"Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through," as Karen Carpenter sings in "Merry Christmas, Darling", and it's true - the holiday season is coming to a close. Hopefully you survived the Christmas season without any dips in your diet, particularly if you are following a diet for medical purposes. With Christmas Dinner over, and Boxing Day treats out of the way, there's typically one last hurdle to make before you can get back to your regular eating habits: New Year's Eve. And this one may be the worst of all.
Many events start early and run long, lots of which run off of finger foods that can be left out for long periods and get increasingly fatty as the night goes on. My family breaks out all the Christmas baking (shortbread, butter tarts, Nuts & Bolts), has a cheese, sausage and cracker spread (1 slice of sausage = 1 cube of cheese = 5 regular crackers = automatic gallbladder attack for many people), and busts out the frozen appetizer trays from M&Ms featuring things like spring rolls, chicken wings, potstickers and tiny pieces of breaded pork and chicken. Many people also order in on New Year's Eve, be it pizza or chinese food, and chips are a staple at such parties.
What to do, what to do?
One of the easiest solutions to making sure you can eat the food being served at a party, is to step up and offer to help provide some of the food yourself. If you are planning the menu then you can at least plan on a couple things that you can eat safely. And just because you need to eat low-fat doesn't mean you have to completely redefine your standard New Year's Eve menu - you just may need to tweek it a bit!
Let's look at the fatty appetizer trend. While veggie trays are a long-standing staple on any finger-food spread, so are the high-fat dips that go with them. Sour cream, mayonnaise, oil and cheese are the typical bases for party dips, but don't forget about the wonderful gift that is fat-free sour cream. While it may lack the richness that full-fat sour cream does, it still rewards you with the tanginess of the original and can be used to amp up many dishes. Uncle Dan's Ranch Seasoning packets can mix into fat-free sour cream for a great alternative to a pre-mixed ranch dressing. You can also find low-fat or even fat-free cream cheese products. Philadelphia makes a low-fat spreadable Herb and Garlic cream cheese that tastes great. Be warned, the texture is a bit funny, but the taste goes a long way, so throw in a tablespoon of the cream cheese with a cup of fat-free sour cream and whisk until smooth to get a garlicky dip. If spreading, spread thin and you'll hardly notice the grainy texture (it's not their fault, that's just what happens when you have nearly fat-free cream products!) Another great dip option is hummus. The chickpea-based spread has become a hot item over the past few years which means there are lots of different varieties you can find in stores and thousands of recipes you can find online. Be warned, some varieties may add lots of oil and be full of cheeses. Look for high-flavor, low-fat varieties like Roasted Garlic or Red Pepper. If you would rather use hummus with a bread pairing, opt for low-fat tortillas, flat bread or pitas. For chips, toast pita or tortilla wedges yourself in your oven to make sure no oil is added in the cooking process. Be warned, regular pitas or tortillas can be quite fatty. Check the label. If you can't find any in stores yourselves, consider baking your own pitas to control fat quantities. Use this recipe from King Arthur Flour, but substitute 1 tbsp of the oil with 1 tbsp skim milk. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/golden-pita-bread-recipe
And, if we are going into chip territory, bust out your salsa! Salsas are a great fat-free topping!
Veggies can be served more ways than just chopped into sticks however. Try skewering them and brushing them with a homemade Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=545) before grilling them. Or julienne a variety of veggies, roll them in rice paper and serve them with the chili sauce for yummy spring rolls that aren't fried!
Lots of people tend to do asian inspired dining at New Year's. While it may be nearly impossible to order anything low-fat from a typical western-chinese food restaurant, there are some asian restaurant dishes that you can safely order. Look for Pho dishes with chicken or shrimp. Sushi can be a great low-fat option if you avoid fatty fish varieties, mayonnaise, roe, tempura and avocado.
If you typically make your own chinese food, fried rice with minimal oil and only egg whites is still a great dish (I'll actually post that recipe today since I've experimented with it alot and have some notes on it). Many of the sauces you can find are low-fat, and while chinese restaurants typically deep-fry meats before they sauce them, you don't have to serve your meats breaded and fried.
