Cauliflower Mash

Cauliflower. Poor lonely cauliflower. It's white and never shows up on the cool new vegetable trend list. I think Cauliflower is a beautiful thing. Really, really look at it and admire it. Beautiful creamy white, tiny little flowers surrounded by green leaves. Cut it and the whole thing is the same creamy white. Of course I must mention that it is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, Potassium and vitamin A. As far as antioxidants go - it is a powerhouse.
I am a huge fan of the mashed cauliflower at Ruby Tuesdays. I always ask for it as a substitute side. It was sad when they stopped doing it for a while. Not, however, a low fat choice. 1/2 cup Mashed cauliflower comes to 136 kcal, 8 grams of fat and (hold onto your hat) 712 grams of sodium (31% of recommended amounts). The lovely unadulterated Cauliflower - 14 calories, 4 grams sodium and no fat for 1/2 cup cooked. Hmm what happened - I think it's called cream.
With a bit of playing and looking around at other recipes, I have come up with my own concoction. It has similar flavor to the Ruby's mash, but slashes the calories and sodium. Another good way to get those veggie servings in.

Creamy Mash of Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, steamed until tender - about 15 minutes.
1/4 cup silk soy creamer
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper - or more to taste (I like more pepper)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder

When cauliflower is cooked, drain it well. Mash with immersion blender adding silk soy creamer.
Add sugar, pepper, garlic and onion powder, mix in well with blender. Reheat gently if needed.

Approx: 31 kcal, 1 gram fat, 250 grams sodium for 1/2 cup serving.

More and More vegetables

Day #5 and day #6 of the staycation. My plan was to straighten up some messy items in my house, but I have mostly succeeded in making the mess worse. The sunroom is in a state of ready to be painted, my recipe collection is almost done except for the dessert section ( so that is still in disarray) and my office is a mess. I went hiking and have not put my backpack back in order. If I took another week would I be able to fix this, or would I make another weeks worth of mess?

In addition to keeping up with the blog (pat on the back) I have been experimenting with myself with a "DASH" diet - dietary approach to stop hypertension. This diet was developed by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health - It is high in Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Fiber, omega 3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin D. Low in Sodium, Fat and sugar. Calorie level is about 2000 per day (if all the food servings are eaten). So why I am trying to do this is because the diet includes 11 (yes 11) servings of fruits and vegetables. Four ounces of animal protein, so almost vegetarian. 2 servings of low fat dairy, 2 servings of nuts or legumes, 4 servings of whole grains, 2 Tbsp of heart healthy oils, up to 2 tsp of sugar or 2 small desert servings and then an Extra( I am using that for a glass of wine). So, I am finding that it takes effort for me to limit the grains to 4 per day, but it is doable. The 4 ounces of animal protein - no problem, don't eat much meat anyway. Nuts make a good snack - I mix them with some dried fruit. I have been able to get up to 8 vegetable/fruit servings. I can do this by doing a fruit in the morning and another mid morning with the nuts, 2 veg servings at lunch and dinner, and a vegetable munch in between. I am thinking that since I am not a big person I don't have to get in all the calories.
This combination of foods is similar to a mediteranean diet. Side effects are improved bone density, lower blood presssure, improved lipid profile, weight loss, increased energy and a bit of gas.
So far today: 1 cup of steel cut oatmeal with raisins and 2 tsp transfat free margarine, coffee.
Snack- 2 tbsp raisins, 1/4 cup walnuts, skim milk latte (no sugar), 3/4 cup cubed melon. This was late morning divided between the car and a meeting.
Lunch - 2 cups salad vegs ( greens, radish, cuccumber, tomato) olive oil vinegrette, 2 tbsp blue cheese. 1 tsp ranch dressing. Seltzer water.
Plan for dinner: 1 cup cooked carrots and green beans, 2 ounce chicken in paprika sauce(my recipe from previous entry), 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta.
Snack - small size Kit Kat bar, coffee
I'm having dinner early, so I'll probably be hungry when I get home - More fruit?
Maybe some blueberries and 1/2 cup low fat icecream!!

Pumpking crunch cake - Happy Birthday Hugh

This is day #4, it's late, but I'm still on deadline. Yesterday we celebrated my Father-in-law's 84th Birthday. The family has a number of gluten free people - 2 niece in laws, a nephew in law, my husband and his sister - so I like to bring a dessert they can all eat. Usually the birthday cake is a regular cake and the ice cream cakes have the cookie filling. The dude likes spice type cakes, so I thought I would try this one. It is from, Gluten Free Baking, Richard Coppedge. The cake came out nice and moist with a good texture and was simple to make, not a bunch of steps and messy bowls. Cream cheese frosting and a surprise layer of chocolate and pecans make it special.
I pretty much followed the recipe, just made a few adjustments. I have decided that I rather like weighing the ingredients rather than using measurement, it's much more accurate and results are more consistnet.

Pumking Crunch Cake

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup oil (canola)
1 cup (8.5 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (be sure it is gluten free)
1 1/3 cup (8 oz) flour blend #1 ( mix of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cardamom (my addition)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup (5 oz) pecans, chopped

cream cheese frosting- 1 cup 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese (softened), 2 ounces transfat free margarine (softened), 1/2 tsp vanilla; mix until combined. Add 1 cup(8 oz) powdered sugar gradually and mix with hand mixer until combined.

Happy Birthday Hugh - Love and good health.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare 2 round cake pans - oil and dusted with cocoa powder or gluten free flour. Whip eggs, sugar and oil for 3 minutes.
Add pumpkin, puree and vanill, mix to combine
In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Spread evenly into the cake pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes before unmolding.

While cake is baking make the chocolate base.
Melt the chocolate and mix in chopped nuts. Spread on waxed paper in a 6" circle, cover with a layer of waxed paper and flatten evenly with a plate. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold onto cake plate and set aside.

To assemble, lightly coat chocolate layer with frosting, place one cake layer on top, fill with frosting, top with remaining frosting and spread over the sides.

Corn Casserole

This is day #3 of me being good about my blog. Being that I got up early this morning, I made buckwheat pancakes -- yup, gluten free buckwheat pancakes. Buckwheat is gluten free (even though wheat is in the name - see previous blog) and make nice pancakes that do not taste weird. I add ground flax seed to up the fiber. On the side, cinnamon apples. Melting 1 tbsp on transfat free margarine with 1 tbsp of brown sugar and a tsp of cinnamon, add a sliced apple and cook until apples are soft and starting to brown. Very yummy on the pancakes.

This afternoon I am planning to make a pumpkin spice cake to bring to my Father in Law's 84th Birthday party. I'll put that in soon if it comes out well.

As I am on Staycation, I have decided to do some larger projects that never seem to get done. Like paint a room and attack the garden. One of my projects is to organize my recipes. It had become quite a mess, with recipes in the wrong places, some not put in and containing recipes that I no longer use or never bothered to make and probably never will. Doing this I ran into a few old favorites. One being "Corn Casserole". I made this before the gluten free days and have since adapted it for the gluten free. Corn is a good gluten free starch, we love the sweet flavor of fresh and even frozen corn. This recipe makes the corn into a nice side dish, that can also be used for breakfast. I significantly lightened up the original recipe. It called for a pound of bacon (I eliminated it), 2 cups of sour cream (changed to lite sour cream) and 1/2 cup butter ( changed to 1/3 cup transfat free margarine). I also add a bit of cayenne pepper to spice it up. In addition I increase the vegetables from what the recipe calls for.

Corn Casserole

1/3 cup transfat free margarine
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 red pepper , chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
5 tbsp rice flour
2 cups lite sour cream
2 pounds frozen corn, thawed
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat the oven to 35o degrees. Melt the margarine in a large dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion, celery and peppers until soft. Stir in the flour, then the sour cream until well combined. Add the corn and season.
Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until lightly browned.
served 6-8

I have also made this with adding 1 cup of cooked rice - can use brown rice.

TA DA

Waiting for the Potato Chip Article

A few days ago I get an e-mail, the local paper is looking for someone to interview for articles on Mushroom Poisoning and Potato Chips. Hmm poison mushrooms, not in my realm of expertise. Potato Chips, maybe, although I am not a chip person.



Research is done, time set for call is made and reporter is not at her desk. Ok. I', on time, where are you. I might have other things to do today rather that wait for you to call me back. To the blog I go then. This way I can type my inappropriate comments and personal feelings about snack foods. Note- I am not a chip girl. I would rather do my calorie splurges on chocolate and wine.



It is amazing to me that a whole isle in the grocery store is dedicated to chips, pretzels and tortilla chips. Another 2 isles to soda and water products, another 1/2 isle to candy and a half isle to cookies. About 1/2 the store is devoted to "food" that is not good for you.



So I buy a bag of chips to play with them Mostly I want to count how many chips are in 1 ounce, the stated serving size. My daughter looks at me strangely, but she has seen me do stranger things with food. I zero the food scale and weight out 15 chips to make an ounce. These are smallish roundish chips. The big ones would take less. Hmm, 150 calories looks so small. Who can stop at 15 chips?



With the zillion selection of chips, one would think that there would be a big nutritional difference between baked and regular - not really - calories saved per ounce is 30. Calories saved if a piece of fruit is chosen - 70. Most chips, unless salt free are a sodium disaster. Averaging 135 mg per 1 ounce. Flavored chips are even higher, about 250 mg per 1 ounce. 17% of sodium for the day for a goal total 2300 or less. That's just for 15 little chips. Also note that flavored chips also contain wheat products and may be a problem for the gluten sensitive.



