South Beach Phase One Recipes Round-Up: November 2008

Kalyn's favorite phase one recipe for November 2008
was Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Pecorino-Romano cheese.

It's that time when one month ends and another begins, and that's when I share the South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes I've spotted during the month on other food blogs. There's no doubt this is a smaller list than usual, probably due to all the Thanksgiving celebrating in the U.S., or perhaps I've been too distracted by my house renovations. Still, even with all the holiday food bloggers have been writing about, I managed to find a pretty good collection of dishes that could be eaten for phase one for anyone who's looking for such things.

Turkey Barley Soup Recipe (Recipe Favorites)

(Updated November 2008) Yes, I know you haven't even cooked your turkey yet, so you don't have a turkey carcass to make turkey stock and then make this soup. But many of you will have leftover turkey soon, and by then I'll be too busy to update this post. You might have noticed I'm very fond of barley, and if you're looking for a post-Thanksgiving turkey soup, I highly recommend this one. I do have a few other ideas for leftover turkey to add to my Thanksgiving Recipes, which hopefully I'll get posted later tonight. Now, let's make turkey soup.

Low Sugar and Flourless Apple Cranberry Crumble Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Low Sugar and Flourless Apple Cranberry Crumble

I knew it was a slippery slope when I made the Low Sugar Pumpkin Apple Crumble, and sure enough, a few days later I found myself thinking about making a different version with all apples and replacing the flour with almond meal. You know how those thoughts can just keep coming back until you find yourself in the kitchen making dessert again, even though you're someone who doesn't really eat dessert? That's how this recipe came about, and happily the end result was a very tasty and low-glycemic dessert with no added sugar or flour whatsoever. I'm adding this to my list of Thanksgiving Recipes, but this is a great fall dessert for any occasion. It's also perfect for the Meeta's Monthly Mingle, where they're featuring Low Sugar Sweet Treats this month at the Daily Tiffin.

How to Make Turkey Stock

Learning how to make turkey stock is a topic most of you aren't thinking about right this minute, but in a few days it may be on your mind. Personally I believe you can't really make good turkey soup without turkey stock, and one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is making the house smell good with the big roasting pan of turkey bones and veggies simmering on the stove. I've been making turkey stock for years, but I'm not a stock purist; I think a little Penzeys Turkey Soup Base is a good thing. But even if you didn't remember to order that in time, read on; there are some tricks to making turkey stock taste good.

Easy Recipe for Agave and Balsamic Glazed and Roasted Buttercup Squash

I still had a couple more recipes to add to the collection of Thanksgiving Recipes I've been working on for the last few weeks, but somehow this recipe for Agave and Balsamic Glazed and Roasted Buttercup Squash just went right to the front of the line. This idea was in my head for about a week, and today I finally got around to cooking it. This squash was beyond delicious, one of those dishes where I find myself eating it as soon as the photos are shot. It's also perfect for Easy South Beach Recipes, where I file recipes with five ingredients or less and which still is the most popular part of the recipe archives. If you can add just one more Thanksgiving side dish to your table, this is the one!

How to Cook a Turkey Breast in the Crockpot and South Beach Diet Friendly Turkey Gravy

Even though I'm posting this when everyone's thinking about Thanksgiving Recipes, truly this is a recipe that's easy enough for any time of year. I'm not sure why I never made a turkey breast in the crockpot before, but after Dianne did it, Alanna did it, and Stephanie did it, I just had to try it too. Completely delicious results with moist and flavorful turkey, and it gave me a chance to experiment with making gluten-free and South Beach Diet friendly turkey gravy using arrowroot starch, which was also a winner. If you don't manage to plan ahead and end up having to get a turkey at the last minute when there's no time to thaw (you know who you are!) this could also be a good option for Thanksgiving Day. In fact, if you cook your turkey using this method, there are enough crockpot Thanksgiving recipes to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner in the crockpot this year. (Okay, not the rolls, but still it's something to think about!)

