Cutting Holiday Calories in Half!
I consider stevia to be the best sugar substitute around. Having no calories and no aftertaste--and no links to obesity like aspartame has, I use it daily in coffee and tea. However, my first attempts to bake cookies using it (and Splenda) turned out with the cookies looking a lot like Lisa Simpson! So for the past year, I have been testing out recipes combining my favorites with sage advice I've found in various stevia cookbooks. The result are original recipes that are extremely close to traditional favorites--with half the calories or less! The secret is to use some sugar. So these recipes aren't for people on diabetic diets. But they've all been tested on my family who haven't a clue when I use stevia or not--it's that good!
So exactly what IS stevia?
If the day and the night are such that you greet them with with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, more elastic, more starry, more immortal--that is your success.--- Henry David Thoreau
Because stevia raw is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, it can be powdered at many different strengths. The brand I like best for cooking is made by Kal, and the photo below shows the difference between a serving spoon that comes with stevia extract compared with its equivalent--a regular teaspoon.
One regular teaspoon of Kal brand stevia extract is the equivalent of 1 cup of regular sugar.There are other brands of stevia extract that use a one to one ratio to sugar, but I find these to be very expensive. The stronger concentrations may cost ten dollars a package, but they contain 700 plus servings! That's a lot of bags of sugar!
Learn More...
The Stevia Story
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/20/2008)
Stevia Rebaudiana : Natures Sweet Secret
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/20/2008)
The Miracle Of Stevia: Discover the Healing Power of Nature's Herbal Sweetener
Amazon Price: (as of 07/20/2008)
How Sweet it Is.(health risks of sugar substitutes and benefits of natural sweeteners): An article from: E
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/20/2008)
How to eat sweets without gaining weight or upsetting your blood sugar.: An article from: Women's Health Letter
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/20/2008)
Ok! On to the recipes!
Hors D'oeuvre: A ham sandwich cut into forty pieces --- Jack Benny
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder
dash salt
1 TB canola oil
1 cup whole almonds
1/2 tsp sugar
Mix the stevia extract with the cinnamon and salt. Heat oil in small frying pan. Add stevia mixture and cook over medium heat about 30 seconds (until fragrant). Add the almonds, stirring frequently for about 3 to 4 minutes until toasty brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sugar. (I like to shake them in a baggie.)
Let cool slightly before serving.
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Sweet and sour meatballs (or sausage)
1 1/2 lbs ground round
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
3 slices day old bread
1/4 c. milk
Lg. onion, minced
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TB dried parsley
The best meatballs are made from meat you have custom ground ONCE. They're a very different consistency from ones made from preground meat.
For sauce:
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 can pineapple chunks
3 sweet red peppers, cut into thin strips
In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, stevia extract, vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple (with juices) and red pepper strips.
After all of the meatballs have been placed in the crockpot, add sauce mixture to same frying pan (pour off fat if necessary), and cook on high, scraping meat bits. Reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened, about three or four minutes. Pour over meatballs and cook on high until sauce bubbles. Turn down to low and cook for 3 hours.
If you don't have time to make meatballs, you can use the same sauce for sausage. Buy smoked Polish sausage and slice into bitesize pieces.
The Main Course - Baked Ham
A smiling face is half the meal. --- Latvian proverb
The calorie demon in the main course is usually the sauce or glaze you use on the holiday ham. The recipes below show you how to cut the sugar content of either a cranberry or pineapple glaze. Both are yummy!____________________________
Cranberry Glazed Baked Ham
10 pound bone-in fully cooked ham
Whole cloves
1 lb bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp stevia powder
1/8 tsp. ground mustard seed
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
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Baked Ham with Spicy Pineapple/Citrus Glaze
10 pound bone-in fully cooked ham
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp stevia powder
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white raisins
1 can sliced pineapple, syrup reserved
1 TB cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice with the pulp
1 can 8 oz can crushed pineapple in syrup, drained
1 naval orange sliced (or 1 can mandarin oranges, drained)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/8 tsp ginger powder
(Or instead of ginger, substitute a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove)
- Combine sugar mixture, vinegar, raisins and pineapple syrup in medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until it begings to thicken.
- Slowly mix juice into brown sugar mixture. Add crushed pineapple, orange, garlic, pepper flakes and ginger (or spices) and mix well.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
Side Dishes
"Wait here, Audrey. This is between me and the vegetable." --Little Shop of Horrors
Again, it's not the carrots or yams that offend--it's the sauces we serve them in! Here are some side dishes that cut the calories of the glaze in half. There's nothing I can do about the sweet potato itself!Baked Yams - Light(er)!
8 yams (or satsumaimo or sweet potato) scrubbed and cut in half
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp stevia extract powder
Mix the sugar and stevia together well.
Melt the butter in an 8 x 13 baking dish.
Arrange yams in buttered dish, turning over to coat. (There won't be much, but we're cutting calories here!)
Sprinkle with sugar mixture.
To get a browned effect, leave uncovered. Otherwise, cover tightly with foil before baking.
Put potatoes into a cold oven and set the temperature to 350 F.
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes.
Test with knife or toothpick after 1 hour. It should go through easily when done. Baking times vary with the thickness of the yam.
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Cranberries with Bourbon
This is a recipe where you absolutely need the sugar to get the correct consistency. This recipe is fabulous even to people who grew up on canned cranberry muck. This recipe is best when made a few days ahead.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
1 bag of fresh cranberries sorted, stemmed and rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp stevia extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup bourbon
Blend stevia extract powder, cinnamon and sugar very well.
Place cranberries in 3 quart casserole.
Sprinkle with sugar mixture.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour.
Remove from oven and stir in bourbon immediately (while hot).
Let cool. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled.
Makes approximately 3 cups sauce after reduction.
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New Cooking.com
Stevia Cookbook
Price: $11.16
Enjoy sugar-free versions of your favorite dishes without the guilt, the calories, or the health risks. Derived from a South American plant and widel... more »
Fat Flush Cookbook
Price: $10.46
Blue Cat says: I use this for the stevia recipes with quite a bit success, although she uses Stevia Plus which you have to use in different proportions. This type of stevia extract is combined with natural fibre, so if you need more fibre in your diet, this brand will add a little.
Desserts
Work is the meat of life, pleasure the dessert. --- B.C.Forbes
This recipe uses less than half the original sugar because it doesn't rely on sugar to provide consistency. You can use fresh pumpkin, but reduce the milk by 1/4 cup as pumpkin contains more moisture.
1 Prepared pastry crust
3 cups sweet potato cubes boiled until tender
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
2 TB butter
1/2 tsp stevia extract powder
2 TB sugar
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 TB lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F
Mix stevia powder with powdered spices until well blended.
If your pie crust isn't prebaked, follow directions and bake only until half-baked. Usually five to 8 minutes. This prevents a soggy crust.
Mash sweet potato cubes with egg, milk and melted butter.
Mix in stevia/spice mixture and blend thoroughly.
Spoon into crust evenly and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
Check to make sure crust isn't burning. If it is, cover with foil.
Bake 15 minutes more, or until a toothpick comes out dry when inserted into the middle of the pie.
New Wine.com
Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure. -- Bible
Wolf Blass 2004 Yellow Label Shiraz
Price: $12.99
Red Wine Syrah/Shiraz by Wolf Blass from South Australia, Australia.
Beverages
If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt. --- Dean Martin
You can try playing with the sugar to stevia ratio, but this is the mix that works best for me.
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp stevia extract powder
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
1/8 tsp salt
Stevia cookbooks
Stevia Sweet Recipes: Sugar-Free-Naturally
Blue Cat says: If you are looking for healthy recipes using natural ingredients, this one is for you. There are a lot of vegetarian recipes although there are some meat recipes as well.
Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $13.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sensational Stevia Desserts
Blue Cat says: I referred to this when altering my own recipes.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Stevia: Naturally Sweet Recipes for Desserts, Drinks, and More
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Low-Carb Cooking With Stevia : The Naturally Sweet & Calorie-Free Herb
Blue Cat says: I love cookbooks that give you a nutritional breakdown and this one does. It's probably the one I go to first when looking for a new recipe.
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $14.95
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
Sugar-Free Cooking With Stevia: The Naturally Sweet & Calorie-Free Herb (Revised 3rd Edition)
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Where can I buy stevia extract? Right Here on Amazon!
KAL Pure Stevia Extract Powder 3.5 oz
Amazon Price: (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price:
Kal - Pure Stevia Extract Powder - 1 oz Powder
Amazon Price: $9.30 (as of 07/20/2008)
List Price: $13.29
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