Lemon Chicken Sauce: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/284/Chinese_Lemon_Chicken38791.shtml
Sweet and sour sauce: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-sauce-i/
Ginger sauce: http://houseandhome.com/food/recipes/ginger-beef-recipe (just the sauce recipe, not the meat portion of the recipe)
Making your own sushi rolls is quite fun too, fyi! And adding strips of mango to your rolls will make sure you won't miss the avocado!
Make sure you have fruit on hand for a dessert option for yourself, and if you need more, an angel food cake or fat-free pudding is always a safe go-to
Happy New Year's and I hope you have fun eating low-fat!
Chicken Fried Rice:
In a hot, non-stick wok, cook up small cubes of chicken. If you need to add oil to prevent sticking, use an oil mister or canned cooking spray.
At the same time, cook 1 1/2 cups (dry) of jasmine rice. (make sure you rinse the rice before you cook it for best results).
When chicken is cooked, add julienned pieces of carrot, celery and/or red pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn up heat to med-high.
Move chicken and vegetables to one side of wok, and in other side add 1/2 c. beaten egg whites. Scramble.
When egg is fully cooked, add cooked rice, 2 green onions sliced on the bias and 1/2 c. frozen peas. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp oyster sauce. Stir fry and make sure sauces are fully mixed in.
If you're not an oyster sauce fan, it isn't necessary, just add a bit more soy sauce, but it does make the dish in my opinion!
Mrs. VanderLeek
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Friday, 16 December 2011
Po-Ta-Toes! (Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew)
In keeping with our Low-Fat Christmas Dinner theme, today's post will be about potatoes!
Christmas Dinner is hardly Christmas Dinner without a giant bowl full of gorgeous mashed taters. I love them. However, the typical mashed potato recipe is hardly a healthy dish. Standard recipes call for adding butter and milk/cream to them, and some more decadent recipes call for sour cream, cream cheese or both. Baked potatoes in restaurants are piled high with butter, then sour cream, then cheese and finally bacon bits. Hashbrowns, chips, and french fries are all deep fried.
All of these additives are unfortunate for a potato's reputation. Really, the root vegetable is fat-free, like most vegetables, but for some reason they seem to attract fat. But just because it's usually there does not mean that it's necessary to make potatoes taste great.
If you are mashing potatoes for Christmas Dinner (or any other time of the year), here a couple tips to make them extra healthful!
Leave skins on red potatoes and mash them in for extra fiber!
Some potato varieties get gluey in you over-mash. For whipped potatoes use floury varieties like russett.
To cook them more quickly, slice the potato thinly instead of cubing.
For 'regular' mashed potatoes, use skim milk and a bit of extra salt (remember, butter adds salt normally, so if you take out the butter, you lose some of the saltiness)
For different flavor, try adding fat-free sour cream and onion powder, yogurt, or chicken broth and skim milk. Mash in a clove or two of roasted garlic for a great taste!
If mashing isn't your thing, try roasting your potatoes. Small varieties work well for this. Just wash well, leave the skins on and cut in halves or thirds. Put in a shallow baking dish, spritz lightly with cooking spray and top with herbs (I like thyme, rosemary and oregano). A bit of salt does wonders.
Also, if your diet has room for it, a light sprinkling of grated asiago tastes wonderful! (If you can eat any cheese, opt for sharper varieties so you don't need to use as much to taste it)
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tender. If you like your potatoes crispy, turn oven on broil for last 4 or 5 minutes (don't let them burn!)
If baked potatoes are more your speed, try different toppings like a Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic seasoning mix. Creamed corn (if you can eat corn - some people with gallstones will not be able to) adds moisture without fat (there's no 'cream' in creamed corn!) Fat-Free sour cream mixed with some salsa tastes great and gives your potato a bit of flair. When Christmas Dinner rolls around, cranberry relish and a bit of salt is very nice too.
Potatoes can really fill you up and are staples during festive meals, but just because they are often made with fats, doesn't mean that's the only way.
Mrs. VanderLeek
Christmas Dinner is hardly Christmas Dinner without a giant bowl full of gorgeous mashed taters. I love them. However, the typical mashed potato recipe is hardly a healthy dish. Standard recipes call for adding butter and milk/cream to them, and some more decadent recipes call for sour cream, cream cheese or both. Baked potatoes in restaurants are piled high with butter, then sour cream, then cheese and finally bacon bits. Hashbrowns, chips, and french fries are all deep fried.
