Gingerbread House

Prep Time: 5 minutes     Bake Time: 15 minutes    Assembly Time: Up to you    Add to MyFitnessPal

Ah Yuletide. That time of year when we come together over the Festivus Pole, Menorah, Christmas Tree, Yule Log, Kinara or other holiday tradition to celebrate with loved ones. And what tradition better exemplifies the winter holiday seasons of our childhood than a gingerbread house? Too bad we're WLS patients and not supposed to indulge any longer...



A bari-friendly gingerbread house? Heck yes!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes                          Cook Time: 5-6 minutes                           Add to MyFitnessPal

Hi all, the cookbook is coming along nicely, I'm hoping to have the Kickstarter up and running by the end of January. Unfortunately all that work on the cookbook has meant significant delays on the blog. Fortunately, today I have something grand for you, something several of you have asked for. Chocolate chip cookies.

 

YUM! SO GOOD!

Drumroll please...

Congratulations to Smye's BariDelicious Food on their first sponsorship! That's right, the blog is now officially an affiliate of BariatricPal.

What, precisely, does that mean? It means that any time you clicky-clicky on one of the BariatricPal banners at the top or side of this blog and then buy something, I get a small kickback to help me power the recipes that make up this blog.

So head on over to BariatricPal and check out what they've got.

Buffalo Thighs (and Wings)

Prep Time: 5 minutes                              Cook Time: 35 minutes                          Add to MyFitnessPal

Buffalo wings, a staple of taverns, parties, football games, and post-operative bariatric patients.

"What?" you might be wondering. "How can you say buffalo wings are a staple for bariatric patients? Aren't they terrible for you?" My answer is simple: NO! They're perfect for those of us, provided you make them right. The trick is to steam them before a full cook to create the same air pockets in the skin a deep fry would yield before broiling them to get that perfect crispy skin and succulent meat.

One thigh is the perfect serving size

Sometimes though, wings can be a little tedious, frustrating to pull apart, and downright expensive given the meat-to-bone ratio. It turns out that thighs can yield a very similar, if meatier, product. However, if you prefer to use wings, this recipe works just as well with wings as with thighs.

A Request

BariBrothers, BariSisters, and BariAllies,

I'm currently working on the very early stages of putting together and publishing a cookbook companion to the blog (with a few exclusive recipes, I might add). And I need your help!

If you have made any of the recipes and are willing to submit either a blurb or a photograph of their finished product, please email me at barideliciousbarihealthy@gmail.com. I will be certain to credit you in the product and send along a few other perks as well.

If you have any other help you believe you can offer, email me that as well.

Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

Prep Time: 8 minutes                       Cook Time: 12-15 minutes                        Add to MyFitnessPal

Sometimes it's hard post-WLS to deal with dessert. You've essentially got two options it seems - artificial, oversweet treats with unpronounceable ingredients (unless you've got a degree in chemistry) from your local health-foods store or else scrounge your carbs for the day and eat something less-than-ideal and all-to-reminiscent of a sugar-filled former life. That or abstain entirely forever and ever.

Milk and cookies, what could be better?

Surely there must be a way to have cookies and milk without breaking the carb bank or eating a bunch of junk, right? Right! Ladies and gentlemen (and all those in between), allow me to present Peanut Butter Protein Cookies.

Eggs Baridict

Prep Time: 10 minutes                         Cook Time: 10 minutes                             Add to MyFitnessPal

Eggs Benedict, has there ever been a brunch so divine? I know some of you might be chicken and waffle people, don't worry that's coming - you too biscuits and gravy. But for me, the ultimate brunch is the classic Eggs Benedict.



Oh yes!

I put off trying to make a publishable version of this recipe because hollandaise can be so challenging/time consuming. That's right bari-family, I lacked faith in you and refused to post something I knew you would love because I feared you wouldn't put in the work necessary. I apologise. Oh, and I found a way to make hollandaise a snap!

Cauliflower Pizza Bagels

Prep Time: 10 minutes                         Cook Time: 40 minutes                    Add to MyFitnessPal

Sometimes I'm walking through the grocery store and end up, for one reason or another, strolling through the bakery section. In general, I don't remotely miss the doughnuts, even in the days of eating 2 or 3 at a time, they never really satisfied. But sometimes, every once in a while, I do miss a solid pizza bagel!

A little browned, but very good!

I've gone a good year without any bagel of any sort, it's time to reclaim the goodness of the bagel for a post-bariatric life!

These are actually pretty straightforward and not entirely different in composition from Caulibread, but there are a few key changes that yield that chewy, bagel-like texture. So when you give this recipe a try, do be careful to note the distinctions.

Ingredients:
Eggs - 2
Cauliflower - 1 cup or 1/3 of a head
Mozzarella, shredded - 1 cup
Sun dried tomatoes - 1/4 cup
Turkey pepperoni - 25 pieces (though goat pepperoni is better!)
Fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Chili flakes - 3/4 tsp

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400F and then prepare your mise en place

An over-abundance of the garden and the charcuterie

Once you've got all your ingredient together, pop the cauliflower into a food processor and process until the texture of sand or else a puree, depending on how moist your cauliflower florets is.

You're going way beyond 'riced' here

Dice the pepperoni pieces and combine all ingredients.

Once you've got your 'batter' together, spray or grease a donut/bagel pan thoroughly. This step is particularly important as if you don't the bagels will not release from the pan, regardless of how 'nonstick' you pan.

This can be done in a muffin tin, but is much more satisfying in the bagel form

Spoon your batter into the greased bagel pan, being sure to fill each slot fully without spilling over ino the intermediate space.

YUM! Don't stress if they're not perfectly aligned to the pan, so long as you've greased all surfaces you're good.

Place the bagels-to-be into the oven at 400F until golden brown (or darker).

If they're any less done than this, you need to cook longer

Use a spatula to gently release the bagels from the edges of the pan and voila, pizza bagels. Do let them cool fully before you try them or the texture will be all wrong.

It's also worth noting that you can sub the pepperoni, fennel, and tomatoes for dried blueberries or even cinnamon and raisins.

Nutrition (per bagel/sixth of a recipe)
Calories: 115
Fat: 7 g
Carbs: 5 g
Protein: 11 g
Sodium: 326 mg

Ziscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes                         Cook Time: 15 minutes                        Add to MyFitnessPal

Yet another recipe stumbled upon accidentally. Granted, I was trying to find a way to replicate the salty, buttery savor of a buttermilk biscuit with another recipe at the same time that I stumbled onto this one, but let me tell you, I sure didn't see it coming.

Let me set the stage - I'm out of cauliflower, but have an abundance of zucchini and yellow summer squash in the garden. I'm craving an egg and cheese sandwich, but am out of caulibread, so I figure: Hey! Why not try it with zucchini?

Turns out, the flavor reminded me of biscuits, it wasn't perfect, but it was a heckuva lot closer than that other batch of biscuit-attempt I'd had to feed to the hens. A little tinkering and thus was born the Ziscuit! Oh, and it's much easier to make than caulibread - as if that seemed possible.

Apricot Smoked Ribs

Prep Time: 10 minutes                  Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes                    Add to MyFitnessPal

Traditionally, slow smoked barbecue is high in fat and slathered in sugary, ridiculously high carbohydrate sauces that just don't fit a bariatric lifestyle - at least not more than a bite or two every many months. Fortunately, there's no reason whatsoever that traditional recipes can't be approximated, surpassed even, in ways that are completely compatible with a bariatric life, not to mention with the lifestyle's of most everyone else in your life. Enjoy!

My camera is in the shop - sorry for the low photo quality

Cinnamon Vanilla Waffles

Prep Time: 5 Minutes                   Cook Time: 2-3 Minutes/Waffle               Add to MyFitnessPal

Since I started Smye's Baridelicious Foods, I've received well over 100 requests for a good waffle recipe, along with more than my fair share of, shall we say, indignant, inquiries as to why I hadn't posted one yet. To put it bluntly, waffles have been hard. It's fairly easy to make a low carb, high protein waffle that tastes good, but the resulting texture is usually awful. It's also quite straightforward to make a low carb, high protein waffle with great texture, but they tend to lack flavor. It's also not too hard to make one with amazing flavor, great texture and a whole lot of junk ingredients - which sort of defeats the whole purpose of this blog, no?

But finally, after well over two dozen attempts, I bring you Cinnamon Vanilla Waffles that taste great, have incredible texture, and have nothing in the way of artificiality about them.

Delicious, fluffy perfection

Oh, and they're pretty easy to make too. One batch makes six waffles that freeze & toast up wonderfully - though good luck eating a whole one in a single sitting.

Sour Apple Kale Smoothie

Prep Time: 3 Minutes                         Cook Time: 0 Minutes                       Add to MyFitnessPal

I'm not shy about the fact that I simply cannot stand the taste, the texture, or the overall savor of raw kale. Don't get me wrong, I know it's good for me, and I absolutely LOVE it wilted in a stir fry, pickled next to a sandwich, or mixed into soups and stocks. But raw? BLECH!

I've tried dressing it up in acidic salad dressings to soften the texture, I've massaged it, I've blended it, I've juiced it, I've even tried deeping meaningful conversation with it to improve our relationship. All to no avail.


Hey, that's actually pretty darned good!

Until now. Completely by accident, while attempting to make a magnesium nutrient slurry for the garden I discovered this incredible sour apple kale smoothie. Give it a try, I think you'll be as surprised as I was how delicious raw kale can actually be when a little home chemistry is applied.

Experiments in Charcuterie - Part 3: Duck Tasting & Goat Prosciutto Day 1

The duck is ready! And goodness is it amazing!

Surprisingly delicious (okay, not a surprise)

I overdid it on the white pepper a bit, but overall it's excellent stuff. I particularly like it wrapped around melon, on cucumbers, and in the omelets I'm eating as I write this. All in all, VERY worth my time, I'll absolutely be doing it again.

Given my success with the duck prosciutto, I've decided to continue my experimentation but didn't really want to invest a lot into the various ingredients required for working with larger cuts of meat. Thankfully A neighbor was kind enough to gift me with a few 'extras' after seeing my earlier charcuterie posts. What did he gift me, you ask?

5 Months, 135 Pounds Down

You've read my "What Does 100 lb Look Like?" page. You celebrated with me. Maybe you're pre-op and marveled a bit thinking "no way I can do that" (yes, yes you can!). Maybe you're post-op and you thought "wow, lookin' good, you're making great progress" (thank you!)

Or maybe you said to yourself "Really? I thought it would look like more!" If you're in that last camp, you read my mind. The next 35 pounds, however, was at least as significant, if not far moreso, than the first 100. What's after the jump will really blow your mind!

Experiments in Charcuterie - Part 2: Duck Prosciutto Recipe

A lot has happened on the charcuterie front since my last post. I'm about to begin the process of making my first violino di capra (whole leg goat prosciutto held like a violin when thinly sliced). But today I owe you an explanation of where I'm at in the process of the duck prosciutto and a how to so you can make your own. Don't worry, it's easier (and faster!) than you think.



The final product (I hope)

Spaghetti

Prep Time: 20 Minutes                         Cook Time: 3 Minutes                Add to MyFitnessPal

We've all tried for that perfect low-carb spaghetti - maybe it was pre-op, maybe post. We've been told time and again to try Zoodles, "just cut some zucchini like noodles and you'll be fine." First we boiled them and ended up with mush. Then we microwaved them and found our 'pasta' overly soft or else weirdly crunchy with a puddle of water at the bottom. It works, sure, but it's just not quite right, it might even get nauseating after a few bites when all we want is a little pasta. Today, that changes.


Zoodles that actually taste like noodles? YES!

Never again will you be stuck with 'pasta' that just doesn't hit the spot, with this little trick, your 'pasta' can and will actually taste like, and feel like, real al dente noodles.

Experiments in Charcuterie - Part 1: Dreaming

My birthday is coming up. No I won't tell you exactly when, but we'll say it's soon.

My birthday is coming up, and money is a little tight right now. No, I won't tell you how tight, but suffice it to say it'll be a bit before we're back at Costco.

My birthday is coming up, and I want for my birthday dinner is prosciutto. And yes, it is delicious stuff. Too bad it's awfully pricey.

My birthday is coming up, and I just so happen to have excess duck breast in the freezer. And a 50 lb bag of food-grade sea salt I got for $15 at the feed store.



Photo courtesy of OneVanillaBean

And yes, my chef neighbor and I are going to try to make our own duck prosciutto. Never had duck prosciutto? You're seriously missing out. High protein, low carb, and as delicately delightful as any foie you've ever put in your mouth (almost).

So here it goes, based on the weight and thickness of the breasts, we're guestimating about 2 weeks from now to finished product. I'll post updates as we go. Tonight we're just defrosting in the freezer. I can't wait!

Easy Kimchi

Prep time: 1 hour                                Fermentation time: 3-7 days                     Add to MyFitnessPal

Ever wonder what goes into that sour, sweet, hot, salty, umami bomb known as kimchi? You look into the jar at the grocery store and see red, orange, yellow cabbage, carrots, maybe a bok choi or two and think, how do they make that stuff? And why is it so disgusting/amazing? And if you can buy it in the store, why on earth would you bother making it? And why does it get eaten so much in the hottest part of the summer.

Hot, yet strangely cooling. It looks a little funky, but there' no better condiment on the planet

I know, I know, fermented foods are kind of polarizing. You either love them, hate them, or are too scared to try them. But get this, not only are they tasty, but the National Institutes of Health recently published several studies in which they concluded that Kimchi has the benefits of being "anticancer, antiobesity, antoconstipation, colorectal health promoting, probiotic, cholesterol reducing, fibrolytic, antioxidative, antiaging, brain health promoting, immune system promoting, and skin health promoting." In short, forget everything you've heard about goji and acai berries, kimchi is the ultimate superfood! Not only does it have the lactofermentation benefits, but the each of the main ingredients carries its own suite of incredible nutrient. Too bad a lot of the storebought stuff has been pasturized and cut the benefits, according to the folks over at Livestrong, in half.

As for eating Kimchi in the summertime - it turns out that spicy fermented foods stimulate a cooling homeostatic response in the body, leaving you feeling (and actually) significantly cooler after you've eaten it.

Oh, and it tastes pretty darned good too :). I'll be posting a kimchi soup recipe here in the next few weeks, and it's indispensable on Bibimbop. Can you tell I love the stuff?

Curly Fries

Prep Time: 7 minutes                        Cook Time: 10 minutes                   Add to MyFitnessPal

Curly fries - those time-honored savory treats from childhood - are a classic July food. They're also packed with starch, breading, and fried in 10-day-old oil. But dang they taste SO good! And it turns out, they're a piece of cake to make and they can actually be good for you.

They go great with Smye's Catsup

Using this particular spice mixture, these taste nearly identical to those served at a particular fast food restaurant that famously serves roast beef sandwiches - but feel free to play with the spices and make to suit your own tastes.

Turkey Meatballs

Prep Time: 5 Minutes                        Cook Time: 10 Minutes                              Add to MyFitnessPal

Do you ever crave a big, heaping bowl of spaghetti and meatballs? If you're like me and have had weightloss surgery, there's nothing I can do to help you with the heaping part, but spaghetti and meatballs, it turns out, are a synch!

Can't believe how easy these are

These meatballs only take about 15 minutes from ingredients-in-the-fridge to meat-on-your-plate and the taste is incredible! And you don't even have to worry about breadcrumbs. Looking for the full spaghetti meal? Don't worry, that post is coming soon! These are also super versatile - I love them in curries, soups, sandwiches, pasta, and even tacos (weird, I know). 

Lettuce Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes                         Cook Time: 25-35 minutes                 Add to MyFitnessPal

My partner and I moved to the woods to start our farm four years ago and had no idea what we were doing. We both love salads and decided to plant two 20 ft rows of mixed lettuce thinking, "This will be great!" We'd read that with cloches, row covers, and proper care, we could grow lettuce all year long; did out the math to figure out how much lettuce we'd need for roughly 3 months and went to sow. What we didn't realize was that if we planted all our lettuce at the same time, they would all reach maturity at about the same time. After weeks of careful cultivation, we had 3 months of greens, no idea of how to preserve it, and no where near the stomach capacity to eat it all. And thus, lettuce soup was born.

It sounds icky, but WOW it's good! I've been on full food for over 2 months and I still make this all the time, it's amazing!

Initially wary of cooking my lettuce, this is now my very favorite use of lettuce throughout the year!

Farm Update The First

There have been a few changes to the Smye Farm this year, blowing our options for what we grow wide open!

Chiles, in the PNW? YES!

Check below the jump to see the latest updates to the Smye farm garden. Animal updates coming soon.

Berry Sorbet

Preparation Time: 5 minutes                   Chill Time: 20-40 minutes                      Add to MyFitnessPal

There's no reason to say goodbye to sweet frozen treats on a hot summer day. It's just a matter of what we put in them and how much of each we eat. And THIS sorbet is one you can just about fill your pouch (or bypass, or DS, or balloon, or whatever) on. It's fast, it's sweet, it's tart, it's made of whole foods and, most of all, it's delicious!

Blueberry sorbet - my personal favorite!

(And oh yeah, it can help you poop, but it won't overpoop those of you who are already regular).

