Recipes

Jean has left fast food and takeout meals behind and so can you.  Incorporated in “A Fat Girl’s Butterflies: A True Story of Extreme Weight Loss” are a number of delicious bariatric friendly recipes, the whole family will enjoy, including sugar and fat free/reduced desserts.

To help facilitate you getting started on a healthier course, Jean has provided a sampling of recipes for your utilization.  To gain access to a larger selection of recipes used by Jean on her personal weight loss/maintenance journey and featured in her book, register on this website.

Here’s a sample:

Soup/Salad:

Tuna Salad / Spread

Entree:

Mini Meat Loafs

Dessert:

Baked Custard

Snacks/Spreads:

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Sauces/Condiments:

Cranberry Sauce

TUNA SALAD / SPREAD

1 cup canned (drained) or fresh cooked tuna*

¼ cup onion – diced

¼ cup celery – diced

Mustard – to moisten, for spread moisten more than salad

Pepper – to taste

Hot pepper – diced – to taste (optional)

Mash tuna in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, mix well.

* Variation: Replace the tuna with chopped chicken, turkey, salmon or shrimp.

MINI MEAT LOAFS

1 ½ lbs extra-lean ground beef

1 egg

2 cloves garlic – minced

2 green onions – minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp mustard

Pepper – to taste

3 tbsp chili sauce

Spray muffin tins with a non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 400F.  In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, egg, garlic, green onions, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.  Mix well, season with pepper.

Form meat mixture into equal balls.  Place in prepared muffin tins, brush with chili sauce.

Bake until meat is no longer pink in the centre (about 20 minutes).  Serve hot or cool and freeze for up to a month.

*Tip – Fill unused muffin cups with water to prevent warping of pan.

BAKED CUSTARD

3 eggs

2 cups skim milk

¼ cup Splenda granular

1 tsp vanilla

Nutmeg to taste

Water – boiling

Blend all ingredients together except water.

Place 6 custard cups in a baking dish with boiling water ½ to ¾ up their sides.  Pour the blended custard mixture in the cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake in a 325F preheated oven until a knife inserted comes out clean (about 55 minutes).

*Variation:

BAKED COCONUT CUSTARD

Exchange 1 tsp vanilla with ½ tsp vanilla and ½ tsp coconut extract and exchange the nutmeg with fine shredded coconut.

FIG AND OLIVE TAPENADE

1 cup dried figs – chopped

½ cup water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp rosemary

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2/3 cup black olives – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

Pepper to taste

Combine figs and water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender and liquid has reduced.  Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and cayenne pepper.  Add olives and garlic and mix well, season with pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Makes about ¾ cup.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

2 1/3 cups cranberries
½ cup Splenda granular
2 tsp orange peel – grated
½ cup unsweetened orange juice

In a saucepan, bring cranberries, Splenda, orange peel and juice to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until berries pop (about 4 – 6 minutes.

For a smooth sauce, puree in blender/food processor.

Refrigerate for up to 5 days, alternatively freeze for up to 1 month or preserve by canning (pints and ½ pints should be hot processed for 10 minutes).

Makes about 1 cup.

*Variation: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, all spice, cardamom, or nutmeg.

**Tip: Freeze bags of cranberries in the Fall when in season; no special preparation is need to freeze the berries or use afterwards.