All of these additives are unfortunate for a potato's reputation. Really, the root vegetable is fat-free, like most vegetables, but for some reason they seem to attract fat. But just because it's usually there does not mean that it's necessary to make potatoes taste great.
If you are mashing potatoes for Christmas Dinner (or any other time of the year), here a couple tips to make them extra healthful!
Leave skins on red potatoes and mash them in for extra fiber!
Some potato varieties get gluey in you over-mash. For whipped potatoes use floury varieties like russett.
To cook them more quickly, slice the potato thinly instead of cubing.
For 'regular' mashed potatoes, use skim milk and a bit of extra salt (remember, butter adds salt normally, so if you take out the butter, you lose some of the saltiness)
For different flavor, try adding fat-free sour cream and onion powder, yogurt, or chicken broth and skim milk. Mash in a clove or two of roasted garlic for a great taste!
If mashing isn't your thing, try roasting your potatoes. Small varieties work well for this. Just wash well, leave the skins on and cut in halves or thirds. Put in a shallow baking dish, spritz lightly with cooking spray and top with herbs (I like thyme, rosemary and oregano). A bit of salt does wonders.
Also, if your diet has room for it, a light sprinkling of grated asiago tastes wonderful! (If you can eat any cheese, opt for sharper varieties so you don't need to use as much to taste it)
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tender. If you like your potatoes crispy, turn oven on broil for last 4 or 5 minutes (don't let them burn!)
If baked potatoes are more your speed, try different toppings like a Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic seasoning mix. Creamed corn (if you can eat corn - some people with gallstones will not be able to) adds moisture without fat (there's no 'cream' in creamed corn!) Fat-Free sour cream mixed with some salsa tastes great and gives your potato a bit of flair. When Christmas Dinner rolls around, cranberry relish and a bit of salt is very nice too.
Potatoes can really fill you up and are staples during festive meals, but just because they are often made with fats, doesn't mean that's the only way.
Mrs. VanderLeek
Turkey, Turkey, Turkey, Turkey...
Tired of fish and chicken? Break out the turkey, my friends. As versatile as chicken but with a more distinctive flavor, this is a wonderful treat that we really ought to eat more than twice a year. But, since it's that time of year when we would be eating it anyway, I'll save the lecture.
I'm actually going to put two recipes in this post, both for turkey. The first is for rolled turkey breasts and the second is for turkey meatballs. The rolled turkey breasts are a fancy entree - for a little bit of work you can have a spectacular dish that will wow guests, and no one will blame your low-fat diet for providing them with a bad meal. This particular recipe is an Anna Olson creation. Here's the link to the original recipe page: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/turkey-and-trimming-pinwheels/recipe.html?dishID=8950
The meatballs are a great New Years dish. I got the idea for this from a recent Pampered Chef recipe. I sell Pampered Chef products and every 6 months they release a new, mini recipe book and I host a tasting party to try out the recipes. Their Fall issue included a number of tapenades and a go-with recipe for turkey meatballs. My favorites were the Apple Walnut tapenade meatballs and the Apricot Fig tapenade meatballs. My recipe is a more festive spin on those! (For anyone who is interested, the Season's Best Recipe Book, Fall/Winter 2011 is the book that has the tapenade recipes)
*Lots of grocers with in-house butchers will have ground turkey on sale after Christmas. You can find ground turkey with a variety of fat contents, so make sure you check that out before you buy. Some people suffering from gallstones can get away with dark turkey meat, but other 'stoners' and people with MS will want to opt for the lower-fat ground turkey breast. I highly recommend stocking up on cheap ground turkey when you can find it, because it will be months before you see it again.
Turkey and Trimming Pinwheels
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c. finely diced onion
2/3 c. finely diced celery
2 tsp fresh sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c. dry breadcrumbs
4 to 6 tbsp chicken stock
1/3 c. coarsley chopped cranberries
4 portions turkey scallopini
4 to 6 rosemary stems, cut into 2-inch lengths
In a large saute pan heat oil and add onion and celery. Cook until onions are translucent, stirring often. Add sage, thyme and salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, stock and cranberries and stir until moistened.
Layer one sheet of parchment paper on top of one sheet of aluminum foil (make sure the length is longer than your turkey pieces). Lay the turkey flat and press a thin layer of breadcrumb mixture overtop. Roll like a jellyroll, wrap in the foil/parchment package and twist ends tight. Place on a baking tray and repeat with remaining turkey.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes (make sure the turkey is done cooking!)
When cool enough to handle, slice each turkey log into 1/2 inch slices. Remove bottom half of rosemary leaves and spear turkey onto the rosemary from the top down.
Serve cool or heated.
Cranberry Walnut Turkey Meatballs
Tapenade:
1 red delicious apple
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. toasted pecans
1/4 c. snipped parsley
1/3 c. dried figs
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tbsp honey
Finely chop apples, cranberries, pecans, figs and parsley. Combine all of the above ingredients.
Meatballs:
1 lbs lean ground turkey
1 piece bread
1 egg (or 1/4 c. egg white substitute)
1 c. + 1/4 c. tapenade
2 tbsp apple jelly (microwaved for 15 seconds to become thin)
Grind bread into fine crumbs. Combine turkey, 1 c. tapenade, breadcrumbs and egg. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Toss balls in remaining 1/4 c. tapenade and apple jelly. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cooked through (or microwave in a safe container for 7 - 9 minutes)
Happy turkeying!
Mrs. VanderLeek
I'm actually going to put two recipes in this post, both for turkey. The first is for rolled turkey breasts and the second is for turkey meatballs. The rolled turkey breasts are a fancy entree - for a little bit of work you can have a spectacular dish that will wow guests, and no one will blame your low-fat diet for providing them with a bad meal. This particular recipe is an Anna Olson creation. Here's the link to the original recipe page: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/turkey-and-trimming-pinwheels/recipe.html?dishID=8950
The meatballs are a great New Years dish. I got the idea for this from a recent Pampered Chef recipe. I sell Pampered Chef products and every 6 months they release a new, mini recipe book and I host a tasting party to try out the recipes. Their Fall issue included a number of tapenades and a go-with recipe for turkey meatballs. My favorites were the Apple Walnut tapenade meatballs and the Apricot Fig tapenade meatballs. My recipe is a more festive spin on those! (For anyone who is interested, the Season's Best Recipe Book, Fall/Winter 2011 is the book that has the tapenade recipes)
*Lots of grocers with in-house butchers will have ground turkey on sale after Christmas. You can find ground turkey with a variety of fat contents, so make sure you check that out before you buy. Some people suffering from gallstones can get away with dark turkey meat, but other 'stoners' and people with MS will want to opt for the lower-fat ground turkey breast. I highly recommend stocking up on cheap ground turkey when you can find it, because it will be months before you see it again.
Turkey and Trimming Pinwheels
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c. finely diced onion
2/3 c. finely diced celery
2 tsp fresh sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c. dry breadcrumbs
4 to 6 tbsp chicken stock
1/3 c. coarsley chopped cranberries
4 portions turkey scallopini
4 to 6 rosemary stems, cut into 2-inch lengths
In a large saute pan heat oil and add onion and celery. Cook until onions are translucent, stirring often. Add sage, thyme and salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, stock and cranberries and stir until moistened.
Layer one sheet of parchment paper on top of one sheet of aluminum foil (make sure the length is longer than your turkey pieces). Lay the turkey flat and press a thin layer of breadcrumb mixture overtop. Roll like a jellyroll, wrap in the foil/parchment package and twist ends tight. Place on a baking tray and repeat with remaining turkey.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes (make sure the turkey is done cooking!)
When cool enough to handle, slice each turkey log into 1/2 inch slices. Remove bottom half of rosemary leaves and spear turkey onto the rosemary from the top down.
Serve cool or heated.
Cranberry Walnut Turkey Meatballs
Tapenade:
1 red delicious apple
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. toasted pecans
1/4 c. snipped parsley
1/3 c. dried figs
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tbsp honey
Finely chop apples, cranberries, pecans, figs and parsley. Combine all of the above ingredients.
