Refrigerator Pickles

So, I know I'm straying a bit from the high-protein thing here, but it can be really tough to get in your fat-free veggies when you're dieting. No one wants to eat salad for every meal, and sometimes you just want a snack—even if you are trying to avoid chips and ice cream. So try this on for size:

1 large cucumber
white vinegar
coarse ground sea salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh dill
a couple cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with a knife to release the flavor

Peel the cucumber and slice thin (about 1/8" to 1/4" thick). Layer the cucumber slices in a jar along with the garlic cloves, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Once filled to the top, fill the jar half way with vinegar and the rest of the way with water, until covered. Close the jar very tightly and refrigerate for at least a day or two before enjoying. These will keep for several weeks, thanks to the vinegar and salt—but they must be refrigerated.  Enjoy!

Eggplant Caponata

Eggplant is in season, and my CSA buddy is mildly allergic—which is a bummer for her, but means more for me. And it just so happens that I freaking LOVE eggplant caponata and have been wanting to try my own version not loaded with olive oil and  salt!

I use the name "caponata" loosely here, and because we're watching carb intake, I kept it a little chunkier than usual and ate it straight up (instead of on a cracker or bread). But you could top it on fish, chicken or even add fat free feta for protein.

Oh—also, this is a little bit of a cheat because it does have tomatoes, which are high in sugar (natural, "healthy" sugars, but sugars none the less). So don't make this a staple, but if you've got tomatoes to use up, this is a good route.

1 eggplant, chopped
1 can tomatoes
2 T. capers
1 small red onion, chopped
1 purple bell pepper, seeded and chopped
vegetable broth
2 T. apple cider vinegar

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and throw in the onions. Cook for a minute or two, then add in the eggplant and bell pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes more until the veggies are almost completely done through; feel free to add in a little water or vegetable broth if things start to stick to the pan. Add in the tomatoes, capers and vinegar and cook together until the flavors have combined well.

You can eat this immediately, or jar it and keep it in the fridge for a few days. So good!

Stuffed Hungarian Peppers

What? Somebody said you can't have cheesy deliciousness on a low fat diet?

Well, sister, somebody lied to you. Check it out:

Hot Hungarian peppers
1 small container fat free ricotta
8oz fat free cream cheese
1 packet fat free shredded mozzarella
1/4c grated parmesan cheese
8oz shredded fat free cheddar
fresh chives, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried oregano
1 tsp. anchovy paste
1 tsp. no-chicken boiullon
Salt and pepper to taste

If you can prepare ahead, combine all of your stuffing ingredients and let sit in the fridge overnight so the flavors can combine.

Preheat your oven to 425°. Wearing gloves, prepare your peppers to be stuffed: slice each pepper down the middle and cut out the stem. Remove the seeds; I recommend tasting a tiny bit of the peppers to see how hot they are. If not too hot and you want to add more kick, combine some of the seeds in with your cheese mixture.

Stuff the peppers full and pop in the over for 20 minutes. Once the peppers begin to sink and the cheese looks like it's started to melt, place under your broiler for a minute or two to brown. Remove and serve immediately. Great as low fat appetizer for dinner with friends, or once in a while, not so bad as a solo meal! 2 peppers should be about 27g.