Personal Pumpkin Tart

Oh boy, was I happy with this experiment I tried yesterday!  It all started here, with Lilibeth. She linked to a recipe for a crust made with just almonds and oats. I noted the proportions and then lit out on my own, and with a filling of my own, too.

Part of what makes a traditional pumpkin pie so creamy and nice is the evaporated milk in most recipes. I learned years ago that if I simmered my own fresh milk, even letting it scald a bit, reducing it by half or more, I had a better product. So that explains the bit of milk in this recipe.

PERSONAL PUMPKIN TART

Crust

1/4 cup oats chopped very fine with 2 T. raw almonds
1/2 t. tahini (can’t find my almond butter or I’d have used that)
1/8 t. each nutmeg and powdered ginger

Combine these ingredients with just enough water to make the mixture stick together to press into a large custard dish, then bake at 425 until toasty brown. Meanwhile, prepare filling:

Filling

1/4 c. low-fat milk (soy might work)
1/2 cup fresh baked pumpkin, mashed or pureed (canned would be okay)
2 dates, snipped very fine
1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

In a small saucepan simmer milk until reduced by half--scalding it is fine. Stir in pumpkin, dates, and spices and cook gently, stirring as needed, until thickened. Spoon into crust and bake at 350 until further firmed up and slightly browned on top.

Verdict: Excellent and Amazing, and it uses only half a day’s nuts and grain (ala drfuhrman), then the additional calories of the milk (25) and the two dates.

For Thanksgiving at my sister's tomorrow (about a dozen people) I'm taking the following:

Baba Ganouj (or Dr. Fuhrman's Eggplant Hummus--same thing) with carrot and cucumber and blanched fine green beans and peppers as dippers

Ambrosia--just Valencia and Cara-Cara oranges with coconut, though I'm going to throw in some pomegranate arils I splurged on at Costco the other day

Winter Squash Soup I made the other day (see previous post)

Lower-Fat Yogurt Pound Cake (Joy of Cooking) with a tipsy elderberry sauce I made up.  No, this is not really healthy, but I was assigned a dessert. :-)

Warm and Creamy Winter Squash Soup and a Method for Broth

Another two down of our butternut squash inventory, but I'm adjusting the recipe to one squash, for normal people. :-)  The warmth in this comes from the fresh ginger and a little chile.


WARM AND CREAMY WINTER SQUASH SOUP

1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small chile pepper, minced
1 pint high-quality broth (see below)
1 sprig rosemary (optional--I just floated a stem sprig in the pot at the last minute)

Heat oil in a large saucepan and add onion, stirring occasionally to brown evenly while you're preparing the squash.   Use a potato peeler to take off the outer skin, then cube the squash with a heavy knife, removing seeds. Add squash cubes to onions and continue browning with occasional stirring while you prep and add the other ingredients.  Add water as needed to cover squash cubes. Simmer all for about thirty minutes, until squash is soft, then puree in batches and serve.

Verdict: Excellent.  Smooth and satisfying, with sweet body and a kick from the pepper. I didn't even notice the lack of salt (though my broth may have had some) I had two small bowls of this to start off my lunch, being willing to use up a significant portion of my starch allowance on it today.  The only disappointment about this squash is that it doesn't have any fiber!  But I get plenty of fiber elsewhere. :-)

I think I'm taking this to my sister's for Thanksgiving, with some fresh rosemary to decorate the top of custard-size bowls of soup.  

Inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend Renee and from The Joy of Cooking.

VEGETABLE BROTH

This is a method I am initiating this week, and I thought I'd record what I'm doing.  Beginning several days ago I started freezing a gallon zip-loc bag with vegetable trimmings (onion skins with some adhering onion, garlic peel, the rind of a lemon, several brussels sprouts bottoms, some bell and pimiento pepper stems, butternut squash peel and fiber and a few seeds, the butt of a bunch of celery, etc.), and today with a full bag I dumped the contents into a pot with some water and boiled it for about an hour, then drained it and had a beautiful brown broth which tastes a bit weak only because it doesn't have any salt.  I am freezing it in ice cube trays to then keep in a bag so I can pop a few cubes into a dish as I'm cooking later.

Two Wobblies and a Winner

The other day I tried a couple of recipes from my new Moosewood Lowfat Favorites book, and I'm sorry to say they're not that great, though I will make use of the leftovers of one when I'm hungry and need to fill up with "beans and greens," and the other was definitely better the next day.  I tend to find that with some of these nutritarian recipes--I don't enjoy them a lot the first day, but the leftovers are fine.  Maybe it's overexposure to all the ingredients while preparing the food, maybe it's a need for the flavors to meld . . .

