Recently, my cooking focus has been on using less salt and fat and more fiber. Besides being healthier than pre-made pasta sauces, this way of cooking pasta has been more economical with most ingredients readily available. I have been cooking pasta several times a week this summer BUT without pre-cooking or boiling the pasta. Not only does this save an extra pot washing and wasted water but energy (both the gas to heat the water and ac to cool the extra warmed air in the kitchen) as well as being easier, not having to worry about watching the clock to cook the pasta just right.
These pasta dishes are similar to soups that have enough pasta added to absorb the broth. I happened upon this idea when accidentally adding dry noodles to my chicken soup and having all of the delicious broth absorbed turning a soup truly into a chunky meal. Pasta prepped for the microwave works on the same principal but just uses less water.
Taste-wise, the pasta absorbs the flavors instead of being covered in it. It seems like the higher fiber pastas prefer this method, tasting better absorbing the flavors instead of trying to cover them with sauces. All I have to do is shift some of the ingredients to have a completely different dish from Italian to Indian to Asian to Southwestern and everything inbetween.
Try any of your favorite pasta dishes this way or create your own. Prep takes about 20 minutes then another 20 minutes to cook. It can just be left to finish on its own, stirring occasionally while preparing whatever else you want for the rest of the meal like meat or salad, etc. We usually serve Foreman grilled chicken or pork chops if I am cooking or fried pork or chicken cutlets if DH is cooking.
Basically, I saute chopped garlic in Canola oil with whatever else I have in the house (chopped bell peppers, onions, etc.) and whatever seasoning is the focus for that meal. I have a large deep frying pan that works great for this.
Once the veggies are soft, I then add liquids usually in the form of a can of diced tomatoes and/or other canned veggies like spinach or black beans or a can of broth if no canned veggies. Also add an extra can or so of water to give the pasta more liquid to absorb. If a full 16 oz of pasta, I add up to two cans of water (more water tips at the bottom).
Bring the concoction to a low boil, add pasta, cover, lower flame, and stir it every 10 minutes till the liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender. Can add more liquid if needed or cook longer to absorb more liquid.
Last evening, I did Asian:
(1)chopped and sauteed garlic, red bell pepper, and onions
(2)seasoned the veggies with an Asian seasoning of garlic, ginger and white pepper and some ground celery and cooked till tender.
(3)added soy sauce, a whole can of pineapple tidbits including its juice (I did cut the tidbits in half), a can of low salt/low fat broth, a can of water.
(4)when almost boiling, added a higher fiber pasta (thin spaghetti which I broke into 3 parts), covered and lowered the flame to low.
I could have added canned spinach or any other vegetable like frozen broccoli with the liquids but with the higher fiber pasta didn't think it necessary.
Today we are frying the leftovers cuz we love leftover pasta fried.
The leftovers can also be eaten as a cold pasta salad.
Just change the seasonings and canned ingredients to whatever your family prefers.
If I have extra green bell peppers to chop and saute, we love an Italian pasta with a meatless tomato sauce and peppers dish done this way. Lately, I have been adding split red lentils to the veggie saute especially when aiming for Indian flavoring.
Tips:
It's fun trying various pasta shapes like Orzo or tiny shells.
Aldis has a great canned spinach which works better than frozen.
You can also add water to dehydrated stuff like minced onions or garlic as a shortcut to chopping fresh veggies.
A splash of Balsamic vinegar works great with canned diced tomatoes.
A large can (28oz) of crushed tomatoes works well with one can of water.
(Basically need two smaller 14 oz cans of water or one large can)
Rice can be used instead of pasta (we just prefer pasta)
ETA: I will be adding tips to the above as I think of them. LOL
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Chili Pasta
I haven't posted one of my crazy recipes in awhile and since I did it for another forum, decided to share it here as well:
I did pork chops on the Foreman grill
and
a crazy chili pasta concoction made in a single deep frying pan or pot: fresh chopped garlic sauteed in alittle canola oil, rehydrated minced onion, can of Aldi's Black beans, can of Aldi's diced tomatoes in a chili sauce, can of Aldi's Fiesta corn, one to two cans water and a box of small pasta shells.
