Dukan Diet

Once you have decided to purchase a Blood Pressure Monitor, then you should consult your Physician. He might give you a better advice. 

Roasting brings out amazing flavors in fresh green beans and mushrooms!

(Todays pick for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes is these delicious Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan.  You might think of green beans as a summertime vegetable, but I first made these in January 2009, and since then this has become the most-pinned recipe from my blog on Pinterest.   Apparently a lot of people like green beans!  And these beans are so delicious, you won't even think about Phase One while you're eating them.)

Back in the days when most of my exposure to green beans meant the ones that came from a can, I wasn't too much of a green bean fan. Then Costco started carrying these lovely thin French beans, and I fell in love with green beans. They're expensive compared to most vegetables, so this is definitely something to make for a special dinner at my house, although the day I roasted the beans for this recipe I ate a big plate of green beans for lunch!

This recipe for Kale and Basil Pesto with Lemon and Parmesan is a Public Service Announcement for all those lucky people who are growing kale in their gardens.  I actually made the pesto in these photos last September when my garden at the old house was bursting with kale.  Since I was giving kale away to anyone who stopped by, the abundance of kale led me to experiment with using it as an ingredient in pesto.  Kale is a strong flavor, so I froze my pesto in this mini-muffin tin, and each little ball of pesto was about three tablespoons, just the right amount to stir into a soup or toss with some pasta or rice.  If you have kale growing in your garden, or if your CSA or Farmer's Market gives you more kale than you know what to do with this summer, I highly recommend making this as soon as possible.

Strangely enough, I used to be much better at eating breakfast when I had to go off to work every morning.  Back in those days I had to be organized, so I always made Egg Muffins or Breakfast Casseroles on the weekend to microwave during the week.  My breakfast habits had gotten more and more sporadic since I'd been working at home, and recently I vowed to get back to my healthy breakfast routine.  It was a combination of very hot weather and that commitment to a healthy breakfast every day that finally inspired me to try eggs in the slow cooker, and I was thrilled with this Slow Cooker Frittata with Kale, Roasted Red Pepper, and Feta.

Memorial Day means the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S., or as I like to think of it, the beginning of Salad Season!  I love those warm summer days when a big plate of salad seems like the perfect lunch, and I'm always looking for ideas for my next salad creation.  This Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes Red Onion, and Cashews was inspired by a salad I bookmarked years ago on a blog that's no longer posting.  I changed it quite a bit from the original salad and it took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I love all these ingredients and this final version of the salad is definitely a keeper.

Salmon. Asparagus. Feta.  Maybe that's all I need to say about this recipe, because if you know me at all, you know a recipe with those favorite ingredients is going to be something I'll like.  Add a small amount of 100% Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta, some drained low-fat cottage cheese for creaminess, green onions, dill, and Beau Monde seasoning, and I think you can tell why I absolutely loved this Whole Wheat Orzo Casserole with Salmon, Asparagus and Feta.  This was the second recipe of the two I mentioned that I tried out on my brother Mark, his wife Lisa, and their daughter-in-law Lindy who stopped by a few weeks ago, and they liked this one as much as they did the Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado, and Radish Salad.  Even though it's a casserole, this is something I would serve to guests, and it's also good reheated if you manage to have any leftovers to eat the next day.

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, August 2013.)  One interesting thing about blogging is how it becomes a record of what foods you're craving at different times of the year.  I've confessed how my mid-winter craving for tomatoes leads to recipes like  Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro.  It happened again in 2009, when I spotted the recipe for Greek Salad with Avocado, Shrimp, and Caper Vinaigrette from Nick's Fishmarket Maui in the R.S.V.P. column in Bon Appetit Magazine, and tomatoes jumped into my basket the next time I was at Costco. I did enjoy those mid-winter tomatoes, but if you're making this in the summer with fresh garden tomatoes it will be even better!  Another ingredient that really made this salad special was the caper vinaigrette.  I adapted the restaurant's recipe a bit, but I'd never leave out the capers, which were a brilliant addition here.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and I was reminded of this lovely chicken dish when a follower on Twitter told me yesterday about how much she had enjoyed it.  If you're not growing French Tarragon, this recipe is a good reason to plant some because this simple dish of sauteed chicken breasts with a sauce featuring Dijon mustard and finely-chopped French tarragon makes a great dinner!)

In 2008 I planted French Tarragon for the first time in my herb garden, and it was the beginning of a huge love affair with the flavor of tarragon. I tried lots of different recipes using fresh tarragon, and loved them all. Now it's herb-planting time again at a new house, and this year I'll be planting some French Tarragon among my flowers and praying that the deer don't like Tarragon! And I'm looking forward to trying even more recipes with tarragon.

I don't remember my mother cooking black beans when I was a kid, but sometime after I left home she must have started using them, because they became my father's favorite type of bean, and any dish that had black beans was something he would enjoy.  I was thinking about that as I missed him on Father's day, and remembered all the black bean salads I made for him the last few years of his life when he was in an assisted living center where I'd visit twice a week and cook lunch.  My dad could be a picky customer when it came to trying new dishes, and I doubt he ever heard of vegan food, but I'm betting he would have enjoyed these Slow Cooker Vegan Brown Rice Mexican Bowls with Black Beans, Bell Peppers, and Poblano-Avocado Salsa, if only because of the black beans, rice and avocados; three foods he always loved.   Using the slow cooker to cook the rice and then heat together the chopped peppers, green chiles, and black beans kept the house cool, and I thought one of these Mexican bowls made a perfect Slow Cooker Summer Dinner.

(For Friday Flashbacks I feature favorite recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and recipe for Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage qualifies for Phase One Fridays as well.  My love for lentils is pretty obvious, and this is definitely something I'd enjoy eating any time of year.  And this year I have sage growing in my windowsill over the winter, score!)

This recipe for Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage was inspired by one in The Silver Spoon, a classic Italian cookbook that I think every serious cook should own.  The addition of fried sage was my idea after seeing it on restaurant menus, and the fried sage was a wonderful addition to this dish, if I do say so myself.  Sage is something I have growing abundantly for most of the year, and when you fry it the sage flavor intensifies just a bit as the leaves are transformed into crispy morsels of sage-flavored goodness.  But if you like Italian Sausage and Lentils but don't have fresh sage, this dish would still be very good without the sage. 

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this tasty salad with chicken, black beans, and red peppers with avocado dressing is something I love when the weather gets hot.  I normally post my Phase One Friday favorites on Friday morning, but I'm sharing this one early because tomorrow morning I'll be heading out bright and early to attend the BlogHer Food 2013 Conference.  This year the conference is in Austin, Texas, where it's definitely hot enough to make you crave this type of salad; enjoy!)

It's hot, hot, hot outside, and whether you're looking for a cold side dish to take to a party or just something that's an eat-it-cold meal idea, this Chicken, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing is going to hit the spot, I promise.  If you really want to avoid cooking you can make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, but if you don't have that poaching two chicken breasts is still pretty quick and easy.  This salad stayed good in the fridge for several days, especially if you stir in a little more of the spicy avocado dressing to perk up the flavors.  Enjoy!

This Grain-Free Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed is low-carb, gluten-free, and South Beach Phase One.  And it's delicious!

(For today's post for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes, I've updated the photos for this Grain-Free Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed from 2007; this meatloaf has lean ground beef, turkey Italian sausage, roasted tomatoes or drained canned tomatoes, and flax seed meal instead of bread crumbs to bind the meatloaf together.  This recipe makes two meatloaves, but it freezes well, and this delicious meatloaf will probably get gobbled up pretty quickly.)

I'm  fan of meatloaf, so when I set out to make a Phase One meatloaf recipe, I came up with the idea of using flaxseed meal instead of bread crumbs so the meatloaf would be grain free. Flax seeds are very rich in nutrients, and the oil is popular as a nutritional supplement. But flax seeds are more nutritious than merely the oil because besides omega-3 fatty acids, the seeds are rich in both kinds of fiber and they also contain a phytoestrogen called lignans. Of interest to South Beach Dieters, flax seed meal has equal amounts of carbohydrates and fiber, which means no net carbs. The amount of flax seed meal I used in this recipe seemed perfect to bind the meatloaf together, but you could certainly use more.

(Updated with improved photos and step-by-step instructions, November 2012.)  I know some people are still looking for leftover turkey recipes, but if your turkey is gone and you're looking for something comforting but still pretty healthy to make in the slow cooker this weekend, this Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce makes great leftovers too.  I love those two-in-a-pack chuck roasts they sell at Costco, and this recipe from 2007 is one of my favorite ways to use them.  The sauce is a little chunky, but if you'd like a smoother sauce use onion powder instead of the chopped onion.  Here's How to Make Pot Roast in the Crockpot which you might want to read before you make this.

Just make the barbecue sauce with all Stevia or Splenda and you can enjoy this pulled pork for Phase One!

(I'm afraid that breaking my arm three weeks ago put a crimp in any plans I had for a special round-up of Superbowl Recipes, but I decided I should at least end our A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes with some Phase One ideas that would work for Superbowl parties.  And as long as you skip the optional brown sugar in this low-sugar barbecue sauce and make it with all Stevia granulated sweetener or Splenda,  this pulled pork is perfectly legal for Phase One.)

When I mentioned on Facebook that I was making a version of pulled pork with low-sugar barbecue sauce, I had people asking me to post the recipe. That didn't surprise me, since this is a classic American dish, but I do want to start by saying that one reason I decided to tackle this was because I find most barbecue sauce recipes to be too sweet, without enough complex flavor undertones. I wanted to see if I could come up with a version that would suit my preference for more savory flavors, so if you try this recipe, be prepared for a sauce with plenty of mustard flavor, smokiness, and spice, and just the barest touch of sweetness.

(Today's pick for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes is this delicious Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw.  I've made this for several Denny family parties, and it's always been a hit!)

When I spotted this crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw recipe in The Sunset Cookbook, I knew I had Napa cabbage in the fridge, so I immediately started checking to see if I had the other ingredients.  I found sugar snap peas, radishes, green onions, sliced almonds, and all the dressing ingredients, but no cilantro.  It was cold outside and I didn't want to go to the store, so I thought I'd try making it without cilantro (gasp!) and all you cilantro-adverse people out there will be happy to hear that the salad was fantastic even without it.  Of course, cilantro lover that I am, I'd definitely add the cilantro if I had some on hand!

Re-discovering a recipe is always fun, and while I was unpacking from the move I found this old favorite rice salad recipe in a set of binders with recipes I clipped from cooking magazines back in the days before the internet.  The salad was called Roman Rice Salad, but unfortunately I didn't write down where I found it, and I couldn't find anything with that name online.  I made this salad many, many times through the years with white rice, dried basil, and chopped bell pepper, but I loved this updated version with brown rice, fresh chopped basil, and rings of pepper from sweet mini-peppers.   

(Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions in June 2013.)  For many summers now I've been infatuated with Basil Vinaigrette, which I love to eat drizzled over tomatoes or grilled vegetables.  I first posted this Grilled Halibut with Basil Vinaigrette as an idea for using leftover basil vinaigrette, but this combination is so wonderful that I'd make basil vinaigrette just so I could cook this.  The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for a week or a little longer, so check after the recipe for other ideas for using it.

In Utah it's expected to hit 104F this week, and it seems likely we're going to set a record this summer for the most days above 100F.  I hear some people lose their appetite when the weather is extra hot, but that never happens to me; in fact when summer produce is abundant I'm always thinking up new ways to use it.  My latest experiment was this Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans, Avocado, Tomato, Poblano, and Lime, and the fact that the only cooking involved was 2-3 minutes to quickly saute the julienned zucchini made this a great hot-weather dish.   If you like zucchini and you're looking for a light summer meal where you don't need to heat up the kitchen, I bet you might enjoy this as much as I did.