South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-up: March 2008

Photo of Seared Jumbo Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and
Grilled Asparagus by Kirsten of Kirsten's Home Cooking

I'm always thinking about what to feature on Kalyn's Kitchen, and recently I found myself flashing back to when I used to spotlight South Beach friendly recipes from other blogs for South Beach Recipes of the Week. Even though I got tired of doing that every week, recently I've noticed people using those pages. I know that for many people, what's challenging about South Beach is the first few weeks when you can't eat fruit, bread, pasta, rice, or other starchy foods or grains. I just started doing phase one myself (to lose a few pounds before summer!) which got me thinking about how once-a-month collections of phase one recipes could be really useful. So here's the first phase one recipe round-up, with links to all the phase one recipes I've posted during March, plus tasty-sounding phase one recipes I've found on other food blogs. Of course, phase one recipes are things you can eat for any phase of the diet, and even if you're not dieting I'm betting you'll find some tasty-sounding recipes here.

(I'll do my best to make sure these recipes are phase one, but I'm assuming that if you're a South Beach dieter you know enough to ignore things like rice or potatoes sharing the plate with a phase one entree. Occasionally I find recipes that could be easily made phase one, and I'll note those changes when I post the links.)

Phase One Appetizers:
Tuna and Goat Cheese Tartare from Bon Appegeek
Smoked Salmon and Wasabi Rolls from Nami Nami

Phase One Soups, Stews, and Chilis:
Four Tomato and Red Pepper Soup from Tinned Tomatoes
Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Soup from Closet Cooking (skip the heavy cream)
Chicken Soup with Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Shallots from French Kitchen in America
Wednesday Night Chili from Marisa at Slashfood
Roasted Italian Sausage Soup with Garbanzos, Lentils, and Roasted Tomatoes from Kalyn's Kitchen (don't serve with pita bread for phase one)
Beef and Bean Chile Verde from Sidewalk Shoes
Smoky, Sweet, and Spicy Red Pepper Soup with Feta and Mint from Food Stories
Cream of Artichoke Soup with Garlic, Onions, and Garbanzo Beans from Farmgirl Fare (skip the heavy cream)

Phase One Salads and Salad Dressings:
Cabbage and Blue Cheese Salad with Sunflower Seeds from Kalyn's Kitchen
Creamy Cojita Cilantro Chile Dressing from The Feast Within (make a taco salad without the chips)
Poached Salmon Salad with Creamy Pesto Dressing from Fig and Cherry (skip the potatoes)
Black Bean and Lentil Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Cumin, and Cilantro from Kalyn's Kitchen
Zucchini and Red Pepper Salad with Spinach "Pesto" from Green Lite Bites
Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion, and Cilantro from Kalyn's Kitchen
Taco Salad from Kalyn's Kitchen

Phase One Vegetables:
Parsley, Garlic, and Parmigiano Stuffed Artichokes from We Are Never Full
Twice Baked Cauliflower from Kalyn's Kitchen
Provencal Vegetables from I Like to Cook
Sauteed Swiss Chard and Spinach from The Inadvertent Gardener
Army of Baked Vegetables from Kalofagas (skip the breadcrumbs)
Roasted Asparagus with Creamy Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen (use Splenda for sauce)
Sauteed Curly Kale with Wholegrain Mustard from Cook Sister
Cauliflower Steak from Albion Cooks

Phase One Entrees:
Wok-Seared Chicken with Asparagus and Pistachios from Cookie Madness (skip the rice)
Milk-Braised Pork Roast from Kitchen Parade (don't use bacon fat or flour and trim the fat on the roast)
Seared Jumbo Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and Grilled Asparagus (pictured) from Kirsten's Home Cooking
Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives from French Kitchen in America (skip the potatoes)
Cilantro Chicken from Tasting Spoons (substitute Splenda for honey)
Chicken Malai Tikka from Malabar Spices
Olive Chicken Stew from Canela & Comino
Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms from Jerry's Thoughts, Rants, and Musings
Greek Meatballs from Kalyn's Kitchen

