Peanut Butter Protein Balls

 

This weight loss thing has to stop.  I'm still eating carbs, just half as much as I used to, and this is ridiculous.  I must have been eating soooo much bread and sugars in a day.

Um, also, when you cut your bread intake, you are probably cutting major sources of fiber, too.  I've been sprinkling chia seeds on things when this becomes a problem.  The better choice is to eat things that include fiber so it doesn't become a problem to start with.

To that end, this recipe uses cooked beans as the "flour" binding otherwise no-bake treats.  Various versions of the protein balls exist on the internet, many using chickpeas as the bean to make them kind of like raw peanut butter cookie dough.  I'm headed in a slightly different direction to make them a little South Asian.

Adzuki beans can be hard to find.  I get mine at Sprouts.  Asian markets carry them.  Whole Foods probably does too.  I suppose you can use the pre-made adzuki paste for dim sum filling.  That has a lot of sugar in it already, so you wouldn't be adding more.

I'm using date syrup as the sweetener here, because I have it.  The majority of recipes use honey or maple syrup, since they are much easier to find.  Date syrup is lower in sugars than the other liquid sweeteners.  If you don't care about sugar, you can also use chocolate syrup as an option.  They will get messy, but yummy.

I didn't add chopped nuts or chips to mine, but that is an option.  Rolling the outsides in dry coating is also optional.  They do get sticky if you don't, but you don't have to.

1/3 C dry adzuki beans, or 1 C cooked
1/4 C peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
*2 Tb date syrup or other liquid sweetener
1/4 C instant or rolled oats
mix-ins such as mini chips, crushed nuts, chopped dried fruit
cocoa powder, crushed nuts, sprinkles, or coconut for rolling

1.  Soak beans 8 hours, then drain.  Simmer for 2 hours in fresh water, until very tender.  Drain well.

2.  Mash beans while still warm.  Heat peanut butter and syrup for 20 seconds in microwave, just to get them warm and runny.  Stir into beans.  Stir in oats and any mix-ins.  Let sit 2 hours in the fridge, for oats to thicken the mixture.

3.  Scoop out tablespoons of the dough onto wax paper.  By my math, I should have gotten 16, but ended up with 15.  I wasn't going to take out 1/4 tsp from each to make one more.  Close enough.  Once portioned, roll into balls.  If desired, roll balls in a dry coating.  Chill to firm.  Keeps 4 days in the fridge, or in the freezer for longer storage.

Makes 16

Difficulty rating  π

Mushrooms with Quinoa

 

Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, and kind of borderline as far as being lower carb.  It's somewhere between rice and a legume nutritionally.  Like the barley I added to the artichoke casserole, I went easy on it here and made the recipe mostly about the mushrooms.

Ok, I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I'm getting hungry.  I've lost almost 5 pounds on this reduced-carb lifestyle, which tells me I was in fact eating too many.  I really should not lose any more, although I can now get into those jeans I keep even though they're really too small for me.  Come on, we all have a pair like that.

This dish can be considered a vegetarian main, but I had it as a side.  As a main, it serves 2-3, as a side it serves 4.  It's loaded with protein, iron, and whatever good vitamins mushrooms have.  I forget, since I hardly ever put a whole container of them in anything.

There weren't any decent-looking packages of sliced mushrooms at the market, so I got out the vintage slicer tool. I don't know why I keep that thing.  I last used it on strawberries for a party a year ago, and haven't used it on eggs in maybe a decade.  It did make very quick work of the mushrooms, so it gets to live.

1 Tb butter
*2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz white or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C tri-color quinoa, rinsed if necessary
salt and pepper to taste
water as needed

1.  Melt butter over medium-low heat in a 10" skillet with a lid.  I used the smaller omelet pan, which did work because mushrooms are mostly water, but the next size up would work better.  Cook the garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes, then add the mushroom slices.  Cover and cook until mushrooms give up some water and are about half the volume, 10 minutes.

