Dilemma of Eating out

[Guest guest]

I am glad that you found a buffet that had some edible dessert. It must have

been a pricier place. We go to a Chinese buffet--there are lots of good veggie

items including a tofu entree, but the desert stuff is truly awful: instant

pudding, soft ice cream made with hydrogenated fat, cakes made from poor quality

mixes, pastries with hydrogenated fats, obviously packaged cookies, and on and

on. I usually eat the fruit in the small salad bar -- yes a Chinese buffet has

a salad bar that includes sea veggies :-)

 

One of the ways that I learned to resist desserts in restaurants was to learn

what truly great desserts are. That way, I was no longer tempted by most of the

garbage that they claim as desserts in most restaurants. I learned to make

cakes from scratch, pies made with wonderful ingredients like the finest

chocolate, and tried many cookie recipes. I also learned to rarely make

desserts, like just for company and then send the left overs home with the

guests.

 

Now that I cannot eat gluten, most of those dessert problems are solved.

However, I do make a wonderful chocolate cornstarch pudding with top quality

chocolate from scratch--I make it with nonfat milk and add no butter at the end.

It is pretty respectable calorie-wise as far as desserts are concerned. Here is

the recipe:

 

1 oz unsweetened chocolate--use a good quality " baking " chocolate, not cocoa

powder

2 cups nonfat milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 tblsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

 

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold milk*. Add chocolate, sugar, & salt to the

milk mixture. Stirring constantly [i use a wire wisk], cook over medium heat

until it comes to a simmer. Stir until it thickens and add the vanilla--brandy

would also be a great alternative flavor.

 

Turn out into small bowls and refrigerate for future treats. I think it is

better the next day when it is cold with a little " skin " on the top.

 

*You can use unsweetened soymilk but it will be higher in fat, therefore

calories. If you want to increase the protein and calcium, you can use all or

part nonfat canned milk--an old trick I learned from Weight Watchers.

 

 

Kathleen

 

I went out to dinner with a friend last night. We went to a buffet place so I

would have veggie choices. I had some great veggies, but caved to the dessert

buffet. I had a brownie and a piece of pie.