Substitute Yourself Skinny

This book review has been a while coming. I wanted to get it up as we are all in that summer swimwear mode now.I received a copy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Susan Irby, the Bikini Chef a few weeks back from FSB Associates. Susan is a trained chef who has worked with likes of George McNeill, Todd English, and Ming Tsai. In addition she has cooked for some celebrities. Substitute Yourself Skinny is a pretty good source as diet food books go. The recipes seem full of flavor while cutting back on fat. I will admit I’m not a fan of all the ingredients used (sugar free instant pudding), but for the most part I can get down with most of the ingredients. Eachof the 175 recipes has information on  calories on the original recipe versus the book (SYS) version , and nutritional breakdowns. The  picture above, is Susan’s Smitten For Molten Chocolate Cake. Relatively easy, using natural ingredients, its comes in at 191 calories as opposed to the Original recipe of 451calories. The taste was very satisfying and rich. I wont post the recipe directly , as I haven’t asked for permission. But….
Here is some more information and recipe below.. I will  hosting  two additional book giveaways coming up this month on some more great summer reading and cook books. Stay tuned.

10 Simple Food Substitutions to Get Bikini Ready
By Chef Susan Irby,
Author of Substitute Yourself Skinny: Cut the Calories, Keep the Flavor with Hundreds of Simple Substitutions!

Bikini season is just around the corner! There’s still time to get in top bikini shape and what tastier way than with these easy, simple, and delicious substitutions. Great tasting food doesn’t have to be bland, boring, and flavorless. As the Bikini Chef, my food philosophy is fresh, fresh, fresh. Fresh citrus, fresh herbs, fresh natural ingredients that wake up your taste buds, are pleasing to your palette, and give you the satisfying flavors your body craves. In fact, most people love the lower calorie, lower fat substitutions once they’ve tried them and have gotten past their fear of trying what they perceive will be tasteless food.
The best part to these substitutions, besides achieving your bikini goal, is that they are simple substitutions you can make every day. Easy, affordable, and flavorful, these simple tips will help you stay in bikini shape all year long.
10 Simple Food Substitutions To Get Bikini Ready

  1. Using ½ wheat flour and ½ plain flour will make your scones more bikini but adding fresh wild raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries will also liven up the flavor, wake up the color, and give a fresh, flavorful twist to an otherwise boring biscuit.
  2. Cream sauces and creamy soups get most of their creaminess from fat and calorie laden heavy whipping cream. Use ½ nonfat milk and ½ nonfat sour cream instead for the same creamy texture without the unwanted creamy fat that will sabotage your bikini body.
  3. Eggs vs egg whites. Some people go the extreme and swear off eggs forever using only egg whites. However, using only egg whites can get expensive and eggs are necessary as a binding agent for many recipes. For breakfast, use 2 egg whites for every one egg for a leaner, lighter breakfast and when baking or making dishes such as burgers, use ½ whole eggs and ½ egg whites to keep the texture but save on calories, fat, and cholesterol. As a side note, the majority of protein in eggs comes from the egg whites, not the yolk, making them a deliciously healthy option all around.
  4. Cut back on the beef. If you crave a hamburger, make your own lighter, leaner version by using ½ lean ground beef and ½ lean ground turkey. You’ll find you sacrifice nothing on flavor or texture but save yourself plenty on fat and calories. Enjoy these leaner burgers as smaller sliders for lunch, dinner, or for tasty bites at summer pool parties.
  5. Nonfat vanilla yogurt is a delicious substitution for mayonnaise. Use as a healthy substitution in chicken salad, tuna salad, and dipping sauces such as aioli. It is very flavorful and naturally creamy so you don’t need to use a lot of it.
  6. Cut the cheese. Skip the cheese altogether but if you must have cheese, go for lower fat versions such as reduced fat cream cheese, reduced fat Monterey jack, reduced fat feta. If you must have your full fat versions, opt for freshly grated Parmesan or parmiggiano reggiano and cut back on the amount you use. Fresh, good quality cheese such as this has great flavor so a little goes a long way.
  7. Add a little citrus. The rind, or zest, of lemons, oranges, and limes is edible and adds a refreshing flavor to steamed or grilled vegetables, sauces, meat dishes, practically everything. Cut back on salt which causes bloating and add a little fine grate citrus zest for tons of flavor with no fat or calories.
  8. Most people love crispy bacon but it adds loads of fat and calories that are often an afterthought for many dishes. If you must have crisp bacon crumbles on your salads or even for breakfast, use leaner turkey bacon instead. It has great flavor and crisps nicely like traditional full fat bacon. Or, better yet, skip the bacon all together. If you are having a luscious salad, add fresh, crisp asparagus tips or diced fresh zucchini. For breakfast, substitute crispy no-sugar added bran cereal or fresh berries. Pass on the bacon, it’s just not worth it.
  9. Watch out for sugary pasta sauces and dipping sauces. Sugar has empty calories that add up quickly. Instead, use freshly diced tomatoes with a little freshly chopped basil leaves or cilantro leaves. Add a hint of lemon zest, drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (½ tablespoon each) and finish with a small pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss with pasta such as penne or fettuccini or serve with baked wonton crisps.
  10. Wonton wrappers are perfect as crispy crackers instead of crostini and tortilla chips. Buy the squares and cut into triangles. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake in a 225º oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp and golden. Top with salsa, serve with chicken salad or other dips as you would crostini and chips. As a bonus, they are inexpensive and unused wonton wrappers keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

© 2010 Chef Susan Irby, author of Substitute Yourself Skinny: Cut the Calories, Keep the Flavor with Hundreds of Simple Substitutions!

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It’s Greek to Me Greek Salad
By Chef Susan Irby,
Author of Substitute Yourself Skinny: Cut the Calories, Keep the Flavor with Hundreds of Simple Substitutions!

CALORIE SAVINGS 263
Substitutions such as reduced-fat or nonfat feta cheese save on calories and fat; however, cutting back on the amount of extra-virgin olive oil in dressings is another key factor in keeping your recipes slimming.

  • ½ head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • ½ cup reduced-fat feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, olives, and cheese. Separately, in small bowl, whisk together the oregano, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over the lettuce mixture and toss well to coat.

2. Serve on salad plates as an entrée or side dish.

SERVES 4Serving size: ¾ cup CALORIES PER SERVING
Original recipe: 440
SYS recipe: 177
NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN
Fat: 15g
Carbohydrates: 8g
Protein: 4g
Sodium: 469mg

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Skinny SecretThis recipe has so many great flavors in it that you can skip on the heavy salad dressing, which can add up to over 500 calories to an otherwise light salad.
From Substitute Yourself Skinny by Chef Susan Irby, Copyright © 2010, F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of Adams Media, an F+W Media, Inc. Co. All rights reserved. Photos by Albert Evangelista.
The above is an excerpt from the book Substitute Yourself Skinny: Cut the Calories, Keep the Flavor with Hundreds of Simple Substitutions! by Chef Susan Irby. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

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Some Words on Reinvention

I like to think after all these years of blogging, I am finally finding my voice. The Courtney today isn’t the Courtney of yesterday which is apparent in old photos, views, passions, and beliefs. Today’s post is about reinvention, and not necessarily about food, or food blogging, but then again maybe it is? My friend AfroBella referred me to the PR folks at Eucerin to attend MORE Magazines Reinvention Convention. Eucerin sponsored Dr. Pamela Peeke, who gave a wonderful lecture on how to be your healthy fit best after 40. The same we focus on our overall health care, we need to do with our skin, the largest organ of our body. As cooks, proper care and nurturing of our skin, hands, and arms is essential to aid healing. Click here to take the Skin First Pledge.
More Reinvention Convention

Reinvent your career • Revive your look • Rev up your energy

Reimagine your future • Reinvigorate your sex life • Revise your priorities

Recharge your life
To say the day was so inspiring would be an understatement. Even now as I type this I am still buzzing on the wealth of information and shared stories I took away. With Speakers like Lee Woodruff, Dara Torres, Dana Delany. Dr. Pamela Peeke, and career coach Pamela Mitchell I realized I am in my Prime and there are so many new chapters to my story awaiting. I recognized pieces of me in stories ranging from coping with loss, being in a place career wise you don’t want to be and seeking change, tackling our changing bodies, and mostly important realizing being a woman over 40 is to be very relevant with knowledge to share. Funny thing I never really identified with being in that MORE demographic, but I am and I am proud. If you follow my tweets you will see I shared some tidbits from day with the hash tags of #skin first and #more invention.
For most of us blogging, we are already in some stage of Reinvention. I realized as I listened to career coach Pamela Mitchell that I was already practicing the 10 rules of reinvention by starting this blog. Coco Cooks has opened a whole new world for me that forced me to recognize my passion and give it legitimacy. Through the blog, I had many new opportunities, which parlayed correctly have led me to second career of sorts. It was evident that Age IS just a number (Dara Torres) and regardless if you are in the kitchen, playing field, or boardroom our hunger to succeed and have quality of life hasn’t subsided after 40. I’m reminded of a recent negative situation I have been going through with a person a decade younger. All I could think of as I listened to her know it all opinions, was  to keep on living little girl ( my mother’s favorite words). Life at 30 for you now will so different from when you reach 40.And 40 will be different from 50, etc. What you thought you knew or wanted, you really didn’t know or want at all. Reinvention, be it forced or planned, is key to a successful life.
Thank you Eucerin and MORE Magazine for reminding me of that.
*Disclosure. New Media Strategies, representing Eucerin US sponsored my attendance to attend More Magazines Reinvention Convention. A $198 value.


