Smoothie Taste Test

I've continued to have smoothies several times a week as a high protein snack or meal replacement with a piece of fruit.

I've tried several brands and for the price, this is my favorite by far in a Vegetarian Protein Powder which you've seen me use in a number of posts. The Vega powder is vegan, very low in sugars (and calories) while still packing in 20 grams of protein and lots of great amino acids. Those that visit here regularly know I'm not vegan, but I've made a conscious effort to consume MUCH less animal products than I used to, eating meat only a few meals a week, and only ethically raised, not factoryfarmed. It's a journey, but I feel much better and my skin is definitely clearer.

The Vega powder is great.  It also has some "greens" (powdered freeze dried healthy green vegetables) that bump up the nutrition without tasting like "eww, salad smoothie".

I've tried several versions including the "Protein and Greens", the "Smoothie" in a bag, and the "Sport" but there  was only one version I didn't care for and that was "Vega One" with added fiber, that was a bit  too gritty for my personal taste.

This one is perfect  - blending with sugar free almond milk into a thick, creamy shake, even without extra ice cubs.

And the taste - I got my husband (NOT a smoothie fan) to taste it and he said it was quite good, tasting like a thick old fashioned chocolate milk, without all the dairy and with WAY more protein.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie - Meal Replacement Perfection

I have a post coming up of my favorite protein powders in a few days, but today, is a recipe that blew me away, not just for taste but for how FULL I was.  I had this vegan smoothie in late afternoon as I'd had a light veggie soup lunch, figuring I'd have dinner in 2-3 hours..

But then dinnertime rolled around.

I wasn't hungry.  Not at all and it had been four hours since I finished this  less than 275 calorie smoothie.

The secret, I think, was using full fat, in the can, coconut milk, the kind you use in Thai cooking, instead of the watered down "coconut milk" you'd  pour on your cereal.  Still 1/3 can was only 50 calories and less than 5 grams of saturated fat (and the good kind).  Sounds exotic?  I found it at the local Village Polish grocers, and the generic store brand no less (found in the oriental food item section with the chow main noodles).

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
In a blender, layer as follows.

1/3 can coconut milk (keep cool and dry but do not refrigerate, otherwise the coconut cream will solidify on top).
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 scoop Vega brand Berry Protein and Greens Protein Powder
5 ice cubes
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup pink grapefruit sections (yes, for the time sensitive, they do make jarred ones).
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup.

Blend well and serve.  Makes one very large, yummy glass.

Enchiladas Lightened Up

Honey Lime "Chicken" Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. Unfortunately, much of it is chock full of fat and salt.  How to make a dish that's lower in both and still tasty?  Veggie protein and a spicy, no salt sauce with veggies on the side instead of refried beans and rice.

You will need:
3 cups of chopped veggie protein source such as tofu or "chicken" strips
lime juice
tortillas
quesadilla cheese (or use low fat cheddar/jack)
honey
spices
a jar of green taco sauce (or can or enchilada sauce).

Preheat oven to 400 F and spray an 11 x 7 pan with non-stick spray (or place an additional 1/2 cup taco sauce in the bottom if you have enough).

In a small bowl mix:
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 good pinches of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's roasted garlic powder (or a small spoonful of minced garlic).
a dash of white  pepper

Toss  protein source in mixture and stir until coated with the sauce

Get out 9 corn tortillas, warm them first wrapped in a moist towel in the microwave for a minute or in a pan.  If you try to roll up cold store bought ones they often split.

In each tortilla -  place  1/3 cup of the chicken mixture, When enchiladas are all rolled up -  top with the bottle of the green taco sauce, or use a 10 ounce can of green enchilada sauce. Sprinkle the top with one cup of Quesadilla cheese (often found with the tortillas that are in the refrigerated section of the supermarket).

Bake 20-25 minutes - until heated through and the cheese melted.

Serve topped with Rotel and/or some veggie sour cream substitute. Each enchilada is just under 300 calories. My husband ate two, but one with veggies on the side was plenty filling for me.  With my other meals being a smoothie w/fruit and low sodium, homemade soup with a piece of whole grain bread I was still well under 1500 calories for the day and had leftovers for another meal with my husband.

DIY Pancake Mix - With Regular and Vegan Recipe alternatives

Want big fluffy  fat free pancakes on the weekend but don't want to make them from scratch?   Sure there are mixes, but they contain Trans fat raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol -- not good for your heart's health period. If you make the vegan version of these, they are totally fat free. Even the version with egg and milk  has no trans fats.

Just find a big glass jar (such as old pickle jar) or container that has a very tight seal and mix up the following.  You'll have pancake mix for Saturdays for the next 3 months.  It's a very moist and fluffy pancakes that does not need a lot of syrup to taste great.  Makes 10- 12 pancakes medium sized pancakes.

Pancake Mix

12 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking powder (check the date, if close to expiring, get a new one for this mix)
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda

When ready to prepare, mix:

1 cup mix
1 cup fat free Kefir (cultured milk found in the yogurt section) or 1  cup buttermilk*
1 egg
drop or two of vanilla

I will admit I sometimes add a Tablespoon of melted butter or non-dairy spread to the liquids, but they are perfectly fine without the added fat.

 If you want to make a vegan version, replace dairy with almond or coconut milk and use 1/2 of a ripe (starting to turn brown) banana that's well mashed in place of the egg and serve with fruit.

Cook on the griddle and serve with your favorite sides.  Pictured is Applegate Farms chicken and sage all natural sausage cooked in a little maple syrup (found at health food stores and finer grocers)

Note:  This batter is quite "fluffy" so don't make big plate-sized pancakes or they will be beyond cantankerous to flip. I made little ones and they were really easy to cook and turn.

*you can make your own "buttermilk" by replacing a Tablespoon of milk from a cup of milk with lemon juice and letting it sit five minutes

Kitchen MacGyver

Egg whites are good for a lot of things -

lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, and clogging up radiators.

- MacGyver

I will only concur on the pie and Angel Food Cake. I'm sure you've all had angel food cake from the grocery.  Most of it tastes like Styrofoam.  Making one from scratch isn't the easiest thing to make, but  if you wear your special MacGyver pants for cooking,  it helps, as do detailed instructions.  Plus it's one of the lower fat, lower calorie baked goods out there.

That being said, some baked items can take a little practice.  Should your spouse or friend be kind enough to attempt this recipe, remember, like with handymen, there are certain things one should NOT say while your loved ones attempts such things. 

Phrases to avoid saying to either a handyman OR chef.

Is this all you've done all day?
What exactly IS that?
Isn't the top supposed to be level?
How much did you spend on THIS?
I'll get the broom and the dustbin.
Am I holding it the right way?
What's that little thing sticking out of the top.
Maybe we should check our homeowners policy before we try it

And the worst?

Insert an ex's name here 's never looked like that!

Even a lopsided angel food cake is good (but make sure you grease the pan well so the batter can climb up the sides and cook evenly).  If it's not perfect (or even if it is) it makes a dandy low fat, fairly decent low in calories dessert.

This recipe (not mine) is easy and makes one loaf, perfect for when you don't want a ton of cake lying around but want something for dinner or guests.

• Angel Food Cake Recipe.

Top some cubes of this cake fresh from the oven with strawberries, a little vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of honey and serve in a Champagne glasses.  Your guests won't care about how long it took, the mess you made of the counter or whether there is flour all over the seat of your MacGyver britches.

Which "less than 350" calories would YOU rather have?

OR

Asian Drumsticks. (serves 4)

I thought so. The sauce is thick and rich tasting and free of any synthetic fats or oils.  My husband loved it (I had my sauce on my Gardein crispy chicken nuggets after baking)

Asian sauce

1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons minced jarred garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder (I use Penzey's)

Mix and set aside.

In a Tablespoon or two of olive oil brown 8 free-range chicken drumsticks in a pan on medium high heat for 8- 10 minutes per side, until lightly brown. Remove from pan and pour off any oil or dripping and wipe down pan with a paper towel. Add chicken back to pan, pour sauce over top and cook on a low/medium simmer, covered, until chicken is 165 degrees F, internally (for these pieces, fresh from the local butcher, it was 8 minutes in the pan per side, then 45 minutes on a low simmer).

Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. To the sauce add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons of water. Raise temperature to a boil and whisk until sauce is thickened. Pour over chicken and serve.

Serve with 1/2 cup rice, additional crushed pepper and green onion as garnish (optional) and some salad drizzled with rice vinegar or lemon juice. My husband gave it a "two thumbs up" and asked me to make it again.

Serving as shown - less than 350 calories.