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves

This gorgeous vegetable soup with giant beans is the first real meal I've made in the new pressure cooker that came in the mail, although I've used it several times to cook plain beans. I loved the way using the pressure cooker kept the vegetables and ham so brightly colored, and this was loaded with flavor. I'm sharing the recipe, although I'm by no means a pressure cooker expert, so any experienced pressure cooker users are welcome to chime in with suggestions in the comments.

Friday Night Photos: The Porch is Gone! (House Renovations v. 2.0.1)

It's been another exciting week of house renovations here. Last week I showed you a before picture of my house which is being completely renovated on the outside. Now the front porch is completely gone!

Recipe for Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Pecorino-Romano Cheese

Here's another addition to the growing list of Thanksgiving Recipes I've been trying. Earlier I shared a wonderful recipe for Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan, and this roasted broccoli with lemon and pecorino-romano is lighter, but just as delicious. What makes this broccoli so good is the way it's tossed with lemon juice after cooking so the hot roasted broccoli soaks up the lemon flavor, then gets kicked-up with the slightly assertive flavor of Pecorino-Romano Cheese. Best of all, this cooks in 20 minutes, so you could throw it in the oven while you're carving the turkey and making gravy.

Recipe for Arugula Salad with Feta and Fresh Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Right now it's all about Thanksgiving Recipes around here, and this salad I made recently struck me as something that would be easy but dazzling for the big turkey day dinner. It features arugula, something you might not be able to sneak past a picky eater, but they won't be eating salad anyway, right? The dressing was inspired by the few cherry tomatoes I had left that were begging to be used, and the fresh tomato flavor was wonderful. Complex flavor, but easy and completely delicious; that's my kind of recipe.

Low-Sugar Pumpkin and Apple Crumble Recipe

Low-Sugar Pumpkin and Apple Crumble (made with Stevia or Splenda)

Last week I was writing a piece for BlogHer about the difference between winter squash and pumpkin, and I came across a recipe for Pumpkin and Apple Crumble at Nami Nami. Well, as you know if you read that post, winter squashes of all types are called pumpkin in many parts of the world, so today I made a low-sugar version of the recipe with butternut squash to add to the collection of Thanksgiving Recipes. Oh yes, it was indeed delicious, and now I'm just hoping it won't get me into trouble with too many of you.

Recipe for Farinata with Rosemary and Pepper (Italian Chickpea Flatbread or Pancake)

This slightly crispy chickpea flatbread called Farinata comes from the region of Italy called Liguria, and it's something I've been wanting to try for a long time. It's made by combining water, olive oil, and chickpea flour, letting it rest, seasoning with herbs and black pepper, and then baking in an ultra-hot oven, and this same combination of ingredients is called Socca in France and Cecina or Torta de Ceci in other parts of Italy. Since the batter is made entirely with chickpea flour, it's gluten free and extremely low-glycemic, perfect for a South Beach Dieter who's been wanting a crunchy snack.

Friday Night Photos: House Renovations v. 2.0

This week house renovations started at my place, so I thought I'd document the process for Friday Night Photos. I live in the part of Salt Lake called Sugarhouse, in a little bungalow type house built in 1912. I bought the house in 1988, and in 96-97 I had the inside completely gutted and remodeled. Now it's beautiful inside, but as you can see from this "before" photo, the outside needs help. Time for house renovations version 2.0!

Recipe for Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme

Some people never think of using barley as anything other than a soup ingredient, but truly it's one of those whole grains we all should be eating more of. Over the last few years I've been using it more, and I've happily discovered I love barley! This recipe was adapted from The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook where they recommended serving it with beef tenderloin. However, I'd gladly dish up some of this on my plate for a Thanksgiving side dish, so I'm adding this recipe to my list of Thanksgiving Recipes. Check that list if you want to see some other Thanksgiving options for the South Beach Diet. And if barley for Thanksgiving is something that just wouldn't fly at your house, then try this recipe for another dinner where you want an earthy side dish that's full of flavor.

Spicy Crockpot Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Lots of people like sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, and making them in the crockpot can help with oven congestion on the big day. These spicy crockpot sweet potatoes have the same seasoning as Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, the recipe that turned me into a sweet potato fan last year. I'm adding this recipe to the collection of Thanksgiving Recipes, and this is a sweet potato recipe that anyone can enjoy, even if they're dieting or restricting sugar for health reasons. I suggest doubling or tripling the spice mixture, because you'll want to be making this recipe or Spicy Sweet Potato Fries over and over once you've tried them.

Friday Night Photos: Autumn Leaves in New England

I still have quite a few photos to share from my trip to BlogHer Boston, and these photos with the spectacular leaves were mostly taken near Lydia's house in Rhode Island, although I think a couple may have been in Massachusetts. For years I've been hearing how the leaves in New England were so brightly colored in the fall, and now I know those stories weren't exaggerating. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions About the Blog

How can I find recipes using a certain ingredient?

Finding recipes to use an ingredient you have on hand is super easy. Just use the search bar (upper right hand side) and type in the ingredient you have, then hit search.  If you fill in the little circle before Kalyn's Kitchen Search, Google will search my blog and find recipes with that ingredient.  The more ingredients you list, the more specific the search results will be.

Reduced Sugar Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving

Reduced Sugar Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake is delicious!

(Updated November 2008) If there was ever a recipe that deserved to get tagged for Recipe Favorites, it would be this Reduced Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake that I first made for Thanksgiving 2006. Now in the U.S. we're getting close to Thanksgiving again, and I'm still adding to my collection of Thanksgiving Recipes. This pumpkin cheesecake is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert for anyone who wants South Beach Diet friendly Thanksgiving recipes or who's watching their sugar intake.

Kalyn's Garden Updates

For years I've been growing vegetables in a home garden, and although I'm not a gardening expert by any means, it's been fun sharing updates about my garden on the blog. I've connected the garden updates from each year with a label so it's easy to find all the updates from each year, and in 2011 I shared shared My Favorite Tips for Freezing Garden Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs, and Vegetables:

More Low-Glycemic Holiday Recipes for a South Beach Diet Friendly Thanksgiving 2008

Food-centered holidays like Thanksgiving can be challenging if you're watching what you eat, whether to lose weight or because of health concerns. For the last two Novembers I've had fun collecting Thanksgiving Recipes for dishes that were low-glycemic enough for the South Beach Diet and still tasty enough to be holiday fare. This year I'll be featuring low-glycemic Thanksgiving ideas again during November.

Monthly Archives for Kalyn's Kitchen

You can use these links to see an entire month of posts at a time. 

Political Dirty Tricks and My Position on Prop 8

This is a food blog, not a political blog, and earlier this year when I was approached asking if I would run an ad for a presidential candidate I refused, even though it was a high-paying ad for the candidate I supported. I figure people come here for the recipes and not to see my political opinions.

Weekend Herb Blogging #156 Recap and Three Years of Blogging About Herbs!

It's time to finish up our week of celebrating the third anniversary of Weekend Herb Blogging. Earlier in the week, WHB fans left comments telling about their favorite herb, vegetable, and fruit, and three lucky commenters won a prize! Read about the prize winners and favorite herb, favorite vegetable, and favorite fruit choices which were announced earlier today.

WHB Turns Three: Announcing Prize Winners and Your Favorite Herb, Vegetable, and Fruit

It's been quite a week of celebrating around here for the third birthday of Weekend Herb Blogging, and now we have some announcements to make. Our friendly Random Number Generator has picked the prize winners, and Kalyn's Kitchen readers have chosen the favorite herb, favorite vegetable, and favorite fruit of the year. And the winners are . . .

South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up: October 2008

This delicious Chile Rellenos Bake was
Kalyn's favorite phase one recipe for October 2008.

Each time the month ends I start thinking I haven't found many South Beach Diet phase one recipes for the end-of-month round-up, and then when I look at my del.icio.us page (where I save the bookmarks) I find a lot of great recipe links. That's good news for anyone who's trying to avoid empty carbs whatever the reason; apparently plenty of food bloggers are cooking delicious low-glycemic foods. I'm also including a few recipes that can be easily adapted to make them phase one, with those changes noted.