COOKING RECIPES

New York cheesecake

   

   

Eggless cookies

Chocolate rocks

Apple pie

 

Strawberry and banana milkshake

Greek Burger

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Servings: 4

Burger Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

½ tsp oregano powder

¼ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 small red onion

Olive oil

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt

½ cup English cucumber, diced

1 tsp dried dill

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together the tzatziki sauce ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. 

In a medium bowl mix together the ground beef, oregano powder, basil, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four, 4 oz patties.

Preheat the Indoor/Outdoor grill on setting 4.  

Slice the red onion into four ½” thick slices and brush with olive oil.

Place all four burgers on one side of the preheated grill and onions on the other side. Place the lid on the grill.

Grill the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare, and 5-6 minutes per side for medium. Top each burger with 1 Tbsp of feta cheese and grill until melted.

Grill the onions for 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve burgers with grilled onions, tomato, lettuce and 2 Tbsp tzatziki sauce.

Easy Foil Potatoes - 2 Ways

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-35 minutes

Total Time: 33-38 minutes

Servings: 4

Garlic Potato Ingredients:

1 lb. new potatoes

1 small onion, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 Tbsp butter

Ranch Potato Ingredients:

1 lb. new potatoes

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix

1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Wash and scrub potatoes clean; dry and cut larger potatoes in half.

Place the garlic potatoes and onion in one zip top bag. Place the ranch potatoes into a separate zip top bag. Pour the oil into each of the two bags and zip close.

Shake each bag to evenly coat the potatoes and onions in oil.

For the garlic potatoes, sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper into the zip top bag and shake again to evenly coat.

For the ranch potatoes, sprinkle the dry ranch dressing mix into the zip top bag and shake again to evenly coat.

Preheat the Indoor/Outdoor grill on setting 5.  

Tear off two large pieces of aluminum foil, folding up all four sides to create a “basket” for the potatoes. Pour the potatoes into the foil “baskets."

Place the butter on top of the potatoes and cover with another piece of foil.

Place the foil packets of potatoes onto the grill. Place the lid on the grill.

Grill the potatoes for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Juicy Lucy Burger

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 oz smoked cheddar cheese

4 buns, split and toasted

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the mixture into 10 even sized patties.

Cut the cheese into 15 strips.

Press a small indent in 5 of the patties. Place three slices of cheese in the indent and cover with the other patty. Press the sides together to seal in all of the cheese.

Preheat the Indoor/Outdoor grill on setting 4. 

Place the burgers on the preheated grill. Place the lid on the grill.

Grill the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare, and 6-7 minutes per side for medium.

Top one bun with a burger, lettuce and tomato. Serve immediately for perfectly gooey cheese.

Balsamic Carrots

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. carrots, cleaned and cut in half

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cayenne powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Place the carrots in a medium sized shallow dish. Drizzle the oil and honey over the carrots and turn to completely cover the carrots.

Sprinkle the garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt and pepper over the carrots, turning to coat.

In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, allowing the mixture to thicken, until it coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the glaze over the carrots and toss to mix.

Preheat the Indoor/Outdoor grill on setting 4.  

Place the carrots onto the grill. Place the lid on the grill.

Grill the carrots for 10 minutes per side, until the carrots are crisp-tender.

Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world. Yesterday's healthy and delicious menu...

Breakfast: First triple digit temperatures of the year. It reached 100 here and it'll be around the same temps again today. I am not ready for summer. Yesterday was National Donut Day so I had to celebrate... so despite the temperatures the oven went on. I planned to make my regular mini protein donut recipes but discovered I was out of one of the key ingredients. Grrr. Baking is a pretty exact science. If you mess with a recipe too much... it'll fail (though I always learn a little something from my fails.) I fully expected this cooking experiment to be perhaps edible but not blog worthy... but hello, yum! These are so worthy of sharing. I hope if you give them a try you enjoy them as much as I surprisingly did.

Shelly's Mini Peanut Butter Protein Donuts

1/2 cup Almond Flour (aka Almond Meal) (Trader Joe's, health food stores, online or make your own)
1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Powdered Peanut Butter (like Chike PB)
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1/4 cup Water
Super Groovy Mini Donut Pan

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients till well combined. Spray Mini Donut Pans with nonstick spray. Fill 3/4 full (dough is sort of mashed potato consistency.)

Bake 12 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 16.

Optional: Melt Sugar Free Chocolate (30 seconds or so in the microwave) and dip cooled donuts into melted chocolate and sprinkle with few nonpareils (or other toppings.)

Place in fridge to set especially if you are in a warm place like me because triple digit temperature and chocolate do not mix.

