About this time in every 40-day course of hCG, I find myself studying recipes. I am well aware that I will not be eating turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, etc with the family this year; I will be eating chicken and romaine with HCG Perfect Portions salad dressing. LOL But, I can still dream about the turkey that I am going to fix for Christmas. (For you newcomers to the blog, I am on my 4th course of hCG and down 97 pounds as of yesterday. I will end the 4th course on December 3rd and start my 3 weeks of stabilization and finish on … ta daaaa … Christmas Eve. Perfect planning.)
So here is my recipe for the day from the South Beach Daily Dish. Even if you aren’t watching your weight, this sounds scrumptous.
When you think of turkey, what is the next thing that comes to mind? Gravy, of course! If you’re following the South Beach Diet and want to stick to your healthy eating plan on Thanksgiving, this “jus”-style gravy will help. While it calls for drippings from the pan, this gravy uses no flour or cornstarch and is thickened by reducing and concentrating the turkey juices. The alcohol in the wine evaporates during cooking.
Pan Juice “Gravy”
This “jus”-style gravy, made without flour or cornstarch, is thickened naturally by reducing and concentrating the turkey juices. After the bird is carved and placed on a serving platter, add the juices from the cutting board to the gravy for extra richness.
Makes 8 (1/4-cup) servings
Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
After turkey has roasted, pour juices from the pan into a glass measuring cup or a fat separator; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add wine to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits of turkey from the bottom of the pan. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, skim off any fat that has accumulated on top of the reserved pan juices (you should have about 2 cups of juices). Add juices to the roasting pan along with any additional juices that have accumulated on the carving board. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.
Nutritional information
Per (1/4-cup) serving:
25 calories
1 g fat (0 g sat)
1 g carbohydrate
1 g protein
0 g fiber
105 mg sodium
About pcronbaugh
Real Estate: Over 25 years of experience in numerous areas of real estate brings the expertise you want working for you when you’re ready to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. When selling, Phyllis keeps you informed throughout the process, advises, and negotiates to ensure that you walk away with the most money in your pocket. When buying, she truly listens to your needs and desires, guides you find your dream home, assists you in negotiating the best price, and finally helps you get moved in with as little stress as possible. Call her today to put her expertise to work for you.
Phyllis spent 20 years in the corporate world in the field of IT and IT training and then has been in some aspect of real estate since 1988. She’s been an investor, landlord, listing agent and buyer’s agent in KS, MO, CO, and CA. She even co-owned a log home franchise with her late husband in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Speaking: Phyllis will tell you that she is a born storyteller who began her public speaking career at the age of four years when she climbed on a chair in the middle of her parents’ Halloween party and told a joke. The joke about a minister, a priest, and a rabbi that she overheard from her colorful uncle, horrified her parents, but the laughs received from the party goers evidently planted a seed. During the years mentioned above, numerous opportunities for speaking and writing presented themselves. She co-owned a national marketing seminar company called The Flight Plan for Lone Eagles, and she supported her husband’s business in the field of medical reimbursement consulting as a trainer and keynote speaker. As a member of the National Speaker’s Association and the Colorado and GLAC (Greater Los Angeles) Speaker’s Associations, she had numerous opportunities to learn from the best, including Zig Ziglar and Jim Rohn. Currently, Phyllis is the Committee Chair of Presentation Partners, a club with the mission of helping every member of the American Club Association become a dynamic speaker.
Writing: Phyllis loves to tell groups that she is a murderer. While trying to get her first novel published, several agents told her the manuscript was too long, so she killed off three of the characters. She says it was a good writing lesson; the book wasn't diminished by the annihilation. She has written eight books (two out of print); two fiction and four non-fiction are currently available on Amazon. Aside from books bought by metaphysical students, her best-selling novel is a historical, science fiction story, based on Mayan and Native American myths, called Saving the Crystal Skull. Opposite in nature is a real estate book that many homeowners valued during the 2007-2009 banking and real estate crisis, called Strategic Short Sales: Morally Wrong or Financially Prudent? A company in Korea acquired the rights to her book The Talking Stick: Guarantee You Are Understood and Not Just Heard, so she says she must be an international author as well. She currently serves as a staff writer for ACA’s Executive Life Magazine producing a monthly real estate column and submitting other articles. She expects to have her second real estate book published mid-2017.
So here is my recipe for the day from the South Beach Daily Dish. Even if you aren’t watching your weight, this sounds scrumptous.
hcg4less Support Blog 
Do you address the struggle with the lack of variety of food? I’m on my first round and am already struggling with that.
Sorry to take so long to get back to you, Heather. There is definitely a lack of variety. LOL I try really hard to always look on the bright side so I guess the bright side would be that when I go to the grocery store during my courses (do most of my shopping at Costco) all I have to remember to get is tomatoes, oranges, apples, romaine, spinich, cucumers, steak, chicken and shrimp. I don’t even have to make out a list anymore. LOL Really, when I am not on HCG I sometimes get overwhelmed trying to think of something “differet” to eat and I think that is one of the reasons that years ago I started hitting the fast food places and restaurants on my way home… because I hadn’t shopped and didn’t have anything to eat in the refrigerator. Bad plan. For the past year now, when I am not on HCG I have been making a concerted effort to look for great recipes and do 99% of my eating at home. Have been saving a lot or money and I know a lot of calories. I guess the way that I deal with it is to go through recipe books and dream of what I can eat 40 days, 30 days, 20 days… from now. I know I can do anything for a certain period of time.