The fresh basil and flavored vinegar impart a colorful summery-Mediterranean flavor to this simple salad. It's very low glycemic.
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 kiwi , peeled and sliced
2 TB. coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 TB. olive oil
1 TB. flavored vinegar, your choice. I used a sweet wine vinegar infused with lavendar.
2 TB. shredded Parmesan
1. On a serving platter, arrange tomato and kiwi slices, alternating them.
2. Sprinkle basil on slices. Sprinkle on olive oil, vinegar and Parmesan.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Stress-low-glycemic brownies-beef
Stress alert. Increase your stress and increase your weight. From mid-March through July 15, about 4 months, I was avidly and intensely writing my next 2 books which will be in bookstores right after Christmas 2008. I worked hard to meet tight deadlines. Even with long hours of research and computer time, I maintained my normal daily exercise routines and ate less food than normal, probably because writing is sedentary.
Yet, by July 15, my jeans were too small. I'd definitely gotten bigger. I had midriff and midlife bulges in lots of places. Since I never weigh myself, I can't give you numbers. But I can tell you that other people noticed and said something about my weight gain. Yuck.
Yet, today, four weeks later, my jeans fit fine again. I have breathing room, so to speak. I haven't dieted or exercised more. In fact, I've been eating more food. What happened?
Only one thing changed – my stress levels. About 2 weeks after deadline, my cortisol (stress) levels returned to normal and so did my weight.
Lose weight by losing stress. It's way fattening. Here's some activities I used to decompress: caught up on everything I'd postponed: sent baby, wedding, and birthday presents, managed personal accounting and finances, read a couple novels while lying on the sofa all day nibbling on chocolate, went hiking lots, caught up with friends and emails, started painting watercolors again, played bridge and Scrabble, worked the NY Times crossword puzzles, tossed out dated magazines and such. I organized my space and my life, planned a weekend getaway with my husband, and culled my closet of dated or worn clothes.
What's on your list? What relaxes you? What incompletions do you need to complete? What can you do reduce on-going stress? Start with activities you love, then add in others, perhaps yoga, hot tub, gardening.
Chocolate with chili is fabulous. Sample chocolate bars flavored with chili, or with chili and cherries. Lindt and Chocolove bars are amazing. The slight burn of the chili adds a wonderful flavor that enhances the chocolate. Chocolate is 48 on the glycemic index scale, which is low-glycemic. These bars are so satisfying that a piece or two is usually enough.
In writing recipes for my book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Recipes, I found satisfying substitutions for the two biggest high-glycemic ingredients: flour and sugar. Here's a recipe for my brownies with suggestions for substitutes to lower the glycemic index and preserve the great taste. Book will be in bookstores late December 2008.
Lucy's Brownies
2 sticks butter – use only butter
1 ¾ cup sugar or 1 ½ cup xylitol
5 eggs
1 cup flour, or 1 cup almond, pecan, or hazelnut flour
1 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground chili powder (optional)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) or 2 squares baking chocolate, shaved into tiny bits
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Fold in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chili powder, and chips.
4. Bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper for 20-30 minutes.
Note: make 1 cup nut flour by processing ¾ cup raw nuts in a food processor until it forms a flour.
Here are some other substitutions I used in the cookbook:
Use up to one-third Hi-Maize corn starch in place of flour in a recipe. Purchase online or at amazon.com.
Use oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ in place of some flour in recipes.
Good flour substitutes are pecan, almond, hazelnut, and walnut flour. Powdered chick peas also work.
I don't worry about using small amounts of sugar in recipes – it's better than artificial sweeteners. Use honey in salad dressing and sauces.
Avoid white potatoes and instead use red potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Big news: now the experts are touting beef for weight loss. It's about time.
Have a great rest of the summer. Relax. De-stress.
Warmly,
Yet, by July 15, my jeans were too small. I'd definitely gotten bigger. I had midriff and midlife bulges in lots of places. Since I never weigh myself, I can't give you numbers. But I can tell you that other people noticed and said something about my weight gain. Yuck.
Yet, today, four weeks later, my jeans fit fine again. I have breathing room, so to speak. I haven't dieted or exercised more. In fact, I've been eating more food. What happened?
Only one thing changed – my stress levels. About 2 weeks after deadline, my cortisol (stress) levels returned to normal and so did my weight.
Lose weight by losing stress. It's way fattening. Here's some activities I used to decompress: caught up on everything I'd postponed: sent baby, wedding, and birthday presents, managed personal accounting and finances, read a couple novels while lying on the sofa all day nibbling on chocolate, went hiking lots, caught up with friends and emails, started painting watercolors again, played bridge and Scrabble, worked the NY Times crossword puzzles, tossed out dated magazines and such. I organized my space and my life, planned a weekend getaway with my husband, and culled my closet of dated or worn clothes.
What's on your list? What relaxes you? What incompletions do you need to complete? What can you do reduce on-going stress? Start with activities you love, then add in others, perhaps yoga, hot tub, gardening.
Chocolate with chili is fabulous. Sample chocolate bars flavored with chili, or with chili and cherries. Lindt and Chocolove bars are amazing. The slight burn of the chili adds a wonderful flavor that enhances the chocolate. Chocolate is 48 on the glycemic index scale, which is low-glycemic. These bars are so satisfying that a piece or two is usually enough.
In writing recipes for my book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Recipes, I found satisfying substitutions for the two biggest high-glycemic ingredients: flour and sugar. Here's a recipe for my brownies with suggestions for substitutes to lower the glycemic index and preserve the great taste. Book will be in bookstores late December 2008.
Lucy's Brownies
2 sticks butter – use only butter
1 ¾ cup sugar or 1 ½ cup xylitol
5 eggs
1 cup flour, or 1 cup almond, pecan, or hazelnut flour
1 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground chili powder (optional)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) or 2 squares baking chocolate, shaved into tiny bits
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Fold in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chili powder, and chips.
4. Bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper for 20-30 minutes.
Note: make 1 cup nut flour by processing ¾ cup raw nuts in a food processor until it forms a flour.
Here are some other substitutions I used in the cookbook:
Use up to one-third Hi-Maize corn starch in place of flour in a recipe. Purchase online or at amazon.com.
Use oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ in place of some flour in recipes.
Good flour substitutes are pecan, almond, hazelnut, and walnut flour. Powdered chick peas also work.
I don't worry about using small amounts of sugar in recipes – it's better than artificial sweeteners. Use honey in salad dressing and sauces.
Avoid white potatoes and instead use red potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Big news: now the experts are touting beef for weight loss. It's about time.
Have a great rest of the summer. Relax. De-stress.
Warmly,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
