The Bariatric Foodie Guide to Making a Frittata

This one goes out to all my 4-6 person families. Because weekends can be brutal. During the week you have a good measure of control on food, don’t you? Perhaps the kids get lunch from the cafeteria (try though I might I can’t seem to beat the price they charge for school lunch so since my girls lunches have gotten way healthier I allow them to get lunch from school now). Worse-case scenario, you send them to school with a lunch that is very portioned so as not to wear out your food resources.

But then comes the weekend. Everyone is home! And everyone is hungry.

I have a good Saturday morning option for you AND as a bonus it’s something you and they can eat together! Yay!

Frittatas. I love them. But I admit I was intimidated by the process of making them. However my friend Pepper over at Pepper Scraps inspired me to try. When I was in Portland I watched her do it and thought “Pfft! I got this!”

Wait…let’s back up. In case you haven’t heard of a frittata, it’s sort of like a huge omelette that’s started on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. Or maybe a better way to think about it (since the good stuff goes in the frittata instead of being folded like an omelet) a frittata is like a big, round, flat quiche. Without a crust. And most of the fat. If all those descriptions fail, look at the picture!!!

So here’s my three step easy guide to frittatas (just in case you need a place to start).

To make any frittata you’ll need:

Eggs (obviously). For a family-style one like the one above, use six of them. I used the whole eggs. If you are into Egg Beaters use the equivalent amount of that. If you are into egg whites, I would suggest four whites to two whole eggs but it’s entirely up to you!

“Stuff” – meat (and this is where it can get fun. For Mexican you can use chorizo, for Cajun you can use Andouille or you can just go with bacon, diced sausage, soy sausage crumbles etc.), veggies (nearly any veggie works well but if you’re dealing with cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, or tough ones like kale or chard, you may need to increase your cook time). You’ll need about 2 – 2.5 cups of “stuff” for a family sized frittata. (NOTE: For mine I simply used onions, green peppers and tomatoes.)

Cheese – because what is life without cheese? Just be sure if you are making a themed frittata (Mexican, Greek, Italian, etc.) you use the appropriate cheese! You’ll use about 1 – 1.5 cups for the entire recipe (depending on how cheesy you are). Set aside ½ c. just for the top. (NOTE: I used shredded sharp cheddar and a little extra Mexican blend I had on hand.)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Your favorite herbs/spices (I used garlic, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence, which my daughter says makes the frittata taste like lavender – which she did not like – so I will omit in the future!)

An oven-safe skillet. 

Here’s how to make a frittata:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray down an oven-safe skillet (read: one with a metal handle) with non-stick cooking spray (be generous with the spray!), set it over a medium-flame and allow the pan to get hot.

Add your “stuff.” If you are using veggies, add them first, sauteeing until soft before adding your meat. If your meat is uncooked, cook it fully.

In a bowl, whisk your eggs until they are frothy. Add in the baking soda and whisk to mix and finally add the larger portion of cheese.

With a spatula, make sure your “stuff” is distributed evenly around the pan (this is both to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything in their slice AND because it just plain looks prettier!).

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and make sure it gets all the way around the pan, in those nooks and crannies! (Tilt the pan to distribute the egg). It should take on a circular shape.

Drop your heat a bit lower and let it do its thing. When the edges of the eggs start to set (become solid),  sprinkle remaining cheese on top, remove the pan from the stove and stick it in the oven.

Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the whole thing puffs up (it won’t be terribly tall or puffy but still) and is done through (no liquidy parts).

Remove from oven, allow it to cool about 5 minutes then slice!

Here's mine all fixed up Mexican-style with unflavored Greek yogurt, diced avocado and salsa!

A few notes about frittatas:

They are highly customizable if you K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, sweetie!). The one above is vegetarian because my youngest has again decided she does not eat meat. But I set out a nice little “fixins” bar that included some diced onions, Greek yogurt, salsa, more shredded cheese, avocado, etc. Go crazy with the fixins if you want. Kids love customizing their food!

