Fruit!

It is definitely citrus and apple season, so make sure you eat your fill. Not only are apples, oranges and other citrus high in fiber, they are also low on the glycemic index and can help combat colds.

All of these are equal to one carb block:
1 small apple
1/2 large apple
1 tangerine
1/2 large orange
1/2 grapefruit
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup grapes

*this is a photo of our kitchen table after donations from friends with citrus trees and shopping at Publix

Spicy Chicken with Salsa and Avocado

A new way to spice up chicken breasts!

2-3 large chicken breasts
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
salsa
1 avocado

Tenderize chicken breasts by smashing them with a meat cleaver or a hammer. Rub on the cayenne pepper, chili powder and salt, then grill 4-5 minutes per side. Top with a good salsa and sliced avocado.

Onion Churtney Sauce

When we cooked the tandoori chicken, I made this low-carb sauce on the spot to go on top of it and it turned out delicious! It would go well on any protein, but make sure you get "Major Grey's" Chutney.

1/2 white onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp Major Grey's Chutney
salt and pepper

Heat a small skillet to medium and spray with cooking oil. Add onions and season with salt and pepper, then cook 5-8 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Remove from heat and stir in the chutney. Serve warm.

Roasted Artichoke Salad

This delicious antipasto recipe comes from Ina Garten, one of my favorite TV chefs. Although most of her recipes are not nutritious, this roasted artichoke salad is low carb, high in good fats and extremely versatile. It is wonderful as a salad or as a protein topper.

2 15oz can artichoke hearts
1 roasted red pepper
3 tbsp capers
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

vinaigrette:
1 cup basil leaves
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Heat oven to 375. Rinse artichokes and cut into quarters. Cook on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper for 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before tossing with roasted red peppers (chopped) and capers.
In a food processor or blender, puree vinaigrette ingredients until smooth. Pour over artichokes mix and toss. Let the salad sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pureed Kale

This kale dish is similar to creamed spinach or the Indian dish palak paneer.

1 bag fresh washed kale
1/2 onion
salt and pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp curry powder
1-2 cups vegetable stock

Heat a pot to medium, then spray with olive oil or other organic cooking spray. Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes, then add the kale. Turn over and mix with a pair of tongs, then season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Pour vegetable stock over kale and simmer 5-10 minutes. Puree in blender until pretty smooth, then serve hot.

Sweet Potato Salad

I made this for our New Years day party and since so many people have already asked me for the recipe...here it is! This is a grown-up, elegant potato salad.

4-5 sweet potatoes, diced skin on
8 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 375. Mix 3-4 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper and dried thyme. Pour over sweet potatoes and bake in a single layer on a baking sheet 1 hour. After 30 minutes, bump the heat up to 400, stir potatoes and continue cooking. Remove from heat after total 1 hour and let cook.
To make vinaigrette, whisk Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, shallot and basil, then mix in remaining olive oil. Pour over cooked potatoes and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Tandoori Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tsp each:
red pepper
chile powder
coriander
cumin
1/2 tsp each:
cinnamon
tumeric
salt

Trim chicken breasts and cut into strips. Mix oil, garlic, yogurt and spices in a large bowl. Put chicken in marinade for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Grill 4-5 minutes per side.

Asian Cabbage

2-3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray (try to use an organic olive oil) and throw in onions and cabbage. Saute 2 minutes, then add bean sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Pour in soy sauce and cook on medium high until sauce is pretty well absorbed, about 5 minutes. Serve hot (bean spouts go rancid fast, so don't bother refrigerating leftovers).

Sweet Potatoes

Sometimes it is difficult to get all your carbs in when you pack your lunch or have a late dinner. Mike has an especially difficult time because he is trying to eat nearly 400g of carbs per day. His aunt Sarah gave us this idea to make sweet potatoes in advance to eat alone as a quick carb. Sweet potatoes are low-glycemic and extremely healthy.

Heat your oven to 350. Individually wrap each sweet potato in tin foil, then place in a baking dish (the potatoes will emit a syrup-like liquid, so make sure you cook in a baking dish). Cook 1.5 to 2 hours, flipping potatoes over halfway through cooking.

When you take them out of the oven, carefully open tin foil and place potatoes on a wire rack to cool. After 10 - 15 minutes, remove the skin (it will come off extremely easily) and cut in half. Store in a ziplock or Tupperware for up to a week.

Squash Casserole

My mom is famous for her squash casserole, so this is my quick and healthy version.

3-4 cups squash or zucchini, cut
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 half and half
3-4 tbsp jack or cheddar cheese

Heat oil in large skillet, then add onions and squash/zucchini. Stir fry 2-3 minutes, season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat. Add half and half to slightly cooled veggies, stir well, then add cheese (except about 1tbsp worth).
Pour into a small baking dish and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, turn on broiler, top with last tbsp of cheese and put under broiler until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Curried Okra

In the south, okra is usually served deep fried or added to soups for thickening. Okra is, however, a low-carb vegetable that, when prepared correctly, has a wonderful texture and depth of flavor.

1-2 tbsp light colored oil
2-3 cups fresh okra, rinsed and diced into large pieces
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt

Heat a skillet to medium-high, then add oil and turn around in pan. Add okra and stir fry 2-3 minutes, then add seasoning. Cook another 2 minutes, then serve hot.

Stuffed Zucchini

2-3 zucchini
salt and pepper
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 lemon
1 egg white
2-3 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
2-3 tbsp mozzarella

Slice zucchini in half, then cut down the length. Scoop out the seeds on the inside, then season with salt and pepper and place under broiler 4-5 minutes.
Mix ricotta, juice of lemon, egg white, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Once zucchini cools, fill with mixture and place in 375 oven. Cook 15-20 minutes, then top with mozzarella and put under broiler until cheese browns.

Borscht

This gorgeous soup is a great way to use up leftover roasted beets. Although beets are higher in sugar than some carbs, they are an excellent source of fiber.

3 or 4 medium beets
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 onion
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp sour cream
1 green onion, chopped

Cook the beets using the previously posted recipe.
In a large skillet, add onion and butter. Cook 5-6 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add beets and vegetable stock, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 15 minutes.
Pour soup into blender and puree until smooth. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced green onions.

Grilled Pears

Sometimes, you just need dessert.

1 ripe Bartlett pear
1/2 tsp butter or cooking spray
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp organic chocolate sauce

Halve pear and remove pit and skin. Heat grill or skillet to medium and grease with spray or butter. Add pears, face down and cook until just starting to brown and carmelize; about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and top with ice cream and chocolate sauce (optional)

Real Gyro Meat

Gyro meat is flavorful and can be a healthy dish when paired with tzatziki sauce and veggies. You could make this with ground turkey, chicken or lean beef.

1 onion, chopped
2 lb ground lamb
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 tbsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper

Put onion in food processor for 10 seconds, then remove and squeeze out excess liquid. Return to processor with lamb and seasonings and blend about 1 minute. You will probably need to stop and move everything around a couple of times (my processor got stuck at one point from so much food). Pack mixture into a meatloaf pan (well greased with olive oil or spray).

Heat oven to 325. Place meatloaf pan in a larger baking dish and fill that outside dish with water, about halfway up the meatloaf pan's sides. Cook 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven, drain off fat (don't put it in your sink!), then place a heavy object on the gyro meat while it rests (a brick wrapped in tin foil works perfectly). Let the gyro meat compress for about 10-15 minutes, then shave thinly with an electric knife.

***This recipe is based off an episode of my absolute favorite Food show, Good Eats, which features the hilarious and intelligent Alton Brown. AB advocates the idea of compressing the meat, which I think is genius.