Calories Reduced and Reducing Pot Pies
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| 8 oz. oven-safe ramekins by KitchenAid |
Several notable weight loss products feature the magical white kidney bean extract as a carbohydrate inhibitor, i.e. weight loss enabler. However, this is juxtaposed thoughts of the actual beans' powerful protein base. Instead, with hopeful thoughts that a chicken pot pie substitute might be created using the beans and some common pantry vegetables, I created this meat-free version that is supposed, by food and nutritional experts, to be a functional hypoglycemic food. Regardless, of whether the white kidney beans are reliable active carbohydrate inhibitors delivered in extracts or capsules, the regular chicken pot pie dinner (averaging 600 kcal per serving) versus this vegetarian/vegan pot pie dinner (285~400 kcal) is a comparable caloric difference that is equally scrumptious. Here is how you make this version.
For the base, I created a white beans soup/stew (a.k.a. cannellini soup).
I added, all these ingredients, to a clean crock pot to cook overnight on very low heat: white kidney beans (1 can, 180 kcal), small white beans (1 can, 220 kcal), frozen pea-carrots-corn (2 small bags, 445 kcal), 1 heaping tablespoon of matzo mix (35 kcal), almond milk (1 cup, 80 kcal), 1 tablespoon of Orrington vegetarian broth (15 kcal), water (1 cup, 0 kcal), grated cheddar cheese (1 cup, 100 kcal), and thyme. The next morning you will find the cheese fat oil on top of your white stew. Ladle away the fat before handling your white beans soup/stew for the actual pie.
Once the fat is skimmed off the top, you can store away any white bean soup/stew you do not plan to eat right away in the freezer. I got about four more servings of my stew. (Pictured here is one of two containers of left over soup/stew.)
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Pictured here are double-sheets of pastry with 1.5 tablespoons of cheddar to cover my white bean soup/stew. The total calories for my oven-baked vegetarian pot pie dinner came out to be about 170 kcal (per 12 oz serving) plus 250 kcal for my pastry/cheese each.
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For dinner, I used the white bean soup to fill two 12 oz oven-safe soup bowls with one-inch room to the rim with pastry. This time, I selected the Pillsbury Crescent rolls (reduced fat is 90kcal per servings). My soup weighed in lighter in calories and higher in fiber intake [because of the small white beans I used in my recipe (one can of the bean variation is 38% of your daily fiber intake)] and I skipped all added oils and salt in the cooking. Instead, loading my oil intake, towards the end of this recipe towards the pastry and cheese.(Depending on brand and type of cheese used, 10~35 kcal per full tablespoon may be your final cheese topping calorie count.)
In the leaner version, you will reduce the calorie by at least 125 kcal from sizing down the soup portion to the regular ramekin serving size, and because only one serving of pastry is used (instead of two). Leaving plenty of room for other foods or as a singularly tasty weight loss meal.
The question whether the white kidney beans soups are effective as carbohydrate inhibitors to my dangerously generous double-sheet pastry topping of cheese and crunchy on the outside, gooey and gluten-crazed soup-dipped pastry on the inside, remains to be experienced. In any case, whether for weight loss, vitamins, or protein substitution, enjoy this delicious meat-free meal option.
#cookingintentionally
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| My indulgent version: the double pastry sheets of Pillsbury Crescent Dough with melted cheddar cheese adds to 420 kcal per serving. The Leaner version: using only one single sheet of Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Dough and grated light cheddar cheese, weighs in at same nutritional value with only 280 kcal per 12 oz. serving. |
SF Gate, on December 6, 2018, suggested that one might become bloated through the consumption white kidney beans, although the food is packed with folate and other great nutrients enabled to supercharge the body system toward anti-inflammation. It is possible that weight loss products are banking on the ideas that the folate-driven components might offer those with lower intakes of folate to see significant/visible changes to their physique or energy levels from the consumption of an alternative protein that is packed with vitamin B (known for its energetic qualities). In my case, my folate intake was plenty and I didn't have a really strong need to add more protein to my daily intake. So, the difference to my energy level was minimal, but the taste of the meal was satisfying since it's been awhile that I have even had pot pie. Much of which defers to the thought that pot pie would mean consuming animal dairy which I am actively reducing the latter half of this year for personal health reasons.
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| Cook all the soup ingredients on low heat. In the morning, ladle away the oil that separated from the grated cheese. After the oils of the soup is removed, you should see a creamy soup or light stew. |
