Sweet & Tangy Nutty Pear Salad

If you like salads then you’re going to love this one.  Not only is it easy to make, its delicious contrast of pears and sauerkraut pleases both the sweet and sour taste buds all at once. The fusion of pecans and coconut add an element of YUM!

Sweet & Tangy Nutty Pear Salad

Ingredients:

Makes 3 servings

½  cup chopped pear

¼ cup chopped sauerkraut

¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup Danielle Crispy Coconut Chips (Target)

Pecan halves and pear slices to garnish

In a bowl stir together sauerkraut, chopped pear, chopped pecans, and coconut.  Plate on a bed of lettuce.  Garnish with pecan halves and pear slices.

Eat as is or add salad dressing.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information. 

Quick and Tasty BLT Sandwich

When I first started the J.J. Virgin diet I mourned the loss of my beloved bread.  No bread meant no sandwiches, no dinner rolls, and no bagels. C’est dommage. While I haven’t found anything that quite matches the taste of bread in sandwiches, I have come to realize that I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would.

Here, by replacing bread with a thin rice cake, it’s still possible to have a healthy bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich that makes me go, “YUM!” 

Quick and Tasty BLT Sandwich

Ingredients:

Makes 1 serving

3 slices nitrate free bacon

1 thin brown rice cake (shown, Suzie’s Lightly Salted Brown Rice Cake)

Butter lettuce

3 half slices from a small tomato 

1 tablespoon flavored hummus or spicy guacamole

Microwave or oven-broil bacon until done. Drain excess oil. Cut bacon slices in half and arrange on a rice cake.  Add a few leaves of lettuce and the tomato slices. Drop a spoonful of hummus or guacamole on top. 

Eat open face or add rice cake on top.

Serve with sweet potato chips.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information. 

Old School New Twist Sweet Potato Chips

Potato chips.  It's true, you can never eat just one. And with these home style chips, it's quite alright.  If you have never used coconut oil you're in for a real treat, as sweet potatoes and coconut oil are a match made in flavor heaven.  And when dusted with the divine blend of Xylitol, cinnamon, and basil, there's just one thing left to say--YUM!

  

Old School New Twist Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

Serves 3

1 large sweet potato

Coconut oil

1 tablespoon *Xylitol (sugar substitute from birch trees)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon dried ground basil flakes    

Gently wash the potato.  Pat dry.  Leaving skin on, cut it into thin slices. In a skillet or fryer, heat about 2 inches of coconut oil.  While oil is getting hot, spread a clean absorbent paper towel on a cutting board.  Put Xylitol, cinnamon, and basil into a brown paper bag. Shake together to blend. Set aside.

Drop a small portion of the potato slices into the hot oil. Let slices fry separated until they are crisp and lightly browned. This will happen within seconds, so be ready to remove the chips from the oil quickly.  Briefly spread cooked chips on the paper towel to drain off excess oil.  After putting a new batch of potatoes in the skillet, dump the already fried chips into the paper bag and shake to season with the Xylitol mixture.  Remove the chips from the bag and put them on plates or in a large serving bowl.  Quickly repeat this process until all potatoes are fried and seasoned.

Salty variations:  Season with sea salt and pepper or sea salt and garlic powder.

Serve with a sandwich or as a snack. 
   

*Xylitol.  Sounds scary, right? The truth is, it's a natural sugar alternative derived from birch trees. Though not quite as sweet as sugar, Xylitol's claim to fame is that it is low on the glycemic index and that it tastes, looks, feels, and cooks like sugar. 

Be aware, however.  All Xylitols are not created equally, as there are some less healthy products made from corn husks.  I've found Xyloburst and Xyla to be two GREAT choices made from birch.  These products can be found online or at your local health food stores.  

Word to the wise:  Using Xylitol in excess may have a laxative effect, so use sparingly.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information. 

Finger Licking Oven-Broiled Pork Ribs with Brown Rice

I was literally in hog heaven from my very first nibble of this succulent meat. For pork lovers, ribs are a “must eat meat”.  But for these ribs, the secret to healthier eating lies within the meat itself—pasture fed pork.  And the pre-salting and piercing guarantees that flavor goes all the way down to the bone.  You'll find that brown rice stirred in hot meat drippings is the perfect sidekick for these tender ribs.  

Serve at a homey dinner party and listen to your guests shout, “Yum!”

Finger Licking Oven-Broiled Pork Ribs with Brown Rice

Ingredients:

Makes about 3 servings

6      cuts of pasture-fed pork ribs (bone in)

½     teaspoon sea salt

1      tablespoon lemon juice

1      tablespoon Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

1 ½  teaspoons Seitenbacher Organic Herb Dead Sea Salt

1      teaspoon onion powder

1      teaspoon olive oil (not extra virgin)

Gently wash meat.  Pat dry.  Lightly salt each piece.  Rub to ensure even distribution.  With a dinner fork, pierce the meat all over. Put in refrigerator in an open dish for 3-6 hours (overnight if possible).

After meat has chilled, preheat oven on low broil (about 275 ^o). Remove ribs from refrigerator and place them in a baking dish.  Pour on lemon juice and coconut aminos.  Dust with Seitenbacher Organic Herb Salt and onion powder.  Rub meat to distribute ingredients evenly.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Arrange ribs a few inches apart in open baking dish, lightly drizzle meat with olive oil, and then place dish in center of oven. 

Broil for about 50 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for about 45 minutes on the other side.  Turn again and cook for about 10 minutes or until very meat tender and when thickest parts show no pink. Remove from oven, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Deliciously Easy Brown Rice

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 servings

2      packs of Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice

3      tablespoons of rib drippings

½     teaspoon sea salt (or to desired taste)

½     teaspoon ground black pepper (or to desired taste)

½     tablespoon Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Microwave rice according to package directions.  When done, pour into serving bowl.  Add drippings, salt, pepper, and coconut aminos. Stir to distribute evenly. 

Serve ribs and rice with bacony green beans.

  

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information. 

Refreshing Strawberry Slushy

When I crave something cold and fruity to satisfy my sweet tooth, I find that this little treat quickly hits the spot. The vanilla and Stevia, which are healthy alternatives to sugars, bring out the natural strawberry flavors.  Simple and sweet--YUM!

Refreshing Strawberry Slushy

Ingredients:

Makes one serving

6 small to medium frozen strawberries* 

¼  cup coconut water

½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract (with no additives or corn syrup)   or  ½ teaspoon of ground vanilla beans

3 scoops of pure Stevia (use tiny scoop in container)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend together until smooth.  Pour in glass and drink immediately.

*or blueberries

Bacony Green Beans

Green beans are one of my all-time favorite veggies.  And when I started dieting I was afraid I'd have to give up the bacony rich flavors I'd come to love in Mama's home-cooked green beans. As it turns out, adding Trader Joe's nitrate free bacon and a scoop of duck fat make these green beans just as scrumptious as the ones Mama used to make. Yum.

Bacony Green Beans

Ingredients:

1   24 ounce bag of frozen green beans

      3  slices of nitrate free bacon

½  teaspoon duck fat

¾  cup coconut water

½  cup water

      1   tablespoon Herbs de Provence

½  teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

In a medium pot brown bacon until done.  Remove from and set aside.  Melt duck fat in hot bacon grease. Pour in frozen green beans. Turn heat down. As green beans thaw, stir and add coconut water, herbs, and salt.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until green beans are done).  Stir in cooked bacon and turn off heat. Serve hot.

Pan Seared Salmon with Smoky Peach Salsa

I am an absolute seafood fanatic and there’s almost nothing I enjoy sinking my teeth into more than a mouthwatering salmon fillet like this one.  With or without the peach salsa, this fish is sure to win you over, too.

Here, ghee replaces butter while the coconut aminos add a subtle but delicious layer of unexpected flavor. Yum.

