Phase I of the Fat Smash Diet is halfway through, and if you joined me on this venture, you must be as ecstatic about it as I am.  This is the most challenging phase of the whole program.

I needed to intensify (just a little)  my daily exercise, due to the unfavorable weather conditions hindering my walking routine.

Today I was thinking about some new items to add to my menu, and realized that the breakfast quiches, I posted in the past, would make a great breakfast, or snack,  with some modification to the original recipe.

Check out the original recipe, and make these adjustments:

• Take out the bacon
• Use low fat cheese
• Use FF or low fat milk
• Add another vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, spinach)

If you have any other suitable recipes  for this phase of the Fat Smash Diet, or any of the future phases, please share them with us.

I will also share any new recipe I get to try out.

Good Luck!

Keep up the good work!

photo credit: Merelymel13

Today I will introduce you to the first step of making a homemade soup, which is making homemade soup stock.

Soup stock is the basic liquid part of the soup, to which you add all the other ingredients necessary to create your chosen kind of soup.

You can prepare a vegetarian soup stock, or a meat soup stock.

Vegetarian soup stock is made by simmering your favorite veggies, with added oil or butter, to enrich its flavor.

Meat soup stock requires either portions of actual meat, or bones with some meat on them.

My favorite (least expensive) meat soup stock is from the carcass of a leftover roasted whole chicken, or turkey, plus the flavorful leftover basting pan juices.

If you have been discarding these parts, you are throwing away the best base for a homemade soup stock.

Another great idea for meat soup stock is the shank bone from a baked ham, with some snippets of meat still on it, or the cut away bone from pork chops, leaving only boneless fillets for the main course.  I usually do not prepare my soups with beef stock.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts of cold water
• 1- 1.5 lbs meat with bone (ham shank, 2 chicken wings plus breast bones, bones cut away from 4-6 pork chops,   1 chicken breast, or 1 carcass of a whole roasted chicken, or 1/2 carcass of a whole roasted turkey).
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 medium onion, whole
• 2 stalk of celery, cut to large chunks, crosswise
• 2 medium carrots, cut to large chunks, crosswise
• 1 parsley root ( optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns (whole black pepper grain)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts soup pot with 4 quarts of cold water, and set it on a stove top.
2. Rinse the meat and bones (if using raw meat), and add it to the pot of water.
3. Add salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
4. Cover, and turn the heat to high, until the water begins to steam.
5. Turn the heat down to medium, and bring it to a low boiling point.
6. Using a large serving spoon, skim and discard the frothy mixture accumulating on the top surface of the water, until almost all gone. (This will make your stock nice and clear).
7. Lower the heat to simmering, place a lid (partially covered) over the pot, to prevent the liquids from excessive evaporation, and from steaming up your kitchen.
8. Let it summer for 1 – 1.5 hours.
9. Add chopped vegetables, whole onion, parsley root, and garlic cloves.
10. Simmer 30 minutes longer.
11. Add more salt, if needed.
12. Strain the stock over a strainer, into a clean container.
13. Cool off, and store.
14. You can store the soup stock in the fridge for a couple of days, if you plan to use it for soup, otherwise pour it into zip lock freezer bags, and freeze it for later use.

TIP:   If I plan to cook soup the same day as the stock, I add the whole onion in step 3, and strain the stock in step 8.  While the  stock is cooking, I chop ( into dice size pieces) all the veggies required for the type of soup I am making, and add them to the stock right after straining it in step 8.

Preparing homemade soup, of any kind, is a simple process.

If you are able to boil water, and chop veggies, you are a budding soup chef.

I mean it. It is that simple.

Cooking soup requires some very basic ingredients:

• Soup stock (ready-made, or homemade)
• Your favorite vegetables
• Your favorite herbs
• Pasta, rice , or other favorite grains
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Some soups might need additional flavor enhancers:

• tomato paste
• cheese
• eggs
• heavy cream, or milk
• vinegar
• lemon juice
• wine

The reason soup is easy to prepare, is that you are able to alter its taste and texture, throughout the entire cooking process; unlike baking breads and pastries, or preparing main course dishes.

Did I convince you yet that you ARE able to prepare some yummy soup?

Next time I will show you how to make some soup stock, since it is very easy to prepare, and much cheaper than buying it ready-made.

Mini Quiches are a perfect addition to your family’s breakfast menu, or a group brunch.

You can make them vegetarian, or add your favorite meat, such as bacon chips, cooked ground turkey, ham, Italian Sausage, etc.

I made mine with leftover ham, and all the remaining egg whites I had from making a double batch of Khrusty (Angel Wings).

You can also use your favorite veggie.   I used red and green peppers, and onions.  I would have loved some mushrooms, but did not have any on hand at this time.

Don’t they look yummy???  They were excellent.  Great to prepare ahead and freeze, to use for a quick breakfast on the go.

I froze mine for over a month, thaw them in the fridge overnight, heated one in the microwave, and one in the toaster oven.  They both tasted like  freshly made.  The one from toaster oven had a crispier texture.

This recipe was shared with me by a young lady who loves to cook healthy meals, and enjoys trying new recipes.

It makes 6 muffin size quiches.

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup milk (whole or low fat)
• 4 slices bacon, fried and chipped (or 1/3 cup of your favorite cooked meat)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed (I used green and red peppers)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions, sauteed
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (regular or low fat)
• 1Tbs. canola oil
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon until crisp, remove from a pan, and chop to chips.
2. Saute onions until transparent, add mushrooms, or other veggies, and saute until wilted.
3. Whip egg whites until frothy.
4. Fold in all remaining ingredients.
5. Spray 6 muffin cups with cooking spray, or grease with butter or vegetable shortening.
6. Spoon egg mixture evenly into the cups.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the quiche, comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven, cool for couple minutes, remove from pan, and serve.

For freezing, cool them completely, wrap each in foil, or arrange in a freezer bag, or container, and freeze for later use.

Thaw in the refrigerator, and warm up before serving.

This is how they look like just baked. Nice and puffy.

Don’t be disappointed when they drop down, after cooling off.  That is perfectly normal.

You will invert them for serving,  as shown in my first picture, and garnish with additional chopped fresh veggies, for an appetizing look.

Enjoy.

Dips are still part of the “centerpiece” foods at parties. Everyone loves having a scoop of their favorite dip, surrounded by veggies or chips. It makes it easy to move around and socialize, while enjoying your food at the same time.

I already shared the ever so famous recipe for the original Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip, but recently I had an opportunity to taste a much lighter version of this dip, and I could not believe how great it tasted.

So, if you are still sticking to your New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier, here is a recipe for you to enjoy without feeling guilty.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
• 8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• ½ cup shredded Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cup Fat Free Ranch Dressing
• ¼ cup Fat Free Oikos Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unwrap the cream cheese, place it in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for 10 seconds, to soften it.
3. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl, and stir until smooth.
4. Mix in Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, Low Fat Cheddar Cheese, Low Fat Ranch Dressing, and Oikos Fat Free Greek Yogurt.
5. Add chicken, and mix until combined.
6. Scoop mixture into a casserole dish, and smooth the top with a spoon to even it out.
7. Bake it uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through (do not overcook, as it will begin to separate)
8. Stir well and serve.

TIP. Best served with cut vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers),pretzels, crackers or baked tortilla chips.

If you prefer less spicy version, you may cut the cayenne pepper sauce to 1/2 cup.