Dressings - Part 2

This is my favorite dressing, when I am craving something sweeter, and goes great on all sorts of salads. I have also used it for a dipping sauce for chicken. Over the past week I have enjoyed it on a salad with turkey bacon bits, sharp cheddar and spinach. It is great with fruit as well. Get creative!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 TBSP cider vinegar
• 1 cup sweetener (Splenda is really good in this dressing)
• 1/2 cup milk (less if you want it thicker)
• 2 TBSP poppy seeds

Procedure:

• Set the cream cheese out beforehand to let it soften, about 30 minutes.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a whisk or hand blender.
• Allow it to sit overnight for best flavor.

Dressings - Part 1

Many days I love topping my salads with a simple vinegar blend, but other days I really want something more substantial. These two dressings are very versatile and can add the needed zip to a number of dishes.

Ranch Dressing
This ranch dressing is an updated version of a dressing that has been used in my family for years. My sister Hilarie did great converting it so we can continue to enjoy it while on Dukan.

We have come to love it on roasted meat and veggies. It also works great as a dip for vegetables.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so you may want to cut it in half if you don't plan on using it all right away.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 32 oz Greek yogurt
• Milk
• 1 tsp garlic salt (or you can do 2 tsp Mrs. Dash garlic & herb to replace the garlic & onion salts)
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper

Procedure:

• Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and allow it to soften slightly, this will facilitate blending, about 30 minutes.
• Add your cream cheese and yogurt to a mixing bowl, and use a whisk or hand blender to combine. 
• Slowly add milk until it reaches the desired consistency
• Add the seasonings.

This tastes better if it can sit overnight and meld.

Ricotta Lemon Pancakes

I am in love with these. I think the combination of ricotta and lemon is great, and have loved the finished product each time I have mixed the two. I found the original recipe here, and have tweaked it slightly to make it Dukan approved. Depending on your topping choices you could eat these on every phase. I had some fruit salsa in the fridge and that was great, but cream cheese would also be good. Get creative.



Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup oat bran flour (blended oat bran)
• ½ cup milk (add slowly)
• 3 TBSP sweetener of your choice
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon (Meyer lemons will be slightly sweeter)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

Procedure:

 

1. Mix all wet ingredients, except the milk, and blend until well mixed and fluffy. 
2. Add the oat bran flour, mix until well incorporated.
3. Slowly add the milk until the batter reaches a good consistency for pancakes. 
1. Mine was too thin and made very thin pancakes, which were still very tasty.
4. Preheat your skillet and spray with a light mist of cooking spray.
5. Cook as you would a pancake
1. The original recipe suggest making smaller pancakes, but I found this took too long and opted half way through to make normal sized pancakes.

Roughly 1/3 of the pancakes made would equal the amount of oat bran you should consume each day. If you take that into consideration you can use this as a method of eating your oat bran. I made about 1 dozen larger pancakes (5 inch), the original recipe suggests it makes 2 dozen of the smaller (2 1/2 to 3 inch) pancakes.

Crepes

This was so tasty. The possibilities for toppings are numerous, but I am partial to cream cheese, a bit of cinnamon sugar, and some fruit salsa. Give these a try next time you are stumped for dinner, or if you feel energetic for breakfast.

Crepes
Servings - 6
Ingredients:

• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup oat bran flour (oat bran blended to flour consistency)

Procedure:

• Blend all of the wet ingredients. 
• Mix in the flour and stir until well blended, but not too long.
• Place in the fridge for 1 hour, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200F, place a cookie sheet on the top rack in your oven. This will allow you to keep the crepes hot until you are ready to eat them.
• When you are ready to cook your crepes heat your pan until it is hot, but not overly hot. I spray a bit of Pam between each, each pan is different.
• Use a small amount of batter and spread it evenly around your pan.
• Cook until the edges start to curl in, then flip over. Cook for a moment and then gently place the finished crepe in the oven, or wherever you elected to store them until consumption.

Around 2 crepes would equal the correct daily amount of oat bran.

Possible toppings:

• Fruit Salsa (shown in picture, recipe below)
• Whipped topping
• Fruit Dip 
• Flavored cream cheese
• Plain cream cheese
• Cinnamon Truvia/Stevia/Sweetener of some sort
• Sliced fruit (depending on your phase)
• Asparagus/spinach/or any tasty veggies
• Ricotta cheese
• Just about anything that sounds good

Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 large flat of strawberries, washed and stems trimmed off
• 4 large green apples, washed and cored
• 4 ripe kiwis, washed and skinned

Procedure:

• Place each type of fruit in a food processor, or blender, and chop until it reaches the desired consistency. I prefer mine to be fairly small so each flavor can be included in every bite.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

This freezes very well. 

