¼ cup Harissa paste
¼ cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp caraway seeds, toasted & ground, or finely crushed
½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted & ground, or finely crushed
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together harissa, water, oil, lemon juice, seeds, salt, and pepper until combined. Serve with meat or fish, use as a dip for whole wheat pita bread, or add to Tunisian couscous.
½ cup light mayo or salad dressing (save calories, use fat free)
12 to 13 cloves (1 bulb) garlic, mashed
Preheat oven to 400F. Rub most of the papery skin off a bulb of garlic, with a sharp knife, slice off the top third of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Put garlic in a small baking dish, and drizzle with about 1 tsp EVOO. Cover with foil. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until garlic is very tender. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Let cool, stir in mayo.
Makes about ½ cup, serving size 1 tbsp. 57 calories, 3g carbs, 5g fat
2 red delicious apples, peeled. Cored, and coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
1 medium orange, peeled and sectioned
dash ground cinnamon
dash freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup chopped walnuts or almonds, toasted
In a food processor, combine apples, cranberries, orange sections, cinnamon, and pepper. Cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir in honey. Bring to boiling over medium high heat, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a medium bowl, and chill. To serve, stir in nuts. Serve on turkey, chicken, wraps, or sandwiches. Makes 2 cups. Serving size 2 tbsp
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup sliced green onions
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp canola oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup water
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp finely chopped canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
¼ tsp kosher salt
In a small covered saucepan, cook onions. Coriander, and cumin in hot oil, about 10 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro. Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add black beans, water, lime juice, chopotle pepper, kosher salt. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth.
Makes about 1 2/3 cups. Serving size 2 tbsp. 36 calories, 2g protein, 6g carbs, 2g fat, 2g fiber
This recipe reminds me of the creamsicles we used to eat when I was a child, no real icecream in this recipe. Since Stevia is added to sweeten this recipe instead of refined sugar it is a diabetic safe recipe. Stevia does not create a change in glycemic index and is 100% natural with zero calories...enjoy!
This is a two step process....you must first freeze the puree then continue.
Recipe:
2 cups fresh mango pulp
2 TB or more coconut milk
2-3 drops Liquid SweetLeaf Stevia: Valencia Orange
First: Puree mango pulp and coconut milk in a blender or food processor
Second: Place mixture in ice cube trays and freeze
Third: Remove frozen mango cubes and place in a blender or food processor. Add enough coconut milk to blend the mixture and pulse until creamy. If you like very sweet add more Liquid SweetLeaf Stevia to taste.
Cooking tips: If mangoes aren't available use packaged frozen mango slices. Defrost before using.
I lost 15 lbs. after cutting refined sugars out of my diet. Stevia can be used instead of sugar in any recipe. Good Luck!
Another of my favorite little snacks includes cutting an apple up in little chunks and adding the Liquid SweetLeaf Stevia English Toffee flavor as well as a little cinnamon and sautéing the apple and Stevia in a sauce pan until tender. This recipe tastes exactly like apple pie without the fatty crust!
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp minced)
1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
½ cup EVOO
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed
¼ tsp kosher salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, shallots, and garlic. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined. Stir in parsley, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Use immediately, or chill, and whisk before serving.
Makes about ¾ cup. Serving size 1 tbsp 90 calories, 2g carbs, 9g fat
Red Wine Vinaigrette
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 ½ tsp Dijon style mustard
2 tbsp EVOO
1.8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and shallot. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined. Stir in kosher salt and pepper. Use immediately, or chill, and whisk before serving.
Makes about 1/3 cup. Serving size 1 tbsp, 51 calories, 1g carbs, 5g fat
Lemony Viniagrette
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp minced)
3 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (such as oregano, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, and / or thyme)
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, shallots, water, and garlic. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined. Stir in herbs, kosher salt, and pepper. Use immediately, or chill and whisk before using.
Makes about 2/3 cup. Serving size 1 tbsp, 40 calories, 1g carbs, 4g fat
Peppercorn-Strawberry Vinaigrette
1 cup cut up fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Splenda or sugar substitute to equal ½ tsp sugar
¼ to ½ tsp cracked black pepper
In a blender, combine strawberries, vinegar, sugar substitute, and pepper. Cover and blend until smooth.
Toasted Quinoa Pilaf
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots or onion
6 cloves garlic, minced ( 1 tbsp minced)
1 tbsp EVOO
2 cups quinoa or barley, rinsed and well drained
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, diced
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
In a large saucepan, cook shallots and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Carefully stir in quinoa or barley. Cook and stir about 5 minutes, or until grain is golden brown. Carefully stir in broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender and fluffy. Cook barley for about 10 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. Discard bay leaf. Gently stir in roasted peppers. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
Szechwan Shrimp
1 ¼ lb fresh or frozen medium shrimp
4 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
4 tsp grated fresh ginger, or ½ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp dry sherry or water
1 tbsp oriental chili sauce with garlic
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/8 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
½ tsp cornstarch
4 tsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced ( 1 ½ tsp minced)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 cups fresh pea pods, trimmed
6 cups shredded Chinese (Napa) cabbage
2 tbsp sliced green onions
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, pat dry with paper towels. For sauce, in a small bowl, combine the 4 tsp soy sauce, the ginger, dry sherry, oriental chili sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, sesame oil, and the 1/8 tsp kosher salt. Set aside. Place shrimp in a medium bowl, sprinkle lightly with additional kosher salt and black pepper. Stri in the 1 ½ tsp soy sauce and the ½ tsp cornstarch, set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, stir fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, stir fry for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, stir fry for 1 minute. Add pea pods, stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove veggies from wok. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to wok or skillet . add shrimp mixture, stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir sauce, add to wok. Cook and stir until boiling, cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Add mushroom mixture, and Chinese cabbage. Toss to coat.
Tangy Black Bean Soup
½ cup chopped onion
12 cloves garlic, minced (2 tbsp minced)
2 tbsp EVOO
½ tsp ground cumin
8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 15-16 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lemon, sliced ½” thick
½ cup snipped dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1 small fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried oregano crushed
1 ½ tsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
In a 4 quart dutch oven cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, cook and stir for 1 minute more. Add broth, beans, lemon slices, tomatoes, jalapenos, and dried oregano, if using dried. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard lemon slices. Remove 3 cups of the soup mixture to a large heatproof bowl. Use an immersion blender, or potato masher to coarsely puree or mash the mixture in the bowl. Return to dutch oven. Return to boiling, reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar (and fresh oregano, if using).
Harissa Sauce
