Monday, April 4, 2011

Creamy Chicken with "Cornbread" Pancakes AND Facts on WEIGHT GAIN

Monday, April 4, 2011

Ah, Chicken and corn bread...comfort food. BUT if the Jiffy Corn Bread Mix is a box that you keep in your pantry, let's check the ingredients...

INGREDIENTS: WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERM-INATED YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, ANIMAL SHORTENING (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: LARD, HYDROGENATED LARD, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED LARD), contains less than 2% of each of the following: BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SALT, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID.

Diets rich in trans fat (hydrogenated oils) cause a redistribution of fat tissue into the abdomen and lead to a higher body weight even when the total calories are in a "weight loss" range. This is why I HATE some common weight loss programs out there that push their own "pre-packaged" foods. The "apple" body shape that is accelerated by eating trans fat increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Scientists have proven that every 1% increase in the portion of calories from trans fats translated to a 2-pound weight gain over 8 years. In other words, a woman who was consuming 6% of calories from trans fat would be 12 pounds heavier after eight years than a person eating no trans fat. Harvard School of Public Health looked at data on 16,587 men followed for 9 years and found that each 1% of increase in calories from trans fats was associated with an additional half-inch gain in waist circumference. So, let's make our own cornbread instead!

CREAMY CHICKEN:
3 TBS butter or coconut oil
1/4 large sweet onion, chopped
2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 serving HOMEMADE cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cornbread Pancakes (recipe Below)

Melt butter in a Dutch oven. Add onion, chile pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add chicken, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except cheese) and stir until smooth. Add cheese, and cook 7 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over Cornbread Pancakes.

"CORNBREAD" PANCAKES:
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix the ingredients and let them sit for five minutes (or overnight). Oil or grease a pan and heat over medium heat. Pour about a 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, brown on each side before flipping it. Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON(per serving):
Traditional Dish = 853 calories, 35g fat, 60g protein, 65 carbs, 4.9g fiber
"Healthified" Dish = 597 calories, 29g fat, 61g protein, 10.5 carbs, 5g fiber

Serve with Nature's Hollow Honey.

6 comments:

  1. Maria, so you think your pancakes could be made into a muffin or even "cornbread" in a pan? I am dying for some cornbread with my chili!!

    Thanks!

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  2. Yes, I think muffins would work...I'm not totally sure though. Let me know if you try it.

    Happy Baking!

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  3. Hi Maria! I tried out the "cornmeal" pancakes. I didn't like the texture very much, so I added some baking powder, cinnamon, and stevia, and made a microwave muffin out of the rest--turned out PERFECT. Now it's my new favorite muffin recipe. I'm going to make some for my (diabetic) mom this afternoon as a treat!

    Thanks for so many amazing recipes. I'm hoping to buy your cook books sooon!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Kristi! That is a great idea!

      Happy eating!

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  4. Maria.. these were wonderful!!! I had a CRAVING for eggs... so made poached eggs and had my very own egg muffins! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete