EGGPLANT SOUP

Thats right - Eggplant Soup !  This can be served hot or cold -

Ingredients :  

1 large or 2 medium eggplant insides ( Poke holes on one side with a fork - place in microwave 2 - 4 minutes until soft to the touch.  Allow to cool.  Scoop out the insides and discard the skin.)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 med sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 carton 12 oz chicken or vegetable stock

1 small jalapeno chopped

1 med green pepper - cubed and discard seeds

Juice from one lemon

Garnish :  sprinkle with goat cheese or just some parseley

Large Sauce Pan.

Mixer.

Place all the ingredients into the sauce pan until the sweet potato cubes are soft.  Remove from heat.  Using a mixer, liquify all ingredients.

Taste to see if you need to add more salt ( don't add pepper ).  The lemon taste should just be a hint.

Place the liquified soup back on the burner and allow to cook a bit longer.

Serve hot with sprinkled goat cheese or feta cheese and a spring of parsley - or serve cold!

Enjoy.

SIMPLE AND LIGHT SALAD DRESSING OR MARINADE

My husband developed this simple salad dressing that we use also as a marinade....

Ingredients:

1 lemon - squeeze as you only need the juice

1/4 - cu juice from Capers ( buy the jar of capers you can always use them! )

1 heaping Tablespoon Capers ( use this only if a salad dressing )

2 cloves garlic - chopped

1 tsp oil

Try this!

ABSTINENT THANKSGIVING MENU

  NOVEMBER - THANKSGIVING - ugh!

 

The most difficult test - no tasting!  Appoint a taster you trust - ( LOL )

Beginnings :

Flax Seed Crackers

Hummus

Fresh Vegetables

Hard Cheese

Main Meal :

Turkey with mushroom gravy on the side ( see recipe for mushroom gravy )

Ham with various mustard sides

Multigrain and brown rice stuffing

Yams sweetened with sugar free maple syrup

Stir fry green beans

Green Salad or just sliced tomatoes garnished with basil

Dessert :

Crustless pumpkin custard

Baked apples

Now , what's wrong with this?  You know what and when you can eat what. 

Happy Thanksgiving -

Mushroom Soup or Mushroom Gravy

With the fear of Thanksgiving and Christmas amongst other eating frenzy celebrations we are confronted with, I came up with this simple recipe that can be used as a soup or gravy....

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp pepper

6 large peeled and mined shallots

1/2 large garlic - take out the cloves, peel, and mince

1 - 12 to 16 oz container of beef, chicken or vegetable stock

4 cups mushrooms

1 large white or sweet potato, peeled and cubed

garnish :  cilantro or parsley

1 large soup pan

1 mixer

In the soup pan, place the olive oil and bring it to a med high heat, drop in shallots, dry seasoning, and garlic - brown.

Reduce heat to med and place remaining ingredients - except for the garnish.  When boiling, reduce heat to simmer.  Test potato and when soft - remove mixture from heat.

Mix the ingredients until liquid form - put back on simmer heat until thick.  

To serve as soup, garnish as suggested.

As a gravy - to thicken if needed, add a tablespoon of arrowroot.

Emjoy!

PUMPKIN PIE CUSTARD

This custard has a whole grain crust on the bottom, but you can make it without one!

This is something I'm going to use at

Thanksgiving -

Ingredients:

1 12 oz. can Fat Free Evaporated Milk

3/4 c. Granular Sugar Substitute(SS) - (I use Xylotol)

1 12 oz. can Pumpkin

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon, cloves

3 eggs ( beaten )

2 cups Ezekiel "Original" cereal  

3 Tablespoons Margarine melted

1 pie pan ( spray with Pam )

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Sprinkle the 2 cups of Ezekiel cereal on the bottom of the Pam pie pan and drip the melted margarine over this. Place in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove.

In a medium bowl, mix the SS with the various spices.  Mix in the Eggs.  Add the Pumpkin and mix completely.  Begin to add the Evaporated Milk a little at a time until it is thoroughly mixed.  Pour this mixture over the crust.

Put back into the 425 degrees for 15 minutes and reduce heat to 350 for 40-50 minutes.  The pie mixture should not be liquid.

Cool.  You can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt - with a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup!

Enjoy!

TOMATO SOUP

OK, I USE A JALAPENO IN THIS BUT TRUST ME, IT'S NOT HOT!