For those watching their food budget, this cost me approximately $6 to make ($1.25 for the portion of eggs I used, $2 for the portion of cheese about $2.75 for the portion of “stuff” I used.) For a family of four that amounts to $1.50 per person. Each of us had a slice and I made homemade biscuits for the rest of the clan (no, I’m not giving you the recipe for my homemade biscuits lest Mama Foodie haunt me for life!) I will say, however, that biscuits (for the fam, not for you!) are about the cheapest and easiest accompaniment to a meal. They really aren’t hard to make and only require 5 ingredients: flour, butter, salt, milk and baking powder. Look it up if you don’t believe me!

Some folks have asked me what's the baking soda for? It actually makes your frittata fluffy without the use of milk or cream and it also keeps it fluffy on the reheat! This tip came by way of a co-worker's wife who suggested it for a quiche I made. It worked so well I started using the tip in frittatas as well!

At any rate, I am waiting on the arrival of a smaller oven-safe skillet so I can make mini-frittatas just for me. When I do, I’ll post recipes but for now, enjoy breakfast with the family!

The Bariatric Foodie Guide to Making a Click Frapp

REMINDER: Today, Wednesday, February 12, is the "Shake it Up" Challenge. Try something new and healthy and you have a chance to win some Click Espresso Protein! If you're here  to report back about what you did (remember, you have to do it today to qualify!), you can leave a comment on this blog post and you'll be entered to win!

In the meantime, I thought I'd tell you guys my favorite way to use Click. Come aboard my train of thought! 

Starbucks. Frappucinos. I used to love ‘em.

Now? Not so much. Yes, you can ask for them to be made with sugar-free syrup but the base they use (which comes pre-packaged) has sugar in it and that’s…iffy.

Besides, why take all those calories without ANY protein. That’s why, some years ago (in the time before time when Nik was a newbie) I came up with what I like to call a Click Frapp.

Now I don’t know if I can take credit for the term “Click Frapp.” I can say I hadn’t experienced the term before I started using it and I just Googled it and now it’s not that uncommon, but that’s neither here nor there.

Rather than simply give you a list of the Click Frapp recipes I have on the blog (which I’m still going to do, I thought I’d give you an all-inclusive guide to making a Click Frapp.

How to Make a Click Frapp

Liquid Base

Use 8 oz. of any of the following:

• Cow’s milk
• Soy milk
• Almond milk
• Some other type of milk
• Water

Flavor Base

Use ½ serving (1 scoop) of either:

• Click Mocha
• Click Mocha Decaf
• Click Vanilla Latte
• (After March 2014) Click Caramel

Protein Boost

Use one serving (which should be 100-130 calories and at least 20g protein, very few carbs):

• Chocolate protein powder
• Vanilla Protein powder
• Strawberry Protein powder

Flavor Add-Ons

Use 2 tbsp. of sugar-free syrup. You can use whatever you have on hand but here are some of my favorites:

• Peppermint Paddy
• English Toffee
• Brown Sugar Cinnamon
• Hazelnut
• Raspberry
• Orange (yes, it even tastes good with a chocolate base!)

AND/OR any of the following (amounts and added calories listed):

• Unsweetened Cocoa powder (1 tbsp = 25 calories)
• Powdered Peanuts like PB2 or Chike PB (1 tbsp = 27.5 calories, 2.5g protein)
• Sugar-free pudding powder (generally 1 tbsp. = 35 calories), here’s some flavors I think work well
• Cheesecake
• Banana Cream
• Caramel
• Butterscotch

Directions:

Combine one item from each category in a blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes (yes, that’s a long time but trust me on this one). Add 3-5 cubes of ice and blend until they are crushed. If desired, you may add more sweetener before the first blend.

Now that you have the basics, here are some more specific Click Frapp recipes:

• The Original Click Frapp
• The Vanilla Click Frapp
• The Clickabutter Frapp
• The Cinnamon Caramel Click Frapp
• The Chai Latte Click Frapp

BF Top 5: Foodie Apps!

Pledge People: Remember tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 11) is the “Shake it Up!” Challenge. Be sure to try something new and healthy tomorrow and report back for a chance to win some Click Espresso Protein.

I’ve been meaning to post this blog post for a while. But…you all know the story. Life. It happens. No matter how much I tell it not to!

So we all have smartphones these days. The best thing about smartphones is that there are a bazillion apps that can help you do…anything. Just anything.