Black-Eyed Peas 'N' Greens <--The discussion on the page where this recipe is linked pretty much explain the problem--dry and kind of bland.  Scallions on top and the malt vinegar I tried help somewhat.  But I think the real thing to do with the leftovers is to make this:  Black-Eyed Peas and Greens Soup.  In a nutshell, add water, tomatoes, and oregano and see where to go from there.

Baked Sweet Potato Salad  except that I used butternut squash, which has half the calories and none of the fiber of sweet potatoes--so pick your poison/magic. :-)  This is a beautiful salad and definitely better the next day, and the book suggests either the dressing on this link or a curried mango yogurt dressing, which would be sweeter but I'm not sure better.  It was just not too inspiring. The Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dressing is very promising for other purposes, too--I look forward to using it later.

But here's a real winner, thanks to my friend Marci:

McDougall's Curried Swiss Chard Soup
This quick soup of leek (or onion), broth, tomatoes, white beans, fresh ginger and curry powder (I used McCormick's red), and fresh Swiss chard (I used red) is really wonderful. Half the recipe is a BIG bowlful for a nutritarian lunch, including two cups of chard and 3/4 cup beans. EXCELLENT.

Dr. McDougall has a lot of the same approach as Dr. Fuhrman, except McDougall emphasizes using grains central to the diet and eliminating nuts and not allowing any animal products, if I've got that straight (and am not mixed up with Esselstyn) . So stricter in some ways, easier in some ways, but with a lot of overlap, so the recipes work well both ways.

Asian Cabbage and Sweet and Simple Squash

Today I made a couple of experiments that turned out very nicely, and they're now part of the drfuhrman.com Member Center Recipe Guide. :-)

Asian Cabbage

1/2 oz sesame seeds
1 cup baby carrots
1 small head of napa cabbage, cut crosswise into shreds
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
a few drops of soy sauce, to taste

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet on a medium burner until browned, then set aside.  In the same skillet add some water to mostly cover the carrots and cover, simmering until they're nearly tender. Then add the cabbage, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, uncovered, until cabbage is tender and water has mostly cooked off. Add sugar snap peas and cover again until those are tender. To serve, toss hot vegetables with sesame seeds and sprinkle on a few drops of soy sauce.

Verdict: Excellent.  I confess I added 1/8 of a package of ramen noodles to the sesame seeds to toast, because I wanted the crunchiness, and I even reserved the seasoning packet in case I needed it.  But in the end I hardly noticed the noodles and won't make it that way again.  And I left the seasoning package untouched--it was really lovely just like it was.

Sweet and Simple Squash

2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup raw cranberries
a few big chunks of fresh pineapple (about 3/4 cup?)

Simmer squash cubes in 1/2 inch of water in a small covered saucepan. When almost tender add  the cranberries and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until they pop, adding water if needed. Then break the pineapple chunks into smaller pieces over the pot, simmering until the pineapple is warm and melded into the squash.  Enjoy!

Verdict: Excellent. I just had a little bowl of this (half the "recipe") and loved every bite. Good thing I like this, as we have about thirty remaining butternut squashes and a dozen pumpkins harvested from our garden!

Ongoing Review : "Aggressive Weight Loss Plan (non-vegetarian)" Part Two

Go here for Part One.

The one-week plan is stretching out to about ten days for me, and I will not get to all the recipes, since the groceries I have on hand don't match and/or the remaining recipes don't look too great.  So I need to make a menu and a grocery list and start over today or tomorrow, and in the meantime I'm having a lot of leftover this and that.  What's great about the nutritarian recipes is that I know I can grab this or that and be confident that it's "on plan" for the most part. If it has a starch in it I'll skip it today, since I had oatmeal for breakfast. If it has nuts I'll consider how that fits with the other nut/seed things I have had for the day.  And after about nine days I've lost about seven pounds, so that's a nice aggressive start! :-)

I read somewhere recently that the new books (Eat for Health) have better recipes than the old one (Eat to Live).  But for those who are serious, ETL has the quick start and the more science-oriented discussions.  I really look forward to working through the recipes site at drfuhrman.com in the Member Center and getting great new ideas from others.

I'm definitely enjoying the leftovers, though I'm often "tired" enough of a recipe by the time I serve it that it doesn't appeal too much the first time around.

