I haven't posted since last November and it's what now, June? Okay, I know. I am a slacker but the holidays came and I had an emergency appendectomy... so many things happened and my little blog took a hit and stayed forlornly on the sidelines. But I found myself needing a recipe today and realized that the only place I had recorded it was here on my blog! I started reading all the back postings. I have come so far since I started recording my progress back in April of 2011.
I have lost 85 lbs. Yeah. Isn't that fabulous? And I did it all by myself... no more surgeries or fancy diets or buying food weekly from a third party or fads or any other means, just me. Well, just me, my supportive husband, my daughter, my family, my friends and my personal trainer... and me. At the end of it all, it all comes down to ourselves. We are the masters of our own domains!
It got crazy around here for a while: my husband was working a very weird shift, I was working long hours, our daughter had Taekwondo classes and play dates. There just isn't enough time in one day but things are better now, more normal, so I promise to post more often. I am re-discovering cooking. I haven't lost any significant weight in a month now and I think it is because I am straying too far from my mission: eat less processed food and more vegetables. More recipes will be posted... and on that note...
I am going to post a recipe that includes some processed items!
There is a method to my madness (sort of, I think). This meal is easy, easy and easily modified to satisfy both the low-carb eater (me) and the eaters of carbs (my family). It is also fast. Many times I'll use the slow cooker but if I don't get around to starting something early, I have to start it late which means I need something that cooks up quickly. We love Mexican-ish food around here so I made this recipe up, modified from a recipe of my sister, Chris. Her recipe uses pork, it is all made from scratch and takes hours. Mine used chicken, uses some processed ingredients and takes 45 minutes in total.
Chicken Salsa Verde Tacos (or Salad)
Serves 4
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1" chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 14 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 8oz. can whole tomatillos
Taco sized flour or corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce or cabbage
Pickled jalapenos
Shredded cheddar
Low-fat sour cream
Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, spray with cooking spray. Saute the chicken chunks (lightly salted) until the chunks get brown on the edges. Set aside.
Add a little more cooking spray to the hot pan. Add the chopped onion and saute until they, too, are getting just a tiny bit brown. Add the garlic and toss around for 30 seconds.
Pour in the enchilada sauce. Open the can of tomatillos and using your hands, squish them one at a time into the sauce mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the chicken back to the pan. Stir. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer about 20 minutes until the chicken is nicely flavored and the sauce has thickened.
For those eating tacos, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 25 seconds. Place chicken chunks and a little sauce in each tortilla and some condiments, like lettuce, sour cream and or jalapenos.
For those eating a salad, spread the lettuce or cabbage on a large plate. Spoon over the chicken and sauce then add the condiments to your taste. Serve.
Ole!
Fast and easy and for the salad people, very low-carb.
I'm satisfied.
I'm also back. Stay tuned...
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday, November 28, 2011
Giving thanks...
I know, it has been a whole month but I've been busy, man. Life has a way of intruding into my blogging. What with my daughter's Taekwondo and my tri-weekly workouts, I am a busy gal.
My exercise is going great! I still feel like I am going to die after every workout but it is a kinder, gentler death. I tried a boot camp class and a cardio boxing class, too. The boot camp class is more my style but it was fun trying something different. As I get into better shape perhaps the boxing class will appeal to me more.
Anyway, this past weekend was Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving, it is my top favorite holiday. The extreme commercialism has not yet affected it so it is just filled with the best stuff... family, friends, football and food.
The most difficult thing I struggle with is portion control. Everything looks and smells so good I just want to pile heaping mounds onto my plate. Well, that is my downfall at almost every meal. This year was different. I allowed myself to have a little of everything... the operative term being a LITTLE, like, a heaping tablespoon and that's it. I was amazed at how full and satisfied I was but not so that I wished I wasn't wearing pants.
Another way to combat the bursting pants is to modify recipes slightly in order to make them more healthy and less fat/calorie/carb laden. I made the cranberry sauce with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Maple syrup is lower in calories than refined, white sugar and maple syrup is filled with antioxidents. I also made apple sauce using Stevia instead of sugar. Stevia is a natural product (unlike Splenda), has no carbs or calories and tastes every bit as good as more conventional sweetners.
And this year, I made the sweet potatoes. Back in the cloudy depths of my childhood lingers the memory of butter laden sweet potatoes covered by a thick layer of slightly scorched marshmallows. Those sweet potatoes need to stay in the past. The new, NEW sweet potato is wearing a much better outfit. With the sweet potato's natural sweetness, no added sugar or anything is needed, if anything, the sweetness needs to be toned down a tad with something salty. Without further ado, these are the sweet potatoes I contributed to our family dinner.
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8-10
4 large yellow/white fleshed sweet potatoes
4 large garnet/red fleshed sweet potatoes
1 TB dried Italian herb mix (rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram)
-or-
2 TB finely chopped fresh herbs
2 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 oz pancetta (cured but unsmoked Italian bacon)
Preheat the oven to 350F, placing the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the overn. Line 2 half-sheet trays with parchment paper. Peel the potatoes and chop into 3/4" chunks and put into a big bowl. Pour the olive oil over the potatoes and mix until the oil is evenly distributed. Sprinkle on the herbs and salt and pepper. Mix again until the herbs and spices are well distributed. Divide the potatoes evenly between the 2 sheet pans.
Chop the pancetta into 1/2" chunks then sprinkle the chunks over the two sheet pans with the potatoes.
Roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and toss the potatoes. Place the pans back into the oven having switched their places (top to bottom and vice-versa). Roast another 10 minutes, toss potatoes. Roast a final 10 minutes then remove the pans from the oven.
The potatoes can be served immediately or they can be cooled, transfered to a 9x13" pan, covered and chilled. If you chill them, to serve, let them come to room temperature then put them back into a 350F oven, uncovered for 20 minutes until the potatoes are heated through.
The saltiness of the pancetta helps to even out the sweetness of the roasted potatoes. Everyone at our house pronounced them delicious. Who needs marshmallows?
My exercise is going great! I still feel like I am going to die after every workout but it is a kinder, gentler death. I tried a boot camp class and a cardio boxing class, too. The boot camp class is more my style but it was fun trying something different. As I get into better shape perhaps the boxing class will appeal to me more.
Anyway, this past weekend was Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving, it is my top favorite holiday. The extreme commercialism has not yet affected it so it is just filled with the best stuff... family, friends, football and food.
The most difficult thing I struggle with is portion control. Everything looks and smells so good I just want to pile heaping mounds onto my plate. Well, that is my downfall at almost every meal. This year was different. I allowed myself to have a little of everything... the operative term being a LITTLE, like, a heaping tablespoon and that's it. I was amazed at how full and satisfied I was but not so that I wished I wasn't wearing pants.
Another way to combat the bursting pants is to modify recipes slightly in order to make them more healthy and less fat/calorie/carb laden. I made the cranberry sauce with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Maple syrup is lower in calories than refined, white sugar and maple syrup is filled with antioxidents. I also made apple sauce using Stevia instead of sugar. Stevia is a natural product (unlike Splenda), has no carbs or calories and tastes every bit as good as more conventional sweetners.
And this year, I made the sweet potatoes. Back in the cloudy depths of my childhood lingers the memory of butter laden sweet potatoes covered by a thick layer of slightly scorched marshmallows. Those sweet potatoes need to stay in the past. The new, NEW sweet potato is wearing a much better outfit. With the sweet potato's natural sweetness, no added sugar or anything is needed, if anything, the sweetness needs to be toned down a tad with something salty. Without further ado, these are the sweet potatoes I contributed to our family dinner.
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8-10
4 large yellow/white fleshed sweet potatoes
4 large garnet/red fleshed sweet potatoes
1 TB dried Italian herb mix (rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram)
-or-
2 TB finely chopped fresh herbs
2 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 oz pancetta (cured but unsmoked Italian bacon)
Preheat the oven to 350F, placing the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the overn. Line 2 half-sheet trays with parchment paper. Peel the potatoes and chop into 3/4" chunks and put into a big bowl. Pour the olive oil over the potatoes and mix until the oil is evenly distributed. Sprinkle on the herbs and salt and pepper. Mix again until the herbs and spices are well distributed. Divide the potatoes evenly between the 2 sheet pans.
Chop the pancetta into 1/2" chunks then sprinkle the chunks over the two sheet pans with the potatoes.
Roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and toss the potatoes. Place the pans back into the oven having switched their places (top to bottom and vice-versa). Roast another 10 minutes, toss potatoes. Roast a final 10 minutes then remove the pans from the oven.
The potatoes can be served immediately or they can be cooled, transfered to a 9x13" pan, covered and chilled. If you chill them, to serve, let them come to room temperature then put them back into a 350F oven, uncovered for 20 minutes until the potatoes are heated through.
