Lighter Banh Mi Wrap

When I lived in Tampa, there was a little deli down the road from my office.  I usually got something pretty vanilla...ham and cheese, maybe french onion soup...but one day a friend talked me into trying their specialty...the Banh Mi sandwich.

Now, Banh mi actually refers to the type of bread used to make this delicious Vietnamese sandwich.  But since I'm watching my carbs and overall, just trying to be healthier, I decided to take the same flavors I found in that delicious sub and incorporate them into something that was permissible in my diet.

I've made this a few times now, and I think I've finally got it down to where we like it.  To lighten it up, I use either fish or chicken and I use a low carb wrap.  This makes an excellent lunch, but I would recommend packing the ingredients separately and assembling it right before you're ready to eat.

Ingredients (Makes 2 Servings):
2 low carb tortillas
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 radish, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vinegar (I like to use white wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar works well too)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar substitute (I use Splenda)
2 tbsp mayo**
1 tbsp Siracha
2 fillets fish (tilapia, preferably) OR 2 small chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
Old Bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp cilantro, julienned
Optional ingredients:
onion, thinly sliced (green onions are lower in carbs, but regular ones will be fine if you use them sparingly)
hot pepper, thinly sliced (jalepeno, cayenne...whatever floats your boat!)

Fish

1. In a small bowl, combine cabbage, radish, vinegar, salt, and sugar substitute.  Mix well and set aside.
2. In another small bowl, combine mayo and siracha.  Mix well and set aside.
3. Rinse your protein and pat dry with paper towels.  Season both side liberally.  I use Old Bay for the fish and Cajun or even Jerk seasoning for chicken.
4.  In a medium skillet, heat oil to medium high heat.  Pan fry fish/chicken until cooked through.  Fish usually takes a couple minutes on each side.  Chicken will take a bit longer depending on thickness.
5.  While the meat cooks, assemble the wrap.  Drain the cabbage-radish mixture well and pile atop the wrap along with the lettuce and onion.
6.  Add meat to the wrap and drizzle with the sauce and garnish with cilantro and peppers.  Wrap and enjoy!

Chicken

  If you're still in the Induction phase of your low-carb diet, I would recommend forgoing the wrap and subbing in another cup of lettuce and eat this as a salad.  You can thin the sauce with a bit of water to make it a delicious dressing!

I will tell you, while this does incorporate a lot of those wonderful flavors from the original sandwich, if you ever have the opportunity to try the real deal--do it!  They're so delicious!  I hope you enjoy this lighter version.  If you have any ideas for foods that you'd like to see a low-carb version of, please submit it and I'll find one and post my findings!



**When on a low carb diet, high fat items such as mayo are OK.  However, if you're not on a low carb diet and just want a lighter overall recipe, omit the mayo and just drizzle the wrap with Siracha.  Just be cautious...it's hot!

Low Carb Guac-Burger Wrap

When we adopted a low carb lifestyle, we were forced to give up a lot of old favorites.  Mac and cheese, pizza, burgers...and after a while, you really start to miss them.  It's not that I can't have them, but I can't have them all the time and really, I don't want to eat that way anymore...I'd rather be healthy.  So I have to find a way to incorporate those flavors into our new lifestyle by tweaking the recipes a bit.  One thing we both had a craving for was a good, juicy burger.  Here's our take on it:

2 low carb tortillas

1 lb ground beef (I prefer 85/15)

1 avocado

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 green onion

1 cayenne pepper (I used fresh cayenne from the garden, you can also used powdered cayenne)

1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lime juice all to taste

1.  Preheat the grill to medium heat.  Meanwhile, mix up the ground beef with your desired spices.  I used garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Form into long, thin patties.  When the grill is hot, place patties on the grill and cook to desired temperature.

2.  While the burgers cook, open the avocado and remove the flesh.  Put this either into a small food processor or a small bowl and mash with a fork.  Add garlic powder, salt, lime juice, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and green onion.  Mix well.

3.  When the patties are cooked to your liking, remove from heat.  

4.  Assemble the wraps.  Place the tortilla on a plate and the patties down the center.  Top with guacamole and cheese.  Wrap and eat!

These were delicious and really hit the spot!  I hope you enjoy them!

One Caffeine Free Week

Hi, my name is Melissa and I'm a caffeine addict.  I really only have maybe one cup of coffee per day and I only drink soda when we're eating out.  My real vice: tea.

I LOVE iced tea.  I make it unsweetened and use Splenda.  I drink it morning, noon and night.  Now most of you are laughing at me because tea is actually pretty healthy in comparison to soda, right?  I'm inclined to agree.  But I'm not a doctor and my husband seems to think he knows better than me...he claims that black tea is not really that good for you because it contains caffeine and if I'm going to drink tea it should be green tea.  Two things:  screw him and pass me the Splenda.  No really, I dug my heels in on this one.  I have given up carbs...no potatoes, no rice, no bread, no sugar...hell, I don't even eat most fruits!  I was NOT giving up that beautiful amber elixir of the gods.  No.  Just no.  But after a "discussion" about the evils of caffeine, he somehow talked me into going one week without all beverages besides water.  

So one other thing you should know about me:  I HATE water.  I hate water more than I love tea.  For me, water is good for three things:  cooking, cleaning, and making tea.  That's it.  You don't drink it because it's gross...it doesn't taste like anything!  Yuck!

So my first day sans caffeine was pretty rough, I won't lie.  I barely drank anything because I loathe the "flavor" of water so much...which living in Florida in August, that's just not a good idea.  I was miserable.  I felt like garbage.  But, I'm stubborn and wanted to prove to my husband that I could do it.  So on to day two...

Can we just agree that caffeine is a life-saver?  I'm fairly certain there were at least three instances where I seriously considered homicide to be a perfectly reasonable response to something my husband was doing.  I seem to remember one being because my husband helped himself to another helping of ice cream but had to dirty another bowl to do so. 

I think my lowest point was when I went to Publix the other day.  In order to get home, I have to drive by a Dunkin Donuts and all I kept thinking was, "they have awesome iced tea.  I think it's any size for 99 cents and I could probably suck it down before I get home...he'd never know!"  I am proud to tell you that I resisted temptation.  However, it didn't strike me until later, recounting my story to my husband, that I really might have a problem.  I considered "cheating" for a glass of tea.  I could have gotten a doughnut!  If I was going to cheat, wouldn't that be the thing I want most?  The doughnut I haven't had in MONTHS vs. the tea I got to have three days ago!?!?  

Fast forward, the week is over and it's not so bad.  I actually discovered a little recipe, if you will, that makes water more palatable.  I've been sucking down this water like it's going out of style and I feel GREAT.  I woke up this morning and didn't miss the coffee or the tea.  I don't get headaches from the withdrawal, and I just feel better about myself for making another healthy choice.  So anyway, here's my 'recipe.'

I keep mine in 2 qt bottles.

1 gallon water (I used the filtered stuff from the fridge)

2 limes

1 lemon

1/2 cucumber

1. Wash and slice your produce.

2.  Add to water.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

3. Drink in copious amounts.  :-)

I read on Pinterest, where I originally found this little recipe, that lemons aid in the absorption of sugars and calcium and help to curb your sweet tooth, limes promote a healthy digestive tract, and cucumber acts as a diuretic and flush fat cells.  The original recipe calls for mint, as well, but I didn't have any one hand.  I plan to pick some up the next time I'm out.  Just another little tip...when you add mint to a drink like this, give it a little spank...it releases some of the oils in the leaves without completely tearing it up.

Oh, and just FYI...we're on week four of our low-carb lifestyle and I'm down 11 pounds!  Yay!

Sorry!

Hey, all!  Sorry it's been soooo long since my last post.  I'd tell you all the things we've been up to during that time, but for the most part, it's not noteworthy...just the usual summer stuff.  However, one big change that we've made more recently is we're doing a new eating plan.  I say eating plan rather than 'diet' because it's more of a lifestyle change than a temporary thing.  We've chosen to "do the low carb thing." I know...it's old news, but I tried it back when I was 17 and first diagnosed as pre-diabetic.  Back then, I lost 40 pounds and felt amazing.  Since then, I've become less careful about what I eat, had a baby and packed on more pounds, and then just quit caring.  I decided that it was time to take better care of my body and here's why:

1.  My Son
My little boy is a big motivator for me.  I want to set a good example for him.  I want him to see parents that make smart choices when it comes to health.  I want him to see parents with a good body image.  And most importantly, I want to be healthy enough to really participate in his life and participate for as long as possible.

2. I'm Tired
My weight really does just make me tired.  Carrying extra weight and eating unhealthy foods zaps your energy.  I want to have energy!

3. I Miss My Old Wardrobe!
Ok, so this one is a little shallow...but I miss looking cute in clothes.  I used to LOVE dressing myself in cute outfits.  Now, shopping for clothes is just frustrating because nothing fits well.  Don't even get me started on shopping for jeans...or shorts...or skirts.  You know what, I think you get the picture.

Anyway, I don't really need a lot of reasons to lose weight and be healthy, but there you go.

My wonderful husband has decided not only to be supportive, but to join me.  I am so lucky :-)  The hardest part for him has been giving up beer and candy.

I will be sharing some of my new recipes once I really get them down.  I've been so focused on counting my carbs that I forget to take pictures!! We are 13 days in and I've already dropped approximately 5 pounds, so I'll be sharing my progress with you periodically.