Our New Addition has Arrived!!!!

I'm just writing to announce that my new baby girl arrived on Feb. 4th. Baby and mom are well. Trying to get into our new routine, very busy, obviously no time for blogging lately!!

I'll be back, however!!!

Ciao for now!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hoisin Duck Stir Fry

I just love Peking Duck. It's bar none one of my favorite Chinese dishes. The crispiness of the duck skin, the richness and moistness of the beautiful dark duck meat, the sweetness of the hoisin sauce, the freshness of the spring onions and cucumber sticks, all wrapped up in the carboliciousness of the pancake wrap...ummm....mouthwateringly delectable. On the downside, anything this good comes with a price. I don't like the amount of fat and carb in this dish, therefore I seldom indulge in it.

As I was browsing through one of my Weight Watchers cookbooks looking for dinner ideas for tonight, I came across a recipe titled Hoisin Duck Vegetable Stir Fry.....GASP!! hoisin sauce and delicious duck breast in a weight watchers recipe?!? No Way!!!.....some of the BEAUTIFUL flavors of Peking Duck GUILT FREE! I definately had to give this a go, here's how it went...

Ingredients:

  

Sauce:
2/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp corn starch

Vegetables:
3 scallions chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1/2 lb green beans ends trimmed
1 small yellow pepper seeded and sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes halved

2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 lb boneless skinless duck breast cut into strips 'against grain'


1) Whisk chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soya sauce, and corn starch and set aside




2) Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in frying pan, and saute duck until browned and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.



3) Heat 2nd tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan, and saute ginger and scallions until fragrant (30 sec)

4) Add green beans and yellow pepper and stir fry until tender-crisp (5-7 minutes)



5) Add grape tomatoes and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes

6) Add duck meat and sauce mixture. Stir fry until sauce bubbles and thickens (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

7) Serve over a bed of rice of your choice (I used basmati). Garnish with roasted sesame seeds if you wish. And Enjoy!! :)

This dish, needless to say, lacks the crispy skin and fat of the duck meat that you get with Peking Duck, so it certainly does not share that same flavor, but nonetheless, it has its own charm. It didn't quite satisfy my craving for the fatty carby goodness of authentic Peking Duck, but it did taste quite good! Would I repeat this recipe in the future? Probably! I think I'd omit the peppers and tomatoes, use a little more hoisin sauce, and top with raw spring onions and cucumber slivers to get something a little closer to Peking Duck!!

Low Carb Christmas Cookies - A HUGE Success woohoo!

'Tis the season to be baking,
         yum yum yum yum yum, yum yum yum yum!!!

To add to the fun I have already been having during this pregnancy (I havn't been a very good incubator), I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. There goes my traditional holiday baking....all my recipes are out, and I've asked my relatives who usually send me some of my favorite homemade Christmas treats to please refrain from doing so this year.

Seeing as how I am a very festive person and Christmas is my favorite time of year, I had to make the best of this situation and compromise.

So I started pouring over websites, low carb recipe books, talking to local nutritionists, and asking friends for pointers, and I came up with a list of about 6 potential low carb cookie candidates. I made 4 out of the 6 - 3 were a huge success (almost as good as 'the real thing'), 1 (low carb shortbread) was a total flop and ended up in the garbage (I couldn't even stand the smell of the latter recipe). I HAD to have shortbreads, though, one of my absolute faves growing up.....I have enough will power in me to abstain from eating them (especially with my delicious low carb options), and who am I to deprive my little girl of one of my fondest memories as a child....making shortbreads with my mom....so I made the real thing.

I apologize for the lack of pics, I usually like to show my recipes step by step, but I was in a baking frenzy, and at 33 weeks gestation I was lucky to be able to get my baking done let alone stop and take photos along the way. Thank goodness I have my mom here to help me!! Mom's are the best!! Here are the recipes:

Recipe #1 : Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies (I would definately repeat this recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups Splenda
1-1/2 teaspoons dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces sugar free chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces (I used 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips - they're actually not that bad carb wise, and 1 1/2 cups is far less than 12 ounces)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I prefer walnuts)
~3/4 cup soy flour*

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
Beat together butter, Splenda, and molasses until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, stir together ground almonds, vanilla whey protein powder, oat bran, baking soda and salt.
Stir almond flour mixture into butter mixture until blended.
Stir in nuts and chopped chocolate bars.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto preparted baking sheets (I semi form into balls and drop by hand).
Flatten with palm of hand (I don't do this).
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden.
Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool (I cooled them on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes then placed them in a cookie can).

