Chia Seed Pudding

CHIA SEEDS! 

1 tablespoon has about 60 calories, 60 mg of calcium, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 4.5 grams of fat.

Chia seeds are unique in their ability to absorb as much as 12 times its weight in water. Mix a tablespoon of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir well, and place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes to serve as a replacement for an egg in baked goods, or add the seeds to yogurt, cereal or a smoothie to give yourself a nutrient boost.

 

Chia Seed Pudding Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Calorie content depends on ingredients used and will likely range between about 150-225 calories a serving.

Ingredients

·         2 cups milk (almond, coconut, cashew, cow, etc.) Or split 50/50 with 1 cup milk and 1 cup yogurt

·         1/2 cup Chia Seeds

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup (or sub any sweetener)

·         Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

·         Decorate with fruit or sliced almonds

Instructions

1.      For Blended/Smooth Version: Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.

2.      For Whole Chia Seed Version: Blend all ingredients except chia seeds in a blender until smooth (including any added flavors, fruits or chocolate). Whisk in chia seeds.

3.      Pour mixture into a jar or glass container and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to let gel.
4.     It tastes best within two days after it is made.

Chocolate Version: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the blended version of this recipe and/or add chocolate flavored stevia

Strawberry Version: Add 1/2 cup fresh strawberries to the blended recipe. Or, try blending fresh strawberries into a juice and use as part of the liquid in the whole chia seed recipe

Making Your Own Salad Dressing

Many of my patients have been asking about salad dressings lately. I personally make my own with ingredients found in my pantry or refrigerator. Homemade dressings are good on leafy green salads, slaws or on grains salads such as barley or bulgur. Homemade salad dressings are a quick, healthy, and cheap alternative to bottled dressing. Homemade dressings tend to be lower in sodium, sugar, and preservatives. Simple dressings take minutes to make and use only a few ingredients.

Getting Started

Most dressings need a fat, an acid, and seasoning. Examples of each are found below:

• Fat: Oil, pasteurized egg, mayonnaise, sour cream, or cheese

• Acid: Lemon, lime, or orange juice, or any type of vinegar (red wine, balsamic, apple cider, rice, etc.)

• Seasoning: Garlic powder; mustard; salt; pepper; oregano, parsley, chives, and other herbs; or spices like curry powder, paprika, or celery seed

Keep portions of salad dressing to 2 tablespoons per serving to manage calories. You can refrigerate dressing in a sealed, airtight container (like a jar) for up to 7 days.

How to Make Salad Dressing

Use these easy steps for most salad dressing recipes:

1. Measure out the ingredients.

2. Whisk all ingredients, except the fat, in a medium-size bowl. Slowly pour in the fat while whisking the ingredients together.

3. Unless the recipe states otherwise, the dressing is ready to use on salad or other dishes. You can also make salad dressing using a jar with a screw-top lid. Add all of your ingredients to the jar, including the fat. Tightly screw on the lid. Shake the jar until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Recipe Ideas

• Lemon Vinaigrette: Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a bowl. Remove any seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk well to combine. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup extra

virgin olive oil. Makes 2 servings.

• Balsamic Vinaigrette: Finely chop 1 clove peeled garlic. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic to the bowl and whisk well to combine. Continue to whisk while slowly adding ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Makes 6 servings.

• Honey-Mustard Dressing: Add ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt to a medium-size bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings.

Tips

• Add ¼–½ teaspoon Dijon mustard to salad dressings so the oil and vinegar won’t separate.

• When making creamy dressings, use low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream instead of mayonnaise or sour cream. This can help lower the calories.

• Use homemade dressing as a marinade for chicken or vegetables.