2.  Sprinkle quinoa evenly over the mushrooms and add salt and pepper.  If you don't think there is at least 1/2 C water in the pan, add a bit more.  Replace lid.  Turn heat down to a simmer and cook until the quinoa is done, about another 10-12 minutes.

3.  Remove lid and stir.  If there is excess water still in the pan, turn the heat to medium and allow the liquid to boil off.  Serve hot.  I found that some of the turkey gravy I was having with the sweet potatoes went very well on this.  It would make an excellent side at Thanksgiving.

Difficulty rating  π

Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

I've been making a lot of casseroles lately.  I haven't had consistent days off, which won't change much this summer.  Casseroles are easy and can often be prepped ahead of time.  This was originally going to be something I left in the fridge all day in the 8x8 and popped in the oven when I came home, but my days off changed again and I had the afternoon free for cooking.

I don't want to deal with the upkeep on a cast iron skillet for how often I might use one, so I just have basic non-stick.  I don't even use a Dutch oven.  Nothing against anyone who prefers them, they simply don't fit into my lifestyle.  I bring this up because most of the recipes I found for this idea used a cast iron. Any oven-proof skillet will do.  Actually, it only needs to be oven-proof if you want to do the toasted cheese topping, which I skipped.

This recipe is for canned or leftover turkey and fresh sweet potato.  There are many recipes out there using ground turkey.  For those, you cook the turkey first, then add the diced potato.  I'm working in the opposite direction.

*1 Tb coconut oil
*1/2 C diced onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
1 lb red sweet potato
*1/4 tsp dried sage
*1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
*8 oz leftover shredded turkey or one 10 oz can, drained
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, optional
*turkey gravy, for serving

1.  Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  While the onions and celery are sautéing, dice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.  Peeling is optional.  I kind of half peeled mine just to check under some questionable spots.  This late in the season, not all potatoes have stored well.

2.  Add potatoes and seasonings to the skillet.  If you aren't having gravy, add a pinch of salt as well.  Add about half a cup of water and cover for 10 minutes, to steam the potatoes.

3.  Remove lid and add turkey.  Continue cooking to heat the meat and boil off the water, 5-8 minutes.  If using cheese, sprinkle on top and set under the broiler for 2 minutes to melt and toast.

4.  Serve from skillet and drizzle with hot gravy.

Difficulty rating  :)

Chocolate Almond Clusters

Yes, I'm still reducing my sugar intake.  I made these with sugar-free chocolate chips.  Which is not the same thing as unsweetened chocolate, as I discovered the first time I bought them.  They're sweetened with some artificial something, but not a whole lot of it.  Slightly more bitter than bittersweet, which is fine with me.  You can absolutely use any kind of chocolate chip or coating chocolate to make these clusters.

I chose to use sliced almonds here.  Whenever I have chocolate coated almond clusters, I find them too hard to bite through.  I end up gnawing off one nut at a time, then eat all the chocolate off it and suck on a soggy almond.  Slivered almonds are also a good choice.

I did stir in some unsweetened coconut flakes.  I get it, coconut is not for everyone.  If you omit it, use a full cup of almond pieces.

1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
*3/4 C sliced or slivered almonds
*1/4 C coconut flakes
flaky sea salt, optional

1.  Melt the chips.  You can either double-boiler it or microwave in 30 second bursts.  I did the microwave.  Just make sure to stir it each time, because chocolate often holds its shape, even when it has melted.  You have to stir it to check.

2.  Stir in almonds and coconut, if using.  I had been keeping my almonds in the freezer and they hardened up the chocolate fairly quickly.  20 seconds back in the microwave took care of it.

3.  Spoon out mounds onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.  I went for two-bite cookie size, a heaping tablespoon, and got 12.  If you're into the whole salted/sweet thing, sprinkle with flaky salt before the chocolate sets.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a sealable container.  Can be kept on the counter up to 80ºF pretty much indefinitely, or in the fridge if it's hot.