The saltiness of the pancetta helps to even out the sweetness of the roasted potatoes. Everyone at our house pronounced them delicious. Who needs marshmallows?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Going over to the dark side...
I have always loathed exercise in almost any form. There, I said it. It is now out there in the cosmos just floating around waiting for anyone to absorb it. Today, I go over to the dark side... to exercise.
I have finally come to the realization that just losing weight is not enough. And anyway, weight is not the primary consideration here. Health is my prime focus. There are so many things I want to do, besides just fitting into smaller pants. I want to go hiking... I want to be able to walk around New York City all day noticing everything but not obsessing over my aching back and feet. It is not just about building muscles but strengthening my core. I am tired of muscle spasms.
So today, I go in for my first personal training session. Its pricey but it is important that I learn to do this right. I signed up for 3 months, mano a womano, 2 times a week. I am looking forward to lots of ibuprofen and sore muscles... but also a sense of satisfaction. I am going to stick this out. I am going to show my daughter that fitness is something better accomplished early but I won't let a little thing like age stop me.
And better late than never... wish me luck!
I have finally come to the realization that just losing weight is not enough. And anyway, weight is not the primary consideration here. Health is my prime focus. There are so many things I want to do, besides just fitting into smaller pants. I want to go hiking... I want to be able to walk around New York City all day noticing everything but not obsessing over my aching back and feet. It is not just about building muscles but strengthening my core. I am tired of muscle spasms.
So today, I go in for my first personal training session. Its pricey but it is important that I learn to do this right. I signed up for 3 months, mano a womano, 2 times a week. I am looking forward to lots of ibuprofen and sore muscles... but also a sense of satisfaction. I am going to stick this out. I am going to show my daughter that fitness is something better accomplished early but I won't let a little thing like age stop me.
And better late than never... wish me luck!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Fall has fell...
Yay! I don't need to pretend any more! Fall is here! Living where I do (Tacoma/Seattle area) many years we need to pretend it is summer. We gamely wear our shorts and shortsleeved shirts while secretly freezing and wishing we could put on a purple and gold Husky Sweatshirt (University of Washington, for the uninitiated). We bear the rain and use the grill while someone holds up a golf unbrella. But it is September now so I don't need to tell myself it is warm enough to wear my capri pants. I can hide my flabby arms under long sleeves. Yay!
And with fall comes my favorite time of year to cook. The fall vegetables are in, like squashes of every kind and the end of the corn season. Eggplants and tomatoes and zucchini and garlic... oh yes. I can make soups and stews and cook them a long time in my slow cooker. My idea of fall food is spicy and warm, filling and satisfying.
My first instinct is to serve a lot of these stews and fricasees and whatnot over rice. I always like to have something to soak up all the good juices. Bread is important, too, excellent for dipping and sopping up extra sauce. So I am in a quandry. I eat neither rice nor bread. I took a bunch of different ideas and devised my own recipe for short ribs which develops an amazing sauce. Do I serve it in a bowl or just let the juice spread out all over the plate? Do I lift the plate and slurp it that way? No, it would end up all down the front of me, not to mention, it would be a terrible example for my daughter. What to do?
I was saved by my sister. We were talking about that very thing last weekend. She has gone on a Paleo type eating regimen that disallows most carbs and dairy so she is in the same boat. She found a recipe for "cauliflower rice." Basically, you chop up cauliflower really fine then saute it in a pan with a little olive oil. It is a blank canvas. You could add all kinds of flavors: sesame oil for Asian, curry powder, parmesan cheese. It could be a foil for all your stew or braise type recipes. My daughter sucked it up without any prompting (amazing) but my husband was freaked out by the texture. That's okay though... more for us!
Short Ribs
Serves 4
2.5 lbs short ribs (not flanken cut)
Olive oil
Olive oil spray
1 large onion, chopped into 1" chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 cup dry, red wine
1 14oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Cauliflower "Rice"
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a tsp or two of olive oil in a oven-proof dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear all 3 meat sides of the short ribs until they are crusty and brown. Remove the ribs to a plate. Pour off all the fat from the dutch oven, leaving nothing but some brown bits in the bottom. Spray some olive oil spray onto the bottom to grease it up just a little bit before dumping in the chopped onion. Toss those around until they turn translucent. Dump in the carrots, garlic and herbs. Continue to toss them around until the carrots are just barely starting to soften and the brown bits have come up off the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the vinegar. Toss around until all the vegetables are covered and the vinegar is almost evaporated. Pour in the red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes until the wine reduces a little Pour in the tomatoes, incorporating all the ingredients. Put the short ribs and accumulated juices back into the dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven. Check it after 2 hours. The meat should be meltingly tender and falling off the bones.
This part is optional. I made the short ribs early in the day. After it was done in the oven I left it to cool. After it got to almost room temperature, I lifted the meat and vegetables into a bowl, covered and refrigerated it. I poured the sauce into a separate bowl and refrigerated that, too. Before reheating, I was able to lift the fat from the top of the sauce, as short ribs are pretty fatty. I find it hard to lift the fat off when it is still hot. If you are worried about extra fat, you might consider this method.
Serve over cauliflower "rice."
Caufiflower Rice
Recipe from Paleo Plan
Serves 4 (I also used half the oil than in the original recipe)
1 head cauliflower
1 Tbs coconut or olive oil
Sea salt, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, curry, garlic or freshly ground black pepper(optional seasonings)
Place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until it has a grainy rice-like consistency. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Saute the cauliflower in a medium hot saute pan with oil and any additional seasonings desired (sea salt, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, curry, or just freshly ground black pepper).
Couldn't be easier, more delicious or make a better base for my fall food!
And with fall comes my favorite time of year to cook. The fall vegetables are in, like squashes of every kind and the end of the corn season. Eggplants and tomatoes and zucchini and garlic... oh yes. I can make soups and stews and cook them a long time in my slow cooker. My idea of fall food is spicy and warm, filling and satisfying.
My first instinct is to serve a lot of these stews and fricasees and whatnot over rice. I always like to have something to soak up all the good juices. Bread is important, too, excellent for dipping and sopping up extra sauce. So I am in a quandry. I eat neither rice nor bread. I took a bunch of different ideas and devised my own recipe for short ribs which develops an amazing sauce. Do I serve it in a bowl or just let the juice spread out all over the plate? Do I lift the plate and slurp it that way? No, it would end up all down the front of me, not to mention, it would be a terrible example for my daughter. What to do?
I was saved by my sister. We were talking about that very thing last weekend. She has gone on a Paleo type eating regimen that disallows most carbs and dairy so she is in the same boat. She found a recipe for "cauliflower rice." Basically, you chop up cauliflower really fine then saute it in a pan with a little olive oil. It is a blank canvas. You could add all kinds of flavors: sesame oil for Asian, curry powder, parmesan cheese. It could be a foil for all your stew or braise type recipes. My daughter sucked it up without any prompting (amazing) but my husband was freaked out by the texture. That's okay though... more for us!
Short Ribs
Serves 4
2.5 lbs short ribs (not flanken cut)
Olive oil
Olive oil spray
1 large onion, chopped into 1" chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 cup dry, red wine
1 14oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Cauliflower "Rice"
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a tsp or two of olive oil in a oven-proof dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear all 3 meat sides of the short ribs until they are crusty and brown. Remove the ribs to a plate. Pour off all the fat from the dutch oven, leaving nothing but some brown bits in the bottom. Spray some olive oil spray onto the bottom to grease it up just a little bit before dumping in the chopped onion. Toss those around until they turn translucent. Dump in the carrots, garlic and herbs. Continue to toss them around until the carrots are just barely starting to soften and the brown bits have come up off the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the vinegar. Toss around until all the vegetables are covered and the vinegar is almost evaporated. Pour in the red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes until the wine reduces a little Pour in the tomatoes, incorporating all the ingredients. Put the short ribs and accumulated juices back into the dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven. Check it after 2 hours. The meat should be meltingly tender and falling off the bones.
This part is optional. I made the short ribs early in the day. After it was done in the oven I left it to cool. After it got to almost room temperature, I lifted the meat and vegetables into a bowl, covered and refrigerated it. I poured the sauce into a separate bowl and refrigerated that, too. Before reheating, I was able to lift the fat from the top of the sauce, as short ribs are pretty fatty. I find it hard to lift the fat off when it is still hot. If you are worried about extra fat, you might consider this method.
Serve over cauliflower "rice."
Caufiflower Rice
Recipe from Paleo Plan
Serves 4 (I also used half the oil than in the original recipe)
1 head cauliflower
1 Tbs coconut or olive oil
Sea salt, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, curry, garlic or freshly ground black pepper(optional seasonings)
Place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until it has a grainy rice-like consistency. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Saute the cauliflower in a medium hot saute pan with oil and any additional seasonings desired (sea salt, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, curry, or just freshly ground black pepper).
Couldn't be easier, more delicious or make a better base for my fall food!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Vegetables on the brain...
I have vegetables on the brain. It's weird... since starting this low-carb lifestyle I have learned to love and even crave vegetables. I eat them all the time. I saute them in the morning and add eggs to make a frittata, I pile them in a bowl with protein of some sort to make a salad for lunch. I was never a big vegetable girl but now I just can't seem to get enough.
I made Costco salmon patties for dinner last night. Mmm, they are so easy and delicious and they don’t have a lot of crap in them besides salmon. I was trying to think of what I should serve with them. I am bored with zucchini and asparagus right now. I wanted something different.
I usually put low-sodium soy sauce on my salmon patties which gave me an idea. I made something up on the fly and it ended up tasting like spring roll innards or something. Delicious. Both my husband AND my daughter ate it up, yum.
There are usually bags of shredded vegetables that I get at the grocery store in my refrigerator. They come in very handy for my lunch salads. If you get the vegetables pre-shredded this dish is a snap.
Spring Rolls without the Roll
½ tsp sesame oil
1 big handful of shredded cabbage
1 big handful of shredded broccoli slaw mix
1 big handful of shredded carrot
½ large onion, slivered
Low-sodium soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Throw in all the vegetables. Boil for 3-5 minutes then drain really well. Heat a non-stick pan coated with olive oil spray over medium high heat. Add sesame oil and roll it around to get good coverage. Once the pan is good and hot, throw in the drained vegetables. Stir fry until heated through. Splash with soy sauce to taste and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Toss around another minute then serve.
My daughter actually told me it was delicious and ate every bit I gave her without argument.
A miracle.
I made Costco salmon patties for dinner last night. Mmm, they are so easy and delicious and they don’t have a lot of crap in them besides salmon. I was trying to think of what I should serve with them. I am bored with zucchini and asparagus right now. I wanted something different.
I usually put low-sodium soy sauce on my salmon patties which gave me an idea. I made something up on the fly and it ended up tasting like spring roll innards or something. Delicious. Both my husband AND my daughter ate it up, yum.
There are usually bags of shredded vegetables that I get at the grocery store in my refrigerator. They come in very handy for my lunch salads. If you get the vegetables pre-shredded this dish is a snap.
Spring Rolls without the Roll
½ tsp sesame oil
1 big handful of shredded cabbage
1 big handful of shredded broccoli slaw mix
1 big handful of shredded carrot
½ large onion, slivered
Low-sodium soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Throw in all the vegetables. Boil for 3-5 minutes then drain really well. Heat a non-stick pan coated with olive oil spray over medium high heat. Add sesame oil and roll it around to get good coverage. Once the pan is good and hot, throw in the drained vegetables. Stir fry until heated through. Splash with soy sauce to taste and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Toss around another minute then serve.
My daughter actually told me it was delicious and ate every bit I gave her without argument.
A miracle.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Flexibility and tacos...
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Taming the meat eater in all (okay, most) of us...
My husband is a carnivore. He is a meat eater in a major way. Even if I could contemplate vegetarianism (my allergy to nuts plus my love of charred flesh gets in the way) it would be problematic because my beloved loves meat. He won't eat beans or tofu or alternative forms of protein. So, if I don't want to make two dinners I make something with some form of meat.
This presents a challenge. I easily tire of the usual chicken or ground turkey because I am big on variety. I make fish or seafood which he likes but if the truth be told, he would be happy if I made "hamburgers with beefy mushroom gravy" every night. It is easy to make but there is one big drawback: I-get-bored-easily.
I like to mix it up. I like beef, chicken, turkey seafood, fish, lamb and pork. Oh yes. Some people pooh-pooh pork because they think it is fatty. Think again! Have these people ever tried pork loin? So lean, so delicious and so easy to prepare... pork loin. Love!
Pork Loin Medallions with Onion and Mushroom Gravy
Serves 6
1 TB olive oil, divided
1 half onion, chopped
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 pkg pork loin, usually 2 lbs of meat in 2 small loins
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 TB prepared mustard
1 TB corn starch
2 TB minced fresh parsley (optional)
Drizzle 1 tsp of the olive oil into a large, medium hot frying pan. After the oil is nice and hot drop in the onions. Saute for just a couple of minutes, to take away the sharp aroma. Pour in the mushrooms and toss, for 5 minutes until the mushrooms lose most of their liquid.
While the onions and mushrooms are cooking slice the loin crosswise into medallions. Season them with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are done spoon them onto a plate for later. In the still hot pan drizzle another tsp of the olive oil. Place half of the seasoned pork pieces into the pan. Sear them until very brown on both sides, placing them into another plate as they get done. Repeat with the rest of the olive oil and pork.
There should be a nice layer of dark brown goodness in the frying pan. Pour the white wine into the hot pan, scraping with a spatula, getting all the brown stuff incorporated into the liquid. Let it cook until the alcohol smell is gone and only the good wine smell is left. Whisk in the yogurt until combined then stir in the tablespoon of mustard. Let it bubble for a few minutes to thicken. Depending on the thickness, add anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of cornstarch to a small bowl and mix with water in an equal amount to how much cornstarch you used. Stir it into a thick slurry then pour it into the sauce, immediately lowering the heat to medium low. Stir until the sauce thickens into more of a gravy. Add the pork, onions and mushrooms back into the sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the pork is done, no more than faintly pink on the inside. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
It is meaty and hearty and enough to satisfy even the more hardcore of carnivores... like my husband... but still be healthy and better yet, low carb!
This presents a challenge. I easily tire of the usual chicken or ground turkey because I am big on variety. I make fish or seafood which he likes but if the truth be told, he would be happy if I made "hamburgers with beefy mushroom gravy" every night. It is easy to make but there is one big drawback: I-get-bored-easily.
I like to mix it up. I like beef, chicken, turkey seafood, fish, lamb and pork. Oh yes. Some people pooh-pooh pork because they think it is fatty. Think again! Have these people ever tried pork loin? So lean, so delicious and so easy to prepare... pork loin. Love!
Pork Loin Medallions with Onion and Mushroom Gravy
Serves 6
1 TB olive oil, divided
1 half onion, chopped
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 pkg pork loin, usually 2 lbs of meat in 2 small loins
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 TB prepared mustard
1 TB corn starch
2 TB minced fresh parsley (optional)
Drizzle 1 tsp of the olive oil into a large, medium hot frying pan. After the oil is nice and hot drop in the onions. Saute for just a couple of minutes, to take away the sharp aroma. Pour in the mushrooms and toss, for 5 minutes until the mushrooms lose most of their liquid.
While the onions and mushrooms are cooking slice the loin crosswise into medallions. Season them with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are done spoon them onto a plate for later. In the still hot pan drizzle another tsp of the olive oil. Place half of the seasoned pork pieces into the pan. Sear them until very brown on both sides, placing them into another plate as they get done. Repeat with the rest of the olive oil and pork.
There should be a nice layer of dark brown goodness in the frying pan. Pour the white wine into the hot pan, scraping with a spatula, getting all the brown stuff incorporated into the liquid. Let it cook until the alcohol smell is gone and only the good wine smell is left. Whisk in the yogurt until combined then stir in the tablespoon of mustard. Let it bubble for a few minutes to thicken. Depending on the thickness, add anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of cornstarch to a small bowl and mix with water in an equal amount to how much cornstarch you used. Stir it into a thick slurry then pour it into the sauce, immediately lowering the heat to medium low. Stir until the sauce thickens into more of a gravy. Add the pork, onions and mushrooms back into the sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the pork is done, no more than faintly pink on the inside. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
It is meaty and hearty and enough to satisfy even the more hardcore of carnivores... like my husband... but still be healthy and better yet, low carb!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I'm all about the flavor today...
You know, sometimes you just have to forget about any dietary restrictions and just think about the food. It just so happens that on this day I thought about the food, the flavor, the fullness factor and not the carbohydrates... and it just so happens that I came up with a very low carb meal. And it was damned delicious. So there.
Two days ago my husband (who trends towards the fatty, the salty, the processed) said he bought a carton of cioppino from a local gourmet grocery store. He was "jonesing seafood," he said. This is coming from the man who also made himself a "formed, pressed turkey roll" for dinner last night. I should trust his opinion?
Anyway, his comment about cioppino got me thinking... and jonesing. What is not to love about a good cioppino? It is made from a flavorful, spicy tomato broth enhanced with a variety of available seafood... clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, white fish, whatever looks good.
Supposedly, cioppino was invented by fishermen originally from Portugal, Italy, France and/or Spain who made their homes in San Francisco. Suffice it to say it is an American dish with Mediterranean accents. It has the herbs and the tomatoes and the seafood... it could fit in almost anywhere surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. I have always loved it and it is my gauge for restaurants around here (and I live in the Tacoma/Seattle area so I know my seafood). If their cioppino (or equivalent) is good... then they probably know their seafood. This is my recipe... inspiration taken from a bunch of recipes and my own tastes. The recipe is a LOT easier than it looks and after all, it is all about the flavor...