The Winner Is…. and Read All About My Master Chef Auditions

I have been under the weather this week and now juts getting around to posting a winner of  Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. Thanks for all the comments. As I stated for every comment I will donate one non perishable food item for One Comment One Eats. That’s 31 food items! Excellent and Thank you.

So the winner is Kathleen of Gonna Want Seconds!
Enjoy the book and be sure to email me you shipping information.

If you want to read about my Master Chef audition process, click here to go to EbonyJet.com.

Roasted Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash, Mayo Clinic Diet Give Away Winner, and Some thoughts and News

Its been really hard to get in the groove with blogging and cooking this month. Between the diet and exercise, and now the devastation in Haiti, I admit I have more pressing matters on my mind. I apologize for not picking a winner earlier, but I felt I really needed to call out attention to Haiti which wears on my heart. Even before this earthquake , it always has. Some bloggers and I are trying to cook up a project to drum up more aid, so stay tuned throughout the week. As for the skeptics and naysayers, remember any help anyone can give is needed. This problem wont go away overnight, in the next few months, or even years. Do your homework and trust your gut as to who to give to. I’m distressed at the subtle and overt racism I’m seeing in regards to this human tragedy. Always know it could be you in need one day, whether your white black, Asian, rich , middle class, or poor.I don’t care care how much you think you think you have your life in control. My heart weeps for our society.
Onto the other things…
I used Random.org to pick a winner of the Mayo Clinic Diet and Journal.
And the winner is my dear friend Jen of A2eatwrite. I cant figure out to paste the snapshot screen on Blogger to show you all. Congrats Jen. Email me your address. I will have another Give away next week with Ciao Italia…Five Ingrediant Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. Stay tuned.
As for Ten In Ten. I have lost a total of about 2 pounds. I have been working out 3 or more times per week,as well as keeping my calorie in the 1200 range for t weeks thus far. The last two nights were not so good with a dinner engagement and takeout dinner. But that’s life and the whole point of my challenge is how to function with all that and blogging while losing some weight and incorporating fitness. I feel good. I have been getting feedback about posting calories for all my recipes. I would love to , but the sites I find seem to keep them in a collective pool, and I just wont being doing that for everything. but some I will.

I received a Kabocha Squash in my Organic delivery last week. I took half of it and made roasted wedges. I can now say I’m a fan! I have seen many ways people make this, but roasting to me hits, the spot. Not to say I wont simmer it in the traditional Japanese style or put it in yet another squash soup one day. I still the other half to toy with this weekend.

Roasted Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash Recipe


Roasted sweet winter squash. Skin is edible. This comes in at about 82 calories a serving. I love munching on these wedges that are both filling and sweet.
Ingredients
1 1/4 lb Japanese Pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
Directions
Cut and slice the Kabocha Squash into small wedges. Arrange on parchment a lined baking sheet. Toss the squash in all the remaining ingredients to be sure the pieces are covered in the oil. Roast at 450 for about 15 minutes or until caramelized and crispy.

