I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. De Mille...Oscar Night Bites

Want to nibble on some Black Swan Flan while Natalie Portman gaffes her way through her acceptance speech. Or how about a little fortifying Truly Cheesy Grits for the strength you'll need to survive the musical numbers. 

Seriously, who wants to fight the traffic and crowds just to bash with the wanna-be-beautiful people when you can have your own award-winning regalement for a night of Academy Award watching and noshing.  This scrumptious spread will make you the biggest winner on Oscar night.

The King's Speechless Spinach Salad
Nutrition Facts (click for cals, carbs, fats...)

Ingredients:

It's a salad, what instructions do ya need.  Toss stuff together....



Truly Cheesy Grits with Portobello Mushrooms
Nutrition Facts (click for cals, carbs, fats...)

Ingredients:
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Millet Grits
  • 1 cup Lynda's Creamer Substitute
  • 1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded low fat Mozzarella 
  •  1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 tbls olive oil
  • 4 tsp. Lynda's Everyday Spice Mix 



Sautee onions in olive oil, add mushrooms and spice mix and lightly saute mushrooms in with the onions.  In another pot, cook the grits in chicken stock, slightly undercooking into a slightly dry consistency, then mix in creamer substitute (or almond milk) and mix the grits into the onion/mushroom mixture.  Stir in the cheeses (you can use whatever cheese you have in the fridge, but I like the sharpness of the white cheddar and parm).  Spray a casserole dish with a spritz of olive oil then spoon in the cheesy grits mixture.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese then bake in 350 degree oven until the cheese has melted and the top is slightly browned.  Yummy, eat your heart out polenta, you got nuthin on these grits!

Winter's Bone Soup with Roasted Veggies and yes, a Winter Soup Bone

 
Ingredients:
  •  4 cups chicken broth
  •  2 cups water
  • 1 soup bone
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  •  2 chopped onion
  •  1/2 jalapeno pepper
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes (about 2 white potatoes)
  • 1 can stewed roasted tomatoes
  •  4 tsp Lynda's Spice Mix
  •  4 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup Roasted Carrots
  • 1 cup  Roasted Mini Bell Peppers
In a large stock pot, heat 4 cups of chicken broth (or veggie broth) and 4 cups of water.  Add a large soup bone,  half an onion, 2 garlic cloves, half a jalapeno, a few stalks of celery, 2 tsp spice mix (or 2 tsp salt & pepper).  Boil for about 30 minutes (or until broth has been flavored by soup bone). Strain the broth and set aside.

In stock pot, sweat mirepoix (sweat basically means to lightly saute, mirepoix is the "holy trinity" of onions, carrots, celery).  Add soup-bone flavored stock, canned tomatoes, and potatoes.  Bring to a boil, then add the chopped roasted veggies.  Simmer for about 20 mintues, cool, serve.  Hearty and healthy soup to warm your soul against the coldest of worst-dressed comments made by the fashion police on the red carpet.




Black Swan Flan
Nutrition Facts (click for cals, carbs, fats...) 

Flan Ingredients:
  • 8 oz. fat free cream cheese
  • 1 cup fat free greek yogurt 
  • 1 scoop soy protein powder
  •  2 cups servings granulated splenda 
  •  1 squares dark chocolate with chili
  •  1 squares of unsweetened baker's dark chocolate
  •  1 tsp vanilla extract 
  •  2 tsp. instant espresso
  •  2 eggs
  •  2 egg whites
Caramel Topping Ingredients:
  • 1 cup granulated splenda
  •  1/4 cup water
  •  2 tsp fresh ginger
  •  1 cinnamon stick
  •  1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Black Swan Chocolate Topping Ingredients:
  • 1 cup granulated spenda
  • 1 square unsweetened baker's dark chocolate
  • 1 square dark chocolate with chili
  • 1/4 cup almond-milk creamer substitute (or cream, if you prefer)
In heavy duty suace pan, melt one cup splenda with 1/4 cups water, add raw ginger and cinnamon stick to infuse with a little extra flavor.  Bring to rapid boil, remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla extract for color (splenda will harden like regular sugar, but it doesn't turn a caramel color, so vanilla helps make it a darker caramel color).  Poor into a 9inch cake pan with and swirl around until the bottom is coated with caramel.  Set aside.

Mix together the cream cheese, eggs, egg whites, splenda, protein powder, and vanilla.  Add about 1/4 cup of boiling water to the instant espresso.  Melt the chocolate in microwave and stir into to the strong espresso.  Mix in coffee/chocolate into flan batter and pour into the cake pan (just on top of the caramel coated bottom).  Place pan into a bain marie (water bath) and bake in 350 degree oven.  Bake for about an hour or until flan has firmed up and you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean.  Cool the flan in the fridge for a few hours.

Melt the remaining chocolate in microwave.  Add vanilla, granulated sugar, and a little creamer.  Wisk together.  Once the flan has cooled, run a knife around the edge of the cake pan, dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to melt the caramel, invert the pan on a plate and voila, you have a lovely chocolate/espresso/cheesecake flan.  Optional, top with the chocolate gnash to make a swan design, and there you have it, Black Swan Flan.


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