Friday Flashback-Creamy Mashed Parnips



served with Cashew Chicken and
roasted Brussels sprouts



TGIF!

While you're at the grocery store this weekend, grab several parsnips and make this side dish, you won't be sorry.  This recipe is easily in my personal top 5 P10 recipes.  Click on this link:

Creamy Mashed Parsnips

This is what you'll see at the grocery store....

Servings and Portion Control

I see questions about ‘how to count’ servings/portions/calories on The Perfect 10 Diet.  Some people use a formula of fat/protein/carbs, some use calorie counters.

For those of you who haven’t downloaded it yet – I will be referring to, excerpting from and quoting The Perfect 10 Bonus Chapter.  Click HERE to download this document if you need a copy of it.  

IF YOU ARE NEW to P10 and don’t want to haul around the entire Bonus Chapter, try this – copy and paste the basic info needed into a Word document, print and take with you in your purse or keep in your food journal for a quick reference.  I also loaded the Bonus Chapter onto my iPhone so I could open it and view it if necessary.  The Portion Control info starts on page 28.

I’ll share what I do.  Cyndi H. compared it to the (really) old Weight Watchers exchange program, which was a good way to put it.  And I think it’s a very quick and easy way to keep track without losing your mind.

Daily Servings

The Perfect 10 Diet formula suggests that you break down your caloric intake as follows:

40 percent from carbs, 20 percent from proteins, and 40 percent from fats.  It’s much easier to see it like this:

If you are small framed:

·       6 to 7 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       1 to 1½ servings of protein

·       2 to 2½ servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

If you are medium framed:

·       6 to 8 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       2½ to 3 servings of protein

·       3 servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

If you are large framed:

·       7 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       4 servings of protein

·       3 1/2 servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

Don’t forget to count fat used in cooking if it is also eaten!

**The ‘Fruit’ Question

What is the maximum number of fruits that I can eat in one day while on the Perfect 10 Diet?

A healthy and balanced diet must contain 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits a day.  You can have as many fruits as you want on the Perfect 10 Diet if you are very active.  (Exercise is encouraged if you are not too overweight.) But here is the caveat: fructose, present in fruits, is only metabolized by the liver and not other body cells. The liver uses up to 15 grams of fructose per day, which is roughly 2 fruits a day. Excess fructose (what is not used by the liver) will be converted into fat. This means that if you are active, you can have more fruits (3 or 4 per day) if you wish. If you are not active, 2 servings of fruit per day should be the max. Note that some fruits actually count as 2 servings, as explained in the book. Low-fat diets do not take this into account and promote drinking lots of fruit juices, which the Perfect 10 Diet knows will negatively affect insulin levels and cause us to gain weight.

Keeping Track

I keep a food journal.  At the bottom of each page I note down the following info:

B         L          D

6V

3P

3F

1D

1Fr

The top row is breakfast, lunch and dinner and the side column are the servings of veggies, protein, fat, dairy and fruit I am aiming for each day (I am cutting back on fruits and not eating whole grains right now, change it to suit your needs).  At each meal I just add up the servings of each item and list it under the B/L/D column.  It helps keep me on track each day.  See if that works for you!

Quick and Easy Household Measurements to Use as Portion-Control Guides

·       3 ounces of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards, the palm of your hand (without your fingers) or an iPod.

·       A medium-sized piece of fruit is the size of a tennis ball.

·       A serving of cheese is about the size of 6 stacked dice.

·       ½ cup of cooked veggies is the size of a tennis ball.

·       1 cup of raw veggies is the size of your fist

·       1 ounce of nuts should fit into the palm of your hand.

·       1 teaspoon of butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb

So this is just a brief overview to get you started or to let you know if you’re on the right track.  It’s easy to know what NOT to eat but I found it very helpful to know what size a serving of the ‘right foods’ are.

Please share your comments, questions or ideas.  All we have is each other and let’s face it, I couldn’t do this without all of you!

Spaghetti Squash

I think spaghetti squash is one of those 'love it or hate it' type of foods.  I tried it once a long while back and didn't care for it...but it turns out you have to DO something to it or else it's not so very exciting to eat.  But you can do simple things to it, marinara sauce, Alfredo Sauce, etc.   It can be an entree or a side dish depending on what you decide to do with it.

