Cheat Day Archives - Decadently Fit

Category: Cheat Day

20
Aug
2013

Peach Crisp with Coconut Whipped Cream

categories: Cheat Day, Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Last week, while trying out this whole gluten-free lifestyle, I learned a lot. What stuck out most to me was some times those with a gluten allergy also have a dairy allergy. To be specific, a casein allergy. Casein is a protein found in dairy. A very hard protein to digest.

Dairy and I have never gotten along, but at least I can somewhat tolerate casein once it has been cooked. I won’t go into anaphylactic shock, instead I will feel like a tiny demon is using my stomach as a trampoline park.

Let’s face it, like gluten, dairy is in everything, especially desserts. Having that removed from your food list permanently along with gluten would narrow your food choices significantly.

So, for my gluten, dairy, and egg free followers, here is a sweet treat. This peach crisp is made with a combination of gluten-free flour (garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour), almond meal, and coconut sugar. Tossed together with beautiful, juicy peaches. The perfectly portioned peach treats are topped with a cinnamon infused crumble that is to die for. A small mountain of dairy-free coconut whipped cream adorns the crisp.

Even though this dish was made with my gluten and dairy free followers in mind, this version of peachy goodness is great for everyone. Do keep in mind, although the calories are lower than a regular peach crisp, this is not a low-carb dessert. It is a clean dessert. For a lower calorie, lower fat version of this dessert, omit the crumble.

Recipe

Serves 4

Toss together

2 peaches, cut into 1 inch pieces (you can choose to take the skin off, or leave it on)

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tablespoon almond meal

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

Crumble

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup gluten-free flour

2 tablespoons almond meal

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whipped Cream

1 can of full fat coconut cream, chilled for 24 hours (do not freeze)

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss together the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide into 4 small ramekins.

In another medium bowl combine all ingredients using a fork. The mixture should be crumbly. Divide the crumb topping into 4, and top the peaches with the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crisp is baking, open the can of the coconut cream. Scoop out the cream, reserving the water for your morning smoothie. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, whip the coconut cream, on medium high-speed, till it resembles whipped cream. Refrigerate immediately.

When the crisps are done, let cool slightly. Top with coconut cream. Prepare to be blown away.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe so your friends can be blown away too.

Servings: 4• Size: 1 ramekin • Calories: 219• Fat: 9g • Carb: 34g • Fiber: 4g • Protein: 4g • Sugar: 14g • Sodium: 23mg • Cholesterol: 0mg

19
Jul
2013

Hatch Chili Honey Corn Dog

categories: Cheat Day, Main Dishes, Uncategorized

Fair season in the O.C. is upon us. The G family loves the fair for many different reasons. Mr. G and I love trying the various foods offered. We used to seek out the Australian Battered Potatoes, but have since moved onto the Texas Sized Maple Bacon Donut. For the most part, the fried menu items don’t interest us as much as they used to. Probably because our stomachs really can’t handle the grease anymore.

Our boys love all the rides, and playing the games to win yet another stuffed animal to add to the menagerie. They also love the corn dogs and the roasted corn.

I can remember loving corn dogs at the fair when I was little. For some reason they taste much better there. It has to be the ambiance that enhances their flavor.

We live 45 minutes from the above mentioned fair. We will most likely go once during the season. So if any of the G family wants to eat a corn dog any other time of the year we must venture off to the frozen food aisle or make our own. I’m sure you can guess which one I prefer.

I’m going to go off onto a completely differently tangent for a bit and then come back full circle. Bear with me.

hatch cookbook — Buy your cookbook on Melissas.com

Recently, I was invited to Melissa’s Produce Hatch Chili Cookbook Launch Event. Their wonderful chefs Ida Rodriguez and Marco Zapien made a delicious lunch for us with Hatch Chili as the main ingredient in every dish.

For those of you who have never had a Hatch chili grace your presence, let me introduce you. The chili is grown in a region of New Mexico, surprisingly named, Hatch. Hatch is the perfect breeding grounds for this chili due to the hot days and cool evenings.

They are large, green peppers, with a waxy appearance, similar to an Anaheim pepper. The heat sneaks up on you and builds, but it is not an unbearable heat.

The growing season is only 6 weeks, and usually begins the first week of August. The estimated start of the 2013 season is August 8th. The most interesting part about the chili is that it can vary in heat from mild to hot. They are wonderful roasted or used in the powder form.

It was fun tasting each of the 15 items, with the chili being used differently in the individual dishes. My favorites were the *Honey Mustard Pretzel Crunch, Chocolate Chip cookies, Chicken Salad Sandwich and the Cornbread. But the item that pushed the menu over the edge was the hatch chili lemonade. Each guest added their own hatch chili ice-cube to fresh lemonade. It was refreshing, sour, sweet and spicy. Perfect.

After I left the event, warmed by the heat of the chilies, I immediately started pondering how to use them in a healthy dish. On my way home I saw a billboard for the O.C. Fair, and started dreaming of the food. That is when it hit me. I said to myself, “I bet the hatch chili powder would be awesome in the corn dog batter!”.