Meatballs:
1 lbs lean ground turkey
1 piece bread
1 egg (or 1/4 c. egg white substitute)
1 c. + 1/4 c. tapenade
2 tbsp apple jelly (microwaved for 15 seconds to become thin)
Grind bread into fine crumbs. Combine turkey, 1 c. tapenade, breadcrumbs and egg. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Toss balls in remaining 1/4 c. tapenade and apple jelly. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cooked through (or microwave in a safe container for 7 - 9 minutes)
Happy turkeying!
Mrs. VanderLeek
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Low-Fat Festivities
The countdown to Christmas is on! It's 'partridge in a pear tree' day, I'm finished up with Christmas baking and trying to get my house clean in preparation for being out of commission for a couple days after my gallbladder removal. Since I'm baking for Christmas presents I've been making lots of things that I dare not eat myself, like shortbread, ganache truffles and date squares, but while the surplus of treats around Christmas time may make us feel like we can't eat anything, Christmas dinner can be a surprisingly low-fat friendly meal. At very least, a full meal can be prepared for you with very little adaptation to the original menu.
Start with the turkey. Skinless turkey breast is a wonderful meat, with more flavor than chicken typically has and a certain festive feel in every bite. Lots can be done with turkey, from ground turkey meatballs to stuffed and rolled turkey breasts, and every dish tastes special-occasion-worthy, thanks to the tendancy many of us have to only eat turkey on holidays.
Cranberry sauce is fat-free and the perfect fix for sometimes-dry white meat.
Every aunt in the family is charged with bringing "a vegetable" to Christmas dinner. Often all it takes is asking someone to leave you a couple of scoops of veggies in a bowl before they put the butter on top. And with so much variety, it might be a nice change for you to step away from the same-old veggies you have at home every night. Honey glazed carrots, Sweet potato with brown sugar and marshmallow on top, and even hot peas are very seasonal, fat-free delights, if you side step the butter.
Mashed potatoes are usually loaded with fat thanks to the butter and the milk (or even cream) that most people mash into them. You can make your own, low-fat version with skim milk and roasted garlic, or fat-free sour cream or yogurt and onion powder.
Do yourself a favor and avoid the gravy.
Stuffing is, again, typically loaded with fat since the vegetables are often cooked in butter before mixing with the bread crumbs, but an alternative stuffing recipe using quinoa, chicken broth and dried cranberries could be easily whipped up (just check which spices your family's stuffing recipe uses and make sure you throw those in to help emulate the traditional dish for you. My family uses savory and occassionally thyme if you need any ideas!)
If you are responsible for bringing something to Christmas dinner, sign up for either buns or a dessert. Crusty buns and baguettes are often fat-free, while their softer counterparts are less-so. And for dessert, Angel Food Cake is a wonderful treat that everyone can enjoy with strawberry sauce on top.
Fat-Free Eggnog varieties can be found, but if you can't track one down, try cutting lite Eggnog with skim milk - the flavor is so strong you'll be able to taste a small amount in a lot of milk.
Over the next few days I'll try to do Christmas dinner themed recipe, starting with today's original recipe: Quinoa Stuffing
1 1/2 c. quinoa (rinsed)
3 c. chicken broth + 2 tbsp
2 shallots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tsp savory (1/2 tsp ground savory)
1 tsp thyme
1/2 c. dried cranberries
2 whole grain crusty buns, torn into small pieces
In a medium sauce pan, bring quinoa and 3 c. chicken broth to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and add shallots, celery, savory and thyme. After 5 minutes, add cranberries. Allow to cook until liquid has been absorbed. Place crusty bun pieces into a large bowl. Add quinoa mixture and remaining 2 tbsp of broth, and toss until bun pieces are moistened. Stuff in turkey, or bake in separate casserole dish.
Mrs. VanderLeek
Start with the turkey. Skinless turkey breast is a wonderful meat, with more flavor than chicken typically has and a certain festive feel in every bite. Lots can be done with turkey, from ground turkey meatballs to stuffed and rolled turkey breasts, and every dish tastes special-occasion-worthy, thanks to the tendancy many of us have to only eat turkey on holidays.
Cranberry sauce is fat-free and the perfect fix for sometimes-dry white meat.
Every aunt in the family is charged with bringing "a vegetable" to Christmas dinner. Often all it takes is asking someone to leave you a couple of scoops of veggies in a bowl before they put the butter on top. And with so much variety, it might be a nice change for you to step away from the same-old veggies you have at home every night. Honey glazed carrots, Sweet potato with brown sugar and marshmallow on top, and even hot peas are very seasonal, fat-free delights, if you side step the butter.
Mashed potatoes are usually loaded with fat thanks to the butter and the milk (or even cream) that most people mash into them. You can make your own, low-fat version with skim milk and roasted garlic, or fat-free sour cream or yogurt and onion powder.
Do yourself a favor and avoid the gravy.
Stuffing is, again, typically loaded with fat since the vegetables are often cooked in butter before mixing with the bread crumbs, but an alternative stuffing recipe using quinoa, chicken broth and dried cranberries could be easily whipped up (just check which spices your family's stuffing recipe uses and make sure you throw those in to help emulate the traditional dish for you. My family uses savory and occassionally thyme if you need any ideas!)
If you are responsible for bringing something to Christmas dinner, sign up for either buns or a dessert. Crusty buns and baguettes are often fat-free, while their softer counterparts are less-so. And for dessert, Angel Food Cake is a wonderful treat that everyone can enjoy with strawberry sauce on top.
Fat-Free Eggnog varieties can be found, but if you can't track one down, try cutting lite Eggnog with skim milk - the flavor is so strong you'll be able to taste a small amount in a lot of milk.
Over the next few days I'll try to do Christmas dinner themed recipe, starting with today's original recipe: Quinoa Stuffing
1 1/2 c. quinoa (rinsed)
3 c. chicken broth + 2 tbsp
2 shallots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tsp savory (1/2 tsp ground savory)
1 tsp thyme
1/2 c. dried cranberries
2 whole grain crusty buns, torn into small pieces
In a medium sauce pan, bring quinoa and 3 c. chicken broth to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and add shallots, celery, savory and thyme. After 5 minutes, add cranberries. Allow to cook until liquid has been absorbed. Place crusty bun pieces into a large bowl. Add quinoa mixture and remaining 2 tbsp of broth, and toss until bun pieces are moistened. Stuff in turkey, or bake in separate casserole dish.
Mrs. VanderLeek
Monday, 12 December 2011
First Meal Post
If anyone is paying close attention to the time stamps on this post and the one preceding it, you'll notice they were written back-to-back. Why? Well, I didn't think it was fair to leave this blog without one snippet of real advice, even if it were only for one day.
The very first recipe I'm going to recommend is Lemon Chicken. If any of you are at all given to scrolling through healthy recipe sites, you will have seen hundreds of recipes for delicately lemony chicken breasts, usually with a hint of garlic.
That, however, is not the lemon chicken I am speaking of.
This is the Lemon Chicken in the style of your local chinese take-out restaurant (minus all the breading and frying).
I love that slightly gelled lemon sauce that usually comes on breaded chicken balls. I've had good sweet-and-sour sauce, and I've had bad sweet-and-sour sauce, but I've never had bad lemon sauce. But now, after trying this recipe, I've have good lemon sauce, and I've had great lemon sauce.
This recipe is a bit more delicate than most places and has a touch more of a honey-taste than what you would normally find. It tasted just like what you would get at a Chinese buffet, and the only differences were for the better.
A couple more bonuses for this recipe: it's kid friendly, you can freeze it, and it's made from ingredients that you typically keep on hand (no last-minute grocery store runs needed!)
As a note, if you intend on freezing this sauce, let it stay a little thinner than normal (still slighty gelled, but not thick). When you reheat it, it will thicken and this will keep it from getting gummy.
Chinese Lemon Chicken sauce:
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules (OXO)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and serve over plain, baked chicken breasts.
Fat per serving of lemon sauce: 0 grams
Here's the link to the original recipe, posted on CDKitchen.com. Their recipe calls for frying the chicken - obviously, not part of a low-fat diet, so skip that step.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/284/Chinese_Lemon_Chicken38791.shtml
Happy Cooking!
Mrs. VanderLeek
The very first recipe I'm going to recommend is Lemon Chicken. If any of you are at all given to scrolling through healthy recipe sites, you will have seen hundreds of recipes for delicately lemony chicken breasts, usually with a hint of garlic.
That, however, is not the lemon chicken I am speaking of.
This is the Lemon Chicken in the style of your local chinese take-out restaurant (minus all the breading and frying).
I love that slightly gelled lemon sauce that usually comes on breaded chicken balls. I've had good sweet-and-sour sauce, and I've had bad sweet-and-sour sauce, but I've never had bad lemon sauce. But now, after trying this recipe, I've have good lemon sauce, and I've had great lemon sauce.
This recipe is a bit more delicate than most places and has a touch more of a honey-taste than what you would normally find. It tasted just like what you would get at a Chinese buffet, and the only differences were for the better.
A couple more bonuses for this recipe: it's kid friendly, you can freeze it, and it's made from ingredients that you typically keep on hand (no last-minute grocery store runs needed!)
As a note, if you intend on freezing this sauce, let it stay a little thinner than normal (still slighty gelled, but not thick). When you reheat it, it will thicken and this will keep it from getting gummy.
Chinese Lemon Chicken sauce:
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules (OXO)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and serve over plain, baked chicken breasts.
Fat per serving of lemon sauce: 0 grams
Here's the link to the original recipe, posted on CDKitchen.com. Their recipe calls for frying the chicken - obviously, not part of a low-fat diet, so skip that step.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/284/Chinese_Lemon_Chicken38791.shtml
Happy Cooking!
Mrs. VanderLeek
An Introduction
New blog, first post... what to say, what to say?
I suppose an introduction to myself would be appropriate.
Hello, I'm Mrs. VanderLeek.
Did any of you just picture a 60-something Elementary School math teacher with her grey hair pulled up into a tight bun?
Yah, that's not me.
I'm a 20-something working-from-home mother of two (so far). My eldest boy is coming up on 3 this spring, while my youngest boy will be turning 6 months just before Christmas. He, the youngest, is the reason I'm writing this blog today. Well, it may not be fair to blame him exclusively, but he was the one I was pregnant with when I got gallstones.
He was about 2 weeks old when I started getting awful pains around my ribs that shot through to my shoulder blades. I remember the first time it happened I was doubled-over on the bathroom floor, trying to force myself to stand up to find my husband to take me to the hospital because I could hardly breathe when very suddenly all of the pain stopped and I could breathe perfectly fine. It was one week and two more attacks later that I would find out that it was my gallbladder which was inflicting so much pain; one tiny, little, pear-shaped organ was causing more pain than I could bear, despite my track record of two completely natural, drug-free deliveries.
I had never thought about my gallbladder before and I had no idea what it even did at first. But, never one to stay in the dark, I Googled 'gallbladder' and saw plenty of lists of things that I should refrain from eating until the situation was resolved. Ice cream, fatty steaks, corn-on-the-cob... so much for a summer of backyard barbques and trips to the local creamery. After 9 months of a restricted diet due to morning sickness and listeria concerns, I was facing an even more restrictive diet, and it was one I felt convinced I would follow to the letter, because the punishment of disobeying and getting another gallbladder attack was one I never wanted to experience again. Little did I know how hard it would be to follow...
First there was the issue of finding out what I could and could not eat. I automatically ruled out all red meat and pork (I had already had a reaction to both of those things) which left me with poultry, eggs and fish as my primary protein sources. Unfortunately, it only took me two weeks until my body could no longer tolerate eggs and another week until many types of fish and any dark poultry meat would give me a reaction as well. Corn in small quantities was okay for a week, dry, air-pop popcorn for three months. Coffee was okay for 4 months (and I must say, that has been one of the hardest things to give up!). The list was ever-growing and my options were shrinking.
The next big issue, after finding out all of the "cannots," was not getting bored with the "cans". I ate a lot of salad for the first month. And hey, there's nothing wrong with eating salad, but when everyone else is going for seconds of steak and you're going for thirds of a tossed salad with little-to-no dressing, it gets tiring. I love to cook. Love, love, love. However, very few of my recipes were low-fat, or, at least, not as low-fat as I needed them. I began looking for new recipes but I had a lot of trouble. I found gallstone recipes for beet soup (which I was supposed to eat every day) and I found lots of "low-fat" recipes that had 15 grams of fat per serving, which was about 3x the safe amount for myself. What I didn't find was a great database of recipes tailored to my condition.
Ergo, this.