I don't know what I was thinking but I served with with a side of Lemony Squash and it wasn't until I asked 'how is your squash?' that I realized our plates were ridiculously redundantly repetitive with coordinated vegetation....

I found this recipe that makes a big batch of savory squash and is simply flavored yet delicious.  Microwaving the squash makes this go faster and dinner is on the table much sooner.  The recipe calls for shallot but you could sub onion, it's just that shallot has a much more delicate flavor that really works well with this dish.


Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Butter
makes 6 servings

2 lb spaghetti squash
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2-3 tablespoons fresh OR 1 tablespoon dried herbs, parsley, oregano, basil, etc.
    (total, not each)
salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shaved, shredded or grated

Take a sharp knife and stab the squash all over.  Put the squash on a paper plate and microwave on high for 6 minutes, turn over and microwave another 8-10 minutes until the squash feels squashy.  Remove from microwave and let stand and cool for about 5 minutes.

While squash is cooling, melt the butter in a pan on medium-low heat then add the shallot and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the seasonings and remove from the heat.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise and split it open, use a fork to pick out all the seeds.  Then use the fork to scrape the insides, taking care of break up any lumps and create strands of 'spaghetti'. 

Mix the butter and the squash in a serving bowl.  If squash has cooled too fast, zap it again to warm it up.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.  Add extra cheese to taste if desired.

Lemony Squash

This was super quick and I always love to play with my chef's knife, although you could use a mandolin slicer (but I'm afraid of mine).

See how purty it looks in the pan?

I didn't stir or turn my veggies while they were cooking and I think I had the heat up too high because they got nice and brown on the bottom but that was still good and I kinda like them that way.  So, if you're the type that has to flip and stir go right ahead but I didn't think it was necessary.

Lemony Squash

makes 4 servings

with crispy roasted bottoms....

4 small zucchini or yellow squash

1 small lemon, zest and juice

salt

Slice the veggies about 1/4" thick.

Place in a large skillet with a tablespoon of water.

Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon zest and a little salt.

Cover and simmer on medium low heat for at least 5 minutes.  Check to see if they are just right or need a couple more minutes to finish cooking.

Squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the squash, taste to see if that's enough or if you'd like more.

Friday Flashback-Ch...Ch...Ch...CHIA!

This picture is embarrassing but
it makes me laugh!

Let's take another Friday Flashback all the way back to the 80s!

Remember chia pets?  Well those little seeds turn out to be extra super duper darn good for you.

However, just buy them at a health food store, no need to be licking them off of a clay sheep or anything....

Ch...Ch...Ch...CHIA!

'PB&J' Snack

Are any of you as crazy about almond butter as I am?  I love it in everything!

How cute is this idea for a quick treat or light snack? 

You could also spread this on a MIM-Muffin in a Minute or stir in into Greek yogurt.

PB&J Snack

makes 1 serving

1/4 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons almond butter

Mix together in a bowl and enjoy.

Cheesy Pizza Crust-grain free

This is the best grain free pizza crust I have tried to date AND BEST OF ALL - you can hold it like a regular crust pizza and it tastes like one too.  My family could not tell the difference and for those of us craving pizza, this recipe will make you happy and satisfied.

This recipe is courtesy of Free Coconut Recipes and not only does she post the recipe, she also made a video to show how to make it which was very cool…I’m not quite that cool yet.

Here’s the link to Free Coconut Recipes' Gluten Free Pizza Crust.

http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/index.cfm/2010/2/1/glutenfree-pizza-crust

I have posted the same recipe below with my little tweaks, one of which is that I took the recipe and used 1 1/2 times the ingredients and that was enough to fill a large square baking sheet, which comes out to about 12 pieces of pizza, which is just right for us. 

But you could make extra dough and make personal sized pizzas if you'd like...



I was in a hurry so I just threw on sauce, cheese, cooked organic ground beef and some fresh chopped ham.  But next time I’m definitely gonna charge this up with some freshly sautéed onions and garlic and veggies.

Also – I’m going to make this crust and then slice it up to use as bread and see how that works…

Cheesy Pizza Crust-grain free

Makes 12 pieces – one large baking sheet

Crust:

3 cups (12 oz) whole milk organic mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 large organic eggs

3 tablespoons flax meal

3 tablespoons coconut flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper out for baking sheet.

Coat hands with olive oil.

