Christmas Stollen for Christmas party!

How do I avoid gaining weight for my upcoming Christmas party? 

Hohoho! Let's make some smart splurges so you feel satisfied with your holiday indulgence (no guilt!).

After a few times failed to bake an edible low-carb version of Ginger Breadman cookies for my Christmas holiday cookies craving, I was so demotivated. :( Eventually I changed my mind (understand that cookies is not my kinda thing). So I decided to bake Christmas Stollen! This is my first trial baking low carbs, gluten-free and "healtified" version of Christmas Stollen, it turns out to be perfect- moist, nutty, and perfected with the soft sense of cinnamon fragrance. I can't wait to share with all my dearest bimbos.

More good news for my dearest friends that complaints to me that they do not have a electric mixer making excuse that they couldn't bake - i mixed the ingredients using a blender (usual juice blender or food processor). Ha! Ha!


Ingredients A:
1. 4 eggs
2. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
3. 1/2 cup of non-GMO coconut palm sweetener (or natural honey)
4. 1/4 cup of cranberry or other non-sugar added dried fruits
5. 1/2 cup of chopped walnut
6. 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

Ingredients B:
1. Half cup of coconut flour
2. Pinch of salt
3. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
4. 2 teaspoon of cinnamon power

A bit of icing sugar for dusting & deco.  

Step: 
1. Pre-heat oven at 175 °C, greased the baking pan.
2. Mix ingredients A to blender and pulse.
3. Add in ingredients B and pulse.
4. Pour batter into greased baking pan.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick check comes out clean.

Let cold, decorate with dust of icing and serve! Dig-in!

Stollen is a traditional German cake, usually eaten during the Christmas season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen or "Christstollen." - Wikipedia

xoxo, Ms.SS

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Chai Bar @ Oasis Ara Damansara - Healthy Restaurant Feature of the Month

It's eat clean Monday! As my first healthy restaurant review post, I would like to introduce a new gem in town, which just opened not too long ago. I am hooked. 

Chai Bar basically allows you to have your salad, however you want. They have over 70 ++ healthy ingredients to choose from and it is not limited to just veg. But, I am basically quite a fickle person and prefer not to have too many options, so I choose from their fab 10 salads. 

Their fab 10 salads are not just the typical ceasar salad. So far, I have tried the Chicken Rice, Bimbimbap, Superfood and Sombrero. Quite interesting right. There is even a brochure that tells you how much nutrients and calories you are consuming. 

Chicken Rice - RM14;
Nutrition information : 316 calories; 31 g protein; 31 g carbs; 9 g fats;
vs a normal chicken rice ->
666 calories; 30g protein; 55 g carbs; 44g fats.
http://www.healthguru.sg/learn-about-food/hainanese-chicken-rice/ 

Sombrero - RM20 Nutrition information : 335 calories; 29 g protein; 23 g carbs; 17 g fats;

Cobb - RM17Nutrition information : 435 calories; 33 g protein; 6 g carbs; 28 g fats;

Supersalad + Poached Chicken : RM20 i thinkNutrition information : 459 calories; 32 g protein; 28 g carbs; 23 g fats;

Quite easy to make informed decision based on the calories count. haha. Eating salad sounds healthy. But some salads are high in calories and fats. So it is good to be aware of what you are eating. For example, ceasar salad has approx. 710 calories!

We definitely need to see more of this healthy eateries in KL. Hopefully, they'll open another branch in town soon.

For more information, you can always go to their website. The nutrition information have been extracted from their website below.https://www.facebook.com/chaibarmy 
http://chaibar.my/

Price : $$ (Reasonable for what you'll get)
Taste: JJJJ (4.5 of 5)

Opening Hours : 9 am - 11 pm Monday to Sunday
Address:
G31, Oasis Village, Oasis Square
Jalan PJU1A/7A, Oasis Damansara
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

xoxo,

Miss Sue_Eats

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Moist Cinnamon Muffin - low carbs & gluten-free

This cinnamon muffin is so moist! And most importantly ---> LOW CARBS! It makes 12 mini muffins and contains 2g net carbs each. It's perfect for tea time and munchies between meals. Have fun baking!

 

Mixture for Topping:

½ tablespoon natural non-sugar added honey (5g carbs)
½ tablespoon cinnamon powder (1 g net carbs)
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

Combine honey, cinnamon powder and olive oil in a small bowl

Mixture for muffin:

250g almond flour (8g net carbs)
½ tablespoon cinnamon powder (1 g net carbs)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
¼ cup butter (melted in microwave for 1 min)
½ tablespoon natural non-sugar added honey (5g carbs)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Direction:

1. Pre-heat oven at 175°C and grease muffin cups with olive oil
2. Sift and mix almond flour, cinnamon powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl (A)
3. In a larger bowl, using hand mixer, blend together melted butter, honey, eggs and vanilla (B)
4. Blend (A) into (B) for about 2-3 minutes until well mixed. The blended mixture should be more liquid and wet as we are baking a moist muffin
5. Pour mixture into greased muffin cups
6. Spoon topping onto muffins mixture and stir evenly on muffin top
7. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes at 175°C, until toothpick comes out clean

Let cool for an hour and enjoy your low carbs delight!

You may realised my low-carb recipes have substitute normal white baking flour/ cake flour with almond flour. Almond flour is perfect substitute for high carbs flour for low carbs baking.You can find almond flour at Jaya Grocer Cheras Central at RM15.90.

Stay tune for more low carbs recipes! Have fun diet!

xoxo, Ms.SS

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Chocolate Chips Banana Cake

Many thanks for my colleague, Sim for this recipe. I really love Sim’s banana cake and I think that is the best banana cake that I ever had.

I make this banana cake with her great recipe – as usual, I substitute normal flour with Almond flour and sugar with low-carb sweetener. I brought this to office and everyone likes it. No flour?! No one believe it. Melting chocholate chips + banana is really a great indulgence!

See here for my low-carbs and gluten-free Chocolate Chips Banana Bake.

Ingredients:

70g Almond flour
30g Coconut flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter
3 eggs
2 over-ripe bananas (mashed)
50g of coconut palm syrup or honey (I got this coconut palm syrup as a gift from my boss!) xD
30g of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and greased the baking pan
2. Mix Almond flour, Cononut flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
3. Add in Olive oil/ butter, eggs, mashed banana, syrup to the dry ingredient and blend with hand mixer for 3 minutes (or until well blend)
4. Add in chocolate chips and fold gently with spatula, set batter aside for 5 minutes (to allow baking soda to react)
5. Scoop batter into baking pan or cup cake sheets. Bake for 40 minute until toothpick check comes out clean.
6. Cool and serve

Make one mini loft of approx. 8 slices and 6 mini cupcakes

P/S: My boss also so kind to give me a healthy sweetener --- >>> a Low GI and gluten-free Coconut Palm Syrup. I’m so blessed :) 

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Simple Cranberry Bread - low-carbs & gluten-free

My another recipe! This low-carb and gluten free cranberry bread is so easy to make and yet so delicious. It is especially tasty to toast with butter, to bright-up a Monday blue morning. Good recipe for low-carb dieter who craves for bread breakfast, this bread definitely works for your carbs craving. Come on peeps, stay on track!

Ingredients:
200g of almond flour
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs

½ tablespoon no sugar added honey (you may substitute honey with sugar substitute such as Splenda or Stevia (can get from Jaya Grocer Cheras Central) - Splenda only contains approx. 0.01g carb per packet, it is good for your first two weeks of your low-carbs induction)
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of Olive oil
25g of dried cranberries (unsweetened) (depends on personal preference, i'm on low-carb diet and cranberry is naturally sweet, i reduced it to minimal)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix well the almond flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add honey, lemon juice, vanilla essence and olive oil.
3. Blend wet ingredients into dry and add cranberries
4. Batter texture would be very sticky, add a bit more of olive oil to smoothen the texture and scoop batter into a greased baking pan
5. Bake at 175°C for 30 minutes; or until a toothpick comes out clean
6. Cool and serve
   

Makes 1 mini loaf of about 8 slices and a mini bun.

Enjoy your low-carb bread!

Like chocolate but on low carbs diet? Don't worry, make healthy Low-carb Chocolate Almond  for your chocolate craving!

xoxo, Ms. SS

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Low carbs Chocolate Almond Bread

A simple, delicious and sugar-free bread and what's more - it's LOW CARBS. Perfect dessert/ breakfast treat for low carbs dieters! It's so easy to prepare and only 5 ingredients are required. I made this for my weekday breakfast to go with my favourite office pantry's Americano.

Ingredients:

130 g Almond flour (2g carbs) 

1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (1g carb)
1 tablespoon of melted butter (0g carb)
1 tablespoon of melted non-sugar-added dark chocolate (5g carbs)

(nutrition data from: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/2419135/2?quantity=2.5)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Greased baking pan with olive oil.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix almond flour, salt and baking soda
3. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave for 1 minute. Fold over the batter every 20 seconds
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs for approx. 2 minutes until frothy
5. Mix butter and chocolate mixture into eggs and combined well
6. Mixed almond flour mix into wet mix
7. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes. Check by inserting toothpick if it comes out clean.
8. Cool and serve

Make one loft of 8 slices, each contains approx 1 g net carb.

Low-carbs is not as boring as you may thought (not only egg/meat and vege), with a bit of effort, you can discover tonnes of tasty yet low-carbs (most of them are gluten-free too) receipes. May this keep you on track and achieve your weight loss objective fast!

Stay tune for more low-carbs and healthy recipes!

Also, read about how i shed 4 kgs in 2 weeks here: http://miss2mrschic.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-loss-4kg-in-2-weeks.html

xoxo, Ms. SS

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I loss 4kg in 2 weeks!

I received loads of compliments when I attend my friend's wedding reception last weekend. My friends are amazed with my quick weight loss results. (They just met me few weeks ago, and they are shocked to see I got a quick transform from L to M size in short time). Many were curious on my secret of quick weight loss. But what I am gonna share here is a simple diet that you may have already known; it will work wonderful if you execute it accordingly.

There are many possible ways of quick weight loss but most of them require you to be hungry and unsatisfied. I am a fan of Atkins diet a.k.a low carbs diet. Love this diet concept as it allows me to eat big portion, no exercise required (it’s optional) and effective results even in the first week of induction. What you need it’s just a careful mind and a bit of discipline. I felt it is tailored for lazy peep like me :p

The key words to success – “WATCH THE CARBS”, keep it below 22g of carbs per day for the first two weeks. And your body will be autopilot and you will soon realize you’ve turned yourself into a FAT BURNING BEAST!

3 STEPS for QUICK WEIGHT LOSS
1. Cut the SUGAR, RICE and FLOUR

The most important part is to eliminate sugars and high carbs food from your daily meal. I understand it is tough to apply this in Malaysia context as we are so weak / irresistible to all the good local food. 

That’s why you need a bit of discipline to succeed. Low carbs diet is all about change of eating habits, you will be able to appreciate of Step No.1 when you see immediate weight loss in the first 3 days when you induce the new diet to your body (strictly), and you’ll be amazed by the quick results and sustained until you get your ideal weight. 

I personally shed 3 kg in the first week when I do this strictly, without any cheat day.

Reasons that Step No.1 is so important as Sugar/ high carbs foods will stimulate secretion of insulin, and insulin is the main culprit that makes us gain weight. 

Insulin also called “fat storage hormone” in layman term. Cutting all Sugar and high carbs food directly reducing the insulin level. When insulin goes down, it’s will be easier for the FAT to go out of the fat storage (on your tight, especially tummy) and your body will start burning fats (from storage) instead of carbs. 

Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight if this is your reason of extra weight.

2. Eat ONLY allowable food

The good thing I appreciate about low-carb diet is eating until fullness, while the low-calories diet is calorie restricted and hungry. Don’t be frightened by the oil/ butter, they are all very low in carbs and it’s allowable for this diet. Eating all the allowable food here will keep your carbs below 22g per day but still will keep your stomach full and satisfied.

1. Eat all kind of meat/poultry, fish and eggs – any cooking style as long as non-breaded and no-sugar added
2. Eat all kind of vegetables
3. Eat all kind of fat source include butter and cheese. Don’t be afraid to fried the eggs with any cooking oil in this diet

3. Have a CHEAT DAY bi-weekly (recommended after your 2 weeks induction)

This is not in Atkins diet recommendation but I think cheat day is essential (very important) for people who do not have iron willpower like me to keep-going. Carbs re-feed is so important that you wouldn't give up easily and be encouraged throughout the diet journey. You will find yourself gain a bit of water weight the next day after carb re-feed but it will go away when you’re back on track.

Tips to survive 2 weeks induction in Malaysia context:

1. Avoid all your favorite national breakfast which includes mee/ meehon goreng, roti canai, nasi lemak. But eat all kinds of meats/ poultry, eggs and vegetables. I have a list of delicious low carbs recipes for working day breakfast that can be ready within 5 minutes if your office has a microwave (stay tune!). Further, eat chap fan (mixed rice) without rice, say no to sides (if it is high carbs goodie) when you order set lunch.
2. No sweet drinks – Order tea without sugar or Americano when you reach Starbucks counter, run fast when you walk pass Chatime bar. Say no to fruit juice for first 2 weeks when you kick-start your diet as juice naturally high in sugar (even it stated “organic”) and it will interfere your weight loss. Avoid milk – 100g of milk in your café latte contains 16g of carbs where it almost the carbs ceiling for the day.
3. Read the nutrition facts, beware of all the healthy food options as many of those naturally high in carbs (even it’s gluten-free – they are all high carbs!)

After 2 weeks induction, I am currently fine-tuning my carbs tolerance level by introducing different carbs source every day to find out how much carbs that my body can take for continuance weight loss and lifetime maintenance.

I have shed 4 kg so far. This is a great achievement of mine as I always include weight loss in my new year resolution but it never gets realized. I used to joke that weight loss is a resolution with a life-long time frame (no deadline), but in fact, it can be achieve quite easily with a bit of change in eating habits and need no exercise at all. Remember, never starve yourself, and eat when you feel hungry. But pick the right food to eat.

Let me know what you think :)

Xoxo, Ms. SS

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