Also, prior to being on this diet I would consume this will cinnamon chips. To make cinnamon chips you brush a flour tortilla lightly with water and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, slice into eighths, and then bake for 10 minutes at 350F. I would generally use 2 to 3 packages of tortillas if I wasn't freezing any of the batch.

Fruit Dip

This is a light fruit dip that can be adapted to just about any taste. It would also be good as a snack all on its own.

Ingredients:
1 10oz  tub light whipped topping
2 6oz containers flavored yogurt (I used lemon, many flavors would be good)

Procedure:
Thaw whipped topping if needed. Combine all ingredients, stirring until they are combined well and smooth.

Chicken/Turkey Salad

This is a great way to use up any leftover poultry. I loved the fact I could eat it on a protein only day. I am sure the flavors will get even better as it has a chance to sit in the fridge and meld. Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups diced chicken/turkey
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 TBSP dried onions
• 1 clove garlic, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 1/2 tsp dill
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk (added slowly)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard, or whole see mustard
• 1/2 tsp pepper blend

Procedure:

• Mix all ingredients, except the chicken/turkey and the milk, in a large bowl until well incorporated. Add the poultry and stir well, adding milk to achieve your desired consistency. 
• Use for a sandwich, topping on salad greens or on its own.

Turkey Breast

This is a great option if you need something that you can toss in the crock pot in the morning and come home to a tasty meal at the end of the day. The best part about doing it in the crock pot is that it falls off the bone, and has so much flavor. You could also use the oven.

Ingredients:

• turkey breast, skin removed and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup onion (dried)
• 2 TBSP garlic (dried)
• 1/4 cup celery (dried)
• 2-4 TBSP Herbs de Provence

Procedure:

• Add all ingredients to the crock pot. 
• Place on a low setting if you plan to leave it all day so it will not come to a boil.
• Once turkey is cooked through, slice and serve.

Turkey Meatloaf

Let me start off by saying that these smelled so good while they were cooking. I was eager to eat, and was not disappointed. I found the original recipe here. Below are my changes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black pepper (pepper blend)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle pepper spice
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)or 1/2 cup dried onions 
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
  Procedure:
  

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Spray cooking vessel with oil, I used a muffin pan
3. Mix all ingredients well
4. Place mixture in your desired cooking vessel
5. Bake for 40 minutes

Marcia's Marshmallow Creme

I have been avoiding the numerous recipes that include Cool Whip, mostly because the chemicals that make up Cool Whip are unappealing to me. Recently, however, I discovered an alternative, thanks Harmon's. Now I can give these recipes a try. Yeah!

This recipe tastes very similar to the marshmallow goop you can get in a jar. It would be tasty on so many things. I froze mine and enjoyed it as an ice cream replacement. The possibilities are endless.




Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip (I used a small container which was 10 oz)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sweetener of your choice


Procedure:
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Chai Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chai (Indian Tea), brewed strong
• 1 TBSP sweetener
• 1/2 tsp vanilla, powder or liquid
• 8 oz cream cheese

Blend and enjoy!

Goes great on the oatmeal cookies.

Salmon Baked in White Wine

This was suggested by Marcia and turned out fantastic. The flavors worked so well. I used a chardonnay, but mostly because it was what I had on hand. I am sure any white wine would do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 1 large piece of salmon with skin still attached.
• White Wine - enough to fill the cooking dish up at least 1/4 inch up the piece of salmon

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Place the salmon in you baking dish, mine went in frozen. Make sure to size your dish just slightly bigger than your piece of salmon so you don't have to use as much wine, unless you have no other use for it. 
• Cover dish to ensure that the liquids stay in the dish and flavor the meat instead of cooking away.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until your fish flakes easily with a fork. This will take a different amount of time for each piece of fish due to size and starting temperature.

Beef Tenderloin

I know it has been a while, and I apologize for that.We did a lot of leftovers this week. But tonight we splurged and went for the tenderloin. If you haven't had tenderloin before it is worth the money. It is a fantastic cut of meat that is very tender, and easy to cook.