Mix cheese, eggs, flax, coconut flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula (or your hands) to 1/4 inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with one piece of parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Halfway through the baking process, flip crust over by sliding it off the baking sheet with the parchment paper, placing the second piece on the sheet, and turning the crust over unto the new sheet and peeling the old paper off. Return to oven until done baking.

Remove from oven, slide off of parchment paper, and flip over again for cooling. Once crust is cooled, top with sauce, cheese, pre-cooked veggies or meats (see below). Set crust with toppings under the broiler on high for a minute or two until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve.

Toppings:

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

12 oz pizza sauce

Choice of veggie toppings-cooked: bell peppers, onions, garlic, spinach, olives, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.

Choice of meat toppings-cooked:  ground turkey, diced chicken, diced nitrate free sausage

Fresh or dried basil

Fresh or dried oregano

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Sorry I started slapping on sauce before I remembered to take the picture of the crust!



Coconut Chicken

Although I like coconut oil and milk and such, I really don't care for actual coconut shavings, it's a texture thing.  However, I had no problem with the taste or texture of this dish, it was great.  The only thing missing was the sweet/spicy sauce that comes with it when you order something like this ina restaurant but I was coming up blank as to how to fake that at the last minute.  Let me know if you have any ideas.  I caught my husband dipping his in the Catalina salad dressing.

I served this with a side salad and a yummy serving of Creamy Mashed Parsnips.  The parnips went great with this dish.  As you can see, I used chicken thighs which I think made a real difference in this dish, sometimes chicken breast can turn out dry.


Coconut Chicken
makes 6 servings

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 eggs
coconut oil

Trim the extra fat from the chicken.  Cut into six even pieces as best you can.

Get two shallow bowls or containers.  Beat the eggs together in one bowl, in the other bowl mix the flour, coconut and salt.  Then get out two forks to use for dipping and dredging.

Using a fork, plop a piece of chicken into the egg and coat.  Remove the chicken and plop it into the flour mixture.  Using the other fork, toss the chicken in the coating, flipping it over and pressing the crumbs into the meat.  Remove the meat to a plate and continue until all the pieces are coated.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle just ONE tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan and cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side.  If the pan gets too dry, drizzle a bit more coconut oil.  Don't crowd the pan, if you need to, do two different batches.  (Wipe the pan clean before cooking the second batch).

Remove cooked chicken to a clean plate and let it rest for a few minutes.  Serve warm.

Potatoes with Tamari Butter

My family has always loved this side dish.  In Japanese, it's called 'shinjaga shouyu bataa'

In the past I always made a special trip to get the teeny new potatoes but one day I was running late and looking for something a bit heartier to serve alongside the Pan Seared Salmon with Ponzu Spinach that I was whipping together.  I thought this would be a good complement to the dish so I threw it together with big old honking russet potatoes instead.  So I decided to post both ways to cook this dish in case you feel the same non-urge to run out and get special teeny taters.

Remember folks, on P10 potatoes are a 'every once in a while' food.  Of course after you eat these you might struggle with that a bit....

Tamari is the wheat-free version of soy sauce so if you're on Stages 2/3 you could just use soy sauce but honestly, the flavor of tamari is so much better and it's worth it to keep some on hand.  It's readily available in the Asian section of your grocery store.


Potatoes with Tamari Butter-baby potato version

1 lb organic tiny new potatoes, washed and unpeeled
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon tamari
salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Put potatoes in a large pan, cover with water and add enough salt to make the water salty like seawater.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes.  Melt the butter in the same pan and add the tamari.  Mix the potatoes and and tamari butter well, and pour onto a baking sheet.

Roast potatoes for 25-30 minutes until browned and cooked through.  Make sure and turn them a few times.  Serve warm or at room temperature.


Potatoes with Tamari Butter-russet potato version

2 large russet potatoes, washed and unpeeled
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon tamari

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Stab the potatoes with a fork and microwave for 5 minutes.  Cut potatoes into chunks.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large microwavable bowl.  Remove from microwave and mix in the tamari.  Toss the potatoes and and tamari butter well, and pour onto a baking sheet.

Roast potatoes for 25-30 minutes until browned and cooked through.  Make sure and turn them a few times.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Friday Flashback-All in the Family

Let's revisit one of my favorite posts concerning how to get the family on board or at least trick encourage them into eating healthier!

Okay, can I just tell you that last time I posted this I had the theme song from 'All in the Family' in my head for a week....and now you will too!  "And we knew who we were theeeeeeeeeeeeen....goils were goils and men were men......"

