BF Top 5: Kitchen Staples to Make BF Recipes NOW!

Often when I post a recipe, I get a message or two from people asking where to buy certain ingredients or lamenting about having to order something in order to make one of my recipes.

I just want to let you know I hear you! You might notice that these days I am giving more and more local suggestions to replace special orders in my recipes. I still use the special order items, however, because a lot of times the nutritionals on them are simply better than what I can find in my local store.

From my perspective, it’s my job to make the healthiest and tastiest variation of a dish possible so that you can have a starting point. From there, you all can play with your food and come up with a version that works best for you!

Keeping that in mind, I put together a short list of a few things you might order to be able to make Bariatric Foodie recipes, as-is, right away. Click on any of the links or images to go to where you can order. In the interest of full disclosure I’ll tell you that when you DO order you keep the good recipes and reviews coming as a portion of your orders benefit the blog.

In no particular order:

Any Whey Unflavored Protein Powder

I use this stuff a lot. A LOT. Why? Well it isn’t 100% absolutely unflavored (it is whey after all) but the flavor is so mild it is covered by nearly anything. As an added bonus it is optimized for cooking. That means you can put it directly into cooking food (like soups, stews or you can bake with it) and won’t get nasty clumps. With the exception of baked goods, you should add the powder as a last step in your cooking (mostly to keep the unflavored benefit but also because, while it doesn’t really clump it can affect the texture of whatever you are making).

Atkins Baking Mix

This is a nifty product if I do say so myself. It comes with the perfect balance of low-carb flour (soy based), baking powder, salt, etc. So all you have to do is add a little fat and, if desired, a leavening agent and you are good to go with biscuits, pancakes and a lot more. One serving of the stuff has 20g of protein! It’s a carb you can feel good about eating!

Carbquik

Pssst...if you want to order...click the link on the word "Carbquik." It's cheaper!

Carbquik is like Atkins Baking Mix…but not. The emphasis for “CQ” is the low-carb part. So there isn’t much protein per serving but there IS a lot of fiber. The base for this is carbalose flour which is formulated to be high in fiber and also some other variations of carbs that your body simply cannot digest. CQ has a bit of a twangy taste (versus Atkins which has a bit of a twangy aroma), so that takes some working around. All my recipes make accommodations for that.



Decaffeinated Instant Espresso

For newbies especially, anytime I post a kind of “Click Frapp” I post a decaf version using this stuff. You could use decaf coffee, yes, but there is a distinct difference between coffee and the flavor of espresso. Espresso brings it “there” with the Frapp taste and takes your drink from an everyday shake to an experience!

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)



If you’re going “huh?” then click here. I use TVP in many recipes to either boost the protein count or bulk it up for the fam. Although clicking the link will take you to where you can buy this, it is carried in many stores in the health food section (check for the brand name “Bob’s Red Mill”). Go check and see if yours has it!

If you invest in these five ingredients...a world of Bariatric Foodie recipes will magically open up to you!

Captain Nik's French Toast!

~by Nikki

Anyone who ever saw the very first Baltimore episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” knows about the wonderful confection that is “Cap’n Crunch French Toast.”

It’s served at the Blue Moon Café and it is an experience (meaning, one I’m glad I got to have before my surgery!). I make a variation of this breakfast for my children on special occasions and I always look at them longingly as they eat it…wishing I had a slice for myself.

In times like this there is only really one thing to do: play with your food!

Captain Nik’s French Toast

The main ingredients!

Ingredients:

1 slice of whole wheat bread (I used P-28 protein bread. If you don’t like or have it, any good 100% whole wheat bread will do but make sure it's a brand with larger slices, like Arnold)
¼ c. Fiber One original cereal, crushed into crumbs
1 tbsp butterscotch pudding mix
1 tbsp peanut flour (or PB2)
½ + 1 whole tbsp no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda)
1 tbsp reduced fat butter spread (I used Blue Bonnet Light)
A dash of cinnamon
¼ c. liquid egg substitute
2 tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup
Non-stick cooking spray

(Before going into the directions, I'd like to acknowledge that yes...just days ago I said I don't particularly like P-28 bread. Well the fact that I paid for it means that I do have to eat it! So I found a way to like it. I find I don't mind it if it is heavily toasted or cooked in a pan some way. As just a sandwich bread...no...can't do it. Moving on...)