More Eggface Grab & Go Breakfast Recipes and Ideas

Lunch: I sampled Good Culture Cottage Cheese at the Expo West event I went to a few months back. They have some neat flavors Strawberry Chia, Blueberry, Acai and Chia, but I was especially jazzed about their 2 savory flavors Sun Dried Tomato (perfect for recipes, thinking my Cottage Stuffed Peppers) and the Kalamata Olive which I think is my favorite. I found a couple of the flavors locally at Sprouts, looks like they are at Whole Foods too, they have a product locator on their web site.

For lunch, I spread the Kalamata Olive one on cucumber slices (aka my "crackers") it's a great protein packed snack or lunch... and cucumbers are full of water and hydrating, in the summer heat.

More Healthy Lunch Recipes & Ideas

Dinner: I am so happy to report Trader Joe's has brought back their Chicken Asada (aka Chicken Fajitas) The packaging is different, the name has changed and now it's sliced for you, instead of coming in 2 half breast portions which is GREAT considering that's what I have always done to it. Woot, woot, for one less step when I am hot and tired.

If you have a TJ's near you. Get this. It's in the refrigerated section, near salads. It's delicious. 4 minutes in the microwave (it's precooked). Sometimes I add a can of drained cannelini beans and saute till the beans are warmed through. Tonight we just ate it as is with sliced avocado. Leftovers, if you have any, are great turned into Egg Bites (crustless quiches) with some cheese and veggies mixed in or on top of a salad.

Snacks: My standard line is too much coffee but surprisingly not a whole lot of coffee was consumed, a cup early on but it was just too hot. I did have like 4 bottles of water with either Crystal Light or Sugar Free Tang drink sticks in them. I am not a plain water fan. I had another mini donut and a protein shake.

Shelly's Toasted Coconut Mocha Coffee Frappe

8 oz. Milk (any cow, soy, almond, coconut)
1 scoop Chike High Protein Iced Coffee (Mocha flavor)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Coconut Torani Syrup
a few Ice Cubes

Whiz in blender on high. Top with No Sugar Added, Homemade Whipped Cream and Unsweetened Toasted Coconut.

More Eggface Protein Shakes and Smoothies
More Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus

The Nutrition Facts Label Got a Makeover: Check Out What's New!

Have you every looked at the Nutrition Facts Label on a product and scratched your head over what it listed as a serving?

For example, who listed a serving of ice cream as ONLY half a cup? Why are there more than one servings listed in a seemingly "snack sized" bag of chips, soda, or granola bar, when a person would likely open the package and eat it all at once?

Those numbers are about to change, as the FDA just finalized the new Nutrition Facts Label, giving a makeover to the 20-year-old Nutrition Facts Label design.

The Sanford Sports Nutrition Blog previously wrote about the proposed new food label when it was developed in 2014, but now the label is finalized, and most food manufacturers will have until July 2018 to switch over to the new label.

Updates to the New Label

• The calorie count is bigger, and the serving size will be in bold.
• The serving size is changing reflects a serving that Americans are actually eating (Again, have you actually ever measured out 1/2 a cup of ice cream? Or drank only 1/2 of a bottle of a beverage that says it contains 2 servings?)
• Added sugars will be added to the label, which shows how much sugar is added to the food during processing (versus sugar found naturally in fruit and dairy products).
• "Calories from Fat" will be eliminated, as more people need to be focusing on the types of fats they're consuming, not just the amount. (Focus more on healthy fats, avoiding trans fats). 
• Different daily value percentages for sodium, fiber, and vitamin D to reflect the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines amounts. 
• Actual amounts of vitamins (versus the old label that only listed percentages) and changes to WHICH vitamins are listed. Vitamin D and Potassium are now listed (instead of Vitamin C and Vitamin A) because the majority of people aren't getting enough of those key nutrients. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

In addition, foods that contain between 1-2 servings, or could be eaten up in one sitting (such as a whole bag of microwave popcorn or a pint of ice cream...) will have a dual column label to show the nutrition for one serving and for the whole package.

Old label (Left) vs. New Label (Right)
The Food and Drug Administration

The Nutrition Facts Label is important for active people and athletes, and this "Athlete's Guide to the Nutrition Facts Label" goes through what you should be looking for on the label. The new design should make healthy eating a little easier by being able to choose between comparable products with different nutrition.

Note: As a dietitian who works with athletes, I am excited to see the "Added Sugars" on the label. Many athletes need a diet rich in carbohydrates, but sometimes they're relying on that quick energy from sports bars and drinks to fuel their training and performance, and get stuck in the habit of eating those high-sugar foods all the time, when they should be eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and lean protein to fuel themselves outside of training. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 have emphasized how much sugar Americans are eating, including sugar in seemingly "healthy" foods like whole grain cereals or yogurts. This added part of the new label makes it easier to compare packaged products and choose more nutritious options!

What do you think of the new label?