Can add extra cumin, turmeric, chili powder or any other favorite Tex-mex seasoning, especially if plain diced tomatoes were used. Can use any small shaped pasta or rice instead of pasta too.
Mix everything together, bring to boil, lower flame and cover till water is absorbed and pasta tender, stirring occasionally, adding more water as necessary. Takes about 20 minutes. I never bother to boil pasta separately anymore.
I did pork chops on the Foreman grill
and
a crazy chili pasta concoction made in a single deep frying pan or pot: fresh chopped garlic sauteed in alittle canola oil, rehydrated minced onion, can of Aldi's Black beans, can of Aldi's diced tomatoes in a chili sauce, can of Aldi's Fiesta corn, one to two cans water and a box of small pasta shells.
Can add extra cumin, turmeric, chili powder or any other favorite Tex-mex seasoning, especially if plain diced tomatoes were used. Can use any small shaped pasta or rice instead of pasta too.
Mix everything together, bring to boil, lower flame and cover till water is absorbed and pasta tender, stirring occasionally, adding more water as necessary. Takes about 20 minutes. I never bother to boil pasta separately anymore.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Muving and Eating
This morning I did some Barefoot Dancer then the rest of the Exercell Beginner's workout on the bungee and finished with some Tantric Toning. Same negative impressions of the Exercell, one-sided and too many reps. Also no chaptering.
Now let's talk food :)
We had alot of potatoes so I decided to try a Potato Carrot soup.
I sauteed 2 chopped onions, 1/2 a knob of minced garlic and a couple of stalks of chopped celery in alittle canola oil till tender and browning a bit. Then added a box of Aldis chicken broth and 2 boxes of water, 3 cups chopped carrots and 3 cups chopped peeled potatoes. Seasoned with any and all spices that caught my eye: basil, tarragon, thyme, parsley, oregano, dillweed, chives, bay leaf, ground black pepper, alittle sea salt, alittle cumin, alittle anise, alittle tumeric then simmered uncovered till potatoes and carrots were tender.
Then I pureed half of it (removing the bay leaf first) and left the other half as is.
We all tasted both ways and liked them both almost equally.
Both tasted very different from one another!
DH preferred puree. DS preferred not pureed.
I preferred whichever I was eating.
Then for dessert I baked the already prepared Steel Cut Oats mixed with cinnamon and orange juice as a crust covered with defrosted peaches and strawberries, sprinkled with cinnamon but this time we had vanilla ice cream with it :)
ETA: If dipping bread into the soup, the pureed version is the winner!
We just shared and dipped a huge pita in both versions.
Now let's talk food :)
We had alot of potatoes so I decided to try a Potato Carrot soup.
I sauteed 2 chopped onions, 1/2 a knob of minced garlic and a couple of stalks of chopped celery in alittle canola oil till tender and browning a bit. Then added a box of Aldis chicken broth and 2 boxes of water, 3 cups chopped carrots and 3 cups chopped peeled potatoes. Seasoned with any and all spices that caught my eye: basil, tarragon, thyme, parsley, oregano, dillweed, chives, bay leaf, ground black pepper, alittle sea salt, alittle cumin, alittle anise, alittle tumeric then simmered uncovered till potatoes and carrots were tender.
Then I pureed half of it (removing the bay leaf first) and left the other half as is.
We all tasted both ways and liked them both almost equally.
Both tasted very different from one another!
DH preferred puree. DS preferred not pureed.
I preferred whichever I was eating.
Then for dessert I baked the already prepared Steel Cut Oats mixed with cinnamon and orange juice as a crust covered with defrosted peaches and strawberries, sprinkled with cinnamon but this time we had vanilla ice cream with it :)
ETA: If dipping bread into the soup, the pureed version is the winner!