Cathy's Cioppino
Serve 4-6
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 fennel (or anise) bulb, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, according to taste
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried summer savory
(or 1 TB dried Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence for the rosemary, oregano and savory)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 6oz bottle clam juice
3 cups (or more) low-sodium, fat free chicken broth
Seafood of choice... here's where it gets weird. You can mix and match and add or subtract as you wish. Listed are my choices:
4 fillets of white fish, cod or tilapia or halibut, cut into bite sized chunks
1 lb. fresh manila clams, rinsed REALLY well
1 lbs shrimp; clean, deveined, tail left on
Small handful of fresh parsley
Heat oil in a large soup pot until a flick of water skitters across the surface. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and the chopped fennel. Saute until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Add the garlic, the red pepper flakes and the other dried herbs. Saute another 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Pour in the white wine. Scrape the bottom to release any delicious brown bits that might have formed on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine does not have any more alcohol smell and is almost evaporated. Add in the cans of tomatoes. Stir and bring back to a simmer. Add the clam juice and the chicken broth. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Taste for seasoning... add salt and pepper if necessary.
Add the seafood. Bring back to a low boil then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check to see if the clam shells have opened and the shrimp shells are pink. Do NOT eat any unopened clams. That would be bad. Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley.
This is some good stuff. It is all about flavor and spice and local ingredients. I hope you are local to seafood, if you are, you are truly blessed. Mmmm. Good stuff.
Two days ago my husband (who trends towards the fatty, the salty, the processed) said he bought a carton of cioppino from a local gourmet grocery store. He was "jonesing seafood," he said. This is coming from the man who also made himself a "formed, pressed turkey roll" for dinner last night. I should trust his opinion?
Anyway, his comment about cioppino got me thinking... and jonesing. What is not to love about a good cioppino? It is made from a flavorful, spicy tomato broth enhanced with a variety of available seafood... clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, white fish, whatever looks good.
Supposedly, cioppino was invented by fishermen originally from Portugal, Italy, France and/or Spain who made their homes in San Francisco. Suffice it to say it is an American dish with Mediterranean accents. It has the herbs and the tomatoes and the seafood... it could fit in almost anywhere surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. I have always loved it and it is my gauge for restaurants around here (and I live in the Tacoma/Seattle area so I know my seafood). If their cioppino (or equivalent) is good... then they probably know their seafood. This is my recipe... inspiration taken from a bunch of recipes and my own tastes. The recipe is a LOT easier than it looks and after all, it is all about the flavor...
Cathy's Cioppino
Serve 4-6
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 fennel (or anise) bulb, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, according to taste
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried summer savory
(or 1 TB dried Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence for the rosemary, oregano and savory)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 6oz bottle clam juice
3 cups (or more) low-sodium, fat free chicken broth
Seafood of choice... here's where it gets weird. You can mix and match and add or subtract as you wish. Listed are my choices:
4 fillets of white fish, cod or tilapia or halibut, cut into bite sized chunks
1 lb. fresh manila clams, rinsed REALLY well
1 lbs shrimp; clean, deveined, tail left on
Small handful of fresh parsley
Heat oil in a large soup pot until a flick of water skitters across the surface. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and the chopped fennel. Saute until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Add the garlic, the red pepper flakes and the other dried herbs. Saute another 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Pour in the white wine. Scrape the bottom to release any delicious brown bits that might have formed on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine does not have any more alcohol smell and is almost evaporated. Add in the cans of tomatoes. Stir and bring back to a simmer. Add the clam juice and the chicken broth. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Taste for seasoning... add salt and pepper if necessary.
Add the seafood. Bring back to a low boil then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check to see if the clam shells have opened and the shrimp shells are pink. Do NOT eat any unopened clams. That would be bad. Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley.
This is some good stuff. It is all about flavor and spice and local ingredients. I hope you are local to seafood, if you are, you are truly blessed. Mmmm. Good stuff.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Beans, beans, the magic fruit...
I'm bored. Bored, bored, bored. I came very close to eating an enchilada the other day, that is how bored I am. Dogs and cats are happy eating the same things every day. Their little digestive systems get upset if you change up their food all the time. Humans are different. We like variety. Without variety, depression sets in, then you eat an enchilada and that's all she wrote. So, what do we do about boredom? We find something new!
Beans. Do they have carbs? Yes... BUT they are really high in fiber (13g per cup - which can be very beneficial for someone who is eating a high protein diet), high in protein (15g per cup), are naturally low in fat and packed with beneficial healthy stuff like antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium. (Prevention.com). Even though they are higher in carbohydrates than the other more common sources of low fat protein, beans are not a bad thing when eaten in moderation. And they help keep me sane in terms of varying my food intake so I don't succumb to boredom (read: eat enchiladas).
Canned beans are supposedly as good for you as dried beans. Granted, they are convenient because they don't need to be soaked and cooked for a long time to make them edible... but, most brands add a lot of salt (I am now a rabid label reader) and I am sorry but the mucous-y looking goo in the can is not appetizing. They can be rinsed and all that but it is also rinsing away some of the nutritional value. My new habit is to prepare a 1lb bag every week, which lasts me all week. That way I only need to go through the whole soaking and cooking thing once a week.
The cooked beans are delicious in all kinds of ways... I mix them with cooked turkey meat and serve over shredded cabbage with pico de gallo for taco salad. I add a scoop to soups or stews for flavor, protein and texture. Sometimes for breakfast I heat up a small bowl of it, add some chipotle sauce and a little shredded 2% cheese and serve with an over-easy fried egg on top. Mmm, breakfasty goodness. If you're concerned about gas, either take some Beano before you eat or chew a couple of Papaya enzyme pills afterward. Works like a charm. Believe me, I had to learn the hard way. No one needs that, even for the superior health benefits of beans.
My recipe was derived from the one posted by Rancho Gordo, an excellent source for dried heirloom beans (Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Foods).
Beans, Delicious Beans
1 lb. dried beans (pinto, kidney, black or almost any other variety)
Chicken stock - low sodium or homemade (amount varies)
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, de-ribbed, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Spice of choice (optional)
Pour the bag of beans into a sieve or colander. Rinse well and pick through the beans in case there are any small pebbles or other foreign matter that doesn't belong. Pour the rinsed beans into a large bowl. Cover with chicken stock until the stock covers the beans by 1 inch. Cover, put in the refrigerator and leave 4-6 hours or overnight.
Next day, in a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat until a bead of water skips across the surface and the oil shimmers. Start to saute the vegetables... onions first until they start to get translucent, adding each vegetable one at a time until all are incorporated. Finally, add the minced garlic and toss with the vegetables until you can start to smell the garlic aroma.
Pour in the beans AND the chicken stock to the vegetables. Conventional wisdom used to say to discard the soaking liquid but now the thought is that we might be discarding some of the nutrient value down the drain. That is why the beans are thoroughly rinsed and picked through before the soaking process begins. Add more stock to ensure that the beans and vegetables are still covered by about an inch of liquid. Bring the beans to a boil then cover and put on the lowest temperature possible while still maintaining a simmer for at least 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste or any other seasoning like cumin or curry powder. Test the beans at that point and add more stock if it seems low. Beans should be slightly soupy as they will continue to absorb liquid. Continue cooking at the low simmer until you deem them perfect.
I also add sauteed greens, more sauteed vegetables and experiment with different spices to keep the flavors interesting. Black beans take really well to Mexican type spices, cannellini are especially good with Italian spices and lots of garlic. They can be left whole, partially mashed or creamed completely for a satisfying vegetable dip. Beans help keep those boredom blues away.
Beans. Do they have carbs? Yes... BUT they are really high in fiber (13g per cup - which can be very beneficial for someone who is eating a high protein diet), high in protein (15g per cup), are naturally low in fat and packed with beneficial healthy stuff like antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium. (Prevention.com). Even though they are higher in carbohydrates than the other more common sources of low fat protein, beans are not a bad thing when eaten in moderation. And they help keep me sane in terms of varying my food intake so I don't succumb to boredom (read: eat enchiladas).
Canned beans are supposedly as good for you as dried beans. Granted, they are convenient because they don't need to be soaked and cooked for a long time to make them edible... but, most brands add a lot of salt (I am now a rabid label reader) and I am sorry but the mucous-y looking goo in the can is not appetizing. They can be rinsed and all that but it is also rinsing away some of the nutritional value. My new habit is to prepare a 1lb bag every week, which lasts me all week. That way I only need to go through the whole soaking and cooking thing once a week.
