The Latest News About Chef Barrae's Weight Loss Journey!!!

Just a quick update to let you all know that I am well and fine! Life has been absolutely amazing since my last post several months ago and I have not had one minute to spare! For this, I apologize to you all.

So, the facts are these .... this meal plan that I have developed WORKS AMAZINGLY WELL!!! To date, I have lost over 200 lbs., my blood sugar and blood pressure are completely normal and I take no medications for either. I don't even have a need to test my blood glucose levels anymore. Spectacular!

I am currently working with private clients to help them on my program with their journey in weight loss. My partner Michael and I have a small restaurant now that keeps us rediculously busy and we attend school for Complementary and Alternative Medicine! Oh, and in my spare time I am now writing a book about my journey that will also include great recipes! A totally different take on a cookbook.

For the latest information about me and my progress please visit my Facebook page! Check out my most current photograph!

Great to touch base with you all once again. Love to you all and my sincerest thanks and gratitude for all of your support over the past few years. Life has truly turned around and it can for anyone. Of this I am sure.

Chef Barrae

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Ta - da! Thank you all for your kind patience while you waited for me to find the time to post this unbelievable recipe. Keep in mind, this is not a particularly low carb recipe and I have added a few ingredient substitutions for you if you choose. There is also no nutrition information included with this recipe as it is not one of my particularly healthy specialties, but rather just something really great that I had served for a special friend at dinner one night. I hope you enjoy.

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 Tbsp. Chinese wine or dry sherry

1 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil for frying

1 green onion, chopped

Lobster Sauce:

1/4 lb. ground pork

2 tsp. sauce, substitute reduced sodium soy sauce

white pepper to taste

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. fermented black beans, optional

2 green onions, cut on diagonal about 1" long

1 Tbsp. soy sauce, or substitute reduced sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. dry sherry

1 tsp. sugar, or substitute Splenda

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. water

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil for frying

Combine the pork, soy sauce, white pepper and cornstarch in a small bowl and marinate for about 15 minutes. While the pork is marinating mince the garlic and fermented black bean paste together. In a separate bowl or measuring cup combine the soy sauce, dry sherry, sugar and chicken stock and set aside. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, set that aside also. Beat the eggs and set aside. The key is to have everything at the ready before you begin cooking as this dish cooks very quickly.

Marinate the shrimp with listed ingredients for about 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or saute pan on medium high heat and stir fry the green onion about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir fry until the shrimp are pink, translucent and slightly curled. Do not overcook. Set aside and clean pan with paper towel.

Heat a wok or large saute pan on medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp. oil. Add half of the garlic and black bean mixture and stir fry until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds or so. Add the ground pork and stir until it is no longer pink and cooked. Remove and set aside. Clean pan with a paper towel.

Add 1 Tbsp. oil and the remaining garlic and black bean paste mixture. Stir fry for about 30 seconds and add the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and add slowly whisk or stir in the cornstarch mixture. Continue stirring until the sauce has thickened., about 2 minutes. Return the cooked pork to the sauce and stir in the sliced green onions. Turn the heat off and slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs with a fork. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, combine and serve immediately.

Note ~ the measured amounts of cornstarch can be cut in half in order to help reduce the carbohydrates in this dish. The sauce will be thinner but the taste will not be affected.

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce

This was always a staple when we would order in Chinese food and one of my daughter's favorite dishes. The funny thing is, it is the simplest dish to make! I have included suggestions for substitutions again, to reduce the carbohydrate and calories. This is not a low fat or low calorie dish so your portion control is important here, whether you use the substitutions or not. And, once again I have not included the nutrition information because there are a few variations you can use in the ingredients you choose. The best thing about this dish? The taste is amazing and it is just like the restaurant style dish you have all probably tried. I hope you enjoy.

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces linguine style pasta, cooked al dente or substitute 2 packages Tofu Shirataki Noodles, either spaghetti or fettuccine style

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil or substitute toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter, no sugar or salt added

1/4 cup tahini paste 

*note ~ you can use either all peanut butter or all tahini if you prefer by just using 1/2 cup of total of either

2 Tbsp. sugar or substitute Splenda

3 Tbsp. soy sauce or substitute reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. ginger root, grated

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (plain with no added flavors) or substitute brown rice vinegar

Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce to taste (I used Sriracha, a very potent Asian style hot sauce)

1/2 cup scallions, chopped, garnish

1 to 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, garnish

Cook pasta, drain and set aside. If not preparing dish to serve immediately lightly sprinkle the pasta with a bit of sesame oil and toss to coat. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together so you can make this in advance and toss with sauce just before serving.

Whisk together the sesame oil, peanut butter, tahini, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce. Thin the sauce with 1/2 cup hot water or amount needed so sauce has the consistency of heavy cream. If preparing the sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve you will need to add a bit more hot water just before tossing as it thickens more when the sauce sits.

Toss pasta with the sauce and serve garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.

Something Different This Week!

I prepared a wonderful three course Chinese dinner last night that was not a low-carb meal and it was wonderful. I managed my portion control, one of my three simple steps in managing your diabetes and losing weight, and checked my two hour blood glucose after I ate. My level showed that I did not even spike at all. Now, the portion control was a major contributing factor in this achievement and I am very proud of that. I am going to do something a little bit different this week as I have been requested by several people to share my three Chinese style recipes with you and offer tips to show you how you can make some simple substitutions and classic cooking techniques in innovative ways to make these recipes reduced in carbohydrates. These are the other steps in my simple Three Step Management in Diabetic Cooking. The nutrition information has been intentionally left out because the original recipes are not low in carbohydrate or calories and do contain gluten's. In general, these recipes will serve anywhere from 4 to 6 people.

