This is the only bread I eat anymore, just 60 calories, 2 grams of fat, 8g carb and 4g fiber. Yep, 8 grams carb, not 14-26 like other pitas and breads. It’s a light, soft bread. Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran and Whole Wheat Flour Pita, available at WalMart.

This version calls for caramelizing the onions in the oven rather
than on the stove top.  This gives you more flavor out of the onions without having to continually stir them, and keeps the fat way down.  The broth also has apple for sweetness, and star anise, cinnamon and cardamon to add depth of flavor to store bought broth.  This is a fast and easy soup. Continue reading →

Light and lowfat

It’s finally chilly here and hot flashes were welcome last night, they kept me warm.  I am a freezie cat and keep windows open until it goes below 50.  I made a yummy potato corn soup for brunch.  I used to make heavy and creamy chowders.  Now I do light and healthy versions that are just as satisfying.  More so, since I learned to layer flavors in a broth rather than depending on butter, oil and cream for flavor.  Whenever I cook Eddy’s smoked turkey legs, or Jennie-O turkey ham, I keep some cooked meat in the freezer to use later for soup flavoring.  Here’s the recipe, it makes about a quart.  I used to make huge soups.  I don’t do that any more.  I’d rather a smaller soup so I can make a new one every few days. Continue reading →

I love mince pie. I seldom eat it, because of the high fat in the tasty pie crust.  I was going to give in and buy a pie, or  a can of pie filling, but thankfully they are not in stores right now.  However, I made my own low fat, crustless version and it was so good I’ll definitely do it again.  I used a can of peaches and drained the syrup to use another time.  I put the peaches in a bowl with one chopped apple, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup craisins, as well as a a half teaspoon of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice.  I put it in the oven and sprinkled a little cinnamon and dark brown sugar on top.  Into the oven at 400 for half an hour and it reminded me enough of a real mince pie that I will always make this.

Several chai recipes follow: an instant chai mix, the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram chai and the Starbucks chai recipe.  A note on using nonfat milk, skim milk, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk: The flavors that make spices taste delicious are all aromatic compounds. Aromatic compounds are made of molecules that contain a structure known as a benzene ring, meaning they dissolve best in alcohols or fats. You may have noticed this when making drinks, that adding a twist of lemon to a martini adds significantly more flavor in a shorter amount of time than adding a twist of flavor to a glass of water. Similarly, if you make this chai with a non-fat milk, you won’t extract as many flavors from the spices as if you make it with a milk that has some fat. Coconut milk might be a vegan alternative, as it contains relatively high fat.

Continue reading →

Tom Yum Goong

This week for lunch I felt like either a tom yum or a pho soup, but didn’t feel like going out.  So I made an Asian spiced  fish soup with sugar snap peas and scallions.  I began with 8 cups of water and simmered 15 minutes with:
a dozen fresh shrimp, heads and tails on, vein removed
4 crushed lemongrass stalks
6 keffir lime leaves
a thumb size of fresh ginger, chopped
one tbsp of tamarind paste
1 de-seeded chili goat pepper
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp each black cardamon and fennel seeds. Continue reading →

Bourbon Chicken

Bourbon Tofu in the oven

Here’s my version of a lowfat bourbon chicken, substituting the bourbon with apple juice. Chop and saute 2 large onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until golden.  Add 1/2 cup each: apple juice, brown sugar and lite soy sauce (or 1/4 c. soy sauce and 1/4 cup water). Add 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tablespoon each chopped or ground ginger, chopped or ground garlic and 1 teaspoon each onion powder and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat 10-20 minutes until it reduces and becomes thick and syrupy.  Turn off the heat.

Bourbon Broccoli Tofu

IF USING TOFU, EGGPLANT, MUSHROOMS OR BROCCOLI
I’ve done this recipe with chicken, with tofu, with eggplant and even with mushrooms and broccoli.  If substituting tofu or eggplant for the chicken, cut them into 1″ chunks. Leave mushrooms whole. Cut broccoli into flowerettes and stalks into 1″ chunks.

IF USING CHICKEN:
Chop 6 raw skinless, boneless chicken (I like thighs) into bite size pieces.  (You can skip this step, but I like to velvet my chicken first. Here’s how.)

Toss the tofu, veggies or chicken into the sauce long enough to mix it well and coat each piece.

Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish, and place in a 450 oven for 20-26 minutes.  I use a large dish so that the sauce spreads out on the bottom and gets almost charred.  If you like less char, use a 350-400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Here’s a stovetop version http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-chicken-45809 but I like the crispy char taste of being cooked in the oven so the sauce gets sticky. Best to marinade the chicken in it first 2-24 hours (this is when I velvet my chicken) and to have the sauce kinda thick and reduced before pouring it on.  I eat this poured atop a mixed spring greens salad, or rice.

Another Bourbon Tofu recipe, without soy sauce.

A couple of times last week I went to Golden Corral for their soup and salad bar, then was inspired to buy lots of salad fixings for yummy salads at home. I bought romaine, spinach and spring mix, I bought sweet cherry tomatoes,  small black olives, quartered artichoke hearts, carrot sticks, garbanzo beans.  I thinly sliced the red onion and radishes,. All the things I put on my salad at a buffet. I added some lowfat gorgonzola cheese and a sauteed half of a leftover baked potato. I tossed it with some oil, vinegar and a dab of dijon. Yum, hearty, healthy and low fat. Oh, and you carcass lovers can add your slab of bacon or philly cheese steak toppings.

Andrea de Michaelis

I’m Andrea de Michaelis.  You know me as publisher of Horizons Magazine.  I began this blog because so often during the day I post on Facebook what I am cooking and the meals I eat.  Not all my friends are on Facebook.  Plus I figured it would be just as easy to make a blog and post healthy meal ideas here.  Also, then I could find my new recipes when I look for them.  I’ll back date some older posts from my main blog.  It encourages me to eat healthy when I’m sharing with everyone what I’m having.  Feel free to email me your thoughts toandrea@horizonsmagazine.com.  Enjoy.

The story behind the creation of the Goddess Grub website
Andrea’s other job Horizons Magazine
Bio Andrea de Michaelis

I never cared for Indian food until recently.  I spent off and on in my 20’s and 30’s living in an ashram with a monastic group and Indian food was the order of the day.  I found it not to my liking and thereafter avoided it.  Then in October 2006 while attending the Pranic Healing Workshop in Orlando, I was invited to lunch with Master Steven Co and his group.  Tom Park asked if I liked Indian food, since they were going to an Indian buffet.  I inwardly cringed and outwardly smiled and said ‘Yes, I’d love that.”  To my delight, I found there were many dishes I loved, and they tasted nothing like I remember “Indian food” tasting.  So flavorful and so many vegetarian choices. Continue reading →