Monday, January 30, 2012

Delicious Mexican Restaurant Inspired Mango Dressing

Low Fat, Low Sugar Delicious Mango Dressing



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I hope to see you there!

Enjoy this delicious, light mango dressing created to mimic the dressing served at my favorite Mexican Restaurant.  My husband and I often visit one of the quick Mexican restaurants in town because of their inexpensive but delicious food.  We always share a delicious veggie salad and the mango dressing just makes the salad over the top delicious!

I realize that the mango dressing served in the restaurant is probably loaded with oil, sugar and calories and so I decided to try and come up with my own mango dressing without the high fat, high calorie ingredients.

This dressing was SO good my kids both gobbled up their salads and asked for seconds!!!

I know when I started cutting back on refined oils in my diet the HARDEST thing to find was a good salad dressing without oil.  Most oil-free salad dressing recipes I tried were bland and let's face it not worth eating!  It took a long time for me to learn the tricks of oil free salad dressings but once you learn it the sky is the limit!  You can make the most satisfying, delicious oil-free salad dressings in minutes!

Here are a few oil-free salad dressing tips:


  • If you use vinegar mixed with soymilk the soymilk will curdle and thicken naturally so your oil-free dressing will not be runny.  Substitute the soymilk for the oil in any dressing that you want creamy.
  • You can also use a combination substituting about 3/4 of the oil with peeled chopped zucchini and 1/4 cashews.  This will provide thickening and a little fat for flavor.
  • If you do not want a creamy dressing such as a vinaigrette style dressing you can simply use peeled chopped zucchini in place of the oil.
  • If you are making a sweeter style dressing use 1/2 peeled chopped zucchini and half liquid sweetener to replace the oil in the recipe.
If you are looking for that perfect oil-free salad dressing this is one you are going to want to try!  It is delicious over brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, guacamole, green leaf lettuce, onion, broccoli, carrots and all kinds of yummy veggies.  You can also serve it on top of a lunch burrito!

Enjoy!


Friday, January 20, 2012

Vegan, Gluten Free Goldfish style Cracker Recipe

The Moment you've all been waiting for..........

The Vegan, Gluten Free Goldfish Style Cracker Recipe!!!

  
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I hope to see you there!


 These little vegan goldfish style crackers have the perfect rich cheesy flavor that everyone absolutely adores in goldfish crackers.  If you LOVED goldfish crackers as a kid, or if your children absolutely love eating crackers as a snack you will definitely want to try this recipe! The recipe is very simple with few ingredients and very quick and easy to make.   My kids ate ALL the crackers in one sitting!! 

You will be absolutely amazed at the perfect flavor in these fun little crackers.  As you notice we did not make little goldfish as I did not have  away to easily cut  out goldfish, so I used my little teddy bear cookie cutter and made cheesy teddy bear crackers.  When I got sick of working with the crumbly dough trying to make perfect little bears I decided to cut them into Cheese Nib style crackers.  This turned out to be MUCH easier!

**I will give you full warning that this dough is NOT easy to work with!!  

The dough is crumbly and a pain in the neck to work with, however, the resulting crackers are WELL WORTH the effort.  Once the crackers have been baked they hold together very well. 

I know you are going to ask this question.......

Can I use Whole Wheat Flour Instead?
YES, you absolutely can use whole wheat flour.  If you do use whole wheat flour for the goldfish style crackers just make sure that you do not over-mix the dough or your crackers will be rubbery.

If you use whole wheat flour I would suggest whole wheat pastry flour and you may need to adjust the amount of flour in the recipe.  Add flour until it forms a ball of dough but do not over-mix!

I made a very small batch to start with because I did not know how they would turn out so this recipe only makes about 20 crackers.  Trust me, you will want to double the recipe....maybe even triple the recipe!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Greek Kale and Rice Bowl Recipe and Kale Nutrition Information

Greek Kale and Rice Bowl




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I hope to see you there!

Delicious Greek-style meal featuring kale that will leave even children begging for more.  This amazing dish has roma tomatoes, tempeh, and instant brown rice simmered in a delicious broth with a splash of lemon juice for added flavor.   I wanted to find new ways to get my kids to eat kale, aside from 'hiding' it in chocolate smoothies.

This recipe was a total HIT with the kiddos and they did not pick around the kale either.  I couldn't believe how simple ingredients could turn into such an amazing creation.  I am grateful that I was able to find yet another recipe to get greens into my sugar loving family!  This has become a new family favorite and will definitely be a go to recipe when I need something quick and healthy.


Why do I want to get more Kale into my family's diet?

Kale is a SUPERFOOD!!!  Packed with nutrients and it contains  as much protein per calorie as Beef!

As they say.....Kale IS the new Beef!  Kale has an amazing nutrition profile!

1 c. Kale

Calories.................33
Protein..................5g
Omega 3's............ 23% daily value
 Vit. A...................1201%
Folate................... 9%
 B6........................28%
Vit. C....................178%
Vit. K....................1788%

Calcium.................20%
Iron........................13%


In 1 oz. of Beef

Calories...................34
Protein.....................5g
Omega 3's...............1%
Vit. A.......................0
Folate......................0
B6............................8%
Vit. C.......................0
Vit. K.......................0

Calcium...................0
Iron.........................3%



Not to mention all of the antioxidants and phytochemicals found in kale!   Here is one way you can get your family to eat kale and actually enjoy it!  




 

 
 

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Last Mary's Mini Menu Post

The Final Post on my Mary's Mini Journey


If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Breakfast Salad with Apple Cinnamon Dressing

I have recorded a 5 day journey of Mary's Mini weight loss diet menu and it has been quite a journey.  However, I don't want to bore my readers with the mundane menu's on this simple diet.  I hope you have been able to get a small glimpse into the simplicity of this 10 day program as well as some interesting menu ideas.  You can do the same thing no matter what starch you choose on the diet, you can roast potatoes in a BBQ sauce, or food process cauliflower into small 'rice' and make oil free fried rice with it, you can make delicious pasta with spaghetti squash or spiralize zucchini and put your favorite marinara on top, you can do so many things with this diet if you just use a little creativity. 

As my last post on this diet I wanted to let you know what my weight loss has been so far......

2.6 pounds weight loss in 5 days!!!

It really is a very easy, simple approach to weight loss, the key though to any weight loss program is to maintain that weight loss through continued diligence in maintaining a healthy lifestyle AND dealing with emotional triggers that inhibit weight loss.

I am not quitting on the program, I just want to move on to bigger and better things on the blog!!



With this last post I will be moving on to my next challenge........

Gluten free Goldfish crackers for my daughter

My neice came to stay with us overnight and she brought some goldfish crackers with her and it reminded my daughter of when she used to eat them....long before my journey into a plant-based diet and she begged me to make a vegan, gluten free version of them.  So that will be my next challenge, although I may end up posting a few recipes before hand if it takes me awhile to perfect.......

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Mary's Mini Diet Menu and Journal Day 4

Mary's Mini Menu Day 4



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I hope to see you there!

 Dinner: BBQ squash strips and a large salad with oil-free creamy dijon dressing

I must apologize for not posting yesterday, it was a hectic day, I went to Jazzercize in the morning came home showered and left again, I had to eat lunch out and it was at about 3pm and then dinner ended up being some fruit because my lunch was so late and then off to my son's basketball game so there wasn't time to post.

Lunch yesterday was at Costa Vida, I had a veggie salad and it was delicious.



As I have done 4 days on my choice of Squash I must admit that I don't think it was the best choice, I have found that it does not contain enough calories to sustain me.  My stomach cannot hold much at all and so it is difficult to get enough calories with low calorie foods like squash or other non-starchy vegetables.  I thought that being that my calorie intake is quite low due to my size it may work but I have had to rethink that decision.  

I know it is a no no but I think I will go ahead and choose another starch for the remainder of the 10 day diet.


Weight loss so far:  1.4 pounds!

That is pretty good I think in only 4 days!



Breakfast
Acorn Squash steamed with apples and cinnamon topped with blackberries
This makes a really delicious breakfast and by steaming the squash it is done in 20 minutes!  
Serving Size:  If you are a small person under 5'3"  the half will be a serving, for an average size person you will need to make both halves.

Recipe:

Acorn Squash halved
1/2 apple diced
1/4-1/3 c. apple juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
4-6 blackberries

Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Fill the squash with the diced apples.  Put the squash in a small sauce pan filled with 1/2 to 1 inch of water.  Fill the squash with the apple juice.  Bring the water to a boil and cover the pot with a lid.  Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon, top with berries and serve.
Nutrients in the Acorn squash breakfast:
The whole squash for an average serving
Calories............311
Protein.............5g
Omega 3's........ 15%
Vitamin A ...... 75%
Folate...........  22%
B6.............58%
Calcium...........17%
Iron..........20%
Zinc.........10%


Lunch

Steamed veggies and leftover acorn squash
I didn't take a photo, it is nothing spectacular.  
I sauteed some broccoli, onion, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms in water and added a little salt.
I scooped out the second half of squash and sprinkled it with cinnamon.

Dinner

I decided to get a little creative with my squash because it is certainly getting, well, boring.  I thought it would taste delicious in some BBQ sauce so I experimented.


Recipe:

Peel and slice butternut squash into thick strips
Use your favorite BBQ sauce

I put the squash strips in a small baking dish and covered them in my smokey BBQ sauce.  I baked them at about 375 for 25 minutes.

I really enjoyed the change of flavor in the squash.  It was a simple dinner but it was satisfying.  
I was craving my creamy dijon dressing so I had a large salad on the side.

Hopefully this has given you some ideas on how to make Mary's mini creative.  I will probably start with potatoes tommorrow as they are more calorie dense and a  lot more filling than the squash.  Hopefully that will give you some more creative ideas of what to do if you choose potatoes.
Enjoy!

Don't worry, I will be back to my usual creative self in a few days.

In fact, I have a fun surprise!!

My daughter wants gluten free goldfish crackers.......so my challenge begins!


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Mary's Mini 10 Day Weight Loss Plan Day 2

Mary's Mini Day 2

 Breakfast
Mashed butternut squash
sliced banana
blackberries
cinnamon
a little splash of soymilk
DELICIOUS! 
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I hope to see you there!

Day two was a little more difficult than the first day.  Breakfast was perfect, lunch a little less satisfying.  I am now rethinking the squash choice because it is so low in calories I seem to be hungry all the time.  I think brown rice or potatoes would be better choices as far as satiation is concerned.  

 I have stuck with the diet today, minus a couple of Tb. of nuts because I wanted something with a little more substance.  I think having a heavier starch would be a better choice but nuts were the only thing available at my mom's house other than candy or non-vegan foods so nuts were all I had to eat along with a little fruit.

Weigh in Day Two.........Drum Roll Please......
I lost 1.2 pounds so far!  

Okay so I certainly cannot complain about the weight loss that is for sure.  I would HIGHLY recommend Mary's Mini to anyone who wants to lose a good amount of weight and get rid of sugar cravings.

Day Two, NO Sugar and very little craving for sugar!

I would also say that Mary's mini is a tremendous help in minimizing sugar cravings, all those veggies taste so delicious and really help curb the cravings.  

Day Two Lunch
    Okay I admit this is nothing fancy but I was in a hurry to get out the door and this is what I whipped up.  




Day Two Dinner

Sorry no pic for this one.  It was simple zucchini noodles with marinara sauce and a lot of steamed veggies.  Unfortunately I realized that the zucchini and veggies were so low in calories I decided to add a tad of rice to the mix for satiety.

I must say this program is not for the faint of heart but it is a powerful tool to knock out cravings and for weight loss!!!  

I hate to say this as it is a no no on the program but I may switch starches because the squash is just not enough calories for me and I'm running into fatigue.  I think I may switch to rice or potatoes but we'll see what tommorrow brings.  Hopefully this blog will help others who want to go on this journey. 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Mary's Mini Weight Loss Menu

My Mary's Mini Weight Loss Menu Day 1

 Day 1 Lunch:  Butternut squash chili fries and sauteed veggies

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve filled with yummy food, friends and fun!  I found myself giving in to temptation at every corner over the holidays.  This is very unlike me but the reality is I just wanted DESSERT!!!  All day, every day, all the time!  I found that it started with just a little sugar and it grew into a monster of addiction to sugar in everything.  It probably came about due to the large amount of stress this past year but here I am 7 pounds heavier after a Holiday season of feasting!

In the spirit of full disclosure I DO NOT like mentioning my weight gain, but I think as I go through the next 10 days it will be very important to be frankly honest. 