Directions:

Slice your bread into whatever size is feasible to you (I can eat one of those slices shown above at 3 years out just to give you an idea).

On a plate or in a bowl, combine your cereal crumbs, pudding mix, peanut flour and sweetner (the full tablespoon portion) well. In another bowl combine the egg substitute with the half portion of sweetener. (Why is this necessary? My first few batches came out slightly salty for some reason which, by the way, was not entirely unpleasing once I added syrup. But to get the "Cap'n Crunch" effect, you need a bit more sweetness. The only way I seemed able to achieve that was by adding Splenda to BOTH the egg and the dredging mixture).



Set up a dredging station with a small bowl of liquid egg substitute and the crumb mixture. Dip both sides of bread in egg, then in the crumb mixture and then repeat.



Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and set over a medium flame until it gets hot (do a water drop test) and THEN add your tablespoon of butter spread (yes...do both).



Pan fry your bread about 3 minutes on each side or until each side is browned and crispy.

Transfer to a plate and top any way you like (you probably won’t be able to eat a whole slice if using P-28 bread. If you aren’t, you might think about only eating half or even a quarter so that you can get in an egg or some other protein heavy food).

Enjoy!

Seven Habits of a "Bariatric Foodie"

This is a total riff off of the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and there is probably a WLS version of this somewhere. But here at Bariatric Foodie, I like to think we approach things just a wee bit differently than the general bariatric community.

Keeping that in mind, I compiled a list of seven habits that I think any bariatric foodie possesses. I invite you to agree, disagree and debate. You can even propose a few of your own! E-mail me if you think of something I’ve missed.

In no particular order. A Bariatric Foodie:

…is inherently suspicious of food packaging

Yeah...this is really good for me. After all...it's 50% WHOLE GRAIN!!!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: food companies aren’t looking out for our best interests! That does not mean all food products are evil, just that sometimes a little decoding is in order. Because, as a Bariatric Foodie, you know that just because a product is “no sugar added” does not mean it is safe for your consumption. So you investigate!

…has a scrupulous proficiency in nutrition label reading

To go along with my first point, you don’t take food at face value. You go straight to the information that you need: the nutrition facts label. A Bariatric Foodie knows the in’s and out’s of a nutrition label and knows the pitfalls to look for. They also know to not only check the nutrition facts but also the ingredients list to know exactly what you are eating.

…thinks outside the box when it comes to their favorite foods

So you love tacos but have committed to a new lifestyle. Why not make a lower-fat, higher fiber taco casserole or taco soup? A true Bariatric Foodie does not bind a food with its original form. Everything about their favorite dishes is up for debate. Thus, a deli sandwich can become a dip, a favorite dessert a protein shake!

…isn’t afraid to try (and dislike) new things

You’ll find a lot of product reviews on this site. Some I liked, some I did not. For example, while my former partner fell in love with P-28 protein bread (because, even I’ll admit, the stats on it are amazing!) I did not. But a true Bariatric Foodie looks to new foods with a sense of adventure. But when you don’t like something you aren’t afraid to squarely cross it off your list.

…knows which dishes should just be left alone

Yeah...deep fried Snicker bar...I'm not touching that one! For the record, I don't think you should either!

While I always say “there is no food that can’t be made WLS friendly” there are just some foods that…shouldn’t — that don’t hold any promise of benefit to us in our post-op life at all and any changes we make to them would vastly diminish our collective memories of said food. In these cases, I don’t recommend people cut these foods out of their lives. No way! A true Bariatric Foodie knows that there is even a place for treats in our post-op lives. But they are just that: treats. And they should be eaten in extreme moderation in their original forms.

