Brussel Sprouts...revamped!

OK...I'm probably in the minority because I LOVE baby brussel sprouts, but here's a recipe I just tried that made even my husband like them.

In a large frying pan, cook 5-6 slices of bacon until crispy. Remove cooked bacon and drain on paper toweling. Slice one small onion into super thin rings and toss it into the bacon grease leftover in the pan. Cook and stir until it's soft, then dump in well-drained, cooked baby brussel sprouts.
In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of water, 1 TBLS. dijon mustard, and 2 TBLS. apple cider vinegar...pour it over the brussel sprouts, stir...toss in bacon. Let sautee a bit until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve. YUM!

New Breakfast Option

I know that a lot of us with type 2 diabetes don't do well with cereals, and as good as eggs, egg beaters, bacon, cheese, etc. are, you can definately get tired of them. So when you're in a rush and don't even have time for a smoothie, I found a product that is tastey and actually has good numbers...AND it's portable.
Russell Stover SUGAR FREE Breakfast Bars.
They come in 4 flavors: Chewy Granola, Cinnamon Bun, Apple Cinnamon, and Blueberry. So far, I have only tried the Apple Cinnamon. It's like a chewy granola-type bar with a chocolate drizzle over the top for added yumminess. This is a soy-based product, but seems to me to have less of that undesirable soy texture that many soy products have. Now, for the numbers:

A 31 gram bar has:

Calories..........100
Fat....................6g
Carbs..............13g
Fiber................7g
Sugars............0g
Sug Alcohol....5g
Protein.............7g

Not bad, huh?

Tofu French Fries w/ Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

These are suprisingly tastey little treats, or great even served as an entree or appetizer. Loaded with healthy protein, low in carbs & sugar, and it's quick & easy to make them. Even the little ones will like these crispy "fries" and their yummy peanutty dipping sauce. Just make sure you don't go overboard on the cayenne if making them for small children.
People who "hate tofu" will like these and not even realize they're eating tofu.


Ingredients :

2 lb firm tofu
3 tbl vegetable oil
kosher salt to taste
5 tbl smooth peanut butter (natural)
3 tbl Brown Sugar Twin
4 tbl tamari soy sauce (if this is not available, use Kikkoman)
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbl water, to 2 tbsp


* Cut the tofu into pieces the size and shape of french fries. Brush the pieces lightly with the oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Spread in 1 layer on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler. Broil both sides for about 10 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
* Mix together the peanut butter, brown sugar twin, tamari, cayenne, and garlic. Add enough of the water to give the sauce a creamy consistency. Use as a sauce or dip.
* Serves 8 as an entree.

Zucchini & Tomato Gratin (Yummy even as a main course!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium zucchini
4 small tomatoes (like Roma tomatoes)
1 TBSL basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup grated mozzerella

Slice zucchini and tomatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Lightly coat a 9 x 13" pan (or a 2 quart casserole dish) with cooking spray.
Overlap diagonal rows of zucchini and tomato slices alternately in prepared dish. Sprinkle with basil, salt, & pepper. Combine cheeses and sprinkle on top.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, then...
Broil 6" from heat for 5 - 6 min or until hot and cheese is lightly browned.

Serve this with a small green salad...delicious!

Congo Cookies (no sugar added)

These yummy little cookies make up quick and easy, and keep well in the fridge. You can be imaginative with these, too. Add something different you life, take away something you don't...just try to keep the wet to dry ingredients the same as the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Splenda
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. skim milk
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 c. peanut butter (natural, no sugar added)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter, milk and cocoa together in a 2 quart saucepan. Heat until the liquid boils, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, Splenda and oats. Stir in vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool in freezer. Fill up your cookie jar with these easy to fix chocolate treats. Yield 50 cookies.

Shhh...this is my secret weapon!

But I'm going to share it with you, and only YOU! It's my berry power smoothie recipe! I drink a smoothie almost every morning and it starts my day off right. It's healthy, nutritious, and DELICIOUS...and it keeps you satisfied for hours, doesn't cause BG spikes (at least not for me) and gives me that boost of energy to get moving.

Michele's Berry Power Smoothie
6-8 ice cubes
1 cup frozen blueberries (I sometimes use strawberries, blackberries, or a mixture)
1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
2/3 cup of water
2 tablespoons of heavy cream

*you can play with the ice cube/water ratio for thicker/thinner smoothie consistency...but these measurements are what I have found are "perfect" for my particular tastes.

Toss all the ingredients into the blender, and "whir" away until it's a thick, SMOOTH consistency...ENJOY!!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies - You can eat these!! WooHoo!

Preheat oven to 375°F.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Endangered Species Extreme Dark Chocolate Bars, chopped into small chunks
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened
1.5 Cups Splenda
1.5 tsp Blackstrap or Dark Molasses
2 eggs
1 Cup almond flour (aprox 2/3 C raw almonds ground fine in food processor or coffee grinder yields about 1 Cup almond flour)
1 Cup vanilla whey protein powder (I buy mine at GNC when it's on sale, Wal-Mart when it's not)
1/4 Cup Oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, Splenda, and molasses until creamy and well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. In a separate bowl, stir together ground almonds, vanilla whey protein powder, oat bran, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, to butter/Splenda mixture, beating well after each addition, until it is all beaten in. Stir in nuts and chopped chocolate bars. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets sprayed with non stick spray.
*These will not spread and flatten as much as standard chocolate chip cookies, so if you want them flat, you'll have to flatten them a bit.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden.