Gluten Free: Smothered Pork Chops, Broccoli w/Cheese Sauce, Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes & Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

There has been an increase in Celiac diagnoses in recent years, mainly due to more awareness of the disease and a better understanding of it. With this has come more and more options for Celiac patients, and anyone else who has a gluten and/or wheat sensitivity. I have a child with Autism, and we tried the gluten free diet for him a few years ago, but since it didn't make much difference we gave it up. Some children with Autism have been suspected of having food allergies that contribute to the severity of their symptoms, thus why some parents of Autistic kids utilize a gluten free (and often casein free) diet for their child.

D has a grown daughter who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease as a toddler. This was back when Celiac was believed to be a very rare disorder and little was known about it. Since her diagnosis (she is now 27), much has been learned about this once-rare disorder and it has been determined that it is not very rare at all. As a matter of fact, according to Dr. Fasano who is the medical director of the Center for Celiac Research, it is "the most prevalent genetically transmitted disease in the world". Wow!!

We read labels and sometimes cook gluten free meals. My stepdaughter has made us meals as well and I am amazed at how tasty much of it actually is. So much is naturally gluten free in the natural food world!! Eating gluten free does not have to be a chore in denial of good foods!

As my own young daughter struggles with belly issues, we have decided to try a gluten free diet with her this summer to see if that helps her.

So, our gluten free dinner tonight is:

Smothered Pork Chops
Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes
Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

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Smothered Pork Chops
4 servings












Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops, 4 oz each
• 1/2 cup pure cornstarch + 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup gluten-free low sodium chicken broth (Swanson's Natural Goodness)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Put 1/2 cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl and add onion powder, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk with fork to combine ingredients. Dip pork chops in the cornstarch mixture.

In large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Place pork chops in skillet with plenty of room. Fry 9-10 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Remove chops and place on a plate and keep warm. Add all but 1/4 cup of broth to skillet and cook until liquid is slightly reduced.

In separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth until well blended. Add this mixture to the skillet. Cook over medium heat until thickening starts. Reduce heat and add buttermilk.

Return pork to skillet and spoon gravy over them. Cover and simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until pork is thoroughly cooked.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

• 1 1/4 cups of half and half
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 lbs fresh broccoli florets

In medium saucepan, whisk 1/4 cup half and half with cornstarch over medium heat until it gets smooth. Add the remaining half and half with garlic and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened.

Remove pan from heat and add cheese, stirring until it melts. Add cayenne, then lemon juice and keep warm.

Steam broccoli in steamer, or cook in boiling water until tender. Serve immediately with sauce drizzled over broccoli.

Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes

• 1 lbs small red potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 cup warm buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and boil them until they are tender. (Test with a fork). When draining potatoes, reserve about 1/4 cup of the water. Mash with a manual masher or fork to a coarse texture with the buttermilk and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and use reserved water if necessary.

Heat olive oil in oven-tolerant skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium heat. Add smashed potatoes when oil is hot. Cook until bottom starts to brown, then transfer (pan and all) to oven.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove with care (and oven mitts!!) and overturn skillet onto a plate, then cut the potatoes into wedges. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve!

Dessert!!

Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

• 2 small acorn squash, about 1 lb each
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter spread
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

Preheat oven to 350

Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Set the squash halves on baking sheet cut side up. Coat with cooking spray and cover tightly with foil, baking 25-30 minutes.

In medium bowl combine butter, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange jucie concentrate. Remove foil from squash and fill centers of each acorn with the "stuffing".

Return to oven and bake uncovered another 15 minutes, until stuffing is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Simple Salad, Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas, Glazed Carrots, Chocolate PB Parfaits

Fettuccine. When I think of it, I think “Fat! Fat! Fat!!” That’s because of the cheese sauce. Cheese is good, but let’s face it – it’s TOO good! Too much cheese will give you too much fat in your diet, but cheese is a very nutritious addition to a healthy diet. An ounce of cheese can supply you with almost a third of your daily requirement for calcium. It is also a very good source of protein, Vitamin B12 and riboflavin.

The downside is, cheese can actually be quite high in sodium for such a small portion. And who actually only eats an ounce of cheese, which is most often the serving size recommended. It’s also quite high in fat and cholesterol.

This recipe will call for Parmesan, which is one of the lower fat/calorie cheeses. The ricotta called for is part skim, which also helps to shave off some fat and calories. The main dish overall has a bit more fat than I like in a meal, but by standards, it’s actually a low fat meal. Especially if you consider this: the fettuccine alfredo lunch entrée (meaning, their small portion) at Olive Garden is 18 grams of fat and almost 800 calories. Just for the entrée, and without meat!!! Throw in some chicken, or Italian sausage and you’ve just upped the calories and fat quite a bit more. The sodium is sky high too, as expected. Then consider their salad is 201 calories, and their dressing 90 calories…..and of course, a breadstick would be 150 calories for just one.

Not to mention calories added when you drink that Italian Margarita that just calls your name every time you go…..

Oh wait, maybe that is only me!

But as you can see, one meal out can easily add up to well over 1,000 calories, 25+ grams of fat, and sodium that would send someone with borderline blood pressure into stroke-ville!

Our main entrée will be 250 calories for 1 1/3 cup serving and only 7 grams of fat. So, not entirely fat free but within range of decency, as well as much better than eating out!

Cooking at home can be a hassle, for sure, but the payoff is much healthier eating. That means, in the long run, you will be a healthier person. And, hopefully, teaching your kiddos that Mc Donald’s isn’t what family dinner is all about!

Dinner Tonight is:

Simple Salad

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas

Glazed Carrots

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Simple Salad

(6 servings)

This dish is gluten free!!

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 8 cups mixed lettuces
• 3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Pepper

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas

(6 servings)

250 calories, 7 grams of fat, 363 mg sodium

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of whole wheat fettuccine noodles
• 2 medium leeks (white portion only), sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook fettuccine according to package directions.

In large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté leeks in oil for 1 minute. Add asparagus and garlic; sauté until asparagus is tender crisp. Stir in peas, and pepper.

Drain fettuccine, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid. Whisk in ¼ cup Parmesan, and lemon juice. Add to skillet; heat thoroughly.

Add fettuccine; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Glazed Carrots

6 servings

This dish is gluten free!!

64 calories, 1 gram of fat

Ingredients

• 6 tspns water
• 6 tspns apple juice
• 1 Tablspn packed light brown sugar
• 1 tspn butter
• 1/2 tspn nutmeg
• 148 tspn kosher salt
• 24 ounces baby carrots

In medium saucepan, mix water, apple juice, brown sugar, butter, nutmeg and salt. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.

Add carrots; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender-crisp.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits

6 servings

146 calories, 6 grams of fat, 300 mg sodium, 16 grams carbs

(hint: you can cut the fat even more by using fat free whipped topping and omitting, or reducing, the peanuts)

Ingredients

• 2 Tblspns reduced-fat chunky peanut butter
• 2 Tablspns fat free milk, COLD
• 2 cups cold fat free milk
• 1 cup reduced fat whipped topping
• 1 pkg (1.4 oz) sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 Tblspn finely chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of milk. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk remaining milk with pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes, or until soft set.

Spoon half pudding mixture into 6 parfait glasses. Layer with reserved Peanut Butter mixture and remaining pudding. Refrigerate at least an hour.

Just before serving, garnish with whipped topping and peanuts.

Herb-Roasted Beef and Potatoes with Browned Butter Brussels Sprouts

Some days, I have more time to prepare a nice meal that my husband and I can eat alone. This means that I can get a bit more creative without the picky kids around, and we can have a somewhat nice time to reconnect over food that we would not normally eat. It's certainly an effort sometimes, but worth it!

Ok, so I have to admit that I do not much like Brussels Sprouts. My mother loves them, but I just can not really wrap myself around their flavor.

However, for diversity I do cook some things I do not like. Take peas, for instance. You will rarely see pea recipes on this blog because I absolutely abhor peas. My husband, on the other hand, finds them heavenly. They are one of his favorite foods. So, while I do not go out of my way to fancy up these tiny offenders of my gag reflex, I will on occasion cook frozen baby peas for my husband because that's the kind of thing you do for people that you love (besides having dinner waiting for them when they get home from work). It can be a lot of work, for sure, but on days that the kids are not here, I actually have time to spend on chopping and preparing a nice meal.

This recipe calls for beef shoulder roast, but if you can not find it, you can substitute beef or pork tenderloin just as well.

To save time, you can also use packaged refrigerated potato wedges, which will cook much more quickly than fresh tubulars would take.

Dinner Tonight is

Winter Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus Reduction Dressing Herb
Roasted Beef
Potatoes
Browned Butter Brussels Sprouts
German Chocolate Mousse
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Winter Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus Reduction Dressing
4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 medium beets, red and golden
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups torn Boston lettuce
• 1 cups trimmed watercress
• 1 cups torn radicchio
• 1 ounces of crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Leave root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with brush. Place beets on foil lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat the beets with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until tender. Cool beets slightly. Trim roots and stem; rub off skins. Cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges.

Bring juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan; cook ten minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Pour in a medium bowl and cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Whisk. Gradually add oil and whisk.

Combine lettuce, watercress, and radicchio. Sprinkle lettuce mixture with remaining salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Arrange about 1 cup of lettuce mixture on 4 salad plates. Divide beets evenly among salads, and drizzle dressing on each salad. Sprinkle each salad with about 1 tablespoon of cheese.

Nutritional information: 127 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 253 mg of sodium.

Herb Roasted Beef and Potatoes
yield 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (8 oz) beef shoulder tenderloin (also called petite tender), trimmed
• cooking spray
• 1 (20 oz) package refrigerated potato wedges (like Simply Potatoes)

Preheat broiler

Combine 1 tablespoon of thyme, rosemary, parsley, 1 tablespoon of oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic; rub evenly over both sides of beef. Place beef on rack of broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place rack on pan.

Combine potatoes, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; Toss. Arrange potato mixture on pan around beef. Broil 7 minutes. turn beef over. Broil 7 more minutes, or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from oven. Place beef on cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Stir potatoes and sprinkle with remaining thyme. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices and serve with potatoes.

Nutritional information for 3 oz beef and 3/4 cup potatoes: 318 calories, 14 grams fat, 788 mg sodium

Browned Butter Brussels Sprouts

• 1 lb trimmed, halved brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steam brussels sprouts 5 minutes, or until crisp tender. Drain well.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; cook until butter browns. Add Brussels sprouts. Cook 6 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently.

Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

German Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup 1% low fat milk
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 oz dark chocolate chips
• 4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/4 cup flaked sweet coconut, toasted
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine 1st three ingredients in a heavy saucepan; let stand 2 minutes. Cook over medium high heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge, but do not boil.

Remove from heat and add chocolate. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until chocolate melts.

Pour chocolate mixture into a medium bowl; cover and chill 30 minutes until set. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon 2/3 cup of mousse into dessert bowls. Cover and chill 2 hours. Top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons of coconut and 1 1/2 teaspoons pecans.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken with Homemade BBQ Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Candied Cranberries in Brandy

Dinner at the table......as I have said a million times, we make great effort for us all to eat at the same time. I believe it's good for kids, so when they are here, D strives to get home from work at a decent hour to make that possible for us to do.

Being how we have been trying to limit our red meats and eat more lean meats, or no meat at all, that usually means that we have to get creative in cooking. I mean, really....just how many ways can you cook chicken?? Besides that, we've virtually cut out table salt from our cooking, and high sodium canned goods. This means more time in preparation with fresh food, but all in all I like it a lot and am quite proud of being able to make something tasty that is also fairly healthy as well as help my husband control his high blood pressure.

Tonight, however, we have the kiddos and that means that I must cook at least some of the old favorites, which tend to be the same ol', same ol'. (The other evening, however, we ate a completely gluten-free meal cooked by D's daughter who has Celiac and it was a refreshing change from the same old meal....but that is to be shared later!) As a matter of fact, I do believe this entire meal is naturally gluten-free as well.

I was out of commercial BBQ sauce, which I usually use when I cook BBQ chicken for the kids. I also had a bag of fresh cranberries that I bought for some purpose that I can't now recall, and I have yet to go grocery shopping for this pay period. That means I must make do with what we have around, and it must be palatable to my picky eaters as well!! We have little prepared food, which means i had to have ingredients to cook!

Potatoes and corn.....a given. I will not include the recipe for the corn, as it was just cooked according to package directions. The mashed potatoes I mix with whipping cream and butter for extra creaminess. Yes, yes I know......it's higher in fat than is ideal, although for 5 lbs of potatoes I only use 1/2 stick of butter and about 1/2 cup of whipping cream. That's the one splurge I continue to make. Mashed potatoes. I've tried various ways to cook them without the butter, and with skim milk, etc etc. Creamy Mashed Potatoes are Manna, is all I can say. The recipe is healthier than most, with very limited salt and butter, and still tastes pretty good......so that's my compromise!

I decided to make my own BBQ sauce tonight, and it was surprisingly simple. My 6 yr old even helped mix the ingredients. The cranberries...well, what can you say? It's not really an everyday staple for most, but I adore fresh cranberries. the kids won't eat them, thus it will be an adult treat. Cranberries are so healthy. They have tons more antioxidants than blueberries, which is known for its high levels of antioxidants. These are cancer fighting foods, folks. Certain antioxidants in cranberries, called proanthocyanidins, also help to hinder certain bad bacteria in the body! Good things, cranberries. Add some sugar and it's all good.

