Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

recipe

You say Tomato…

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 Recently, a friend gave me this tomato plant. I planted it in a larger plant, and I cannot wait for it to start producing some fruit! Then I can make some more delicious “lasagna.”

(Bad camera pictures, still. I will be getting my camera back tomorrow, so I will have some better food pictures soon!)

Instead of noodles, I sliced some zucchini into thin slices.

Layered it with tomato sauce and a variety of veggies and mushrooms.

Some ground beef.

And made a vegan “ricotta cheese” with walnuts, cashews, tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt.

I baked it for 30 minutes at 375* and topped it with fresh basil.

It was very tasty, but I still need to tweak the recipe a bit. There was too much “juice” with the tomatoes and sauces that I needed to drain it before serving.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes?

I like mine in bruschetta, fresh salsa, or as “buns” for burgers!

 

 

Homemade Protein Bars

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Supposedly “healthy” protein bars resemble candy bars more than energy-lifting, muscle-building real food bars.

Consider a typical protein bar like the PowerBar:

Power Bar High Protein Bar Chocolate Peanut Butter

Nutrition Facts per Bar:

Calories 300

Calories from fat 50

Amount/Serving
% DV*
Total Fat 6g
9%
  Saturated Fat 3.5g
18%
  Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg
1%
Amount/Serving
% DV*
Sodium 210mg
9%
Total Carb 39g
13%
  Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
  Sugars 19g
Protein 23g
46%

Ingredients: POWERBAR TRISOURCE™ PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE), GLUCOSE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), CANE SYRUP, GLYCERIN, MALTITOL SYRUP, NATURAL FLAVOR, PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, ALMOND BUTTER, MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC GLUCONATE, IRON (FERROUS FUMARATE), COPPER GLUCONATE, CHROMIUM ASPARTATE, VITAMINS: VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), PANTOTHENIC ACID (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B2, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

The commercially-made protein bars contain four different kinds of sugars, highly-processed proteins, and a multitude of preservatives. The 38-ingredient long list compared to my recipe with only 6 ingredients, no sugar, and a natural source of protein.

Simply take my recipe for High Protein Cookies and bake in a pan instead of making it in cookie form. Cut into squares and wrap for on-the-go convenience.

I calculated that it costs less than $3 to make an entire batch of homemade protein bars (makes about 20 bars at 15 cents each!). Compare that to buying commercial protein bars that can cost $3 each!

Mine taste better, too.

Nutrition Facts per Bar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 115
Calories from Fat 58
Total Fat 6.4g
Saturated Fat 2.1g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 37mg
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g
Dietary Fiber 3.7g
Sugars 2.3g
Protein 5.1g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 4% • Iron 10%

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

What are your thoughts on commercially-made protein bars? Do you buy them? If so, do you have a favorite kind? Would you consider making your own?

If your still in the mood for protein bars, try making Sweet Potato Spice bars or some Crazy Healthy Granola bars!

Again, apologies for the bad camera pictures!

Tomato Buns

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I apologize in advance for the following pictures’ poor quality. My sister borrowed my camera for this week, so I’m taking the pictures with my phone. Not very good quality photos, but trust me when I say the food tastes good!

Sauteed Cabbage and Oregano

~This might be my favorite side dish-ever. It is fresh enough for the summer, and hearty enough for the winter. Above all, it is simple to make. Leftovers make great additions to salads.

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage, chopped (any color)
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped (any color)
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano
In a saucepan, saute the onions with the olive oil on medium heat. Next, add the tomato, cabbage, vinegar, and oregano. Stir as needed to prevent burning. Cook until the cabbage is golden and soft, about 15 minutes.
Tastes great served with my 5-minute burgers and Homemade Potato Wedges.
Also I found a great gluten-free, grain-free replacement for Hamburger buns: Tomato Slices! 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Ketchup or mustard?

I’m a mustard girl all the way! Never have liked ketchup (it is always full of sugar anyway!).

Easiest Dinner

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Great to hear about all of your in-a-rush breakfast recipes, but what about dinner?

My vote goes towards stir fries, like the one I had last night. My basic stir-fry recipe is as follows:

Your Basic Brown Rice Stir Fry

~Stir fries are easy, quick, healthy, filling, and tasty! 

  • Cooked Brown Rice
  • Chopped Vegetables (any leftovers you have in the fridge will do. For this batch I used carrots, garlic, onion, bell pepper,
  • Protein (tofu, beans, meat, eggs. For this batch I used scrambled eggs and toasted white beans)
  • Oil to grease pan (I used sesame oil)
  • Soy sauce (or any other oriental seasonings you may have)
  • Optional: chopped peanuts or sesame to top
I didn’t provide measurements because that is the whole point of stir-fries! You can put whatever you want in them, and make it for however many people you want. It makes a simple dinner for one, and a filling, inexpensive dinner for 15! Simply grease a pan, mix ingredients, and stir until golden.
–
In other news, check out my tire:
While driving home the other day, my tire blew up. I didn’t just have a flat tire-it blew up! Have you ever seen such a crazy thing?

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are your favorite in-a-hurry dinner recipes?

And have you ever blown up a tire like mine? Or done any other crazy things to your vehicle? Give me your stories!

Spicy Tomato Cure

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This Drink/Soup I mentioned yesterday did wonders.

Originally found off of this site. A few tweaks and I share it with you!

Spicy Tomato Cure

~Perfect cure for congestion or sore throats. It works fast and tastes great. Instantly soothes. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups V8 vegetable juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Hot Sauce (the more the better!)
  • ground black pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until steaming. Slip slowly and re-heat as needed. Let it sit in your throat, and breathe in the fumes.
Flavor Idea:
Add worcestershire sauce and celery to make it taste like a Bloody Mary.
I drank mine with a fresh lemon-cucumber-celery juice. It really did do wonders!
Capricin (found in hot peppers) is soothing to the stomach. In addition, it’s a pain killer (good for sore throats), and is also one of the main ingredients used in herbal recipes for killing fungal infections like Candida.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you like spicy foods?

I used to hate spicy foods-mild salsa for me, please! But now, I don’t mind a little spice now and then.

Strawberry Sundaes

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It is national Strawberry Sundae Day!

Weird Holiday? Yes. Tasty Holiday? Yes, and it gives us an excuse to at a tasty treat today!

I created a twist on the original strawberry sundae by mixing it with coconut.

 

Strawberry Coconut Sundae 

~This healthy version of an Ice Cream Sundae does not require an ice cream machine. Dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (I’m sure lower-fat coconut milk would work fine, too, but the full-fat makes it more creamy.)
Blend until smooth. It should resemble a thick milkshake.

Freeze for at least two hours or until frozen. Scoop with an ice cream scooper for more authenticity.

Sundae Toppings
  • Shaved, unsweetened coconut
  • Fresh Strawberries
  • Optional: Unsweetened Chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, unsweetened, melted chocolate, coconut butter or cream.

I used fresh strawberries and shaved coconut for mine.

Health Benefits 
  • Strawberries: Great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, pantothenic acid, vitamin B1, iodine, olic acid, biotin, and vitamin B6. They are also very high in antioxidants which are shown to help prevent chronic diseases. Strawberries contain Ellagic acid which can increase anti-cancer activity and help prevent Alzheimer’s. Strawberry extracts have also been shown to inhibit COX enzymes in vitro, which inhibits the inflammatory process.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Favorite Sundae Toppings?

I would have to say myfavorite combo: Chocolate, Peanuts, and Bananas!