My blog is going to take a very different turn over the next 10 days! 
I will be embarking on what is called Mary's Mini.  You are probably wondering, "What in the world is Mary's Mini?"  It is a 10 day 'Diet'  that helps with quick weight loss and refocusing your taste buds.  If you want detailed information on Mary's Mini here is the link:   

 While I am describing my plan for the next 10 days I thought I would also publicly commit to being COMPLETELY sugar FREE!  I have recovered my health in so many ways since adopting a plant based diet, however, there are a couple of major issues that I have not been able to fully recover from because of one culprit in my diet.....SUGAR!

I have fought long and hard to keep sugar in my diet, but I can no longer deny the damage it is doing to my health......so I'm kickin it to the curb!

What do I mean by NO SUGAR?

This can mean a lot of things you a lot of people, many people think it means no white sugar, nope, that is not what I mean.

NO Sugar means.....

  • No maple syrup
  • No brown rice syrup
  • No succanut
  • No turbinado
  • No coconut sugar
  • No concentrated sugar of ANY KIND!!!  Period.  

I may add in some date sweetened desserts at some point but for now I am focusing on losing my sweet tooth. 

Here are the basics of the diet plan

  • You select a 'Starch' as the basis of your diet
  • You can add fruits and vegetables for variety
  • Use condiments and flavorings:  oil free dressings, ketchup, BBQ sauce, salsa, salt and pepper, herbs and spices.
  • Enjoy!  

Examples of Starches you can choose from:
  • brown rice
  • quinoa
  • potatoes
  • squash
  • sweet potatoes
  • buckwheat
  • corn
  • millet
  • barley
  • wheat berries 
  •   any whole intact grain you prefer......
Whole wheat flour products or any grain that is ground or in anyway altered is not acceptable. 

I chose Squash! 
There are a myriad of reasons why I chose squash but you can select anything that appeals to you.

Day 1

Breakfast:  Lemon water
Why in the world did I only have lemon water for breakfast!!  Because I WAY   over did it last night, in fact I was so overfull I couldn't hardly sleep last night and when I woke up I was not hungry so I decided to wait until  hunger truly set in before eating!  

Lunch:  Butternut Squash Chili Fries and Sauteed Veggies

I know this may sound boring but I enjoyed it!  The recipe is simple.
Peel the butternut squash and cut into 'fries', place the fries in a small baking dish and sprinkle on:  chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, and salt if desired.  Bake 375 for 35-45 minutes or until softened.
Cut up your favorite veggies:  broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomato, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach and sautee them in 1/3 c. water until softened.  I added a touch of salt and lemon juice for flavor.  You can add garlic powder or other seasonings as desired.  ENJOY!

Dinner :  Butternut Squash Curry Soup and Steamed veggies

I know you are asking.... 
What about nutrition? 
What about protein????  
Won't you be nutrient deficient?   
In short, Absolutely NOT! 

Here is the nutrient breakdown for JUST LUNCH today!
  
Nutrition  Breakdown for:  
 2 c. chili squash fries
1 c. sauteed spinach
1/2 c. broccoli
1/2 c. cauliflower
2 slices onion
Calories.....................334
Protein.......................14.5 g
Fat.............................1.7 g
Omega 3's..................43%
Vit. A.........................2821%
Folate......................... 124%
B1..............................58%
B2..............................62%
B3..............................41%
B5..............................56%
B6..............................113%
Vit. C..........................232%
Vit. E..........................68%
Vit. K..........................1125%
Calcium....................... 50%
Copper........................80%
 Iron............................56%
Magnesium..................100%
Manganese..................161%
Phosphorus..................50%
Potassium.....................56%
Selenium.......................14%
Zinc..............................34%
In some squash and veggies you get 14.5 grams of protein!!
The simple reality is with this simple 'Mini Diet' you will be getting MORE NUTRITION than you usually get!!  This simple diet is an EXCELLENT tool for weight loss but not only does it work extremely well for weight loss it also retrains your taste buds you enjoy, simpler, healthier foods!!

I see this 10 day diet as so much more than just 'weight loss'  I am providing myself with superior nutrition and refocusing my tastes toward foods that are healthy.
So come on and jump on board with me!!