I'm back! Bet you didn't even know I was gone. I spent the week in Atlanta doing business-y things. I actually lived in Atlanta for 5 years. Many people I love live there and if I didn't love home (Washington State) and my family so much I would probably still be living there.
The American south is the home of the fried food. If it can be fried, it will be fried. Some seriously delicious food comes from down south: chicken fried steak, fried chicken, barbeque (which is a noun, not a verb), coleslaw, macaroni and cheese. These are common foods that can be found everywhere. I wondered how I was going to fare, you know, being a low-carb girl and all.
It is hard eating on the road, at hotels, at the airport, at Atlanta Braves games, at restaurants. I ate a lot of protein and not a lot of vegetable matter. My body was seriously disturbed by this turn of events and punished me by giving me intestinal distress. Then when I did get vegetables it turned on me again in an opposite but equally disagreeable way!
We went to a barbeque restaurant. I thought, okay, I can have the smallest portion of ribs, the fresh vegetable of the day and the fresh fruit. Sounds good, right? Uh, no. The fresh fruit was watermelon (all water and sugar, no fiber) and the fresh vegetable of the day? Fried green tomatoes. I couldn't win.
Anyway, now that I am home, my body is screaming for vegetable matter. It is a constant battle coming up with ways to get my family to eat vegetables. My daughter immediately freaks out if I put anything green on her plate and my husband will eat vegetables but only certain ones. There are ways to seduce them however. Seduction ingredients include things like cream and cheese. Good thing I can substitute with things like Greek Yogurt, skim milk and parmesan cheese (parm isn't low fat but but because it is strongly flavored you can use less).
I found this recipe in Saveur magazine as something to do with summer vegetables... for those that are ambitious and grow bushels of vegetables in their gardens. I am anti-ambitious, buying my vegetables at the store or the farmers' market but this recipe still works. This is delicious, using only a judicious amount of cheese and added oil.
Summer Vegetable Tian
(based on a recipe from Saveur)
Serves 6
1 medium eggplant, peeled
salt
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (I used 5 cloves 'cause I loves some garlic)
Extra virgin olive oil (The original recipe calls for a 1/2 cup but I drizzle it sparingly and don't notice the lack)
2 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally
2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh herbs (I use thyme, you can use oregano or rosemary or even basil)
1/2 shredded or grated fresh parmesan
Cut eggplant into 1" cubes, place in a colander, sprinkle with salt. Drain for 30 minutes, then pat dry.
Cook onions and garlic in a tsp or so of olive oil in a skilled over medium heat until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium baking dish (sprayed with olive oil spray). In the same skillet, toss the eggplant cubes until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper but not too much because the eggplant already has salt on it. Stir into onion mixture.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss half the parmesan cheese in with the onions and eggplant. Arrange the tomatoes and zucchini in overlapping layers over the onions and eggplant. Tops with herbs, drizzle with a little oil. Bake 30-40 minutes. After about 30 minutes sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and return to the oven. Let rest for about 5 minutes then serve.
Delicious and cheesy, a perfect mix of fresh summer vegetables that your body will come to crave and NO FRYING involved.
Friday, September 23, 2011
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)