INGREDIENTS

4 Shallots - minced

6 peeled garlic cloves - minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 large box ( organic ) chicken stock ( or vegetable stock if you are a vegetarian )

6 large beefsteak tomatoes - cubed ( cut out stocks )

1 med sweet potato - peeled and cubed

1 medium jalapeno pepper - cubed

1 yellow medium pepper ( mild ) - cubed

chopped basil to garnish

1 large sauce pan

Blender

Heat oil in large sauce pan and brown the shallots, garlic, with salt and pepper. When this is done, pour in the chicken stock and the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer cooking until the tomatoes and potato is soft.  Turn heat off and allow to cool.  Blend all the ingredients into liquid form. Return to heat on simmer until soup is somewhat thick.

Before serving - sprinkle with chopped basil as garnish.

 

VEGE-MEAT SPAGHETTI SAUCE

   I have used this sauce on my brown rice pastas as well as for my vegetarian lasagna  ( I found brown rice lasagna noodles! )

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh tomatoes ( or get the can or organic fresh tomatoes but don't throw out the liquid )

1 small can organic tomato sauce

1 onion diced

4 sprigs fresh oregano

6 - 8 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tbls olive oil

4 leafs fresh basil mined

1 package of Yves vegetarian ground beef

additive ziners - for a spicier flavor -  Tobasco sauce and/or a Tablespoon of Capers

UTENSILS

Wooden spatulas ( one flat for turning ingredients and one round for stirring )

Sauce Pan

Place olive oil in sauce pan and heat.  Add the salt, pepper, and garlic.  Allow the garlic to cook for about 1 minute.  Add the diced onion.  Allow to slightly brown.  Then add the tomatoes and canned sauce, basil, oregano - allow to cook for a while to seep up all the flavors.  Don't cover as you want the mixture to cook down.   

After about an hour, add in the package of Yves vegetarian ground beef ( I suppose you could use ground up Tempe or Sorgum too ).  Allow to cook down.  Depending upon your palate, you may want to add salt.

Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

   Regardless of the season, this soup has become one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

4 cu.  chicken or vegetable stock ( I ususally use the large box or organic chicken or vege stock )

4 lg Shallots - diced

1 lg  Leek - diced

4-6 whole peeled garlic - cut in 1/4s

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Cardamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground paper ( or not so fresh )

1 med to large Butter Nut Squash - peel, take out seeds, then cut into cubes

1 Sweet Pepper ( they are light green ), take out seeds and chop ( don't use a red or dark green pepper - you could use a yellow pepper )

1 med to large Sweet Potato or Yam - peel and then cut into cubes

( If you like a little zing - grate one Jalapeneo pepper )

Utensils

1 med to large sauce pan

Wooden flat Splatula ( spelling, I know )

1 blender to liquify ingredients

In the sauce pan first put the olive oil with salt, pepper, and cardamon.  Heat up, then put in the shallots, leeks, and garlic - allow to brown, turning it in the bottom of the sauce pan.  Doesn't have to be too brown.

Then pour in the liquid, the squash,pepper, potato and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and allow to cook until the squash and potato are very soft - forkable if you know what I mean - don't allow these ingredients to become mushy in the liquid.

Using the Blender, pour the contents into it and blend to liquify.   Put everything back into the sauce pan and let simmer until soup is thicker.  It is at this point, cooking down the soup, that if you want to add your jalapeno zing, you can.  You may also want to add some more sea-salt, probably 1/2 tsp. more.

To serve - eat hot.

You can add protein to the top with a dollop of Yogurt or Vege Sour Cream or 1 oz shreded cheese.

Let me know what you think

Garlic Brown Rice

This dish is very yummy - that is... if you like Brown Rice.  Use it

as a side dish or a main dish with added veggie proteins.

INGREDIENTS - to serve 4-6

1 cu long grain brown rice

30 whole cloves peeled Garlic

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a sauce pan ( with a fitting lid ) add the broth, olive oil, kosher salt, garlics, and rice.  Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cover for 50 minutes ( look on the rice package for cooking instructions ).  Check after 50 minutes to see if the liquid is fully absorbed...if not, allow to cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. ( It took me about 1hr and 15 minutes ).  Remove from heat - add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve

Russian Velvet Soup Recipe by Tanya Petrovna

Tanya is one of my favorite chefs, knowing her from Native Foods - a restaurant in Palm Springs, California.

Soup:

1 T. Olive oil or sunflower oil

1 lg onion, chopped

1 med carrot, chopped

2 red beets, peel and chopped

6 c. water

1 c. red lentils, washed and drained

3 bay leaves

1 T. Sea salt

1-2 T. Umeboshi or Red Wine Vinegar

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onion until translucent and lightly browned.

2. Stir in carrots and beets, and saute another 2 minutes.

3. Add water, lentils, bay leaves, and salt.  Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, 25-30 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaves. Let soup cool slightly, then puree in small batches in blender.

5. Stir in venegar after all the soup has been pureed and return to the pot.

Serve warm garnished with a dollop of soy sour cream and some chopped dill.

VEGETARIAN "GRAVY"

 You can put this gravy on top of mashed cauliflower, mashed turnips, mashed parsnips, or tofu - or anything for that matter!

2 cups Vegetarian Broth

50 peeled cloves of garlic ( med or large size cloves )

1 onion chopped

5 carrots chopped

handful of parsley

1 tsp Sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 Tablespoon Arrow-root ( as a thickener )

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook until all the vegetables are soft.  Turn off heat.  Pour contents into a blender.  Blend everything into liquid form.  Put back into the cooking pan on simmer.  

In a side dish, mix a 1/4 cu of this gravy with the Arrow-root.  Mix thoroughly.  Add this to the gravy and stir.  

Allow to simmer until the gravy is as thick as you want it.

Enjoy

FISH IN MEDITERRANEAN SAUCE

This is more like a fish stew with a kick!  Its also a one pot meal - great for clean up!

Ingredients:

1 lb large uncooked shrimp, tails off, or 24 scallops, or a combo of each.  ( leaving the shells on gives the stew more flavor but if you are a lazy eater; like myself; you could peel entirely before cooking )

5 large Shallots finely chopped

4 large cloves garlic chopped

6 oz sugar free bacon

1 lb tin of whole tomatoes ( sugar free or low in sugar )

6 fluid oz white wine ( you must simmer this stew for at least 1 hr to burn off the sugar and most of the alcohol content )

6 fluid oz Spicy Tomatoe or Veggy Juice ( unsweetened )

Juice of 1 Lemon

Tabasco, Red Chili Paste, and Worcestershire sauce to taste

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

2 large handfuls fresh basil, wash and snip into small pieces ( set aside )

You will need a large pot with a top to cook this dish.

Saute the chopped shallots, garlic and bacon in the pot for about 4 to 5 minutes. ( The bacon adds enough oil but you will notice that there will be none left to drain off after this step. ) Add the tomatoes and wine...bring to a bubble at least 2 minutes.  Add the lemon juice, tomato juice, and all the other seasonings.  Simmer on low until the sauce is thick ( about an hour ). Just about 15 minutes until you are ready to serve, add the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked.  Taste for seasoning ( my husband likes it a bit hot so I tend to make this spicy ).

Serve over brown rice or wheat/rice pasta or a bed of Arugula...Garnish the top of the stew with the raw basil.  It adds that twist of flavor.

My husband loved this dish so much, he who never eats left overs, couldn't wait until he finished the stew at lunch the next day! 

MOCK PANCAKES

MOCK PANCAKES

I'm still perfecting a "dough" for Pizza, and in the meantime, my husband and I are enjoying healthy pancakes.

Tools:

Mixing Bowl

Mixing Spoons

Teflon coated frying pan

Teflon or wood Turner

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Oatbran ( I use organic )

1/2 tsp baking powder

 mix these two dry ingredients first   - then add:

1/3rd c. water

1 egg

1 heaping Tablespoon non fat plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon sugar substitute ( I use Agave )

Mix these ingredients until you get a sturdy pancakes mixture.  You shouldn't have to add any more water.  

Use your teflon frying pan - with or without pam spray - 

On medium heat get the pan hot and drop the mixture by spoonfuls.  Allow the pancake to cook slowly - you will see it bubble on top and appear not moist.

Flip.

When both sides are done they will be brown.

I top with sugar free maple syrup, sometimes with fresh fruit, and sometimes, just sometimes I will put a Tablespoon of no sugar soy butter on top of the pancakes and then some sugar free maple syrup.