…knows how to survive even the most challenging food situations

From holiday parties to a family trip to the buffet, a true Bariatric Foodie is armed with the information they need to make it through life’s toughest situations without derailing their whole process. And even when they do have a melt-down…and it happens to the best of us…they know how to brush off, get up and try again!

And finally…

…plays with their food!

Not only with recipes from this site, but of their own imagining. Not only that, a true Bariatric Foodie shares what they learn with others so that everyone can have more enjoyable food experiences.

Knowing all this…are you a Bariatric Foodie? If you’re not, by clicking on any of the links in this post, you’ve gotten well on your way to becoming one.

And guess what? You're not alone! There are THOUSANDS of us Bariatric Foodies online. Check us out on social media and join the conversation!

• Bariatric Foodie on Facebook
• Bariatric Foodie on Twitter
• Bariatric Foodie on Pinterest

BF Kid Zone: Warm Pocket Sandwiches

Someone call the Food CSI. That one on the left looks MURDERED!!!



Sometimes bad things happen to good food.

Even mine. Especially mine. Which is why this recipe underwent my self-imposed three test batches before I even thought about presenting it to you. And yet...something went wrong. As you can see, one of my pocket sandwiches is gorgeous - slightly browned on the outside, cheese bubbling up out of the vent slits, warm and tasty-looking.

The other? Is not. And rather than hide that fact from you guys, I figured I'd go into a bit more detail about what I think went wrong and how you can avoid it!

First the recipe:

Nik's Warm Pocket Sandwiches
(with a 1/2 batch of dough, as prescribed below, it makes 2 non-op sized sandwiches, about 3-4 "us" sized ones)

Ingredients:

1/2 batch of Nik's Carbquik pie crust (note: Atkins Baking Mix works just fine in place of Carbquikin this recipe if that's what you have)

For the pocket on the right I used: shredded low-sodium, low-fat deli ham + 1/2 c. shredded white American cheese

For the pocket on the left I used: about 7 turkey pepperoni, 1/4 c. low-sugar spaghetti sauce and 1/2 c. pizza blend cheese

Optional: A few sprays of low or no-cal butter spray

Directions:

Cut your dough into two pieces. On a floured surface, roll your dough out into a large rectangular shape. (Mistake #1: I let the dough sit out too long so it kept tearing and I kept re-working it into a ball. I'd stashed the other half of the dough ball back in the fridge. In hindsight, I should have put that one in the fridge for a few minutes as well. Then I proceeded to over flour the dough to prevent it from sticking)

Do you see the cracks around the edges??? That never bodes well with dough. Never.

In the middle of your dough, place whatever filling you are going to use. Recommended order: cheese, meat/veggies, sauce, more cheese). Make sure to leave a good amount of the perimeter of the dough untouched so you can fold it properly. (Mistake #2: I put the filling way too close to the edge of the dough and I got a bit heavy handed with the sauce).

I was still holding onto hope at this point...



Wet your fingertips and run them along the permeter of the dough. Fold the top and the bottom of the dough over and then roll it from right to left (as if you were rolling a burrito or wrap). Wet your fingertips again and pinch the sides of the dough closed and fold them over. (Since my dough was way too warm and too dry, I had cracks in it from the onset).

Bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown (again, I did this in the toaster ove). Allow to cool before serving.

Ok, so a few observations:

1. This is a recipe I've made a gajillion times but only when I have extra dough. While it is cool to say you know how to make your own "Hot Pocket," the availability of Lean Pockets in the store makes the "from scratch" method a bit less appealing. Your mileage may vary.
2. One appeal of making these yourself is that the stats are way better on them (no, I'm not giving you the stats...but nice try). If you use Carbquik there is TONS of fiber, with Atkins Baking Mix there's a good deal of protein. If you use a lower-calorie baking spread instead of butter in the dough, you cut down on the fat considerably.
3. Although my pepperoni pizza sandwich was not aesthetically pleasing, La Petite Diva (who got this for dinner) said it tasted amazing. I took a bite. I would have to agree ;)

But in general you want your sandwich to look like this one:

Peeps...please note this is the non-op sized one. For me, I'd make this about half the size



I wish I had a shot of the open sandwich that turned out well but La Grande Diva, in all her pre-pubescent splendor, fell asleep early yesterday evening while I was cooking and didn't awaken until this morning (after much threatening). When I get that shot, I'll add it. Until then, play with your food! And if you come up with something good, PLEASE...send it my way! I love to see what you're cooking.

