Former Fat Guy Blog

Real People Real Results - Understanding how food, fitness and mental attitude affect weight loss

Recipe: Healthy Christmas Dinner Ideas and Variations

How to stay healthy and not gain any weight during the holidays and at Christmas is the age old question, isn’t it? Well here are some ideas on how to take some of the old favorites and make them with a slightly new twist that takes out the bad (saturated fat, loads of salt, etc) and puts in the good (lots more nutrition, vitamins, fiber, etc). Pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and mix them together for a holiday menu sure to please the hungry masses and leave them not only wanting more, but asking for the recipes.

Healthy Christmas Dinner Ideas

[Read more…]

Recipe: Avocado Wasabi Sauce

I found this great sauce which is both healthy and tasty in the Vegan Planet cookbook, one of our favorites. You can use it as a spread, a dip or a sauce on just about anything. As you can see in the photo, we put it on lentil or bean burgers.

You need to either have soy mayonnaise or make your own (is easy, see below). Please do NOT use regular or even any of the no-fat regular mayonnaises available. In my opinion they are all crap and have so much preservatives, (it is often hidden, so don’t be fooled) and salt that I wouldn’t eat it if you paid me.

Avocado Wasabi Sauce

Avocado Wasabi Sauce

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsely
1 green onion, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp
2 tsp wasabi powder or to taste (I used double that cause I like it)
2/3 cup soy mayonnaise (see below) or use store bought Veggainaise

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer to tightly covered container and refrigerate. Is best used within an hour or so of being made.

Soy Mayonnaise

6 oz. of firm tofu
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of natural sweetener like Stevia or Agave (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil, sesame oil, flax oil or Udo’s oil – your choice base on flavor preference.

Place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the old in a thin stream through the feed tube until it is incorporated. Taste it and adjust seasonings to your preferences.

Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 4-5 days)

We found this avocado wasabi sauce great on bean burgers, or as a dip for raw carrots. The smooth texture of the avocado and the zip of the wasabi make an unsuspectingly great combination of flavors. We haven’t tried it on eggs yet – if you do, let us know what you think.

Enjoy. Bean burger recipe to follow shortly, stay tuned.

Subscribe to my recipes by email: Make sure you get my recipes emailed to you every weekend by subscribing to my recipe email service. Every weekend, one new whole food recipe posted for you to enjoy and then comment on.

Avocado Wasabi Sauce Photo Credit: Her View Photography

Recipe: Asparagus with Lemon Sauce

Asparagus is one of the leading suppliers of folic acid in the vegetable world. Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells and is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Along with folic acid, asparagus is also a good source of potassium and fiber.

A 5 ounce serving of asparagus contains 3 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber with only 5 mg of sodium and zero fat!

This asparagus with lemon sauce recipe has just the right amount of tangyness and is a nice addition to any meal.

asparagus and broccoli with lemon sauce
[Read more…]

Recipe: Creamy Almond Sauce

This is a multi-purpose, great tasting and easy to make sauce. You can put it on , , quinoa cakes, sweet potato pancakes or anything else that needs a sauce or gravy.

This creamy almond sauce recipe is simple, with shallots or onions, almond milk and raw almonds. That’s it. Pure nutrition without the calories, oil or saturated fat in traditional gravies.

[Read more…]