Trivia Fact: The freshest cranberries bounce. After I learned this little fact, I did indeed test it out with my own cranberries. I will tell you that they were quite fresh indeed. :)

Dinner Tonight is

Chicken with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Candied Cranberries in Brandy Sauce
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Chicken in Homemade BBQ Sauce

• 4 chicken breasts, or 12 chicken tenderloins

Sauce

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and place in oven.

Mix sauce ingredients and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. After chicken has cooked for 1/2 hour, remove and drain juices. Add BBQ sauce and cook, covered, for another 30 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

• 5-lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 stick of margarine
• salt/pepper to taste if you desire
  

Boil mashed potatoes in large pot until tender. Drain. Add potatoes back to pot and put back on burner for about 30 seconds. Take off burner and add margarine and whipping cream. Beat on high speed with mixer until mashed and fluffy. Add more whipping cream while mixing, a little at a time, if needed.



Candied Cranberries in Brandy Sauce

• 1 lb fresh cranberries
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup of brandy

Heat oven to 350. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Rinse cranberries and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and cover tightly. Cook for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and let cool. Stir in brandy and sprinkle with additional sugar. Let dry and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cheese Toast

I have to admit that I am not a big squash eater. But this soup just warms up a cold evening (like most soups do.) That's one reason why I love the colder weather so much, besides the fact that I just hate to be HOT. Autumn and winter is soup season for us, and I really like soup.

This is only one recipe I have for squash soup, and it's creamy and tasty. You won't be disappointed.



Dinner Tonight is

Spinach Salad
Butternut Squash Soup
Cheese Toast
Creamy Rice Pudding

Spinach Salad
Dressing ingredients

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon jucie
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar (cut to 1/2 tspn for those watching sugar)
  
• 1/4 tspn pepper
• 1/8 tspn salt (omit for low sodium diets)
  

Combine in large bowl and stir with whisk. Add 6 cups of fresh baby spinach, cherry tomatoes cut in half and toss to coat.

Butternut Squash Soup
(makes 4 1-cup servings)

• 1 tablspn butter/margarine
• 3 1/2 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fat free half and half

To prepare soup, melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, carrot, and onion; saute for 12 minutes. Add broth, and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half and half.

Place squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of lid to allow steam to escape, and secure lid on blender. Blend until smooth. (Careful. Start out slow to avoid splatters of hot mixture)

Cheese Toast

• 4 1oz slices french bread
• 3 ounces thinly sliced swiss cheese

Preheat broiler. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Broil for 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Turn bread over and top evenly with swiss cheese. Broil for 1 minute.

Makes 4 servings

Preheat broiler

Low Fat Creamy Rice Pudding

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 12 ounce can evaporated fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  

Heat rice, milk, vanilla and sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat, gradually bringing to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until rice is tender and the pudding is thick and creamy. Serve warm or chilled. Stir in extra milk before serving if desired.

Serves 6

Tex Mex Beef and Bean Dip

Tonight we're having taco salad, and you can find the healthy recipe here.

But I am also making Beef and Bean Dip. This dip has only 99 calories per 1/4 cup serving (plus 5 baked tortilla chips!) and 2.5 grams of fat. Lots of flavor for little guilt.



To make this dip you will need

1/2 lb ground sirloin (buy the 96/4 if you can)
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) canned pinto beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (no salt added), undrained
3/4 cup of crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 ounces of bite sized baked tortilla chips (about 60, like Tostitos Scoops)

Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef to pan. Add tomato paste and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally.

Spoon meat mixture into a serving bowl; top with crumbled cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

12 servings of serving size of 1/4 cup of dip and 5 chips

99 calories 2.5 grams of fat 7.3 grams of protein 11.7 grams carbs 216 (or less) mg of sodium

Meatless Night! Spaghetti Squash, Grilled Portobellos , and Zucchini Bake

This became an acquired taste for me, but D loves it. I'd never heard of spaghetti squash before until I started hunting down more healthy recipes that had variety.

And it is so simple to cook!

To prepare the squash for baking, you need to cut it in half. Once cut in half, you'll need to clean out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. You want to leave the pulp, as this is what will become "spaghetti-like" after it's cooked.

Once you do this, you're ready.

Nutritional Information is as follows:
For 1 cup of spaghetti squash there is 42 calories 28 mg of sodium (wow!! virtually nothing!) 10 grams of carbs, of which 2 grams are dietary fiber & only 4 grams sugar 1 gram of protein
(when/if you add something else, butter for instance, read the nutritional and serving size information on the packaging to add to this if you keep a food journal)

For 1 cup of portobello mushrooms alone there is: 42 calories 12 mg sodium (wow again - very low) 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of which are dietary fiber 5 grams of protein

This is also a good source of iron. The actual recipe I will give below for the portobellos mixed with ingredients has a total of 76 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, but I do not have the other information for the recipe as is. The recipe will be for 4 servings. Not sure of the serving size amount, but once you cook it, divide it equally into 4 parts and you'll have your serving size.

The Zuccini Bake Recipe Nutritional Information is as follows per serving. Again, the recipe will make 4 servings, so divide it equally when cooked into 4 parts and you will have your serving size.

114 calories 7.4 grams of fat 8 grams of carbs 2.2 of which are dietary fiber 6.2 grams of protein

Dinner Tonight is: Spaghetti Squash Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Zucchini Bake Fresh Strawberries and blueberries with fat free/sugar free vanilla yogurt

Spaghetti Squash
Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

Serve, adding pepper if desired.

Grilled Portobellos

• 2 tablespoons low or no sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 large potobello mushrooms, stems removed

1. In large shallow dish, mix broth, oil, vinegar, and thyme. Arrange mushroom caps in single layer in the dish, turning once to coat. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, for one hour.
2. Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Bake mushrooms at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. (Can also grill them directly on the grill for 10 minutes on medium-high heat)

Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese, low fat
1 tablespoon butter (smart balance)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
ground black pepper to taste


1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and score diagonally across the top of zucchinis.
2. Place in a baking dish.
3. Baste with melted butter and garlic, sprinkle with cheese and season with pepper to taste.
4. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until tender and crisp).


For dessert, mix 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries with 3/4 cup of fat free/sugar free vanilla yougurt (sweeten with sweet and low if desired) and enjoy! Strawberries and blueberries are chock full of fiber and antioxidants

Chicken in Sweet Cream, Potatoes, Broccoli

Tonight I made something that wasn't exactly low in fat, although I did take measures to cut fat where I could. In some instances, like with the heavy whipping cream, the fat content was inevitable. I usually make it a point to watch the fat too, but we hadn't had this dish in sooooo long and I was wanting to try a new mashed potato recipe with chicken as the main dish, and as I thought it over I realized that my autistic son was not going to have anything on his plate that he liked, being the picky eater he is. I really try to have at least one thing on the plate that my son will eat. I knew he wouldn't eat the mashed potatoes (squishy texture), or the broccoli and cauliflower mix. So - I chose the sweet cream chicken because I know he likes that a lot, and also because we hadn't had it in awhile (due to the fat content). It also goes really well with mashed potatoes.

The dinner was low sodium, though. So something accomplished there for my fiance with hypertension.

Dinner Tonight Was ----

Fresh Salad
Sweet Cream Chicken
Broccoli and Cauliflower in a cheese sauce (yum!)
Mashed Potatoes
Pineapple Bake (for dessert)

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Salad - easy....

Bowl of bagged salad w/veggies
some chopped cucumber
wedged tomato
sprinkle of cheddar cheese
Fat Free ranch Dressing
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Sweet Cream Chicken Ingredients
(serves 6-8)

4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
pepper
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (I use Smart Squeeze. Only 5 cals, no hydrogenated oils, 0 fat, 0 sodium)
1/2 cup of low sodium or no sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Trim fat from chicken, the cut into strips while raw. Sprinkle with pepper. Place butter in large skillet and add chicken strips. Cook until no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes. (Sometimes I cover the skillet and stir periodically.) Add broth and apple juice and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mix cornstarch and whipping cream in a bowl with a whisk. Add to skillet and stir until thickened and bubbly.
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Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 oz low fat or fat free cream cheese, softened
6 oz low fat or fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or butter substitute)
1/2 package of dry ranch dressing mix

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain. Add back to pot and add remaining ingredients. Mix with mixer until creamy.

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Broccoli and Cauliflower in Easy Cheese Sauce

I bought a bag of pre-cut fresh broccoli and cauliflower, pierced it and microwaved it on high for about 4 1/2 minutes to steam it.

In a small bowl, combine these three ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted (or butter substitute)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Place broccoli and cauliflower in large serving bowl, pour cheese sauce over top and toss.
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Pineapple Bake Ingredients

2 beaten eggs, or egg substitute
1/4 cup of unsalted butter (or butter substitute)
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of splenda
1- 20 oz can of crushed pineapple, with juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
sprinkle of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients, then pour in rectangular casserole dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

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Our dinner -- tonight.