I like to start the day by loading up the dehydrator. That way, it has plenty of time to run before any afternoon storms. Today I made Zucchini Chips. These were quick and easy to prep, since all you have to do is wash the zukes and then slice them about 1⁄4 inch thick. I dry them at 125 degrees until they are dry and crispy. They keep a long time in the pantry.
A delicious black bean and corn salad. This is quick and easy, and you can make a bunch because it will keep in the refrigerator for several days. It can be eaten as a main course, or used as a side dish. It also works well as a relish on tacos.
Black Bean and Corn Salad Ingredients black beans, cooked and well drained roasted red corn red bell pepper red onion fresh jalapeno celery cucumber carrot, grated roma tomatoes garlic clove cilantro, fresh Mrs.
Because we eat a lot of hummus here, we are always looking for something crunchy to go with it. There are plenty of tasty chips and crackers on the market, but they all contain a fair amount of sodium. So my goal was to attempt making crackers in my dehydrator.
This was my first attempt at making crackers. I did have a bit of a problem getting it spread evenly on the sheets, so a few of my crackers were a bit thin in the middle.
These are quick refrigerator pickles, so DH has dubbed them “Quickles”. They can be made with any combination of fresh vegetables you like. They are a really healthy snack, and will add the vinegar and dill flavor to main meals, such as the Southwest Veggie Burger ! They don’t really need any salt in the mixture if you use some Balsamic vinegar.
From the left, the vegetable mixtures in the picture are:
This cheese cake was a total “invention” from start to finish… and it was a total success! I wanted to make a no-bake cheesecake, and use chia to thicken it. I made it in a mini pie pan (in case it was a disaster) and it’s a good thing I didn’t make it bigger… we probably would have eaten the whole thing. It was THAT good!
A basic graham cracker pie crust.
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients 1⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs (gluten free) 1⁄2 teaspoon golden flax meal 1⁄8 cup almond meal 1 pinch cinnamon 2 teaspoons macadamia nut oil Directions Put the dry ingredients in a mini food processor. Pulse a few times to make coarse crumbs. Then add the first teaspoon of oil. Pulse some more to mix, then test.
Please note: this one is not gluten free because of the 5-grain tempeh used.
This is my first attempt at making a home-made veggie burger mixture. I used a food processor to make most of it.
Southwest Veggie Burger Servings
6
Ingredients 2 cups black beans,, cooked, well drained 1 package WestSoy 5-Grain Tempeh 1⁄2 lime, juice of 1 clove garlic, cut in chunks 1⁄4 cup carrot, shredded 1⁄4 cup corn kernels 1⁄4 cup sweet onion, chopped 1⁄4 cup green bell pepper, cut in 1-inch chunks 1⁄4 cup celery, small pieces 1⁄4 cup Poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, cut into chunks 1 tablespoon golden flax meal 2 tablespoons loose chia gel ((1 cup of filtered water, 1-1/2 tablespoon chia seeds)) Mrs.
Last night’s dinner was delicious! Sprouts has wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon on sale right now! I marinated the fish in light basalmic vinegar, lime juice, a little olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, minced and cilantro. Then it was grilled.
The Pineapple-Avocado salsa also has red onion, cilantro and 1/2 roasted jalapeno.
The Asparagus and Grape Tomato salad is really simple and the addition of the sesame seeds gives is a little crunch.
Tonight’s dinner was Lamb Burgers on Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Buns. I love these buns! They taste really good, and hold up well to a hefty burger with all the fixings piled on. We have used these same buns for Portabella Burgers and they were great!
The white sauce on top of the burger is home made tzatziki sauce. On the side you see avocado, red onion, tomato, green leaf lettuce, and grilled Mexican grey squash.
I’m still being asked about what I eat every day. In addition, I have been sending pics of many of our meals to friends and relatives. So, I’ve decided to post them here, rather than sending out so many individual messages.
This first post will contain a bunch, so you’ll have to scroll a bit, but after this, I will post them as I take them. I apologize for the quality at times, but the lighting in my kitchen is bad.
About Chickpeas: Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. One hundred grams (about 3.5 ounces) of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.
There are foods that are good for you… And foods that are not (or not AS good!) One of the major things I did was to “swap out” bad for good and, in some cases, good for even better!
My main goal was to feel better. If I lost some weight, that would be great, but initially I just wanted to eat healthier foods. I also wanted to change things in my husband’s diet.
We got 6 spaghetti squash, so that was “pre-made”. To cook it, I wash the squash, pierce it with a knife several times, and steam it. It takes about 20 minutes. I take it out and cut it in half to cool for handling, scoop out the seeds, and shred the squash with a fork into a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together.
I’ve mentioned Bountiful Baskets a couple of times now. They are a food co-op made up of people like you and me. You can get baskets of fruit and vegetables, either 100% organic or not, it’s up to you. In addition, they offer breads and other specialty items.
There are offerings in 20 different states, mostly in the Western half of the U.S. Not every city in every participating state has deliveries.
Since people have found out how much weight I’ve lost, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about how I did it. So I’ll answer some of the most frequent ones here.
Q: What diet did you use?
A: None. I didn’t go on a “diet”… I changed my life!
I hate the “D” word! The very idea of a “diet” implies something temporary. Your brain instantly takes on the idea that you are going to deprive yourself until you reach a certain goal.