Buffalo Bleu Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

Preparation Time: 5 minutes                      Cook Time: 5 minutes             Add to MyFitnessPal

What's that you say? The photo looks like the nasty, gluey, salt-laden, carb-heavy, fat-soaked, artificial-as-heck and, admittedly, not so tasty stuff you used to order at the diner at 2 in the morning back in the days of late night hangover cures and binge-eating junk food.

Sorry, the lens got a little steamy

Don't worry, it's nothing like that. Believe it or not, this mac n' cheese is wholesome, has as much vitamin C as a cup of orange juice, and tastes incredible. It's a little rich for my taste most nights, but on special occasions it really hits the spot!

Introducing Smye's Fitness - Homemade Kettlebells

 Prep: 15 minutes                                Build Time: 1 hour                         Cure: 24 hours

I know this blog is typically a space reserved for the breaking of digital bread and the celebration of good food. Don't worry, this will still be the case 90% of the time. But at the end of the day, this blog is really about maintaining a healthy lifestyle after (or even before) bariatric surgery. To that end, I wanted to share with you a few of the things I learn along the way in terms of physical conditioning beyond diet.

Before I begin, let me be clear that I do not believe one needs any formal equipment to develop and maintain a high level of fitness - I'm all about natural movements and the joy of using your own body in work & play. However, I also recognize the desire among many of us for something a little more formal. I am not a physiologist, nor am I a fitness expert in the true sense of the word - nor will I pretend to be. I will not be offering workout tips or WODs here, just a tip or two each month that have made my life easier and more affordable.

25 Pound Kettlebell - $4.00 and 1 hour

Now the fun part. We've all seen kettlebells in the gym, maybe we've even used them a time or two. They're typically big hunks of iron with handles - tools that allow us to tap into that primal 'URGH!' of weight-training and are actually pretty fun in the process. The trouble is that they're expensive - $1.50/lb for the poorly made ones and well over $4.00/lb for anything high quality. Until now.

Greens, Eggs, & Hash

Prep Time:  10 minutes                       Cook Time:  25 minutes                        Add to MyFitnessPal

One of my all-time favorite breakfasts pre-op was a quick hash with fried eggs. Turns out, it's also a perfect high protein way to start your day post-op as well. Not to mention the fact that you can either reheat it later for eating on over 3 or 4 days, but you can also serve this to family and friends without fear that it will taste like 'diet food' to them.

A big heaping mess of yum!

This recipe is also incredible with turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, or sweet potato in place of the cauliflower!

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers

Prep Time - 15 minutes                       Cook Time - 10 minutes                        Add to MyFitnessPal

Normally I'm a staunch advocate of beef, bison, or goat-based burgers. I can't stand those dry hockey-puck turkey patties you can buy at the big box stores. They taste like the sport they're most reminiscent of.

These, on the otherhand, are juicy, fully of flavor, and tender as can be. There's nothing lost from the omission of red meat. In fact, only chicken could highlight the interplay of the chili and the lime so well as this. Oh, and you can make a bunch ahead of time, freeze them and then cook them up later without loss of flavor or texture.

Just enough kick to really bring out the flavor without being overpowering for your guests

Catsup

Prep Time: 5 minutes                               Cook Time: 0 minutes                       Add to MyFitnessPal

It can be hard to find a good catsup that fits with a bariatric lifestyle. The ones on the shelves of your local grocer are either full of high in sugar, loaded with high fructose corn syrup, have a sodium count through the roof, taste terrible, or cost a boatload. And maybe paying a boatload is worth it to you - in that case, more power to you (feel free to let me know, I'll gladly make you catsup myself for half of whatever they're charging at your grocer for catsup with the same ingredients.)



There's no reason to ever live without condiments again.

That said, it turns out you don't need my help or the help of Catsups-R-Us. This bari-friendly catsup is easy and fast to make. Oh, and it tastes pretty good too!

Grilled Chicken Strips

Prep Time: 5 minutes                         Cook Time: 30 minutes                Add to MyFitnessPal

We all know the delicious grilled chicken strips you find on a restaurant salad or buy frozen at the grocery store are pumped full of saline, spices, starches, MSG, and a dozen difficult-to-pronounce ingredients, not to mention wicked expensive.

And we've all tried to make our own without success - they're dry, flavorless, or undercooked almost every time we try to make them. What's the secret? How can we get juicy, succulent, and incredibly delicious chicken strips for our salads without having to buy it premade?