Furthermore, when a friend was diagnosed with MS and started a low-fat diet to help ward off symptoms, I realized how it was more than an isolated, temporary group of people that would need access to such recipes. My sister suggested I write a cookbook - but since that would be a multi-year project, and I'm busy as is, I opted to blog instead.
Which brings us to now.
I amassed quite the range of low-fat recipes during the 6 months I suffered from gallstones. The end is in site for me; I am currently one week away from my scheduled gallbladder removal. However, I know there will be many other people afflicted with different medical conditions which will require them to cut fat out of their diets and I know that it can be hard to cook for yourself, and your family, while adhering to very strict requirements. But I also know that it is possible, and I hope this blog helps make the task a little bit easier.
Mrs. VanderLeek
I suppose an introduction to myself would be appropriate.
Hello, I'm Mrs. VanderLeek.
Did any of you just picture a 60-something Elementary School math teacher with her grey hair pulled up into a tight bun?
Yah, that's not me.
I'm a 20-something working-from-home mother of two (so far). My eldest boy is coming up on 3 this spring, while my youngest boy will be turning 6 months just before Christmas. He, the youngest, is the reason I'm writing this blog today. Well, it may not be fair to blame him exclusively, but he was the one I was pregnant with when I got gallstones.
He was about 2 weeks old when I started getting awful pains around my ribs that shot through to my shoulder blades. I remember the first time it happened I was doubled-over on the bathroom floor, trying to force myself to stand up to find my husband to take me to the hospital because I could hardly breathe when very suddenly all of the pain stopped and I could breathe perfectly fine. It was one week and two more attacks later that I would find out that it was my gallbladder which was inflicting so much pain; one tiny, little, pear-shaped organ was causing more pain than I could bear, despite my track record of two completely natural, drug-free deliveries.
I had never thought about my gallbladder before and I had no idea what it even did at first. But, never one to stay in the dark, I Googled 'gallbladder' and saw plenty of lists of things that I should refrain from eating until the situation was resolved. Ice cream, fatty steaks, corn-on-the-cob... so much for a summer of backyard barbques and trips to the local creamery. After 9 months of a restricted diet due to morning sickness and listeria concerns, I was facing an even more restrictive diet, and it was one I felt convinced I would follow to the letter, because the punishment of disobeying and getting another gallbladder attack was one I never wanted to experience again. Little did I know how hard it would be to follow...
First there was the issue of finding out what I could and could not eat. I automatically ruled out all red meat and pork (I had already had a reaction to both of those things) which left me with poultry, eggs and fish as my primary protein sources. Unfortunately, it only took me two weeks until my body could no longer tolerate eggs and another week until many types of fish and any dark poultry meat would give me a reaction as well. Corn in small quantities was okay for a week, dry, air-pop popcorn for three months. Coffee was okay for 4 months (and I must say, that has been one of the hardest things to give up!). The list was ever-growing and my options were shrinking.
The next big issue, after finding out all of the "cannots," was not getting bored with the "cans". I ate a lot of salad for the first month. And hey, there's nothing wrong with eating salad, but when everyone else is going for seconds of steak and you're going for thirds of a tossed salad with little-to-no dressing, it gets tiring. I love to cook. Love, love, love. However, very few of my recipes were low-fat, or, at least, not as low-fat as I needed them. I began looking for new recipes but I had a lot of trouble. I found gallstone recipes for beet soup (which I was supposed to eat every day) and I found lots of "low-fat" recipes that had 15 grams of fat per serving, which was about 3x the safe amount for myself. What I didn't find was a great database of recipes tailored to my condition.
Ergo, this.
Furthermore, when a friend was diagnosed with MS and started a low-fat diet to help ward off symptoms, I realized how it was more than an isolated, temporary group of people that would need access to such recipes. My sister suggested I write a cookbook - but since that would be a multi-year project, and I'm busy as is, I opted to blog instead.
Which brings us to now.
I amassed quite the range of low-fat recipes during the 6 months I suffered from gallstones. The end is in site for me; I am currently one week away from my scheduled gallbladder removal. However, I know there will be many other people afflicted with different medical conditions which will require them to cut fat out of their diets and I know that it can be hard to cook for yourself, and your family, while adhering to very strict requirements. But I also know that it is possible, and I hope this blog helps make the task a little bit easier.
Mrs. VanderLeek
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