In my ongoing efforts to keep things interesting around my kitchen, I like to find little combos of my staple foods that make for new and interesting tastes. It's better to try new things outright in order to avoid ruts and to explore new foods that are chockablock full of nutrients and stuff. But let's face it: that gets exhausting. So here are a couple of things I've mixed together to make me happy. You'll notice that most of them involve sweet things. My downfall, I admit.
1) Black bean brownies have become a regular feature of life for me, along with No Pudge Fudge brownies. Both kinds are two points a serving. Black bean brownies are smaller servings for 2pts, but they are thicker and richer. No Pudges are lighter and cakier. It depends on what I'm craving. Anyway, there are two great things I've done with the black bean ones. First, I added a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (just pureed peanuts without added sugar, oil, and junk). Spread it on top like frosting, and you have a little extra protein and a flavor like Reece's peanut butter cups. It's a heck of a lot healthier than the candy, but equally delicious, if not more so!
Second, last night I crumbled up a brownie in my vanilla yogurt (Cultural Revolution brand, which as you might remember has far less sugar than most brands). I also added some frozen raspberries and a little Fiber One cereal for crunch. Hooooooooooly crap. It was like eating a decadent dessert from Dairy Queen, I swear! You have to have to have to try this. We're talking about 3 points here, people, for chocolatey, creamy, fruity noshing!
2) Going along with the brownie thing. While on the No Pudge Fudge site just now, I noticed they have a page of recipes using the boxed mix. I am drooling at some of them and will be giving them a shot soon.
3) I've also taken to using honey for apple dip as a healthier alternative to caramel. Honey has such an intense and sweet flavor that you need far less than caramel for taste and you have the added bonus of honey not being overladen with chemicals and processed ingredients. You could also sprinkle a little cinnamon in it to make it even better! I've been using my Trader Joe's creamed honey, but regular honey would work just as well. The only difference might be increased drippiness. Creamed honey is thicker, more like the caramel.
4) I bought some celery the other day, which I haven't done in eons. I just find it so bland. The first few stalks I used peanut butter, but then I decided to try putting some Laughing Cow cheese with it instead. I used the herb & garlic flavor, and it was quite good. Really helped make the celery a lot more interesting for only 1pt (35 cals). I have some Laughing Cow blue cheese left (I don't particularly recommend it, but it was worth a try, and it's not inedible or anything), so I'm going to try that next. I think it might go okay with celery. I already use Laughing Cow for carrot and brocolli "dip," so this just made sense, and it worked!
5) This one isn't a combo thing, really, but a prediction of future combos. I finally baked my butternut squash. I followed Hungry Girl's preparation strategy and it worked like a charm! Peeling it was a a lifesaver. I baked it in little cubes, and then puréed it with some organic chicken stock and a little milk, and it made a nice thick soup that tastes great. I put them in individual serving size containers and will experiment with different additions, such as mushrooms, some cilantro, some peppers and onion, maybe a little garam masala. After I made it, I wondered how it would be with a little coconut milk instead of regular milk. I might make a little that way, which will only thin out the soup a little, but might be delish. Have any ideas that might inspire me?
6) Also only marginally a combo thing, I wanted to tell you that I tried the Flat-Out bread pizza that I mentioned a few days back. I had ground chicken (cooked up in a skillet with some Italian seasoning and a clove of garlic), mushrooms, green and yellow peppers, and onion. It. Was. Amazing. About 8 points total, and totally worth it. I made a second one, and I learned a valuable lesson that time: take seriously the recommendation to bake the crust a full five minutes before adding ingredients on top. I got impatient and loaded it up after only a couple minutes in the oven, and the crust got all soggy. Oops.
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