More dissing on the chips - compared to a baked potato they have been taken out of the world of vegetables. A small baked potato (5.5 ounces) has 145 calories, no fat, 6 grams of sodium, 6 grams of fiber if you eat the skin and 498 mg of potassium. The ounce of chips in only comparable in potassium content. Vitamin C content goes down in the chips, because of the processing, to almost nothing. The potato will provide 12 mg of vitamin C.



So there you have it , the deal on the chips. If you are at a party try not to park yourself in front of them, they will call your name.



The reporter has called, the interview was good.

Coriander Crusted Pork Tenderloin and Cabbage

This week I am on "Staycation", so I have promised to update daily. I hope I can keep my promise. Even though I did not "work" today the staycation involved catching up on the minutia of life, plus I got in a work out and a nap. I am on vacation after all. That said, I really did not have much time for cooking this evening, nor did I feel like it.
A pork tenderloin is actually a quick and easy meal, accompanied with lots of veggies of course.
It also makes nice leftover's for the man's lunches. Most recipes I have seen for the tenderloin are really simple, first searing the meat and then cooking for 20 minutes in the oven. 1/2 hour total prep. Mashed potatoes from the freezer and braised carrots, cabbage and leeks round out the meal. For the cabbage: chop one small head of cabbage, slice several large carrots and slice several leeks. Saute leeks and carrots in 1-2 tbsp transfat free margarine and then add the cabbage. Cook covered, stirring often until carrots and cabbage are tender. I like to add pepper to taste. Yum, this satisfied by peasant ancestry.

Coriantder-crusted port tenderloin
(adapted from an Ellie Krieger recipe)

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and butterflied (make a cut up the center)
4 tsp dijon mustard
*1 tbsp ground corriander seed
1 tsp freshly ground black peppre
*1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small dish mix the mustard and spices. Spread evenly over the tenderloin.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet on medium high heat (tenderloin should be a room temp when you start to cook it) Brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
Put the skillet in the oven and roast until thermometer reaches 155 degrees and meat is done through, about 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

* sea salt is not any lower in sodium that iodized salt per weight. Per teaspoon it is slightly lower as the pieces are larger.

*Coriander is a great source of antioxidants and smells beautifully. I like to buy mine from an Indian market as the prices on spices are lower. They do look at you funny when you buy the smallest bag they have. I also buy my cardamom and ginger paste from the market.

Magazine Klepto - Chicken Biryani

So it's Friday and It's been a busy week. What else is new. Eating healthy is really important to me (what else is new) so, I like to keep an arsenal of quick recipes on hand. Something that I have the ingredients already on hand and can be made with little fuss. I am also an evil magazine stealer. I am a magazine klepto. Watch out doctor's offices every where. Usually I will just rip out a page or two, but I have been known to abscond with the whole thing. Case in point - People magazine Hottest guy of the year issue. The Hugh Jackman year magically disappeared from my dentist's office into my bag.
Last week I was at my primary care doctor's office waiting to have my poor hacking chest looked at, and was flipping through the Ladie's Home Journal. Rip.... out comes a recipe. Pop... into my bag. Why buy a whole magazine when you only want one page of it.
To make up for my deficiency I will share this one, along with my alterations. If you like spicy you will like this. It uses only one pot!!

Easy Chicken Biryani

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tbsp trans fat free margarine
1 medium onion, sliced
2 large carrrots, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp turmeric
(salt is omitted - there is salt in the broth and the curry paste- who needs more)
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into pieces
1/2 cup raisins (i was missing these - came out fine without)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup almonds

Heat margarine in dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, carrots and bay leaf, cook until soft, about 10 minutes. stir in the spices, chicken and curry paste and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins and broth. Cover, increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done - 15-18 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid is gone, about 5 minutes and let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir in the peas. Top with almonds.
Makes 6-8 servings.

More to do with squash

It's )
fall. Yes it is. It's time for squash. A number of squashes have come into my home lately and then into my oven. Delicata, Butternut, Buttercup. All a lovely orange inside, bursting with Vitamin A and Potassium. My people are not great squash fans, they do like dessert. So, If I want them to eat the squash I make it's got to be a bit sweet.
This Butternut squash souffle is that, It is like dessert. It could actually be served for dessert. I actually used a combination of delicata and buttercup squash for this. Any winter squash would work. Sweetpotato may even work as well...hmmm.

Winter Squash Souffle

2 cups of cooked, mashed winter squash
3 tbsp transfat free margarine, softened
1 cup sugar (can cut down on if desired)
1/3 cup milk - fat free
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and bake for 75 minutes or until set. Serves 6-8.

To cook the squash; make a few knife slits in the squash, microwave on high for about 8 minutes. Cool so you can touch it. Cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds. Finish cooking by placing in shallow dish with 1/2" of water in the bottom, cover and bake at 350 degrees until the flesh of the squash is soft. Scoop out flesh from the shell.