So, without further ado, here are my impressions of several more recipes from the "Aggressive Weight Loss Plan (non-vegetarian)" :

Excellent

• Roasted Mixed Vegetables (photo here, and it does look a lot like mine) (very tasty mix of cruciferous veggies and carrots and asparagus, with garlic, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce roasted at 450 and finished at 350 to keep them from getting too dry -- and I added the asparagus late for just that reason. I even skipped the brown rice in the original recipe, because I was having butternut squash seasoned with pineapple tidbits and dates, plus a bit of plain potato with my Great Greens -- see below.)
• Tasty Hummus (went VERY simple on this one -- the recipe in the plan calls for the addition of soy sauce and horseradish, but no thanks -- mine is garbanzos, tahini [less than you might think], lemon juice, and garlic, and it is fabulous -- I'm craving it)

Pretty Good

• Great Greens (simple steamed mix of kale, chard, and spinach, dressed with garlic, wine vinegar or balsamic or similar, fresh dill, and basil)
• Rolled Eggplant or "Roulade" (eggplant slices marinated in balsamic vinegar and water, then rolled around a filling of red and green bell pepper., onion, garlic, tomato sauce and tomatoes, and herbs that have been simmered together for a while, with more of the sauce on top -- the whole thing baked for a while)
• Bean Enchiladas (I made this a layered casserole of corn tortillas with a simmered mixture of green pepper, onion, salsa verde [though the original called for regular salsa], black and white and pinto beans, frozen corn, cumin, and cilantro -- and I encouraged the family to melt cheese on top of theirs if they liked)

What I'm Not Making

• Chard and Vegetable Medley (onion, garlic, yellow squash, chard, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar -- just too much like the other stuff I've been eating, and I'm out of greens) 
• Cream of Asparagus Soup (steamed asparagus blended with soy milk [I'd use regular lowfat milk], soy sauce [or liquid aminos], raw cashews, cilantro for garnish, and -- really? -- four dates.  I may actually make this since I have the ingredients, but I'm not sure.)
• Dijon Pistachio Dressing/Dip (may try it later but just haven't needed it -- pistachios, lemon juice, ground flax, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, and a date)
• Lisa's Lovely Lentil Stew (just haven't gotten to it -- lentils, onion, basil, tomatoes, celery -- I'll probably be more adventurous)
• Russian Fig Dressing/Dip (blecch! pasta sauce, almond butter, sunflower seeds, fig vinegar)

Happy Reformation Day!

I usually make a special meal for Sunday afternoons, a great time of rest and fellowship between church services and usually unencumbered by the typical rush of all those six work days. What a great idea God had at Creation! :-) 

Today is a really special Sunday, because we celebrate Reformation Day, this evening with a combined gathering of several local churches in our area--churches that share a common appreciation of the men (and women) who have served the Lord by preserving and preaching and suffering for the truth of the Gospel found in the Bible. Because Luther got the whole thing started, we tend to like to have German, fall-ish foods, too.  So I'm making for the family a pork roast with sauerkraut and red cabbage (from the garden!) and lots of nice herbs (from the garden!) and beer, and for myself a nutritarian version of Braised Red Cabbage with Apple . 

I found two versions of this recipe online, both of which say they come from Joy of Cooking.  But my ancient 1997 version uses caraway instead of fennel, and red wine vinegar (I used Riesling wine vinegar) instead of balsamic.   I tweaked it down to a teaspoon of olive oil instead of bacon drippings, and just a teaspoon or two of honey. (My 1997 version calls for a tablespoon or more, I think.)

To go with this fare I'm making some mashed potatoes from our garden. (I'll have a bit, and probably some braised kale or other deep green, and I think I'm going to bake a butternut squash with some toppings.)  I know people will want dessert, but that will have to be an afterthought.

For breakfast I made myself a wonderful

BREAKFAST WALDORF SALAD

1 rib chopped celery (about 1/3-1/2 cup)
1/3 - 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1 apple, coarsely chopped (I prefer a golden)
1 clementine (mine was tiny), broken into sections and then each section torn in two to release juice
1/2 - 1 small pear (mine was canned)
1-2 tablespoons plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (well, I just sprinkled it, but that's how I do things)
several pecan halves, lightly toasted

Combine all the ingredients except nuts, which go on top. I let my salad sit for a half hour or so before eating, and I think it helped meld the flavors.

Verdict:  Excellent!  I was really craving this as I constructed it, and it was lovely. I could use more. :-)  I'm not into non-traditional breakfasts (well, a green smoothie is pretty breakfast-y), but I could see having this on shredded romaine or even spinach.  It's a legacy from the excellent pear-walnut salad I had earlier this week (mentioned in my last post).

Super Foods

How many Super Foods do you eat in a week's time?

Read more here, at Wise Bread. 