The cooked beans are delicious in all kinds of ways... I mix them with cooked turkey meat and serve over shredded cabbage with pico de gallo for taco salad. I add a scoop to soups or stews for flavor, protein and texture. Sometimes for breakfast I heat up a small bowl of it, add some chipotle sauce and a little shredded 2% cheese and serve with an over-easy fried egg on top. Mmm, breakfasty goodness. If you're concerned about gas, either take some Beano before you eat or chew a couple of Papaya enzyme pills afterward. Works like a charm. Believe me, I had to learn the hard way. No one needs that, even for the superior health benefits of beans.
My recipe was derived from the one posted by Rancho Gordo, an excellent source for dried heirloom beans (Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Foods).
Beans, Delicious Beans
1 lb. dried beans (pinto, kidney, black or almost any other variety)
Chicken stock - low sodium or homemade (amount varies)
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, de-ribbed, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Spice of choice (optional)
Pour the bag of beans into a sieve or colander. Rinse well and pick through the beans in case there are any small pebbles or other foreign matter that doesn't belong. Pour the rinsed beans into a large bowl. Cover with chicken stock until the stock covers the beans by 1 inch. Cover, put in the refrigerator and leave 4-6 hours or overnight.
Next day, in a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat until a bead of water skips across the surface and the oil shimmers. Start to saute the vegetables... onions first until they start to get translucent, adding each vegetable one at a time until all are incorporated. Finally, add the minced garlic and toss with the vegetables until you can start to smell the garlic aroma.
Pour in the beans AND the chicken stock to the vegetables. Conventional wisdom used to say to discard the soaking liquid but now the thought is that we might be discarding some of the nutrient value down the drain. That is why the beans are thoroughly rinsed and picked through before the soaking process begins. Add more stock to ensure that the beans and vegetables are still covered by about an inch of liquid. Bring the beans to a boil then cover and put on the lowest temperature possible while still maintaining a simmer for at least 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste or any other seasoning like cumin or curry powder. Test the beans at that point and add more stock if it seems low. Beans should be slightly soupy as they will continue to absorb liquid. Continue cooking at the low simmer until you deem them perfect.
I also add sauteed greens, more sauteed vegetables and experiment with different spices to keep the flavors interesting. Black beans take really well to Mexican type spices, cannellini are especially good with Italian spices and lots of garlic. They can be left whole, partially mashed or creamed completely for a satisfying vegetable dip. Beans help keep those boredom blues away.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Slightly pickled...
Yes, I know, it has been a whole month since I posted last. I've been busy! I've been working mostly from my sister's house trying to watch her kids and mine and do my work at the same time. Money saving, to be sure, but nerve wracking as well.
Anyway, I've been doing really well. I bought jeans yesterday a size smaller! Yay! They are a tad tight but at the rate I am going they should feel great before long.
I am into my fourth month of eating essentially carb free. I thought I would get tired of it by now so therefore, commencing to eat a loaf of bread or a pie or something but not so! I am treating it like I would alcoholism or an extreme food allergy. I can't just have a little, I can't have any at all. That strategy seems to be working for me so I am going with it.
One of the most difficult issues for me is still snacking. Sure, I can have cheeses and salami, etc. but they are high in fat. Chips are right out. Vegetables and dips are good but you have to be careful about the dips, that they are not too high in fat. I have spoken before about pickles. Pickles are good. Pickles are tasty and spicy and satisfying. Pickles have no fat. Although some pickles contain sugar! Yes! Demon sugar. Not good.
I love bread and butter pickles, you know, the sweet cucumber slices that taste so awesome on sandwiches. Unfortunately those kind of pickles are loaded with sugar so I set out to find a way to make some at home that were just as tasty but not so carb heavy. I tweaked the recipe some to add some additional vegetables and the Splenda. I don't remember where I found the original recipe so I will send some "I'm sorry" vibes out to the internet. If I could remember, I would credit you, oh writer of easy and delicious pickle recipes.
Bread and Butter Mixed Vegetable Pickles
3 kirby cucumbers (about 1 lb.), trimmed and thickly sliced
1 small yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 small carrots, quartered then cut into 3" lengths
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 1/4 cups white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups Splenda
3 tsp. mustard seeds
3 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1. Put cucumbers, onions, carrots, cauliflower and salt into a large bowl and toss well. Add 3 cups ice cubes, cover bowl with plastic wrap, stir occasionally and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain cucumbers and onions well, discarding the salty water; set aside.
Put vinegar, Splenda, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric into a very large
pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cucumber–
vegetable mixture and stir well. Allow liquid to return just to a boil. Stir several times
about 5 minutes then remove pot from heat. Transfer pickles and their liquid to a
large, clean plastic container. Set aside to let cool to room temperature, then cover
and refrigerate overnight. Serve pickles the next day or store for up to 1 week.
Delicious! You can eat these as much as you want and not feel guilty one bit. I chop them up and put them into salads, put a heaping chopped pile onto a bowl of chili with my fat free Greek yogurt. Of just eat them out of hand as a part of a deli tray.
Low carb does not mean snack-free.
Thank God. Amen.
Anyway, I've been doing really well. I bought jeans yesterday a size smaller! Yay! They are a tad tight but at the rate I am going they should feel great before long.
I am into my fourth month of eating essentially carb free. I thought I would get tired of it by now so therefore, commencing to eat a loaf of bread or a pie or something but not so! I am treating it like I would alcoholism or an extreme food allergy. I can't just have a little, I can't have any at all. That strategy seems to be working for me so I am going with it.
One of the most difficult issues for me is still snacking. Sure, I can have cheeses and salami, etc. but they are high in fat. Chips are right out. Vegetables and dips are good but you have to be careful about the dips, that they are not too high in fat. I have spoken before about pickles. Pickles are good. Pickles are tasty and spicy and satisfying. Pickles have no fat. Although some pickles contain sugar! Yes! Demon sugar. Not good.
I love bread and butter pickles, you know, the sweet cucumber slices that taste so awesome on sandwiches. Unfortunately those kind of pickles are loaded with sugar so I set out to find a way to make some at home that were just as tasty but not so carb heavy. I tweaked the recipe some to add some additional vegetables and the Splenda. I don't remember where I found the original recipe so I will send some "I'm sorry" vibes out to the internet. If I could remember, I would credit you, oh writer of easy and delicious pickle recipes.
Bread and Butter Mixed Vegetable Pickles
3 kirby cucumbers (about 1 lb.), trimmed and thickly sliced
1 small yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 small carrots, quartered then cut into 3" lengths
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 1/4 cups white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups Splenda
3 tsp. mustard seeds
3 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1. Put cucumbers, onions, carrots, cauliflower and salt into a large bowl and toss well. Add 3 cups ice cubes, cover bowl with plastic wrap, stir occasionally and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain cucumbers and onions well, discarding the salty water; set aside.
Put vinegar, Splenda, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric into a very large
pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cucumber–
vegetable mixture and stir well. Allow liquid to return just to a boil. Stir several times
about 5 minutes then remove pot from heat. Transfer pickles and their liquid to a
large, clean plastic container. Set aside to let cool to room temperature, then cover
and refrigerate overnight. Serve pickles the next day or store for up to 1 week.
Delicious! You can eat these as much as you want and not feel guilty one bit. I chop them up and put them into salads, put a heaping chopped pile onto a bowl of chili with my fat free Greek yogurt. Of just eat them out of hand as a part of a deli tray.
Low carb does not mean snack-free.
Thank God. Amen.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Working Girl
No, no, no, not THAT kind of working girl. I am a wife, mother and a full time employee of a large, unwieldy corporation. I know I haven't posted in a while but I've been busy. Luckily for me, I work from home or as some call it "virtual office." I wish I were "virtually working." I still have meetings and deadlines and such but I take care of those things with the aid of a laptop and a cell phone, no cube-farm environment required. This is both good and bad.
It is good because my schedule is a little more flexible. I work on the west coast but my office is on the east coast. I have only met my current boss once and he wasn't even my boss yet at the time. The last time I was required to come into the office was 5 years ago. I work in sweats and t-shirts, no shoes, no makeup. I can kiss and hug my daughter goodbye before school and I can pick her up afterward.
It is bad because I am very close to my refrigerator.
When I am frustrated at work (often) many times I will turn to my refrigerator for comfort. My refrigerator comforts me, it understands me, it loves me and feeds me. (Is this too much information?) Anyway, as we all know, I should not be so friendly with my refrigerator due to the "mad love" fallout that is currently my stomach and my ass. Me and my refrigerator need to break up.
So far, I have been making giant pots of soup and chili and curry to aid in my curing my heartbreak. Unfortunately, some of that has come to an end. While working from home I could carve out a half an hour to chop and dump ingredients into a big pot for simmering but I AM NOW A COMMUTER... well, sort of. During the summer I am bringing my daughter to my sister's house. I'll work from here while keeping an eye on her kids and mine to save us from child care costs.... but now I am far away from my new lover, my soup pot.
Now my soup/stew/curry making has to be relegated to Sunday afternoons. I bought a bunch of single serving sized semi-disposable storage bowls so I can freeze my concoctions. I've been bringing one over to my sister's every day. Chicken wings. Don't knock 'em. Hot wings are not that high in calories and hot sauce has almost no fat at all. About 6 wings is very filling and about 250-300 calories. Cook up a big batch and freeze them (once cool) in freezer storage bags. They take 20 minutes to re-heat in the oven or 5 minutes in the microwave. Make the teriyaki sauce I used for my stir frys and use that on the wings for a change of pace. There are also low-fat cheeses that come in handy 1 ounce sticks to be found in the dairy section of the grocery store.
So, today, my point is... even if you can't be at home, all is not lost. Just plan ahead. I doubt my refrigerator even misses me.
It is good because my schedule is a little more flexible. I work on the west coast but my office is on the east coast. I have only met my current boss once and he wasn't even my boss yet at the time. The last time I was required to come into the office was 5 years ago. I work in sweats and t-shirts, no shoes, no makeup. I can kiss and hug my daughter goodbye before school and I can pick her up afterward.
It is bad because I am very close to my refrigerator.
When I am frustrated at work (often) many times I will turn to my refrigerator for comfort. My refrigerator comforts me, it understands me, it loves me and feeds me. (Is this too much information?) Anyway, as we all know, I should not be so friendly with my refrigerator due to the "mad love" fallout that is currently my stomach and my ass. Me and my refrigerator need to break up.
So far, I have been making giant pots of soup and chili and curry to aid in my curing my heartbreak. Unfortunately, some of that has come to an end. While working from home I could carve out a half an hour to chop and dump ingredients into a big pot for simmering but I AM NOW A COMMUTER... well, sort of. During the summer I am bringing my daughter to my sister's house. I'll work from here while keeping an eye on her kids and mine to save us from child care costs.... but now I am far away from my new lover, my soup pot.
Now my soup/stew/curry making has to be relegated to Sunday afternoons. I bought a bunch of single serving sized semi-disposable storage bowls so I can freeze my concoctions. I've been bringing one over to my sister's every day. Chicken wings. Don't knock 'em. Hot wings are not that high in calories and hot sauce has almost no fat at all. About 6 wings is very filling and about 250-300 calories. Cook up a big batch and freeze them (once cool) in freezer storage bags. They take 20 minutes to re-heat in the oven or 5 minutes in the microwave. Make the teriyaki sauce I used for my stir frys and use that on the wings for a change of pace. There are also low-fat cheeses that come in handy 1 ounce sticks to be found in the dairy section of the grocery store.
So, today, my point is... even if you can't be at home, all is not lost. Just plan ahead. I doubt my refrigerator even misses me.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
If two people reek like garlic is there still a stink?
My husband has decided to go low carb with me. Now this is a good thing, in general. It is a good thing because he could stand to lose about 50 lbs. His cholesterol is too high. He likes gigantic super-tankers filled with sugary soda fountain drinks which will rot his teeth, make the rest of his hair fall out and probably pickle his brain into the next millennium.
It is a bad thing because he is somewhat of a picky eater. I'm not complaining! Honest! He just won't try some of the things I have embraced to make my low carb quest easier... like tofu, shirataki noodles, low fat cheese. I married a straight-up carnivore. He will eat vegetables within reason (his reason, not mine). So, my quest is to come up with manly, meat-filled dinners that will satisfy his need for lots of charred flesh and my need for low fat/low carb/low calorie meals.
I follow a lot of celebrity chefs on Twitter. Okay, yeah, I am a cooking show junkie and always on the look out for tips and tricks in the kitchen. One of my favorite cooking shows is Alton Brown's "Good Eats." He presents a lot of the science behind cooking which I find fascinating. Anyway, Alton tweeted about a dinner he was making his family which included "40 Cloves of Garlic and a Chicken." It sounded delicious but when I looked up the recipe it had way too much fat. My version is not strictly low fat (I confess a love for crisp chicken skin) but it has a lot less fat than Alton's version. I also changed it to chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken... I might have mentioned my general aversion to chicken breast meat.
Here is Alton's version:
Food Network - Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Without further ado, here is my recipe for:
40 Cloves of Garlic and Some Thighs
Serves 4-6
8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs
Cooking spray
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Trim any obvious big globs of fat off the chicken thighs. Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, spray with cooking spray. Lightly spray the skin side of the chicken thighs with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. You may have to do this in two batches. Don't crowd the chicken too much or it won't brown properly.
Line a half sheet baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray. Place the browned thighs on the pan skin side up. Sprinkle the garlic in and around the chicken. Lay the thyme sprigs across the chicken. Cover the whole pan with more foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.
**NOTE** Many mainstream grocery stores have peeled garlic in jars in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It sure beats peeling all that garlic! The garlic gets soft like butter... mmmm. Eat some of the garlic with the chicken. If you have any left over save it and toss with steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Delicious! I served the chicken with roasted cauliflower sprinkled with a third of a cup of 2% shredded cheese. My husband (and 6 yr old daughter) scarfed this down with nary a complaint.
It is a bad thing because he is somewhat of a picky eater. I'm not complaining! Honest! He just won't try some of the things I have embraced to make my low carb quest easier... like tofu, shirataki noodles, low fat cheese. I married a straight-up carnivore. He will eat vegetables within reason (his reason, not mine). So, my quest is to come up with manly, meat-filled dinners that will satisfy his need for lots of charred flesh and my need for low fat/low carb/low calorie meals.
I follow a lot of celebrity chefs on Twitter. Okay, yeah, I am a cooking show junkie and always on the look out for tips and tricks in the kitchen. One of my favorite cooking shows is Alton Brown's "Good Eats." He presents a lot of the science behind cooking which I find fascinating. Anyway, Alton tweeted about a dinner he was making his family which included "40 Cloves of Garlic and a Chicken." It sounded delicious but when I looked up the recipe it had way too much fat. My version is not strictly low fat (I confess a love for crisp chicken skin) but it has a lot less fat than Alton's version. I also changed it to chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken... I might have mentioned my general aversion to chicken breast meat.
Here is Alton's version:
Food Network - Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Without further ado, here is my recipe for:
40 Cloves of Garlic and Some Thighs
Serves 4-6
8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs
Cooking spray
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Trim any obvious big globs of fat off the chicken thighs. Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, spray with cooking spray. Lightly spray the skin side of the chicken thighs with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. You may have to do this in two batches. Don't crowd the chicken too much or it won't brown properly.
Line a half sheet baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray. Place the browned thighs on the pan skin side up. Sprinkle the garlic in and around the chicken. Lay the thyme sprigs across the chicken. Cover the whole pan with more foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.
**NOTE** Many mainstream grocery stores have peeled garlic in jars in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It sure beats peeling all that garlic! The garlic gets soft like butter... mmmm. Eat some of the garlic with the chicken. If you have any left over save it and toss with steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Delicious! I served the chicken with roasted cauliflower sprinkled with a third of a cup of 2% shredded cheese. My husband (and 6 yr old daughter) scarfed this down with nary a complaint.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day
No, seriously. I would not jive you. Yeah, yeah... "they" have been telling us (they starting with your mother) that we need to eat a good breakfast in order to have the most productive day. Well, they weren't kidding. Maybe mother did know best.
I actually start the morning with a good multi-vitamin. If I have been dragging ass, I'll take another one in the afternoon for a few days. Just in case. I eat my breakfast about an hour or two after I wake up. If I eat too early by the time I really reach consciousness I have forgotten I already ate then I eat again. Not a move that is conducive to weight loss.
Eating low carb poses a problem at breakfast time. What are all the best breakfast foods? BREADS AND POTATOES! Toast, English muffins, cereal, pancakes, hash browns, French toast... oh God, I love French toast with bacon... wait, I digress. Now that I no longer eat any of those things for breakfast I actually... have... more... energy. Carbs give a sugar rush, a high that lasts a couple of hours. That is why I used to crash and burn hard around the hour mark before lunch. Protein and the few carbs you get from vegetables give energy but the energy is released more slowly, thereby preventing that nose dive into your keyboard late morning.
I have eggs for breakfast just about every morning. Some might say, "Eggs are super high in fat and you will get cholesterol globules coming out your ears." That is why I use an egg substitute. You can find several types by the regular eggs. I just use my grocery store's house brand. Its actually not a substitute at all... its egg white. I saute some chicken sausage or an ounce of thinly sliced dry salami with a quarter cup of chopped onions, throw in some sliced mushrooms and a handful of thinly sliced chard or spinach. Once the vegetables are mostly cooked I drizzle in the egg substitute and let it cook, like a frittata. Then I sprinkle on a third of a cup of low-fat shredded cheddar. Let it melt and VOILA, Bob's your uncle and you have a delicious, filling breakfast for about 350 calories and about 13 carbs.
Eat your breakfast! Believe me, it helps. I mean 4 bazillion mothers can't be wrong, can they?
I actually start the morning with a good multi-vitamin. If I have been dragging ass, I'll take another one in the afternoon for a few days. Just in case. I eat my breakfast about an hour or two after I wake up. If I eat too early by the time I really reach consciousness I have forgotten I already ate then I eat again. Not a move that is conducive to weight loss.
Eating low carb poses a problem at breakfast time. What are all the best breakfast foods? BREADS AND POTATOES! Toast, English muffins, cereal, pancakes, hash browns, French toast... oh God, I love French toast with bacon... wait, I digress. Now that I no longer eat any of those things for breakfast I actually... have... more... energy. Carbs give a sugar rush, a high that lasts a couple of hours. That is why I used to crash and burn hard around the hour mark before lunch. Protein and the few carbs you get from vegetables give energy but the energy is released more slowly, thereby preventing that nose dive into your keyboard late morning.
I have eggs for breakfast just about every morning. Some might say, "Eggs are super high in fat and you will get cholesterol globules coming out your ears." That is why I use an egg substitute. You can find several types by the regular eggs. I just use my grocery store's house brand. Its actually not a substitute at all... its egg white. I saute some chicken sausage or an ounce of thinly sliced dry salami with a quarter cup of chopped onions, throw in some sliced mushrooms and a handful of thinly sliced chard or spinach. Once the vegetables are mostly cooked I drizzle in the egg substitute and let it cook, like a frittata. Then I sprinkle on a third of a cup of low-fat shredded cheddar. Let it melt and VOILA, Bob's your uncle and you have a delicious, filling breakfast for about 350 calories and about 13 carbs.
Eat your breakfast! Believe me, it helps. I mean 4 bazillion mothers can't be wrong, can they?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday. Ugh.
It is the Tuesday after a three day weekend (Memorial Day). I know it's Tuesday but it FEELS like a Monday.
I wasn't too bad this weekend as far as food goes. I managed to not eat any of the forbidden foods: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. I did consume too much alcohol and we know that alcohol turns RIGHT into sugar. Bleah. No wonder I am draggin' ass today.
So, I need a restorative. What to do? Curry!
Yes, curry. I need something packed with vitamins and spiced to make me sweat out the toxins of an indulgent weekend. I don't pretend to be any sort of an expert on making curries. My curries are of my own devising. They are neither Thai nor Indian but I suppose they are based more on the Indian type. Loosely defined, a curry is a mixture of vegetables (and meat) cooked in a sauce of strong spices and turmeric. Seriously? That could be almost anything.
Curry powder can be purchased in most grocery stores. Or you can make your own garam masala (a blend of spices), which I have done and it beats the heck out of the store bought kind. Unfortunately, the homemade stuff flavor fades fairly rapidly once the spices have been ground so I go through it too quickly. I usually just use the store bought kind. The madras type of curry powder is extra spicy. Sometimes the situation calls for just a little more spice. This is one of those times.
Curry
Serves 6-8
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large handful sliced red chard leaves
1 Japanese eggplant, cubed
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 TBS grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
8 oz poached chicken meat
6 oz cubed firm tofu
1.5 cans reduced sodium chicken broth (or 2 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add onion to Dutch oven; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery and chard. Saute another 5 minutes. Add eggplant cubes. Saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
3. Add the proteins. Incorporate, making sure all the chicken and/or tofu is covered in the spices.
4. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then immediately turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.
5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the yogurt incorporating well. Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
** NOTE ** Play around with the ingredients. As with all my recipes, they are just a jumping off point. Add different types of proteins.. lamb is good, all chicken, all tofu, whatever. Add different vegetables Go crazy.
A big bowl of this spicy concoction will put you right and make Wednesday a lot better than Tuesday. Oh yeah.
I wasn't too bad this weekend as far as food goes. I managed to not eat any of the forbidden foods: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. I did consume too much alcohol and we know that alcohol turns RIGHT into sugar. Bleah. No wonder I am draggin' ass today.
So, I need a restorative. What to do? Curry!
Yes, curry. I need something packed with vitamins and spiced to make me sweat out the toxins of an indulgent weekend. I don't pretend to be any sort of an expert on making curries. My curries are of my own devising. They are neither Thai nor Indian but I suppose they are based more on the Indian type. Loosely defined, a curry is a mixture of vegetables (and meat) cooked in a sauce of strong spices and turmeric. Seriously? That could be almost anything.
Curry powder can be purchased in most grocery stores. Or you can make your own garam masala (a blend of spices), which I have done and it beats the heck out of the store bought kind. Unfortunately, the homemade stuff flavor fades fairly rapidly once the spices have been ground so I go through it too quickly. I usually just use the store bought kind. The madras type of curry powder is extra spicy. Sometimes the situation calls for just a little more spice. This is one of those times.
Curry
Serves 6-8
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large handful sliced red chard leaves
1 Japanese eggplant, cubed
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 TBS grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
8 oz poached chicken meat
6 oz cubed firm tofu
1.5 cans reduced sodium chicken broth (or 2 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add onion to Dutch oven; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery and chard. Saute another 5 minutes. Add eggplant cubes. Saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
3. Add the proteins. Incorporate, making sure all the chicken and/or tofu is covered in the spices.
4. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then immediately turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.
5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the yogurt incorporating well. Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
** NOTE ** Play around with the ingredients. As with all my recipes, they are just a jumping off point. Add different types of proteins.. lamb is good, all chicken, all tofu, whatever. Add different vegetables Go crazy.
A big bowl of this spicy concoction will put you right and make Wednesday a lot better than Tuesday. Oh yeah.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Spice Goddess
Make me sweat, I'll be your friend. More on that later. The hardest thing for me is the lack of snack foods available. Think about it... all the good snack foods have carbs: chips, crackers, thin slices of party bread, popcorn. Sometimes all I need to get me through is a couple of bites of whatever. I don't need to stuff my face, I just need to take the edge off. So, what to do?
SPICE! (That's where the whole "make me sweat" thing comes in.)
Chilies contain a wonderful chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin is a known digestion enhancer and natural appetite suppressant. Eating something spicy also tells your body you are eating something good, flavorful and satisfying. Chomping on a big, spicy pickle in the afternoon is all you need to get through until dinner. If you do decide to use pickles to soothe that jones, read the label. Make sure it is not a sweet pickle or one that uses sugar in the brining process. Otherwise that kind of defeats the purpose... you might as well have eaten a big slice of pie! Well, okay, maybe not but still, you get my point.
I also love hot sauces... Tabasco, Tabasco chipotle, sriracha. Make a low carb chicken soup, pack in lots of vegetables, use Mexican oregano and smoked chipotle powder as your spice then throw some Tabasco chipotle sauce on top right before serving. WOOO! Spicy, hot goodness. You will feel full and satisfied and ready to salsa. I swear.
Back to snacks, I also utilize fat free Greek yogurt. It has no fat, it's low carb and very filling. Greek yogurt has been strained so it is very thick in texture compared to American style yogurt. More on the virtues of Greek yogurt another day but right here I will just say I mix it with hot sauce and a tiny pinch of salt. Okay, I know, most people mix in sugar and/or fruit... I'm a more savory gal myself and I am convinced the spiciness makes me feel more satisfied.
So in conclusion, satisfy your spice tooth! I just made up that term. I need to patent it, stat.
SPICE! (That's where the whole "make me sweat" thing comes in.)
Chilies contain a wonderful chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin is a known digestion enhancer and natural appetite suppressant. Eating something spicy also tells your body you are eating something good, flavorful and satisfying. Chomping on a big, spicy pickle in the afternoon is all you need to get through until dinner. If you do decide to use pickles to soothe that jones, read the label. Make sure it is not a sweet pickle or one that uses sugar in the brining process. Otherwise that kind of defeats the purpose... you might as well have eaten a big slice of pie! Well, okay, maybe not but still, you get my point.
I also love hot sauces... Tabasco, Tabasco chipotle, sriracha. Make a low carb chicken soup, pack in lots of vegetables, use Mexican oregano and smoked chipotle powder as your spice then throw some Tabasco chipotle sauce on top right before serving. WOOO! Spicy, hot goodness. You will feel full and satisfied and ready to salsa. I swear.
Back to snacks, I also utilize fat free Greek yogurt. It has no fat, it's low carb and very filling. Greek yogurt has been strained so it is very thick in texture compared to American style yogurt. More on the virtues of Greek yogurt another day but right here I will just say I mix it with hot sauce and a tiny pinch of salt. Okay, I know, most people mix in sugar and/or fruit... I'm a more savory gal myself and I am convinced the spiciness makes me feel more satisfied.
So in conclusion, satisfy your spice tooth! I just made up that term. I need to patent it, stat.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Man, I'm hungry.
My stomach is growling. I suppose now would be a bad time to go grocery shopping but shop I must. I am out of protein. A really easy source of lean protein is chicken. I can't deal with chicken breasts though. No matter what I do, they end up dry and a little mealy (read: nasty and bad to eat).
At your local grocery store I will bet they have bargain packs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Poach those suckers:
Trim any blobs of visible fat. Throw the thighs in a pot and cover with cold water until the water is about an inch or two above the meat. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Take them off the heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Voila! You have a pot of poached protein just ready for preparing with a variety of foods. Drain them and put them into the refrigerator when they have cooled sufficiently. If you add a TBS of peppercorns to the water and a tsp of kosher salt before cooking and skim the foam after cooking, you can save off the cooking water for a tasty, homemade, low fat, low salt chicken broth. Oh... store it overnight in the refrigerator and skim the fat the next day. You can freeze it or keep it for a few days refrigerated to make tasty soups or whatever.
Easy Chicken Soup - Serves 4
Non-fat cooking spray
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup red chard (or other hearty green), leaves sliced into very thin ribbons
4-5 cooked chicken thighs, cut up into 1/2 inch chunks
6 cups fat free, low salt chicken broth or stock
1 package shirataki noodles
Saute the chopped onion over medium high heat in a large non-stick skilled, 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, 5 more minutes. Add the ribbons of chard. Saute a few more minutes until the chard is wilted.
Add the chicken and toss around until the chicken absorbs some of the tasty goodness in the pan.
Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer.
Dump the shirataki noodles straight into a colander. Rinse very well. You might also want to cut them into "egg noodle length" with scissors if they are the spaghetti or linguine kind. Once they are rinsed to the point of not having any sort of aroma at all, dump them into your soup. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve.
*NOTE - I use this recipe as a template only. Sometimes I add chopped garlic or saute mushrooms with the other vegetables. If you trim the end of the stems of red chard you can chop those and cook them like celery. They add a pretty red color to the soup. Or I will use dried herbs, thrown in with the vegetables and tossed around right before I add the stock (good herbs are basil, oregano or thyme). If I want it to look fancy, I will sprinkle some fresh parsley over top before I serve it. Let your imagination be your guide.
Enjoy!
At your local grocery store I will bet they have bargain packs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Poach those suckers:
Trim any blobs of visible fat. Throw the thighs in a pot and cover with cold water until the water is about an inch or two above the meat. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Take them off the heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Voila! You have a pot of poached protein just ready for preparing with a variety of foods. Drain them and put them into the refrigerator when they have cooled sufficiently. If you add a TBS of peppercorns to the water and a tsp of kosher salt before cooking and skim the foam after cooking, you can save off the cooking water for a tasty, homemade, low fat, low salt chicken broth. Oh... store it overnight in the refrigerator and skim the fat the next day. You can freeze it or keep it for a few days refrigerated to make tasty soups or whatever.
Easy Chicken Soup - Serves 4
Non-fat cooking spray
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup red chard (or other hearty green), leaves sliced into very thin ribbons
4-5 cooked chicken thighs, cut up into 1/2 inch chunks
6 cups fat free, low salt chicken broth or stock
1 package shirataki noodles
Saute the chopped onion over medium high heat in a large non-stick skilled, 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, 5 more minutes. Add the ribbons of chard. Saute a few more minutes until the chard is wilted.
Add the chicken and toss around until the chicken absorbs some of the tasty goodness in the pan.
Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer.
Dump the shirataki noodles straight into a colander. Rinse very well. You might also want to cut them into "egg noodle length" with scissors if they are the spaghetti or linguine kind. Once they are rinsed to the point of not having any sort of aroma at all, dump them into your soup. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve.
*NOTE - I use this recipe as a template only. Sometimes I add chopped garlic or saute mushrooms with the other vegetables. If you trim the end of the stems of red chard you can chop those and cook them like celery. They add a pretty red color to the soup. Or I will use dried herbs, thrown in with the vegetables and tossed around right before I add the stock (good herbs are basil, oregano or thyme). If I want it to look fancy, I will sprinkle some fresh parsley over top before I serve it. Let your imagination be your guide.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 23, 2011
In Praise of Tofu
My main sources of sustenance are low fat proteins, vegetables and fat free dairy. One thing I have noticed is a lack of... something. I can't put my finger on it. Is it a texture? A taste? Does it subtract from that full feeling I want to have at the end of a meal? I don't know. What I do know is that some of that freaky, elusive feeling is mitigated with TOFU NOODLES. Yes, tofu.
There has been a lot of scary stuff on the internet lately about how bad OD-ing on soy is. My thoughts are... it is bad to OD on anything. All things in moderation. Besides, a couple billion Chinese and Japanese have been eating tofu for a few thousand years and culturally, they are some of the healthiest people on Earth. A couple billion people can't be wrong (okay, I guess they can be but I am just rolling with it.) Anyway, I know other folks have been using this stuff so it might not be a surprise to some people. My personal new and fantastic discovery is the Shirataki noodle.
Shirataki noodles are made from tofu. Here is some information right off the House Foods web page (House Foods makes the brand I like best). I recommend giving them a try. They don't bake very well (don't make a baked pasta dish because they don't absorb liquid like a wheat based noodle would... the dish ends up being very liquid-y). They work great in soups, as a base for spaghetti sauce or a stir fry. I made a jambalaya type soup using Shirataki instead of rice and it was delicious and filling.
There has been a lot of scary stuff on the internet lately about how bad OD-ing on soy is. My thoughts are... it is bad to OD on anything. All things in moderation. Besides, a couple billion Chinese and Japanese have been eating tofu for a few thousand years and culturally, they are some of the healthiest people on Earth. A couple billion people can't be wrong (okay, I guess they can be but I am just rolling with it.) Anyway, I know other folks have been using this stuff so it might not be a surprise to some people. My personal new and fantastic discovery is the Shirataki noodle.
Shirataki noodles are made from tofu. Here is some information right off the House Foods web page (House Foods makes the brand I like best). I recommend giving them a try. They don't bake very well (don't make a baked pasta dish because they don't absorb liquid like a wheat based noodle would... the dish ends up being very liquid-y). They work great in soups, as a base for spaghetti sauce or a stir fry. I made a jambalaya type soup using Shirataki instead of rice and it was delicious and filling.
- VARIETY OF SHAPES:
- Spaghetti
- Fettuccine
- Angel-Hair
- LOW CARB - only 3g of carbs per serving
- LOW CALORIE - 20 calories per 4 oz serving
- NO CHOLESTEROL
- NO SUGAR
- GLUTEN-FREE
- DAIRY-FREE
- CONTAINS 10% CALCIUM
- VEGAN
- GUILT-FREE
Mission Statement
I am a high carb girl living in a low carb world.
I love bread. There, I said it. I love bread. Good bread; chewy, fresh bread with a crust for which teeth are required; bread that will hold up when dunked into soups or used as a mop to sop up a sauce. I also love pasta, rice and potatoes. See where I am heading?
I discovered not too long ago that eating these foods make me retain water. So much so that my blood pressure is way too high and by an evening's end, my ankles look like softballs. My love of all things carby also contributes to my weight. I need to lose weight. The weight thing is also a main factor in the blood pressure issue... so I am resigning myself to a life without these things. It ain't gonna be easy.
I've been working on this for a month now. I've lost 20 lbs. My fingers have lost most of their "little smokey sausage" appearance and my ankles look much better at the end of the day. I saw my doctor a couple of days ago and he says my blood pressure had come down a good bit. What was I doing differently?
In this blog I will chronicle my journey. Oh man, I hate myself. After watching "The Biggest Loser" for 6 seasons in a row I swore I would kill myself if I ever used the term "weight loss journey." Damn. Oh well, killing myself would be counter-productive at this point. I was slowly killing myself with unhealthy food and carb loading.
Here we go...
I love bread. There, I said it. I love bread. Good bread; chewy, fresh bread with a crust for which teeth are required; bread that will hold up when dunked into soups or used as a mop to sop up a sauce. I also love pasta, rice and potatoes. See where I am heading?
I discovered not too long ago that eating these foods make me retain water. So much so that my blood pressure is way too high and by an evening's end, my ankles look like softballs. My love of all things carby also contributes to my weight. I need to lose weight. The weight thing is also a main factor in the blood pressure issue... so I am resigning myself to a life without these things. It ain't gonna be easy.
I've been working on this for a month now. I've lost 20 lbs. My fingers have lost most of their "little smokey sausage" appearance and my ankles look much better at the end of the day. I saw my doctor a couple of days ago and he says my blood pressure had come down a good bit. What was I doing differently?
In this blog I will chronicle my journey. Oh man, I hate myself. After watching "The Biggest Loser" for 6 seasons in a row I swore I would kill myself if I ever used the term "weight loss journey." Damn. Oh well, killing myself would be counter-productive at this point. I was slowly killing myself with unhealthy food and carb loading.
Here we go...
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