Spice up your life!

Remember Zatarain’s? Yeah…back in the day I used to jazz it UP!!! My favorite was the jambalaya, although they had several “meals in a box” that I loved to fix. I am a spicy food fanatic so anything I can put red pepper flakes in is a done deal.

Funny thing is, though, that I did not intend for this to come out as a Zatarain’s knock off. I had a head of cauliflower and I didn’t feel like making faux mac ‘n cheese, which is what I usually do. Truth be told, I wanted sausage and when a girl wants sausage there is nothing to be done but to give that girl her sausage (ok, it’s been too long since I’ve had a boyfriend cuz there was innuendo all UP in that statement…). So I started playing around and tasting, playing around and tasting (which technically is a violation of the “no grazing rule” but ask me if I care…) and I’m adding stuff and adding stuff until I was like “hot diggity dang! I think I’m on to something here!”

And so this was born. Tentative name: jambalaya casserole.

Yes, yes I know traditionally jambalaya has shrimp and okra and a bunch of other stuff that’s not in here. But notice that I based my comparison on Zatarain’s. It’s kinda like putting a recipe out there for something that was made from Taco Bell and comparing it to authentic Mexican food. It just don’t work. Apples and oranges. But this is good in its own respect and I kinda loved it. It got the divas seal of approval too which was cool.

“Fake Me Out” Jambalaya Casserole
Ingredients:

1 pkg lowfat turkey smoked sausage, sliced1

small onion, diced

1 head cauliflower (cut into florets)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 c. skim milk

1 c. cut okra, rinsed (I didn't use this...I used a can of drained green beans cuz the divas have attitude about okra)

2 egg whites

2 heaping tbsp "I can't believe it's not butter" light

salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

1/2 c. either medium or hot salsa1 tsp minced garlic

1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs (this is a rare instance where I seriously think Fiber One would be a disservice)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Sautee onions and smoked sausage together until sausage gets crispy on the outside. Add red pepper flakes and okra (or green beans) once everything is done cooking and mix through Set aside

2. Boil cauliflower florets until tender. When done drain and then return to pot. Add "butter" salt and pepper along with milk and mash then put back on low heat.

3. Add cheese to cauliflower mixture and mix well, letting it continue to simmer (milk will bubble but it's ok).

4. Add onion/sausage/veggie mixture to cauliflower mixture and stir well. Add egg whites and mix well.

5. Pour into casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

The above pic is what's left of it after the divas and I had our fill. I had 2.5 (me-sized) portions of it (prolly about 1.5 c total), le petite diva (my youngest daughter) had 3 helpings and le grande diva had 2. So I'd say it was a success...yes?

Food for thought...and action!

See that do-hickey to your right...the one with the picture of the GORGEOUS woman on it?

Yeah...that thing.

That's my charity badge. I got a goal people...to raise $500 to feed hungry people around the world.

Why is this important to me? (And more importantly why should you care?)

Well I had RNY to save my life because I ate WAY too much food. There are people in the world who are living on $1 a day or less. Women who forego food so that they can scrape together one meal a day for their children. Families who don't have welfare, or food stamps, or any other help to get food. And so they simply do not eat.

It boggles my mind that in America we have an obesity problem when in the world so many are starving. So I want to help. For many reasons, but mainly because:

1. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy - ok, that's really selfish
2. Because no matter how poor I think I am...my poor doesn't even TOUCH the poverty of people in places like Burkina Faso and El Salvador
3. Because I have children and I can't imagine not being able to feed them
4. Because if I was hungry I would want someone to feed me

So anyway, I am appealing to all of you. Lutheran World Relief, my chosen charity, doesn't just hand out food. They help farmers grow crops and earn income to support their families. They help poor communities dig wells so they can have clean water. Basically they help people to help themselves.

Check out their website if you'd like and if your heart is moved to give, I give you thanks. If not, I thank you for reading this. My goal is to raise $500 this summer and I'm trying to hit up my richie aunt to match my donation. I'll keep you posted on that!

The Love Boat...