Blueberries
Beans
Broccoli
Oats
Oranges
Pumpkin
Wild Salmon
Soy
Spinach
Tea (Green or Black)
Tomatoes
Turkey
Walnuts
Yogurt

This week I've had all the ones in bold. I usually have lots of dark leafy greens, but since we have so much fresh salad in the garden I haven't had spinach or kale or turnip/collard/mustard greens in the last couple of weeks. I've just finished a course of Cipro (antibiotic) and am having plain yogurt to try to build up my friendly organisms, but I don't usually have yogurt regularly.

Progress Report

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Leftover NEVER-ENDING SMOOTHIE (I think I'm ending it for now!)

Lunch--Salad of mixed dark lettuces, purple cabbage, radish, red bell pepper, and red onion topped with 1/2 cup Tasty Bite pilaf (mixed grain and bean) and a half dozen Spanish olives, dressed with a drizzle of low-cal Italian dressing; cup of MINESTRONE SOUP; half a Harry and David pear

Snack--Half ounce of roasted peanuts early, banana with peanut butter and flax seed meal late

Supper--Three ounces baked chicken breast (no skin), 1/2 ounce acorn squash with cinnamon, two cups broccoli, 2/3 cup macaroni and cheese (shouldn't have done that, but it was a lower-fat version I made up for the family), navel orange

PROGRESS REPORT

Same weight today as last week (when I'd lost four in a week). After my slipup yesterday, it makes sense. But that's still fifteen pounds in eight weeks. :-)

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Today I bought most of my groceries--maybe all of them!--for Thanksgiving. I am planning ahead to have some nutritarian offerings I can enjoy fully but that won't be off-putting for our guests. So I have our traditional ambrosia (navel oranges, coconut) that I may put a spin on with a bit of variety in the citrus and less coconut than usual. And I'm planning plain steamed green beans and mashed potatoes without too much additional stuff in them. I'll still make turkey and dressing and gravy and a friend is bringing sweet potato casserole and homemade cranberry sauce, and I've purchased rolls ahead of time. One daughter is making pumpkin pies (not a great temptation to me, but I may have some) and I want to plan one real indulgence--pecan pie or pecan pie bars I made last year and that are wonderful.

I'm determined to have lots of healthy things around the holiday, too, so that I'm not derailed by days and days of holiday food. So I bought clementines and a pummelo today, plus brussels sprouts and a nice green squash I hope is one of the kind that are sweeter than acorn squash but look kind of like them. Tonight I'm making ribs for the family and will make collards and perhaps brown rice to go with that.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Smoothie made of a mixed-berry one I had last week, frozen banana, lots of spinach, and flax seed meal with water to blend

Lunch--Salad of red leaf lettuce, mostly, with green pepper and jicama and onion and grape tomatoes, with black beans over the top and low-cal Italian dressing, plus a couple of olive bar olives and the teaspoon or so of oil in those; clementine (why are these so expensive this year?!); one reduced-fat Ritz cracker

Snack--1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal with a few pecan halves

Supper--Half cup of brown rice topped with collard greens (cooked in a bit of bacon for the family), then with caramelized onions on top (sauteed in a tad of peanut oil); 3/4 cup of a mixture of 2/3 canned baked beans and 1/3 canned navy beans. The family is having bbq ribs with this, and I got a little for my portion (maybe an ounce of meat). For dessert, we shared my pumello.

EGGPLANT HUMMUS

EGGPLANT HUMMUS

1/2 large eggplant, baked to softness and peeled (I had this left over from a couple of days ago--obviously it would make sense to bake a whole one and double the rest of the ingredients for the recipe.)
1 can chick peas / garbanzo beans, drained
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons tahini (260 calories!!!)
1/3 lemon (yes, I put the flesh in, too, but not the peel)
tablespoon dried parsley
water if needed to blend
dash of salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Verdict--Very Good. I made it a bit too thin (adding water), but it's a very satisfying snack with carrots to dip into it. The eggplant gives it a nice extra bite. The whole recipe is about 4 cups, and I estimate about 700 calories, so a generous half cup is under 90 calories.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Leftover blueberry, etc. smoothie from yesterday

Lunch--Salad of romaine, shredded carrot, onion, and red bell pepper topped with refried beans, black beans, and salsa; green grapes

Snack--EGGPLANT HUMMUS and carrots

Supper--Cabbage cooked in the browned bits left after sauteeing bratwurst for the family, but no remaining fat more than a glisten in the pan; 1/2 baked potato underneath, with a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt on top; 1/4 cup sauerkraut; acorn squash with raisins and pecans (my dessert, really)

Snack--Pear and raw almonds (1/2 ounce or so)

Purple, Confetti, and 'Shrooms

DEEP PURPLE GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup frozen homegrown blackberries
1/4 cup frozen homegrown sour cherries
1/3 frozen banana
A dozen or so frozen strawberries
A tablespoon or so flax seed meal
Smallish handful fresh spinach
Water to blend

Blend all together. I added a teaspoon or two of sugar because it was quite tart. Another banana would have fixed that. Half of this is a tall glass.