Makes about 12

Difficulty rating  π

Spring Harvest Recap and Summer Planting

 

It's great that I've had so many recipes going on that I haven't had any space for gardening posts, but I really want to brag about how it's going.

First, this was simply an epic year for artichokes.  Nothing can beat the deep watering of an exceptionally rainy winter.  Even the little one that doesn't get enough sun put out a couple of feeble buds near the end.  I may have actually grown an entire year's worth of artichokes, unless I go crazy and eat them all in a month.

My broccoli from seed put out two pitiful heads, but I grew them from seed!  It's empowering to know I can make something produce, even if it's just one lunch's worth of broccoli.  Even better, neither plant was infested with aphids, a problem I had before.  They did get those ugly green caterpillars that munched on the leaves.

All my celery survived.  I'm not sure that counts as a good thing.  It was certainly unexpected.  There's going to be a lot of celery with peanut butter, cream of celery soup, and tuna salad going on this year.

Last year, I let a regrown green onion go to seed.  This year, I'm getting consistent green onions from those seeds.  All I have to do is plant a little more whenever I pull a few, and they replace themselves in a month or so.  These won't go to seed unless I let them sit for a second year.  It's an onion thing; they're bi-annuals.

For the summer, I planted pickling cucumbers and a few kinds of tomatoes.  The ones from seed are struggling, so I did buy a couple of starts.  The kale is doing a little better in warmer weather, as is the sage.  It's still too early to know if the pumpkins are going to take off.  My next harvest is going to be the couple hundred boysenberries on the bush.  I'm going to be very happy about that.

Chicken Salad

Ok, I know I don't make chicken salad often, but it isn't even on this blog?  I do have some variations, but not your basic, mayo-based version.  I was making up the scraps from a roasted chicken and found this gap when I went to look for the recipe.

I started with the Bible's, but that was basically stir together chicken, celery, and mayo.  I could have figured out that part.  The variations below the main recipe had better ideas, which I used as a starting point for mine.

This was the first time I harvested my home-grown celery this year.  I had forgotten how much better it is than what you get at the store.  It's truly an herb.  And now that it's going to be playing a larger role in my diet, it's a good thing I planted too much.  Instead of using the extra for mulch, I'm going to prep and freeze half a year's worth, to cover the off season.

*8 oz shredded chicken (or one 10 oz can, drained)
*2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 tsp mustard
1 Tb minced onion
1/4 C raisins or currants
*1/4 C mayonnaise
*1/4 tsp dill
*1/4 tsp parsley flakes
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp white pepper
*1/4 C sliced or slivered almonds

1.  In a bowl, stir together everything except the mayo and almonds.  I actually didn't feel like cutting up the onion and used 1/4 tsp of horseradish instead.  Might not do that again, but I liked it that day.

2.  Stir in mayo and combine.  Unlike tuna, it takes a while to get chicken salad to mesh.  It also takes less mayo.  Refrigerate until needed.  Shortly before serving, stir in almonds.

Difficulty rating  π

Cheesy Artichoke Casserole

My artichoke plants did very well this year, probably from getting double the average rainfall.  The numbers of buds were about the same, but they were so much bigger than average.  They were actually about the same size as ones in the market, instead of barely as big as my fist.  The second round from the main stalk was the size that I usually get in the big one, and the third generation was bigger than the babies at the market.  Which, PS, were an outrageous price at $9/lb for something that is usually sent to the processing plant because they're the wrong size for fresh sales.

With two quart baggies of blanched artichoke hearts in the freezer, I used the next round of the crop to make this casserole.  They were still too large to fit in the soup pot and I had to do them in batches.  Sure, I could have peeled them first, but it's so much easier to remove the petals once they're cooked.  I ended up with the same amount as a box of frozen artichoke hearts, which is more than I could have hoped for.

I'm using barley as the filler here.  I found out that because it has fiber and other complex carbohydrates, I can have it in moderation.  If you don't want to cook barley, you can use one cup of panko breadcrumbs instead.

*1/4 C dry pearl barley or 1 C panko
1 15 oz can white or canelini beans, drained and rinsed
*8 oz artichokes, frozen or canned in water
1/2 C diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
*1/4 tsp dried tarragon

white pepper to taste
1 Tb flour
1 C milk
*2 Tb grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1.  Rinse barley.  Simmer in water to cover by 1 inch until done, about 40 minutes.  Drain.  This can be done a day ahead and refrigerated.  When ready to start, preheat oven to 350º

2.  In a small saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add salt, white pepper, tarragon, and rosemary.  Stir in flour to make a roux base.  Slowly add the milk, allowing it to thicken and come to a low boil before adding more.  Once it is all incorporated, stir in the parmesan.

3.  Chop artichokes into bite-sized pieces.  Toss together in a bowl with barley, beans, and most of the feta.  Save some for the top.  Stir in cream sauce until evenly distributed.  The feta will start to melt and get a little messy.

4.  Spread mixture in an 8x8 baking dish.  Sprinkle top with the remaining feta.  Bake until bubbly and the feta is toasted, about 20 minutes.  Remember, everything is already cooked.  Allow to cool until no longer bubbling, then serve.

Difficulty rating  :)

Fried Vegetable Salad

I have to admit, it's really weird to go from a low-fat diet to something that allows "good" oils in moderation.  I wanted a salad to go with some hummus (and a few of the croissants I baked before the tests came back), and came up with this riff on the tomato and garlic confit.  It's cooked on the stove instead of in the oven so I could keep an eye on the eggplant.

The interesting part of this recipe is that the oil absorbed by the vegetables becomes part of the dressing.  You toss the finished product in balsamic vinegar, then set it on top of the lettuce.  The liquids trickle down to coat the rest of the salad.

The toppings should also be served warm.  Warm, or at least room temperature salads are a thing in Europe and the Mediterranean.  It's a nice addition to an otherwise cold meal.

1 medium eggplant
1 cup grape tomatoes
*4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
olive oil for frying
*1 Tb balsamic vinegar
lettuce for serving
crumbled feta for serving

1.  In a 10" skillet, drizzle oil until it is about 1/8" deep.  That's a well-coated bottom.  Sprinkle salt and rosemary into it.

2.  Peel garlic and cut the cloves in half.  Wash and dry tomatoes.  Wash eggplant, cut off cap, and slice as desired.  I did wedges, then cut them in half crosswise so they would fit in the pan.  You could do half-moons as well.  The slices should be no more than 1/2" thick.

3.  Heat oil over medium-high until shimmery.  Add vegetables to the pan without over-crowding.  You will have to work in batches.  Turn eggplant every couple of minutes until cooked through.  Pull vegetables once cooked and add more when there's room.  Add oil as necessary, since eggplant soaks up a lot.  Place cooked pieces in a bowl without draining.

4.  Once all the pieces have been fried, drizzle the vinegar over them in the bowl and toss to coat.  Set pieces on torn lettuce, sprinkle with feta crumbles, and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)

Balanced Porta-Snacks

Ok, reducing carbs when you work at a bakery is a little harder than I was expecting.  This is why I took off the whole holiday of Passover.  It's way too easy to put something that is all gluten-y carbs in your mouth when you run out of snacks in your lunch box at the end of the day.  There are only so many egg white omelets you can whip up before they start to get repetitive.

I considered picking up packages of those Balanced Breaks.  I got them when they were new because I had a freebie coupon.  Essentially, they're cheese, nuts, and a little dried fruit.  Then I saw that even the best multi-pack deal is over a dollar each.  My co-worker got a larger snack box at some supermarket and it was almost $5.  It probably doesn't sound like much to most people, but for those who do not make a habit of convenience foods, that's a lot.

So, I took a visit to Sprouts and looked around for alternatives.  They cater to all sorts of fad and "healthy" diets, so I figured I could find paleo and keto alternatives.  I've also gotten sugar-free chocolate chips out of their bins that taste normal.  There's a warning on them against "excessive consumption" due to a slight laxative effect, but that encourages portion control.

I decided that what I needed to pack was one ounce each of two kinds of proteins and one fruit or vegetable.  That could be dried or fresh fruit and fresh, pickled, or chips for veggies.  Protein could include meat, nuts (or nut butter), cheese, hummus (or other bean dip), and egg.  That's the model for the Balanced Breaks and most of the little snack boxes that Sprouts and Starbucks sell.  I was just skipping the cracker part, since I could add some kind of bread product at work if necessary and just cut it down to a smaller portion.  I am also growing a ridiculous amount of celery for one person, so now it has a use as a cracker substitute.

I did not buy any nuts on this particular grocery trip because I have a couple of pounds of various nuts in the freezer.  Once I go through them, I'll restock from the bins.  Many of the nuts I like are around $7 a pound.  Peanuts are much cheaper, but I have peanut butter.  16 ounces in a pound makes it less than 45¢ per portion.  But, I rarely pay full price and instead wait for the 25% off sales and stock up.  That's how I ended up with two pounds of sliced almonds in the freezer.  I have also started bulk buying cheese at the market once a month when the app coupon is half off, making one ounce 25¢.

I'm going to have to learn new combinations of this nutrition concept, to keep it interesting.  Yes, the dried fruit has carbs, but far fewer than an apple hand pie, which I had been snacking on a few times a week.  I'm going to be so upset if my cholesterol goes through the roof from replacing bread with eggs and cheese.  This whole recalibration of how I approach nutrition has been eye opening.

Part XV: Change in Lifestyle

So, apparently people with a BMI around 20 can still be pre-diabetic.  My A1C had been creeping up for a few years, and Type I diabetes runs in the family, but no doctor had told me to cut back on the sugar, so I didn't.

It's just barely in the pre-diabetic range, and I've probably already brought it down by cutting out ice cream and halving the amount of sugar in my coffee.  I do expect to fix this issue with some minor lifestyle changes by the next recheck.

What I am not doing is calling this a diet.  Diet is a loaded word, and is almost certainly assured failure.  I did lose weight at first because I was cutting out carbs and not replacing them with non-carb calories.  Coming right out of Passover, I should have known better.

I'm not planning on going keto.  I'm not doing GF, which can have more carbs than a gluten-based baked good.  I'm starting with cutting my carb intake in half.  For example, instead of having two slices of challah for breakfast, I'm having one and an omelet.  Two sweet snacks a day turns into just one, with nuts or another protein-rich option if I need something else.  I had plain yogurt and fresh fruit with a touch of honey during Passover for tea a few times, and really liked it.  If I skip the honey, that's a low-carb treat.  When I had taco night, I only had one in a tortilla and the second "filling" portion on the side as a salad.  I didn't do one of those low-carb tortillas because they have 54% of your daily fiber and I was putting beans in it.  That would have hurt.

I made huge changes to my eating habits when I decided to go high fiber, low salt, and half vegetarian.  It's the right season to embrace the Mediterranean diet.  I'm going to have to get used to eating meat more often, but I won't miss rice at all.  Bread, yep, which is why I'm hoping this partial cutback is enough.

As far as this blog is concerned, you will be seeing fewer recipes using flour and sugar.  However, there will be more savory snacks that work as appetizers and more meat dishes.  I am not going to be evangelical about this style of eating, just as I have not pushed my prior habits and only related how they work for me.  Every person's needs are different.  And there are 13 years of sweet treats on this blog to look up if you don't see anything recent you want to make.  Feel free to browse.