Peanut Fruit Dip

Tonight was Family Night and my children were desperate for a treat. What to do in a pinch that won't ruin my healthy eating streak?

Here's what I did.  Combine the following:

Natural peanut butter (I used the last few spoonfuls I had of Smucker's, use your favorite natural peanut butter)
Agave Nectar (you can use honey or I bet maple syrup would work too, just add to taste)
Few dashes cinnamon  (I used enough to add a different dimension to the flavor, but it doesn't overpower the pb and agave)
Warm water (add a tablespoon at a time, stir well, repeat until desired dipping consistency)

Serve with cut-up fruit.  We used Pink Lady apples, delicious!  My kiddos are currently watching an episode of Avatar, the Last Airbender while devouring this healthy dessert!  They're happy, and I'm happy they're eating fresh fruit and no corn syrup or white sugar. :)

Low Calorie Alternatives for Weight Loss

Spaghetti Squash! I knew it before, but I had no idea how much better it was for you, than pasta. A cup of whole wheat pasta is about 175 calories, while the squash alternative is only 45 calories. Plus, it is much more nutrient dense so you get fuller faster! I use it with veggies and a tomato sauce or I made a nut-based cream sauce that has been in our family for years. It was SO good and it completely satisfied my cravings for pasta.

I just found this tip. Cauliflower! Now I've heard you can mash it like mashed potatoes, but I haven't tried it yet. On this diet you are allowed brown rice, in moderation, but this is a lower calorie alternative. You take a head of cauliflower, chop it up really fine like rice or couscous (food processor works great), then microwave it (NO water!) for about 3 minutes. You can use this instead of rice! I just tried it with stir fry and it was great. You don't want to use it in recipes that is supposed to soak liquid up though because it won't.

Fat free AND low calorie salad dressings. Yes, they aren't the same thing. I am getting salad dressings that are 40 calories or less a serving. Normal ranch dressing is about 13o I believe. Big difference. Also, watch for high fructose corn syrup. It's in many of the "free" dressings. Besides the health facts, HFCS is bad for weight loss. It is quickly converted to fat, addictive, and it does not register in our bodies that we are full, leading us to overeat.
These low calorie salad dressings can be used on other dishes too, to make them edible. My favorite is ranch on potatoes.

Sweetener. Okay, I can use pure maple syrup, honey, agave (really great), dates and fruit. But, as far as calories go, they are really high! If you use stevia (it is a plant and I have grown it!), it is calorie free. If you aren't familiar with stevia (you can buy liquid or powder forms), you can use the new Truvia sweetener. It isn't all stevia, it has some other natural extracts in it, but I know it's better for you. I know because every other sugar alternative makes me sick and gives me a nasty headache!

Dessert cravings..these are the worst! They make me want to dive into the peanut butter. I have found two things that keep it at bay. One, a banana with a TINY smearing of natural peanut butter. Still higher calories (175 maybe!?) so I came up with these.
Apple crisp, without the crisp. I just cut up some apples, put whatever spices I liked into it (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger), some stevia or Truvia, a few raisins or dates, and a couple of nuts (walnuts or pecans). Microwave or bake until the apples are soft. Voila! It is so good.
Next, out of desperation, I found that the light whipped cream (real cream, people!) only has 15 calories for two tablespoons. I'm not a cream person, so a little will go a long way! I grab a banana (blueberries, whatever you want) and cut it up with some whipped cream in a bowl. It reminded me of banana cream pie and was really good.

Hope these help someone else as much as they helped me!
Remember to focus on the veggies and salad for your main dish. Those should be your first defense against those hunger pains and cravings!

Light and Fluffy Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls

These rolls have a wonderful light and fluffy texture. I change the original recipe to be a bit healthier.

Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls
Adapted from Allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 4 tablespoons honey (or agave)
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons yeast

Mix dough in a bread machine or with a stand mixer. I just put the ingredients in a bowl and used the dough hooks attachment on my hand mixer.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Dough will be very soft, you might want to flour your hands and the top of the dough while you press it out. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rolls, place on oiled baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
Yummy!

Pizza!

We love pizza in our house. I think Scott could eat it every day. In this picture, I used veggie italian sausage, green peppers, pineapple, and fresh baby portabella mushrooms.
There are so many options for pizza! I also make an alfredo mushroom, fresh spinach pizza often.
Next I'll try my hand at a Greek pizza with feta...Scott won't be as thrilled for that one!
This is my favorite pizza crust recipe. It always turns out beautifully. I can get it really thin too and it tastes amazing. I use bread flour, it seems to easier to work with. I also don't bother making a crust, I like my toppings to go all the way to the edges. Use a pizza stone for the BEST results! You can pile as many toppings as you want and your crust won't get soggy this way.
Make more dough than you need and freeze them for a quick pizza!

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust
(from allrecipes.com)

2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 C warm water (110 F)
1 tsp salt
2 T olive oil
3 1/3 C bread flour (you might need more if using all purpose)

Pour water into a large bowl, sprinkle in brown sugar and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in salt and oil. Mix in 2 1/2 C of the flour. Knead until not sticky (if using bread flour, it can be a little sticky). Place in oiled bowl, cover. Rise 1 hour (or longer if you want!), til doubled. Punch down and form two tight balls. Yields two large thin crust pizzas.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. When pizza is assembled, pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and starting to get brown and crust is the right crispness for you.

Sweet Russian Cabbage Soup

I found a recipe for this on allrecipes.com. I altered it and vegetarianized it too!

Sweet Russian Cabbage Soup

• 12 oz of ground beef (tvp or crumbles)
• 2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 4 cubes of veggie or beef bouillon or use vegetarian beef broth
  
• 2 med carrots, shredded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 T white vinegar
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• 2 quarts water, divided
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges or coarsely shredded

Add everything up to the water in a stock pot. Add one quart of the water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
Pour in other quart of water, return to a slow boil. Add garlic and cabbage. Simmer 25 minutes, until cabbage is tender.

Copycat Cheesecake Factory's Avocado Egg Rolls

I'm not sure who to give credit to for this awesome recipe. I found it in an email of copycat restaurant recipes.

Dipping Sauce

Makes more than you need for this recipe. Make some to save or half the recipe.

3-4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1/2 cup honey (for a vegan version, try agave nectar!)
1 pinch powdered saffron
1/2 cup chopped cashew
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic clove
2 green onion
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

Egg Rolls

large avocado, peeled, pitted, & diced

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato packed in oil, chopped

1 tablespoon minced red onion

1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 pinch salt

3 egg roll wraps

1 egg, beaten (you can use water instead)

Directions

1. Stir together vinegars, tamarind, honey, and saffron in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute.

2. Stir until tamarind is dissolved.

3. In a blender, puree tamarind mixture, cashews, 2/3 cup cilantro, garlic, onions, sugar, pepper, and cumin.

4. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in oil.

5. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 teaspoon cilantro, and salt.

7. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper.

8. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up, 1/4 of the way over the filling.

9. Brush remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with egg, roll up from side to side, fold top corner over all and press to seal.

10. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

11. Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.

12. Drain on brown paper bags.

13. Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce!