Not Your Father's BLT

First off, let's agree to call it a really good mushroom sandwich instead of a BLT. The liberal use of liquid smoke gives the mushrooms a smoky flavor that reminds you of bacon. Pair these mushrooms with a good summer tomato and some lettuce on toasted bread and you have a very good sandwich. Because of my desire to cut out as much fat as possible I didn't put mayonnaise on my sandwich.  We used mustard, honey and Greek yogurt that we mixed together.

The recipe is very simple:

1/4 cup liquid smoke

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

Use real maple syrup, not the type that you put on your pancakes. Mix the liquid smoke, maple syrup and salt together. Cut the portobello mushroom caps into quarter inch slices and lay them in a shallow dish that as been filled with the marinade. Let the mushrooms set for 15 minutes and then turn them over for another 15 minutes. The original directions say to fry the mushroom strips in oil, but again because I'm cutting out oil I used just a quick spray of Pam, and then added the marinade as I cooked the mushrooms in order to keep them from sticking to the pan. Make sure your pan doesn't get too hot, or all the sugar in the maple syrup will start to burn. Once the mushrooms look slightly like strips of  bacon it's time to assemble your sandwich and enjoy .

The Latest Iteration

The latest iteration of my blog is a low-fat , fat-free , heart healthy blog. In September 2015 I was diagnosed with heart disease. Let's face it, this is the result of years of effort . I love my potato chips, I love my chocolate, and I love eating junk food. Is it any surprise then that I began having chest pains, throat pain, and pain in my left arm whenever I walked. A routine physical picked up and an irregularity in my EKG. Subsequent tests, including a heart catheterization, revealed six blockages ranging from 30% to 100% . Due to the number of blockages , and their locations, I was not a candidate for stents but was a candidate for an immediate bypass surgery. Since I am not a fan of having your chest cracked open,I decided to think about the surgery for a while.I'm still thinking about it. But in the meantime I'm taking my medications, and pursuing an exceptionally low fat or fat free diet. I'm loosely following Dr. Dean Ornish's program for reversing heart disease.
As you can see by scrolling through my blog, follow-through is not a strong point of mine. I do have some good recipes and I refer back from time to time when I need a recipe, so I guess it fits my needs. You may find a recipe that looks interesting and rest assured I won't put anything on this blog that isn't excellent....But understand this....being on a very low fat diet lowers your standards quite a bit. Enjoy!

Lemon Sherbert

Want an easy, refreshing dessert for a hot summer day? Try Lemon Sherbet made in your freezer.....not an ice cream freezer...your regular freezer. The original recipe, written in 1940, simply called for lemons, sugar and milk. Today's milk has much less fat, so I use half and half. Here's our recipe:

1 quart half and half

Zest from 1and a half lemons

Juice from 3 lemons

2 cups sugar

Mix the juice, sugar and lemon zest together. Add half and half. Make in the morning and stir it a couple of times throughout the day. We usually double the recipe and serve 10 - 12 people. What a great, easy recipe!

 

 

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Home made chips

One of my addictions is potato chips... I could (and do) eat a bag at a time feeling guilty afterward and a tad ill. Enter home made chips! I recent read something about making your own junk food because the process of making it slows down your consumption...that's is certainly true with my chips. They're slow to make but worth the time.
I start with a large russett sliced thin. I use a vegetable slicer I've had for some time. Rinse well until the water runs clear- I'm assuming this removes some of the starch. I then lay out the slices on a microwave safe dish- I'm using a dish intended for bacon. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Microwave on high for about four minutes or slightly longer until the chips start to brown. I do batches of about ten chips at a time...see....slowing down. The results? A healthy chip for no guilt snacking.

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Marinated portobello feta salad

Its been a while since I posted a new dish and a lot has changed. Over a year ago we started our vegetarian experiment....that experiment has become a lifestyle. A couple of months ago we added a gluten free diet. Gluten free is definitely more of a challenge, but aside from missing bread, we're making a go of it. I have several dishes I need to post, starting with one we had today....and out was great!
2 T honey mustard
1 T basil, chopped
1T green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 t red wine vinegar
2 t olive oil
1 1/2 t maple syrup
1/2 t salt
4 portobello mushroom caps
Mixed greens
Feta cheese

Mix all ingredients up to the mushrooms....process in food processor until smooth. Place mushrooms stem side up on a baking dish and spoon dressing over the mushrooms. Broil, flipping once, about 6-8 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and slice. Serve over greens and sprinkle with feta cheese.

The secrets..... I bought mixed greens at the grocery store salad bar. So easy! I doubled the dressing putting half on the mushrooms and half directly on the salad.

A great meal!

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Veggie Fritatta

It's been a while since I've posted but this dish was so god and easy that I knew I needed to get this one out. The only problem with this recipe is you need a 10 inch oven safe frying pan. I borrowed Josh's cast iron Cracker Barrel pan.... I may need to go buy one of my own.
Chop the following:
1 medium onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 medium zuchinni
2 cloves garlic
saute the above in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Before adding the eggs store in a half cup of frozen or canned corn.

Beat six large egg and pour over the veggie mix....shake pan to even things out. Allow to cook on the stove top until eggs begin to set around the edges then place the pan in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. When you remove the fritatta from the oven loosen the edges with a spatula and slide it onto a serving platter. Slice and serve!

Seasoning: the original recipe called for fresh basil and parsley.... I added a little dried as I sauteed the veggies. I added half a teaspoon of red pepper, a little salt and some freshly ground black pepper. It was a little spicer than I like do I may cut out the red pepper next time. I'd also consider adding other veggies, particularly mushrooms. I think any combination of veggies would work.

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Easy Marinara Sauce

This is a weight watchers Marinara Sauce that we spiced up a little.  You can start with the basic sauce and pretty much add anything you want.  I added squash, zucchini and bell peppers....I think a few mushrooms would be a good addition.  Any way....it's easy and great tasting!

32 ounce can of crushed tomatos
16 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic

Heat the olive oil in a pot.  Add the garlic and saute for about one minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for as long as you can wait to eat.  Seriously, I added the veggies and simmered the sauce long enough for the veggies to get tender.  I served this over whole wheat penne pasta with a salad and a bottle of red wine....if only I had a good baguette it would have been perfect!
Enjoy.