Phase One Breakfasts:
Greek Feta and Olive Frittata from Lisa's Kitchen
Italian Asparagus, Mushroom, and Parmesan Frittata from Food Blogga
Asparagus, Mushroom, and Parmesan Frittata from Cheap Healthy Good


Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Sometimes All You Need is a Perfect Recipe for Taco Salad

Do you love trying new foods, or do you have old favorites that you eat over and over again? If your answer was "Both," maybe you're suited for the life of a food blogger! If you're writing a food blog about recipes, you need to keep coming up with something new to try frequently (for the blog, that's what we tell ourselves.) On the other hand, even the most adventurous food blogging cook probably has things they make regularly.

Taco salad is one of my standby lunches and something I could probably eat every day for a long time before I'd ever get tired of it. Of course everyone who likes taco salads has their own taco salad preferences, and I'm pretty emphatic about mine. Chips aren't even something I think of any more when someone says taco salad, but don't try taking away my ranch dressing! I also like to use a seasoned mixture of lean ground beef and black beans, simmered together with some cumin, chile powder, and ground chipotle chile powder. I make a double batch of this mixture and keep it in the freezer, so I can get that taco salad fix whenever I need it.

Dump canned black beans into a colander and rinse well with cold water (until no more foam appears.) If you have time to cook your own black beans, even better.

Brown the ground beef well, breaking it apart with a metal turner as you cook it. I always use ground beef with less than 10% fat.

When the meat is well browned, add black beans, chile powder, cumin, and chipotle chile powder with two cups water. Let simmer until nearly all the water has evaporated.

I'm partial to romaine lettuce for this salad, but you can use iceberg lettuce if you like it. I use about 3 cups lettuce when I'm making a main dish salad.

Mix the lettuce with about 3 T ranch dressing, or use a dressing of your choice. (It looks like too much dressing at this point, but when other things get added to the salad it will be just right.)

Add the meat/bean mixture and diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and gently combine, then sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the salad. Just delicious!

Kalyn's Taco Salad
(Makes enough meat/bean mixture for 4-5 salads. I recommend doubling the amount of meat/beans and freezing it so you can have taco salads in your future!)

For meat/bean mixture:
1 lb. low fat ground beef (less than 10% fat)
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
1 tsp. olive oil (to saute ground beef, use more or less oil depending on your pan)
1 can black beans (can use kidney beans or small red beans)
1 T chile powder (New Mexico chile powder preferred, this is a very mild ground red chile powder)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (or use any other type of hot chile powder or chili sauce)

For each salad:
3 cups romaine lettuce, torn, washed, and spun dry
3 T ranch dressing (I make the dressing from Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix that's combined with buttermilk and mayo)
3/4 cup meat/bean mixture (or more)
1 cup diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (if using large tomatoes, drain them in a colander after chopping)
1/4 cup grated cheese (I use low-fat four cheese Mexican blend)

Dump can of black beans into a colander in the sink, then rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. (This removes some of the undigestible carbohydrates that can make beans hard to digest.) Let drain while you cook meat.

Heat olive oil in large heavy frying pan, then add ground beef, breaking apart with your fingers. Cook beef over medium high heat until well browned, breaking apart with metal turner as it cooks. When beef is browned, add beans, chile powder, cumin, Chipotle chile powder, and water and simmer until nearly all water is evaporated. Let cool slightly before using on salad. (This can be made ahead and frozen. To use after freezing, thaw and then reheat for a couple of minutes in a microwave.)

To assemble salad, put lettuce in large plastic bowl and toss with desired amount of dressing. Add slightly warm beef/bean mixture and diced tomatoes and gently toss. Arrange on serving plate and sprinkle with grated cheese.

South Beach Diet and Low-Glycemic Suggestions:
All the ingredients here are low on the glycemic index. However, if you're a South Beach dieter, it's pretty important to use low-fat ground beef and low-fat cheese in this salad, because the combined fat in the meat, cheese, and mayonnaise would probably make this a "once in a while treat" for South Beach. I wouldn't try to reduce the fat by using fat-free salad dressing or mayonnaise, because I don't want the added sugar that fat-free products have, but you could use light mayo in the dressing.

More Taco-ish Salads to Try:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Southwest Chicken Salad
Cilantro-Lover's Leftover Chicken Salad
Turkey Taco Salad from City Mama

Quick and Easy Taco Salad from FoodCite
Catalina Taco Salad from Ramblings from a Gypsy Soul
Creamy Cojita Cilantro Dressing for Taco Salad from The Feast Within
Breakfast Taco Salad from Foodaphilia
Healthier Taco Salad from Two Fat Als
Taco Salad from Culinary in the Country
Simple Taco Salad from Greens and Grains

Want even more recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Recipe Favorites: Twice-Baked Cauliflower

(Updated March 2008) I'm one of those people who really like cauliflower, and I especially like this dish, possibly in memory of all those twice baked potatoes I ate before I started eating the lower glycemic index way. I remember my mother making them for special occasions, and I'd help scoop out the potato insides and mix them with sour cream, cheese and butter, and there was definitely lots of cheese sprinkled on top when the potatoes went back in the oven for the second baking. In those days all the Denny siblings considered them to be the ultimate gourmet treat, something my mother didn't often make for the twelve (12!) people she was cooking for.

Don't think of the cauliflower in this recipe as just a replacement for potatoes though. This is a great way to prepare cauliflower, whether or not you're a potato eater. I've been re-discovering The Low Carb gourmet by Karen Barnaby and that's where I found this recipe, which I followed quite closely for me. I did cut down on the butter and bacon, and used low fat cheddar, cream cheese, and sour cream to make it more South Beach Diet friendly. Next time I'd skip the butter completely; this would have plenty of flavor without it.

Bacon isn't really recommended on South Beach, but this recipe called for 8 pieces, which I cut down to six, and for six servings that's not a huge amount of bacon. I buy the pre-cooked bacon at Costco, and cook it so it's very crisp, then blot well with paper towels, so I try to get rid of as much of the fat as I can. I think Canadian Bacon would taste great in this if you wanted to be a little more faithful to South Beach, and it would also be fine with no bacon at all.

And yes, if you want to be picky, the cauliflower is really boiled, then baked, but I agree with Karen Barnaby that Twice Baked Cauliflower is a title that really captures the spirit of this dish. Give it a try if you like cauliflower.

Twice Baked Cauliflower
(6 servings, recipe adapted slightly from The Low Carb gourmet.)

1 large head cauliflower
4 oz. low fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)
1 T butter (optional, original recipe called for 2 T and next time I would leave out the butter)
1/2 cup low fat sour cream (do not use fat free)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked very crisp and crumbled
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
(I used Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in large pot of boiling water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, butter (if using), sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the bacon.

Spread evenly in an 8 X 8 inch glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

South Beach and Low Glycemic Suggestions:

Even with less fat due to low fat cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream, less bacon, and no butter, this recipe should be a "once-in-a-while" treat for the South Beach Diet since all the fat is saturated fat. Serve it with lower fat dishes such as Grilled Tuna with Cherry Tomato Salsa. Cauliflower is very low on the glycemic index, and should be a good choice for any low-glycemic eating plan.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging

Easy Recipe for Cabbage and Blue Cheese Salad with Sunflower Seeds

If you're the kind of food-obsessed person who loves searching for recipes on food blogs, you may be surprised to hear that overwhelmingly the most popular category in my recipe archives is Easy South Beach Recipes. It seems lots of people love these low-glycemic recipes with only five main ingredients and simple preparation methods, and occasionally I'll get e-mail asking for "more easy recipes." When I made this salad and loved it, I realized I couldn't remember writing about sunflower seeds for Weekend Herb Blogging, so I decided I should share how I made this easy salad.

