Alternative Eggs Benedict

This version of Eggs Benedict uses tahini and garbanzo bean pancakes instead of regular muffins and the sauce used in conventional recipes. Using these low-glycemic ingredients is good for overall health, in particular for those prone to cancer and other ailments which are fed by the overuse of refined sugars.

This recipe serves two:

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c garbanzo bean flour
• 1 sprinkle cumin powder
• 1 sprinkle garlic powder
• 1 sprinkle sea salt
  
• 1/3 c water
• tahini
• ham or chicken slices (2)
  

Mix together garbanzo flour, water, cumin, garlic and sea salt, stirring until lumps are mostly gone and the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter. (Add more water if necessary.)

Pour into olive-oiled frypan, using about half the batter. Sautee on both sides until light brown. Set garbanzo pancakes aside and cook eggs in same pan, either sunny-side up or over easy, according to your preference. Sautee ham or chicken slices until warm.

Spread a small amount of tahini onto pancakes and top each with ham slice and egg. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or as a complement to a veggie dish.

From Scratch No-Salt Tomato Sauce

This is the sauce I made quickly from scratch to go with the Brilliant No-Salt Chicken (this blog, June 2009). I decided to reproduce it here as a standalone recipe since it turned out so great. This tomato sauce leaves the sugar and salt behind, but definitely not the flavour!

• 1 small organic yellow onion, skinned and chopped
• 2 sections (the small little bulbs from the clove) organic garlic, skinned and pressed
• 4 roma tomatos, sliced thinly
• 50 g (or about 2 ounces) fresh basil, chopped
• Organic olive oil (enough to lightly coat bottom of two medium-sized skillets)

Heat skillet with oil over low-medium heat. Add chopped onion and pressed garlic and sautee for a few minutes, until garlic and onion become just slightly transparent. Add sliced roma tomatos and stir well to mix; gently sautee for around 10 minutes. Add chopped fresh basil (I used approx. half of a Trader Joe's container of fresh basil). Stir well and sautee for another several minutes, until you get a "stewed tomato" texture. Change to lower heat setting if mixture starts to look too dry. Keep a lid handy for use in between stirs.

Remove from heat to cool slightly and serve immediately. Great over chicken or pasta, or as part of another recipe that requires tomato sauce.

Malted Whey Protein Drink

This is a quick recipe for a mild, slightly sweet tasting protein drink that tastes similar to malted milk:

• 200 ml unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Blue Diamond, which retails for $1.99 at Trader Joe's)
• 2 - 30 cc scoops unsweetened whey protein
• 1 generous sprinkle ground cinnamon
• 3 mg inulin
• 1-2 tsp olive oil

Warm the almond milk until just lukewarm, so as not to destroy the beneficial nutrients when adding in the whey protein. Add all other ingredients to the warmed almond milk and stir well.

I use this drink within 15 minutes after a workout at the recommendation of my health counselor to help re-build the lean muscle tissue that tended to decrease when I was ill. It is also really great right before bed, especially if you've been up late and your stomach is growling.

Cilantro Tahini Eggs

These are effin' great! I was looking for a cool substitute for mayo when making deviled eggs for a block party yesterday, and so went out and picked up an 8-oz container of Tahini Sauce at Trader Joe's. The full-bodied creaminess of the Tahini Sauce and its lemony flavour was exactly what the recipe needed:

• 12-14 large eggs
• 1 8-oz container Tahini Sauce
• 6-8 sprigs cilantro leaves, chopped

Place eggs in cool salted water, making sure water covers the eggs, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, time for 7 minutes, turning heat down to just above medium so that eggs are gently boiled. Pour boiling water out of pans over sink and refill with cool water to cool eggs. Refrigerate for two-three hours.

Remove cooked eggs from fridge, peel and slice in half. Carefully remove yolks, which should be firm, but not too dry. Set aside egg white halves. Mix yolks in Tahini Sauce until mixture is uniform and smooth (just a couple minutes). Add in chopped cilantro leaves and quickly mix to distribute evenly.

Using small spoon, scoop mixture into each egg white half, distributing mixture evenly among all egg halves. Place in cilantro-lined container and refrigerate again for an hour or so.

These eggs were really well-received at the block party, and have a delicious flavour and texture that is heartier than traditional deviled eggs. They make great leftovers - we ate them for breakfast the next morning and they were just as good!