by | August 14, 2021 · 2:26 am

Karl’s Swedish Meatballs

Daughter Eilene is having friends over to play games again and this time they had a specific dinner request—they wanted Swedish meatballs. This is a dish that even before wife Jan joined the Noom program she would not let me make—she does not like Swedish meatballs because the meat is usually mixed to the point where it loses all texture. Swedish meatballs are usually small in size—½-1 tablespoon—and mildly spiced. They are usually served in gravy or with gravy on the side.

Karl’s Swedish Meatballs

Karl’s Swedish Meatballs

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by | August 10, 2021 · 12:11 am

Karl’s Uyghur Chicken Shashlik

Shashlik is really just the Central Asian name for a kebab, something on a skewer. In Kashgar—the westernmost city in China—at least on the street, this was almost always lamb coated in a cumin based spice blend. At that time—35 years ago—the lamb is cut into small (3/8 inch) cubes and skewered with bits of lamb fat. The stick is dipped into a tray of the spice blend and then grilled over hot coals. Wife Jan is on the Noom program, and while she wanted shashlik, she did not want it made with lamb—a “red food.” She asked me if I could make with chicken instead—a “yellow food.”

Karl’s Uyghur Chicken Shashlik

Karl’s Uyghur Chicken Shashlik

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by | August 1, 2021 · 12:05 am

Karl’s Ugandan Rolex—Roti Eggs

I am always looking for new dishes to try and to adapt to my family’s diet. One rich source I have found is Beryl’s YouTube channel. She has people from all over the world sending her their favorite dishes and she presents how differently some people make similar dishes. One episode we watched recently was for Ugandan Rolex—the source of this rather odd name is the result of tourists mishearing the phrase “roti eggs” and having it stick.

Karl’s Ugandan Rolex—Roti Eggs

Karl’s Ugandan Rolex—Roti Eggs

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by | July 23, 2021 · 1:48 am

Karl’s Caribbean Seafood Soup

I had started to think about the dreaded “What am I going to make for dinner?” question. I was thinking I could make some fried fish with lemon rice and green beans—this would require me to make a quick run to the store. Then my daughter informed me—at the last minute as usual—that she was going out with her friends. Shifting gears, I started to think about what I could make with just what I had on hand.

Karl’s Caribbean Seafood Soup

Karl’s Caribbean Seafood Soup

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by | July 11, 2021 · 5:38 pm

Karl’s Vegan Israeli Couscous Almandine

Wife Jan is on the Noom Program and I made an Israeli couscous salad packed full of vegetables and fruit for the Fourth of July. It was so popular with my family that wife Jan asked me to make some for her dance in the park potluck this Sunday.  Last time, I listed a vegan option for the salad, but Jan thought some of her friends might be vegan, so I made a new, strictly Vegan salad. Of course in my ultimate need not to make the same dish the same way twice in a row, I made some changes.

Karl’s Vegan Israeli Couscous Almandine

Karl’s Vegan Israeli Couscous Almandine

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by | July 11, 2021 · 4:50 am

Karl’s Noom Friendly Orange Chicken Stir Fry

Wife Jan is on the Noom program and is constantly scanning for recipes I can make that fit both Noom’s parameters and our personal tastes. Her most recent request was for orange chicken. I did not think much of the recipe she sent me, so I went looking for something better. Many of the recipes I found were “healthy” only in the sense that they replaced white sugar with honey or brown sugar— both of which are very much Noom “red foods.” I finally found a recipe that was close to what I wanted and adapted it to be more Noom-y.

Karl’s Noom Friendly Orange Chicken Stir Fry

Karl’s Noom Friendly Orange Chicken Stir Fry

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by | July 8, 2021 · 5:50 am

Karl’s Nevis Barbecued Jerked Chicken

I had decided to barbecue chicken for the Fourth of July, but what flavor. A last year, I made this dish for my sister Karen, but I was overly cautious with the spices. This time I took my own advise and bumped up the spice level to four tablespoons. To go with the meat heavy main I made several vegetable sides—corn, grilled vegetables and a couscous salad. For a patriotic desert, I served strawberries, whipped cream, and blueberries.

Karl’s Nevis Barbecued Jerked Chicken

Karl’s Nevis Barbecued Jerked Chicken

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by | July 8, 2021 · 5:49 am

Karl’s Israeli Couscous Almandine

I’m barbecuing a Nevis jerked chicken for the Fourth of July and I wanted some side dishes to go with the heavy meat main dish. With two vegetable dishes—corn and grilled vegetables—decided upon, I needed something with a bit of starch. Wife Jan is on the Noom Program, so she objects to dense starchy dishes. To please her, I chose to make a Israeli couscous salad packed full of vegetables and fruit.

Karl’s Israeli Couscous Almandine

Karl’s Israeli Couscous Almandine

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by | July 7, 2021 · 1:42 am

Karl’s Za’atar Grilled Vegetables

I’m barbecuing a Nevis jerked chicken for the Fourth of July and I wanted some vegetables side dishes to go with the heavy meat main dish. The women of my family really like grilled squash and tomatoes, but I did not want to use the same Nevis spice blend on the vegetables. For the squash, I decided to use the Middle Eastern spice blend za’atar. To make it Noom friendly I reduced the amount of oil.

Karl’s Za’atar Grilled Vegetables

Karl’s Za’atar Grilled Vegetables

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by | July 7, 2021 · 1:33 am

Karl’s Grilled Chili Corn II

I’m barbecuing a Nevis jerked chicken for the Fourth of July and I wanted some vegetables side dishes to go with the heavy meat main dish. My family really likes grilled corn, but I did not want to use the same Nevis spice blend on the vegetables. For the corn, I chose to use chili powder—kind of a go-together with corn.

Karl’s Grilled Chili Corn II

Karl’s Grilled Chili Corn II

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