YUMMY

Fennel and Kolhrabi - something a little different

You can cook with Fennel and Kolhrabi and these two ( rather different ) vegetables can be used as side dishes or as part of a salad. ( picture : Kolhrabi ).  If you choose to use Kolhrabi you do not use the stem parts or leaves - and you peel off the outter skin.  This vegetable can then be thinly sliced and diced, added to salads or stir-fry.

Fennel ( pictured here ) can be used in its entirety.  The green leafs are an excellent herb to dress a pork roast, or chicken, or rice and with other spices.  It's stock when thinly sliced, adds a wonderful flavor to salads and in a roasting pan underneath a rib roast or chicken, cooked along with the meat.

Go online and check out other ways these two vegetables can be added to your meals.

STIR FRY SUGGESTIONS

Stir-fry is a favorite of mine.  I like the taste of somewhat crunchy veges - and a lot of them.  Stir-fry vegetables taste great on top of thin coleslaw sliced cabbage, or brown rice ( your choice ).    Prep time is longer than cooking time.

Ingredients ( for 2-4 servings )

2 baby Bok Choi 

1 head Napa Cabbage or 1/2 white cabbage 

1 red pepper 

1 medium onion/ or 6 green onions ( preferably with large bulb )

1 stock broccoli

4-6 mushrooms 

8-12 oz protein ( tofu, chicken, fish, steak - etc )

Optional veges :  Chinese peas and Water chestnuts

Slice all of above thinly, about 1/2 inch maximum, and put aside. ( If you use shrimp you can use these whole ).

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce ( read the label for sugar content and salt content )

1/2 teaspoon chili oil

3-4 cloves garlic chopped

Salt to taste ( beware of the soy sauce ).

Use a Teflon Wok and a wooden spoon for cooking.  Remember, the secret to stir-fry is fast cooking so the heat is hot.

Heat the oils, soy sauce, and garlic until very hot. Quickly stir fry the protein. When complete, take out of the wok and put aside. ( Leave juices in the wok as these add flavor ).  Now quickly stir-fry the vegetables.  You want these to remain crunchy so don't overcook.

When the vegetables are done, thrown in the protein that was precooked and quickly stir fry to reheat only.

Remove from heat and serve over brown rice or sliced cabbage.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO SUGAR AND HONEY

Before you purchase any of these products, consult with your doctor or dietician.  READ THE LABELS FOR SUGAR EQUIVALENCY.

AGAVE  is a natural sweetener produced from the core of this plant.  It is sweeter than honey.  Since it has fructose it is considered to be in the glycemic index.  1/3rd cu. of Agave equals the sweetness of 1 cu refined sugar.  Unlike sugar and honey it dissolves instantly in cold liquids.  Check the calorie and sugar content on labels.

 STEVIA is grown for its sweet leafs.  Extracts are 300 times the sweetness of sugar.  There is no calorie content and it has a negligible affect on blood glucose. In high concentrations it may have an after taste.  Some vendors of this product flavor it.

  BROWN RICE SYRUP is gluten free.  The syrup is derived by culturing cooked natural sweet brown rice with enzymes.  Because it is absorbed into the blood stream immediately, it is not recommended for diabetics.

HUMMOS ( Chick pea/Garbanzo bean )

Mediterranean Dishes include Hummos, a chick pea/garbanzo bean dip.  SHOWN HERE WITH WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS.

Ingredients :

1 can large Garbanzo beans ( do not drain )

6 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 small lemon

1/4 cu +/- olive oil ( if you need more as it is blending - add small amount )

Sea salt to taste

Paprika for top garnish

Using a cuisinart, blend all together except for the paprika.  Taste.  Add salt and lemon juice to taste. ( I eat low salt ).  Should be creamy texture.

Place on dish.  When you serve, add a drizzle of olive oil on top and then sprinkle with paprika.

AIOLI - AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAYONAISE

  I will make Aioli because I like making my own dressings...plus then I really know what is in the "jar".  This is great on absolutely anything.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic ( if you really want a garlic taste add more! )

1 egg yolk

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cu. oilve oil.

Using a Cuisinart put in garlic and chop fine using a tablespoon of the oil.  Transfer this to a small bowl and begin to use a Wisk.  Wisk in the sea salt.  Add the egg yolk, wisk.   Slowly add the oil until all of it is incorporated, wisk.  The mixture is thick like mayonnaise.

THE BEETS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

  If you hate beets, don't go here.  If you are on the fence - try these recipes and maybe, just maybe, Beets may become one of your favorite vegetable dishes.  

The worst part of working with red beets is that they bleed off their color.  I suggest working with rubber gloves when peeling.  

ROASTED BEETS

Ingredients :

2-3 medium size beets ( wash thoroughly and cut off greens )

Glass or Roasting dish that is higher than the size of the beets

Cover for this roasting dish

1/4 cu water

Dash Sea Salt

Red Wine or Rice Wine Vinegar to taste

Place beets in the pan with the water.  Cover tightly.  Place in an oven at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Test with fork.  Beets to be soft, but still firm.  Take out of the oven.  Put in ice water just to cool down a bit.  Cut off the bottom tail and any top stem rough part left.  Peel by hand - the skin will just come off.

Slice thin.  Sprinkle with a dash of fine sea salt and if you want to use some pepper you can.  Sprinkle with vinegar.  

These are great warm or cold.

ALTERNATE :

As a salad dish you could use these warm over a bed of lettuce, with a slice of goat cheese and some capers.  Yum.

PUMPKIN CUSTARD

This is a combo recipe that uses Fat Free Evaporated milk.  There is sugar in Fat Free Evaporated milk, but far less than non fat free evaporated milk.

 

Ingredients :

1 cup Ezekiel Original Cereal

Pam Organic Olive Oil

15 oz. canned pumpkin ( there is organic canned pumpkin )

dash of sea salt

1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves

1 can fat free evaporated milk

2 eggs slightly beaten

1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup**

(I use individual custard dishes so that I know my measurements and can account for what I am eating.  For me, this dish is 1/2 grain, 1/4 cu milk, and 1/2 cu vegetable. )

Spay a 9" pie pan or individual custard dishes with the Pam.  Lay bottom of the pie pan, or each custard dish with some of the original cereal. Try to divide evenly.

Mix all of the other ingredients in a bowl by hand, until mixed, but not over mixed.  If you are using custard dishes, use a measuring cup and pore 1/2 cup of the mixture on top of the cereal layer, in each dish.  

Place pie pan or custard dishes on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn down the oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.  Test with a toothpick.

Serve warm or cold with a top drizzle of sugar free maple syrup. 

** The outcome is not sweet.  You may want to put 1/2 cu. sugar free maple syrup into the mixture if you want a sweeter taste.

THE SPROUTED GRAIN DIFFERENCE

Without reiterating pages of written information, go to              http://www.foodforlife.com/sprouted-grain-difference.html

This site gives you their explanation for eating sprouted grains and seeds, and an overview of their products that are produced from sprouted grains and seeds.

Besides the many Ezekiel products available at many food stores ( Linguine, Penne, English Muffins, Breads, Cereals and Tortillas ) I have also discovered some other whole grain products.

"Mary's Gone Crackers" offers a taste great wheat-free, gluten free crispy cracker in various sizes. No sugar and No flour is listed on the ingredients.  Serving size is approx 1 oz = approx 13 crackers.  These are great crunched up in salads, with tuna, or along with any dish that you would like to add a little crunch to.

Real Foods puts out a Corn Thins that is multigrain.  They are fat free, no sugar, and gluten free.  Although I have a bag of these ( found them at Albertsons' in the rice cake section ) I haven't tried them yet.

My husband got very creative the one night and used bulgar ( the size I would use when making Tubule), 1/2 cu. with salt and pepper to taste, as a "breading" in which he dredged some rock cod.  Then he pan fried it in our teflon coated pan, with 1 tsp olive oil and chopped garlic.  When it was cooked, he garnished with fresh lemon juice.  Delicious.

I have been toying with measuring 1/2 cu bulgar and then putting it into my blender to reduce this to a "flour" consistency to see how much ( in ounces and in cup measurement ) this would yield.  What would I do with it then?  Maybe, just maybe I could make a pizza dough for an individual size pizza.  I'll let you know.

TAMATILLOS WITH ASPARAGUS

TAMATILLOS are a Mexican fruit, resembling small potatoes.  

The paper-like skin must be peeled firs.

INGREDIENTS : 

1 Tb Olive Oil

1 lb Asparagus

4 lg Tamatillos ( about 1.5 inch each - peel off paper-like skin )

1 small Tomatoe, cored

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cu Lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; rinse spears. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch into a wide frying pan and bring to boil over high heat.  Add asparagus and cook uncovered until barely tender ( about 3 - 4 minutes ).  Immerse in ice water to cool. 

When cool, place on salad plate.  

Using a cuisinart, mix oil, tomatillos, garlic, lemon juice, and tomato until sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon this sauce over the asparagus.  

Alternatives :  Add a wedge of Lemon to garnish the plate.  Sprinkle with cojita or parmesian cheese.

Let me know if you try this one out!

WHY NO ALCOHOL TO DRINK BUT OK TO COOK WITH?

WHY NO WINE - THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD FOR MY HEART?

Although red wine is said to be great for our hearts, in moderation ( like anything else ), it is filled with sugar.  I avoid sugar for lots of reasons and one of these is because it triggers a need for MORE without any moderation.  I avoid all wines and alcoholic libations.  Bye, Bye Martinis.

But, what about using wine to flavor foods as they cook, does the alcohol dissipate? and how long will that take?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented.  Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol.

What about when wines are used in cooking, does the alcohol burn off.  There have been many studies about this.  In "The New Making of a Cook", as authoritative a source as you can find, Madeleine Kamman cauthions that a dish with wine must be cooked long enough to remove the harshness of the alcohol.  She wants you to simmer and reduce the wine separately from the sauce and add it only when it has been greatly reduced but she can't give an exact time frame reference.  Other notable cooks just say that when cooking the alcohol burns off.  

James Peterson, a cookbook writer who also studies chemistry, says you need to cook a sauce for at least 20 to 30 seconds after adding wine to allow the alcohol to evaporate.  ( Alcohol evaporates at 172 degrees F. ) So, any sauce or stew that is simmering or boiling is certainly hot enough to evaporate the alcohol?  WRONG! 

You have to cook something for a good three hours to eradicate virtually all traces of alcohol. Plus, some cooking methods are less effective at removing alcohol.  The best recommendation is to add alcohol when sauce is boiling, let it simmer for at least 2.5 hrs  - and then 5% of the alcohol will remain.

Bottom line, there is NO 100% - so, if you use alcohol to flavor your sauces, think about limiting these to slow cook dishes, like stews and briskets.

Substitute for Peanut Butter

Peanut butter was always a staple in my life - on almost every type of bread, cracker, and even on its own, just off the Tablespoon.

Today, eating leaner and no sugar - AND NOT NUTS TODAY - I am allowing myself to eat soynuts and its bi-products.  In my search for sugar abstinent food alternatives, I researched SOYNUT BUTTER.

I am a reader of labels and suggest that everyone read the backs of labels, for the actual contents.  I found several soy butters on the market.  Many of them are made with soy flour and cane juice, per the ingredients.  Regardless if the product is on the counter of your favorite health food store, read the label!

Pay attention to ingredients and Calculation for net carbs.

I treat soybutter as part protein and a fat.  

The Soy Butter product I purchase is "I.M.Healthy".  It comes creamy and chunky.  It is unsweetened and offers a net 1 carb.  The serving size is 2 Tbsp which gives you 180 calories but 120 fat calories ( if you are counting calories ).  At this serving size - total fat is 14g, protein is 10g, and sugars is 1g.  (Hence the reason I attribute this product as a "fat" first and also a "protein".

More important, the Ingredients are :  Roasted Soybeans (no-gmo), naturally processed soybean oil, soy concentrate, soy lecithin and mono and diglycerides ( derived from vegetable oil ), salt.   

No sugars.  It isn't sweet tasting so you may want to put a dash of sugar free maple or raspberry syrup on top - or agave - or stevia.

I use this SoyNut Butter on whole grain ( no flour! ) breads, whole grain crackers, and raw breakfast crusts.

Let me know if you try!

ABSTINENT MASHED NOT-POTATOES

This dish is a fabulous vegetable that goes with anything saucy.  When my husband served my plate, I had to question if what was there was mashed potatoes.  I don't eat white potatoes.  His reply was -  its part of your eating program - taste it.

MASHED TURNIPS - 

makes 1 - 2 cups - depends upon the size of the turnips.

Ingredients :   

4 to 6 large Turnips

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Utensils Needed :

Sauce Pan

Potatoe Masher or anything that will mash the turnip

Wash and peel the turnips.  Put into boiling water.  Test with fork after several minutes - you want the turnip tender.  When tender, drain the water.  Mash with masher ( or fork ) adding up to 1 tsp olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as a side dish with stew or chicken in the pot, or frankly anything - they are delicious!