Ube Steamed Rice Cakes

Putong Ube a la Marketman

• 2 lbs of ube (2 large yams)/// 1.5 cups of the grated ube (Cook ube 30-35 minutes)
• 1 cup of rice flour
• 3/4 cup of freshly squeezed coconut milk/cream from the first pressing
• 3/4 cup of Carnation evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Directions:
Mix this well and you get a lavender batter that is a little less thick than pancake batters. You may adjust the ube content at this point or add a little rice flour if you think the consistency doesn’t seem right.
Melt sweet butter and brush this generously inside the egg cups
Steam for 8-10 minutes.

Blackened Fish Tacos***** Yum

Blackened Fish Tacos with Pineapple Cucumber Slaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Servings: 4-6


INGREDIENTS

1.5 pounds tilapia
6-8 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, more or less
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter


Marinade

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Spice Rub (in directions)


Spice Rub

1 TBS EACH chili powder, brown sugar
1 tsp EACH smoked paprika, cumin, garlic pwdr, onion pwdr, salt
1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)


Pineapple Cucumber Slaw

2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste


Extras

1 medium avocado
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Like
Hot sauce



INSTRUCTIONS

Marinade: Mix together all of the Spice Rub ingredients in a medium bowl. Remove 1 1/2 tablespoons Spice Rub and add this to a large freezer bag along with all of the Marinade ingredients. Whisk together then add fish. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. You will use remaining spices later.


Pineapple Cucumber Slaw: Add all of the Pineapple Cucumber Slaw ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Spice Rub: After 30-60 minutes (no more), remove fish from marinade and pat dry. Mix remaining Spice Rub together with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Rub evenly over fish and let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.


Cook: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. As soon as it melts add fillets and cook approximately 3 minutes per side, or until nicely blackened.


Assemble: Remove fish from skillet and break into large pieces. Evenly divide fish among tortillas then top with cheese, Pineapple Cucumber Slaw, and other desired toppings. Garnish with additional lime and hot sauce if desired.

Cactus aka: nopal

I was walking through the cafeteria at my college when the cook approached me with a sample of grilled cactus. I fell in love. Since then, I bring these things to bbqs and camping trips so that my friends and family have even more reasons to call me a crazy dietitian. The prickly pear cactus, also called nopal, is promoted for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and hangovers. It is also touted for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. It is popular in many areas of the world, particularly Latin America, because it's high in fiber, antioxidants and carotenoids. It tastes, to me, like a cross between asparagus, lime and artichoke. I’ve used it in quiches, added it to salads and lasagnas, boiled and grill it. You can do so much more with it though. Look on Pinterest and you’ll see how these lovely cactus leaves are commonly served in eggs, salads, chili, in place of a tortilla and stir-fry dishes. Cactus smoothie anyone?

Grilling Cactus

Scrape or cut the cactus spines off the nopales, rinse them off and pat them dry. Brush olive oil over both sides of the pad and season them with salt, pepper and garlic powder (as much as you prefer). Grill on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and flip over and grill the other side for another 2-3 minutes. That’s it! You can always grill it longer for your preferred texture.

Boiling Cactus

Scrape or cut the cactus spines off the nopales. Cut the cactus paddles in small strips (green bean or asparagus size) or into dice-size squares. Once the water is boiling add the cactus. Boil uncovered for about 8-10 minutes or until tender. You can eat as a side, add to casseroles or salads or dice them into an omelet. 

Cowboy Casserole

COWBOY CASSEROLE
2 lbs ground beef or turkey                    
1 tsp chili powder                  
1 tsp onion powder               
Cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder               
16 oz. Bag corn                       
16 oz. Green beans                 
28 oz. Can seasoned tomatoes     
Fritos

De-fat hamburger in 3 qt + inset until brown.  Preheat skillet to 350 and add defatted beef.  Season with chili, onion & garlic powder.  Add corn, green beans, tomatoes and ½ of chips.  Mix well and top with remaining chips.  Top with cheese (#2 cone).  Cover and cook at 350 until valve clicks.  Reduce to 200 for 20 minutes.

Without Fritos, 1/8th  of this recipe is about 325 calories, 27 grams of protien, 13 grams of fat, 433 mg of sodium and 20 grams of carbs