The Morbid Me

Weight Loss Surgery Recipe: Almond Macaroons

Chewy, moist and delicious… a wonderful Christmas cookie that happens to be sugar free. For a beautiful touch, I garnish with a thin slice of dried cranberry before baking. I have not tested this recipe with Splenda granular; I have only made it with Nature Sweet crystals. Make sure you use the parchment paper to line your baking sheet (or a Silpat) or you will have to pry the cookies from the surface. Another great cookie tip is to pick up a one inch ‘ice cream scoop’ from the kitchen gadget section of WalMart or your grocery store. It is made for measuring an even portion for perfect batches of cookies and is invaluable.

These will become a family favorite as they are fabulously simple and taste superb.

Makes 36 cookies
Per Cookie, calories 36, Fat 3gr, Carbs 1.5gr, Protein 1.5gr

• 2 ¼ cups sliced unblanched almonds, about 10 ounces
• ¾ cup Granular Splenda
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ stick butter, melted
• 1 egg white, slightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sliced dried cranberries, (called Craisins)
• Parchment paper
  

Lightly spray each of two baking sheets with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Place a sheet of parchment paper on each (parchment wont slide if you use the cooking spray first). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine almonds, Splenda, flour, butter, egg white, and vanilla in a large bowl, gently tossing to coat almonds and evenly moisten mixture. Mound tablespoonfuls on prepared cookie sheet. Gently press a slice of dried cranberry into each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Cool for 10 minutes and carefully remove to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Before & After is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Copyright © 2006 by Susan Maria Leach. Reprinted with Permission. All rights reserved.

Weight Loss Surgery Recipe: Avocado Shrimp Salad

This simple salad uses leftover Buffalo Shrimp. I almost always prepare more grilled seafood or chicken than we need for our evening meal so I have some protein for a lunch salad at my desk the following day.

WLS ½ serving, 4 ounces: Calories 191, fat 9 gr, carbs 3 gr, protein 23 gr Serves 2

• Grilled Buffalo Shrimp, or ½ pound cooked shrimp
• Two cups finely shredded romaine lettuce ( I use the tender hearts)
• 1 ripe avocado cut into cubes
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Newman’s Own Caesar dressing

Pile romaine lettuce in a salad bowl. Arrange avocado and Buffalo Shrimp on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Blend mayonnaise and salad dressing; pour over salad and toss to coat.

Before & After is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Copyright © 2006 by Susan Maria Leach. Reprinted with Permission. All rights reserved.

Weight Loss Surgery Recipe: Amazing Pecan Pie

The amazing thing about this pie is that it’s sugar-free! The ingredient list is specific, and substitutions won’t work. To make this pie you need Steel’s Country Syrup, which can be ordered on this website. When I tried to make this recipe using other brands of sugar-free syrup, the custard became muddy and quite frankly, tasted awful. The Steel’s syrup is very thick, and that makes a huge difference. Even though this pie is sweet, it doesn’t have any sugar to act as a preservative and must be kept in the refrigerator, or it will spoil.

Full serving: Calories 171, fat 14.5gr, carbs 7.5gr, protein 3gr
Serves 10

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup Splenda Granular
• Pinch of table salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• ¾ cup Steel’s Sugar Free Maple Syrup, available on this website
• ½ cup chopped pecans, plus 10 halves
• One 9-inch homemade unbaked pie shell, not deep dish
• Whipped cream sweetened with Splenda

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until well blended and stir in the Splenda, salt, vanilla, butter, and syrup. Mix in the chopped pecans and pour the filling into the pie crust. Arrange the pecan halves evenly on the custard and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sides are set but the center is still a bit soft. Cool to room temperature and serve in small wedges with Splenda-sweetened whipped cream.

Before & After is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Copyright © 2006 by Susan Maria Leach. Reprinted with Permission. All rights reserved.

Weight Loss Surgery Recipe: Ambrosia Salad

This is the holiday recipe that I get the most requests to ‘slim down’. The traditional version is a very fattening, high carb, high sugar dish that everyone loves, so the challenge is to keep the signature flavors but eliminate the higher carb components.

We keep the pineapple tidbits as there is no substitute for the flavor of delicious pineapple, but make sure you use unsweetened tidbits or the new Splenda ones. We omit mandarin orange pieces as they are packed in heavy sugar syrup; but we keep the familiar orange flavor by adding sugar free marmalade, then adding an orange burst with freshly grated orange zest. The cheese blend adds the familiar creamy tangy component, but we lightened it. Fat free cheeses just don’t taste that good, have poor texture, and add additional carbs, so we go a middle route with reduced fat and whipped dairy products. The dessicated unsweetened coconut is more commonplace in grocery stores ethnic sections, but you can also use unsweetened frozen grated coconut as well. Unfortunately my manufacturer of sugar free marshmallows doesnt make them anymore, otherwise this would be perfect.

I think you will be very happy to serve this salad to your family on a holiday table or to take to an office party or event. It is simple to double or make as a multiple for a large gathering.

Makes twelve, ¼ cup servings
Calories 61, Fat 4gr, Carbs 3gr, Protein 3gr

• One, 20-ounce can Libby's Splenda Sweetened Pineapple Tidbits or Dole in natural juice
• 4 ounces whipped cream cheese
• 4 ounces reduced fat sour cream
• 4 ounces part skim milk ricotta cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla Jell-O Instant Pudding powder
• ¼ cup Smuckers Sugar Free Orange Marmalade
• Freshly grated zest of one orange
• ¼ cup Nature Sweet Crystals or Splenda Granular
• ½ cup dessicated unsweetened coconut or frozen unsweetened coconut

Drain pineapple tidbits and place on folded paper towels to absorb excess juice. Whisk together cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta until smooth. Slowly add pudding mix while whisking and blend until creamy. Beat in marmalade, orange rind, Nature Sweet and coconut; then fold in drained pineapple. Cover and chill until serving time.

Before & After is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Copyright © 2006 by Susan Maria Leach. Reprinted with Permission. All rights reserved.

Weight Loss Surgery Recipe: Asian Pineappple Chicken

This marinade is inspired by the roasted salmon dish we enjoyed at MGM Grand’s Shibuya Japanese sushi restaurant. This simple sweet and sour marinade made with Libby’s Splenda Sweetened Crushed Pineapple is perfect for salmon or chicken; and is excellent on the grill as well. Complete this delicious and healthy meal with spinach sautéed in garlic and sesame oil WLS serving, 4 ounces: Calories 185, fat 8 gr, carbs 5 gr, protein 22 gr Serves 4

• 1 whole chicken, cut up, or 8 chicken thighs, skin removed
• One 8-ounce can Libby's Splenda Sweetened Crushed Pineapple
• ¼ cup soy sauce   
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Blend together the pineapple and juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger and pour over the chicken pieces in a shallow bowl or plastic bag. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Drain the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade; arrange in a baking dish and roast 35-45 minutes, until the juices run clear and the chicken is golden. Reduce the reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium high heat until a thick glaze forms. Spoon a little sauce over the roasted chicken just before serving.

Before & After is a journal of Susan's own inspirational story, where she shares her ups and downs, her tips and techniques, but mostly it's a book about hope for anyone who has a serious weight problem.

Copyright © 2006 by Susan Maria Leach. Reprinted with Permission. All rights reserved.