~ Shu Mai ~

Pork and Shrimp Steamed Dumplings

Ingredients:

1/2 package of wonton wrappers, cut into circles with a biscuit or cookie cutter

1/2 lb. ground pork, substitute ground turkey

1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned and deveined, chopped very fine

1 Tbsp. soy sauce, substitute reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. grated ginger root

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 egg, beaten well, substitute two egg whites

Optional garnish; black sesame seeds, dry sherry

In a large bowl mix the pork, shrimp, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and pepper. Place about one heaping teaspoonful of the mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Lightly brush the edges of the wonton wrapper with the beaten egg. Draw the wrapper up around the filling, leaving the top open and the filling exposed, and make several pinches in the wrapper to tighten around the filling. Gently rap on the counter or other surface to form a flat base. Sprinkle with optional black sesame seeds and a very light dash of dry sherry if desired. Repeat until all wrappers are used. This is enough filling for two dozen pieces.

Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your steamer basket and working in batches, steam the dumplings for about 12 to 15 minutes. 

Note ~ Each dumpling wrapper has about 4 grams of carbohydrate. For my personal diabetic portion I ate two pieces of Shu Mai with the other two courses in my dinner.

White Chicken Chili

With the warm summer sun drifting past and cool fall breezes beginning to sweep in I thought it might be nice to begin the new season with a little classic comfort food. White Chicken Chili is a delicious, satisfying meal in a pot, simple to prepare and is moderate in carbohydrates. Considering it is a meal unto its own, the net carb count of 13.2 grams for a full sized serving is most reasonable for many people, even us low-carbers. I've also used a classic thickening technique for soups to add body to the chili and some of you may be familiar with it. By pureeing part of the cooked vegetables and beans then adding it back to the mixture and reducing the liquids you will have a nice thick chili. This dish is also a change of pace from chili con carne with red beans and is a bit lighter with less fat and calories per serving. Don't let that fool you though, the taste is bold and the texture is thick; just like chili should be. I hope you enjoy.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 1/2 cups onion, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1 cup celery, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups yellow bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, diced (or to taste)

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed

1 Tbsp. liquid mesquite smoke

1 Tbsp. coriander

1 Tbsp. cumin'

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano or whatever available

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot or dutch oven and add the canola oil. Saute vegetables and garlic until they just begin to become caramelized on medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove half of the vegetable mixture and reserve. Saute chicken with the remaining vegetables.

Puree reserved vegetables, the chicken stock and half of the beans until smooth in a blender or bowl of a food processor. Add to pot when the chicken has browned. Add the remaining beans, liquid smoke and all of the herbs and spices, except the cilantro. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for about 1 hour or more until chili is thickened. Finish by stirring in the cilantro and lime juice before serving.

 
Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200.5
Total Fat 3.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 65.0 mg
Sodium 695.8 mg *may vary depending upon your brand and be lower
Potassium 561.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.5 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 28.7 g

Spicy Moroccan Cauliflower with Lemon and Olive

This recipe is based on a traditional Moroccan recipe for Spicy Potato Tagine with Lemon and Olive. Following my three steps to great low-carb cooking, I substituted cauliflower for the potato and used a simple classic cooking technique in a saute pan and eliminated using a tagine. The portion control has already been calculated for you all as the third step in my program. This dish is bold in flavor and has a nice heat to it that is balanced with the tang of lemon and the zest and brightness of green olives. This makes a wonderful side dish for a simply prepared chicken breast or piece of fish and is the first recipe in my new fall and winter dishes. I hope you enjoy.

Spicy Moroccan Cauliflower with Lemon and Olive

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower, about 1 small head, cut into florets

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup tomato, diced

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 lemon, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

pinch saffron

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1 1/2 cups hot water

10 green olives, halved

Clean and prepare the cauliflower by halving the head, removing the core and cutting the florets. Make sure they are cut into nice size pieces and are not too large.

Preheat a large saute pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute the onion for about 2 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the tomato,  ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin and garlic, stir well and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the cauliflower, bay leaf and sliced lemon. Toss to coat with parsley and cilantro. Add the turmeric, saffron and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

With a slotted spoon remove the cauliflower to a platter. Add the olives and reduce the liquid to thicken for sauce. Spoon over cauliflower to serve.

Nutrition Facts

6 One Cup Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 59.8
Total Fat 3.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 137.6 mg
Potassium 328.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.1 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 2.1 g

Thai Style Barbecue Chicken

This is such an easy recipe to prepare. All of the intensely bold flavor comes from the marinade, which is packed with herbs, fragrant spices, aromatics and coconut milk. The heat of the curry and pepper is balanced with the slight sweetness from the coconut milk. Just a little prep the day ahead and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight and then grill it the next day. This is really a one-two-three-easy recipe and anyone can become a Thai barbecue "expert" for their family and friends. The best part of this dish besides the wonderful, exotic flavor? It is totally low in carbohydrates. I hope you enjoy!

Thai Style Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

8 - 4 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

8 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup shallots, chopped

2 tsp. white pepper

1 Tbsp. coriander

2 tsp. yellow curry powder

2 tsp. Thai fish sauce (Nahm Bplah)

1 tsp. Splenda

1/2 cup coconut milk

Blend all of the marinade ingredients together in a large vessel and arrange the chicken so that all of the pieces are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade and wipe any solids from the chicken with a paper towel. Preheat a cast iron grill pan on high until extremely hot. Grill the chicken about 4 minutes per side for the thin cut breasts or until done, no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. This can also be done on your outdoor barbecue grill.

Note ~ This recipe can be halved to serve four.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 177.2
Total Fat 6.0 g
Saturated Fat 4.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 74.9 mg
Sodium 168.3 mg
Potassium 45.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 4.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g
Sugars 1.0 g
Protein 28.3 g