Ingredients

• 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each)

1. Fill a medium skillet halfway with salted water; bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill to medium. Cut six 12-inch pieces of kitchen string. In a small bowl, stir together the jam, lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

3. Pound each piece of chicken about 1/4 inch thick and season with salt and pepper; place skinned side down on a baking sheet. Divide the asparagus into 6 equal portions and place each portion crosswise in the center of a chicken cutlet. Roll up each cutlet and tie closed with the kitchen string. Brush the rollups with the jam mixture; season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the chicken rollups to the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes.

I usually don't share recipes that I haven't cooked yet, but this one is guaranteed to be on my dinner menu soon.  

I found this recipe in the Real Simple Issue for December 2007.  It's one that you can prepare ahead and freeze. 

halibut with carrots and leeks (based on 4 servings)

3 small carrots, thinly sliced

2 leeks (white and green parts) sliced into half-moons

4 - 6 ounce halibut fillets (1 inch thick) skin removed

Kosher salt and pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh oregano

to prep:

tear off 8 squares of parchment paper, arrange 4 on a flat surface

place the carrots and leeks in the center of each square and place halibut on the veggies

season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and drizzle with oil, sprinkle with oregano.

top fish and veggies with remaining squares of parchment.  Fold over the edges several times to seal.

place packets in resealable plastic bags and freeze until ready to cook, up to 3 months. 

To cook: heat oven to 375 F. Remove frozen packets from plastic bags and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Cook for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer to place. 

makes 4 servings

I copied this recipe from the book,  and the nutritional info from the internet.  you might need to alter the oil just a bit for bariatric use and the serving size, of course.  This recipe is based on 6 oz of fish per serving, however, 3 ozs of halibut has 119 calories and 2 grams of fat.   

Nutritional Information

Calories:

341 (48% from fat)

Fat:

18g (sat 3g)

Protein:

36g

Carbohydrate:

8g

Fiber:

2g

Cholesterol:

54mg

Sodium:

357mg

about Leeks:  leeks are similar to onions, but are sweeter and milder than onions and have more vitamins and minerals than an equal sized portion of onions or scallions.  

roasted sweet potatoes

peel and slice sweet potatoes into wedges or fries

toss with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, (or just enough to cover)

salt and pepper to taste

bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until brown and tender

yep...it's just that easy

My theory on choosing sweet potatoes, look for the smaller ones, they taste sweeter.

One half of a 5" sweet potato has 56 calories, 0 fat, 13 carbs, and 1 protein.

for more info on sweet potatoes, search sweet potatoes, in the "blog" section, at the top left,  under "navigation"

Remember, a healthy diet is based on moderation, variety and balance. This includes healthy fats. Did you know that fat protects and helps with temperature management in your body and it helps protect your kidneys, which are supported by a cushion of fat.  Protein and fat also helps slow down the absorption of carbs and helps level your blood sugar.  Eggs have a healthy balance of both protein and fat. 

morning fiesta omelette

1 or 2 eggs scrambled

cooking spray or 1/4 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1/4 cup 2% Kraft shredded mexican cheese mix

1/4 cup Herdez medium salsa

Scramble eggs and pour into hot skillet with melted butter, oil or cooking spray.  As your egg starts to cook, pull the outside edges to the inside (with a fork) as the uncooked eggs runs to the outside of the pan.  Do this until the eggs are cooked. Add cheese and fold. Plate eggs. Next pour the salsa into the hot skillet until warm, pour over omelette.  Party on...

made with 2 eggs: protein 20 grams

Grilled with just salt and pepper. After grilling squeeze on a little lemon. 

In the oven, wrap fish tightly with foil and cook about 20-30 minutes depending on the type and thickness of the fish.  I squeeze in a little lemon, sprinkle with salt, dill and paprika for color on white fish.  If using white fish (or non oily fish, not salmon), I add a little pat of butter. 

In the skillet, add some lemon juice, and a little Lemon Butter Dill Seafood Sauce from McCormick.  Cover and steam until done. 

The secret to cooking fish is just not to overcook it. 

More ideas to come....  

So recently I strayed from the norm and gave them chicken.  It was such a big hit, we have had it three times this week alone.  I'm not sure, however, if the chicken was really THAT good or if they were just rejoicing because it wasn't fish !  Hope you enjoy it as much as they have. 

island teriyaki chicken kabobs

• chicken cubed / and marinated
• Soy Vay Island Teriyaki (available at Fresh Market, this is the best and doesn't have an aftertaste)
• skewer with mushrooms and veggies of your choice
• our favorites are strawberry tomatoes, onions and peppers

Cook at 400 until done, this time will depend on how much chicken and veggies you put on the skewer.   Metal skewers cook the chicken faster, from the inside out as well, and keep your chicken more moist. I also cooked them in a bar pan and added some of the teriyaki sauce in the bottom.  Great for grilling.  Remember if you use wood skewers to soak them in water first so they want burn or dry out your chicken.

I served this with green beans, rice and for the family, grilled cinnamon dusted pineapple slices, Yum...o 

Love Affair Crabmeat Quiche

½ c mayo

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup milk

7-½ oz can crabmeat, drained

8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded

1/3 cup diced onions

Mix first four ingredients until well blended. Add crabmeat, cheese and onion. Pour into small ready made frozen pie tart shells and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, or until slightly browned.

sautéd

These include greens such as collards, kale and spinach.

These are not your grandmothers "cook them all day, smell up the house greens", but they are every bit as good. Collards and kale are easy to cook. They can be mixed with other greens and sautéd with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper until tender, only about 8 to 10 minutes.

I usually add the spinach last because it takes less time.

I also remove the thick stems from the collard and kale and also the stems from spinach, even baby spinach.  It may take a few more minutes during prep but stems can be tough and string-y, not good for the new "tummy". 

Mushroom Pizza  

Mama Mary’s Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

(available at Harris Teeter Grocery)

(brush lightly with olive oil on both sides)

Classico Organic Tomato, Herbs and Spices Pasta Sauce (use just enough to cover the crust ( I like this one because it has chunky tomatoes)

Low fat mozzarella cheese (read the package to find out how much you can have to stay within the limits of fat)

Minced mushrooms (this is my favorite part, see the post on mushrooms)

Lean meat such as grilled chicken (optional)

Oven Fried Chicken

2 to 2 ½ pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast, thighs, and drumsticks) skinned

¼ cup cornflake crumbs

1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 clove garlic,minced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or white wine Worcestershire sauce

Dash of ground red pepper

seseme seeds (optional)

• Rinse chicken, pat dry. Place on rack in a shallow baking pan; set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl combine cornflake crumbs and parsley; set aside
• In another small mixing bowl combine yogurt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
• Brush chicken with yogurt mixture, then sprinkle with crumb mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or til chicken is tender and no longer pink. Makes 6 servings. ( Prep time 15 min, Cooking time 45 min, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium)

This recipe is from the New Dieter’s Cook Book. Nutrition information per serving: 168 calories, 23 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 137 mg sodium