Chicken strips make the perfect salad topping

Paella

Prep Time: 25 minutes                 Cook Time: 1 hour                       Add to MyFitnessPal

Originating in Valencia on the east coast of Spain, Paella is the quintessential seafood smorgasbord - representing the history of when the Romans and Arabic peoples came together, each bringing their traditional use of spices, herbs, and seafood.

New and improved paella through the magic of a Dutch oven

Paella is a dish of deep, earthy flavors with aromas that grab you by the sinuses and don't let go until you've finally had your first bite. Highlighting the unique flavor of each ingredient in a harmonious blend, Paella is one dish that's worth every last second spent making it.



Chipotle Philly Cheesesteak

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes                   Cook Time: 3 minutes                          Add to MyFitnessPal

Another food I thought I'd have to say goodbye to when I had WLS, the Philly cheesesteak was a sandwich I first tried in second grade while on vacation with a friend's family. It was greasy, rich, and, from that day forward, reminded me of walking down the boardwalk with my buddy on a warm spring day. Satisfaction in food form.

Many years later my first roommate, a recent émigré from Juarez, introduced me to homemade chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I introduced him to the Philly Cheesesteak. A new sandwich was born. And what do you know, given only a few small modifications, it fits a bariatric lifestyle perfectly!



Not half bad, despite being only half a sandwich

A Funny Story

Now that I'm finally out of my full-tilt shame spiral, I'd like to take a break from posting recipes to share a funny story with you. Talk about an Bari-Big Mistake.

Bari-Sushi

Prep time - 10-15 minutes for your first try, 4-5 thereafter            Add to MyFitnessPal

 

Oh Sushi, how I love thee, let me count the ways. From our first date, to our 7th wedding anniversary this June, sushi has been a centerpiece to the culinary aspects of my relationship with my partner. Neither of us cares for any cooked fish with fins, but give it to us raw and we'll just about beg. I'm fortunate enough that post-op, I've had no problem with the nori (seaweed) in sushi, but note that some folks really struggle with it. If this is you, try soy wrappers that you can find at most asian grocers instead. If you're really stuck, ask your favorite sushi bar if they know where you can get some or will sell you one of theirs to try.

 



Two fantastic meals' worth

Grilled Cheese

Prep Time: 2 minutes                       Cook Time: 10 minutes                 Add to MyFitnessPal

The age-old comfort food from a snowy day in childhood - the grilled cheese - is back and ready for BariDelicious eating. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised with these results.

It's even dippable

CauliBread

Prep Time:  15 minutes                 Cook Time: 15 minutes                    Add to MyFitnessPal

Several of you have already met BariBread. BariBread was nice. It seemed to like you and you had similar interests. The two of you could hang out on weekends - at least, that is, if you didn't have anything else going on. But given the chance to hang out with CarboBread again, you'd have jumped at the chance. It wasn't that BariBread wasn't meeting your needs, but maybe BariBread lost some of its luster after the first 200 slices. Maybe you're looking for something with a little more body, something you can really heat up instead - or maybe you even want to keep BariBread on the side for when you're in the mood, but just need a little variety in your life.

Friends, meet CauliBread - the perfect companion for BariBread to add body & heat things up.


Wait, you can make grilled cheese with it?

The First 100

Typically this is a blog dedicated to food, with maybe a small amount of commentary about my own history with the food in question. But every once in a while I'll post an update about my own weight loss, a story from a reader, or something else just a little more personal.

Check in first thing Friday morning for the latest update in my weight loss story and a change to the "What do you look like 100 pounds later?" page.

Pho

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes                Cook Time: 5-15 minutes               Add to MyFitnessPal

I grew up eating southeastern asian cuisine. Despite mom's affinity for McD's, I learned to eat with chopsticks long before I could handle a fork and spoon. And of all the foods I ate, none tastes like home quite like a steaming bowl of pho. But those stinking rice noodles have WAY too many carbs for my diet, and the broth seemed impossible to make (or so I thought.) I spent three years trying to perfect pho but could never make it like Ngdom used to when I was a little. Not, anyway, until now.

Poor photography, VERY good eating

Simple Salmon

Prep Time - 2 minutes                     Cook Time - 7-10 minutes                 Add to MyFitnessPal

It's that time of year - the fish are spawning, migrating, and biting. And whether you fish or not, that means Salmon! This is the first of several salmon-based recipes I'll be posting in the near future.

Typically I don't care for anything with fins unless it's raw, but this... oh this is the good stuff! And it's probably the easiest recipe I'll ever post. Whether or not you consider yourself a true gourmand or haven't been in the kitchen since you were in the womb, try this one. You won't regret it.

The skin tastes like bacon - just different

Turkey Cesar Avocado Classic

Prep Time: 3 minutes                                                                                    Add to MyFitnessPal

When I made the decision to have bariatric surgery, I said 'goodbye' to sandwiches - those staples of the American lunchbox, the seemingly perfect vehicle for all manner of delightfully protein-based fillings. I mourned, I said 'farewell' and then I found BariBread.

I had the bread, but it can be even harder to figure out exactly what to put on it to yield a bariatric-friendly sandwich. Among my favorite sandwiches from childhood is the Turkey Cesar Avocado Classic, but could I make it bari-friendly?

Hint: The answer is yes

Egg Bake

Prep Time - 15 minutes              Cook Time - 45 minutes                    Add to MyFitnessPal

I love to cook. I have a stressful job, I run a small farm, and sometimes the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen preparing wholesome, delicious food for myself and my family is just the sort of soothing I need. Many of my recipes are pretty involved and take quite a bit of time - this is not one of those recipes.


Reheats in the microwave? I'm in

Your Turn

Typically I post the fruits of my labors here, sharing with you what I've learned through countless attempts, trial and error, and the careful balancing of ingredients. Now I need you to share with me. I have two favors to ask of you all.

Tracking Just Got Easier

Good news! All of my recipes can now be found on MyFitnessPal.

That's right - no more spending 20 minutes searching for and finding ingredients in the database to try and piece together the right recipe and track your nutrition.

Just log on to MyFitnessPall and then click the link at the top right-hand corner of any of my recipe posts to add each meal to your daily food journal.

Black & Bleu Pastrami Sandwich

Prep time - 8 minutes     Cook time - 2 minutes                                 Add to MyFitnessPal
 

I've never been a huge fan of pastrami. On it's own it reminds me too much of an over-cured hotdog, even when I make my own from my goats. But put it on this particular sandwich - WATCH OUT. For the recipe below, I used the columbus brand pastrami from costco as I doubt most others here do their own charcuterie. Also, please note that this sandwich is quite large (from a post-op perspective), I rarely can even quite finish a half, but it's just as good the next day.
 

I can only ever eat half at a time, but it's excellent!

Goat Cheese Pizza Crust

Prep Time: 15 minutes                   Cook Time: 35 minutes                   Add to MyFitnessPal

 

This crust is also excellent and has a heartier, easier to hold texture than the 1:1:1 crust. The flavor is ever so slightly tangy with the goat cheese and the higher dose of cauliflower is excellent - though I admit I still prefer the flavor of the other crust. The major advantage of this crust is after the initial bake, you can freeze the crust with 'raw' toppings easily and then pull it out and stick in the oven at 400F until a desired done-ness is achieved - homemade frozen pizza! 

 

Smoked Goat Pizza - A Great Use of Leftovers

 

1-1-1 Pizza Crust

Prep Time: 15 minutes                   Cook Time:   20 minutes              Add to MyFitnessPal

I struggled with a similar recipe for a long time but for the life of me couldn't get a 'small' version of this pizza to work. Every time I tried to make this pizza, I ended up with either a pie far to large for me to eat before it went bad or else something more akin to goo than pizza crust. And yet, it was so simple 1-1-1 (similar to, but much more successful than a certain former politicians SIMS-derived 999 tax plan). The texture isn't perfect (I'll be posting the ideal texture version in a few minutes), but the flavor is excellent! This is probably my favorite crust, especially with some red pepper flakes mixed in for just a smidgeon of heat.

Oh pizza, it's good to have you back

Bari Omelet

Prep Time: 10 minutes              Cook Time: 10 minutes          Add to MyFitnessPal

You've all had an omelet before. Or, well, those of you who haven't either been living under a rock or else living with an unfortunate allergy (if that's you, I'm sorry, you've got it rough!) have had an omelet. The thing is, most omelets (especially those you get at a breakfast place) are loaded down with enormous amounts of fat, even more carbs, and surprisingly little protein. Not to mention all of the additives and artificial junk that gets in there.

The best part of waking up...

A classic staple of continental cuisine, the omelet is actually the perfect vehicle for high quality protein and excellent taste. I've left greens out of this one - it's about as rich as they come. For those of you want more greens in your brunch, don't worry, I've got a frittata coming that's chock full. Or just add spinach, kale, collards, chard or other hearty greens to you onions when cooking - my particular favorite is chard.

