ArcaMax

Halloween Treats

My husband and I have always enjoyed Halloween. Years ago I declared it my favorite holiday. I like Halloween more than Christmas.

Early in our relationship my husband and I decided to celebrate the Trick-or-Treaters. Instead of seeing them as an interruption we decided to make adult fun out of the process.

First thing we do each year is set up a small table by the door with two chairs. Usually I grab a hall table. That way we can sit in the entryway of the house. We have our basket of treats all set to go. We make a cocktail and set up a snack for us too. Maybe some nuts.

Then we get out a game we want to play. Usually it’s a card game that is not spoiled by the ringing of the doorbell. Each time the bell rings one of us gets up to greet the kiddies and we let them pick out what they want for a treat. Because we are both sitting by the door we both get to see the costumes and enjoy the ceremony of the little ones chirping out “Trick-or-Treat”. We get to greet the moms and dads that are accompanying the kids too. It’s really a treat for us, truth be told.

For dinner we order a pizza. Don’t freak. Even I eat pizza. I just only eat one piece of crust. For the rest I just pick off the toppings with a fork. My husband is an expert at piling even three sets of toppings onto one piece of crust and eating that. But I digress.

Since starting Plan Z I no longer give out candy. I used to pride myself on having the best candy bar selection in the neighborhood. I’d get the good stuff.

Now I get even better stuff. I have taken to giving out toys!

I wanted to get this column to you early in the month to inspire you to go buy non-candy treats this year too.

I have found the perfect place to buy Halloween treats is at the craft store. This year I bought Halloween themed pencils, whistles, kazoos, crazy glasses, flying frog toys, spider rings and stretchy skeletons. How fun is that!

Last year, I bought wind up plastic monsters and Halloween tub toys.

At first the kids get a startled look on their faces when they go to grab into the basket and there’s no candy. We tell them they can pick a toy or two and then they turn to their parents and say, “Look Mom! They are giving out toys! YAY!”

The only trick is sometimes they have a hard time choosing. I don’t mind. That gives us more time to enjoy the costumes and the fun.

Now for the economics of it. I checked the pricing. Those little Snicker Bars are 17 cents each. I got 137 toys for under $20. That’s about 15 cents each. So I get the satisfaction of giving them something that lasts more than the two seconds it takes to rip open a piece of candy and jam it in their mouth. Not to mention the sugar high and even maybe a tummy ache that comes along later.

I have given them hours (or at least minutes) of fun. They can flip their flying frog across the table over and over again. They can tease the family cat with it. Or they can use their Halloween pencil for weeks. They can blow on their kazoo or their Halloween whistle til they drive their parents nuts.

And when I close the door after each little child leaves, I feel good. And that makes for a Happy Halloween.

Now for the adult treat. I came up with a recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork that goes along with the ZReduction portion of the diet. I had given up the idea of ever having this dish again; let alone design a version of it I could eat and still lose weight. Now it’s here! So enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Pork Z2 Servings 6

You are not seeing things! I managed to take one of the most fattening and sugar-filled Chinese dishes on the planet and came up with a substitute that got raves at the office. I thought this was impossible --but I did it!

Don’t expect it to taste quite as sweet at the regular Chinese but frankly I like this better. I hope you do too.

Ingredients:

Thirty-six ounnces of thin-sliced, boneless pork LOIN chops. (Don’t use regular pork chops. They are too fatty). You don’t have to have the thin ones but they make quick work of this. Trim off fat bits.

For the sauce
2 tsp (or two packets) of Truvia
4 Tbl of tomato paste (no sugar)
4 Tbl of Bragg’s aminos
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbl of corn starch dissolved in a 1/4 cup of water

For Veggies
You can vary these some. Most traditional Chinese dishes like this have green bell peppers in them. I think it’s more for the color than anything. Green peppers are higher in carbs than red, yellow and orange ones and I like the flavor better so I stick with those.
1/2 red bell pepper, cubed
1/2 orange bell pepper, cubed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cubed
1 large onion cut into chunks
1 to 2 cups of cantaloupe cubes or balls (made with a melon baller)
2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges. Six wedges per tomato

This is one of those dishes that you want to get all of your prep work done before you start because this will come together very fast; like many Chinese dishes. You’ll also have things going on in 3 pans at once but don’t fear! You can do it! Just have a timer handy to time the pork.

Slice your pork into half-inch thin strips. Set aside.

Prep all of your veggies.

Put the sauce ingredients all in a sauce pan at once (except for the cornstarch mixture). Begin to heat that and stir it constantly until the tomato paste breaks up and you have a smooth orange-red sauce. Then add the corn starch mixture and cook on a low bubble (medium temp) until it thickens. Keep an eye on it and stir often while the other things are cooking.

Next spray a large sauté pan with olive oil spray and begin to cook your pork strips. They will take a maximum of five minutes per side; (depending on how thinly they are cut). You can cook them all the way through or leave them with a tiny bit of pink in the middle. Up to you. Most like it cooked through.

Then spray another large pan and add your onion and peppers. They will take about 8 minutes to cook on medium. That’s why I had you start them now.

Now that all things are cooking just go back and forth turning the pork and the veggies and stirring your sauce. When the sauce is thick, turn it off.

When the veggies are done you are going to pour the sauce over them and stir. You can also put in the pork now or serve the pork on the plate and pour the sauce over. Up to you. Just before you are ready to serve, add the tomatoes and the cantaloupe. All you want to do with these two is stir them in until they are warm.

You might recall that traditional Sweet and Sour Pork has pineapple in it. (and sometimes maraschino cherries! YUK) Pineapple is a very high glycemic fruit so I have subbed it with cantaloupe. It tastes amazing. Perfect sweet bits.

Serve in a bowl. You’ll never miss the rice.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola