Toasted Coconut Custard

8 large eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

2-4 packets of Stevia or Truvia (depending on how sweet you like it)

2/3 cup shredded coconut (you can add more or less depending how coconutty you like it)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet spread coconut out in one layer. Toast in the oven until it starts to brown. Remove from oven.

2. Beat eggs in a bowl with vanilla and stevia. Add toasted coconut.

3. Use Pam/pan spray to coat a pyrex glass baking dish. (A pie dish or smaller will be appropriate in size. You also will need to be able to sit this glass dish inside a roasting pan so find one that is small enough to work but also has sides that are higher then 1". Its ok if your custard is thick/deep, it will just take longer to cook.)

4. Once glass dish is sprayed with Pam, pour the egg/coconut mixture in. Set glass baking dish into the roasting pan and set on the rack of the oven. Using a pitcher (or coffee pot) pour water into the baking dish until it comes at least 1/2 way up the sides of the glass baking dish. This helps the custard to cook evenly and not burn on the sides. Cook custard until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the custard (all the way to the bottom) comes out without chunks of wet egg on it.

ENJOY!!

Simple Suppers - Smoked Salmon

Who says you actually have to cook for dinner? There is no reason why your meal needs to look like a 'stereotypical American meal'. If we remember that we are eating to no longer be hungry, not to be full - something as simple as smoked salmon with whole wheat/grain crackers can be put out and enjoyed on a spring or summer evening. No cooking, no clean up! Even the 5 year old loved it!!

Additional accoutrements or substitution ideas:
-whole grain mustard instead of cream cheese
-diced onions instead of/in addition to capers
-mango salsa
-mix Old Bay seasoning into cream cheese for some zing!
-pickled ginger
-lemon or lime wedges
-mix fresh dill and lemon juice into some plain, nonfat yogurt
-roasted asparagus (on the side)

Sweet & Salty Fix

Patients are always wanting a sweet & salty fix, and while we focus on trying not to give into cravings for different foods if they are connected to times of stress or emotions and instead work on controlling the behaviors behind these 'food attacks', you still might need something in your arsenal for other times when you are looking for something sweet & salty because you stomach is growling and that is what you would like to have.

I had never seen the 100% cacao bars in super markets before (the closest I had come was 99% bars from the Lindt store). These bars are not for eating straight (unless you are crazy like me), they are bitter and a little alkaline because they contain 0 sugar and 0 artificial sweeteners, but they will give you the taste of REAL chocolate/cacoa. When mixed with some other flavors like peanut and graham (or banana) you have quite a delectable item. The taste of the pure cacao will take some getting used to, but give it a chance, you will probably never want to go back to milk chocolate again!


*1 graham cracker (look for one that is low sugar - most name brand crackers have 8 grams of sugar and they have added sugar and honey to them)
*1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter - I like Smucker's because I find it to be the most salty (bad dietitian) and I like the peanut butter to be slightly salty (100-200kcals, 1-2 grams sugar, 3-7 grams protein)
*2 squares from a 100% cacao bar (146 kcals, 0 grams sugar, 4 grams protein)

Enjoy!!!

**Your best bet to find them in the super market is to look in the baking section**