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This is a very simple and easy recipe to make. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed glass or ceramic container for up to 5 days.
In a blender, put:
1/4 cup Eggbeaters (shake the eggbeaters container well before using)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 – 1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. sugar or fructose
2 tbs. white vinegar or fresh well-strained lemon juice
Add 1/2 cup of good quality vegetable oil (I use organic Canola, Smart Balance brand or Safflower oil). Cover tightly. Blend on medium-high just until well blended. Add another 1/2 cup oil, a few drops at a time through the opening in the cover, while blending. Turn blender back on and continue a few seconds to blend on HI until the mayonnaise thickens and becomes very smooth. Do not blend longer than necessary or the mayonnaise may break apart. For a thinner mayonnaise, you can add 2-4 more tbs. Eggbeaters, and that can also replace some of the oil in the recipe for a lower calorie product. This is a terrific tasting and very easy recipe, try experimenting with it until you find the consistency and taste you like best.
This is also a great base recipe for many other dressings, including:
1 – a mock Hollandaise sauce (leave out the mustard and sugar, do not use vinegar but double the lemon juice)
2 – For Russian Dressing, when blended, pour into a bowl and mix in 1/2 cup ketchup or bottled chili sauce, 1 tbs. grated onion, 1-1/2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbs. soy or rice milk
3 – Thousand Island Dressing, same as the Russian Dressing, but omit the Worcestershire sauce and onion
4 – Avocado Dressing, add 1 ripe mashed avocado to the blender for a few seconds once the mayonnaise is done
Healthy eating,
Marianne
This week, and especially this weekend, I have had one of those really painful IBS episodes that totally debilitates you for 2 or more days, and then takes several more days to get everything as back to normal as we can hope to be. Those of you with IBS or any serious digestive/bowel problems know exactly what I am talking about. So, this made me think of the important non-perishable items we should always try to have on hand to help us get through the turmoil for the next few days following an episode:
Rice – Canned: fat free (non-creamed type) soups and broth, unsweetened applesauce, small cans of chicken, turkey and albacore tuna fish packed in water, apple juice, carrots – Low fat Graham crackers – Saltines or Oyster crackers – Fresh French or Italian bread (no additives or preservatives) – Chamomile and/or Peppermint tea to help calm the tummy along with the gas and bloating – Rose Hips tea to provide easily digested Vitamin C (and it is a very soothing drink by itself) and after the first day, slowly re-add a safe soluble fiber supplement to your diet such as the organic Acacia offered on Heather’s Tummy Care site, listed below.
Eat no fat, carbonation, caffeine, dairy products, citrus, or insoluble fiber foods.
For more helpful information, see www.helpforibs.com
Healthy eating,
Marianne
This is a fast and easy recipe that can be served every season of the year. Look at the monthly seasonal produce list for choices of vegetables to substitute during the times some of the fresh items are not available. For a yummy substitute for fresh tomatoes, try reconstituted sun dried tomatoes. Serves 8 generously.
Day Before Serving:
Either use 2 large cans well drained cooked small potatoes, or boil up some small, peeled potatoes and cool (to equal about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 can or jar artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. drained capers (optional)
1 small box cherry tomatoes
1/2 can small pitted black olives, drained
1 med. red onion, peeled and sliced thin
Crisp-cooked or lightly steamed fresh green beans
Toss these ingredients in a large bowl with any vinaigrette or French dressing of your choice. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir once or twice.
To Serve Next Day:
Line a large serving plate with well-washed and dried Romaine lettuce leaves. In the center, spoon a mound of well-drained tuna, cooked small shrimp, imitation Krab pieces, or any other fish you like served chilled. ( For this salad, the fish may be optional if you wish.)
Or add a mound of one of these vegetables by itself or surrounding the fish: drained canned beets and/or button mushrooms, lightly steamed asparagus spears, petite frozen peas thawed completely, sliced cucumber, carrot curls, stuffed celery stalks, green olives, drained canned baby corn or other Asian-type vegetables, or a combination of a few of these items.
Now use a slotted spoon to transfer the chilled marinated potato mixture to top the lettuce leaves around the center foods. Drizzle the salad overall with the remaining dressing/marinade. If you eat hardboiled eggs and/or anchovies, try garnishing the salad with them in the traditional manner for this dish. Sometimes I sprinkle crumbled Feta cheese over everything, and I especially like to offer hot toasted garlic bread with this salad.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
According to Wild Oats Natural Market, www.wildoats.com, these are the foods recommended by The Environmental Working Group as the ones that contain the most pesticides and pesticide residue, and should be bought Certified Organic whenever possible:
apples – bell peppers – celery – cherries – imported grapes – nectarines – peaches – pears – potatoes – red raspberries – spinach – strawberries
Additional foods that should be eaten only organically grown, recommended by several consumer groups and the Organic Farming organizations are:
apricots – butter – any cantaloupe not grown in the U.S. – cucumbers/pickles – peanuts and peanut products – popcorn – radishes – summer and winter squash – most tomatoes
Washing and peeling the listed fruits and vegetables will not necessarily substantially reduce the pesticide levels retained in those foods but it is better than doing nothing.
Foods available at local supermarkets that are NOT grown certified organic but have the LEAST amount of pesticides in them are:
avocado, bananas (there is some dispute among authorities on the subject if you should eat bananas NOT organically grown), cantaloupe (U.S. grown), local corn, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, limes, mango, onions, oranges, papaya, sweet peas, pineapple (unprocessed), plums (U.S. grown), sweet potatoes, watermelon
Here are other very important items to add to the list of foods that should only be eaten when certified organic:
Organic baby food, dairy, eggs, green beans, oats, rice and bean sprouts of any variety (it is very easy to grow your own, give it a try) – fortunately these days, there are at least two or more commercial brands of baby food that offer organic selections, available in most supermarkets. The price of organic baby foods is quite reasonable, and really worth the investment for the future health of our children. In fact, for the sick, infirmed and digestively challenged, or the elderly or both, organic baby foods, cereals and juices can be a safe and welcome nutritional boost.
As I have previously discussed, foods labeled “Natural” do not mean they have necessarily been grown or raised to qualify to certify organically unless so labeled additionally. The word “natural” can just designate that the product was grown, without added hormones or pesticides, or in the outdoors, but that does not always also qualify to be organically certified. Organic certification is based on several points, among them a formula of how many years the soil the product was grown in has been pesticide free, where it is located, the origin of the seeds themselves, etc. But the word “natural” can be of importance under certain circumstances to the consumer, such as the poultry suppliers that do not use any added hormones or unusual by-products in the feed. Read labels VERY carefully. Check out the manufacturers’ or producers’ web sites for further information. When I shop the health food markets, I still read all the labels, and check the information listed over each product as to whether it is “Organic” or “Conventional” (which means the suppliers of that product also supply your local supermarket and the products are not organically raised).
As far as GM foods (Genetically Modified) go, I do not think they are safe: cooking oils, boxed cereals, grains, soy and corn products, and frozen dinners are most likely to contain genetically modified ingredients. Because I use a lot of soy based products, I only buy the ones that are certified organic. For more in-depth information on this subject, please go to:
www.mercola.com .
And for further information on all these subjects, see www.whfoods.com (“World’s Healthiest Foods”) and www.loe.org (“Living On Earth”). I also enjoy reading the Mother Earth magazines and their website, lots of usable and very practical information.
**SEE MY DECEMBER 8 ENTRY: Organic Foods Consumer Alert
Healthy eating,
Marianne
This is where the slow cooker does all the work for us! Homemade stock is a wonderful base for soups, gravies and sauces.
In a slow cooker, put:
Chicken, turkey or other meat carcass/bones, include any leftovers of meat you have also (and scrape the original cooking pan for any remaining droppings)
3 stalks of celery, 1 large onion and 2 large peeled carrots, cut into chunks
1 Tbs. salt or Mrs. Dash
1 Tsp. pepper
Cover with COLD water halfway up the cooker. Stir in any other seasonings you wish to add.
Optionals: 1 Tsp. celery seed, 1/2-1 Tsp. dried Thyme, 1 Tbs. Paprika, 1 Tbs. Olive oil.
Cover tightly and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours until the stock is very flavorful. Longer cooking produces a richer and more flavorful stock. If time is a concern, set the slow cooker to HIGH and let the stock cook for at least 6 hours. Taste to adjust seasonings as necessary. Using a mesh strainer over a large bowl, carefully pour the COOLED stock into the strainer. I keep the cooked vegetables to serve as a side dish with the next meal. Store the stock in a clean covered jar and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Or freeze in a clean non-plastic container for up to 6 months.
For a meatless VEGETABLE Stock, instead of the poultry or meat carcass/bones, double the vegetable ingredients listed above, and add other vegetables of your choice like fresh or stewed tomatoes, turnips, green beans, mushrooms, and parsnips – be sure to reserve the cooked vegetables for soup or a dinner side dish.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
Either bake in a 425F. oven for about 45 minutes, or on a hot grill until the chicken juices run clear. If grilling, wait until the fire has died off and the coals are glowing, so you don’t overchar the bird!
One Day Ahead:
Make the world’s easiest barbecue sauce:
In a bowl, combine a 14 ounce bottle of ketchup with 3 Tbs. honey (honey is optional-you can substitute 1 pkg. Splenda), 3 Tbs. good quality vinegar, 1/2 Tbs. Paprika and 1 clove minced garlic (garlic powder may be substituted). Some cooks like to add a 1/4 Tsp. liquid smoke – it is your choice. Cover and refrigerate overnight for the sauce to mellow and intensify.
Please feel free to tweak this basic sauce any way you like. I sometimes add more garlic, minced onion and 1/4 Tsp. Bay Seasoning. I also occasionally substitute chunky salsa for the ketchup and add appropriate Mexican seasonings. This sauce is also tasty when brushed on grilled fish, potato chunks and other veggies.
Next Day:
If you use skinless chicken, add a little olive oil to the sauce so that the meat doesn’t burn unnecessarily.
Before grilling or roasting in the oven, Pam spray the grill or cooking pan.
Place the boneless or bone-in, whichever you prefer, chicken parts on the grill and brush liberally with the sauce. When partially cooked, turn the chicken pieces and baste with more sauce. I also like to make enough sauce to reserve some on the side for serving with the meal that has NOT been used to brush the raw chicken.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
This first recipe has proved to be safe and scrumptious comfort food eating for most digestive and nutritional disorders. Serves 6-8 generously.
Day before: 1 – Wash and scrub clean 6 large baking potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with hot water, and boil until potatoes, when poked with a sharp knife, are tender. Remove from pot, cool (do not peel yet), cover and refrigerate overnight. 2 – Hard boil 6 large eggs, cool and refrigerate overnight (we are only going to use the whites, discard the yolks).
Next Day to assemble and eat: 1 – This ingredient is optional: scramble up 1/2 c. eggbeaters in a Pam sprayed skillet over high heat until very firm. Remove to a plate to cool completely. 2 – In a large bowl, chop up 2 stalks celery and 1/4 peeled onion. Peel the potatoes and chop into bite size pieces. Add to bowl. 3 – Peel hardboiled eggs, discard the yolks and chop up the whites, adding them to the bowl also. 4- Mix in, 1/2 c. at a time, a “safe” or preferred mayonnaise product, until the salad is sufficiently moistened but not sloppy with too much mayonnaise. It is really a matter of how you like your potato salad. And I prefer to use one of the newer olive oil, canola oil, lowfat free or other healthy oil based mayonnaise that does NOT have egg yolks in the ingredient list. 5 – Mix in 1 Tsp. to 1 Tbsp. regular table mustard, and then taste the salad to discern if more seasonings need to be added. 6 – Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl, sprinkle the top lightly with Paprika, and garnish, if you wish, with a few slices of green pimento stuffed olives and sliced black olives. Sprinkle a pinch of parsley over all. Cover carefully with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
The second potato salad uses no mayonnaise of any kind. Make up the salad as above, but omit mayonnaise and add 3-4 Tbs. olive oil instead. Other yummy options to add one or more of: chopped green onions, cooked and drained garbanzo beans, chopped English cucumber, any variety of chopped olives, soy or rice based shredded cheese, frozen pea pods, well thawed.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