I call these little babies "Fiesta tuna boats" cuz...well they are Mexican inspired (which always makes me want to throw a fiesta), they have tuna in them and the lettuce is like little boats sailing all that yummy flavor into my mouth! Ok, that was cheesy...but then again so are these! So here's the rundown:

Fiesta tuna boats
3 Iceberg lettuce leaves
1 can tuna in water, drained
1 tsp light mayo
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
about 2 tbsp Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 tbsp fat free sour cream (I use Daisy!)
2 tbsp salsa (I use generic hot flavored)
2 tbsp (or 1 oz.) chopped onion
1-2 strips (depending on your fat thresshold/willingness) pre-cooked bacon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine drained tuna, mayo, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix
2. Lay out your lettuce leaves and place equal portions of tuna on each leaf
3. Microwave pre-cooked bacon one minute until crumbly then sprinkle it on top of the tuna
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the bacon
5. Top each with sour cream and salsa
6. NOSH, NOSH, NOSH!!!

Depending on your distance from surgery this could be 1 serving or it could be 3. For me it was 1 serving because I have Hercules pouch. This is SOOOOOO yummy! All the flavor of a taco (sorta), the protein of tuna, cheese, bacon, and hardly any carbs!!! What's not to love?
I'm labeling this Mexican food ONLY because of the seasoning and salsa. Very loose interpretation, yes?

TVP: a Primer...

I may, from time to time, post recipes with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, so I thought I'd give a short primer on what it is, how it is used, etc.

TVP is a soy product. It can be bought in bulk at places like Whole Foods and some company's (namely Bob's Red Mill) sell it pre-packaged. Some important information about TVP:

1. It comes dry. You may need to rehydrate it depending on what you are using it for. You basically mix it 1:1 with water
2. It tastes like...absolutely nothing...until you mix something in. Well that's not true. It does have a taste but it is very bland in and of itself
3. If you want any kind of "flavored" TVP...you should mix said flavoring into the water you will use to rehydrate it. That is the best way. I speak this from experience
4. TVP will add bulk to your recipes so tread carefully. I once used too much in a tuna casserole and I STILL have portions of that SOB in my freezer!

Nutritional info:
Generally 1/4 c. of TVP has about 80 calories, 12g of protein. A 1/4 c. will yield about 1/2 of a hydrated cup (about...not exactly...). Very few carbs.

So what to use it for?

• I mix it with oatmeal for hot cereal (I'll post about that someday when I get a pic)
• I use it in place of ground meat
• I use it in place of rice
• I put it in stews
• I put it on top of things almost like granola (like yogurt and such)

(I do not like them in a box, I do not like them with a fox, I do not like Green Eggs and Ham, I do not like them Sam I Am!!!--sorry...repetitive phrasing calls to mind Seuss...moving on...)

The possibilities are truly endless. One of my latest uses was in this Spicy Black Bean burger that I made for a vegetarian friend of mine. It's basically a black bean falafel..and it was pretty damn tasty!

Ingredients:
1 can frijoles negros (getting my Spanish on y'all!)
1/4 c. TVP
2 tbsp unflavored, non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 red onion, chopped
Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Directions:

1. Dump beans in a collander and rinse them (thereby removing any unnecessary sodium from canning). Dump them in a bowl.
2. With a wooden spoon, mash the hell outta them suckers!
3. Add Greek yogurt, TVP, red onion and spices (to taste) and let it sit for a minute or two to dry out just a little (not too much or they won't stay together. If you're not interested in the vegetarian thing you can add an egg white to help them hold together even better)
4. Form into patties. Place them on a sprayed cookie sheet and bake in a 350 pre-heated oven about 10 minutes

I eat these in a whole wheat, low carb tortilla with more greek yogurt and salsa. Do what you feel is right. They are nice because they are filling but not overfilling.
Anyhoo...that's my word on TVP. Note that any info request on TVP will revert back to this post. :-)

Thai Iced Tea...within your reach...

I used to love this stuff. Creamy, super sweet, cold...what's not to love? I'd drink it alongside a mountainous plate of Pad Thai...I should look up how many calories all that would be. Yikes. Maybe not.

Anyway...even this specialty drink is not off limits for us! It is, however, off-limits for drinking at the same time as you eat...even if you do eat some of my Ghetto Pad Thai...(I have no pic of the ghetto pad thai but will list the recipe below.

So this one requires a little bit of extra shopping and equipment. Well worth the expense and effort if you love Thai Iced Tea as I do...

