A Review

Hello everyone,

I apologize for my lengthy absence (I seem to do that a lot here), but don't worry, more recipes have been developed and will be coming soon.

But first, a review. And, full disclosure: Allrecipes sent me this product to try and review. I just received my AllRecipes Two-Tone Stainless Steel 8" frying pan and holy cow this thing is fantastic!

Looks gentle - and it is.

So far I've made goat steak, bibimbop, tomago, larb gai, and, pictured below, my low-carb flatbread pizza (recipe forthcoming). Usually this recipe is a pain in the butt to clean up in the pan and burns easily, but it just slid right out of the pan without issue (or nonstick spray) and it was cooked perfectly evenly.

I also should mention that this thing has some heft - great for double duty as self-defense in the event of a home invasion! #ad #ARCookware #AllrecipesAllstars

Selling the Farm

What was that saying my middle school teachers always used? The only constant in life is change?

If that's the case, then why does change hurt so badly? Why is it something so incredibly frightening? And how on earth is it possible to be at once in a place of such horror and hope?

Suffice it to say, a change has come and we're selling the farm! More changes are afoot soon, one of the biggest (emotionally) will be coming tomorrow, so stay tuned.

For those in the PNW interested in a hobby farm not an hour from Seattle, check out our listing here. 1770 sq ft on one acre with a large greenhouse, workshop, goat barn, and chicken house.



We're having an open house on Sunday from 1-4 if you're interested.

Not to worry though, I'll keep on making BariDelicious foods and posting them here in partnership with AllRecipes.

BACON!

So it's not exactly 'low fat.' But who the hell said bariatric eating had to be low-fat?

Bacon from scratch? Don't mind if I do.  #MyAllrecipes #AllrecipesAllstars

OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM

Pizza Pinwheels

Prep Time: 20 minutes          Cook Time: 30 minutes

The humble pinwheel - paragons of artifice and cloggers of arteries everywhere. These party-platter inhabitors from childhood really have no place in a post-surgery world.

Or so we thought...

Parents of small children and those who long for the comfort of nostalgia rejoice, for the pinwheel has returned! These are also excellent with a barbeque chicken filling or turkey Cesar.

In Absentia

To those sending concerned emails and messages over facebook: Don't worry, I'm still well and cooking up new bari-friendly recipes (I'll post one of my most-oft-requested recipes later tonight).

I can't say a whole lot just yet about my long absence... For the time being, just know that a big announcement is coming regarding BariDelicious Food and it's one I think you'll find just as delightful as I do!

Alright, fine. I can't tell you everything, but here's a hint: Soon you'll have access to ALL the recipes...

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)