Happy New Year, The Mayo Clinic Diet Book Giveaway , and Ten in Ten

Happy New Year friends and readers. Hard to believe its back to the grind tomorrow at work. I have really enjoyed this last week just chilling with Certain Someone doing nothing really. Even my tweeting has decreased, although he would argue with that. Certain Someone gave me some great tools for the New Year. Kitchen Aid pasta rollers, and IPhone 3GS. I’m going crazy with the IPhone as I’m a Blackberry addict. I love all these apps, esp the recipe and fitness related ones. I have a lot of seeds and plans for this year. Certain Someone has surprised me the past few days with agreeing to some tiny changes in ways we eat. He didn’t balk when I suggested whole wheat pizza dough for our New Years pizzas. I even got him to eat some greens and beans. Last night he made me dinner, a pizza with the whole wheat dough I made. It was good, but couldn’t convince him to go totally meatless. Baby steps. If it wasn’t 7 degrees right now we would be going for a walk. But There is the treadmill.
I was the lucky recipient of an advance copy of the Mayo Clinic Diet. I’m not really a dieter as I love food and life to much to deprive myself. However I need to put things in check. Many have claimed they had world renown Mayo Clinic certified diets before, but, this is the only official one ever released by them. In reading through the book and journal. its not a diet per say, but a way of life. Using the classic pyramid, the book educates you on proper serving within the food groups. Fitness and breaking of bad habits is emphasized as well. All nothing new and gimmicky, just clearly illustrated good practical sense. A few recipes and menus are given , but you really do the work in figuring it all out with the tools they give you. I like this as you can work with what you have and not have really expensive shopping lists of items you have and never will eat again like some diets.Although here is a whole link to Mayo Clinic Weight Loss Recipes.You can jump start your way with the Quick Start Plan designed to help you loose 6-10 lbs in 2 weeks. I love the tool they give, a journal to record your progress. If only they had that as a IPhone application.

About Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. He is also an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. A specialist in nutrition and weight management, Dr. Hensrud advises individuals on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. He conducts research in weight management, and he writes and lectures widely on nutrition-related topics. He helped publish two award-winning Mayo Clinic cookbooks.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. Over 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients a year.For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have found answers at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic works with many insurance companies, does not require a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
For more information, please visit www.goodbooks.com/mayoclinicdiet.

I confess this will be hard with food blogging, recipe development for future projects, etc. But I can only try. I am giving away a copy of this book and journal to randomly picked commenter. Just leave a comment telling me what your Food or health related goals are this year .

Adapting recipes
If the recipe calls for
Butter Margarine Shortening Oil
Try Substituting
✚✚ For sandwiches, substitute tomato slices, catsup or mustard.
✚✚ For stove-top cooking, sauté food in broth or small amounts of healthy
oil like olive, canola or peanut or use non-stick spray.
✚✚ In marinades, substitute diluted fruit juice, wine or balsamic vinegar.
✚✚ In cakes or bars, replace half the fat or oil with the same amount of
applesauce, prune puree or commercial fat substitute.
✚✚ To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don’t substitute oil for butter
or shortening, or substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for
regular margarine.
Meat Try Substituting
Keep it lean. In soup, chili or stir-fry, replace most of the meat with beans
or vegetables. As an entrée, keep it to no more than the size of a deck of
cards — load up on vegetables.
Whole milk (regular or
evaporated)
Try Substituting
Fat-free or 1% milk, or evaporated skim milk
Whole egg
(yolk and white)
Try Substituting
¼ cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites for breakfast or in baked goods
Sour cream
Try Substituting
Cream cheese
Fat-free, low-fat or light varieties in dips, spreads, salad dressings and toppings.
Fat-free, low-fat and light varieties do not work well for baking.
Sugar
Try Substituting
In most baked goods, you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half
without affecting texture or taste, but use no less than ¼ cup of sugar for
every cup of flour to keep items moist.
White flour
Replace half or more of white flour with whole grain pastry or regular flour.
Salt
Try Substituting

✚✚ Use herbs (1 tbsp. fresh = 1 tsp. dried = ¼ tsp. powder). Add towards the end of cooking and use sparingly — you can always add more.
✚✚ Salt is required when baking yeast-leavened items. Otherwise you may reduce salt by half in cookies and bars. Not needed when boiling pasta.

I have committed myself to Ten in Ten(10 weeks to Healthy 2010). I know its cliche to begin a new regime at New Years, but better now than never. I have found since I began food blogging,turning 40,change of job to more sedentary one, and co habitation, I have gained a significant amount of weight. I rarely work out like I used to. The Mayo Clinic Plan appeals to me because its its not a fad diet, but is just streamlining and actually practicing what basically I know and is not about deprivation, but just good common sense. I realistically plan to lose 2 lbs per week. I need that extra motivation to exercise and move.

My goals are realistic.

  • Try to stay within 1200 calories for at least 1 month
  • Exercise at least 2-3 times a week. I may join gym near office with pal and work out at lunch( undecided about the lunch time part).
  • Try to lower blood pressure
  • Lose 20-40 lbs this year.
  • Pay more attention to portion size.
So enter a comment on your food and health goals for the New Year. Be sure to spread the word via Twitter and Facebook too. Cutoff is January 10, 2010.