Stovetop Custard Sauce

This is one of my favorite comfort foods that goes back to my childhood. It's adapted from my grandmother's recipe that she called "My Float," which was most likely inspired by the "Floating Islands" dessert that was so popular many decades ago. It is a rich, vanilla egg custard (more like a sauce or eggnog) that my grandmother would make as a treat for my mother when she was sick as a little girl in the 1940's and 50's. This tradition was passed down, as I recall my mother making this same easy-to-swallow dessert for me and I later made it for my own daughter when she was sick. I can't taste it now without feeling surrounded by the love of these special women in my life.

Last week I developed a spring cold and, when my throat was dry and sore, I decided to remake this special recipe and sip it warm. It brought immediate comfort both physically and emotionally. I used a mixture of 1% milk, almond milk and a bit of mascarpone cheese to replace the whole milk called for in the original recipe, which reduced the calories and some fat. When I replaced the sugar with Splenda, the carb count was slashed by 75%. The taste is every bit as delicious as I remember. It can be eaten alone one soothing spoonful at a time, or serve it over fresh fruit. Orange slices are especially nice if you like the taste of creamsicles! Anyway you serve it, I'm sure it will bring you comfort and joy, too.

Stovetop Custard Sauce
Makes eight generous ½ cup servings

4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups low carb milk of choice (unsweetened)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons allulose

3 tablespoons powdered erythritol-based sweetener (confectioners)

10 drops monkfruit extract or stevia, or to taste
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add 2 cups milk. Beat with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour through a strainer to remove egg solids that did not incorporate and return mixture to bowl. Add the remaining cup of milk, dash salt, sweeteners and mascarpone cheese. Whip with a wire whisk until well blended. (Tiny specks of the mascarpone cheese may not blend completely, which is fine. They will melt into the mixture when heated.)

2. Boil only enough water in the bottom pan of a double boiler so that the top of the double boiler doesn't touch the water, but will hover above it. (If you don't own a double boiler, use two different size pans and nest them one inside the other, but be sure the top pan won't be sitting in the boiling water.)

3. Pour egg mixture into the top pan of a double boiler and place over the boiling water. Reduce heat until water is simmering and stir the egg mixture often for the first 5 minutes. Continue stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. This may take 10-20 minutes depending on the temperature of the water. NOTE: Do not overcook or boil mixture because the egg will separate and scramble! The temperature only needs to reach 160°F for eggs to be safely cooked.

4. Remove top pan from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Refrigerate custard until serving time. If desired, the custard can be served warm, but it is usually served chilled either alone or over fruit. It is wonderful over fresh orange slices or any combination of fruit salad.

Nutritional Information per ½ cup serving (fruit not included): 115 calories, 3 g carbohydrate, 9.8 g total fat, 5.3 g saturated fat, 98 mg sodium, 0.1 g fiber, 4.7 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.9 grams

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2011. Revised 2024.  Inspired by my grandmother Gaga's recipe taken from her handwritten recipe notebook from the 1940's.

How does this compare to my grandmother's recipe? This recipe contains significantly fewer calories and carbohydrate compared to the traditional recipe that calls for whole milk and sugar. For comparison, the nutritional information for the same size serving of the traditional recipe is 168.8 calories, 25.3 g carbohydrate, 5.2 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 106 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 5.9 g protein.

Spiced Up Carrot Muffins

What bunny wouldn't love these? Made with a pound of sweet carrots, these Southwestern-style muffins are a good source of beta carotene and provide a half serving of vegetables in every muffin! They are partially sweetened with agave nectar, which is similar to a light cactus honey. (It's not as thick as regular honey, but almost as sweet.) You can find agave nectar in health food stores and many regular grocery stores due to its increasing popularity. Another benefit of these muffins is obtained by the tiny amount of cayenne, which is known to increase metabolism. By using almond flour for half of the wheat flour in a traditional muffin recipe, the carbs are cut by over 30%! They're not too sweet and they have a little spicy kick from the cayenne, which makes them an excellent side with grilled meat, chicken or fish. I also enjoy them as a snack in the afternoon. Recently, I served these at a pot luck dinner and they were well received by my guests, each wondering about the unusual combination of flavors. No one could believe they were a "diet" muffin, and neither will you!

Spiced Up Carrot Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup light agave nectar
¼ cup Splenda granular
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime (about 2-3 tablespoons)
1 pound grated carrots (about 3 cups)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds)
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne (or less, if you don’t like too much heat)
6 tablespoons chopped pecans or pine nuts, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick vegetable spray or line with paper muffin cups; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside.

3. Using an electric handheld or standing mixer on medium-high speed, mix together the canola oil, agave nectar, Splenda, and eggs until well blended. Add the zest and juice of one lime and mix well. Add the grated carrots and mix thoroughly.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. With a wooden spoon, stir until just moistened. Add ¼ cup of the nuts and stir. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the remaining nuts on the top of each muffin.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information per muffin: 220.7 calories, 20.9 g carbohydrate, 14 g total fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 293.5 mg sodium, 2.5 g fiber, 4.7 g protein.

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2011

Semi-Homemade Super Soup

I must admit that I eat a lot of canned soup. It's such an easy and quick lunch and, when I'm busy, opening a can is about as much time as I'm willing to take to prepare a meal. I want to share with you my tip for making ordinary canned soup much more nutritious and exciting to eat.

First, you will probably notice and agree with me when I say that soup companies can be pretty skimpy with their ingredients. Even though I usually choose a vegetable-based soup, such as minestrone, I'm always disappointed in the small quantity of vegetables included, usually far less than 1 cup per serving. Also, there are some brands in which potato is the main "vegetable." That just doesn't cut it with me!

My solution is to always have a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and another of chopped spinach on hand. Look around, there are many excellent mixtures available in your grocer's freezer. Chopped fresh cherry or grape tomatoes are another great vegetable add-in. Sprinkle in different herbs to enhance the flavor. Finally, keep canned beans in the pantry. Drain and rinse about a half-cup, toss them in the pot and you'll quickly and easily super-size your soup (but in a good way). If it's too thick, add a splash of broth until it reaches the desired consistency. The addition of extra vegetables and beans will provide more vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fiber to what would have been a dull, lifeless can of soup! Not only that, but your portion size will be much larger and more satisfying. Give it a try -- it works for me!

Roasted Celery Root with Prosciutto

"And the winner of the ugly vegetable award goes to....celery root!" Sometimes called root celery, knob celery or celeriac, this scary-looking vegetable is extremely low in calories, carbs and sodium while also being a good source of calcium and potassium. I've always been curious about this vegetable, but its appearance in the vegetable bin has kept me from picking it up, much less trying it, until now. My mission this past week was to try a new vegetable and, after looking over the entire vegetable section, it was either celery root or golden beets. The celery root won, but only barely.

After reading about it, I discovered that the taste is rather mild, like celery. It can be boiled, mashed or roasted, much like a potato. As a matter-of-fact, it pairs nicely with potatoes in a gratin or combined with boiled potatoes and mashed thereby cutting the carbs of either of these typically "potato" dishes by quite a lot. I found an intriguing recipe in the book In Season by Sarah Raven. She wrapped it in pancetta, which is unsmoked Italian bacon, and roasted it in the oven. Pancetta is high in saturated fat, so I made some adjustment and used very thinly sliced prosciutto. The flavor was incredible and turned the celery root into a spectacular side or main dish. I served it with a chopped tomato & fresh mozzarella salad drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Honestly, this strange vegetable prepared in this way both surprised and delighted me and, more importantly, my apprehensive husband. You've got to give this one a try!

Roasted Celery Root with Prosciutto

(Makes 2 servings)

1 celery root (about the size of a large potato)

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt & pepper

½ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

pinch of garlic powder (if not already included in the Italian seasoning)

4 thin slices of prosciutto

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the outer skin of the celery root. Slice it in half, then slice one-half of the root into 4-5 wedges (about ½" to ¾" thick). Set aside and reserve the remaining half for another use. Steam the wedges over boiling water for about 10 minutes, until beginning to soften.