*Having alot of past experience with choc chip cookies, and after reading some of the comments on the website about this recipe, I know that if a choc chip cookie dough is too wet, the cookies will flatten out. I felt this dough was far to wet, so I added soy flour and kneaded the dough until I felt it was the right consistency and dryness.....I guage it by how much it sticks to your hand, and you should be able to somewhat form the dough into a crude ball and drop it onto the parchment without it sticking too much to your hand.

These are DELICIOUS, and  I don't even have to say "They are so worth the carbs!!"...I'm in heaven....onto the next successful attempt:


Recipe #2: Sugar Free Almond Spice Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups ground almonds
1/2 cup splenda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Beat eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl.
Add wet to dry ingredients. Knead with hands.
Form into 1 inch balls, then flatten with palm or thumb and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325.
Store in airtight container or they will dry out.

This recipe has few ingredients, and is therefore simple (major positive in my book), AND it is SOOOO GOOD!! (and suagr FREE to boot)

Onto the 3rd successful recipe:

Recipe #3: Low Carb Brownies

Ingredients:

2⁄3 cup (160mL) all-purpose flour
2⁄3 cup (160mL) SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1⁄3 cup (80 mL) cocoa
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1⁄3 cup (80 mL) soft margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1⁄3 cup (80 mL) unsweetened applesauce
1⁄3 (80mL) cup chopped walnuts (optional - not optional for me!! The walnuts are so good in these)

•Combine SPLENDA® Granulated, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.
•In a mixer bowl, beat margarine eggs and vanilla for 1 minute.
Add applesauce and beat just until blended.
•Stir in flour mixture and nuts just until blended.
•Spread evenly in greased 8-inch (20 cm) square pan.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.
•Cool on rack
•Store in covered container in refrigerator (*This is a MUST, I didn't do this and they grew mold in just 2 days, hence their absence in the pic).

These were yummy too....shame I didn't refrigerate them

Last and least :(

Recipe #4: Low Carb Shortbread Cookies 

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour (I used soy flour, which may have been factor #1 that lead to my failure with this recipe)
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup (60 mL) SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest (I used lemon extract - potential factor #2 leading to failure)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
2/3 cup (160 mL) unsalted butter, cool but not cold
•Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

•In a food processor, pulse flour, coconut, SPLENDA® Granulated, lemon zest and salt. Break butter into pieces and pulse until dough comes together (dough will be soft). Shape into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. (I didn't do in food processor, which may have resulted in the coconut being too coarse, another one of the aspects I didn't like about how this recipe turned out - and potential factor #3)

•On a lightly floured surface, knead dough once or twice until pliable. Roll out to just shy of 1/4-inch (7 mm) thickness and cut out into 2-inch (5 cm) cookies of desired shape.

•Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until bottom edges start to colour. Cool cookies on baking tray before removing.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or a month frozen.

I tweaked this recipe quite a bit which may have led to my failure....perhaps I would try this recipe again, following the directions a little more closely next time.






I know many people prefer not to use artificial sweeteners, and I have used one in all of these recipes (sucralose is safe during pregnancy as it does not cross the placenta). So as a lower than white sugar carb alternative, one could refer to the glycemic index and choose a natural sugar alternative with a lower GI than white sugar. 


Well, that's all my baking for this year folks (except of course for my mandatory apricot cakes for my husband and my great uncle - refer to an earlier post)

Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season......

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE BEST IN 2011!!!!!

XOXOXOXO

Crispy Breaded Orange Chicken

 This is a recipe I took from a Weight Watchers book, and it is absolutely delicious!! My hubby and daughter loved it, I'll definately be doing this one again and again!

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (I did 5)
1 cup cracker crumbs
3 tbsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 small onion finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper



Mix salt, orange juice, and dijon mustard in a small bowl

Mix onion, cracker crumbs, orange zest, and black pepper, and spread out on wax paper




Prepare a non stick pan with cooking spray

Organize an "assembly line"



Dip chicken thighs in  the mustard mixture coating all sides

Dredge chicken in cracker/orange mixture. Press into the mixture to make sure it sticks well. Coat all sides with cracker mixture and place in prepared pan



Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, turn chicken pieces over and continue baking until cooked through, or for another 20 minutes approximately

Prepare some side dishes. I prepared baked sweet potatoes and grilled zucchini and wax beans. This meal was DELICIOUS!!

