Friday 3 September 2010

Phase 1 recipes

Good morning all,

I recently bought another South Beach cookbook and have a couple recipes to share. Both are really yummy! Surprisingly yummy. ;) The Creamed Spinach is really good and of course you feel like you've done well just because you had spinach. The brownies are good too. Now if you made real- full fat brownies and compared the two, there is a slight difference. But when you are watching your calories and carbs, this swap is AWESOME! Don't let the black bean part deter you.

Quick Creamed Spinach(makes 4 servings)

16 oz frozen spinach, thawed
3/4 cup fat free milk
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese cut into chunks and softened
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(1ounce)

Place the thawed spinach in a colander set over large bowl; squeeze to extract juice. Pour 2 tbsp of the juice into cup and reserve. Discard remaining juice. In medium saucepan, combine the spinach juice, mile, and cream cheese. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring and pushing cheese against the pan to break up. (mixture should be well combined, but will not be smooth) Remove pan from heat. In large non stick skillet heat oil over med heat, add onions and stir frequently , until softened(about 3 minutes). Add spinach, stirring to coat. Stir in milk mixture and cook until bubbling(about 3 minutes). Season spinach with nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot.

Good stuff!!

Per serving: 152 calories- 9 g fat-4 g sat fat- 10 g protein- 11g carbs- 4 g fiber- 313 sodium.


Black Bean Brownies(makes 36 brownies- 3 brownie per serving)

1 can black beans(15.5 oz) drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granular sugar substitute
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder(preferably dark)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
36 small pecan halves or walnut pieces(about 1.5 oz)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a blender or food processor, combine the beans, eggs, oil, sugar substitute, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Process until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and arrange nuts in even rows, 6 across and 6 down. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cut into 36 squares with a nut in the center of each.

Per brownie- 34 calories-2 grams fat- 0.4 sat fat- 1 g protein- 2 g carbs- 1 g fiber- 66 mg sodium.

YUMMY!

3 comments:

Debbie said...

Thanks for sharing these recipes, Christy!
The black bean brownies sound . . . interesting . . . but I just may have to give them a try.
I think I'll like the creamed spinach, and I already have most of the ingredients -- I just need some Parmesan.
I'll let you know what I think!

Debbie said...

Ok, I just made the brownies and needed to share.

Oh my days they were yummy! Esp considering they're sugar-free AND gluten-free and a great natural source of protein and fiber (the latter of which I've been consciously adding to my diet everyday).

My 9 year-old nephew helped me make them and he's face was classic as he read the name of the recipe: Black Bean Brownies. We tricked my dad into eating them and he LOVED THEM. He went back for seconds, and when we told them they were made from black beans he was SHOCKED. He HATES black beans, but he loved these brownies! Which is great 'cause he's diabetic and this is a good recipe to satisfy his sweet tooth w/o adding loads of carbs.

We thought they were best right out of the oven or reheated on low in the microwave. And if you're a texture person, be prepared. They're obviously not the same texture as regular brownies, but I think it's a fair trade-off considering the nutritional benefits.

Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Christy!

Debs said...

I really wanna try these brownies. I know you said they're phase one, but i think i'll leave it a couple of weeks so my cravings for sweet stuff have gone a bit more!