The Peanut Butter Boy

As promised, here is my recipe for the highly praised raspberry brownie. This weekend is going to rock, and this raspberry brownie is only going to sweeten the deal. For starters, I'm home in NY for our annual 4th of July party. Every year there is a fireworks show held over the Long Island Sound and every year we host a party at our house that overlooks the water. The fireworks show is about a mile out and lights up the night sky and fills the air with echoing booms and crashes. This year, not only are my good friends coming but my girlfriend is flying in from California! In preparation, my mother and I have begun to plan the menu. Now sit back and enjoy, I've got a story to share.

For as long as I can remember, raspberry brownie has been a part of my life. It began at our annual end-of-the-school-year pool parties with pizza and raspberry brownie. Kids would come from all over the neighborhood for a bite of the raspberry brownie and a dip in the pool. Now flash forward to 10 years ago, where my memory really kicks in. We moved into our new house and began having July 4th parties. The raspberry brownie tradition continues to this day, and arriving guests' first question is still: where's the brownie? Even when we invite guests we get asked if raspberry brownie will be served, and on several occasions my mother has gotten requests from relatives for raspberry brownie on less-fitting occasions like Thanksgiving.

I distinctly remember attending a friends pool party one summer where my mother brought along the famed brownie. Of course my friend and I dove right in, but the other children took in all their options first. Right in front of my mother, another adult remarked derogatively: who brought that dessert? Well that commenter ate his words and missed his chance at pure bliss, because within 10 minutes the double batch of raspberry brownie was polished off while the other snacks were barely touched. Upon first impression, the commenter had a point - this is a tacky looking dessert. It's not all that pretty to look at and if it were jewelry it would be large, gaudy, made of plastic and in the $1 bin. Indeed, the goal is almost to make it as bright, colorful and in-your-face as possible.

But before you dismiss this dessert as a simple combination of brownie and sherbet, let me say a few things. First off, it is much more than meets the eye. Something happens to this dessert in the freezer, the brownie basically turns to fudge. We're not exactly sure how, but our guess is that during the sherbet application, some of it melts and soaks into the brownie and continues to do so slowly in the freezer. When you serve it, it's the most amazing combination of textures and flavor: a rich combination of creamy raspberry sherbet with a decadent fudgy brownie that is simply irresistible. I feel a little bad divulging this family secret, but it's really no secret at all. It's so simple, but the end result is mind-boggling. In return, all I ask is that you make this, not eventually but as soon as possible, and let me know how you liked it.

Through our experimentation over the years, we have determined that any brownie mix will work, but the lower fat mixes seem to work best. We now use the No Pudge brand and it is just as fudgy, if not fudgier, than with higher fat brownies. We've never made a homemade brownie underneath, but I'm sure it would work just as well. Another intriguing option would be to try the original quick version of black bean brownies, where you simply buy a regular brownie mix (not lowfat), add a can of pureed black beans and disregard the other required ingredients listed on the box - thereby creating a nonfat brownie. Try if you wish, but we dare not deviate from the time tested formula. One bonus to this dessert is that it is fat free and fairly guiltless - although you'd never know it.

The only deviation is this past time as you'll notice in top portion of the picture above. I applied Breyer's nonfat double-churn strawberry ice cream to about 1/3 of a double batch of the brownie. This ice cream is soft and creamy right out of the freezer so I thought it might be incredible. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll report back once I have.

Ingredients:

1 package No Pudge brownie mix (or other low/non-fat brownie mix)
2/3 cup (~6oz) nonfat vanilla yogurt (not needed if using other brownie mix)
1 quart raspberry sherbet (not sorbet)
sprinkles or other decoration (optional)

Instructions:

1. If using No Pudge, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together No Pudge brownie mix and yogurt and bake for 30 minutes. You don't want to over-bake and under-baking is somewhat preferred, so a few minutes less is fine.

If using any other brownie mix, bake according to instructions on the box.

2. Let the brownie cool completely, about 3-4 hours. Remove sherbet from the freezer and let it soften for a few minutes. Take a large serving spoon and scoop out layers of sherbet about 1/2" to 3/4" thick, or about the same thickness as the brownie, and place on top of the brownie. Repeat until most of the brownie is covered, and use the back of the spoon to smooth it all out. You should use close to a full quart of sherbet. It will start coming together when the sherbet softens to a specific point where it becomes very creamy and easily molds together.

3. Top with sprinkles or other decoration, cover with tinfoil and freeze for 4-6 hours, but preferably at least 1 day. Using a spatula, cut and serve the frozen brownie. Enjoy immediately. Stores well for at least 4 months.

Additional Info:

I cut a corner piece out to take a picture, you'll notice the layer of fudge forming between the sherbet and the brownie. Don't be fooled though, the entire brownie is like fudge, not just that thin layer. Now enjoy our family's tradition for over 15 years!

Labels: chocolate, dessert, peanut butterless

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Posted by Nick on Jun 30, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Summer is here! The longest day of the year has recently passed and it's time to get those grills fired up. I don't have a grill at my apartment in California, so now that I'm home in NY it's time for some serious grilling, because there's nothing quite like an outdoor BBQ in the summertime: friends, family, fun, the fourth (of July) and fabulous food (from fire and flames).

The one dish that reminds me most of summer is raspberry brownie. Anyone that's been to my house on July 4th knows what it is and has never forgotten it. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason everyone comes back to our party every year. I won't taunt you any further with it, because I'll be posting the (unbelievably simple) recipe the week before the Fourth. Other than the aforementioned delectable dessert, cheeseburgers are my second favorite summer food. And here's a great way to jumpstart your summer, some flavored hamburgers.

I've been making these ever since I got a burger cookbook a few years back. The book has some great recipes in it, but I've only made this one - once you taste them, you'll see why. I usually make them with beef but decided to try pork this time and was pleasantly surprised. If you can't find lean ground pork, ask the butcher to grind up a pork tenderloin for you, it's the same thing. The tenderloin is the most tender part of the animal and makes these burgers melt in your mouth.

I always think I have the quantities memorized but I'm always way off from the original recipe. The way I make it has a lot more spinach, cheddar and seasoning which I think makes for a tastier burger anyway. Now I think it goes something like this...

Ingredients:

20 oz (1.25 lb) lean ground pork, beef or soy-based "beef"
1 cup shredded nonfat cheddar cheese
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Instructions:

Quite simple, really. Mix the ingredients together very well, form into 6 or 7 patties and grill or broil until well done. The cheese crisps up very nice and adds a great texture to the burger. I usually dress the burger up with a slice of cheese, shredded cabbage (far superior to lettuce in my opinion) and ketchup.

When I don't have grill access, I'll cook it in a pan on medium heat. It takes a little longer too cook all the way through, but it comes out super crispy.


Additional Info:

I've never actually tried it with a soy-based "beef" like GimmeLean, although I've been meaning to. If anyone gives it a whirl, let me know. I think the lean pork is more tender than the lean beef and don't find much of a difference in taste, especially because the onion soup mix adds a very strong but incredible flavor to the burger.

PS - Don't forget about The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #3 - Cakes & Cupcakes, the deadline is a little over a week away - June 30th @ 12pm!

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 21, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Ring ring! We've got a double winner here! I was reading someone's blog a few weeks ago and they mentioned that they had entered a contest at chow.com. The contest was called the Share Your Discovery Contest, inviting you to describe a memorable food encounter. I saved the website and decided to write my most memorable experience later on if time permitted. A few days later I had a few hours in the evening with nothing to do. I remembered the contest and spent about an hour writing up a short essay on my food experience. I'm sure it's of no surprise, my fellow readers, that the experience contained peanut butter. For a few weeks I forgot about it until I received an email announcing that the grand prize winner was selected. I almost deleted the email because I thought it was spam, but opened it and realized it wasn't an email to all the contest participants, only me: I won the grand prize! You can read my entry and see the prize here: Share Your Discovery Contest.

I find it funny that one of the judging criteria was "writing skills". I've never been a good writer and the GRE's confirmed that: I took them twice and couldn't get better than a 3.5 out of 6 on the writing section, which is apparently a pretty bad score. But, I won, so take that GRE's!

The other winner here? These tacos of course. Nothing fancy, nothing gourmet, no peanut butter but somehow still delicious. I used a vegetarian soy-based taco filling, but ground beef with seasoning would work just as well. Nothing homemade here, but a perfect light and fresh taco, the real winner here being the salsa.

Ingredients:

2 soft whole wheat or corn tortillas
1/2 cup vegetarian taco filling (or ground beef)
1/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup pineapple-mango salsa
5 canned black olives, sliced in half

Instructions:

1. Heat the tortillas in a warm skillet until lightly toasted on each side. Remove the tortillas and heat up the taco filling in the skillet.

2. Place the tortillas on a plate and pile on the taco filling. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed, roll up and enjoy!

Additional Info:

I buy the pineapple-mango salsa from Costco, it costs about $5 for a 2lb jug. I ate the first pound in one sitting with Homemade Tortilla Chips, but saved the rest for tacos. This salsa is deadly, but any fresh and fruity salsa will compliment these tacos beautifully.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 14, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I'm a mutt - a healthy mixture of Irish, Swedish, French, English and something else. But I'm not Mexican. Not even a little bit. At least that's what my parents tell me. But I think otherwise. Mexican food is in my list of top 2 favorite cuisines, the other being Japanese. I've often mentioned my love affair with Mexican food, both the authentic and Americanized versions of it, but have never explained (or pondered) why. So I gave it a little thought.

Traditionally, these cuisines are very simple. Authentic Japanese food can be as simple as fresh fish and rice. Authentic Mexican food is as simple as grilled meat, beans and corn tortillas. And every time we visit my girlfriends Mexican side of the family, that's exactly what we eat: grilled steak, boiled beans and grilled corn tortillas. Sure there are always extras like salsa, guacamole and chips, but I feel the simplicity adds to the appeal. When you minimize the components you open up the natural flavors of the ingredients. I found the same to be true in Spain. I lived there for 4 months and found the cuisine to be quite unique. Spanish cuisine is traditionally very plain: they generally avoid salt and spices in their dishes and you'll rarely find condiments like ketchup or mustard. At first, it was hard to get used to, but by the end of those 4 months I loved it. I think in many cases, less is more.

Refried beans are a passion of mine. I could eat an entire bowl for dinner and be satisfied. For me, a good bowl of refried beans has a smooth texture with plenty of chunks, not dry but not too liquidy either. It also needs to be perfectly salted. I have tried many brands of canned refried beans. In fact, I keep a list of all the good and bad refried beans from a can, most brands being terrible. But then one day I decided to give up the canned variety and make my own, how hard could it be? Rather than scour the internet for a recipe, I headed over to Elise's blog and got the inspiration from her Refried Beans. If you've never been, you must visit her blog: she produces some killer Mexican dishes. Starting from there, I created a quick and excellent side dish that often ends up being my main dish. If you do make these (and you should), I highly recommend some Homemade Tortilla Chips for dipping, they are the perfect combo.

Also, don't forget about the Peanut Butter Exhibition #2 - Breakfast! The deadline is fast approaching: this Friday, May 30th at Noon (PST), so get your entries in, we've only got 1 entry so far!

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
1T olive oil
garlic salt or regular salt, to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with about 3 inches of water and a good amount of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer, about 1 1/2 hours. The beans are done when they are very tender and the skins begin to burst open.

2. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the onions until slightly browned.

3. When the beans are done, drain them and return them to the pot. Using a potato masher or other device (I use the end of a meat mallet), mash the beans to the desired consistency, adding water, as needed, to keep the beans moist. Turn the heat on to medium and add the onions and cheese (if using). Continue to add more water and salt as needed. Serve hot, using Homemade Tortilla Chips to dip.

Additional Info:

I have yet to work peanut butter into this dish, but I am working on it and will post back when the results are in.

I've been tagged by Cassie from Fast, Fresh and Fit. I was actually tagged for the same thing a little while ago when I posted Tag and the Art of Hiding, although I don't recommend you read it, the last one is a bit embarrassing =).

Labels: dinner, fiber, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on May 23, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I love Mexican food. I can't get enough of it. Other than peanut butter, Mexican food is what keeps me going. The savory meats, refried beans, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives... Perhaps not all of those are authentic, but they certainly manage to make their way into my Mexican-inspired dishes. The one ingredient that hasn't yet made it into my Mexican cooking is peanut butter. I don't want to simply throw in peanut butter for the sake of adding peanut butter, I want it to work and complement the dish. So for now, this dish is peanut butterless, but don't let that deter you!

If you didn't already know, on the right side of the screen you can click "More Categories" in the "Categories" menu block and click on "Mexican Dishes" at the bottom. Recipes there include my famous & super healthy Enchiladas, Mexican Bean Pie, a recently updated 7-layer Bean Dip and of course, Homemade Tortilla Chips.

This recipe is a little different. I never had a good chile verde, only a bite of some fatty pork in a "chile verde taco" once. After exploring the Mexican recipes on Elise's outstanding blog, Simply Recipes, I stumbled upon her version of Chile Verde and immediately fell in love with the picture. The recipe was enticing, but tomatillos are difficult to find around here. If you've got the time and the means, I suggest following her method for the homemade tomatillo salsa, but it came out delicious with the store-bought salsa and it was much faster. To create this recipe, I combined what I thought was the best of several different recipes to make a healthy, quick and delicious chile verde while trying to maintain authenticity. This dish is very spicy (depending upon the salsa you get), but my Dad and I were raving for days about this one.

I've already made this dish twice in a week's time, once with a slow cooker and once without. There wasn't much of a difference between the two, but if you've got a slow cooker (crockpot) then I don't see a good reason not to use it. Pork is more traditional in this recipe, but turkey was just as delicious and a touch healthier.

Ingredients:

20oz (1.25 lbs) pork or turkey tenderloins, chopped into small cubes
16oz jar salsa verde (Mrs. Refreno's is excellent, but any will do)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 large onion, chopped (~1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1t oregano
pinch cloves
fat free sour cream
Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

1. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large pot on high heat. Add diced meat and brown on all sides as shown below, about 4-5 minutes - it's fine if the meat isn't fully cooked inside. Pour off excess grease and place the meat in a bowl on the side.


2. Return the pot to the stove and add the onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. At least point you have two options:

Stovetop method: Add the meat and oregano to the pot and cook for another minute. Dump in the jar of salsa, chicken broth and cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat begins to fall apart. I used 2 turkey tenderloins and the meat began to fall apart after 1 1/2 hours, so I stopped cooking and ate!

Crockpot method: Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir until mixed. Cook on high for 3-4 hours and then on low for an additional 2-3 hours.


3. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and Homemade Tortilla Chips, for dipping.

Additional Info:

This dish is very spicy and you may not be able to eat a huge bowl of it. I suggest serving it with a nice side of homemade refried beans, a recipe I'll be sharing next.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 11, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Does that look like an alligator sticking it's tongue out to you? It does to me, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. Despite it's animal appearance, this dish is actually vegetarian.

Given the popularity of my previous post about Banana Pancakes, I figured I would hold off on my next big peanut butter treat just to tease you guys. That, and it's still only partially finished and chilling in the fridge. But don't worry, this is a great creation too.

I was at a restaurant recently and saw the patron next to me order the apple sausage omelet. It smelled incredible and I've heard of the ingredient combo before but have never tried it. Well I finally did, but I actually made a meatless version because I had a package of Gimme Lean Sausage Style in the fridge: a fat free, high protein and high fiber sausage replacement. It's a surprisingly good knockoff of real sausage, especially with some salt and pepper (the best seasonings to break your fast).

The other day, I discovered "Santa Barbara" mango salsa at Costco. Supposedly you can get it elsewhere, but I'd rather have a 4lb jug of it sitting in my fridge than a dinky little jar. I ate half of the container in the first sitting with a batch of my Homemade Tortilla Chips. Since then, I've been using the salsa on everything I can. It's wonderfully sweet with a spicy little kick at the end and goes great on this omelet. There's no peanut butter here folks, but you'll get your fix soon.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
1" slice (2oz) Gimme Lean Sausage Style (sausage or other "soysage")
1/4 apple, sliced thin and chopped
1 slice fat free American cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Ketchup (optional)
Mango salsa (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and toss in the sausage along with some salt and pepper. Break up into small bits and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. If the sausage is sticking, add more cooking spray.

2. Once the sausage is done add the apples to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, just enough to warm them. Turn the stove down to medium and pour in the eggs. Cook for about 2 minutes, lifting the sides and letting the uncooked egg run underneath the omelet to cook. Flip over the omelet once it has mostly solidified and place the slice of cheese on one half. After about 1 minute, fold the omelet in half and press down with the back of the spatula. After another 30 seconds, flip the omelet to the other side and cook for a final 30 seconds.

3. Serve with ketchup or mango salsa for dipping.

Labels: breakfast, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 6, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

¡Es una fiesta! Nothing says party like chips & salsa! The tortilla chip is a versatile creature and a necessity with favorites like guacamole, chili, stews and dips. And why stop there? Be it salty or sweet, savory or succulent, nothing complements a dish like tortilla chips. The last two times I made tortilla chips were for stuffed peppers and Peanut Butter & Jelly Dip.

Store brand tortilla chips are problematic. They contain way too much fat and are sometimes made from regular old white flour. Not to mention they are never simultaneously warm, crispy, chewy and perfectly salted are they? I thought not. I propose a delicious, healthy, whole-grain and cheap method to make your own. Do yourself a favor and throw out that $4 bag o' junk and keep reading...

Ingredients:

Regular 4" corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt (large grain preferred)
Seasoning (cumin, paprika, lime juice, etc...)

Variations:

- Top with fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
- Use cinnamon & sugar instead

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the top of each tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle salt and spices or cinnamon & sugar on top.

2. Stack the tortillas into one pile. Cut into 8 triangle-shaped segments. Spread out on baking sheet to form one layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until beautifully browned like so:



Additional Info:

My favorite seasoning to use is kosher salt because the grain size is between that of table salt and sea salt. Sometimes I add chipotle chili powder for a nice smoky kick. I've made the cinnamon and sugar variety several times, they go great with sweet dishes like my peanut butter dip or even with ice cream or creme brulee.

