This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Healthy holiday polymeal cooking with the Healthiest Meals on Earth

Why not create a healthy polymeal feast this Thanksgiving? Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S, is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. His new book Healthiest Meals on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What Meals to Eat and Why shows how to combine ingredients – what he refers to as “polymeals” – that promote long-term health to create meals that will literally save your life.

A polymeal is a meal composed of ingredients that enhance heart and blood vessel health. The seven magic ingredients are red wine, chocolate, almonds, garlic, fish, fruits and vegetables. Though every meal doesn’t contain them all, Dr. Bowden’s intention is to include ingredients in every meal that mimics the effects of those seven touchstone ingredients and that duplicates their health effects.

By eating the vital ingredients featured in Healthiest Meals on Earth as part of a balanced diet, Dr. Bowden claims you can cut the risk of heart disease by 75%, boost overall heart health, and add years to your life. The book has been endorsed by a virtual who's who in the world of integrative medicine and nutrition, including Mehmet Oz, M.D., Christiane Northurp, M.D., and Barry Sears, Ph.D.

The Healthiest Meals on Earth – not just a cookbook

When the folks at FSB Associates emailed me about the book, I was reluctant to accept a review copy since I’m overwhelmed with too many cookbooks. But Healthiest Meals on Earth is so much more. It’s a nutrition textbook with beautiful photographs and yummy looking recipes. The only failing in the book is that nutritional information (calories, etc.) aren’t listed along with the recipes. Still, you can go over the ingredients list, guesstimate calories, fiber and fat grams from a similar recipe, then figure the POINTS by typing it into a Weight Watchers POINTS Calculator.

I’ve been dipping into Healthiest Meals on Earth and have been enjoying looking over the recipes and the nutritional and health information. I’m very intrigued with the polymeal idea. (The book is divided into three sections: Four-Course Polymeals, One-Pot Polymeals with Simple Sides, and Delicious Drinks: The Liquid Polymeal.)

I’m so excited by this that I’m considering making his Healthiest Holiday Meal for Thanksgiving:

• Citrus-Stuffed Herbed Turkey (recipe below)
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus and Broccoli with Toasted Hazelnuts
• Holiday Waldorf Salad
• Cranberry-Orange Relish
• Sweet Potato Pie with Almond-Oat Crust

The challenge will be to use roasted pine nuts instead of tree nuts since my daughter has a nut allergy. (Pine nuts are not nuts. They’re seeds.) Also, I can make the Sweet Potato Pie without the crust, which make it nut-free and gluten free for my mother-in-law.

Wow, I’m getting excited about polymeal cooking! Check out Healthiest Meals on Earth and join me.

A healthy, low point Valentine's Day dessert

I was so excited to see this healthy Valentine's Day recipe in the February issue of Woman's Day. Not only does it have only 4 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving, but it doesn't contain eggs - a big consideration since my daughter is allergic to eggs.

I also love the recipe because it uses ricotta cheese, one of my favorites. If you're trying to lose weight or just eat healthier, ricotta is a great source of calcium and it's high in protein - a nice change from milk or yogurt. Just this morning I used it in my egg white omelet - yum!

To lower the POINTS and calories, use Splenda or Stevia. Stay away from using using no-fat ricotta, because the hearts could fall apart without the extra little bit of fat.

Coeur à la Crème
6 servings

Heart Ingredients:

• 12 heart-shaped foil baking cups (Reynolds Fun Shapes are perfect for this, but may not be on the market anymore. Try finding similar sized round aluminum baking cups.)
• 6 (6-in.) squares triple-thickness cheesecloth
• 1 (15-oz) container part-skim ricotta
• 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise, seeds scraped

Raspberry Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 6 oz fresh raspberries (optional)
• garnish with mint sprigs

Directions:

1. Reinforce 6 foil baking cups by inserting a second foil cup into each; place on a cutting board. Using a small knife, poke multiple slits in bottoms of each set of double liners to allow for drainage of the cheese mixture. Arrange cups on a baking sheet with sides.
2. Rinse cheesecloth under water; squeeze until just damp. Line each foil heart with a 3-layer square of cheesecloth, letting excess cheesecloth hang over edges of cups.
3. Purée ricotta in food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; fold in sour cream, confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until blended. Stir in vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds until evenly distributed. Spoon mixture into prepared baking cups and spread until level; bring up sides of cheesecloth to cover tops. Cover with plastic wrap. Let drain overnight in refrigerator, or up to 2 days.
4. Raspberry Sauce: In a blender or food processor, purée the raspberries with syrup and lemon juice. Scrape mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds; refrigerate sauce.
5. To assemble and serve: Unfold cheesecloth and drape it over the sides of the molds. Invert each baking cup onto a serving plate. While pressing down on the corners of cheesecloth, carefully lift off cup. Remove the cheesecloth slowly. Spoon drops of raspberry sauce onto plates around hearts. Drag a toothpick through drops to make hearts. Serve with fresh raspberries, if desired, and extra sauce. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Note: You can make raspberry sauce up to 3 days ahead. Make hearts at least 1 or up to 2 days ahead so that they have time to drain. Store unmolded in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving - 1 heart

Calories 218
Total Fat 6 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Protein 10 g

Weight Watchers POINTS - 4

Picture courtesy of Richard Schiller/Woman's Day magazine

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Divvies - egg, milk, nut and peanut free treats that are made to share

I often blog about the challenges of having a daughter who is allergic to eggs, nuts, peanuts (a legume) and soy both here at This Mama Cooks! and on my children's book blog, My Readable Feast. It's probably why Divvies Bakery in South Salem, New York contacted me about reviewing some of their products.

Divvies cookies, popcorns, and cupcakes are made in the company’s own dedicated facility. Divvies candies, frosting, and sprinkles are certified by their manufacturers to be peanut-, tree nut-, milk-, and egg-free. Divvies conducts routine testing to minimize the risk of any cross-contamination in their certified allergen-free ingredients.

My daughter Lucie isn't that allergic to eggs and won't go into anaphylactic shock if she comes into contact with peanuts. (Instead she breaks out into hives, throws up and gets a fever - scary enough!) Lucie can eat snacks that are made in food plants or at the local supermarket. We've also discovered that she can get away with having products with a teeny bit of egg. (If the label says "contains less than 2%" of eggs she can have them.)

Still, so many people get deathly ill if they smell or touch a nut or have a trace amount of milk or eggs. Benjamin, the son of Divvies founder, Lori Sandler is one of those kids. That's why she started the company knowing that there's a need for allergen-free products. Great idea, but how do their snacks taste?

Divvies sent me a two small bags of their gourmet popcorn - caramel corn and kettle corn - that we took with us to enjoy at the National Western Stock Show rodeo. They were yummy and two bags were enough for the five of us. The bags are $5 each, which is what we would normally pay at the rodeo. That does seem pricey, especially if you factor in shipping, but a great way to save money would be to get their five gallon popcorn duos or "corn for a crowd" sets that go for $54 (free shipping, too!) If you're a big popcorn fan, you may be interested in signing up for monthly shipping with their Automatic Divvies and save an additional 20%. Again, this may seem expensive, but if you, a friend, or a family member has nut allergies or is a vegan (yes, they're certified vegan and kosher, too!) these are worth every penny.

The gluten free, no eggs, no nuts, no soy Thanksgiving

Now that we've moved my mother-in-law out to Colorado, Thanksgiving is going to be challenging. No, not because she's mean ol' lady, but because she has celiac sprue and can't eat gluten. Combine that with my daughter's food allergies - no eggs and no nuts - and the holiday feast becomes quite challenging.

Hooray for turkey!

Working around these food allergies and sensitivities will be much easier than I thought. Thank goodness that my family can eat turkey. This year my husband has decided to smoke the bird, which should be a lot of fun. He used the smoker many times this summer and feels very confident using it.

I googled "smoked turkey" and found Alton Brown's recipe for Honey Brined Smoke Turkey. I love Alton's show and his appearances on Iron Chef America. We've made many of his recipes, and know his meat smoking recipes are top notch.

Honey Brined Smoke Turkey
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon hot water
• 1 pound kosher salt
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1 pound honey
• 1 (7-pound) bag of ice
• 1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
• Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey

Instructions:

1. Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
2. Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
3. Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
4. Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
5. After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
6. Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

What about the stuffing, sides and dessert?

I googled "gluten free cornbread vegan" and ended up finding a recipe here at This Mama Cooks! that I used for Christmas 2005 when my MIL was visiting - Cornbread Stuffing with Dried Cranberries. If I remember correctly, I found gluten-free cornbread mix at Wal-Mart and used egg substitute. There's no nuts in it either. (Also, the Cranberry-Cherry Compote recipe from Weight Watcher's Magazine looks pretty darn good, too.)

I'll be making a sweet potato dish and mash potatoes, of course. Now for the biggest challenge of all - dessert. Stay tuned.

For more Thanksgiving ideas, check these out:

• Giving thanks for holiday books (Thanksgiving)
• Giving thanks for pumpkin pie
• The Thanksgiving panic continues - keeping the kids busy
• The Thanksgiving panic - it's all about the pie
• Giving thanks for my readers and pumpkin empanadas
• More praise for pumpkins
• Thanksgiving leftovers

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An eggless chocolate cake

When my friend Suzanne heard that my daughter is allergic to eggs, she sent along this recipe for an eggless chocolate cake. It's named after the mother of an old friend of hers who used to make it.

Since my daughter is also allergic to peanut butter, I'd make a traditional frosting or maybe a sugar glaze instead.

Shirley's Chocolate Cake - The best in the world!

Cake ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 9 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups of cold water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Icing ingredients:

1. 3 cups confectioners sugar
2. 1/4 cup milk (approximately)
3. 3/4 cup peanut butter

Cake directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Icing directions:

1. Mix confectioners sugar and milk - it will be thin.
2. Stir in peanut Butter, which will thicken the icing.
3. Ice your delicious cake.

Photo credit goes to Diana's Desserts who offers her own version of an Eggless Chocolate Cake.

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Eggless meatloaf

Allergic to eggs or just looking for foods that don't contain them?

I've found some terrific recipes for eggless meatloaf that I'd love to share with you at my other food blog, A Readable Feast, and check out Allergies and the search for eggless meatloaf.

Don't care if your meatloaf contains eggs or not? Try these sites:

Allrecipes.com lists oodles of meatloaf recipes for you to try.

CDKitchen has eight pages of meatloaf recipes.

The Andover Meatloaf Pages features nothing but meatloaf recipes.

Elise at Simply Recipes offers up her own version.

So what do you prefer, freshly made meatloaf with mash potatoes on the side? Or the leftovers the next day in a cold meatloaf sandwich with lots of ketchup?

(Meatloaf picture courtesy of Recipes & Recipies.com)

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie (no eggs)

I've finally found a pumpkin pie recipes without eggs! (My daughter is allergic to them.) From yesterday's Denver Post comes this recipe which originally appeared in Vegetarian Times magazine:

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

The filling for this vegan recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it. Also, if you are going to use fresh pumpkin for the pie, do not use the jack-o'-lantern type; the flesh of these large pumpkins is too watery and stringy. Instead, look for small pumpkins, sometimes called pie pumpkins or other varieties of winter squash. To bake, cut pumpkins in half and remove seeds. Set, cut side down, in a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop out the cooked flesh and puree. Serves 8.

Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup unbleached flour

7 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar or granulated sugar cane syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons soymilk plus 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons water

Filling

2 cups canned pumpkin or pureed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see intro)

1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar cane syrup or 1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tablespoon dark molasses or to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

In medium bowl, combine both flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. In small bowl, mix oil and soymilk mixture. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it holds together in a ball. If it is too dry, add some water, a little at a time, until dough is moist enough to roll. (If time allows, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.)

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin forming an 11-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425.

In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight.

** UPDATE ** The pie turned out very well - firm and tasty. It wasn't as sweet as other pies, but that's easily adjusted by adding more honey and/or molasses.

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The Denver Post's Countdown to Thanksgiving

For the past couple of weeks The Denver Post has presented a "Countdown to Thanksgiving" feature with some fantastic recipes. (The previous week's recipes are here.) Since I'm on the lookout for desserts without eggs - due to my daughter's egg allergy - I thought this recipe would be a good one to try:

Colorado Apple Cider Crisp

Make ahead: 1 day prior
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10

This recipe comes from a 1965 edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook and is slightly modified with the addition of the apple cider. Tastes great for breakfast, too. From Big Bang Catering.

Ingredients:

1. 8 cups Colorado apples (Winesaps, Rome or Granny Smith are best baking varieties) peeled and sliced
2. 1 cup apple cider
3. 1 cup granulated sugar
4. 1 cup brown sugar
5. 1 1/2 cup white unbleached flour
6. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
7. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat over to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a deep baking dish, preferably not glass.
3. Toss sliced apples withapple cider.
4. Mix white and brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and salt.
5. Place apples in baking dish; sprinkle flour mixture to cover top of all apples.
6. Bake until apples are tender and top crust is brown, about 30 minutes.
7. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Alternatives:  Since my mother-in-law is on a gluten free diet, I may try this another time with a brown rice or soy flour.

Picture credit:  Denver Post / RJ Sangosti

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Cherrybrook Kitchen - egg free cake mix!

I came across this in the latest issue of Parent's magazine:

At Last! Treats for Kids with Food Allergies
This new line of baking mixes by Cherrybrook Kitchen was developed by a mom especially for kids who are allergic to peanuts, eggs, nuts, and dairy products. The best thing about them: they taste really good. The next time your child gets invited to a birthday party, bake a batch of either the cookies or cupcakes; then send your kids off with some treats so she won't be left out when it's time to sing "Happy Birthday." Available at speciality stores and Cherrybrook Kitchen's website for around $4.50 per box.

So I went on the website, and verified that you can make their cake mix without eggs. Even better, the mixes are available at a nearby Super Target. Now Boo Girl, who's allergic to eggs and peanuts, can have her cake and eat it, too!

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Hot fudge pudding cake

I came across this recipe at Broken or Not while cruising BlogExplosion. It sounded so good I felt I must post it here at This Mama Cooks!

What intrigued me was while it's called a cake, it has no eggs. Just the sort of recipe I'm looking for the egg-sensitive Boo Girl, thanks Kris. (She's also starting to post recipes on her blog every Sunday, so cruise on by her site and tell her This Mama Cooks! sent you.)

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake*

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 7 Tbsp. Hershey's cocoa, divided
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• vanilla ice cream (optional)**

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In large bowl, stir together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, and salt. 
3. Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. 
4. Pour batter into 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. 
5. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. 
6. Pour water over top. DO NOT STIR. 
7. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until center is almost set. 
8. Cool 15 minutes.
9. Spoon into dessert dishes. 
10. Spoon sauce from bottom of pan over top of cake.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.  Garnish as desired.

8 servings.

*From 100 Years of Hershey Favorites.

**The recipe calls for optional whipped topping, not vanilla ice cream, but since I always serve it with vanilla ice cream, I changed it.

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