Use the Chicken Cannelloni filling to stuff whole green chilies. Use canned chilies since they’ve already been cooked and the seeds and membranes have been removed.
Roll the stuffed chilies in soy, chestnut, coconut, brown rice or whole wheat flour, then in beaten egg, then in whole wheat bread crumbs or panko.
Saute over medium high heat in a little extra-virgin or canola oil. Drain on paper towels.
Puree in blender:
Optional additions:
I love my Magic Bullet for making shakes!
The recipe for this soup comes from Epicurious.com. You’ll also find many other versions of cucumber soup from Chilled Mango & Cucumber to Smoked Salmon and Dill at Epicurious. This recipe makes about 4 1/2 cups. It can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.
In a blender puree
Transfer to a container with a lid. Chill soup at least 6 hours or overnight.
Stir in 1 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber.
Variations:
By now you shouldn’t be surprised that this recipe has several variations and a companion recipe (to be posted tomorrow) for using the leftovers.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl mix
Pour 1/2 cup bottled tomato pasta sauce or pureed red bell peppers into the bottom of a large baking pan .
Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken filling onto 2 brown rice wrappers or 2 sections from a whole wheat filo sheet cut into quarters stacked on top of each other. Roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon pasta sauce in a stripe across each roll, sprinkle with more shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.
Substitute one of the following for the red bell pepper and green chili:
Substitute diced baked tofu for the chicken.
Use leftover filling to make Giant Chicken Poppers.
This article is designed to educate you as to what foods are Starches (you might be surprised by some of these). Future articles will serve to guide you in planning meals, and help you to choose appropriate substitutes.
While vegetables are a carbohydrate they’re considered Neutral and can be eaten with any other food except Fruit. The only time you need to be aware of vegetables as a carbohydrate is when you’re on an extended (more than one day) Protein Binge.
Grains: |
. | . | . |
| . | brown rice | flours: | whole wheat |
| . | barley | . | rye |
| . | wild rice | . | buckwheat |
| . | kasha | . | rice |
| . | millet | . | graham |
| . | bulger | . | . |
| . | whole wheat couscous | . | . |
Legumes: |
mung beans |
Seeds: |
use raw, toasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes |
| . | navy beans | . | caraway |
| . | lima beans | . | poppy |
| . | lentils | . | pumpkin |
| . | black-eyed peas | . | sesame |
| . | kidney beans | . | sunflower |
| . | split peas |
Nuts: |
Nuts are a carb/protein mix so limit them – listed with lowest protein count first – toasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes |
| . | garbanzo beans | . | brazil |
| . | pinto beans | . | macadamia, pine nuts |
Pastas: |
. |
almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts | |
| . | whole wheat | . | hazelnuts, filberts, peanuts, pistachio |
| . | buckwheat | . | mixed nuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds |
| . | artichoke | . | soybeans, cashews |
| . | corn | . | coconut, almond paste |
Cereals: |
whole grain | Brands: | Grape Nuts (not flakes, they contain sugar) |
| . | sugar-free | . | . |
| . | chemical-free | . | . |
| . | additive-free | . | . |
These become starches only when cooked: |
Starch Ingredients: |
| Use fresh potatoes. Frozen and dried potato products contain additives which make them difficult to digest. Exceptions can be found in health food stores. | corn starch (use browned whole wheat or arrowroot flour instead)fructose (made from corn)
potato flour soy sauce (wheat free can be found in health food stores) |
| all potatoes including sweet potatoes & yams | . |
| peas | beets |
| corn | carrots |
I always have a couple of boxes of Annie’s Homegrown Mac ‘n Cheese in my pantry. With a few veggies stirred in they’re great for when I don’t feel like actually cooking.
Suggestions for items to stir into Annie’s Mac ‘n Cheese – we’re assuming that these are already precooked:
Or make up the mac n cheese according to the package directions and then stir it into one of the following types of soups:
I love Imagine brands boxed soups. They taste so fresh, they have tons of varieties & you can add anything you might have in your fridge, pantry or freezer to change them up. Frankly I’ve been to restaurants that would have done better to chuck their soup recipe and used Imagine soup instead. I guarantee that their customers would not know they’re using boxed soup and the end product would be better than what they’re serving.
Here’s my dirty little secret – I haunt the aisles of health food stores looking for items on sale. Many of these items are disappointing but I can’t stand to throw them away, so I generally add them to one of Imagine’s boxed soups (which I have a pantry full of) and they have yet to disappoint me. It’s magic, how something that was ho-hum, when added to one of Imagine’s soups is suddenly escalated into the “can’t stop eating it” category.
I can’t say it any better than Imagine says it: “Imagine the finest, organic vegetables, lightly simmered with fresh herbs and delicious seasonings. Imagine no more … Imagine Organic Soups and Broths are available in more than twenty varieties and are packaged in re-sealable aseptic cartons to lock in their wholesome gourmet flavor.”
Clif Bar Nutrition Bars are all natural, organic, high in protein, and include no trans fats. Each bar contains 23 vitamins and minerals, and is made with 70 percent organic ingredients.
UnDiet Tip: Fight off a snack attack by stashing a few bars in your bag before heading out the door. A Clif bar will fill you up and make you feel like you had dessert instead of a nutritious meal.
If any of you have ever had a Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe then you know the magical power they have to wreck your best intentions for eating healthy. Each 150 calorie, sugar-laden round of deliciousness is engineered to add lumps and bumps to your silohette.
One afternoon last week I decided that I would wrestle the crown of deliciousness from Joe-Joe and create my own healthy version – and here it is.
Start with as healthy of an Oreo type cookie as you can find. Go for double-cream if it’s available. I like Newman’s Own brand but any brand will do. You won’t find one that is perfectly healthy but do your best.
Melt grain-sweetened chocolate chips with a bit of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Carefully dip cookies in melted chocolate and lay out to cool on a wax paper lined plate or tray. You can stick the cookies in the fridge to cool faster.
A nice variation is to use grain-sweetened peanut butter chips in place of all or half of the chocolate chips.
POW – take THAT Joe-Joe!
If you want to cut down on your fat intake ask the waiter to refrain from bringing tortilla chips to your table. If you’re planning a Starch Meal, ask for warm corn tortillas instead. You can roll them up and dip or scoop salsa and/or guacamole.
If you’re having a Protein meal and want an appetizer order a Fruit or veggie plate, or other compatible pick from the Appetizer menu.
Avoid the corn tortillas unless you’re planning a Starch Meal and of course no white flour tortillas.
Avoid the white rice dishes.
Chili Rejellenos
Fajitas (give the tortillas to someone else at your table) and use a fork.
Salad – ask the waiter to leave the beans and tortilla chips off. If that’s not possible then remove as many as you can and don’t worry about the rest.
Avoid the white flour tortillas entrees, but if you like the fillings that come with one of these dishes ask for that menu item without the tortilla and eat it as is or pile it on top of a salad.
Vegetable or beef based soups are good choices. Avoid chicken broth if possible as it’s really too acidic, but I will sometimes choose to relax this guideline when eating out as it can be difficult to find a good vegetable or beef broth soup.
Avoid the white flour tortilla entrees, but if you like the fillings that come with one of these dishes ask for that menu item without the tortilla and eat it as is, with a corn tortilla or pile it on top of a salad.
Avoid the white rice dishes.
Bean dishes are fine, especially if they’re low-fat, just make sure to ask the waiter to skip the cheese. If that’s not possible it’s a small enough amount to be fine for one meal.
