Kooky Cocktails - Funky Monkey

The second drink I created for Lee Ann's party, using Lisa Lillien's "Hungry Girl Happy Hour" as my template, was the Funky Monkey.  You can NEVER go wrong with chocolate and banana!  Especially when it only sets you back about 200 calories.  Not bad for a creamy alcohol indulgence. 

Interestingly enough, this one was the most popular at the party, although not with Miss Lee Ann, the birthday girl.  That's why it's important to have more than one bodacious beverage in your repertoire.  Tastebuds vary!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Trader Joe's 100 Calorie 70% Dark Chocolate Bar
• 4 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond millk
• 1 ounce sugar-free vanilla non-dairy liquid creamer
• 1 ounce almond tequila
• 1 ounce sugar-free vanilla syrup
• 1 teaspoon banana extract

Directions:

• In a microwave-safe dish, break chocolate into chunks and pour non-dairy creamer over the pieces.
• Microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Stir to blend chocolate fully into creamer.
• Fill a cocktail shaker about 2/3 full with ice.
• Pour all ingredients into the ice-filled shaker.
• Shake until thoroughly blended, and pour into a glass.
• Serve immediately.

 Makes 1 serving. Approximately 200 calories.

 

 

Kooky Cocktails - the PB&J

 

So inspired was I by my experience with Lisa Lillien at the recent Hungry Girl book signing, that I decided to make some low-cal cocktails for my good gal pal Lee Ann's birthday celebration.  With Lisa's fab book "Hungry Girl Happy Hour" and a bottle of delish almond tequila from my honeymoon at my side, I stirred this and shook that until I came up with two beauteous beverages that met the tastebud test. 

 

The PB&J is the first of the two.  It really does taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... without the doughiness.  This was Lee Ann's fave.  Get ready to get your yum on!

 

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 ounce almond tequila
• 1/2 ounce sugar-free peanut butter syrup
• 1/2 ounce sugar-free raspberry syrup
• 1 ounce sugar-free vanilla non-dairy creamer

Directions:

• Fill a cocktail shaker about 2/3 full with ice.
• Pour all ingredients into the ice-filled shaker.
• Shake until thoroughly blended, and pour into a sassy glass.
• Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.  Approximately 150 calories.

Spinach & Feta Chicken Sausage with Berry Drizzle Broccoli & Cauliflower

Looking for a super simple summer meal?  This is it!  It's only got four ingredients and comes together in about 15 minutes total.

Busy people trying to eat healthy *and* yummy meals have to take advantage of any and all appropriate shortcuts, such as stocking up on great premade items like flavored sausages.  I found these chicken sausages filled with spinach and feta cheese at Whole Foods.  Wowsa!  They are gooood!!  Even better, they're only 140 calories and 1 gram of carbs each.  Cook 'em on the George Foreman Grill to make the flavors pop!

Another tip for making your tastebuds tingle is to use high-quality accent foods.  The broccoli and cauliflower are lightly grilled and modestly seasoned with garlic salt.  Add a drizzle of artisan berry jam, though, and you've got a gourmet side that didn't take a culinary school degree to create.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken sausage stuffed with spinach and feta cheese
• Chopped broccoli, about a 1/2 cup
• Chopped cauliflower, about a 1/2 cup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons berry jam

Directions:

• Preheat a George Foreman Grill (or sauté pan).
• Slice sausage in half lengthwise.
• Place sausage and vegetables on grill (or in sauté pan) and heat until cooked through.
• Warm jam in microwave for about 15 seconds.
• Sprinkle vegetables with garlic salt and drizzle with jam.

"Chicken" and Veggies in a Garlic Almond Sauce

This is another recipe that seems like it just wouldn't taste good... but it does.  In fact, it's really good!  The garlic, almond butter, and almond milk combine to make a rich, voluptuous sauce to ladle over the "chicken" and blend of stir-fry vegetables.  Quorn is a great substitute for chicken breast.  Except for the appearance, I can't tell the difference when tasting.  This is a flavorful low-calorie, low-carb meal.  Try this dish, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 Quorn breast
• 1 cup frozen mixed, stir-fry vegetables
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• garlic salt and pepper to taste
• green onions, if desired

Directions:

• Spritz a sauté pan with non-stick olive oil spray and heat on medium.
• Spoon minced garlic into pan, stirring periodically.
• Preheat the George Foreman Grill.  (Quorn is hard to cook in a sauté pan, especially frozen, without it coming out dry.  The George Foreman Grill cooks it perfectly so that it's got nice grill marks on the outside but retains its juiciness.)
• Place Quorn breast on grill and close lid.
• Warm almond butter in the microwave (1 to 2 minutes, depending on strength).
• Steam veggies in microwave.
• Whisk unsweetened vanilla almond milk and softened almond butter together with minced garlic in sauté pan.
• Keep whisking until thoroughly blended and thickened.
• Whisk seasoning in to taste.
• Place veggies on a plate, lay Quorn on top.
• Spoon sauce over everything and sprinkle with green onions if desired.

Grilled Pork with Asparagus and Blueberries

Asparagus and blueberries are everywhere right now, and for about a month, I've had this nutty idea to combine the two in some sort of recipe.  One night after work, I decided to go for it.  The contrasting textures of the crisp veggies and softened fruit, plus the sweet versus savory taste, made the dish surprisingly yummy.  It was the perfect side for the unseasoned porkchops, which would have been too bland on their own.

Ingredients:

• Extra thin, extra lean porkchops
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• Garlic salt, pepper and sugar/Splenda, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat a George Foreman grill, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spritz a baking sheet with non-stick olive oil spray.
• Spread the asparagus in a single layer across the baking sheet, and spritz with more olive oil spray.
• Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper as desired.  Feel free to add any other seasonings you'd like.
• In a small bowl, lightly mash the blueberries with a little bit of sugar/Splenda.
• Spread the blueberries over the asparagus, and spritz again with olive oil spray.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how "al dente" you like your asparagus.
• While the asparagus is cooking, grill the porkchops on the George Foreman Grill.  (I did not season them in any way, but you could, of course.  You could also grill them in fry pan if you don't have a grill.)
• Plate and serve.

Festive Fruit Pizza

Take fruit to the next level for all your summer BBQs with a colorful fruit pizza.  I made this one with a chocolate cream cheese "sauce", but you could readily omit the cocoa or try a whipped cream variation.  It's super simple to change up every element of this easy-to-assemble treat, so the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

Crust

• Double the recipe for almond cookies.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Layer

• 3 Tablespoons cocoa
• 3 tablespoons sugar or Splenda or 'Just Like Sugar'
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, broken into chunks
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream, plus 8 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Fruit Layer

• Assorted fruit, sliced if appropriate, as desired.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spritz a round pan or tart pan with non-stick buttery spray.
• Combine all ingredients as per almond cookie recipe.
• Spread evenly in pan.  The mixture is fairly sticky, so it may be easiest to spread it with your fingers.
• Bake for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
• While the crust is baking and cooling, prepare chocolate cream cheese layer.
• Whisk cocoa and sugar/Splenda together.
• Combine cocoa mixture and all other ingredients in a blender.
• Whip until fully blended.  
• Keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to assemble pizza.
• On cooled crust, evenly spread chocolate cream cheese mixture.
• Layer fruit on top.
• Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Father's Day Dinner

Mike likes simple food, so for Father's Day, I made him Tacos with Homemade Parmesan Shells and Homemade Vanilla Spice Ice Cream with Cherry Sauce.  

Both dishes benefitted from produce found at two different farmers markets: Chinese tricolor hot peppers in the Chunky Chinese Salsa that I mixed into the ground beef and fresh dark cherries.  It was more work than eating out but so good.  And, best of all, Mike loved his special dinner!

Cherry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 generous cup of fresh dark cherries, rinsed and pitted
• 1/4 cup sugar or Splenda or 'Just Like Sugar'
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients except the Xanthan Gum in a saucepan, stirring thoroughly.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Before mixture begins to boil, sprinkle Xanthan Gum over mixture and whisk to blend in.
• Continue to stir as mixture boils and thickens.