There are times when my ideas and reality don’t mesh well. There have been many disasters. I can say without question that my little experiment worked well. I was able to concoct a healthy version of a spicy corn dog.

In this recipe I took an organic, nitrate and preservative free hot dog, and covered it with a sweet and spicy hatch chili and honey cornbread coating. To leave room in my arteries for the fatty fair version, I baked this version. I replaced the milk in the mix for club soda for a fluffier texture. Coconut oil replaced the vegetable oil. I used foil boats (see pic to the left) to maintain their form. Although, they still took on a funky shape, they still looked like the original version.

This substitution will knock your socks off and even make your nose run a little. You won’t have to feel guilty about eating these. Just remember, even though they are healthier, they are not low-fat. So remember to share with a neighbor or two.

Recipe

1 box Natural Honey Corn bread mix (I used Krusteaz)

3/4 cup to 1 cup club soda (depending on thickness of batter , it must stick to the dog)

1 egg (room temp)

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 1/2 teaspoons mild hatch chili powder (this will be remotely spicy, adjust to your tastes)

10 -12 organic, nitrate, preservative free hot dogs (Applegate is wonderful)

10 -12 Popsicle sticks or skewers

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make foil boats for the amount of hot dogs you have. Place each boat side by side on a cookie sheet. Spray each boat with olive oil cooking spray.

Thread a skewer or Popsicle stick into each hot dog. Leave enough room for a handle.

Pat each hot dog dry with a paper towel. Roll each dog into the dry corn dog mix. Set aside.

Mix the remainder of ingredients in box until combined.

Using a spoon, cover each dog with the cornbread mixture, till completely covered. Shake any large clumps off into the bowl. Set the covered dog in the foil boat. Repeat till all dogs are covered.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until completely cooked and slighting golden.

Chef’s Note:

If your kids won’t touch spicy with a ten foot pole, divide the mixture in half and only add half of the hatch powder to one half. Or don’t.

Servings: 12 • Size: 1 corn dog • Calories: 273 • Fat: 14.4g • Carb: 28.9g • Fiber: 1g • Protein: 9g • Sugar: 10.7g • Sodium: 686mg • Cholesterol: 38mg

*Melissa’s Hatch Chili cookbook contains the recipes for the dishes that were made for the event. I highly recommend purchasing one!

I was not compensated for this post. However, I did take home a cookbook, and hatch chilis from the event. Thank you Melissa’s!

Thank you to marthastewart.com for the photo inspiration.

02
Jul
2013

Broccoli Slaw Salad & Virtual BBQ

categories: Cheat Day, Desserts, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Side Dish

I love summer time. I love spending more time with my children. I love the late nights swimming. I love going to BBQs. BBQs are a great excuse to hang out with friends, and for the kid’s to run rampant. It’s a chance for everyone to get adventurous making a new dish they saw on Pinterest.

Unfortunately, most of us (even me) use it as an excuse to over indulge. That would be fine if a BBQ happened maybe once a month. Let’s be honest, most us attend a BBQ of some sort during the summer once a week. Over indulging that much can lead to excess pounds no one wants during bathing suit season.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t try your friend’s amazing dishes. I think you should, just watch your portion size and don’t go back for seconds. This nifty chart shows what the correct portion size for each person.

I recently brought this vibrant Broccoli Slaw Salad to a BBQ. Tons of nutritious veggies are incorporated into the salad, including sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Sun flower seeds and red onions give the dish a nice crunch, while the vinegar and pesto liven up your taste buds.

If your goal is to feed a ton of people, while going easy on the wallet, swap out the broccoli for shredded cabbage. If you don’t like sunflower seeds, use pumpkin seeds. Either way, the salad delivers a huge punch of flavor without compromising your waist line.

Recipe For Broccoli Slaw Salad

12 oz broccoli florets, raw, separated into bite size pieces

12 oz. broccoli slaw (refrigerated in produce section)

3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not in oil)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup red onion, diced

3/4 cup prepared pesto sauce

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil mayo

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Whisk together mayo, pesto, vinegar, salt and pepper into a small bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredients with the pesto mixture and chill for 2 hours. Serve cold.

Below I have posted some of my blogger friend’s recipes that they brought to our virtual 4th of July BBQ. I recently met them at Camp Blogaway (a conference for bloggers). They are a group of amazing ladies with incredible talent and wonderful personalities. We joke that there must have been some roommate god that placed us together. The match was just too perfect. On the first night we laughed and chatted till we realized how loud we were being. Oops.

I’m hoping to see them in person in the near future, hopefully at a BBQ where they bring these dishes. Until then, here is our virtual version.

Crème Brûlée Tart

This is Jillian’s contribution, from Food Folks and Fun, to our space age BBQ. She is a sweet military mommy and wife who recently moved to San Diego County. She currently has a little girl and is expecting a little boy. Her blog is full of wonderful recipes, vibrant pictures to match, great printables and wonderful crafts. Pin worthy, great posts, that you should check out today!

Jillian’s interpretation of the French classic: smooth custard in a flaky tart shell with a crackling burnt-sugar topping. Serve with fresh, seasonal berries.

Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce

Here is Barbara’s contribution from Barbara Cooks. Another room-mate from Camp Blogaway, and one of the first people I met at camp. If her sparkling blue eyes don’t capture your attention, her beautiful smile will. A newlywed from San Diego County, Babara approaches food with a healthy spin. Her food is fun and inventive. Right up my alley! Check it out!

Barbara has taken the bold flavor of coffee and barbecued it! Served with a sweet and savory blueberry sauce, this will be a hit at your next backyard barbecue.

Christine’s Colorful Potato Salad

Angela writes the blog Aloha: Yinz Mangia. She is an Italian girl who uprooted her life in Pittsburgh, to live in Hawaii. That should completely demystify the name of her blog. Not only is her blog name fun, so is the author. She is currently planning a wedding to fiance Bryce, while working on the Battleship Missouri. She has an amazing sense of humor, and her love of food is apparent in every post. Warning: Reading her blog will make you very jealous of her amazing Hawaiian life. That being said, check out her blog as quickly as possible!

Angela adds unconventional ingredients like blue cheese and apples to a conventional potato salad. An explosion of flavor is bound to ignite your 4th of July BBQ with this dish!

I hope you bring our dishes to your next BBQ. Happy 4th of July!

A BIG thank you to all the service men and women, past and present that make our country what it is!

23
May
2013

Kid Approved, Mom Approved Boxed Mac & Cheese & Hot Dogs

categories: Cheat Day, Fit Tips, Main Dishes, Quick Meal, Side Dish

I despise processed foods. Before I go on a tangent about why I don’t like them, I feel the need to clarify what they are. Processed foods are packaged in boxes, cans or bags. They are usually loaded with fat, salt and sugar. Convenience foods, that are “designed for ease of consumption”. They are usually full of ingredients that can not be easily pronounced.

Livestrong.com best states the reason why I am a processed food hater, “While food preservation methods greatly enhance your ability to eat what you want when you want it, they also remove soluble fiber and other natural nutrients from raw foods and add ingredients that are, potentially, harmful to your health and well-being”. If that statement is true, why is the United States the lead consumer of processed foods? The answer is convenience. According to the N.Y. Times, Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries. Most of us are so tired and stressed at the end of the day. Making a meal from scratch is the last thing on our over stimulated minds. So instead of making a meal packed full of nutrition, we opt for the easy way out, grabbing a box of Hamburger Helper, Rice-A-Roni or Macaroni & Cheese, or driving through the Golden Arches.

I used to do the same thing. Rice-A-Roni was a staple item in my grocery cart. Frozen bagged, one pot dinners were an easy go-to. If that blue box of macaroni and cheese was in my cart, it was usually made the same day. Then something changed, I had two beautiful boys, that I didn’t want to be tainted with preservatives and unhealthy food choices. I wanted my kids to eat the best food they could, so they could live the best life possible. Seems like something easy to do, till you realize you have to change your eating habits as a parent too.

The change didn’t happen over night, and it hasn’t always been easy, nor is it something we do 100%. My husband didn’t like the change at first. People around me did not support my choices. But, I decided in this case I knew what was best, and no one was changing my mind. Slowly my husband came around, and now embraces the changes. Granted he still brings home items I would rather not see in our home, but every now and then donuts and chips aren’t going to ruin us.

Today, our everyday diet is approximately 75% clean 25% processed. I make dinner almost every night, from scratch. If we have processed foods, most of them are organic or contain natural preservatives like celery juice. The blue boxed mac and cheese makes appearances only when the husband goes to the store, which is rare. American cheese is a never in our home, fruits and veggies are offered before any other snack item.

Yes, it is more work to make meals from scratch, but it’s worth the time I am taking to ensure we eat well. If you find that it is hard to make a well-balanced dinner every night, freeze meals when you do have time. Make two times the amount every time you make dinner, freeze the rest. Figure out what meals are fast to make. My fast go to dinner is salmon, frozen organic broccoli and frozen brown rice. It takes only 10 minutes from start to finish, with virtually no clean up.

Another quick meal is organic boxed Mac & Cheese with all natural, preservative free, antibiotic free beef hot dogs, served with a side of organic apple slices. Don’t knock it till you try it. Once you do, that blue box will only be making cameo appearances in your pantry. My ‘recipe’ is below.

Recipe

2 boxes of organic macaroni and cheese (I use 1 box of original flavor and one box of white cheddar)

1/2 cup of Smart Balance Butter

1/4 cup – 3/4 cup pasta cooking water (instead of milk, trust me you won’t miss the milk)

2 packages of the powdered cheese from the boxes

Boil the noodles, per the package directions. While the noodles are cooking cut up the hot dogs into bite sized rings, set aside. When the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat, and scoop up an entire coffee cup full of the pasta water, set aside. Drain the rest of the water from the noodles. In the same pan, heat the hot dogs. Once the dogs are heated through melt the Smart Balance in the pan, then pour the noodles back in and mix with the butter and hot dogs. Pour in a 1/4 cup of the pasta water and the cheese powder, mix. Continue to add more pasta water till creamy.

Enjoy the preservative free version of this vintage dish!