Verdict--Very Good. I love using our homegrown stuff!

MEXICAN CONFETTI SALAD

One whole romaine heart, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 can black beans, drained
1/4-1/3 can corn
Tablespoon dehydrated onion
1/4 cup or more salsa
Tablespoon guacamole
Tablespoon-plus plain yogurt

Combine chopped vegetables in a large bowl, and heat beans, corn, onion, and salsa together to put on top. Garnish with a "dressing" of the combined guacamole and yogurt. I "guesstimate" this whole salad is about 400 calories. Note: I recently purchased single servings of salsa and guacamole in a combo pack at Costco. This makes them very convenient to use for a take-along salad of these ingredients!

Verdict--Excellent, and a very filling lunch. The sweetness and "bite" of the corn work nicely in the combination. It would be great with diced tomato and perhaps raw onion, but I just didn't make it that way. :-) By the way, I've taken to making my salads in the serving bowl that goes with my everyday dishes--a regular bowl just won't hold it all!

QUINOA MUSHROOM SOUP

Tablespoon olive oil
2 sliced medium onions
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup quinoa
1 pint beef stock or broth
1 quart water (these two ingredients in appropriate proportions for flavor)
1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced
Tablespoon or so dry sherry
Seasoning as needed

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until browned and softened, then add quinoa and brown slightly. Add broth and water and bring to a boil, adding mushrooms and then simmering until quinoa grains burst and release their curly threads and mushrooms are tender.

Verdict--Good. I have never cooked with quinoa before, and I started it before I added the mushrooms and overcooked the quinoa. The recipe above reflects the adjustment that should be made. The nutritional value of it is good because of the higher protein content than with grains (it's actually a seed), but I'm not sure what I think. I'll try something else with it soon. I think this soup would be very nice with barley, too, or even brown rice.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--DEEP PURPLE GREEN SMOOTHIE (half the recipe)

Lunch--MEXICAN CONFETTI SALAD

Snack--Adorable little cookie tart Betsy created for me from ground raw almonds and oats, a dab of cream cheese and butter to hold it together, egg white, a dash of Cointreau, and frozen peaches from our trees. She wanted to experiment with Nutritarian-type ingredients, and the firm-but-crisp little wafers were wonderful, especially with the juicy peaches on top. Two small ones totaled probably about 125 calories at most. I felt pampered. :-)

Supper--QUINOA MUSHROOM SOUP (about a cup, representing about 100 calories of quinoa); 1/2 cup butternut squash with a tablespoon of raisins and cinnamon and ginger; green beans; large pear

Progress Report, Spinach and White Bean Soup

SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

2 cups chicken stock (homemade preferable, with carrot, celery, onion, and garlic, fat skimmed off)
4 cups water (I should have used less, as I needed to add bouillon to give it some flavor)
1/2 onion, chopped (I used red)
1/4 cup chopped green and red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
three big handfuls (handsful?) fresh spinach, about six cups
1 cup navy beans
1 cup butter beans
Optional: 1 cup cooked pasta plus pesto (I used leftover PESTO PASTA)
Seasonings to taste--Italian herbs, salt and pepper, bouillon cubes

Simmer the stock, water, onion, pepper, and garlic together until flavors begin to release, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer ten minutes to a half hour to meld flavors.

Verdict--Excellent. I had chicken on the side for my lunch mate to enjoy in her soup. The key is having good stock and seasonings. I think a veggie stock would work well, too, if it had plenty of body. Garlic is crucial.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Tuscan melon, halved red grapes, small local apple, flax seed meal

Lunch--SPINACH WHITE BEAN SOUP (two bowls full!)

Snack--Large pear, one ounce or so raw almonds and roasted mixed nuts

Supper--Small can V-8, 1/2 cup baked butternut squash with sprinkles of nutmeg and cinnamon, one cup cooked frozen peas mixed with a small can of sliced mushrooms, a few sliced grape tomatoes, slivers of sage from the garden, and a dash of dry sherry. (I should have left out the tomatoes--they were pretty but the flavor wasn't right with the rest of the mellowness.)

PROGRESS REPORT

Down three pounds this week, for a total of six pounds in two weeks!