Bon Appetit!



Now if I could only enjoy a nice glass of vino.....ummm......not much longer to go, only another 7 weeks or so til new babe arrives!!

Hearty, Warming Chicken and Peanut Soup

I'm not feeling so well these days, therefore bland foods (ie. not fried, low sodium, low spice) that are nutrient rich, have been my focus. There have been alot of boring, low in flavor, non-blogworthy baked lean meats with sides of plain steamed veggies and steamed rice, in our diet. My poor hubby has been pouring hot sauce over just about everything I cook lately trying to add some pizzaz and flavor to his plate. Oh well, at least this is a temporary situation....I don't think I can take much more of this myself!!

Moving on to this soup recipe...the veggies and peanuts give this soup heartiness and a beautiful flavor combination.

Ingredients:


1 skinless boneless chicken breast diced
1/2 turnip (or rutabaga) peeled & diced
1 parsnip sliced
2 carrotts sliced
1 onion diced
2 stalks of celery sliced

1 carton low sodium chicken broth
1cube McCormick Chicken Boullion

Water to top up periodically throughout cooking
1/2 cup raw unroasted peanuts (an afterthought, I felt the dish needed more protein, I won't do this again as the red color in the peanut skin darkened the chicken peices and the broth, which I thought looked rather unappealing)

Add chicken broth, water, and dry chicken stock to a large pot filling it to 2/3 full

Bring to a boil (taste and add more stock if too bland)

Add chicken pieces and let boil until cooked (about 10 minutes)

Add veggies and let boil over medium heat for 2-3 hours, add H2O as needed to top up.



There you have it, simple and delicious, my favorite combination ;)

Chicken Ball Soup

I'm concocting today. Still on a soup kick, I decided I wanted to try something a little different....I knew I wanted a clear broth soup, but I didn't feel like a heavy soup with alot of veggies, and boring chunks of meat, etc. so I decided to go with a chicken ball in a soup. Here's how it went...
Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 egg
approx. 1/2 cup bread crumbs
white pepper
salt
dried parsley and basil
Knorr Chicken Stock
Rice Vermicelli


Puree chicken breasts, egg, onion, garlic, & celery in a food processor. Stir in white pepper, parsley, basil, and salt, and add bread crumbs to thicken enough so that mixture can be formed into balls.



Bring approx. 6 cups of water to a boil.

Form chicken mixture into balls and drop into boiling water. Reduce heat to med-high and let boil for approx. 15 minutes. Top up with boiling water if necessary.



Add 2 tbsp. Knorr chicken stock to the broth.



Break up vermicelli into shorter strands, boil in a separate pot until fully cooked, drain, place in bottom of bowl, and pour soup over top.




Serve and enjoy!!

This actually turned out to be very good. I may have added some sesame oil or soya sauce to the balls for a little added flavor, but I was going for something light and mild, and this recipe accomplished it! :)



Cheers!!

Zucchini Soup

I love fall. Walks outside in the crisp fresh air, admiring nature's color palette, knowing winter and with it the cozy feeling of being snowed in, curling up watching movies inside all day in your jammies, and days outside sliding, skating, building snowmen and snow forts, and having snowball fights are just around the corner.

I'm in the mood for a warm-you-up, healthy, quick, easy-to-make soup. My zucchini soup fits the bill perfectly. I love it because it's hot, delicious, and mild - the latter being very important to me lately as along with the 3rd trimester comes heartburn city...everything I eat, almost, gives me 10/10 heartburn. Oh well it's soooo worth it in the end!!

This recipe is ridiculously simple, and equally yummy.

Ingredients

7-8 medium sized zucchini diced
1 spanish onion chopped
1 carton low sodium chicken broth
Water as needed to increase volume
Dry chicken stock to taste (I try to use sparingly to reduce the sodium)
2 tbsp finely chopped basil (I skipped this today - yup, heartburn)
Shredded cheese (asiago, swiss or mozzarella work well)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Throw everything into a pot




Boil for 20-30 minutes, top up with water as needed



Puree with an immersion blender, skim foam off top




Pour into a bowl, top with shredded cheese, and serve! Yep that's all folks. Ummmm! So good.



This soup is also delicious served cold in the summer!