Click on this link to read "All in the Family"

Hard Baked Eggs

Yes, you read that right...baked...yes, as in the oven...yes, with the shell on and everything.  I saw a random post with someone asking about how to do that and several people chiming in on how they do that!  I was blown away because I had never ever thought of doing that before.  But you know what?  It was totally easy and the eggs were great!

I always worry that hard boiled eggs will be underdone so I boil the heck out of them and usually get a dry yolk so I've never really liked eating just plain hard boiled eggs.  These however, were moist and worth eating and the best part was, I just threw them in there while I was making dinner so it didn't take a lot of extra effort. 

But do remember this - eggs fresh from the store will not peel well, try to use eggs that you've had a few days and they'll be easier to peel.

Here's what I did:

Hard Baked Eggs
makes 8 servings

8 large eggs (room temperature is best)
muffin pan or baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350.  Put the eggs in the muffin pan OR lay them directly on the rack and put the baking sheet beneath them just in case they break.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  If you put the eggs in cold they might need that few extra minutes.

When the eggs are done fill a large bowl of ice/cold water and move the eggs into the bowl.

Peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle then return to the ice water to thoroughly chill OR leave them unpeeled and store for later use.  Just make sure they're cooled down before you refrigerate them.

Quinoa Cauliflower Mash

Quinoa is pronounced 'keen-wa'

Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, authors of "The Everyday Superfood," describe quinoa as "one of the world's healthiest foods." Quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids, making it an ideal protein source for vegetarians who typically need to eat a wide variety of protein foods to get all of the amino acids found in animal protein. Quinoa is gluten-free and can be used as a protein-rich substitute for wheat, rye and barley.

The Glycemic Index is a ranking system that assigns a number to foods that contain carbohydrates, depending on how quickly they release glucose into the bloodstream. Foods with a high rank are usually not suitable for diabetes sufferers because they cause spikes in blood sugar. Low-GI ranking foods don't adversely affect blood glucose levels; they support weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the Glycemic Index website. Quinoa is a low-ranking food on the Glycemic Index.

I am going to double check with Dr. Aziz, since he didn't address quinoa specifically in his book, but for right now, I am going to say sorry all you Stage 1 peeps, this recipe is Stages 2/3 only, but hey, you only have to wait a few weeks until you can try this.  AND YOU MUST TRY THIS!  This is freaking delicious, I could not stop eating it and the Kid was head over heels for it.  Be warned, this makes a big ole' pot full so you'll have a lot to eat.  Haven't tried freezing it and reheating it yet so I'll have to let you know about that.  If there's any left by the time I get home...

I served this with a big pat of butter.  It made a great side dish to Greekloaf.

Quinoa Cauliflower Mash

makes 8+ servings

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups dry quinoa, uncooked and rinsed

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups chopped fresh cauliflower (about 1/2 of a large head)

4 cups water (or broth if you prefer)

Seasonings:  salt, pepper or garlic salt

In large pot, on medium heat, stir in onion and oil and cook for about 1 minute.

To the oil mixture, add quinoa. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

To the quinoa, add salt, cauliflower, and water or broth.

Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot.  Simmer until all the liquid has absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and mash mixture together with a potato masher.

Taste and add seasonings as you prefer.   A touch of garlic salt was just right on this.

Greekloaf and Quinoa Cauliflower Mash, all warm and cuddly on the plate...

Greekloaf

I love Greek food and flavors and I love meatloaf so I thought this recipe was just perfect for me.  And it was!  You could make this with either organic healthy (blah blah blah) ground beef or ground turkey.  This recipe could also be cooked either in your crockpot or in the oven, depending on whether you a) remember to throw it in the crockpot that morning or b) you get home and see the recipe on the counter and yell - 'dang it!' and throw it together and into the oven right quick.  If you have time, put this all together the night before and let the flavors meld. 

I scrambled the leftovers into my eggs the next morning and topped it with Greek yogurt 'cause I'm just awesome that way....but enough about me - on to the recipe!  I served this with a side of Quinoa Cauliflower Mash - that recipe posts tomorrow.

My secret to a good meatloaf is to combine all the other ingredients first and then mix them into the meat; you get better distribution that way.

Greekloaf
makes 6-8 servings (but remember, a 3 oz piece is a P10 serving)

olive oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup red onion (can sub regular onion), chopped
2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, garlic and oregano, then add in the onion and cheese and spinach, mix well.

COAT YOUR HANDS WITH OLIVE OIL.

Put the meat into the mixing bowl and squish squish squish away, making sure that all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the meat, make sure and flip and split and separate and continue squishing until you have a great mixture.

Crockpot instructions:  Coat the crockpot with olive oil, plop the mixture in and shape into a low flat even loaf (to cook evenly).  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Uncover and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Oven instructions:  Put meatloaf into a pan and shape evenly to ensure it cooks evenly.  Bake at 350 for 90 minutes.

Greekloaf and a side of Quinoa Cauliflower Mash

Spicy Mashed Cauliflower

Someone told me about this version of Mashed Cauliflower that was served on a cruise ship off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

If this doesn't seem spicy enough for you then feel free to kick it up a notch. 

You know would be great?  Use this recipe as the base for a super awesome kickin' Bowl Taco...add beans, olives, avocado, etc.

Spicy Mashed Cauliflower

makes 4-6 servings

One head cauliflower, chopped

1/2 cup grated Mexican or Monterey Jack cheese

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped

2-3 tablespoons half and half

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

In large saucepan, add cauliflower and just cover with water, boil covered, about 10-15 minutes, until tender.  Drain thoroughly.  Mash cauliflower with hand masher.

Add the cheese, chile and cream and mix until well combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add more half and half if needed.

If you prefer them nice and smooth, mix with a food processor or an immersion blender.

Scoop into a lovely serving dish and sprinks with cilantro.

 

Friday Flashback-Pepperitas





Today's Friday Flashback is Pepperitas!

Since the first time we've posted this we've come up with a few other things to stuff into these little guys - like leftover meatloaf, eggs and sausage and egg salad.

Have a great weekend.

What’s for Breakfast?

On P10, the most important meal of the day and the one you really don’t have time to deal with are the same meal….breakfast.  I loves me some breakfast but sometimes it seems like I have the same thing every day for weeks (refried beans, eggs, cheese and avocado).  Or I just fall back on my go-to breakfast, the OMG Smoothie.

But seriously, most of the items I’d have eaten for breakfast before are no longer an option on P10, especially Stage 1 – so what DO we have for breakfast?

Brinner – let’s forget about ‘breakfast’ being eggs, toast and bacon.  Why can’t breakfast be leftover dinner?  Or leftover lunch?  Heat it up and you’re done.  And you’d probably be out the door faster.

Eggs – I also love eggs but daaaaaaang, eggs for breakfast every single day can get old really fast.  There’s only a several hundred different ways you can eat them but there’s a limit, ya know?  So I won’t go over all the different ways you can prepare them, but the recipe is:  eggs + some other stuff = breakfast scramble.

Smoothies – sure, that’s quick and easy but that can also get old fast.  And same thing, there’s only several thousand ways you can make them, once again, basic recipe: liquid + other stuff = breakfast smoothie.

Moving on…

So how about some great quick and easy breakfast ideas?  Here’s the first one:  make something ahead of time, hide it from the kids and eat that for breakfast.  And to keep from eating the same thing every day for a week, make TWO things ahead and time and alternate or at least rotate in some brinner, eggs or smoothies.

All of the recipes below are on the blog and can be found by using the Label menu on the right hand side of the home page – just click on Breakfast.

Here are some items you can make on your day off, slice and freeze (or hide in fridge) to have a ready-made breakfast:

• 

  

  Don't be a Neo-maxi-zun-dweebie...
  Join the Breakfast Club!

  Broccoli Pie
• Chili Cheese Quiche
• Breakfast Potato Skins
• Breakfast Muffins
• Protein Pancakes / Grain Free Pancakes
• Spinach Mushroom and Swiss Quiche
• Almond Flour Banana Nut Bread

Try mixing these up the night before:

• Almond Butter and Chocolate Yogurt
• Overnight Oatmeal
• Cabbage Hashbrowns

You can mix up the dry ingredients the night before and then add the rest in the morning.  Some quickbreads to try:

• Easy Eggy Mealy Thing
• Muffin in a Minute

So now you can sleep tight, get up early, work out on the treadmill and then treat yourself to a decent breakfast before you head off to start your day...like I do.  Honestly and truly.  Especially the treadmill part.  Stop snickering at me.