A post 2 days in a row! I'm en fuego!
Going low/no carb is not always easy when you are trying to feed yourself and feed your family satisfactorily. Usually I will make a soup or a stew or a protein/vegetable combination. Usually they are happy with that... unless my husband is yearning for tacos. He would not be happy with merely a taco salad. That just wouldn't be fitting.
I also like easy and fast. I mean, I have enough to do without making my own tortillas and cunningly fashioning them into a magical Mexican dinner, especially if I don't get to eat them. I cheat and buy grocery store taco shells. I also buy pico de gallo, pre-shredded cheese and bottled hot sauce. I know, I know! But remember this dinner on the fly, in a hurry, one that doesn't come out of a box or a drive-thru.
So, my family happily crunches away on their tacos and I get taco salad. We eat a lot of tacos since it is one of my husband's favorite dinners. I don't mind since it really is easy and pretty nutritious; however, I tire of the same old taco salad sometimes. Occasionally I will mix it up, using shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. Cabbage has a lot more going for it nutrition-wise than regular lettuce. Sometimes I shred up some chard or use shredded broccoli that you can get in bags at the grocery store. However, last night I did something delicious... I caramelized 2 peppers (1 red, 1 green) and an onion and used that as a base for my salad, sprinkling some shredded cabbage on top for crunch. It turned a mere taco salad into something decadent and divine. With some of the taco meat, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, hot sauce and a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt, I felt like I was eating something amazing.
Sometimes it takes a little imagination, a lot of flexibility and the willingness to try something a little different. It is what keeps me going and (somewhat) sane.
Showing posts with label bell peppers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bell peppers. Show all posts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mixing it up and milestones...
Today, I have officially lost 50lbs! Yay me! I've averaged about 10 lbs a month so far. I feel much better, too. I was forced (against my will - who wants to buy clothes while losing weight?) to buy new clothes this week for a business meeting. Depending on what it was and the manufacturer, they were 1 to 3 sizes smaller than before. Now that is something I can get my head around a lot more easily than merely counting pounds lost.
People always say it is so hard to lose weight. It is. I know. I've been trying to do it for 30 years and just now I am experiencing some success. Something clicked inside... I don't know if it is because I have a child or if I am feeling my mortality but I know that now is the time; I ain't got no more time to waste. The regimen I have been following has not been a hardship. Maybe it is different this time because my attitude is different. Would I have been able to follow this routine 10 years ago?
The most important thing is to not allow myself to get bored. I hate those "eat nothing but bananas and chicken broth for 7 days and lose 20 lbs!" type diets. I guarantee, by day 3 you'll be off that diet because you can't stand to even look at another banana. BECAUSE BANANAS EVERY DAY ARE BORING. And not good for you. The body needs variety and a certain combination of nutrients to stay satisfied, happy and healthy.
So what's my point after rambling for 3 paragraphs? Mix it up. Eat healthy with variety. You won't get bored. You will lose weight.
This recipe is a mashup of at least 3 different recipes and my own imagination. There is ZERO added fat in this recipe but a ton of flavor and goodness.
Greek-like Stuffed Peppers
Serves 6-8
1 lb ground beef (or lamb, I like lamb best)
Large handful of greens (spinach, kale, chard, parsley) roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini (or carrot, or summer squash), coarsely grated
1 small onion, chopped small
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 any color bell peppers (I like red, my husband likes green), halved and cored, ribs removed
2 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes (low sodium if you can get it)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 TB chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl combine the meat, vegetables, garlic, egg, oregano, salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Combine, but don't over work it or the filling will be tough. Set bowl of meat aside.
Arrange the pepper halves in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Salt them lightly with a tiny bit of kosher salt. Fill each pepper half with some of the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over them. Sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes longer, until the meat is completely cooked and the peppers are tender. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.
Everybody loves this dish. Including my husband and daughter... no drama, just yummy noises. Mama is happy because it is something a little different from the normal and it doesn't taste like bananas.
People always say it is so hard to lose weight. It is. I know. I've been trying to do it for 30 years and just now I am experiencing some success. Something clicked inside... I don't know if it is because I have a child or if I am feeling my mortality but I know that now is the time; I ain't got no more time to waste. The regimen I have been following has not been a hardship. Maybe it is different this time because my attitude is different. Would I have been able to follow this routine 10 years ago?
The most important thing is to not allow myself to get bored. I hate those "eat nothing but bananas and chicken broth for 7 days and lose 20 lbs!" type diets. I guarantee, by day 3 you'll be off that diet because you can't stand to even look at another banana. BECAUSE BANANAS EVERY DAY ARE BORING. And not good for you. The body needs variety and a certain combination of nutrients to stay satisfied, happy and healthy.
So what's my point after rambling for 3 paragraphs? Mix it up. Eat healthy with variety. You won't get bored. You will lose weight.
This recipe is a mashup of at least 3 different recipes and my own imagination. There is ZERO added fat in this recipe but a ton of flavor and goodness.
Greek-like Stuffed Peppers
Serves 6-8
1 lb ground beef (or lamb, I like lamb best)
Large handful of greens (spinach, kale, chard, parsley) roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini (or carrot, or summer squash), coarsely grated
1 small onion, chopped small
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 any color bell peppers (I like red, my husband likes green), halved and cored, ribs removed
2 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes (low sodium if you can get it)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 TB chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl combine the meat, vegetables, garlic, egg, oregano, salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Combine, but don't over work it or the filling will be tough. Set bowl of meat aside.
Arrange the pepper halves in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Salt them lightly with a tiny bit of kosher salt. Fill each pepper half with some of the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over them. Sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes longer, until the meat is completely cooked and the peppers are tender. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.
Everybody loves this dish. Including my husband and daughter... no drama, just yummy noises. Mama is happy because it is something a little different from the normal and it doesn't taste like bananas.
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