Zesty Roasted Potatoes

Since I discovered what havoc white potatoes cause my blood sugar, we don't have them very often, but my husband loves roasted potatoes and now that the weather is cooling off (daytime temps in the upper 80's instead of upper 90's), I decided to make some potatoes to go with the lamb roast my husband cooked on the grill today.

2 tbl olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tsp Emeril's green hot sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
4 medium potatoes (I used red potatoes, but gold or white would be fine)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray.

Scrub the potatoes but do not peel. Slice each potato lengthwise, then into eighths.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Add the potato wedges and toss until the potatoes are well coated.

Put the potato wedges in the prepared roasting pan, reserving the marinade in a measuring cup. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes. Drizzle some marinade over them and stir until the browned sides are facing up. Roast the potatoes for another 15-20 minutes or until evenly browned.

4 servings

Seattle Bandster Brunch

I just got back from a week in Seattle with my friends Lisa and John. On Saturday, August 21st, we hosted a brunch for the weight loss surgery support group that Lisa leads. It was almost too beautiful to eat (we did, however, manage to overcome that).

Going counter clockwise from the 11 o'clock position:

whole grain tortilla chips with avocado & cucumber guacamole
cheese chunks (cheddar & havarti) & almonds
mushrooms with cheese & artichoke stuffing
chicken tenders with spicy peanut dipping sauce
prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe and whole dates
deviled eggs
a JMM version of eggface egg "bites"
strawberries, blackberries, watermelon & cantaloupe with berry cream cheese dip
cucumber slices, pita chips, and whole grain crackers with creamy onion spread & smoked salmon

A good time was had by all, and Lisa and her family now have enough leftover food to last them for a week!

Frozen Banana Bites

Last week my husband bought a big bunch of bananas, ate one, and forgot about them. I ate one (half chopped up in my breakfast oatmeal, the other half chopped up in my breakfast yogurt another day). In the old days, I might have made some banana bread with the surplus ripe bananas, but I'm not all that crazy about banana bread, bready type foods aren't agreeing with my band right now, and turning the oven on when the thermometer's reading over 100 degrees just doesn't make sense. So I made a batch of frozen banana bites, and they are divine.

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
2. Cut a banana (or 2, or 3) into 1/2" crosswise slices and place the slices on the waxed paper
with the sides of the slices very close to each other.
3. Drizzle chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's lite chocolate syrup) over the slices. Don't overdo it
- there's no such thing as too much chocolate, but you don't want to create a sticky mess.
4. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for one hour.
5. Transfer the banana slices to a plastic storage container, using waxed paper (I just cut up
the big piece that lined the baking sheet) to separate the layers.
6. Store the banana bites in the freezer for up to 3 days.

Kids of all ages will love these treats. I eat 3-4 slices at a time. They taste like ice cream without all the fat. Next time I make them, I'm going to "frost" the slices with a thin layer of creamy peanut butter before I drizzle on the chocolate.

Vietnamese Fish with Pineapple Relish

When I lived in the Northeast and could get a wide variety of fresh fish, I would occasionally poach a salmon and serve it cold with some kind of sauce. Here in Tennessee, it's hard to get any fish fresh unless it's catfish or crappy (believe it or not, crappy is a kind of fish, not an adjective). But it turns out that poached catfish is very tasty with Asian style seasonings, and poaching keeps the fish moist enough for a bandster to enjoy. We ate it hot, but I think it'd be good cold as well. Don't be put off by the amount of sesame oil in this recipe. It seems like a lot, but you won't be consuming all that oil unless you drink the poaching liquid. You can substitute other fish for the catfish, but make sure it's a meaty fish that won't fall apart in the poaching liquid.

FISH
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or 1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar blend)

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1-2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce

3 tablespoons Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)*
1 pound fish fillets, cut in thirds
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the water with the brown sugar in a medium saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Add sesame oil, garlic, ginger, chili-garlic sauce, and fish sauce and heat until it simmers. Add the fish pieces and turn them to coat with the poach liquid. Return the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve with pineapple relish (recipe below). Serves 3-4.

* for the fish sauce, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste

PINEAPPLE RELISH
1/2 fresh pineapple, cored and diced small
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (a mix of red and green works well)
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lemon or lime rind
3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving (to allow the flavors to blend).

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/4 cup roasted red pepper (patted dry), or red tomato (skinned, seeded & chopped)
1 cup cottage cheese (I use the 1% fat version)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional)
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (see note below)

Whiz in a food processor until smooth, adding more lemon juice if a thinner consistency is desired.

For herbs, I use whatever's growing in the potted herb garden on the front porch, or whatever fresh herbs are affordable at the supermarket. This dressing is especially good with dill, or with a mix of herbs. I use no more than three different herbs so that the herb flavors stay distinct. Favorite combinations: mint, cilantro, parsley; basil, oregano, thyme; tarragon, dill, parsley.

Creamy Feta Salad Dressing

If you like feta cheese, you will love this creamy, low-fat, high-protein salad dressing.

1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Whiz the ingredients in a mini food processor until smooth enough to suit you. I like it with the feta cheese broken down into bits but not completely obliterated.

Serve with green salad or a salad of mixed chopped raw vegetables (with or without chickpeas).

Skinny Blini

This recipe was inspired by one of my OH pals. In my usual meddlesome way, I had to fiddle with it, and loved the result. Blini or blintzes are Eastern European style crepes (thin pancakes) filled with goodies. When I used to visit New York city frequently, I would order blini with cottage cheese for breakfast. Here is a lower-calorie, higher-protein version.

Whiz in a blender or food processor:
3/4 c. Egg Beaters
1 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 c. flour (wheat or soy)
1 packet sweetener (I use Truvia)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix:
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 c. fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1-2 packets sweetener
1/2 c. fresh berries (whole or cut up) or other fruit (roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon chopped unsalted nuts (I use walnuts)

For sauce, use one of the following:
1 cup pureed fresh berries sweetened to taste
1 cup no sugar added jam (microwave it for 1+ min. until slightly liquefied, then stir it)

Optional garnish:
whole fresh berries

Spray an 8" nonstick saute pan with butter flavor or plain Pam and heat over medium heat until the Pam starts to bead up. Pour in enough crepe batter (about 1/4 cup) to thinly cover the bottom of the pan, tilting the pan to swirl the batter evenly over the surface of the pan. Cook until bubbles start to form on the top surface of the crepe. Flip the crepe over with a pancake turner (these crepes are very tender, so be careful). Cook for another minute or until the bottom is pale gold and dry. Gently transfer the cooked crepe to a plate and repeat the process until all the batter is used, being sure to spray the pan with Pam between each crepe. You may have to turn down the heat a bit after the first crepe is done.

To assemble the blini, put a crepe on a salad plate with the nicest-looking side down. Put 2-3 tablespoons of the cottage cheese & yogurt mixture in the center of the crepe. Roll the crepe up. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of sauce over the crepe. If desired, scatter a few whole fresh berries on top. Serve.

Yield: about 8 blini