I thought I’d take a moment to highlight a few of my favorite apps (just in case you need some inspiration for something new to try).

Nike+ Running App

Now don’t be intimidated by the name, Foodies! This app works whether you walk or run but here’s what’s cool about this app:

1. It tells you how far you’ve gone. Even the best guestimators like to have accurate info and this app will give it to you.
2. It tells you your walking/running pace. So you can see over time how you are improving.
3. It allows your friends on Facebook to “cheer you on.” If you enable Facebook from the app it will post when you are out walking/running. If your friends like that post your phone will erupt into applause. I’m here to tell you sometimes that’s just the thing you need to energize yourself!

Available for iOS and Android phones

Cost: FREE!

My Fitness Pal

This is a food tracking app! It really does equip you with the tools to make good eating decisions. Here’s the lowdown. It:

1. Has a large database of foods to choose from so the food you’re eating is probably in there. But even better…
2. You can scan the barcode of many food packages (with your phone camera) and if it’s in the database you can log a portion of that food right from the barcode.
3. You can set up personal caloric goals to meet your needs.

Available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones

Cost: FREE!

Sworkit

I learned about this app at FitBloggin’ last year. I love it. Here’s what it does: 

1. Gives you a workout anytime, anywhere.
2. You can choose how much time you have and what part of your body you’d like to work and it will give you an appropriate routine right there on your phone!
3. Each move comes with short videos demonstrating the move so it’s virtually impossible to get lost.

Available for iOS, Android and Kindle

Cost: Regular - FREE!, Pro - $0.99

Grocery Hero

This app is so handy. Picture it: Tuesday night. Work was a BEAST. You get home and you don’t feel like going back out. You look in the fridge and find you have what seems like a random assortment of food and you’re just too tired to be creative. Grocery Hero will:

1. Allow you to put in what you have and it’ll give you recipe suggestions.
2. Give you ideas for remixing leftovers.
3. Calculate nutritional information based on the recipes you picked (and can read barcodes on food to give you fairly accurate information).

Available for Android 

Cost: FREE!

Fresh Box

I just downloaded this one myself but I’m actually excited to play with it. Does managing the contents of your fridge sometimes stress you out? It does for me! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into my veggie bin to find everything has turned to mush because I never got to it. Fresh box allows you to snap a pic of the inside of your fridge and categorize items, adding expiration dates to anything you want to keep an eye on. Like I said, I haven’t used this one too much but if it can save me from those icky bags of dead zucchini, I’ll love it forever!

Available for iOS

Cost: $1

Why I Like Chike (And You Should Too!)

This week’s Bariatric Foodie Pledge sponsor is Chike Nutrition. I’ve had the opportunity to sample several of Chike’s protein flavors and I thought I’d give you a snapshot of what I thought of them so that if YOU are one of this week’s three lucky winners, you’ll have some help deciding which one you want! Unfortunately I’ve only published a review for one of their flavors but I have tried them all!

Protein Iced Coffee

Stats: 130 cals, 9g carbs, 2g sugars, 20g protein (click here for full stats)

Pro’s: Easy to mix (no clumps even in a blender bottle!), smooth coffee taste, with a hint of vanilla.

Con’s: Coffee officianados may find it a bit weaker than you want it, but if so just use coffee as your base! (Don’t tell your surgeon I said that).

Click here for the full review.

Chocolate Bliss

Stats: 190 cals, 11g carbs, 3g sugars, 3g fiber, 28g protein

Pro’s: Mixes well, has a good chocolatey taste (although I’m a chocolate crackhead so I almost always add extra unsweetened cocoa to any chocolate protein and this was no exception), does not have the requisite “monkey butt” protein smell (either that or by the time I tried Chike I was used to it! But I verified with my kids and they said it smelled fine).

Con’s: The only two con’s I can think of are that A) it’s high-ish on the calorie range for an individual serving of protein BUT, as a redeeming value, it mixes up nicely with water so I didn’t have to spend 80 calories and 12g of carbs on milk to get it to taste good. B) For those who are sensitive to it, Chike is sweetened with sucralose.

