Catchy Ketchup (High Fructose Corn Syrup and Added Sugar-Free!)

Growing up, I was always more of the mustard over ketchup fan, but sometimes, a good squirt of the red stuff is necessary. As a kid, I had no idea just how bad ketchup was for you though (umm... high fructose corn syrup, anyone?! GROSS!) The other night, when making sweet potato fries, I realized that sweet potatoes+ mustard sounded a little gross, and what I really wanted was the dirty K word, so I set out to make my own HFCS-free ketchup, and while it doesn't have that Heinz taste, it certainly did the trick, and I'd take an earthier tomato taste over the unneeded corn syrup any day!

To make Tiny Tummy's Catchy Ketchup, you will need:
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder
pinch of salt, stevia, and cinnamon (to taste)
water

To prepare, mix the spices into your tomato paste and mix. Slowly add water until the desired consistency is achieved. If you prefer a runnier ketchup, add lots of water. For a thicker ketchup, less! With a recipe this simple, there's really no reason to buy the bottle gook. If you serve this to your kids from the start, they'll never know the difference! Pin It

Fake Frappuccino

Starbucks is notorious for their fatty frappuccinos, which I have to admit, are pretty darn delicious, but it's not just thanks to all of the fattening and sugary ingredients in it. Half the fun of a frapp, in my opinion, is all that yummy foamy frothy stuff at the top, and believe it or not, you can actually make your coffee frothy without all that sugary, caloric junk that they use- in fact, I don't even use milk. It's all thanks to something called a frother.

I apologize for any of you coffee connoisseurs out there who already obviously know what a frother is, but for anyone who doesn't, it's a tool that spins your coffee until it gets frothy! Now, most people froth the milk and add it to the coffee to make a cappuccino, but I bet you never thought to make the coffee, itself, frothy! This way, you're saving tons of calories, and still getting your frothy fix- it's basically win-win! And if you're all about the frothy milk, then feel free to froth up some flax or almond milk- either way you're saving TONS of fat and calories by skipping the frapp! Oh, and your wallet won't hurt a bit- you can get the one pictured from Ikea for $3.00! It basically pays for itself in 1 frappuccino! Pin It

Kan I replicate a Kani Salad? (Homemade Japanese style Kani Salad)

Confession: I am a sucker for a good kani salad at a Japanese restaurant; however, I am fully aware that  they are often prepared with full-fat spicy mayo (so I usually ask for the sauce on the side and apply my own!) But kani salads are so simple- just shredded crab, matchsticks or julienned cucumber, and the occasional sesame seed garnish, so I got to thinking, why not recreate it myself? And I set out to do just that!

To make your very own Kani Salad, you will need:

Equal parts julienned or matchsticks of cucumber and shredded crabmeat (real or imitation)

Tiny Tummy's Spicy Mayo: 

2T Walden Farms Miracle Mayo 

1t Sriracha Hot Sauce

(for your Kani salad, use this ratio to make as much as you find satisfactory to coat your salad)

optional: sesame seeds for garnish

Mix everything up in a bowl and serve it on up! I love bringing the Japanese restaurant into my home kitchen!

Pin It

Put A Ring On It

It can't be much of a secret that I love Brad's Kale Chips... considering I came up with a recipe to replicate them, but I still buy  the real deal when I can find them cheap. While shopping the other day, I came across a new(ish) product from Brad's and considering how much I love the kale, I figured it was worth trying.

Brad's Raw Onion Rings, while not as good as their kale chips, were still pretty delicious. They were crunchy with a lot of flavor and almost reminded me of the bagged onion ring chips I used to eat as a child growing (not that frequently because there were many other chips I liked better!) For anyone who loved those faux onion ring chips as a child, or just likes something crunchy with flavor, these are definitely worth a try- not fried, no GMO's, and even kosher and vegan! Pin It

Grill Me A Pizza

I recently read an article that said you aren't a true grill master until you've mastered the grilled pizza. I don't know who made that rule, but Tiny Tummy refuses no challenge, so I figured I'd give it a try, but of course, with a healthier version. So, low and behold, the grilled pizza.

To make this grilled pizza, you will need:
1 whole wheat tortilla (I used La Tortilla Factory)
2 T tomato sauce (I used my homemade sauce)
1-2oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)
(optional: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, additional pizza toppings)

To prepare, simply grill one side of your tortilla for about a minute (until it browns), then flip it, add your toppings, and continue to cook until the cheese melts. This is a perfect recipe for a hot summer day when you don't want to turn your oven on and heat up your home more than it already is. Pin It

Tomango Salad

With summer heat here in full swing, the last thing I want to be doing is cooking on the stove top or in the oven and making my apartment hotter than it already is. I'll admit, I've been on a bit of a salad kick lately, but my usual salads were starting to get boring, so I decided to make an old fav, and I thought I'd share the recipe.

To make this Tomato Mango Onion Salad, you will need:
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup white balsamic (or regular balsamic) vinegar

To prepare, simple combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, ans mix well. It is best if you allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. Pin It

Munchie Madness

I have a confession. I'm up to a pack of day... of Matt's Munchies that is. If you've never tried this Flab Free Food Find, you are severely missing out, and if you've never heard of them, allow me to explain. Basically, they are a healthier, no-sugar-added fruit leather in individually portioned cute little packages. They come in a variety of flavors ranging from coconut mango to chocolate banana to ginger spice. My personal favs are the chocolate raspberry, island mango, and apricot... oh and did I mention they are all between 35 and 80 calories? Can't beat it! Pin It

Thai Peanut Dressing Meets Its Skinny Sister

Growing up, Thai food was one of my favorites. I don't eat it very often now because I know the dishes I loved weren't exactly the healthiest, but I haven't given it up completely. I've already found ways to make over some of my favorites (Pad Thai, Massaman Curry), but one thing I hadn't done yet was makeover that delicious dressing they put on their salads and give as a sauce alongside the chicken satay (another fave). So for Father's Day, I decided to go to work and recreate this dressing fave, and it actually came out quite good.

To make this Skinny Thai Peanut Dressing, you will need:
4 T PB2 (reconstituted) or natural peanut butter
1 T light soy sauce
1.5 T coconut or rice or plum vinegar
1/2 t chili powder
optional but highly recommended: Sriracha to spice it up

To prepare, simply mix all of the ingredients together and serve over mixed greens or alongside chicken satay. How's that for a lightened up heavy fave? Pin It

"I Can't Cook" Vegetarian Chili

If you're one of those people who "can't cook to save their life," you may want to read this recipe and reconsider. Chili is one of those dishes where you can literally just throw everything into a pot, let it cook for as long as you want (okay... I wouldn't suggest a week-long cookout here, but you get where I'm going), and come back to it when you're ready to eat it. This recipe is about as easy as it gets when it comes to "cooking," and is great for those who have no time to cook but want to have healthy meals on hand (OAMC anyone?!) If you're a meat lover, feel free to add some ground meat (lean turkey, chicken, beef, whatever)-- though that requires a little real cooking! :P

Anyway, to make this "I Can't Cook" Chili, you will need:
1-2 onions, chopped
3 16oz cans of beans (I used 1 pinto, 1 black, 1 kidney)
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups corn (frozen or canned is fine)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups water
optional: red pepper flakes and cayenne for some heat

To prepare, start by browning your onions in a large pot (coat the pot with non-stick spray or oil first). While they brown, rinse and drain all your beans using a colander. (If you're adding ground meat, add it here and let it brown with the onions). Once the onions have browned dump all (yes, all) the remaining ingredients into your pot, stir, and cover. Cook for minimally 15-20 minutes to let everything heat up and allow the flavors to marry, but I like to cook mine for more like 45 minutes to an hour to let the chili thicken a bit more. Pin It

The Cheese You've Probably Never Heard Of

When it comes to dairy for breakfast, we all know Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk for your cereal, maybe some cheddar or mozzarella in your omelette, but have you ever heard of farmer's cheese? I don't know if it's what they eat on the farm right before going out for the big harvest, but it's sort of like a thicker cottage cheese. To be honest, I tend to shy away from anything white and thick, so I turned my nose up at this chunky hunk-o cheese at first, but when Mommy Tiny Tummy disguised it by adding blueberries to it and pureeing it, I was intrigued, and I have to admit, after tasting it, I really liked it. For anyone who "doesn't have time for breakfast" this is one of those no-brainers. Spread it on toast or eat it by the spoonful for some protein and get your sweet fix in the morning without turning to refined sugar-enhanced breakfast cereals or 'fruit on the bottom' (it's not fruit, folks!) yogurts.

To make this Blueberry Farmer's Cheese, you will need:
1 package of farmer's cheese
1 6oz container of blueberries

To prepare, throw the cheese and blueberries into a food processor (or Vitamix) and puree until combined. Talk about easy peasy! Pin It

Veggie Burger Barely BowloYum

Before I left for London, I had a serious barley-kick, where I was eating a side of barley with my meal almost every night. One night, I decided to make a giant mashup of everything I was eating, and it actually turned out to be quite a delicious dish. Call me weird, but don't knock this dish til you try it!

To make this Veggie Burger Barley Bowl of Deliciousness, you will need:
1/4 cup cooked barley
1 veggie burger, cooked and cut into pieces (I used Morningstar Farm's California Turk'y Burger)
assorted veggies of your choice-whatever you have leftover will do (I used red peppers, corn, broccoli, and carrots)
1 tablespoon black bean dip (I used Oasis)
1 tablespoon salsa
optional: a splash of hot sauce (you know I went there!)

To prepare, toss the barley, veggie burger, and veggies in a bowl and microwave until warmed. Then, add black bean dip and salsa (and hot sauce) and mix until distributed throughout. Now dig in, and tell me that's not a total winner!

Pin It

A Post for YOU! (I'll makeover your Fav Guilty Pleasure!)

This one is a post to YOU. What guilty pleasure food do you wish you had a guilt-free version of? I want to know what food each and every one of you would want a made-over version of! Either leave me a comment in the section below or send me an email, and I will do my best to makeover each and every recipe you ask me to!

Pin It

Seared Scallopetti

Everyone knows shrimp, salmon, tilapia, tuna, etc. as the kings and queens of the sea. Easy to prepare, full of flavor, and a great source of protein, but one of the forgotten gems of the sea is the scallop. Scallops, if cooked correctly, are delicate and delicious and make a great addition to any seafood dish or as their own entree. Preparing scallops is easy enough, so I thought I'd share a recipe for a simple, garlic and lemon seared scallop. I served them over spaghetti squash, hence seared "scalopetti".

To make these Simple Seared Scallops, you will need:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon
spices of choice (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes
4 oz of scallops

To prepare, spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and adding your garlic to the pan on the stove top on medium high heat, just until it becomes fragrant. Squeeze the lemon over your scallops and add whatever spices you want to each side of the scallop before adding it to the pan with the garlic. Allow the scallops to cook on each side for about 2 minutes, flipping only ONCE to ensure browning. If you flip prematurely, you can flip once more to make sure the scallops cook all the way through, but if you flip and flip and flip and flip, you won't have any browning!

Pin It

New Summer Sips

In the past, Tiny Tummy hasn't written quite a few reviews on Bai's delicious, low-cal, low-sugar drinks, so when I heard that they were coming out with a new variety, my ears perked up. Then, when I found out it was a coconut drink we were talking about, my ears perked up even more.

This post is simply an alert, as I haven't found them yet, but that is certainly not to say I'm not on the hunt. If you come across them or try them, leave a comment and let me know what you think. And of course, when I find them, I will post and give you my opinion! Pin It

Taco Tuesday: Tiny Tummy's Chipotle-Replacement Taco Salad

The problem with living alone is that the process of finishing one can of beans, chickpeas, corn, etc. is night a one night ordeal. Granted, canned goods often have enough sodium to make them last a few days, but I usually try to finish cans within consecutive days. I bring this seemingly useless point up because it is actually totally related to the next recipe. The very first meal that I made in my new apartment was my favorite, famous black bean burgers, and although I was cooking for two, that still doesn't knock off an entire can of black beans. So, for dinner the next night, it was either black bean burgers again, or something else-- this recipe. Every time I pass Chipotle, I find myself craving a taco salad or burrito bowl, or something to that extent, so I decided that with my extra beans, a new taco salad would be born.

To make Tiny Tummy's Chipotle-replacement Taco Salad, you will need:
1/4 onion, chopped small
1/8 cup black beans (or more if you have more on hand)-- I used my new faves from Trader Joes
1/4 mango, chopped small
1/4 avocado, chopped
2 T salsa
Mixed greens of your choice (I used spinach, kale, and romaine)

To prepare, start by sautéing your onions in a pan until the brown. Add the black beans and cook for a few minutes just to warm them up. Add the rest of the ingrediens to a bowl (you could chop the lettuce first if you like your salads chopped like I do), followed by your onion and bean mixture, and mix until well combined. Feel free to add some hot sauce or jalapenos if you so choose, as I usually do, but I used a spicy salsa, so I didn't have to!

Pin It