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Would like to be on your ping list.

I have ben low carbing it since May but have really plateaued in the weight loss department. My problem is that I am nursing a six-month-old Freeperet and am ALWAYS STARVING! Also, we keep kosher so that complicates it a little (no dairy and meat at the same meal). I also HATE Splenda and other fake sugars, can only tolerate them in the Atkins protein bars if I have to.

I came up with two EASY EASY recipes. Try these:

One is for "ice cream," and you have to have lost your sweet tooth a little to eat it, but it is SO GOOD. In your food processor, mix about equal parts cream and frozen berries (raspberries or blackberries, no sugar added of course). It has great consistency and mouth feel of ice cream without the cloying sweetness. If you don't get the desired consistency, add one or the other ingredient til you do.

Add some unsalted chopped nuts and pretend they are chocolate chips. Yum.

NACHOS! I love nachos. I discovered the ONE VEGETABLE that stays crunchy in the microwave: JICAMA. Jicama is a big beige root in your local produce department. It's allowed in unlimited quantities on Atkins. Peel it (by chopping off the peel side with a knife is how I do it), and slice the white interior fairly thin, into "chip-sized" pieces. Spread over a decent paper plate. Top with lots of shredded cheddar and chopped pickled jalapenos. Microwave until cheese melts. It's really good!

As promised, here is my report on Jicama Potato Salad:

First a word about jicama. While it has the firmness and consistency of potatoes, it has a couple of different properties that wouldn't make it a good substitute for potatoes in all circumstances. It's sweeter (kind of a cross between apple and pineapple) and it doesn't lose it's firmness (even after boiling for 1/2 hour, it never softened up). The skin is tougher--use a very sharp knife to peel.

I used half of a medium sized jicama (approx. 6" diamater). Since I cook mostly by taste, the measurements are going to be approximations.

Mexican Potato Salad

1/2 6" jicama cut into half-inch cubes (approx. 2 cups)
1/3 cup diced onion (green onion/scallion may work better)
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 small jalepeño pepper, sliced (optional)
1 habeñero pepper, minced (optional)
1 radish
seasoning to taste (I used coarse ground black pepper and basil)

Dressing

1/2 cup mayomaise
3 Tbls sour cream
1 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
splash red wine vinegar

Peel and cube jicama. Place in small pot with enough cold water to cover. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes (you may be able to eliminate this step as it doesn't seem to make much difference other than possibly some loss of flavor). Drain and cool under cold running water.

Transfer jicama to a medium sized bowl. Add onions, tomatoes, eggs, green pepper, jalepeño pepper and habeñero pepper. Add whatever seasonings you like.

In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and stir until completely covered. Slice radish over the top. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Critique: Not bad for an experiment. It went well with my pork chop. However, it does have a milder flavor and needs something to perk it up. Carlo, what would you suggest?