VIDEO: Zoodles with Creamy (Vegan) 'Alfredo'

This is a great recipe for anyone looking for a plant based menu item that is high in protein. Also safe/appropriate for bariatric patients on the soft solid stage. You won't miss the cream and cheese!! ENJOY!

 

Pasta-less ravioli (a 'patient-created' recipe!)

If you are missing the little Italian stuffed creations called ravioli, one patient came up with a creative way to quench that craving. Give it a try! (It is also acceptable for the puree stage)

1 qt part skim ricotta
2 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup marinara sauce, heated
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg and nutmeg until well blended. Spread in the bottom of a baking dish (9x9 or smaller or a glass pie dish will work as well).
3. Bake until set, approx 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat the marinara sauce.
5. When ricotta is set, remove from oven, using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of ricotta onto a place. Using the back of a spoon, create a depression in the middle of the ball, fill with sauce and sprinkle cheese over the top if you like!

ENJOY!

CBS Newsletter Recipe June: Mango-Peach-Pineapple Salsa

Sara's choice for the newsletter this month, adapted from AllRecipes . Kimba's tip - skip the artificial sweetener and add a diced, fresh jalapeno instead for some kick!

Serves:  Approximately 12-16

Ingredients:

•2 mangos (peeled, seeded & chopped)

•2 small peaches, peeled, halved & pitted &

cut into ½  inch cubes.

•1 cup diced fresh pineapple

•4 tomatoes, chopped

•1 white onion, diced

•1 red bell pepper, diced

•1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•1 cup chopped  fresh cilantro

•1 garlic clove, minced

•2 Tbsp. lime juice

•1 tsp salt

•2-4 tsp. natural calorie-free sweetener (stevia or monk fruit) or Splenda

•¾ cup water

Directions:

1.) Place the mango, peach, pineapple, tomato, onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, pineapple, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, lime juice, salt, sweetener, and water. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Tips: Use as an appetizer along with whole grain baked pita chips or within a tossed salad. It even makes a great accompaniment atop grilled chicken or pork or seafood such as  salmon, tilapia or shrimp. 

ENJOY!

Dressings: Blueberry-Pomegranate or Orange-Peanut

In case you missed support group this morning, here are the recipes we demonstrated. They are both from Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live. High in healthy fats, dairy free, vegan, and even with some protein in them, these sauces/dressings were a hit! A good blender/food processor will be a must, because all you do is dump the ingredients in there and blend until smooth! Each recipe makes 4 servings –> 4 grams protein+ folate, iron, calcium, fiber, beta-carotene

Use on vegetables, salmon, scallops, shrimp, chicken or try mixing in plain greek yogurt for a vegetable/fruit dip!

Blueberry-Pomegranate:

2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh are fine)
½ pomegranate juice
¼ cup raw cashews
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
4 tablespoons vinegar

Orange-Peanut:

2 oranges, peeled and seeded

¼ cup rice vinegar

1/8 cup natural peanut butter or ¼ cup unsalted peanuts

1/8 cup cashew butter or ¼ cup raw cashews

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled 

¼ clove garlic

Tomato Sauce

Summer is coming to an end (sigh), I have spotted leaves falling off the trees which pisses me off because that means snow is coming. I try hard to preserve the memory of summer and so for me that means I make things like tomato sauce from all the extra garden veggies for a little bite of freshness all winter long! You could add meat to this sauce for some extra protein if you so desire, just cook it before adding to tomatoes.

*Approximately 10 pounds of ripe tomatoes (I'm not really sure to be quite honest - I have a GIANT salad bowl and it was piled high with tomatoes, when they were all cut up they filled a 4 gallon stock pot 3/4 of the way)
*1 medium eggplant, diced
*2 cups onion, diced
*6 cloves garlic, chopped
*1 large bell pepper, deseeded and diced
*1 cup carrots sliced
*2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
*1 teaspoon dried sage
*1 teaspoon dried thyme
*sea salt
*ground black pepper
*olive oil
*1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Cut out core of the tomato. Using a pairing knife (the small one in a set), grab the skin of the tomato and peel off - discard the skins. Once peeled, quarter the tomato (at this point I usually removed the seeds and to do so, I have a fine mesh strainer sitting in a bowl, I squeeze the seeds out of the tomato quarters into the strainer - the seeds will sit in the strainer and the juice will flow through the strainer into the bowl, you want to save this juice) and then put tomato quarters into your pot. When you have finished all tomatoes, set the pot on the stove and turn to medium heat.
2. Discard the seeds you have collected in the strainer. Pour the juice into a smaller stock pot and simmer until juice is reduced (you will at that point return this juice to the tomato sauce).
3. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until very soft, but keep the heat low so that they don't burn. Remove onion mix to a bowl. Add a touch more oil to the pan and saute the other vegetables with some salt and pepper
until soft. If the pan looks dry (eggplant soaks up a lot of fluid) you can add some of the simmering tomato juice to moisten).
4. Remember to stir cooking tomatoes while you are preparing everything else.
5. When tomatoes have heated through and are starting to release their juice and simmer, turn heat down to low/simmer. Let tomatoes start to reduce. If the eggplant mix is finished cooking, remove from heat and add to onions in bowl.  When the tomatoes have reduced in pot by 1/2-1 inch, add the vegetables and all the seasoning and remaining tomato juice, and stir.  Continue to let cook, stirring periodically, until pot is reduced by 1/2 and sauce appears thicker.
6. Remove pot from heat. Let sit about 30 minutes. Then divide sauce into containers for freezing. I recommend quart or pint sized containers. Let sit in containers without tops for 2 hours, then cap the containers and place in freezer. (You don't want to put hot containers into freezer because it raises the temperature of the freezer and can cause thawing and refreezing of other items in the freezer which causes 'freezer burn').

Enjoy on pasta, spaghetti squash, pizza, roasted eggplant etc!

White Bean and Cauliflower Alfredo

We made this recipe at support group the other night and put it over spaghetti squash - BIG HIT! So I thought I would share it for all those who could not make it that night. Thanks to Paul for the demo (I did soup-up your recipe a bit, hehe)!

1 sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, copped
1 15oz can cannellini beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup skim milk
1 cup cauliflower florets
½ cup marscapone cheese
Salt and pepper as needed

1. Put on a small pot of water at high heat until water reaches a boil, add cauliflower and cook until very tender
2. Heat olive oil in sauté pan, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
3. While onions are cooking, strain and rinse beans. When onions are cooked add beans to pan for 2-3 minutes to heat.
4. Remove cauliflower from water and place in blender. Add onion and beans. Pulse the blades a few times, then add milk and blend until smooth. Then add marscapone and blend until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon over pasta or spaghetti squash

ENJOY!!

Tailgating season is upon us! Try a new twist on a dip for veggies or pita chips :)

Spicy White bean dip (6 – ¼ cup servings)
•2 cloves garlic
•15 oz can cannelloni beans (liquid reserved)
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•salt & ground black pepper
•1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
•¼ teaspoon dried thyme
•1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Pesto Sauce - Big Ter's Famous Recipe

Big Ter's pesto is always a hit due to its bright green color, cheesy-garlic flavor and lack of oiliness that plagues store bought varieties. Like any other housewife recipe, there leaves room for interpretation (IE she says to me "well if I don't like the taste I will add more garlic" or "I use more then 1/2 a cup of pine nuts but never fill it to 2/3 full"). Never fear though, I have made it off of her directions and it comes out just fine! Try to get the basil from a farmers' market, you will get more for your money and it will be fresher and more flavorful!

Enjoy on pasta or spread on sandwiches!

You will need a food processor with at least a 4 cup bowl.

3 cups packed, washed, basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (she actually just uses the Kraft)
1/2 - 2/3 cup pine nuts
7-8 grinds of black pepper
pinch of salt (no more then 1/8 teaspoon)
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of olive oil (we don't use the extra virgin for this recipe)

1. Add all ingredients into the food processor except the oil.
2. Turn on food processor, and as it is grinding, stream in all the oil.
3. Allow processor to run until pesto is completely pureed (you will actually hear the processor change gears, when this happens, pesto is done!)
4. Store in pint or half-pint containers, with some olive oil drizzled on top. You can freeze the extra containers of pesto to use later, as this recipe will yield more then 1 pint sized container.

ENJOY!!