Ingredients:
Beef Tenderloin - any size you can afford, I used a 2 lb cut for this meal
1/2 TBSP green peppercorns - Black peppercorns can be substituted, but will have a stronger flavor
2 sprigs thyme (fresh)
2 sprigs rosemary (fresh)
1 clove garlic (fresh)


Procedure:

1. This may be a tough one for a lot of you, but, pull the cut of meat out of your fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. This will facilitate consistent cooking by allowing the meat to be the same temperature throughout. You wont have to cook it as long, and the juices tend to stick around better.
2. Bring your oven up to 475F - if your oven will not go this high, just take it as high as you can.
3. Prepare the rub - crush the peppercorns, finely chop the rosemary, thyme and garlic. Combine and set aside.
4. Dry off the cut of meat. This will allow the searing to be less smoky and give you a better sear.
5. Place a heavy pan, I used cast-iron, on your stove. Spray with PAM or other cooking spray and allow the pan to heat up. DO NOT PUT THE MEAT ON UNTIL YOUR PAN IS HOT. Once the pan is HOT place your meat inside. Leave it alone for 3 minutes to get a good sear. Flip the meat, without poking it, and repeat this on the other side. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a moment so you can handle the meat enough to rub the spices on it. 
6. Thoroughly rub the spices on the meat and place on your roasting pan (or a baking sheet with a wire cooling rack). Insert your baking thermometer into the thickest part of the cut. Do this at an angle and try to get the end of the probe into the middle the best you can.
7. Place in the oven and allow it to cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 125F. This gives you a slightly pink center. If you prefer it to be pinker, cut your time down slightly. Do not overcook the meat, this can make a fantastic cut of meat and ruin it faster than you realize. A pink center is done enough to kill and baddies in the beef. 
8. Enjoy!

I love the spices, and the tenderness of the beef. It would be fantastic with horseradish as well, but that could compete with the flavors that are already there.

Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce

I have been a fan of gyros for a while now, and was very excited to come across a seasoning that was salt free. This is a great way to use left over meats from previous meals, and tastes great hot or cold. I will work on getting a picture for this as soon as I can.


Tzatziki
1 TBSP Cream Cheese - Fat Free or Neufchatel
1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
1 clove of garlic, or 1/2 tsp dried garlic
1/2 tsp dried onion (if desired)
1 TBSP dill

Gyros
Meat - Chicken, Turkey or Beef (shredded works best)

• If you can manage, the crock pot is a great way to get this started. I will usually cook a roast for one meal, an follow it up with these a few days later. Do what works best for you.

Seasoning - to taste

Procedure:
I have served this a few ways; one was using the gallete as the bread, another was layering the meat on top of a layer of thinly sliced cucumbers, or layered over a large plate of salad greens. All were good, but I think I prefer the cucumbers the best.

*I have left cucumbers out of the tzatziki sauce so it can be used on non protein/veggie days.
**You can add some milk to the tzatziki to create more of a ranch style dressing as well.

Stroganoff

 This is one of the meals that I fall back to quite frequently around our house. I have made a few alterations to keep it within the Dukan rules, but have really enjoyed the end result. If you are in phase two consider layering the stroganoff over a layer of green beans instead of noodles. This can be eaten in phase one if you omit the mushrooms and green beans.

Ingredients:

Phases 1(if you leave out the veggies) & 2

1 lb meat - ground beef or turkey, or chunks of beef, chicken or turkey

1 ½ TBSP pepper blend, or to taste

¼ cup dried onions

1 TBSP dried garlic pieces, ½ TBSP garlic powder

2 cups skim milk

8 oz cream cheese – Fat Free or Neufchatel

1-3 cups sliced mushrooms

Procedure:

1- Brown meat. Without removing any fat (which should be minimal) add the garlic, onions and pepper blend. You can add the mushrooms now as well, or wait until the sauce has thickened to keep them firm. Allow to simmer while you prepare milk and cream cheese.

Phases 3 & 4

2- Add milk and cream cheese to the meat mixture. Stir occasionally to incorporate all ingredients.

3- Add mushrooms, if you haven't already, continue to cook at a very low simmer until the mushrooms achieve desired firmness.

 

*If you are at a stage that allows beans this dish is really good with white beans added into the meat mixture.

 

Lemon Cream Cheese

I was craving something with a citrus kick, but still a bit sweet. I have done the same thing with an orange flavoring as well. This is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Lemon Cream Cheese
8 oz Cream Cheese - Fat Free or Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Lemon Flavoring (I use Simply Organic)
Sweetener to taste (I used ~ 2 TBSP of Stevia)
Food Coloring (I didn't add this, but it could be fun)