Labels: mexican, peanut butter, peanut butterless, snack

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Posted by Nick on Mar 27, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Certain cravings must be fulfilled. Sleep is a good example. We all need it, our bodies crave it. If we don't give in, the body protests and decreases our energy level until it gets what it wants anyways. You simply have no choice in that matter. Peanut butter is a similar craving for me, one which resembles the need for sleep in that I eat or think about it approximately 8 hours per day.

The past two weeks I've been busy with approaching finals but I can't help thinking about bread. Homemade bread. Crispy, chewy, doughy, satisfying bread. After much searching, I found several bread-machine-less recipes for 100% whole grain bread. It's not as easy as it sounds, especially if you're looking for a good white-bread replica. I wasn't sure which recipe to use, each looked promising for different reasons. I couldn't stop thinking about it. One night I woke from a dream where I was about to start baking bread. I said, outloud, "I think we use whole wheat flour". I realized I was talking to nobody although it made sense at the time and the statement clearly reflected my dilemma.

Then I stumbled upon an unique recipe for Chocolate Bread at the Village Vegan. It sounded too good to be true, but the recipe seemed to call for regular flour. At this point I really didn't care: I wanted bread and now I wanted chocolate too. But then I remembered a 5lb bag of whole wheat pastry flour I had just bought at the store that needed using.

I ran to Whole Foods and picked up some wheat gluten, a 70-80% protein flour to help in rising. Wheat gluten is often called vital wheat gluten and I believe high gluten flour in some stores, but the product itself has about 6g carbs and 23g protein per serving. The end result isn't quite a muffin and certainly isn't regular bread. It has a slight wheat/nutty flavor but a distinct taste of cocoa with bursts of melted chocolate. I recommend it toasted and spread with peanut butter, what else?

Ingredients:

Starter:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2t wheat gluten
1/8t instant yeast

Dough:
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2T wheat gluten
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6T sugar
1 1/2t yeast
1 1/4t salt
1 cup (scant) warm water
2T margerine, in small chunks (Smart Balance Light)
3oz dark chocolate, chopped (70% or higher percent cocoa)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries, diced
Skim or soymilk
Raw sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix the starter ingredients together in a small bowl and let sit at room temperature for 6 hours.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the starter and dry ingredients through salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast water and knead in the bowl or on a floured surface. Knead the margerine into the bread and knead for about 15 minutes. Knead the chocolate chunks and any dried fruit into the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for about 3 hours, or until double in size.

3. Shape the bread, either put in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet to make a loaf. I cut it into small pieces, rolled into balls and placed on a baking sheet. Let the dough rise for another 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. If refrigerating, let the bread sit out at room temperature while the oven is heating.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Brush the dough with milk or soymilk and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Place bread in the oven and reduce temperature to 350. Bake for 40-45 minutes for a loaf, I only baked it about 30 minutes for rolls. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. Store for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

4. To eat, toast until warm and slightly toasted. Spread on peanut butter or better yet, use Dark Chocolate or Honey Roasted (my new fav) peanut butter.

Additional Info:

They came out a tiny bit dry, but the melted chocolate really adds a nice creaminess and burst of sweetness. I recommend trying 4t canola oil instead of the margerine.

Like I always say, 2 balls are better than 1:

Labels: breakfast, chocolate, honey, peanut butterless, snack

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Posted by Nick on Mar 16, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Mac and cheese cravings are rare but powerful. My mother always made great homemade mac and cheese and until about 6th grade I had never even heard of mac and cheese from a box. One day I went to a friends house for dinner and stunned his family when I revealed this. His mom even jokingly called me "sheltered".

The menu for the evening was of course mac and cheese from a box, a weekday-night staple at their house. At first I was a bit skeptical given that my friend was also obsessed with cheese from a can. Well lets just say that boxed mac and cheese is pretty darn good, cheap and convenient but it ends there. No crispy baked cheese or noodles on the outskirts, no crumb topping and certainly no nutritional value.

This recipe is very cheesy and filling and when you make a batch as large as this, you've had your fill of dairy by the end. Intermixing some good veggies and hearty meat helps lessen the cheese overload. You can also freeze any leftovers or make a half-batch.

Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni (or rotini, penne, egg noodles)
3/4 lb lean ground beef, pork or turkey breast
12 oz fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz fat-free cottage cheese
12 oz fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk (or soymilk)
1 head broccoli, finely chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (low fat if available)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (see below to make your own)
2T smart balance light butter, melted
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta, drain and set aside. In a large pot, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain beef, then add mushrooms and broccoli and cook until mushrooms are tender.

2. Add the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk and plenty of salt and pepper to the beef mixture. While heating, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan and melted butter in a small bowl.

3. Once heated through and seasoned to taste add the pasta to the beef and cheese mixture. Add milk/sour cream as needed to adjust consistency. Transfer to a 9x13 dish (it should just fit) and top with crumb topping.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Additional Info:

The best advice I can give is to serve in small portions! This is a very thick, rich and hearty meal. The measurements are pretty rough estimates: I used an entire box of pasta and the full containers or sour cream, cottage cheese and cheddar cheese.

* Homemade Bread Crumbs: Take 2 slices of soft whole wheat bread and pulse in a food processor or tear apart by hand into small pieces. Place crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until dry and crisp.

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Mar 10, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Ahh, the smoothie... What could be more satisfying then a big frosty glass of a thick and creamy drink that tastes almost as sinful as Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream. On a hot summer day (or a cold rainy one like today), there is nothing more refreshing than a smoothie for lunch or perhaps lunch #2.

If you Google the term "smoothie" you'll receive about 9,000,000 results and you can bet that each page has at least a couple recipes. So what's the perfect smoothie? The beauty of the smoothie is that there is no perfect smoothie, each person can customize it to their taste. To start off, however, here is my basic criteria: it must be cold, and it must contain peanut butter. From that wonderful starting point, I've created a great smoothie base that is very adaptable to suit your fancy.

Healthy? You bet! These smoothies have no added sugar, contain plenty of fiber, vitamins and nutrients: All without using ice. Don't be afraid to experiment, you can throw almost anything (edible, of course) into that blender without drastically affecting the taste (see "Could" Additions).

Ingredients:

Base:

1 frozen banana (freeze in plastic wrap without peel)
1 (6oz) container light yogurt, any flavor
1 handful frozen strawberries (or other frozen fruit)
milk (skim, soy, almond or fruit juice)

"Must" Additions:

2T peanut butter
1 handful frozen wild blueberries, cherries, etc..

"Should" Additions:

2-3T cocoa powder
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1t cinnamon

"Could" Additions:

2T flax seed, wheat germ, wheat bran, etc...
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (omit yogurt)
3/4 cup non-fat cottage cheese (omit yogurt)
3/4 cup pumpkin mousse (recipe coming soon!)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 multivitamin

Toppings (Get a small dish and mix any of these together):

1/2 cup high fiber cereal (I mix Kashi Go Lean and Go Lean Crunch)
10-15 almonds
1 handful dried fruit
3 broken-up Peanut Butter Cookies

Instructions:

1. Break banana into chunks and place all ingredients into blender except for milk/juice. Pulse until the motley of goodness begins to chop up. Slowly add milk/juice as needed.

2. When your mixture reaches the consistency of frozen yogurt, you're done! Pour into a large mug, sprinkle with toppings and eat with a spoon.

3. Sprinkle, eat, repeat.

Additional Info:

Strawberries are a better base than mixed berries because they are naturally sweeter. The cocoa powder gives a wonderful chocolate flavor and adds tons of antioxidants as well as some fiber and protein. Surprisingly, adding the cottage cheese and pumpkin had no discernible effect on the flavor. Experiment and leave a comment with your results!

Most Recent "Perfect" Smoothie:

1 frozen banana
1 (6oz) container light vanilla yogurt
8 frozen strawberries
2T creamy natural peanut butter
2-3T cocoa powder
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (optional)
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk, as needed

This smoothie turned out the perfect consistency - about that of frozen yogurt. I topped it with Kashi cereal and ate it with a spoon. Leave out the protein if you don't want it.

Labels: banana, breakfast, chocolate, dessert, fiber, lunch, peanut butter, peanut butterless, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Feb 25, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

The Super Bowl generally brings to mind such foods as chicken wings, nachos and beer. As an indifferent football fan (go NY!) but avid food fan, I love the Super Bowl! Anticipating heavy foods I decided to serve some fruit instead of the usual carrots and celery. Apples are in season right now, but a bowl of sliced apples isn't very appealing.

After failing to find a fruit dip that satisfied me, I resolved to create my own from scratch. I used a few simple ingredients to creat a delicious creamy dip to complement the apples without being too heavy.

But being the Peanut Butter Boy isn't easy. My brain is continuously concocting peanut butter recipes and generating new uses for the tan-colored gold. I was content with my fruit dip for apples sweetened by strawberry jelly and headed towards the fridge when my right-brain gently shouted 2 words to the left half: peanut butter. I rushed inside to ask E (Elisabeth) if I should add peanut butter to the dip, but she was a bit wary. I had high hopes and Mr. Peanut running through my head so I split the dip in half and created two, one with and one without. I equated the peanut butter version to the Giants and the regular version to the Patriots. Can you guess who won?