Nik's Reuben Ramekins

(Note: Nik accidentally left her other camera at home today so Nik doesn't have process pics for this YET. But tomorrow morning I will so...stay tuned! We now return to our regularly scheduled nominousness...)

I am now officially addicted to ramekin cooking.

Why? Mostly because it's automatic portion control, it's easy to figure up just a few ramekins full of something (I've been trying to look out for my single-with-no-kids peeps more)...and ramekins are just darn cute!

So this week my offering is a spin one of the most classic deli offerings - the Reuben sandwich! For those outside the U.S., or who just don't know what the hell a Reuben is, basically it is a sandwich made up of corned beef or pastrami (sometimes both) topped with either Thousand Island or Russian dressing (and I still can't figure out the difference between the two), onions and sauerkraut on toasted rye bread.

In researching this recipe, I came across so many variations of Reuben flavors (that do NOT involve sandwiching it between two butter slathered pieces of bread and grilling it) that I had a bunch of options to choose from.

I decided on a spin on a Reuben dip. First, let me correct one thing. I raved and raved about my little 2 oz. ramekins that I found. Guess what? Even  Nik gets her measurments wrong sometimes! Looking at them more closely, I began to suspect they weren't four ounces but they weren't two either. They are 3 oz ramekins! (Who knew such things existed? That's the magical thing about the dollar store :)

Nik's Reuben Ramekin
(makes two 3 oz. ramekins or three 2 oz. ramekins)

Ingredients

2 oz. deli sliced corned beef, sliced into strips
2 oz. pastrami (I used Jenny-O turkey pastrami), cut into strips
OR you can simply use 4 oz. of whichever of the above two you like best!
½ c. onions, either finely diced (for newbies) or in slivers (for further outs)
2 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese (I used Sargento)
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 heaping tablespoons reduced fat Thousand Island (or Russian) dressing (I used Fit & Active)
¼ c. canned sauerkraut

Directions:

In a pan sprayed with nonstick, sautee your onions until slightly caramelized and then add your meat and sautee. If you are a newer post-op, only sautee until the meat is warm. I personally like my meat a bit crispy, but I’m three years out. You do NOT want to get anything stuck, so stay soft newbies! (NOTE: If you don’t want to use onions, a few shakes of onion powder on your meat works from a flavor perspective)

Lay out your Swiss cheese on a cutting board and, using either a biscuit cutter or an empty ramekin, make two round cheese discs and set aside. Dice up the rest of the cheese from each slice.

In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, dressing, and diced cheese. Add hot meat/onion mixture and sauerkraut and stir.

Fill ramekins with meat mixture and top with cheese disc.

Bake at 350 (and I didn’t even bother with the oven for this, opting to use my toaster oven instead) for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned and melty.

Now, for some of you, a Reuben just isn’t a Reuben without the rye bread. I personally like this all by itself. I imagine, though, if I were serving others, I might slice up one of those mini-loaves of rye bread and toast them into crostinis.

For our consumption, I’d say either go with a reduced fat Triscuit or something like a Wasa Rye crisp bread. Either works well from a calorie and fiber perspective.

But I ate one of these for breakfast this morning (yes, breakfast. I do my blog cooking usually at about 5 a.m. so it’s a natural fit) and after eating my little 3 oz. portion I felt like I’d eaten a full Sunday dinner. So you might not even need any starch!

And for my non-Reuben loving friends – no worries! Now that I have this method down, I’ve thought of about five other classic sandwiches I can make into a Ramekin. Next up, I think, is my beloved Philly cheesesteak!