Yes, that means I’ve consulted with Dr. Dukan (via his book).
In order to deal with the anxiety I get by not working out, I’ve sought comfort in Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and straight-up chicken breasts for the better part of a month. Add some egg whites and narcotic painkillers in there, and you’ll have my basic daily diet.
Well, it was time to add some flavor into my life this weekend, so that’s why I decided to make some low-cal mushroom marinara to top my spinach-gouda chicken sausages and Shirataki noodles. What are Shirataki noodles, you might ask? Well, they’re not exactly egg noodles, but dieters can’t be choosers. These 0-cal strands of tofu serve as a delightful substitution for the real deal (especially to those of us who haven’t touched the real deal since we were 16).
And since everyone needs a dessert on Sunday, I whipped up some cottage-cheese-ricotta mousse in Old Faithful (my food processor). Light and creamy with vanilla and cocoa – ahhhh, Dukan who?
Low-Cal (Dukan friendly) Marinara:
½ medium onion, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Simmer the onion and garlic over medium heat in a stock pot coated with non-stick spray. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and fragrant (whether or not you enjoy that particular scent).
Add the balsamic vinegar – make sure your husband doesn’t do this or you might end up with ½ cup of vinegar in your sauce, which admittedly was still delicious.
Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and sprinkle in all spices. Stir until the mixture boils, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I threw in mushrooms during the simmering, because who doesn’t luck a good shroom with their marinara?
Now for the chocolate (you may as well just skip dinner).
Chocolate-Ricotta Mousse
½ cup low-fat (or non-fat) ricotta cheese
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese (the creamier the better)
3 tsp dutch-process cocoa
2 tbsp Da Vinci sugar-free vanilla syrup
3-4 drops good-tasting Stevia (optional)
Dump it all in your food processor or blender and hit the floor. I only say hit the floor because that seems to be what my rabbit does anytime I turn it on. Dumb bunnies. For a thinner consistency, add a couple tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
