The Crop

Fresh tomato simmer sauce or Soup

3t minced garlic or more
2 leeks chopped fine
1 big onion chopped
2T olive oil
1 green bell pepper chopped
3-4 leaves kale chopped
12 big tomatoes or 3 cans unsalted diced tomatoes
2T fresh thyme or 2t dried
2c water
2 veg bouillon cube
1 sm can green chills
2 bay leaves
1.5 T dry basil
1 t black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t dry rosemary
1 t cumin
1 T soy sauce
1/4 c red lentils
1/4 c dry split peas

In a large soup pot heat oil then cook the first 3 ingredients on low for 15 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours.  At this point you have a wonderful soup.  If you want a sauce, use a submersible wand blender and blend the soup to a less chunky texture.  It it is too watery,  cook uncovered until it thickens.  I chose to use this amazing stuff for a very healthy  lasagna.

Sunshine and Lemon Pops

Yay for summer! There are lazy days, trips to the beach, and kickball in the backyard. My kids love
summer and they love flavored ice pops. They also love gardening. We live in the city in an apartment
building. We have no backyard space for our dream garden. So we work with our little 12 foot by 3
foot patch of earth we can plant in. A few years ago we found Lemon Balm Herb at a local nursery and
couldn’t wait to plant it. After 3 years of having it grace our garden, this year I wanted to find a way to
actually use it other than to rub between my fingers for the incredible soothing smell. I knew you could
make tea with Lemon Balm leaves so I decided to try to make some ice pops for the kids to enjoy since
lemons, ice and summer go so well together.

It’s a simple, easy recipe that even your kids can help you with. Not to mention that there are
no artificial colors, preservatives or sweeteners like the many ice pops you get from the store. (And
these are lower in sugar too!) Start by cutting some lemon balm from your plant. Enough to fill two 20
ounce Mason canning glass jars (I just use the glass jars I save from when I buy store bought Classico
marinara sauce) Don’t be stingy-stuff that lemon balm in!

More Lemon Balm!

Fill each jar with boiling water. Let it seep for 20 minutes. Drain using a colander and/or cheesecloth (if
you have tiny pieces of leaves)

Add one teaspoon (or more to taste) of Agave syrup. You could also use honey. Stir well.

Now comes the fun part. Pick some fresh berries to add. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries are our
favorite. Using ice pop molds pour in liquid and add some berries. We also used ice trays so we can
add some of the ice cubes to our summer iced tea. Freeze and enjoy!!

The kids like it more when they get to help!

I had heard rumors on a few fitness forums about a magic noodle–no carbohydrates, all fiber resulting in no net calories. Lies–it is to laugh! Some people had tried them and had said the texture was different but they enjoyed them. I looked in Asian markets for something  resembling what these people were rumoring about and never found them. Until recently when I went to a local market and there in the gluten free section sat a package called “NoOodle” and it boasts right on the label they are gluten free, calorie free, sent from the gods of pasta to save the world etc. Naturally I purchased 2 packages so I could mess around with a few different ideas.

Devil Noodle Soup

When I looked up what they use for these noodles I saw that it was made from “Devil’s Tongue Yam” so I thought I would prepare them with some spice to it. The result was a very ethnic dish with a lot of heat and flavor and from what I can research–ZERO calories as well!

Simmering Devil tongue soup

Devil Tongue Soup
serves anyone who dares try it

1 8 ounce package Japanese Noodles
4 or 5 large mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 cup Pico De Gallo
1 tbls vegetable bouillon paste
1 cup water
1 splash fish sauce
1 tsp green curry
3 toothpicks full ghost chili

Add all the ingredients aside from the ghost chili to a large sauce pan. Once the mushrooms are tender but before they are mushy remove from heat and stir in the ghost chili, a tooth pick at a time, until it has reached your desired level of heat!  The flavor in this from the fish sauce and curry as well the vegetables add such an ethnic flare to the dish, coupling that fact with the spice sensation of the ghost chili. The noodles had the perfect texture as well–no they are not spaghetti noodles but they are noodles! Think of it like Ramen has been given a second chance to redeem itself!

Don’t forget to check out our book on Amazon for more ideas on low calorie delicious and healthy recipes!

On evening I decided I would “google” some weight loss transformations and just read up on things a bit. Do you KNOW how many there are? I saw links to every diet idea there could be. I saw articles for success with pictures of what seemed like miracles to plastic surgery.

I also saw those people; those certain individuals who one day woke up and said ” I will not be held prisoner by this weight any longer” and they changed themselves completely. They went from being depressed, tired and lonely individuals to super hero’s. They had web sites that would light a fire under most people. How did they do it? How did they manage to lose 50, 80 and some even more than 100 pounds? What is the secret they have that millions around the world ache for yet are failing to reach? Did they find a magic bullet; some sort of subliminal trigger that others can’t grasp?

We flip on the TV and 2 out of 5 commercials are for a new weight loss program; pill, procedure, drink, injection etc. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. Science is constantly looking for a gene to blame; a cure for obesity as if it were cancer or some other deadly occurrence to the body. Obesity does kill, but it is a preventable killer in which the cure lies in “eating right and working out” So, again, why are people missing this? Why are other people finding it? Science and western society want an easy answer; clapping their hands or snapping their fingers and POOF a thin lean body. I am glad it is not that easy; now anyway.

Once a person reaches a point of deciding to do something, well, the world is theirs to have. Once they wrap their mind around a concept of weight loss, choose a wellness program to follow etc they do find it IS EASY. Want me to reword that? OK!

For the average person, let’s presume you are an average person…..it is easy to walk. Little thought goes into walking, right? You want to get to a certain point so you get up and walk there. You do not have to say ok, left leg first, ok good, now the right leg and so forth. It wasn’t always this way; we had to learn to walk. Sure, I know we do not remember the determination we had around 1 year of age, but it was there. How about talking, learning to read, algebra? (ok I am still working on the Algebra one) driving, cooking, writing etc.  You can see where I am going right? Everything thing we learned to do in our life took determination, practice and learning from mistakes in order to master a skill. This is all it takes. It takes a want or a desire to really and truly be fit and healthy.

If you are not making steps to be thin and be healthy then you just do not want to be thin and healthy bad enough. You can say you have a genetic make up which makes it harder, an illness which makes it to difficult etc but all it takes is a want which is bigger than those things. Google it, I dare you. You will see so many people over come so many physical odds and illness, finding their own way to fitness.

It won’t be over night, it will be trial and error discovering what works best for your body for weight loss.

It will be a journey of discovery and adventure.

It will teach you more about yourself than you already knew.

There is a super hero inside of you, there really is.

All you have to do is let it out.

You ready?

yeah--that's right--chicken balls!

Ok this is more of an idea than a recipe for all you people who are still–STILL–wondering what to do with all that chicken breast you have in the fridge. You will need a food processor,magic bullet or just ask your favorite neighborhood butcher to grind it for you.

Here is what I did with my ground up chicken breast: I added some red curry paste, garlic powder, turmeric, onion powder, cumin, fish sauce and sea salt. I mixed it all up and let it sit and marinate in the spices for about a half hour. Then I took an egg and cracked it open in a bowl and beat it up *flex flex* in another bowl I added some potato starch. I then removed all my bling rings from my fingers, washed my hands and formed meat balls with the chicken mix–then rolled the ball in the egg and next the potato flour. Let those sit for a few minutes to really have the egg and potato flour introduce themselves to one another.

raw poultry balls

Here they are getting acquainted while the skillet warmed up on medium high heat. I sprayed the pan with some olive oil cooking spray, enough to just prevent them from sticking–and as the can says–add a trivial amount of fat to the dish. Trivial!~

I put about 8 balls in the pan at a time, making sure not to crowd them or cool down the skillet at all. I then covered the pan and let them cook like that for about 5 minutes–then i turned them and let them brown on all sides–uncovered–for about another 5-7 minutes.  the key with this is to get them potato starch to brown up and give it a crisp outer shell to make us think it is fried food. Pretty tricky, Sis!

These passed the taste test with all the kids and the husband, and this is straight up strict diet food here!
See , they look like cheat food and they taste wonderful!  You can add any seasoning mix you would like, garlic, onion and some smoke flavor would be excellent as well!

If you are opposed to chicken balls you can do the same batter and omit the coating. Fit the chicken with your hand onto skewers and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Chicken on a stick! I used the same seasoning and then squeezed lemon juice on them when done. Also super delicious! So–once again rethink your chicken breasts!  These would be great to have as party foods, too!

Everything tastes better on a stick!

A perfect warm dish on a cool fall day

I love a hearty stew in the fall. I love all the rich flavors of the fall harvest, too. Carrots, squashes–heck I want to curl up inside a cornucopia and marvel at the fall wonders.  When I think of winter squashes and hot stews I want to draw hearts on paper with the names of each dish they can create. Comfort, warmth, excitement of the seasons cool nights, crunching leaves–the bright open night sky with the stars spilling across the entire view like vibrant beacons of sparkling hope.  I love Autumn!  This dish is a great accompaniment for the mood of the season. Rich, soothing  velvety and crisp!