We just shared and dipped a huge pita in both versions.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Peach Oatmeal Cobbler
I had made a batch of Steel Cut Oats from Aldis this morning, planning to reheat the leftovers since they take much longer to cook than rolled oats. Really liked the flavor without anything on them! Then while using some frozen fruit from Aldis in a green tea smoothie, I saw we had alot of frozen peaches.
I mixed some of the chilled cooked oats with alittle orange juice and cinnamon then spread it on a non sticking sprayed pie pan. Defrosted some peaches and a couple of strawberries in the microwave, sliced the strawberries and placed a layer of fruit over the oatmeal, sprinkled with more cinnamon and baked till the edges of the oatmeal started browning.
No fat added yet tasted decadent.
Even DH loved it! and he hates *healthy* food.
I mixed some of the chilled cooked oats with alittle orange juice and cinnamon then spread it on a non sticking sprayed pie pan. Defrosted some peaches and a couple of strawberries in the microwave, sliced the strawberries and placed a layer of fruit over the oatmeal, sprinkled with more cinnamon and baked till the edges of the oatmeal started browning.
No fat added yet tasted decadent.
Even DH loved it! and he hates *healthy* food.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Meal tip
We enjoy expanding a frozen meal by adding healthy accompaniments. Besides tasting good, being convenient, and being economical, we know exactly what we are eating unlike Take-out or at a Chinese buffet. For example, Trader Joes has a frozen Teriyaki chicken and a Mandarin Orange chicken, both of which come with 2 generous packets of sauce. Aldis also has a similar frozen Orange Chicken. The Teriyaki chicken can be heated in the microwave and the two Asian orange chickens are baked in the oven. Today with Aldis version, I boiled 1/2 box of orzo in water and steamed broccoli in the microwave while baking the chicken. Kept the Orzo in its pot and poured out most of the water, added some sauce from the packet, stirred, added the broccoli, stirred, added the baked chicken on top with some more sauce drizzled over it and served. We actually had a packet of sauce left that I'll use in my next baked oatmeal chicken.
Bruschetta Florentine pasta
I took a Bruschetta sauce recipe we liked and added some spinach, making it Bruschetta Florentine :)
It's a simple quick sauce but looks and tastes much fancier.
Put up pot of water to boil for pasta
saute half knob of chopped garlic in Canola oil till starting to brown
season garlic with whatever you like (basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, crushed red pepper)
lower flame and add a generous plash of Balsamic vineagar
add 1/2 can spinach (Spinach came from .... you guessed, Aldis)
add a can of diced tomatoes and a half can of water
(these were Hunts fire roasted but Aldsis plain diced tomatoes are fine too)
let sauce heat, stirring occasionally till pasta (of your choice) is cooked
we use various brands of whole wheat pastas with extra fiber and protein but plain is fine too
last night's was a thin spaghetti by Barilla but think we have preferred angel hair
Aldis sells a good whole wheat pasta for 99cents
I served a salad with it and used the sauce left in the pan as a salad dressing!
It's a simple quick sauce but looks and tastes much fancier.
Put up pot of water to boil for pasta
saute half knob of chopped garlic in Canola oil till starting to brown
season garlic with whatever you like (basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, crushed red pepper)
lower flame and add a generous plash of Balsamic vineagar
add 1/2 can spinach (Spinach came from .... you guessed, Aldis)
add a can of diced tomatoes and a half can of water
(these were Hunts fire roasted but Aldsis plain diced tomatoes are fine too)
let sauce heat, stirring occasionally till pasta (of your choice) is cooked
we use various brands of whole wheat pastas with extra fiber and protein but plain is fine too
last night's was a thin spaghetti by Barilla but think we have preferred angel hair
Aldis sells a good whole wheat pasta for 99cents
I served a salad with it and used the sauce left in the pan as a salad dressing!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
What's for dinner?
Tonight for dinner I made a pork roast, Aldis Homestyle baked beans (heated in the oven) and baked oven fries. I make pork roast exactly the same each time cuz if it ain't broke, why fix it? I tenderize the roast with meat tenderizer for 15 minutes and sprinkle it with McCormick's Chicken Stir Fry seasoning before popping it into a 325-350 degree oven for about 80 minutes till medium well in the center and well done on the ends. Sounds strange but that stir fry seasoning just tastes great on pork roast. Never did use it for chicken stir fry LOL
For the oven fries:
Wash 3 or 4 large potatoes real well then slice them into thin crescents with the skins on. I usually slice them in half first then slice the crescents on each half. Put the taters into iced water for 20 minutes or so (or while you are tenderizing the roast). Line cookie sheets or a large pizza pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with Pam. Drain the potatoes then toss them with some canola oil and place them in a single layer on the foil and pop the tray onto the bottom oven rack. Potatoes will be golden brown when done. Sprinkle them with whatever you prefer. Tonight I used cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and paprika. Of course, you can add sea salt but I preferred not to since there was plenty of salt in the other items I had cooked.
For the oven fries:
Wash 3 or 4 large potatoes real well then slice them into thin crescents with the skins on. I usually slice them in half first then slice the crescents on each half. Put the taters into iced water for 20 minutes or so (or while you are tenderizing the roast). Line cookie sheets or a large pizza pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with Pam. Drain the potatoes then toss them with some canola oil and place them in a single layer on the foil and pop the tray onto the bottom oven rack. Potatoes will be golden brown when done. Sprinkle them with whatever you prefer. Tonight I used cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and paprika. Of course, you can add sea salt but I preferred not to since there was plenty of salt in the other items I had cooked.
Healthy cooking and shopping tips
Recently I had made something similar to packaged Spanish rice but substituted boiled and drained orzo for the rice. There was alot more of it for the money and alot more nutrition including more fiber and less salt. For the sauce while the water is heating for the orzo, I sauteed different kinds/colors of bell peppers, onion, and garlic then added in diced tomatoes (from Aldis of course LOL) and our preferred seasonings (cumin, tumeric, crushed red pepper, etc.).
Our son though thin can consume enormous amounts of food and loves good tasting food he can consume without worrying about his LDL. When I cook, I never add salt because there is enough salt in the canned foods that I use, use minimal cannola or olive oil, and always am looking for ways to add fiber like oatmeal, pastas (preferably whole grain), brown rice, veggies, etc. We have become label readers when shopping, especially as far as fat contents and avoid all foods with any trans fats or too much saturated fats. Fiber is a huge bonus when shopping as well. Those new light Thomas English muffins make a great crust for mini pizzas.
ETA: I should mention that my own weight and cholesterol profile are much lower since shopping and cooking to keep son's LDL lower. We are even slowly getting DH to try and like these healthier foods. Since most of our ingredients are bought on sale (or at Aldis), we are finding that eating healthier can be done economically. Also we are eating out and bringing in takeout less which not only saves money but gives us more control over what we are eating. Most of my cooking is very simple and doesn't need much special ingredients.
ETA: Why cumin and turmeric?
Both taste great to us and have multiple health benefits.
Our son and I fall into the *hate* cilantro camp.
Our son though thin can consume enormous amounts of food and loves good tasting food he can consume without worrying about his LDL. When I cook, I never add salt because there is enough salt in the canned foods that I use, use minimal cannola or olive oil, and always am looking for ways to add fiber like oatmeal, pastas (preferably whole grain), brown rice, veggies, etc. We have become label readers when shopping, especially as far as fat contents and avoid all foods with any trans fats or too much saturated fats. Fiber is a huge bonus when shopping as well. Those new light Thomas English muffins make a great crust for mini pizzas.
ETA: I should mention that my own weight and cholesterol profile are much lower since shopping and cooking to keep son's LDL lower. We are even slowly getting DH to try and like these healthier foods. Since most of our ingredients are bought on sale (or at Aldis), we are finding that eating healthier can be done economically. Also we are eating out and bringing in takeout less which not only saves money but gives us more control over what we are eating. Most of my cooking is very simple and doesn't need much special ingredients.