Ingredients:

1 (8oz) container fat-free cream cheese, whipped
1 (6oz) container light vanilla yogurt
1/4 - 1/3 cup reduced-sugar strawberry preserves, or to taste (Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt (technically optional)

2 green apples, sliced thin
2 crisp red apples, sliced thin (pink lady or honeycrisp)

Instructions:

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients into a medium bowl and stir until mixed. If there are a lot of chunks from the preserves, puree in a blender until smooth, if desired.

2. Sit down, close your eyes and meditate. Picture a bowl of dip in front of you and a juicy apple slice in your hand. "See" your hand dipping the apple slice into the dip, twisting your wrist to scoop it up and transporting the apple to your mouth. "Taste" the sweet crisp apple crunching between your teeth, a strawberry flavor and creamy texture simultaneously hitting your taste buds. Do you now desire a salty peanut presence upon each bite? If yes, proceed to step 3. Do you desire the peanut butter essence half the time? If so, split the dip in two and proceed to step 3, using only 2T peanut butter. If you find yourself not craving the peanut butter at all then what are you doing here?

3. You've made the right choice. Stir in the peanut butter until well combined. Refrigerate dip(s) and apples until chilled.

Additional Info:

In the end, the peanut butter flavor was victorious: the bowl was super clean and the last spoonful of dignity (original dip) headed to the locker room (fridge).

As my buddy put it (in reference to the peanut butter dip): "I want a whole tub of this stuff!"

Labels: dessert, peanut butter, peanut butterless, snack

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Posted by Nick on Feb 3, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

The enchilada. Nothing could be more delectable than a combination of meat, sauce and cheese in a steaming pile of mush. Tasty? Absolutely. Nutritious? Far from it. However, my love for Mexican cuisine coupled with my desire to increase my lifespan led to an enchilada recipe nutritious enough to consume on a daily basis, if you so desired (and I often do). This recipe is simple, versatile, quick and a huge crowd pleaser (one of my father's favorite meals). My most recent batch of enchiladas used the leftover filling from the Mexican Tortilla Pie with enough for 6 full enchiladas. The basic recipe is a staple in my house but lots of customizations are listed below. For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

12-16oz cooked pork tenderloin, shredded
1 can (16oz) fat-free refried beans, preferably spicy (or homemade)
1 (8oz) container fat-free sour cream
1 (8oz) package fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
10 (8") soft whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance - Fajita Size)
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 onion, chopped

optional:

different meat (turkey tenderloin, ground beef/turkey, chicken breast)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
hot sauce
salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over medium-high heat, spray a skillet with cooking spray and saute onions for 2-3 minutes. If meat is not cooked, add to skillet and cook until done. Drain the mixture if the meat produces grease.

2. Combine the refried beans, any optional ingredients and 2T enchilada sauce to the skillet, mix well and heat thoroughly. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to the mixture to thin it out. Spray 2 9x13 baking dishes with cooking spray and coat with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

3. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture down the center of a tortilla and fold the sides over (you can stuff them pretty full). Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until mixture is gone, tortillas are gone, or you run out of space to put them (you can compact them in the dish).

4. Coat the enchiladas with enchilada sauce until no dry spots remain. Generously cover cheese.

5. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Additional Info:

Once the enchilada reaches my plate, I routinely dress it in the following fashion: sour cream, hot sauce and salsa. We are now ready for consumption:

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Feb 1, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Here's a great quick and easy recipe made mostly from cans! If you wish, you can omit the sour cream, red pepper and chives (the tortillas and unopened bag of cheese will stay good for a while in the fridge) and have this recipe on hand for a rainy night. I realize it doesn't contain peanut butter (yet) but it sure is delicious (the family and E agree). Like all my Mexican-inspired dishes, the same basic ingredients are simply rehashed into a different form.

There will be a good amount of leftover filling. You can either stack the pie higher or make a second pie. What I did was use the extra filling for enchiladas, a simple recipe I'll be divulging soon.

Ingredients:

4 (8") low-carb whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance fajita size)
1 can no-fat refried beans, spicy preferred
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 jar salsa (as needed)
2 (10oz) cans chicken or turkey breast, broken-up into shreds
1-2 cups frozen sweet corn (to liking)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, stirred until creamy
2 cups fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4oz) can sliced black olives (optional)
3T chopped chives (optional)
1.5T cumin
1T chili powder
dash salt/pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, corn, red pepper and the chicken/turkey. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and a few tablespoons of salsa.

2. Find a deep 9" pie dish or 9x13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Place one tortilla into the dish.

3. While the mixture is being heated, it will begin to thin out. You want the heated mixture to remain fairly thick, so only add more salsa as needed. If the mixture is too thin, it will creep out the sides (mine did a bit).

4. Once the mixture is heated through, plop it onto the first tortilla about 1/2"-3/4" thick and about a 1/4" from the edges. Use about 2T sour cream to spread a thin layer on top of the mixture. Next, sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheese on top. Place another tortilla on the top and repeat, making three full layers.

5. Top with the 4th tortilla. Cover the whole pie with the rest of the salsa (extra is fine). Sprinkle with chives and place olives on top. Cover with the remaining cheese.

6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Slice like a pie and indulge. Freezes well.

Additional Info:

I used a spicy green salsa that happened to be very thin, which caused the pie to leak into the dish a little bit. Hot sauce and extra sour cream go great on top.

A note for the tortillas: I do no promote the low-carb diet as it also suggests that bacon is "healthy" because it is low in carbs. However, in many cases low-carb products have a significant health benefit over their traditional counterparts. In order to make these tortillas low-carb, the manufacturer has included extra fiber and used protein to replace some of carbohydrates. In addition, these are some of the softest tortillas I have ever had. Other brands of low-carb tortillas break easily and can be very dry but the Mission Carb Balance tortillas are incredible. They also have a white flour version which is equally as good, just not whole grain. Look for them wherever regular tortillas are found in your grocery store which is sometimes located in the refrigerated section.

I'll cover this again when I post about nutrition in general soon.

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jan 29, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

For full effect, imagine the above pizza is a little warmer and about 4 days younger. What you're looking at are the last two slices of pizza from earlier this week. I had a craving for pizza last weekend that needed filling, and filling it was. I packed so much stuff on one pizza to last me for a week of dinners. You should customize the toppings to your liking, but I highly recommend the chicken/hot sauce combo along with the cheese mixture.


Ingredients:

1 prepared whole wheat pizza dough (Trader Joe's has a good one)
sauce:
1/2 can spicy refried beans mixed with 1/4 cup spicy BBQ sauce
or
just spicy BBQ Sauce to cover pizza
toppings:
1 (10 oz) can chicken breast, broken-up into shreds
1/4 cup (2 oz) hot sauce
6 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
cheese:
8 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and sauté mushrooms on medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, mix together chicken and hot sauce until chicken is shredded and coated. If using bean mixture for sauce, mix together beans and BBQ sauce in a separate bowl.

3. Knead and roll out pizza dough on a well floured surface or use your fists pizzeria style until dough is approximately 12" diameter. Place on sprayed pizza pan.

4. Cover the dough with a thin layer of sauce. Spread the chicken & hot sauce mixture on top to evenly coat. Evenly distribute the remaining toppings. Sprinkle with cheese mixture.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the pizza and spray the cheese with olive oil spray and return to oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jan 21, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

April 2008 Update: I've made this dish on numerous occasions and play with the recipe a little bit each time. I've experimented with a few different combinations and believe this to be the ultimate taco dip.

This is a great appetizer to serve to lots of people (or lunch for 4). Everyone will give a hoot (or toot) when you serve this delectable dish. It is very easy to make and highly addicting. Be sure to serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips. You will need the following items:

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz can) can fat-free refried beans (or homemade)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (8oz) package fat-free cream cheese
1 cup (8oz) fat-free sour cream
1 jar salsa (Green Mountain Gringo is a personal favorite)
3 leafs lettuce or cabbage, chopped
2 cups (8oz package) fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2oz) can of sliced black olives
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onions (optional)
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (optional)
cilantro, chopped (optional)
7 green onion stems, chopped
Tortilla Chips or celery sticks, for dipping

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir the taco seasoning into the refried beans and spread along the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. In another bowl, whip the cream cheese and sour cream together until creamy and spread on top of the beans.

2. Spread salsa on top and sprinkle cilantro, red onions, bell pepper and tomato, if using (I recommend cilantro at least). Top with lettuce/cabbage, cheddar cheese and black olives. Dollop with extra sour cream if desired and sprinkle green onions on top.

Additional Info:

For some variations, add the cheese after the beans and heat up in the oven. Once the cheese melts, remove from oven and continue to add the ingredients. Adding some lean ground meat to the bean layer adds flavor and boosts the protein. Sometimes fat-free refried beans are very dry and you may want to opt for a brand with a small amount of fat but beware of ones that contain lard. I found an excellent brand of refried beans called Kuner's, both varieties are delicious. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper to the beans. You can also substitute 1 lb lean ground beef/turkey or 16oz fat free cream cheese for the refried beans, and mix it with the taco seasoning. Enjoy!

Labels: fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Nov 13, 2007 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post