To make this you will need:

2/3 c. Thai tea leaves (go to the Asian market...tell them you are a naive American...they will hook you up)
1 and 2/3 c. water
1/2 c. Splenda
1 1/2 cup fat free Evaporated Milk (12oz can)

You also need some sort of tea strainer (sieve, tea sock or the like).

So here's the methodology: You boil the water and then remove it from heat before adding the tea leaves (and yes you are using a lot of tea leaves). Let it sit for about...oh...five minutes. Be patient and let it sit!

Next, strain liquid through sieve or tea sock into a small pitcher. Add Splenda and stir, stir, stir!!!

Refrigerate until cold.When you are ready to drink it, fill a cup with ice. FIll 2/3 of cup with iced tea and the remaining 1/3 with FF evaporated milk (also note you can use soy milk, skim milk, or whatever kind of milk you like...Me? I'm partial to lite coconut milk).

Stick a straw in it and SLURP!

Ok, so ghetto pad thai...really isn't pad thai at all but it does incorporate some of the flavors. It's sort of what would happen if Pad Thai, peanut noodles, and Satay chicken got together, had a threesome and a baby resulted. Ew. Moving on...

Ghetto Pad Thai

On top:

6 chicken breast tenderloins
Juice from half of one lime
2 tbsp lite soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated ginger

On bottom:

2 c. spaghetti squash
1 bag Thai or Asian stir fry vegetables
2 tbsp lite soy sauce
Juice from half a lime
1 tbsp PB2 (peanut butter)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 packets of splenda
½ c. chopped unsalted peanuts

Other stuff:

1 tbsp. sesame oil
Chopped green onions for garnish (if desired)

Directions:

Combine chicken ingredients in a storage bag and marinate chicken for at least two hours (overnight works best)
Heat sesame oil in a wok. Cut up marinated chicken and place in wok, cooking until done. You can add the rest of the marinade in there as well.
When chicken is done, add stir fry vegetables and turn until well mixed
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper flakes, vinegar, PB2 and Splenda and whisk until blended
When veggies are cooked through add spaghetti squash (I advise making it ahead and putting it in the refrigerator. I think the key is cooking this from cold to hot very quickly) and mix through.
Very yummy and exotic. Try the two on the same night (at least 30 minutes apart...the surgery mafia requires I say this...) and have a theme night!

Pour liquid mixture over the stir fry and add peanuts. Mix well and warm through

Happy Cinqo de Mayo!

Cinqo de Mayo is now my absolute favorite fake holiday. I have it on good authority from a few Mexican friends that Mexicans generally don't celebrate the holiday and that it's basically just a (damn good) excuse to drink.

I had INTENDED to celebrate the holiday with this beautiful dish to the left, however, a sick child inspired me to go with a big ol' pot of homemade turkey vegetable soup and some Carbquik drop dough biscuits (if you don't have Carbquik...get some...NOW! The stats on that stuff are crazy! You get a biscuit...A BISCUIT...for like 20 calories, 1g of carbs!) To quote the annoying stereotypically Southern lady in the new Popeye's commercials, "who ever heard of such nonsense?"

Anyway back to the matter at hand. The above. YES, it is WLS friend, even low cal and low(er) carb. It is an enchilada with a side of fat free refried beans, greek yogurt (hit with a dash of onion powder) and mild salsa.

Nikki's Enchiladas

6 La Tortilla Factory low-carb, whole wheat small tortillas
2 Purdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts, diced small
1/2 a green pepper diced
1/2 a white onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup of 2% Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/2 can enchilada sauce (I use a brand called Carlita)
Some non-stick cooking spray
Optional: red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Spray pan with cooking spray and cook chicken until done.
2. Add peppers and onions and cook through. Add red pepper flakes to the mixture if desired.
3. Warm tortillas in microwave for about 15-20 seconds.
4. Lay tortillas on a flat surface and spoon some of the chicken mixture down the middle. Sprinkle some cheese on top of that and then roll into a long tube.
5. Pour a bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish.
6. Place each enchilada in a sprayed casserole dish, seam side down and make sure to pack them snugly
7. Once all enchiladas are rolled, top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese
8. Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melty and gooey

Today is my late grandfather's, Manuel Fernandez's, birthday. He would have been 77 years old. He died 5 years ago from liver cancer following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. I love and honor you today Pop-Pop!