ETA: Why cumin and turmeric?
Both taste great to us and have multiple health benefits.
Our son and I fall into the *hate* cilantro camp.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Mango Oatmeal Chicken
OK another experiment that was a huge success.
I mixed mango salad dressing with ground cumin, turmeric and alittle olive oil then dipped boneless chicken breasts into the mixture then coated the chicken with oatmeal and baked 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
While it was baking, I sauteed garlic then added fresh spinach till tender and served the chicken over the garlic spinach. Best part was the oatmeal left in the pan which could have been a stand alone side dish!
We cannot decide which baked oatmeal chicken is our favorite, loving them all. May give the edge to the one with the sesame ginger dressing because it tasted so much like TGIF's sesame chicken nuggets. These *OLDE Cape Cod* dressings/marinades (Mango and Toasted Sesame Ginger) are on sale this week at the A&P. I used oatmeal from Aldis ($1.99 for a huge canister).
I think Aldis should pay me for advertising LOL
ETA: as an extra bonus, our son has visited me three times to give me a hug for a great dinner.
I mixed mango salad dressing with ground cumin, turmeric and alittle olive oil then dipped boneless chicken breasts into the mixture then coated the chicken with oatmeal and baked 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
While it was baking, I sauteed garlic then added fresh spinach till tender and served the chicken over the garlic spinach. Best part was the oatmeal left in the pan which could have been a stand alone side dish!
We cannot decide which baked oatmeal chicken is our favorite, loving them all. May give the edge to the one with the sesame ginger dressing because it tasted so much like TGIF's sesame chicken nuggets. These *OLDE Cape Cod* dressings/marinades (Mango and Toasted Sesame Ginger) are on sale this week at the A&P. I used oatmeal from Aldis ($1.99 for a huge canister).
I think Aldis should pay me for advertising LOL
ETA: as an extra bonus, our son has visited me three times to give me a hug for a great dinner.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Baked Beans Indian Style
This morning we did an Aldis run and by mistake, I got their *Original* Baked Beans instead of our favorite *Homestyle* so I decided to play with them for lunch. Just the other day we had tried a nearby Indian restaurant and liked most of what we had so I added honey mustard, cumin and lots of turmeric to the baked beans and
WOW
they were better than anything we had from the restaurant!
Also a big thumbs up to a freezer special at Aldis this week:
Chicken Fritters (baked till chicken is cooked and crust crisp)
Their Sweet Potato chips went great with the beans and chicken.
alittle more pepper in the chicken crust than we prefer but as good and better than most deep fried chicken take-out.
WOW
they were better than anything we had from the restaurant!
Also a big thumbs up to a freezer special at Aldis this week:
Chicken Fritters (baked till chicken is cooked and crust crisp)
Their Sweet Potato chips went great with the beans and chicken.
alittle more pepper in the chicken crust than we prefer but as good and better than most deep fried chicken take-out.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
MUVE, Dynamic Stretch, band stretch, CS, Oatmeal
This morning I warmed up with MUVE on the bungee then did the MUVE pre-mix on their Family dvd which uses scarves and chairs. Next I revisited some of the Peak Fit Challenge Dynamic Stretch then some of a Madeline Lewis band stretch on her Walk Fit dvd. Finished with Classical Stretch.
I decided to try doing just the warmups of Classical Stretch as sparks throughout the day to keep muving. Doing a morning workout then being stagnant the rest of the day makes the morning workout less beneficial. My joints are happier when lubricated throughout the day. The advantage of a Classical Stretch warmup is that it lubricates all of the joints so is probably better than just walking for me, even though most doctors claim all anyone needs is walking.
Here's a tasty and healthy breakfast tip:
add some prepared oatmeal to your pancake batter!
We especially like adding a maple flavored oatmeal and even sliced bananas and walnuts. Can easily skip the syrup and the leftovers are even good warmed in the microwave as a cake substitute.