I used boneless skinless thigh meat in this recipe because, let’s face it, that is where the flavor is. Sure we run off and purchase chicken breast in bulk now for most recipes but in a hearty dish like this–use the thigh! The heavy cream–just a bit–ensures it will hold up with the vinegar and not curdle or do anything else in the stew you do not want it to do. Fully fat creams behave well in this recipe–and it is just a splash–or two.

Creamy Chicken Stew
(adapted from Eating Well October 2010)
serves 6
1 pound brushed clean mushroom caps
1/2 cup diced sweet onion like Vidalia or Wala
1 cup chopped white and orange carrots
1 cup fresh peas
1/4 cup water
3 cups chicken broth
2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
1 Large spring fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 tbls cider vinegar
2 tbls corn starch
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbls Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combined mushrooms , onions , olive oil and 1/4 cup water to a 6 quart dutch oven. Cover and cook over high heat stirring often until the mushrooms are juicy –about 6 minutes. Remove cover and cook for another 10 minutes–browning the mushrooms. Add 2 cups broth, carrots, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cover the entire soup with the chicken thighs and sprinkle the cider vinegar over the meat. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 45 more minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining cup of chicken broth add in the cream. Pour the mixture into the cooking soup and stir until thickened, add the fresh peas and heat for another 20 minutes. Serve warm in large baked squash bowls.

Calories per 1 cup serving: 319
Fat: 15 grams
Carbohydrates: 17 grams
Protein:31 grams

Click to see more Real Foods!

Will you scream?

“What is your favorite healthy food ingredient?“– I am asked this question a lot.  I answer “avocado” automatically, no thought goes into my response at all because I know the question so well. 9 out of 10 times I hear about how the inquisitor does not like avocado at all as they recant a story of the worst guacamole they ever tried, the terrible texture etc. Honestly, I rarely give listen to the response–because the ones who do not like avocado are the ones who have never really had an avocado aside from some store bought pseudo food product green in color with the word avocado written on the label. I am sick of the reputation this wonder food has! I  can never find anything negative to say about this food–it works in almost any dish, from dessert to main course and anything in between. (Yes, dessert THEN the main course, those are the rules!) I have been known to open the fridge, grab an avocado, peel it and eat it as it. I don’t care–I am wild like that–the avocado and I are wild like that when we are together!

So, reading food blogs about ice cream I got to thinking about how wonderful a coconut milk and avocado ice cream would be. Could you imagine? The idea in my mind was just perfect, so smooth,complimenting and sweet. Both tree fruits ( I declare them tree fruits) can fit in any dish–I bet I could even put them in a pasta meal without you even noticing!  My only drawback was I did not have an ice cream maker–till now. (insert maniacal laughter once again)

Today we created a sugar free (meaning no added sweetener of any kind) dairy free ice cream. We did it and I will do it again!

Cherry Coconut Ice Cream
makes 6 scoops

1 whole avocado peeled and pitted
10 ounces coconut milk
1/4 cup frozen cherries (or fresh)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a blender or food processor combined all ingredients aside from the chocolate and the cherries. Blend well and add to your ice cream maker. Follow your ice cream makers instructions on when to put in the add ins.

Now on a lot of the blogs i was noting that their ice cream was melting as they were taking pictures so I put my ice cream in the freezer to really set firm before I served it.

The texture was smooth like the butter fat types of ice cream you get here in New England. It was a lot like Ben n Jerry’s Cherry Garcia in fact.  the almond extract complimented the frozen cherries really bringing out the flavor of the fruit. No sugar is even needed in this, the chocolate, the natural sweetness of the coconut milk and the cherries was perfect.  This is a great treat for the entire family to try! I cannot wait now to try out more ice cream recipes–tamarind ice cream perhaps?

Blogs I looked at for ice cream were:

• Dokuzuncubulut
• Kitchen Heals Soul

Cool off your summer days with Sorbet!

Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet

1.5 lbs fresh strawberries, trimmed
½ c lemon juice
¾ c water
½ c sugar- or less if your fruit is really sweet

Puree the berries and juice together in a food processor or blender.  Place the water and the sugar in a microwave safe dish and heat for a minute and a half and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Once the sugar is dissolved, cool the mix in the fridge or add a few ice cubes to it.  Now add the sugar syrup to the berries and blend well.  Chill.  Now you have to follow the directions for your ice cream maker.  I added my fruit mix to the maker, surrounded the container with ice, turned it on and had a luscious sorbet in 30 minutes.

Jamie Wilson

How easy is this? How much better for you is this as well?  Clean eating ROCKS!

Which is 100% no sugar added–kid you not. It passed the test with my 6 and 7 year old daughters. My 7 year old, also my Celiac child is a lover and seeker of the toothsome foods like her Mama. Odd that neither  of  us can eat wheat in any form yet we are sadly entwined in a love for the carrier of sugar and fats that it can bring to our palettes. She will curse all things wheat when she seems them frosted or sprinkled with sugary colored toppings.  Me, too, Baby Girl–me too. So, as I was explaining this cheesecake passed with flying colors with my daughters–each asking for seconds and looking forward to waking up in the morning for a breakfast slab of delectable treat.

Local Peaches and Raspberry Puree

Gluten free No Sugar Cheesecake
(adapted from South Beach Diet)
serves 12
6 large fresh eggs–room temperature and seperated
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 32 ounce container of part skim Ricotta cheese
2 tsp lemon zest
6 tbls fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 and lightly butter a spring form pan. In a glass or metal mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed for 1 minute allowing the whites to become frothy and air filled. Add the cream of tartar and beat on high for another 3 minutes until very stiff peaks form. Set egg whites aside.

Egg whites with perfect stiff peaks.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until creamy. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until smooth.

Creamy Ricotta filling

Gently fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites to the cheese filling then add the rest of the whites and continue to gently fold in. Do not beat it in, fold it in, some missed areas off egg white is OK. It is better to under fold than to over beat.

See how fluffy it is when you gently fold?

Spread raw cake mix into the prepared spring form pan and set on the center rack to bake until golden brown and set–about 1 hour and 15 minutes–it is OK the wait will be worth it! Allow to cool on a wire rack for about a half an hour.

Golden brown and cracked means done

While cake is cooling simmer remaining 4 tablespoons lemon juice, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes,allowing the juice to reduce slightly. Spoon the reduced juice over the cake and into the cracks. Cover cake and set in the fridge to cool over night–or at the very least 4 hours.

Just before serving remove from pan and top with local fruits. I topped ours with fresh raspberry puree and local peaches.

Cheesecake for ME!

Calories Per Slice:  140
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 5 grams
Protein: 11 grams

I like to pack a salad with everything i can pack it with. I think the days of a slice of onion and a cherry tomato are gone–when you dress the salad right. I think the reason why people have drizzled and over dressed the salad for decades now has been because it was little more than a water grassy leaf with a few things added. Salad was more a dish where it was the “thought that counted” more than the actual dish itself.  Well–it is time to bring salad forward into the fashionably elite dishes like goulashes and soups that we throw all we can find into it. No one picks up a bowl of soup and pours oils and spices all over it to give it some panache. I have not really used traditional dressings since Susan Powter once again stopped my insanity. I avoided all fats for the 90′s decade and it is still a bit of a social phobia that I have adding oil to my salad. I can now prepare my own dressings and not worry I will wake up in the morning in an over sized straight jacket hissing out my desires for fried dough and ranch dressing. Please note it has taken a decade to evolve past those fears–so I try to be more creative than “fat/no fat” After all the salad is not black and white so why should my choices for it be the same.

This weekend i cooked up some chicken breast with some Mexican spices along with some salsa and wanted to top a bed of romaine with it. I thought–OK my family will want dressing for this salad and I will not. Quandary!  So rather than add the normal things I add to a salad, avocado, sliced garlic, cucumbers and fresh cilantro leaves–I blended them up together with a splash of rice vinegar. My 7 yr old kept telling me how much she enjoyed the dressing and how it tasted so good with the cucumbers in it. She will not eat avocado–ever. She loved it in this dressing though!

Another fantastic thing is to create fresh salsa for the salad, take those tomatoes, onions, cilantro and dice them up with some garlic and cumin along with some added bang from a hot pepper. In this salsa I had some pineapple which was about to turn the corner from over ripe to down right bad–I could hear it mumbling terrible things late at night–I knew it was time to cut it up.  You could add peaches, green tomatoes–OK you can add anything in the produce section to a salad.  So–why bury it under boring ranch dressing each and every time?

Plus–they look better don’t they?

What do you add to your salads?