Pan Seared Salmon with Smoky Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

Makes 1 fillet

1 half pound wild caught king salmon fillet (de-boned & unskinned)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Seasoned sea salt to taste

½ ground onion powder

½ teaspoon dried cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)

1 tablespoon ghee

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1 tablespoon Trader Joe's Spicy Smokey Peach Salsa (option for cycle II Virgin dieters)

Gently water-wash salmon fillet.  Pat dry with paper towel.  Pour lemon juice and coconut aminos on all sides of the fillet. Let fish rest for 5 minutes.  In a skillet, heat olive oil and ghee. 

Season salmon with seasoned sea salt and onion powder.  Dust with cilantro flakes.  Place one side of fillet in medium hot oil and ghee. Cook until golden brown.  Turn fillet and let the other side cook for about 3 minutes or until that side is golden brown and flaky.When fully cooked, remove salmon from pan.

Turn off heat and quickly toss peach salsa in oils before putting on fish.

Serve with brown rice and cooked vegetables.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information. 

Chicken Parsnip Kale Soup

Br-r-r.  It’s January and there’s a cool nip in the air in central Florida. As you might imagine, cold days are few here. But whenever the mercury drops and the wind rustles through the tree branches, I long to curl up in a Lazy Boy recliner with the remote control and a bowl of delicious homemade soup. 

In the past, I used to make a version of this soup using butter and cream. But, by replacing these 2 ingredients with ghee and coconut milk, I can diet and still enjoy the rich flavors of one of my all-time favorite cold weather foods. Yum.

Chicken Parsnip Kale Soup

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 small bowl servings

1 whole leftover free-range roaster chicken carcass

1 cup of chicken meat scraps

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil (non-virgin)

3 tablespoons ghee

Sea salt & herb seasoning to taste

½ teaspoon onion powder

3 cups hot water

1 cup coconut water

2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

½ cup kale

1 large peeled parsnip cut in chunks

¼ cup leftover cooked brown rice

1 small onion peeled and cut in chunks

In an uncovered 3-quart saucepan, lightly sauté the chicken carcass and meat scraps in olive oil and ghee for 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a full boil for about 10 minutes. Turn carcass.  Cook 10 more minutes  or until about half of the water has boiled down. Turn heat down and add coconut water and milk. Simmer on low heat until broth begins to thicken (about 15 minutes).  Scrape chicken remnants from carcass and remove the bones from the soup. Add parsnip chunks.  If desired, add additional water to thin out. Stir in kale, onions, and rice.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until parsnip is softened. Turn off heat and remove pot from burner. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve hot with a tossed salad and brown rice crackers.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information.  

Welcome to SKINNYUM!

What if I told you that it’s possible to enjoy diet foods that are so delectable, you’ll find yourself preferring them over comparable non-diet foods? Pipe dream?  Maybe not.

If you’re like me, you relish opening your mouth and wrapping your lips around a forkful of yum. But the upshot of all of that yum certainly does a number on the body, right? So for years my answer to yummy food weight gain was yucky food dieting—which worked quite well until I reached middle age. At that point dieting was useless as the pounds packed on even while following yucky food diets and taking “healthy” supplements.  It was exasperating. 

Surely there had to be an eating regime that would allow me to have my cake and eat it too.  Enter J.J. Virgin*—cue the melodic heavenly voices, please—and her 2-hour PBS special. The information presented in this program was a Godsend.  It changed my life. Having lost 52 pounds following J.J. Virgin’s regime, I can testify that diet food can certainly be as tasty as or tastier than regular food.

So welcome to my blog, SKINNYUM! Here I’ll share cooking tips and some of my most delectable J.J. Virgin style recipes for maintaining your weight loss. There are no guarantees (expressed or implied), but if you are doing the "drop 7 foods/7 days/lose 7 pounds" plan, you might very well find something of interest here.

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*No connection to or endorsement of my blog