It is so ironic...
I have been waiting for PF Cardio Sculpt 2 to delivery (got a feeling it may not arrive intact because of the delivery delay) and just found out I won PF More Cardio Interval Burn from collagevideo!
I decided to try doing just the warmups of Classical Stretch as sparks throughout the day to keep muving. Doing a morning workout then being stagnant the rest of the day makes the morning workout less beneficial. My joints are happier when lubricated throughout the day. The advantage of a Classical Stretch warmup is that it lubricates all of the joints so is probably better than just walking for me, even though most doctors claim all anyone needs is walking.
Here's a tasty and healthy breakfast tip:
add some prepared oatmeal to your pancake batter!
We especially like adding a maple flavored oatmeal and even sliced bananas and walnuts. Can easily skip the syrup and the leftovers are even good warmed in the microwave as a cake substitute.
It is so ironic...
I have been waiting for PF Cardio Sculpt 2 to delivery (got a feeling it may not arrive intact because of the delivery delay) and just found out I won PF More Cardio Interval Burn from collagevideo!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Muving, KB, ExTv, CS
My eye still had just alittle discharge this morning but no itching and seemed less irritated. For the first time in a very long time, my knee didn't bother me at all last night!
This morning I warmed up on the bungee to a really fun combination of MUVE clips on the Family MUVE dvd, starting with That Hypnotizing Man and ending with Zombie Me. I just love all of the MUVE clips on the bungee. I do skip twirling around but Maggie offers more moves in a 3 minute clip than most 30 minute rebounder workouts! Here's the link to That Hypnotizing Man
http://www.muve.com/blog/that-hypnotizing-man.html
Next I did some of the lower body (buns and thighs) from the 10 Minute Solution Kettlebell workout but didn't care for it because endless squats. Then I did Amy Dixon's Exercise TV Beginner Bootcamp which I luckily downloaded before the demise of Exercise TV. It worked well with homemade XCOs. Finished with Classical Stretch.
ETA: I made that Oatmeal Baked Chicken again tonight but used a sesame ginger salad dressing instead of honey mustard and it came out amazing. Tasted like TGIF Sesame Chicken but no fat added!!!
Also hooked up our new Cannon printer bought through Amazon Prime without any glitches. Printer was cheaper than buying new ink for our old printer that was never any good till its last few pages that I printed today. Suddenly the darn thing printed clearly for the first time in 10 years LOL
This morning I warmed up on the bungee to a really fun combination of MUVE clips on the Family MUVE dvd, starting with That Hypnotizing Man and ending with Zombie Me. I just love all of the MUVE clips on the bungee. I do skip twirling around but Maggie offers more moves in a 3 minute clip than most 30 minute rebounder workouts! Here's the link to That Hypnotizing Man
http://www.muve.com/blog/that-hypnotizing-man.html
Next I did some of the lower body (buns and thighs) from the 10 Minute Solution Kettlebell workout but didn't care for it because endless squats. Then I did Amy Dixon's Exercise TV Beginner Bootcamp which I luckily downloaded before the demise of Exercise TV. It worked well with homemade XCOs. Finished with Classical Stretch.
ETA: I made that Oatmeal Baked Chicken again tonight but used a sesame ginger salad dressing instead of honey mustard and it came out amazing. Tasted like TGIF Sesame Chicken but no fat added!!!
Also hooked up our new Cannon printer bought through Amazon Prime without any glitches. Printer was cheaper than buying new ink for our old printer that was never any good till its last few pages that I printed today. Suddenly the darn thing printed clearly for the first time in 10 years LOL
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!!! BL Calorie Knockout
I woke up this morning feeling much better than I have been feeling. Eye is improving rapidly with prescribed drops and energy level soaring. So I warmed up on the bungee in my favorite way to MUVE clips then did Dolvett's Tabata workout on the Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout dvd, not muting Dolvett's wonderful voice with the music only option. Then I did the warmup which was also led by dreamy Dolvett. Then I tolerated Anna's voice in her routine which started with decent standing abs. Sometimes, I used a light kettlebell as a single weight, sometimes homemade XCOs as dumb bells, sometimes the UR for higher impact or whichever piece(s) of equipment seemed to work best for the particular moves being done. Finished with some Classical Stretch after 50 minutes of cardio at varying intensities.
Yesterday after our fasting blood tests, we ate breakfast at our favorite diner whose home fries/hash browns were absolutely delicious and tasted greaseless so I attempted to make these potatoes at home this morning and succeeded! First I soaked some dehydrated minced onions in water till hydrated while preheating the oven to 450. Sprayed a baking pan with a vegetable spray (like PAM) to prevent sticking. Dumped a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes into the pan which were basically just grated potatoes (ours came from Aldis). Mixed in the rehydrated minced onions plus the extra water not absorbed, sea salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and paprika. Covered the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it on the bottom oven shelf till bottom browned (about 20 minutes) then flipped the potatoes and replaced them in the oven covered (can even shut the oven off at this point while cooking your eggs, etc.). They also reheat wonderfully.
ETA: Just made a fabulous dinner!
Oven baked chicken breasts with the chicken dipped in a honey mustard salad dressing then coated with seasoned oatmeal (I used to make this chicken dish with bread crumbs but it is sooo much better with oatmeal!)
a casserole of canned black beans, frozen corn, red and green bell peppers, celery, carrots, and red onion seasoned with cumin and turmeric (softened the raw chopped veggies in the microwave before combining everything)
and a packaged Knorr BBQ flavored rice.
All these crazy dishes really worked surprisingly well together.
Some leftover chicken and bean casserole will top a spring mix salad tomorrow for lunch. Why pay over $7 for a Chipotle chicken salad at Manhattan Bagel?
Yesterday after our fasting blood tests, we ate breakfast at our favorite diner whose home fries/hash browns were absolutely delicious and tasted greaseless so I attempted to make these potatoes at home this morning and succeeded! First I soaked some dehydrated minced onions in water till hydrated while preheating the oven to 450. Sprayed a baking pan with a vegetable spray (like PAM) to prevent sticking. Dumped a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes into the pan which were basically just grated potatoes (ours came from Aldis). Mixed in the rehydrated minced onions plus the extra water not absorbed, sea salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and paprika. Covered the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it on the bottom oven shelf till bottom browned (about 20 minutes) then flipped the potatoes and replaced them in the oven covered (can even shut the oven off at this point while cooking your eggs, etc.). They also reheat wonderfully.
ETA: Just made a fabulous dinner!
Oven baked chicken breasts with the chicken dipped in a honey mustard salad dressing then coated with seasoned oatmeal (I used to make this chicken dish with bread crumbs but it is sooo much better with oatmeal!)
a casserole of canned black beans, frozen corn, red and green bell peppers, celery, carrots, and red onion seasoned with cumin and turmeric (softened the raw chopped veggies in the microwave before combining everything)
and a packaged Knorr BBQ flavored rice.
All these crazy dishes really worked surprisingly well together.
Some leftover chicken and bean casserole will top a spring mix salad tomorrow for lunch. Why pay over $7 for a Chipotle chicken salad at Manhattan Bagel?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Oatmeal! Christie, BBL, Gliding, CS
This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Christie Taylor's online videos then did some BBL High and Tight then some Cathe Gliding and finished with CS Back Pain. Back/right hip problem kicked in during the routine! But Miranda gave a move near the end that reversed the problem. Seems like most of my hip/back pain is triggered when the front of my hip is tight (hip flexors) so whenever I stretch the back of my hip, I am tightening the front! My knee feels much better this morning even though it was pretty stiff last night. What I am mostly feeling today are Ab DOMS which is rare and some thigh DOMS.
I am losing measurements off my hips, thigh and waist even though my weight is the same so guess I am losing fat while building muscle which is a good thing. One thing that is definitely helping to burn fat is substituting oatmeal in recipes calling for bread crumbs. Oatmeal has become a wonderful substitute for breadcrumbs in meatloaf, oven baked chicken and in what we used to call Italian Matzoh Ball soup.
Last night I made a soup that looked like Italian Wedding soup but substituted small balls made out of oatmeal (about 1 1/2 cups), egg, Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup, alittle lemon juice and other seasonings for the traditional meatballs. I add alittle olive oil or more oatmeal till it feels like the right consistency for handrolling into balls. First I boiled some Cottage Inn low fat chicken broth (2 cans) with equal amounts of water then dropped the balls of the oatmeal mix into the broth and boiled it awhile then added alittle canned spinach chopped up and alittle of those tiny pasta beads/balls. Alittle of the spinach and pasta go a long way. Not only was it the best tasting Italian Wedding soup we ever had, it was so much healthier!
We get huge containers of whole oatmeal at Aldis for less than $2. Also the canned spinach.
ETA: just did a nice CS spark :)
I am losing measurements off my hips, thigh and waist even though my weight is the same so guess I am losing fat while building muscle which is a good thing. One thing that is definitely helping to burn fat is substituting oatmeal in recipes calling for bread crumbs. Oatmeal has become a wonderful substitute for breadcrumbs in meatloaf, oven baked chicken and in what we used to call Italian Matzoh Ball soup.
Last night I made a soup that looked like Italian Wedding soup but substituted small balls made out of oatmeal (about 1 1/2 cups), egg, Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup, alittle lemon juice and other seasonings for the traditional meatballs. I add alittle olive oil or more oatmeal till it feels like the right consistency for handrolling into balls. First I boiled some Cottage Inn low fat chicken broth (2 cans) with equal amounts of water then dropped the balls of the oatmeal mix into the broth and boiled it awhile then added alittle canned spinach chopped up and alittle of those tiny pasta beads/balls. Alittle of the spinach and pasta go a long way. Not only was it the best tasting Italian Wedding soup we ever had, it was so much healthier!
We get huge containers of whole oatmeal at Aldis for less than $2. Also the canned spinach.
ETA: just did a nice CS spark :)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
OMG Meatloaf!
I usually barely tolerate meatloaf but DH brought home chopped meat today and I was determined to make it as healthy as possible so checked a few recipes online and combine a few of them.
Earlier in the day I sauteed chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, green pepper and red pepper till tender in Canola oil. Then I splashed the concoction with some crushed red pepper, black ground pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vineagar and ketchup and let the concoction cool.
90 minutes before dinner, I combine the veggie concoction, 2 eggs, chopped meat, alittle more Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vineagar and ketchup, reserving some for the outer glaze and my new secret meatloaf ingredient...... OATMEAL! I usually used bread crumbs and was thinking of using high fiber bread instead till I read that oatmeal was an option. I was a bit skeptical because it didn't seen as wet as my previous meatloafs and I feared the oatmeal would dry out all of its moisture. Smeared the glaze on and popped it in the 325 degree oven for 90 minutes till the center read medium well and ends read well done on my meat thermometer. The final result was incredible. Moist and delicious. Best meatloaf any of us ever ate and probably the healthiest.
ETA: another healthy find for us has been frozen hashed brown potatoes at Aldi's which is just grated potatoes and went very well with the meatloaf. I dump them into a pan sprayed with a nonstick spray and sprinkle with alittle seasoning (Soul Seasoning found at Shop-rite which includes salt, onion, garlic, paprika, red pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, celery, fennel, black pepper and other spices) and bake covered with foil, flip it as its bottom browns every 20 minutes till steaming hot. No fats or oils and minimal salt.
For Thanksgiving I made my potato stuffing using these hash browns and adding grated carrots and grated onions. Unfortunately, Aldi's has them in their weekly special freezer section so may eventually run out of them but probably can find something similar at another supermarket for more $$ or be ambitious and grate potatoes the old fashioned way again.
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