2. Pat dry with a paper towel and place the steamed wedges in a medium-sized bowl. Add olive oil and season with salt, pepper and herbs. Toss to coat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350-degrees.

3. Wrap each wedge in a slice of prosciutto. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Turn the wedges and increase the heat to 375-degrees. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes until the celery root is soft when pierced with a fork and the prosciutto is crispy on both sides (you may need to turn them another time to achieve the proper amount of crispness). Serve hot.

Nutritional Information per serving (2 wedges, not including salad): 84 calories, 9.1 g carbohydrate, 4.2 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 287 mg sodium, 1.9 g fiber, 3.3 g protein.

Recipe adapted from one found in the book In Season by Sarah Raven.

Cheesy Creamy Nonfat Dip

I learned about a new Facebook app to help people wishing to follow and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's called Health Seeker Game and that's exactly what it is, a game! You set weekly "missions" for yourself, such as incorporating more vegetables and fruit into your food plan. (That's my mission for this week.) Then the game suggests many easy ways to do this, but I only had to choose three actions I'm willing to complete. So, for this week, I'm challenging myself to replace one lunch or dinner with a salad, to choose a snack of vegetables or fruit three times and to try one new fruit or vegetable before the week is over. The fun part is that I can invite my family and friends to join the game, allowing us to encourage and challenge each other, send kudos or share progress. As I progress, week after week, I will be rewarded and move up level by level, so positive reinforcement and motivation are built into the game. It's free to play, so check it out!

My first action was to prepare and cut vegetables for quick and easy snacking. I usually don't like just munching on raw celery, but am quite willing when it's coated with a savory, creamy dip. The recipe below is my version of Ranch Dip. It's nonfat and very high in protein and calcium because the base is simply nonfat cottage cheese. It takes only minutes to prepare and tastes great! I hope everyone reading this post will join me to play the Health Seeker Game (http://www.healthseekergame.org/) and invite all your friends to join, too.

Cheesy, Creamy Nonfat Dip

(Makes 1 serving)

½ cup non-fat cottage cheese

herbs & spices of your choice

I chose the following from my cabinet: onion powder, parsley, pinch of dill weed, dried chives, pinch of paprika, sprinkle of garlic powder, salt & pepper.

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Serve with cut vegetables.

Nutritional Information for the entire recipe (not including vegetables): 80 calories, 6 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 410 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 14 g protein.

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2011

Enchiladas Your Way!

One cold afternoon late last week, I made a slow-cooking pot roast. I love doing this because it provides me with lots of leftover roast to make other meals during the week. A favorite "leftover" were these delicious beef enchiladas made better with the substitution of healthier ingredients. First, the roast was top round, which is extremely lean to begin with but made melt-in-your-mouth tender by the slow-cooking process. Also, I used reduced-fat cheese in place of full-fat. Another addition was the V-8 juice to extend the store-bought enchilada sauce and increase the amount of vegetables. The final result was every bit as wonderful as my favorite Mexican restaurant, but with many fewer calories, carbs and fat.

If beef is not your thing, then chicken or a firm, white fish (such as cod or halibut) is easily substituted. You can use leftover chicken or braise boneless, skinless breasts in place of the beef. If you like fish tacos, then I guarantee you'll enjoy fish enchiladas just as much. Be certain to select a firm, white fish that will be "meaty" enough not get overlooked when mixed with the other ingredients. Finally, if you want a totally meatless version, omit the meat and add more beans and possibly some chopped spinach. Anyway you prepare these spicy enchiladas, I'm sure they'll become an often-requested, go-to recipe to feed your hungry family.

Enchiladas Your Way!
(Makes 8 enchiladas)

¼ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
2/3 cup V-8 vegetable juice
¾ cup salsa (in strength of your choice)
½ pound left-over roast or blade steaks (chicken or fish can be substituted)

8 ounces enchilada sauce (1 cup)
8 corn tortillas
1½ cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar, divided
½ cup canned pinto or kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

Chopped cilantro (optional)

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Saute until soft and translucent. Add the vegetable juice and salsa; stir to combine.

2. If using blade steaks, cut the steaks into two strips and discard the center membrane that runs down the middle. Place into the saucepan and simmer over low heat for 1½ hours. If using leftover roast, simmer for 25-30 minutes until the meat shreds easily. (If using chicken, place ½ pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts into the mixture and simmer for 20-25 minutes. If using fish, place fillets into mixture and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until flaky.)

3. Remove meat to a plate and shred with two forks. (If using fish, break into bite-size chunks.) Strain the sauce through a sieve and catch the liquid in a bowl and reserve. Mix the reserved liquid with the enchilada sauce; stir to combine and set aside. Add the solids to the shredded meat and cool for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350-degrees. Once the meat mixture is cooled, add ½ cup of the shredded cheese and the drained beans; stir to combine. Taste to adjust seasonings and add more salt, pepper, hot sauce, chopped cilantro or chili powder to your liking.

4. Place several large spoonfuls of the smooth enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Spread sauce to edges. Follow the directions on the package to heat the tortillas and make them pliable. (Keep the warm tortillas covered with a damp cloth until you fill them so they don't dry out.) Place a large spoonful of filling down the center of one tortilla, fold ends over filling and place into the baking dish with seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.*

5. Pour and spread the enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas being certain to spread until any exposed tortilla is covered with sauce (this will prevent the tortilla from drying and cracking during the baking process). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese and chopped cilantro over the top and cover tightly with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 4-5 minutes until cheese has browned slightly. Serve immediately.

*The beauty of this dish is that you can make only the number of servings you need, and then refrigerate the leftover filling, enchilada sauce, cheese and corn tortillas to make another meal later in the week.

Nutritional Information per 1 beef enchilada: 229 calories, 16.3 g carbohydrate, 9.2 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 559 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 16.9 g protein.

Nutritional Information per 1 chicken enchilada: 184 calories, 16 g carbohydrate, 5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 596 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 15 g protein.

Nutritional Information per 1 fish enchilada (made with cod): 206 calories, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 553 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 22 protein

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2011

A Healthier M&M Cookie

I'm sending a Valentine's Care Package to my daughter who is away at college. She's very conscious about healthy eating, so she'll really appreciate these! The carbs and calories have been seriously reduced by substituting almond flour for most of the white flour and cutting out most of the sugar. Typically, a cookie base such as this has over 1 cup of brown sugar, but I get a similar flavor by adding a mere 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of molasses. You will be amazed how the tiny bit of molasses adds a depth of flavor you couldn't achieve with Splenda alone. Also, the small addition of ground flaxseed meal boosts the fiber a bit and provides heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, just what a heart needs on Valentine's Day -- enjoy!

M&M Cookies
(Makes 30 cookies)

1 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon molasses
¾ cup Splenda, granular (not baking blend)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons zero-trans fat buttery spread (I used Smart Balance)
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup mini M & M chocolate candies (milk or dark)

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. If desired, line cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, flaxseed meal and salt. Use a fork to break up any lumps in the almond flour; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and buttery spread, brown sugar, molasses and Splenda together with a handheld or standing mixer until sugars are well combined with the butter. Add egg and vanilla and beat for 1-2 minutes until well incorporated.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon and stir until flour is well incorporated and a soft dough forms. Fold in the M&M chocolate candies.

5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (or level small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake until set and beginning to brown around the edges, about 8-10 minutes. Cookies will not brown much, so watch carefully and do not overbake. Remove immediately to wire rack and cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutritional Information per cookie: 73.1 calories, 6.3 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g total fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 70 mg sodium, 0.6 g fiber, 1.4 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2011

How does this compare to a homemade Chocolate Chip cookie made from a traditional recipe? My recipe is much lower in calories, carbohydrates, fats and sodium. For comparison, the nutritional information for the same size cookie made from a traditional recipe is 160 calories, 21 g carbohydrates, 8 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 90 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber, 2 g protein.