Smoked Leg of Lamb (Goat)

Prep Time - 5 minutes         Wait Time - 45 minutes           Cook Time - 2-4 hours

 

As I mentioned in my smoked chicken recipe, I LOVE smoked foods. I'm all about the flavors of the world around me and keeping things as natural and close to the earth from whence my sustenance comes (since I can't know how the sun actually tastes without going near a nuclear fusion reaction). And the flavors around me include the wild trees that grow in the woods around my farm (as well as those that grow near family in other parts of the country). I have actually never prepared this recipe with lamb, but with young goats from the farm. My chef friend, on the other hand, raises lamb and when we did a blind taste-test, we both couldn't tell them apart, so lamb from your local grocer should be fine with this recipe.

 

Left to right - Kale, Goat, Snap Peas (I only ate half of each)

Pink Pickled Breakfast Eggs

Prep Time - 5 Minutes   Cook Time - 40 minutes   Pickling Time - 10-30 days     Add to MyFitnessPal

 

Maybe you've had pickled eggs at the store. Maybe you liked them. If you did, I think you're a little odd, but we can still be friends. Maybe you hated them, in that case I'm with you. I was doubtful at first when my partner first suggested I look into pickling an excess of duck eggs. However, I was getting 2-3 dozen eggs a day and, despite selling to 30 families, had a huge surpluss, so I figured what the heck. I'll go for it. It took some serious trial and error, but WOW, these are incredible! I've used chicken eggs for this recipe as I doubt most of you have duck eggs (though duck eggs are FAR superior) and the calorie count below is a bit of an overestimate as it assumes you drink all the pickling liquid and eat 1/3 of a beet with every egg. So enjoy freely. A bariatric-friendly adaptation from a recipe I first read in Mother Earth News, these make an eggcellent breakfast on the go!

PHOTOS OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT COMING SOON - MORE BELOW THE JUMP

Pho Broth

Prep Time: 25 minutes                                Cook Time 2-24 hours          Add to MyFitnessPal

 

Oh pho, how I love thee. I grew up eating southeastern asian cuisine. Despite mom's affinity for McD's, I learned to eat with chopsticks long before I could handle a fork and spoon. And of all the foods I ate, none tastes like home quite like a steaming bowl of pho. But those stinking rice noodles have WAY too many carbs for my diet, and the broth seemed impossible to make (or so I thought.) I spent three years trying to perfect pho but could never make it like Ngdom used to when I was a little. Oh, and it's a protein BOMB! YUM YUM YUM!

Protein, salt, collagen, perfection



Instant Personal Pizzas

Prep Time - 5 minutes           Cook Time - 2-5 minutes                  Add to MyFitnessPal

 

This one is a little bit of a 'cheater' recipe. I'm going to make the assumption that you've already made up some BariBread, that you are using jarred sauce (my partner & I make up several dozen jars & can them every summer). Don't make your own sauce yet? Don't care for the stuff at the store? Don't worry - I'll be doing a series of posts on sauces in the next few weeks, so I've got you covered. For the sake of this recipe, I'm using the 365 marinara sauce in a jar for the nutrition info. All in all though, so long as you don't buy a sugar-bomb, you shouldn't have any problem finding a suitable sauce.

PHOTOS COMING SOON

Smye's Favorite Smoked Chicken

Prep time - 20 minutes, Cook time -2 hrs          Add to MyFitnessPal

 

This recipe is adapted from the Neely's on Food Network (by the way, I do NOT recommend food network for bariatric patients, food porn is never a good idea when we're trying to be so careful with everything we put into our bodies). I received a smoker for my birthday the year before my surgery and I was eager to still enjoy the fruits of my smoker. This recipe is absolutely delicious - the chicken is tender, juicy, and oddly reminiscent of barbeque potato chips.

 

Make this one, impress your friends, and love feeling satisfied with a 'comfort' meal that's entirely comfortable on your conscience.

Parted out and ready to eat!

Chicken Tenders

Prep Time - 10-15 min         Cook Time - 10-12 min                Add to MyFitnessPal

 

For those of you without any love for coconut, put your prejudice aside and give these a try - the roasting essentially eliminates the coconutty flavor and lends these tenders a spendidly breaded texture & flavor. Don't use coconut flakes or chop them to powder, but a shredded coconut with grain sizes similar to dry rice are about perfect here. Give them a try with your favorite low sugar sauce (they're particularly good with Blackberry Barbecue Sauce) and see if you can't stop making these.

 

PHOTOS COMING SOON