Recipe: Roasted Beet & Barley Salad

One of my favorite things is beets. I grew up eating canned pickled beets - an odd thing for a kid to really like, particularly when my mother served them hot as a side dish, where the juice would run and color all the other food on the plate. But then I ate them frequently in salads, and continued to love them as an adult.

Then I discovered roasted beets. So different! A mild sweetness, they do take on flavors that surround them. They still of course are that bright purple color, and they will color any other ingredient in the dish.

This is not my recipe - it was developed by Anna Thomas for this month's Eating Well magazine.

The only ingredient I didn't have on hand was fresh basil - my plant didn't survive our recent major thunderstorm. I actually think this would be even better with some argula mixed in - giving a bit more green color, plus the crunch of peppery leaf.

The magazine gives 6 servings for the recipe - 8 would be more in line with post-op serving sizes. 

• 1 1/4 lbs small beets
• 3/4 cup pearled barley
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 400F. Scrub beats under running water. Wrap tightly in foil and roast in oven for 1 to 1.5 hours until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. When they are cool enough to handle, slip skins off with your fingers or a paring knife (this will color your fingers if you don't wear gloves). Chop beets into a small dice.

Bring large saucepan of water to boil with 3/4 tsp salt. Add barley, reduce to a minimal simmer and cook uncovered 45 minutes. Drain well, spread onto a baking sheet to cool.

Heat dry skillet over medium heat on stove. Add chopped nuts - toast stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from heat to cool.

Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, fresh cracked black pepper to taste and remaining 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add beets, celery, radishes and scallions, toss to coat. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then add barley.

 Just before serving, stir in basil and nuts.

Nutritional information (based on 8 servings): 181 calories, 24g carbohydrates, 7g sugars, 9g fat, 4g protein

Recipe: French Bordeaux Chicken

This recipe could be done in a smaller batch, but with a good wine involved, I hate to make too small of a batch or the rest of the wine might go to waste. So with this recipe, I made it with the intent to freeze and save additional portions.

Adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe , I've changed some ingredient quantities and cooking times - it was a 30-minute meal, and with some things, you just need a bit more time than that.

• 1 lb cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 medium parsnips, diced
• 3 celery stalks - tender inner ones with leaves
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cups white Bordeaux wine
• 1 cup chicken broth - low sodium
• 1 small box frozen pearl onions (alternately 1 box sweet onions - diced)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• salt and pepper

 Using a heavy dutch oven, brown bacon until most of the fat has been rendered. Remove bacon bits and drain on a paper towel.

Salt and pepper chicken, then toss in flour. Shake all excess before adding to the bacon fat. Brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove from pan and set aside. Add celery, carrots, and parsnips, browning in remaining fat until softened. If choosing to use diced onion, add at this time as well. Season again with salt and pepper, add chopped thyme.

When vegetables are cooked, push to outer edge of pan leaving an empty circle in the middle.  Melt butter, then whisk in 2 tbsp flour to make a roux. Cook roux for 1 minute, then add wine, whisking to fully incorporate. Add chicken broth. Mixture will thicken, bring to a low simmer.

Add chicken back into pan along with pearl onions. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, or reduce to low heat and simmer for up to an hour to allow flavors to combine.

Serve over egg noodles, brown rice, farro, or barley as desired. Nutritional information for chicken and sauce mixture only.

Freeze extra servings air-tight using Food-Saver type storage.

Recipe makes 8 servings: 201 calories, 5.7g fat, 13.6g carbohydrates, 4.4g sugars, 14.5g protein, 6.1g alcohol

Recipe: Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops

In a post-op life, identifying a variety of protein options becomes a necessity as some go-to meals like pasta are no longer in our rotations. Lamb was a pleasant addition to my list of "yum!" proteins. This can look very fancy but is ultra quick for a week night meal as well.

Fresh spices really make the flavors pop.

• 2 bone-in lamb loin chops (locally best found in butcher case at Harris Teeter, Fresh Market or Whole Foods)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil 

Mince garlic, mash to combine with salt with back of spoon or a mortar and pestle. Add lemon zest, rosemary, and olive oil and stir to combine.

Brush mixture onto all surfaces of lamb choices - cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Place rack in oven near top - about 3-4 inches below broiler element. Turn oven to high broil, line baking sheet with foil. Broil chops for 5 minutes per side for medium rare (with chops being 1.5 to 2 inches thick).

Take care when turning, some of the rendering fat may smoke a bit.

Shown served with steamed brocolli.

Rated: 3+ months - lamb is tender, chew well!

Nutritional information based on 3 oz usable meat - roughly half the cooked weight of a bone-in chop, and approx 1/4 of garlic rosemary mixture.

Nutritional information: 201 calories, 11.7g fat, 22.6g protein

Recipe: Chocolate Caramel Frozen Greek Yogurt

Chocolate, sweet, and frozen - some of the things that you think you may have to give up in a post-op life, but not so! And, it doesn't have to be the fake food nastiness that's in a lot of the things in your grocer's freezer section.

Now, I will admit that I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to these things - to make a good frozen yogurt you do need some fat. It may be possible to make this work with non-fat or very low fat products, but the texture and mouth feel just won't be the same and it will harden into an icier freeze - not optimal. You may choose to make some substitutions, but the savings in calories and fat, in my opinion, don't make the changes in the final product worth it.

•  12 oz plain greek yogurt (I use Greek Gods brand, found at Harris Teeter)
• 1/3 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa
• 1/8 cup Truvia (stevia sweetener)
• 1/4 cup Torani sugar-free caramel syrup
• 3/4 cup whole milk 

Whisk ingredients together in medium sized bowl until thoroughly combined. Consistency will be thicker than milk, but not as thick as a milkshake. Add milk a tablespoon at a time if you feel it needs thinning.

 Freeze in home ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions - mine takes about 25 minutes to get to a good soft-serve stage. Freezing for 4-6 hours will give a firmer but still scoopable consistency. I find that a thaw of ~45 minutes or more is necessary to get back to a soft consistency after a hard freeze, longer than you'd expect a traditional ice cream to need to rest.

I've rated this recipe 12+ months only because the fat content is bumping out against our goals for the losing stage. As always, let your own tummy be your guide as long as it fits within your daily nutritional goals.

This recipe makes just a bit under 1 quart - or approximately 4 ~3/4 cup servings.

Nutritional information (1/4 recipe): 173 calories, 14.2g fat, 17g carbohydrates, 6.5g sugars, 7.5g protein

Recipe: Honey Lemon Chicken

Some post-ops have trouble with chicken, in part because it can be dry, even when cooked carefully. To that end, though I rate this recipe as 3+ months post-op, you should be mindful of your own personal tolerances to chicken and as always, chew chew chew.

• 12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest and juice from one lemon
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Trim any remaining fat from the chicken breast(s), season with salt and pepper, and place in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl whisk together honey, oil, and juice. Pour half of honey combination over the chicken, turn over, then pour on remaining mixture. Turn or use a pastry brush as necessary to coat chicken completely.

Bake in oven for approximately 40 minutes - turning half way through and basting as necessary to keep moist.

Makes 4 3-oz servings.

Rated: 3+ months post-op

Nutritional Information: 124 calories, 4.5g fat, 5.7g carbohydrates, 4.7g sugars, 17.3g protein
 

Recipe: Sauteed Lemon-Chive Cauliflower

• 1/2 head cauliflower - cut into small florets
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese - grated
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Warm olive oil and salt in large skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower and saute without stirring for 3-4 minutes until beginning to brown on the bottom side. Toss and continue to cook until most pieces are caramelized. Add  garlic during last 30 seconds of cooking. Remove from heat, toss in in lemon zest and chives. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when serving.

Serves 4 (bariatric), or 2-3 traditional servings.

Rated: 6+ months post-op

Nutritional information (1/4 recipe): 54 calories, 4.2g fat, 3g carbohydrates, 1.2g sugars, 2g protein

Cheesy Chicken Corn Chowder

This chowder uses a mix of broth and milk as it's base - lightening it up compared to some traditional cream or half and half based chowders.  Note that ore-shredded cheeses tend to be packed with corn starch or other additives that prevent sticking and clumping, which may result in some separation when added to hot liquids. I recommend shredding your own cheese for this dish.

• 4 oz cooked and diced boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup yellow corn
• 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 slices bacon
• 1 small to medium onion,chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 large red potato, diced (about 8 oz)
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh minced thyme

Slice bacon into 1 inch pieces and render in heavy bottom sauce pan. When browned, remove to drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 to 2 tsp fat. Saute onion in bacon fat until translucent. Add carrot, potato, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are soft. 

Add milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer (but do not boil). Add thyme and bell pepper. Stir in cheese until melted. Sprinkle reserved bacon over soup when served.

Nutritional information (1/6 recipe) - 221 calories, 9.4g fat, 19.5g carbohydrates, 7.1g sugars, 15.7g protein

Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Red Wine Sauce

Adapted from a lamb recipe over on the Closet Cook , this was a quick dinner full of flavor. Make the molasses ahead of time and keep left overs in a pint canning jar.

• 6 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed of any excess fat, flattened into medallions
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses ** 
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Heat oil in skillet until it begins to shimmer. Sprinkle pork medallions with salt and pepper on both sides, then add to pan - saute for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to plate and keep warm.

Deglaze pan with wine, then add stock, molasses, honey, and vinegar then whisk to combine. Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, whisking to incorporate. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until sauce thickens. Serve sauce over pork, top with chives. 


** To make pomegranate molasses: In thick-bottomed sauce pan combine 2 cups pure pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, whisking occasionally. Watch mixture carefully from about 35 minutes on, as mixture will turn from simmering liquid to bubbling syrup quite suddenly. Transfer to pint canning jar to cool.

 Nutritional information (based on 3oz pork and 1/4 sauce recipe): 249 calories, 9.9g fat, 10.6g carbohydrates, 9.6g sugars, 26.6g protein

Breakfast Barley

It's been cold enough lately, and having 160lb less on my frame means that I feel it a lot more, that I've really been craving warm breakfast. Eggs get old quickly, and honestly they've not tasted quite the same post-op. I've been looking around for protein-rich alternatives to my stand-by cold cereal and milk. This recipe covers all concerns - it's warm, it has comparable protein thanks to the heat tolerant protein powder, and a comforting feel on a cold morning. It's also a great way to use up left over grains.

• 2/3 cup cooked, salted barley
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 scoop Any Whey protein powder 
• 1 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup 

Mix milk and protein powder together in small bowl until thoroughly combined. Add barley. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until warm (or warm on the stop top in small pan). Protein powder may rise to the top, just stir back into the barley mixture. Top with pumpkin seeds and maple syrup.

Nutritional information: 1 recipe = 1 serving. 264 calories, 4.7g fat, 43.1g carbohydrates, 11.8g sugars, 14.4g protein

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that while very good for you can also be a bit boring. There's steamed broccoli, it's often tossed in pastas with heavy alfredo sauces, or in homey cream-of-whatever soup casseroles. The casseroles can be tasty, but fat and sodium bombs. I set out to create a lighter version of a broccoli casserole that had less rice and binders than other versions out there. I believe I definitely succeeded on taste!

• .5 cup cooked white long grain rice
• 1.5 cups steamed broccoli - cooked until just past al dente
• 1/2 medium onion - finely diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 slice toasted white bread (or scant 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs or panko)

Sweat onions in small pan until translucent, set aside in medium sized bowl. Add cooked rice and broccoli (may be added from refrigerated left overs or prepared ahead).

Melt butter in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add flour and whisk together. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently, until roux turns tan in color. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Add half to three-quarters of the cheese, stir until melted. Add sauce to rice, broccoli, and onion mixture.

Spoon mixture into small baking dish (I have a 4x4 Le Creuset dish that fits this perfectly). Top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.

Bake in 350F oven for 20-25 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbly.

Serves 4 bariatric or small side servings, or 2 larger portions.

Nutritional information (via myfooddiary.com, based on 4 servings): 195 calories - 10.2g fat, 19.3g carbohydrates, 3.6g sugars, 7.9g protein

Boozy Bistro Chicken

Epicurious.com has a take on the classic bistro Steak Diane, done instead with chicken breasts. My version is adapted slightly for our portion sizes and needs.

• 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast - pounded flat or purchased in thin slice package
• 1 small shallot, minced
• .5 cup cognac or bourbon
• .5 cup dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
• 1.5 cups low sodium Chicken broth
• .5 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon Country Dijon)
• 1.5 tsp butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy bottom saute pan. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, saute until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side (at 1/4 inch thickness). Remove chicken from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan, saute shallot until translucent - about 3 minutes. Very carefully add cognac and the wine, then bring to a boil. Whisk in mustard, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add broth, then simmer until reduced about in half - 5-10 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium, then add heavy cream. Whisk until incorporated and warm, but not boiling.

Return chicken to the pan, coating with sauce - rewarming for 2-3 minutes.

Plate chicken, spoon sauce over, and sprinkle with chives.

Nutrition information - 1/4 recipe (1 bariatric serving) - 238 calories, 9.1g fat, 2.3g carbohydrates, 0.4g sugars, 13.1g protein, 12.6g alcohol

Recipe: Pork Medallions with Maple Mustard Glaze

Maple and mustard are not an entirely unusual flavor combination, but the simple preparation here has no unnecessary extras.

• 6 oz pork tenderloin, sliced into 1 oz pieces
• roughly 1/2 cup all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1.5 tbsp country dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Heat oil in large skillet until shimmering. Dredge pork medallions lightly in flour mixture, add to pan. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove from pan.

Deglaze pan with wine, letting it almost completely evaporate. Add mustard and maple syrup, whisking to combine. Cook until thickened into glaze consistency. Serve over medallions.

Nutritional information: 226 calories, 7.2g fat, 16.4g carbohydrates, 11.9g sugars, 16.1g protein