I Get Around: Visiting Mexico and Vietnam in one Night
The best part about working hard to cook a special meal is the break you get when you have the chance to eat the leftovers the next day! Today was no exception as we enjoyed a return performance by my chipotle chicken tamales. Yes, they were as good the second time around; she said while patting herself on the back. I also had some cut up watermelon in the fridge that was just past it's prime so I decided to work on my quest to perfect a healthy alternative to the classic Vietnamese fruit drinks my husband and I really enjoy. I am still trying to see if I can find a local source for the Boba or tapioca pearls - but I figured there was no harm in working on the drink without them.
The other day I was able to find one recipe online for a sugar free substitute for condensed milk which is a major ingredient in these drinks. This alternative only has three ingredients - water, Splenda and powdered fat free milk - all of which I had on hand. So I made up a batch and still had it in the fridge. I took the cubed up watermelon (about 2 cups worth), a few TBSP of the condensed milk alternative, a little extra Splenda and about 2 cups of ice and blended them all together. The flavor was pretty close to what I've had at Vietnamese restaurants although I am still tweaking the proportions. The last piece of the puzzle is to get the Tapioca pearls and to find a way to impart them with sweetness without using the huge amounts of sugar that regular recipes call for and that contribute mightily to the excessive calorie count on the original versions. I am thinking that maybe a sugar free syrup like Torani might work. I'll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, I think I'm almost there on the drink part.
Dinner
Leftover Tamales, salsa, light sour cream (9 Pts)
Brown Rice (2 Pts)
Tostones (1 Pt)
Vietnamese Watermelon Fruit Drink (1.5 Pts)
Lunch
Pressed Boars Head ham & salami on Arnold select bread with tomato, onion, cream cheese, SF orange marmalade & honey mustard. Might sound odd but it rocks! (3 Pts)
Kettle Baked BBQ chips (1 Pt)
Fresh Fruit (1 Pt)
Breakfast
Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters, banana, skim milk (4 Pts)
Coffee with skim milk (1 Pt)
The other day I was able to find one recipe online for a sugar free substitute for condensed milk which is a major ingredient in these drinks. This alternative only has three ingredients - water, Splenda and powdered fat free milk - all of which I had on hand. So I made up a batch and still had it in the fridge. I took the cubed up watermelon (about 2 cups worth), a few TBSP of the condensed milk alternative, a little extra Splenda and about 2 cups of ice and blended them all together. The flavor was pretty close to what I've had at Vietnamese restaurants although I am still tweaking the proportions. The last piece of the puzzle is to get the Tapioca pearls and to find a way to impart them with sweetness without using the huge amounts of sugar that regular recipes call for and that contribute mightily to the excessive calorie count on the original versions. I am thinking that maybe a sugar free syrup like Torani might work. I'll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, I think I'm almost there on the drink part.
Dinner
Leftover Tamales, salsa, light sour cream (9 Pts)
Brown Rice (2 Pts)
Tostones (1 Pt)
Vietnamese Watermelon Fruit Drink (1.5 Pts)
Lunch
Pressed Boars Head ham & salami on Arnold select bread with tomato, onion, cream cheese, SF orange marmalade & honey mustard. Might sound odd but it rocks! (3 Pts)
Kettle Baked BBQ chips (1 Pt)
Fresh Fruit (1 Pt)
BreakfastFiber One Raisin Bran Clusters, banana, skim milk (4 Pts)
Coffee with skim milk (1 Pt)
Comments
Post a Comment