Red Pepper Hummus

- 1 can chickpeas/garbanzos
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons tahini
- ground black pepper
- juice and pulp from ½ of a fresh squeezed lemon or lime
- 1 red roasted pepper
- olive oil

Blend in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Serve on a plate with Kalamata olives, drizzles of olive oil and pitas.

Recipes recently used, borrowed or otherwise altered but recommended.

Baba Ghanouj

I seared the outside of the eggplant with the flame of my gas range stove…yeah, it worked.

Gazpacho:

http://sclipo.com/video/como-hacer-un-buen-gazpacho

http://www.sabormediterraneo.com/recetas/gazpacho.htm

The apple was good in it.


Beets with mint and yogurt


Flourless Chocolate Cake

This was good. I added a bit extra Splenda and some milk (for the unsweetened baking chocolate- and I melted it before adding it). I just used 1 egg instead of the egg substitute.

My serving suggestion: Breyers No Sugar added (contains no Maltitol!!) Vanilla ice cream and Svanso (Danish and amazing!) Sugar Free Raspberry Jam.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars (original recipe below as well)

This was also a good, pretty easy no-bake recipe, easily altered to make sugar-free.

1. Instead of the graham cracker crust (6 squares low-fat honey graham crackers, finely crushed (1/2 cup) 2 Tbsp. margarine, melted 1 tsp. sugar) I made my own using ground walnuts, Splenda, soy flour, vanilla, butter, and salt

2. Just say no to “cool whip” (8-oz. container frozen fat-free whipped dessert topping); To substitute I made real whipped cream using whipping cream and Splenda.

3. Be careful with the lime slices; they make a lovely garnish but they can be bitter- especially out of season


Prep: 30 min. Chill: 8 hrs.

Ingredients

6 squares low-fat honey graham crackers, finely crushed (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. sugar
1 4-serving-size pkg. sugar-free low-calorie lime-flavored gelatin
3/4 cup boiling water
1 16-oz. container fat-free cottage cheese (1-3/4 cups)
1 8-oz. pkg. fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 8-oz. container frozen fat-free whipped dessert topping, thawed
Key Limes or limes, cut in wedges (optional)

Directions

1. In small bowl combine graham crackers, margarine, and sugar. Press crumb mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart square baking dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
2. In large bowl combine gelatin and water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.
3. In blender or food processor combine cottage cheese and cream cheese. Cover and blend or process until smooth, stopping several times to scrape down sides. Whisk 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese mixture into the gelatin mixture. Whisk in remaining cottage cheese mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped dessert topping. Spoon filling over chilled crumb mixture.
4. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours or until filling is firm. To serve, cut in squares. Top with lime wedges. Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 147,
Total Fat (g) 3,
Saturated Fat (g) 1,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 4,
Sodium (mg) 410,
Carbohydrate (g) 17,
Total Sugar (g) 4,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 10,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 7,
Iron (DV%) 1,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Choco-strawberry low-carb Shake

Ingredients:

"Silk" unsweetened soy milk (about 2 cups)
Baking Cocao (about 2 tablespoons)
"Polaner" sugar free/ Splenda sweetened Strawberry Preserves (about a 1/2 cup)
Molina Vanilla Extract (about 1 tsp)
2 ice cubes

Method:

1. Combine ingredients in a blender until frothy and delicious!

Enjoy

Tart Tilapia

Ingredients:

1-2 filets Tilapia

1 whole yellow lime

Parsley (about 5 sprigs, a good clump/ handful

3 tablespoons Butter

Salt


Method:


1. Peel lime and melt butter
2. Make a sauce using a blender/food processor; combine lime, butter and parsley. Blend until smooth.
3. Place fish in broiling pan lined with foil and greased with butter. Pour sauce over filet(s). Broil Tilapia at 375 F/ 191 C for about 15 minutes until fish flakes and sauce bubbles and browns just slightly.
4. Add salt to taste.

Lunch July 26

Ingredients:

1 Long Eggplant

1 Medium Tomato

Basil (1-2 sprigs)

Chives (1-2 stalks/ blade clusters)

Olive Oil (About 1 tablespoon)

Salt

Ground Pepper

Parmesan Cheese



Method:

1. Slice Tomato into ½ inch wedges. Put in small fry pan with a bit of oil on medium heat
2. Use kitchen scissors to add finely cut herbs to pan
3. Let simmer a bit while you prepare eggplant; peel and slice into thin rounds
4. Add Eggplant, stir
5. Add a bit of oil
6. Add some salt to taste (be careful!)
7. a few grinds of fresh pepper
8. Add enough cheese to slightly cover your simmering veggies.
9. Remove promptly (cheese will continue to melt on your plate)

Enjoy!!!

Sweet Summer Salsa

Ingredients

1 small apple

1 cucumber

1 jalapeño pepper

1 green onion (bulb and greens)

1 handful of fresh cilantro

1 clove of fresh garlic

Small, fresh tomatoes diced amounting to about 1 cup

Method:

1. Dice finely the following ingredients : apple, cucumber, onion, and tomatoes
2. Place cilantro, garlic and jalapeño in a blender with ¼ cup of the tomatoes. Blend until smooth.
3. Combine diced ingredients with blended ingredients in serving bowl and serve immediately.

See, short and sweet ; )

Stir Fry July 23 2008

Ingredients

1 eggplant

1 cup fresh green beans

2 cups sliced green cabbage

¼ diced red onion

2 cups shrimp

Ground pepper

“House of Tsang” brand “Bangkok Padang” Peanut Sauce

Cilantro

May be served with/over rice, vermicelli etc

Method

1. Prepare vegetables by cutting eggplant in to small cubes, removing ends and cutting beans into 1 inch pieces, slice cabbage (I find culinary scissors work well for this), and dice onion.
2. Put ingredients into electric wok on low. Cook until eggplant becomes browned and soft. Add pepper as desired.
3. Add shrimp
4. Add sauce to preference.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro
6. Enjoy : )



This recipe is somewhat reminiscent (the vermicelli, peanut, and cilantro, although you might have to add some Sriracha) of something I’ve had at The Green Basil café. This is tiny Vietnamese joint tucked away in a strip mall in Raleigh is nestled between a French bakery and a Hispanic market. It doesn’t have much atmosphere; a TV permanently set to a Vietnamese version of MTV and some ornamental calendars, but what it lacks in décor (and seating), it makes up for in flavor. Oh, and they have bubble tea and giant banana leaves too.