges.  Remove from oven allow to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack.

This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.

Nutritional Information per serving: 1 cookie

Calories: 115

Fats: 3.5g

Carbohydrates: 16.2

Fiber: 2g

If you made this recipe please leave a comment and tell us how much you loved them. Go ahead; try them – your colon will love you for it!

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: ,
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