Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

This isn't 27g all on it's own, of course, but the recipe is good, and it's still super low fat and low carb—so we'll roll with it.

We got a TON of peppers this fall in our CSA, so I had lots of peppers on hand, and still have a bunch in the freezer. This is a great way to put them to use! You'll need:

5 large red bell peppers or red carmen peppers
3 1/2 C vegetable broth
1/2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1 packet Stevia
3/4 C almond milk
1/2 C fat free grated Parmesan cheese
chili flakes

The hardest part of this recipe is roasting the red peppers, but have no fear, it's not as scary as you think. Over an open flame, like a gas stove top, place your red peppers. Watch them carefully, turning with tongs every couple of minutes, until the peppers are blackened on all sides. Remove from the flame and place them in a brown paper bag to steam for about 10 minutes—this causes the peppers to sweat, and that blackened pepper skin will come right off.

Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the skin, and remove the stem and seeds. Give them a rough chop and cook in sauce pot with the vegetable broth for about 10 minutes. Once the peppers are soft, puree with a stick blender (or in batches using a regular blender).

Add in the paprika, stevia, and chili flakes to taste and simmer for about 5 more minutes until all the flavors meld together. Slowly, whisk in the milk and grated parmesan. Last, season to taste with some chili flakes and sea salt.

I served this with a broiled tilapia filet to add up to my 27g, and rounded it out with some steamed garlic greens on the side—now that's a balanced and virtually fat-free cold-weather meal!

Dine out for four-legged friends!

Usually I'm touting the healthiest dish I can throw together—but on Tuesday, November 6th,  we can all dine out for the good health of animals in Buffalo, New York! If ever there were an excuse to splurge, this is it.

One of my nearest and dearest clients, the SPCA Serving Erie County, puts on The Big Chew each year, a fundraiser to care for the many animals they rescue year-round. This local organization is not a part of any national organization, and doesn't receive funds from the government, which is why they need our help! So Buffalo-area restaurants band together, offering a portion of their proceeds from meal purchases on this day to help out a most worthy group.

So tomorrow, cast your vote for President, then stop by a participating restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Skip the bread and pastas, stick with protein and veggies, and remember—this one's for the animals!

Salted Salmon with Greens and Grilled Seasonal Vegetables

It's nearing the end of grilling season here in the north, so we've tried to take advantage of the last good month of weather. This time around, we threw on some fresh veggies and wild-caught salmon. That's one great thing about healthy dinners—if you keep it simple, they can be very quick and easy!

2 pieces wild-caught salmon
black salt
greens (whatever kind you have—kale, beet greens, swiss chard)
vinegar
zucchini
purple bell pepper
red onion
fresh rosemary
balsamic vinegar

Slice the zucchini, chop the onion, and deseed and chop the bell pepper. Toss together with rosemary in some balsamic vinegar and place on the grill in a grill basket. Let this begin to cook, stirring occasionally, while you prep your salmon and greens.

Season your salmon with a little bit of the black salt (what's shown here was a bit much, so take it easy—you can always add more later). Place on a piece of foil and set aside.

With the greens, just chop them up and throw them in a skillet with a little bit of water and a dash of vinegar. Usually I would add salt, but the salted salmon gives you all you need here. Cover and let cook on low.

Put the salmon (on the foil) on the grill. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. By the time your salmon is done, your greens and your grilled vegetables should be good to go.

Bon appetit!

Cucumber Feta Salad

Cucumbers are fantastic - but what can you do when you've got a boatload of them? Easy—slice them thin and use them as a replacement for your usual salad greens! Fresh, simple and delicious:

1 red bell pepper
scallions
fat free feta cheese
celery greens
1 cucumber, sliced thin with a mandoline or even a hand peeler
salt
pepper
lemon juice

Chop and slice all the ingredients, toss together with the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with any low fat protein you like, or enjoy a fat-free ricotta dessert afterwards to make up your 27g!

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.