DIARRHEA
We have already discussed the BRAT Diet (banana, rice, applesauce, toast). Let’s go a step further and look at the old tried and true remedies. When we have diarrhea, it affects the electrolytes so vital to our systems, including rehydrating with clear fluids, salt, potassium and other important minerals that help our essential body functions. Recently we have Pedialyte available for infants and children, a wonderfully useful product to help restore the body’s balance, and a very useful drink for the sick, infirmed and elderly also. The first day or two of diarrhea, administer clear broths and clear juices like apple juice. It is a good idea to first dilute the apple juice half and half with water. It is the pectin in the apple juice that aids in gently firming up the stools without harsh fiber products. In fact, soluble fiber foods (see a short list below) are most helpful in restoring bowel health. Do not serve any cold or hot foods: room temperature is best for both the broths and juices. When firmer stools have been restored, carefully add low fiber foods like well cooked potatoes, rice, noodles, and a little boiled chicken breast. For 3 or more days, it is a good idea to stay away from any hard to digest foods such as nuts, seeds, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, dairy in any form, and red meats. If you are prone to chronic diarrhea, or a combination of diarrhea and constipation, please see Heather’s Tummy Care internet site at www.helpforibs.com for her excellent suggestions and a list of soluble fiber foods along with information about the importance of soluble fiber to those of us with chronic digestive and/or bowel complaints.
CONSTIPATION
Unfortunately, constipation is often a problem we bring upon ourselves from eating too much refined food products and not enough helpful fiber. Whether you have a medically caused constipation problem, a “lazy” bowel, or are just suffering from our common American low-fiber diet, there are some easy solutions available to you to help treat the symptoms. We all hear TV ads about fiber supplements, and most of them do pinpoint the actual situation of too little fiber in our diet. However, some of the over-the-counter products are too harsh for many of us. Eating soluble fiber foods, as opposed to insoluble fiber foods, can provide the better fiber alternative. Soluble fiber aids both diarrhea AND constipation because it gives the body the softening, corrective fiber it needs to correct bowel irregularities. Too, the amount of water you consume on a daily basis is extremely important: Clear soups, teas and juices also count. Correcting your “fiber” diet is not a magic pill. It takes time to see real results and has to be a concerted effort on your part to be more conscientious about incorporating those foods that will be truly helpful. Exercise is also important to keep all our bodily systems working at their best. When Grandma and Mom told us to eat an apple a day, they were right on the mark. Apples are one of the perfect soluble fiber foods to help your bowels perform well, whether for diarrhea or constipation, along with offering several vitamins and minerals essential to good health. I eat an apple or 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce daily, and it has really been a boon to my digestive and bowel health.
Soluble fiber foods include:
Oats and oat products, barley, legumes, soybeans, apples, beets, carrots, onion, squash, potatoes, rice, pasta, flour tortillas, simple breads such as French bread, bananas, peaches, pears, and prunes. For a more complete list of both soluble fiber foods and insoluble fiber foods (best to eat insoluble fiber foods very carefully if at all), please see www.helpforibs.com. Oats and barley may not be helpful foods for people with IBS.
Before changing your diet in any way, or treating bowel problems, always check with your physician.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
Pronounced frick-ah-see, this is a dish of cut-up meat or poultry, and served in a very COMFORTING gravy. Without a doubt this is my very favorite comfort food, and has been since I was old enough to eat solid food. With a few tweaks here and there to the original recipe handed down in my family for generations, this recipe has much less fat but has lost none of its great taste. And it is almost universally easy to digest.
TO COOK IN A SLOW COOKER
Lightly oil the bottom of a ceramic slow cooker insert with olive oil. Place ingredients in the slow cooker in this order:
4 FROZEN split skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
3 cups canned or fresh low-sodium,low-fat or fat-free chicken broth
1 Tbs. Paprika
1/2 Tsp. white or black pepper (optional)
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, remove breasts to a warm plate. Add 1 Tsp. chopped dried parsley to pan juices, turn up to HIGH, stir in 1/2 c. water or broth with 4 Tbs. flour dissolved in it. Continue to stir with a whisk, keeping the gravy smooth as it thickens. Taste and add desired seasonings (Try Mrs. Dash). Turn off cooker. Return chicken to gravy to keep warm. Serves 4-6, depending on the size of the breasts. We prefer this served with huge spoonfuls of the gravy over fluffy cooked white rice or creamy homemade (made with rice or soy milk) mashed potatoes, even good over mashed sweet potato or sliced bread to sop up the yummy gravy.
STOVE TOP RECIPE WITH DUMPLINGS
In a large stew pot, put 4 THAWED split boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Top with 4 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbs. Paprika and 1 small sliced onion. Bring to almost a boil over med.-high heat, cover and reduce heat to med.-low or low. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring as needed. It should take about 40-50 minutes to stew until the breast juices run clear when pricked with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley. Remove the chicken to a warm plate. Whisk 1/2c. water or broth, with 4 tbs. flour dissolved in it, into the pan juices over medium heat until thickened and smooth. If too thick, so that it might burn, thin with a little broth. Cover and put on low heat to keep warm while you make up the dumpling recipe:
In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 beaten eggs (or the equivalent Eggbeaters), 1/2 c. rice or soy milk, and 4 Tbs. acceptable oil (I use good quality Canola oil). In a separate bowl, mix with a fork: 2 c. acceptable well-sifted flour or the equivalent (I have been successful with Rice and other “light” flours), 1 Tsp. salt and 4 Tsp. acceptable baking powder. With a fork, quickly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and just stir the dough until moistened. Bring the gravy up to medium heat and gently bubbling. Drop the dumpling dough by generous tablespoons into the hot liquid. Return gravy to boiling, cover as tightly as possible, and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, whichever will not let the gravy burn but will keep it gently bubbling.
Please: Resist all temptation to lift the pot lid for 12-15 minutes. Then uncover and press a dumpling with the end of a fork to see if it is cooked to the firm consistency of a soft biscuit. Taste gravy for possibly needed salt and/or pepper. Serve immediately on a plate with a portion of chicken, 2 dumplings and smothered with the gravy.
If you think you could burn the gravy, remove the cooked chicken from the pan juices, and cook the dumplings in the unthickened juices. When they are done, remove them to a warm platter with the chicken, and thicken the gravy as suggested above. Season to taste. Just be sure to keep everything very warm (for healthy, safe eating) and then serve smothered in the gravy.
With this dish, we like to serve steamed carrots and/or green beans. Petite green peas are also complimentary, as is a fruit compote or whole berry cranberry sauce.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
By using FROZEN chicken and vegetables, except for the potatoes, a long slow cooking time of 8-10 hours while you are at work or running errands, produces a wonderfully easy to digest meal with no fuss. And the chicken does not overcook because it starts off frozen.
Add to a slow cooker in this order:
1 Tbs. olive or other oil
2 large split boneless skinless FROZEN chicken breasts or other chicken parts of your choice
4 baking potatoes, washed and scrubbed, or peeled, and cut in quarters if they are large, or halves if medium sized
1 large bag FROZEN vegetables of your choice
Salt and Pepper to taste, sprinkled over the food
Top with a large can of crushed tomatoes
Cover, set on LOW, and cook 8-10 hours. Serves 3-4 generously.
I sometimes add garlic and/or Italian seasonings to the tomatoes.
Other good variations are:
1-adding some crumbled cooked turkey sausage into the tomatoes, or using a large can or jar of spaghetti sauce instead of the tomatoes.
2-I have a friend who likes to substitute 1 bottle of barbecue sauce along with 1/2 cup broth for the liquid.
3-In place of the frozen chicken, try using FROZEN brat sausages or any thick sausages, large FROZEN turkey pieces or other FROZEN cut-up meats.
4-Substitute peeled cut-up sweet potatoes for the baking potatoes, and use chicken broth in place of the tomatoes.
This is a basic country type stew that is easily used as a basis for many different dishes.
Most of us can tolerate this dish. If you have a problem with tomatoes, use 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth instead.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
