Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Questions...
I have the hardest time getting up in the morning (probably because I go to bed so late and my son has been awful since he broke his leg). This poses 2 problems. Working out on an empty stomach and eating breakfast at the time I am supposed to during the day. I am so rushed to get Brianna to school that I don't end up getting to the gym until 9:30. Since you are supposed to workout on an empty stomach, I can't eat breakfast until 10:30 and then it pushes all my meals back, so I end up just doing a snack instead of breakfast. Do I absolutely need to workout on an empty stomach? Or if so, I end up needing to eat more calories at night and I think that is so bad to eat much later after dinner. Any suggestions? For the sake of argument, let's pretend that I seriously can't ever workout before 9:30.
Penne with Peppers and Grilled Chicken
Thought I'd add to some recipes. I found this one and loved it!
Ingredients:
13.25 oz. Heartland Whole Wheat Penne
1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup sweet onions, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 oz fresh basil, chopped (I just use dried since that's all I have)
1 Cup chicken, grilled and cut into strips
1 Cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
-Cook penne according to package directions
-Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat; add onions and garlic; cook until onions are transparent.
-Add basil, chicken and red peppers
-Cook 2 more minutes
-Add chicken broth and hot penne to skillet and toss together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
-Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper as needed
-Serve immediately
Now I don't use as much olive oil as it says, just to cut back on the fat content and I use 99% fat free chicken broth. Erik and I really like this recipe and it's really good for lunch the next day. We also don't use the whole wheat penne. We found this other penne, made by Heartland, that's a multi-grain with omega-3 in it. It tastes like regular pasta but is still really healthy. I just didn't like the taste of the whole wheat pasta so this makes a great alternative.
Ingredients:
13.25 oz. Heartland Whole Wheat Penne
1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup sweet onions, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 oz fresh basil, chopped (I just use dried since that's all I have)
1 Cup chicken, grilled and cut into strips
1 Cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
-Cook penne according to package directions
-Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat; add onions and garlic; cook until onions are transparent.
-Add basil, chicken and red peppers
-Cook 2 more minutes
-Add chicken broth and hot penne to skillet and toss together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
-Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper as needed
-Serve immediately
Now I don't use as much olive oil as it says, just to cut back on the fat content and I use 99% fat free chicken broth. Erik and I really like this recipe and it's really good for lunch the next day. We also don't use the whole wheat penne. We found this other penne, made by Heartland, that's a multi-grain with omega-3 in it. It tastes like regular pasta but is still really healthy. I just didn't like the taste of the whole wheat pasta so this makes a great alternative.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Some Favorite Recipes
Wonderful and Wholesome Belgian Waffles
Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tblsp unrefined sugar
1/4 cup safflower oil (or canola)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 rounded teaspoon Kosher salt
Beat the egg yolks, stir in the milk and oil. Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir just until large lumps disappear. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Pour into your waffle iron and bake.
*These were seriously fantastic! Very crispy and light, which is super hard to do with whole wheat!
White Chicken Chili from America's Test Kitchen
Adjust the heat in this dish by adding the minced ribs and seeds from the jalapeño as directed in step 6. If Anaheim chiles cannot be found, add an additional poblano and jalapeño to the chili. This dish can also be successfully made by substituting chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, increase the cooking time in step 4 to about 40 minutes. Serve chili with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges. Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeño chiles
3 poblano chiles (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions , cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions , white and light green parts sliced thin
Directions:
1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.
2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Per Serving:Cal 370; Fat 6 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 115 mg; Carb 25 g; Protein 52 g; Fiber 7 g; Sodium 710 mg
*This is unlike any white chili I have ever had. It comes out green because of the fresh peppers..but it is truly fantastic and perfect for the diet! It's not too spicy either. I loved it so much I ate it 3 days in a row!
Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tblsp unrefined sugar
1/4 cup safflower oil (or canola)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 rounded teaspoon Kosher salt
Beat the egg yolks, stir in the milk and oil. Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir just until large lumps disappear. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Pour into your waffle iron and bake.
*These were seriously fantastic! Very crispy and light, which is super hard to do with whole wheat!
White Chicken Chili from America's Test Kitchen
Adjust the heat in this dish by adding the minced ribs and seeds from the jalapeño as directed in step 6. If Anaheim chiles cannot be found, add an additional poblano and jalapeño to the chili. This dish can also be successfully made by substituting chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, increase the cooking time in step 4 to about 40 minutes. Serve chili with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges. Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeño chiles
3 poblano chiles (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions , cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions , white and light green parts sliced thin
Directions:
1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.
2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Per Serving:Cal 370; Fat 6 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 115 mg; Carb 25 g; Protein 52 g; Fiber 7 g; Sodium 710 mg
*This is unlike any white chili I have ever had. It comes out green because of the fresh peppers..but it is truly fantastic and perfect for the diet! It's not too spicy either. I loved it so much I ate it 3 days in a row!
The starting line
I have decided to start a blog documenting my BODY FOR LIFE weight loss journey. I needed to do a journal of sorts and this seems the best way for me to do it these days. I also want to post all my yummy dishes that I have discovered to be awesome for this diet. I am opening this up to all my friends who want to post and record their Body for Life journey as well. So if you are interested in doing this 12 week fabulous weight loss/body strengthening plan - let me know and I can set you up! I can think of nothing more fun than doing this with my friends!
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