Yummy Low Fat Thai Tonight!

We were blown away to read in a newspaper article that pad thai, which we thought was a healthier alternative when we dined out, is laden with about 35 grams of fat. That's my whole day's worth right there!

So last night, we ate at home on a full flavoured vegetarian Thai feast for only 12 grams of fat per serving.

Coconut-Mango Rice
One of the best new kitchen helpers is my rice cooker I inherited from my late brother-in-law. I've been feeding my family for 3 decades now and always dismissed a rice cooker as just another gadget that would clog my limited cupboard space. Boy, was I wrong! Not only does the rice come out near perfect every time, I love the convenience of being able to organize the recipe and then leave someone else in the house to push the button an hour before dinner. Very helpful with my teaching schedule! The traditional recipe is first, followed by the much easier rice cooker version. Start the rice first, then do the stir fry while the rice cooks.

In a traditional 4 quart pot, saute one chopped red pepper for one minute. Add one chopped, peeled mango, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, a veggie boullion cube, 1 cup hot water and 1 398 ml can of lite coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse 1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice. Add rice to boiling liquid, cover, reduce heat, and cook until fluffy (about 40 minutes).

If using a rice cooker: Assemble ingredients in cooking pan and push button. Go do your nails.

Peanut-Green Curry Stir Fry
To increase protein, I add baked tofu to this stirfry along with the sauce at the end. I like to use organic, non-gmo, extra firm (like Sol or Liberte) and cube into one inch chunks. Cover the cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with an organic high heat canola oil (President's Choice makes one now). Alternatively, you can toss the tofu in oil but that does raise the fat content more. Bake tofu on cookie sheet at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing a few times. The chunks are almost meaty and chewy. Another enhancement, if you have the time, is to take the block of tofu and set it on a dinner plate. Place another plate over top and weight the second plate with a heavy soup can (or similar object). Let sit for 30 - 60 minutes and watch how much water drains. The tofu chunks can also be marinated in the stir fry sauce for up to an hour prior to baking for extra flavour.

Saute one chopped onion in 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (can handle high saute temperatures without molecular breakdown therefore oil does not go to transfats). Add 2 chopped carrots, and 1 cup cauliflowerettes. As veggies start to soften, add 1 cup chopped broccoli, 1 chopped zucchini and 1 chopped & seeded red pepper. Saute about another 5 minutes until crisp & tender.

Whisk the following ingredients together for the stir fry sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter (I like chunky, organic, peanuts only)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon green curry paste
and add in the last few minutes of cooking. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for a huge punch of flavour.

Weight Loss Miracle!

I'm terrified of dental work. Always have been. So when I cracked a molar on Saturday afternoon, my anxiety levels skyrocketed. What will the dentist do? Will he yell at me? Are my teeth getting so old and feeble that I'll have to end strained vegetables all the time, while waiting for my kids to visit????

Sitting in the chair a few days later, while the dentist "tssked" and "hmmmed", assuring me there was no worse way to crack a tooth, panic truly invaded. He brought out really big needles and talked about yanking teeth, so I started deep breathing. He got kind of freaked out... "are you ok or are you just breathing?" But as soon as I closed my eyes, started "dirghe" breath through the nostrils, my body was back on the mat in my yoga practice room. The panic vibes started to recede and I was able to reassure the dental team that all would be well.

Result... one honkin' silver filling that may or may not survive and orders not to chew too vigorously for awhile. It now takes about 15 minutes to nibble at a piece of toast.

So what's the connection to weight loss? When you think this carefully about each bite... when you gingerly nibble each crumb... when you rethink what food would be most nutritious cause you can only eat a small amount... that's mindful eating.

They're right. When you eat slower, and chew longer, you do feel full after eating fewer calories. In just a few days, my pants feel a little more comfortable and that bloated feeling is starting to dissipate. Is it possible to hang on to this committment to slowing down, even after the panic over my teeth has passed?

And you know, when I broke the tooth, I was shoving a snack in my mouth, distracted by a newspaper and simultaneously conversing with my teenaged son. Not mindful at all. Hmmmmm.....

Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe

Here's the recipe I promised. Set aside an hour to assemble the casserole, or spread the work over 2 days. Moussaka is Greece's answer to lasagna. Normally, a restaurant serving of this gorgeous casserole is 1000 or more calories and contains enough fat to make Caligula jealous. In this version, we have eliminated meat to reduce the saturated fat and used low fat substitutes when possible. Look for TVP at bulk food stores and try to purchase the non-GMO version of this soy protein. Non fat cottage cheese is often sold under the Western brand name and is a great substitute for ricotta in most recipes.

There are five steps to preparing moussaka.
1. Make the meat sauce (can be done a day or so in advance)
2. prepare the veggies
3. make the cheese sauce
4. assembly
and 5. baking

Meat Sauce:
In a scant amount of olive oil, saute 2 cups chopped onions. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Stir until very fragrant. Add 2 cups crushed, canned tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp mint leaves, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar and season with salt & pepper to taste. Add 2 cups TVP (texturized vegetable protein) and simmer sauce for at least 20 minutes until TVP is fluffed and looks like ground beef in the sauce.

Vegetables:
Slice a good sized eggplant into 1/4" thick rounds (you'll need about 12 - 14). Slice 2 zucchini lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices. Slice 4 medium sized, red, unpeeled potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Steam the potatoes about 10 - 15 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Grill or broil the other vegetables until just cooked (better colour is achieved if these veggies are tossed in olive oil first but this does add calories). Set aside.

Cheese Sauce:
In a large microwaveable bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour and mix thoroughly. Whisk in 1 can evaporated milk (I use fat free), pinch of nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste. When thoroughly blended, return to microwave for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring half way into the time. Sauce should be bubbling and thickened by then. Whisk in 1/2 cup light feta cheese and 1 cup non fat cottage cheese until smooth again. Whip in 2 eggs, slowly to thicken sauce further. Make the cheese sauce just before you are ready to bake.

Assembling & Baking:
Grease a 13" x 9" pan. Layer potatoes in bottom, overlapping if necessary. Spread half the meat sauce over. Layer the zucchini next, then the feta, then the eggplant. Pour over remaining meat sauce. Pour cheese sauce over all. Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Assembly can be completed up to 6 hours prior to baking. Moussaka is best if you let it rest for 30 minutes after baking as the layers will set better. Enjoy!

Note to vegans: Cheese sauce can be altered to suit vegan or lactose free diets. Use olive oil instead of butter, unflavoured soy milk instead of evaporated milk. Omit cheese & eggs, substituting 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes for parmesan and adding a vegetable boullion cube for additional flavour. Omit feta from assembly, subbing some grated rice milk cheese in mozzerella flavour if you still want that salty bite.