Strawberry Burst

Stats: 190 cals, 11g carbs, 3g sugars, 3g fiber, 28g protein

Pro’s: Mixes well, tastes like strawberry ice cream.

Con’s: I’m not particularly fond of strawberry ice cream. But if you are, you’ll like this protein! Same caveat as above about the caloric content and sucralose.

Orange Crème

Stats:

Pro’s: This actually did taste like an orange creamsicle bar, which was quite nice. I am rather fond of them.

Con’s: Same as above about caloric content and sucralose but beyond that, that’s it.

Banana Magic

Stats: 190 cals, 11g carbs, 3g sugars, 3g fiber, 28g protein

Pro’s: Weird as it may sound, I like that this tasted like bananas but didn’t have an overwhelming banana scent. I’m sort of on the fence with bananas. I used to hate them but since surgery I’ve found ways to like them. This powder I almost always used with peanut powder or a bit of cocoa.

Con’s: Same drill. Calories/sucralose.

Very Vanilla

Stats: 190 cals, 11g carbs, 3g sugars, 3g fiber, 28g protein

Pro’s: I was skeptical about this one because of all the protein flavors, vanilla is the one MOST likely to have that inexplicable “monkey butt” smell and taste, but I found their vanilla to be very…vanilla-y (riveting, right?). I’m definitely on #TeamChocolate but I enjoyed this. Plus a tasty vanilla makes for a great base for many other kinds of shakes!

Con’s: Broken record syndrome but the same as above!

Click here to check out the full stats for all these flavors!

Italian Sausage & Lentil Soup

Thankfully I still have some of this so a better pic is forthcoming!

I have a confession to make.

I actually go out to eat quite a bit. Much as I love cooking, I also love the restaurant experience. Being six years out, the habits of a WLSer with regards to restaurant eating are pretty second nature. I usually never go to a restaurant where I can’t check out the food stats before-hand. I ask for no bread. I drink water until my meal, stop when I begin eating. We all know the drill.

Well last week I went to Carrabba’s for lunch and had this.

It’s their Italian Sausage & Lentil soup. It was quite yummy! It was a bit more caloric than most of you probably want to go for but it was a splurge for me that day!

Still…in my head, as I am eating, I’m thinking, “I have to figure out a way to make a lighter version of this!”

And that’s precisely what I did!

Nik’s Italian Sausage & Lentil Soup

(Best I can tell this makes 8, one-cup servings or thereabouts. If that's too much for you and your family, this recipe is pretty easy to halve!)

Ingredients

• Olive oil non-stick cooking spray 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large tomato, cored and diced (or a can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 c. whatever additional veggies you’d like, cut into small pieces (the original seemed to have green peppers and carrots. I just used yellow squash.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 turkey or chicken Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 lb. dry lentils (any color that moves you)
• 1 tsp. extra – virgin olive oil (optional)
• 32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ tsp. (or to taste) Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp. (more if you like spicy), red pepper flakes
• 2 c. water

Directions

Spray large pot with olive oil cooking spray, set it over a medium flame and allow it to get hot.

Add diced onions and sautee about 2-3 minutes before adding remaining veggies, garlic and Italian sausage.

Break up Italian Sausage (as if you are browning ground beef) and cook thoroughly. At this point, if you wish, you can drain the meat/onion mixture of fat (depending on the type of sausage there may not be much).

Add the lentils to the pot and stir them through. Add the olive oil. (Note: This is a trick I use when I want olive oil flavor but not the olive oil calories. I cook the veggies in non-stick then add a small amount of olive oil later to get the flavor hit.)

Add the chicken broth, seasonings and water and cover, allowing the mixture to come to a boil. Then drop the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

So here’s how I think mine compares to the original. I love how the taste of the sausage comes through in this soup. Mine is a bit less salty than Carrabba’s was. (I even saved a bit of my soup from lunch to compare, so of this I am quite sure!) I played with the ratio of lentils to sausage a bit in this recipe so that there’s a bit more lentils than sausage in my bowl, but I like that! If you like it the other way around, knock back to ½ lb. of lentils. My soups also tend to resemble what Rachel Ray would call a "stoup" (stoop?), in that I don't leave a ton of excess liquid. Soups are one of those paradoxical post-op foods that make you break the "no eating and drinking together" rule so I try not to put myself in that situation!

Finally, this soup is crazy good the day you make it (especially with some fresh grated Parmesan on top) but it is insane the next day. What the heck happens to food when it sits in the fridge overnight? It’s like there’s a party in there!

At any rate, give this soup a try. I liked it. My picky eldest daughter liked it. My youngest has once again professed herself a vegetarian so I may have to find some vegetarian Italian sausage next time so she’ll eat it.

Julia's Thai Shrimp Skillet

Before we get to this yumminess, THANK YOU to everyone who pledged a goal for week one of the Bariatric Foodie Pledge! You can find the official week one pledge list (in alphabetical order) here. Remember that you must check-in on your goal at the end of the week to be eligible for this week’s prize, sponsored by Chike Nutrition. Week one check-ins open at 12 p.m. EST Saturday, February 8 and end 12 p.m. EST, Sunday February 9 (which is also when week two pledging begins).

If you’re going, “What the heck is a Bariatric Foodie Pledge?” click here.

Now…onto the yumminess. Chike Nutrition is, first and foremost, a maker of yummy protein powders. I’ve tried many and liked them (look out tomorrow for a comprehensive list of my favorites).

Recently, they came out with a new product: Chike PB. It’s peanut flour. What’s that? Well when a peanut is pressed for oil it leaves behind a powder, which contains most of the protein of the peanut and just a little bit of the fat. That’s peanut powder (also called peanut flour). It has about 85% less calories than peanut butter. Amazingly, Chike’s offering preserves 85% of the protein of a serving of peanut butter. Here’s how that shakes out.

Regular peanut butter (2 tbsp): 200 calories, 17g fat, 7g protein

Chike PB (2 tbsp): 45 calories, 1.5g fat, 6g protein

And when you mix it into things like protein shakes, protein oatmeal and desserts, it tastes like peanut butter! Sweet, right?

Anyhoo, I gave a Chike PB sample to a few fellow Foodies and asked them to think of interesting and new ways to use it. This comes by way of Julia, one of the finalists for the grand prize from last year’s Pledge, might I add!   

Julia’s Thai Shrimp Skillet

Ingredients:

Shrimp (or protein of choice)

• 1 lb. shrimp, cooked (25 ct. size or so) OR a pound of your favorite protein, cut into pieces and cooked
• Juice from one lime
• Zest from one lime
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce (if there’s an Asian section in your grocery store, check there. If not, you can omit)
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed 

Peanut Sauce

• 6 oz. coconut milk
• 5 tbsp. Chike PB powder
• 1 tbsp lime Ponzu (again, check the international food aisle OR you can use soy sauce mixed with a squirt of lime juice)
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. Thai garlic chili sauce (this also tends to be in the international food aisle although it may be with other marinades – if you like spicy food, use the same amount of sriracha)
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 

The Veggies

• ½ a sweet red pepper, cut in strips
• ½ an orange sweet pepper, cut in strips
• 1 medium onion, cut in strips
• ½ a sweet potato, diced
• 1/3 of an eggplant, diced
• ½ - ¾ c. grape tomatoes, halved

Topping: fresh cilantro & roasted peanuts.

Directions:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a zip-top storage bag and add your protein. Marinate at least 30 minutes.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot, add peanut oil and sweet potato (add potato immediately as peanut oil begins to smoke very quickly). Stir about 3-4 minutes or until it starts to become tender then add the remaining vegetables and stir, sauteeing until the vegetables are as soft as you want them to be.

While your veggies are cooking, combine peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk (Julia used her Magic Bullet Blender). Make sure all peanut powder is incorporated and you don’t see any dry powder!

Drain your protein from the marinade liquid and add to the pan, along with the peanut sauce and stir until warmed through.

Serve warm with cilantro and peanut garnish!

"Why are you telling me all this, Nik? You're giving away the protein, not the PB!"

Good question! All will be revealed...TOMORROW! Bwahahahaha! (I've been dying to do an evil laugh. Indulge me, ok?)

Seriously. Check back to the blog tomorrow and you'll find out WHY I'm telling you about Chike PB. Because there's always a method to my madness.