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.

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.

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.

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). 

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!

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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!