Sunflower seeds are the seeds of the giant sunflower, of course, although Wikipedia on sunflower seeds says it would be more botanically correct to call them sunflower kernels. In the U.S. they're commonly sold with or without the shells as a snack. I've been a huge fan of these salty kernels since the time I was old enough to spend my allowance on snack food, although now I mostly buy the shelled type and eat them sparingly in salads. They're considered one of the world's healthiest foods, containing significant amounts of vitamin E and B1, and fairly large amounts of manganese, magnesium, copper, tryptophan, selenium, phosphorus, B5, and folate. They're also rich in phytosterols, plant compounds believed to help reduce blood levels of cholesterol. In fact, sunflower seeds and pistachios are highest in phytosterols of all nuts commonly eaten as snacks. I'm sure that people from all over the world will be sending Weekend Herb Blogging entries to Ramona at The Houndstooth Gourmet this week, and I'm curious to see if sunflower seeds are eaten in other countries too. If you'd like to participate by writing about an herb, plant, vegetable, or flower, here are the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging, and where to send your entry. Now, keep reading to see how easy it is to make this delicious cabbage salad.

Cabbage and Blue Cheese Salad with Sunflower Seeds
(Makes 3-4 side dish servings, recipe created by Kalyn. All measurements can be adjusted to taste.)

4 heaping cups thinly sliced cabbage (I used packaged pre-sliced coleslaw mix which includes a bit of carrot, but this would be even better with freshly sliced green and red cabbage mixed)
1/2 tsp. celery seed (or more)
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing (I used Litehouse Original Blue Cheese)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

If using fresh cabbage, thinly slice it with a mandoline or chef's knife. Put cabbage in plastic bowl. Sprinkle with celery seed, then stir in blue cheese dressing until the cabbage is well moistened. (Use more or less dressing depending on how wet you like your salads.) Arrange salad on individual serving plates and sprinkle sunflower seeds over each serving. Serve immediately.

South Beach Diet and Low-GlycemicSuggestions:

For South Beach dieters, be sure to choose a dressing with less than 2 grams of sugar per serving. (The Litehouse Blue Cheese Dressing has only 1 gram of sugar.) This is a perfect salad for any phase of the South Beach Diet. Cabbage is a very low-glycemic vegetable, so it's perfect for any low-glycemic eating plan.

Blast from the Past Recipes with Sunflower Seeds:
Tuna Fish and Tomato Salad with Sunflower Seeds
Carrot, Parsley, and Garbanzo Salad with Cumin
Better-for-you-than-Mom's Bacon and Cabbage Salad

More Ideas for Salads with Sunflower Seeds:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Broccoli and Toasted Seed Salad from Cook Sister
Ginger Sunflower Seed Salad Dressing from Christine Cooks Vegetarian
Creamy Asian Slaw from Everybody Loves Sandwiches
Cowboy Coleslaw from A Veggie Venture
Award Winning Broccoli Salad from Mrs. Gluten Free
Broccoli Slaw from La Mia Cusina
Balkan Roasted Vegetable Salad from Eat Me, Delicious
Simple Substantial Salads from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Swiss Chard Salad from I Am Gluten Free
An Autumn Salad from Rice and Beans: A Belizean in D.C.

Want even more recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Ziploc Twist 'n Loc Food Storage Containers

I first discovered Twist 'n Loc storage containers by Ziploc last summer when I was making and freezing lots of fresh tomato sauce. Now I've been using the containers all winter to store things like chicken stock and soup in the freezer as well. Let me say that these are absolutely fantastic freezer containers. They're sturdy enough to stand up to many trips through the dishwasher, they never leak, and they're completely air-tight, so the frozen food always tastes fresh when it's thawed out. I love these containers so much, I decided to add them to Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, the list where I gush over the foods and kitchen products that make me smile. (No, Ziploc has not sent me any containers or paid me to write about them, in case anyone is wondering.)

Some people may be thinking this is silly to get so excited about freezer containers, but I have a big garden and a big freezer, and freezing things from the garden is a priority for me. I also regularly cook things for my father and stepmother, so I need a way to cook in advance for them and freeze the food. There has literally not been a week all winter that I haven't used a few of these containers.

The containers come in two cup (one pint) or four cup (one quart) sizes. Both sizes are marked on the side in one cup increments, which is something that's very handy when you have quarts of chicken stock in the freezer and you only need two cups. The lids screw on tightly and are interchangeable between the two sizes, which is another big plus for me. Finally, I love it that the containers nest into each other so they can be stored laying down in a drawer.

My grocery store puts these on sale regularly, and they're around $1 each on sale, so I've accumulated a good supply of them in preparation for this summer's tomato sauce making season. I think most U.S. grocery stores would carry them, and you can also buy Ziploc Twist 'n Loc food storage containers at Amazon.com if you can't find them where you are. (Kalyn's Kitchen does earn a few cents on the dollar if you buy them through that link, but I recommend checking in your local store first, where they're sure to be cheaper.)

Does anyone else love these containers besides me? If so, I'd love to hear in the comments about how you've used them.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Cooking Freezing Food

100% Whole Wheat and Bran Bread Recipe (This bread recipe is a work in progress!)

Recently when I posted about Irish Soda Bread, I mentioned that the authors had sent me a copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, along with assurances that I could use the innovative break-making method to make 100% whole wheat bread. This is the bread post I promised was coming, and I decided I should call this recipe a "work in progress," because I'm still experimenting with getting the ingredients exactly right, although I was very satisfied with the taste of the bread.

I'm seriously baking-challenged, and I don't eat a lot of baked goods, but I've been wanting a recipe for South Beach Diet friendly bread. This loaf of bread is dedicated to Tanna who has encouraged me to try baking bread, even though I wanted a recipe that was all whole wheat flour, with little or no honey or other sweeteners added. (All the experienced bread bakers are shaking their heads.) It took me three tries tinkering with a recipe from the book to produce a loaf of bread I wasn't ashamed to write about, and even then a bread-baking expert would probably say this bread didn't rise enough. Meanwhile, here's more about this way of making bread and how I managed to make a very tasty loaf of 100% whole wheat bread.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day spotlights a bread-baking method developed by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois that's even easier than the famous No-Knead bread that swept the country. Basically the method involves mixing water, yeast, and salt, mixing in flour, and letting the bread rise for a few hours. At that point you can refrigerate the dough for up to a few weeks. Whenever you want to bake bread, just take out some of the dough, let it rise, and bake. Lots of other food bloggers (who actually know how to bake!) have raved about the book. I'll just say this, any book that gets me to bake bread must be pretty darn good. More variations of this recipe and possibly other breads to come.

100% Whole Wheat and Bran Bread
(Makes two small loaves or one large loaf, recipe adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.)

1 1/2 cups + 2 T lukewarm water
1 T yeast
3/4 T salt
1/2 cup wheat bran (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur Flour)
2 cup White whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur Flour)

Get two plastic bowl, one which has a lid (not air-tight.) Combine the wheat bran, whole wheat flour, and white whole wheat flour in the bowl with the lid. In the other bowl, combine lukewarm water, yeast, and salt, and stir to dissolve. With a large spoon, mix the water mixture into the flour. (Of course if you're a baker, use your Kitchenaid with a dough hook to mix the bread. The book suggests using wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour if mixing by hand.)

Let the bowl of dough sit at room temperature about 2 hours, or until the dough rises and collapses or flattens on top. The dough can be used immediately after the intial rise, but it's easier to handle if refrigerated. If refrigerating to bake later, dough will last for two weeks in a container that's not completely air-tight.)

To bake, dust the surface of the dough with flour and break off a grapefruit-sized piece. Dust with more flour and shape into a ball by stretching the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, turning the dough as you go. (I know I didn't do this correctly!) Form into an oval shaped loaf. Let dough rise on greased plate for 40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 F and place a baking stone on middle rack. (Of course I don't have a baking stone, but I did preheat the heavy baking sheet I used to bake the bread on.) Place an empty broiler tray on bottom rack.

Sprinkle the dough liberally with flour and slash with a serrated knife. (I did it wrong, but I liked the criss-cross pattern.) I took out the hot baking sheet at this point and brushed it with olive oil. Slide bread onto hot baking sheet and immediately pour one cup water on to empty broiler tray to create steam, then close the oven door. Bake 30-45 minutes, until firm and well browned on crust. (I made a large loaf and baked it for nearly 45 minutes.) Let cool slightly, then cut and eat!

Bread Reflections:

Next time I'll increase the water to 1 3/4 cups. I'd also try a small-sized loaf to see if it would rise better. Next time I might try my toaster oven if I could figure out a way to do the water. Any Bread Baking Babes out there have suggestions for the next batch? )

South Beach or Low Glycemic Suggestions:

Bread made with this recipe is a good choice for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet. South Beach doesn't recommend butter due to the saturated fat, so if you're a South Beach dieter, use a trans-fat free margarine or peanut butter on your bread. You may want to read my post about Choosing the Right Bread for the South Beach Diet if you're buying bread or using a bread machine.

More Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Breads to Try:
(These recipes from other blogs are all ones I'd like to try, although some would seriously challenge my baking skills!)
White Whole Wheat and Oatmeal Irish Soda Bread
No Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread from Su Good Sweets
100 % whole Wheat Bread Walnut Loaf from Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum (contains a very minimal amount of honey)
100 % Whole Grain Hearth Bread from The Fresh Loaf
100 % Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from Baking and Books (contains a minimal amount of sweetener, Agave Nectar can be used)
Ten Grain Whole Wheat Bread from Christine Cooks (has 1 T sugar)

Want even more recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Egg Salad and Cheese Quesadillas Recipe from a Kalyn's Kitchen Reader

I can tell by how many people are reading my post about making perfect hard-boiled eggs that left-over hard-boiled eggs are on the menu this weekend, so it's the perfect time to share a recipe for egg-salad quesadillas, sent to me by someone who reads Kalyn's Kitchen. I thought this was a delicious new breakfast idea, but I can't find the original e-mail, so I hope the person who shared it will see this post and leave a comment so we can properly thank them.

I used Carb Chopper Whole Wheat tortillas, which make this a South Beach Diet friendly breakfast option, but if you don't care about that you can use any type of flour tortilla that appeals to you. I kept my egg salad mixture pretty basic, but check after the recipe for more egg salad ideas if you'd like to be adventurous.

Start by chopping your perfectly boiled eggs into pieces about 1/2 inch. You'll need about one egg for each quesadilla you're planning to make.

It's a personal preference, but I like to mix the egg salad mixture gently, so that it's still fairly chunky when you're ready to spread this into the tortillas.

The person who sent me the recipe mentioned that she sometimes uses cheese, and I thought the cheese added flavor and helped keep the egg mixture together inside the quesadilla.

Egg Salad and Cheese Quesadillas
(Makes 4 quesadillas, can easily be increased. Recipe shared by a Kalyn's Kitchen reader.)

4 hard boiled eggs
4 small size flour tortillas (use whole wheat or low carb
tortillas for South Beach diet)
olive oil or non-stick spray for spraying tortillas and pan
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 T mayo or light mayo
1 1/2 T finely chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, or use other seasonings of your choice)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely grated cheese (I used a low-fat Mexican blend of four cheeses)

Follow instructions for making perfect hard-boiled eggs. Let eggs cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into pieces about 1/2 inch. Mix eggs with Dijon, mayonnaise, chopped green onion, and Spike seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spray or brush olive oil on frying pan and on bottom side of tortillas. Spread egg salad mixture on half of each tortilla, not going clear to the edge so it doesn't fall out while quesadillas are cooking. Top egg mixture with 1 T grated cheese, then fold the tortilla to make a half-moon shaped quesadilla.

Heat frying pan over medium-high heat, then cook quesadillas about 3-4 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted and they are slightly browned. Serve hot, with salsa on the side if desired.

More Variations on Egg Salad:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Easter Egg Salad from Too Many Chefs
Egg Salad Sandwich from Simply Recipes
Easy Egg Salad from Pinch My Salt
Curried Egg Salad from 101 Cookbooks
Stinky Tuna and Egg Salad from Nosheteria
Deviled Egg Salad from A Fridge Full of Food
Spiced Egg Salad from Field to Feast
A Lighter Egg Spread from A Wee Bit of Cooking
Basil Egg Salad from Je Mange la Ville
Spiced Egg Salad from Field to Feast

Want even more recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Black Bean and Lentil Salad Recipe with Red Bell Pepper, Cumin, and Cilantro

This salad with black beans and lentils is something I used to include on nearly every menu back in the days when I organized catered houseboat trips at Utah's Lake Powell. I used brown lentils in those days, but now that food bloggers have tipped me off about the small green French lentils which hold their shape a little better in a dish like this, I prefer using the green French lentils in the salad. At Lake Powell I would have served this as a side dish with something like grilled chicken or fish, or it could be a good vegetarian main dish.

In the Lake Powell days I had barely discovered cilantro, which is something my friends now probably find hard to imagine. Nearly twenty years ago I wrote a little self-published cookbook of Lake Powell favorite recipes. The recipe for this salad listed parsley as an ingredient, and years later I had crossed out the word "parsley" in my one remaining copy and put "cilantro." Of course my love of cilantro is now well documented, but I've also learned there's a good reason some people don't like it. A poster on Chowhound suggests celery leaves can substitute for cilantro if you have a cilantro-hater in your midst, which sounds interesting. This week's host for Weekend Herb Blogging is Katie of Thyme for Cooking, who isn't a big cilantro fan, although she's giving it a try lately. (Katie, you can use celery leaves if you make this salad, and I promise I won't take it personally.) Here are the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging and where to send your entry if you feel like blogging about herbs, plants, veggies, and flowers. Now, don't forget to check after the recipe for other ideas for cilantro-loving recipes.

Black Bean and Lentil Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Cumin, and Cilantro
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn.)

1 cup (about 1/2 pound) lentils (I used green French lentils but you can use ordinary brown lentils)
1 can black beans
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion (scallions) green part only
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
2 T olive oil
2 T chicken stock
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T fresh lime juice (can use apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. finely minced garlic (I used garlic puree from a jar)
1/2 tsp. dried Oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
1 tsp. cumin seed (can use ground cumin)
1/2 tsp. Ancho chile powder (or use any mild chile powder)
1/2 tsp. Spike seasoning (or more)
fresh ground pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste (I used green Tabasco sauce)

Put lentils into a small sauce pan with plenty of water to cover, bring to a slow simmer and cook until lentils are tender, about 40-60 minutes for green lentils or 30-40 minutes for brown ones. Drain lentils and let cool slightly.

While lentils cook, put beans in a colander and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Let drain well, then blot dry with paper towels.

Put olive oil, chicken stock, Dijon mustard, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a small bowl. In mortar and pestle, grind together oregano, cumin seed, chile powder, Spike seasoning, and pepper. Wisk into liquid in bowl, then add hot sauce to taste and wisk again.

When lentils are slightly cooled, combine with half of dressing and let marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Wash, spin dry, and finely chop cilantro and set aside. Chop red bell pepper, red onion, and green part of green onions finely and add to lentils. Add drained beans to lentil and vegetable mixture, and stir in rest of dressing, then gently mix in chopped cilantro. This will taste best if refrigerated for an hour or so before serving, but it can be served sooner if you're short on time.

South Beach and Low Glycemic Suggestions:
Salad like this with low-glycemic black beans and lentils are great for any phase of the South Beach Diet, or any low-glycemic eating plan.

More Cilantro-Loving Recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen:
Grilled Halibut with Garlic Cilantro Sauce
Black Bean, Rice, and Cilantro Salad
Black Bean and Beef Chili with Cilantro, Lime, and Avocado Salsa
Chipotle and Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Double Cilantro
Black Bean and Rice Soup with Cilantro and Lime

Cilantro Love from Other Blogs:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Skirt Steak with Cilantro Garlic Sauce from Serious Eats
Bok Choy with Peanuts and Cilantro from What Did You Eat
Steamed Chicken and Rice with Cilantro Pesto from Is It EDibl