Hi Everyone! Its been 13 days since my last post. I am just not good at this blog thing.
Not much new going on. Sticking to my plan, trying to get exercise.
Lets start with some TJ/food reviews shall we?
BAKERY ON MAIN Gluten Free Granola Extreme Fruit and Nut and Nutty Cranberry Maple
This stuff is like crack. It is tasty and crunchy, what else can you ask for in a snack! Also it is Non GMO certified which means none of the contents were genetically modified in any way.
Trader Joe's has a similar version of this snack and it is just as good and a little cheaper.
Trader Joe's Pita Bite Crackers
These were fantastic! I dipped them in hummus, olives and tomatoes... they go with mostly anything.
Trader Joe's Vegetable Samosas
Very tasty! They have diced potatoes, carrots, peas, lentils, onions and savory Indian spices. Definitely spicy so beware!
Greek Stewed Cauliflower
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon EV Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Shallot (minced)
1 head Cauliflower (chopped)
Zest ½ Orange
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 – 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1 – 15 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon Oregano
½ teaspoon Celery Seed
⅛ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 cup Kalamata Olives (chopped)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Cooked Brown Rice, to serve
Instructions
In a large pot add the oil garlic and shallot
Cook until softened
Add the cauliflower, orange zest, cinnamon, crushed and sauce tomatoes, oregano, celery seed, and pepper flakes
Add a lid and cook on low until the cauliflower is tender, about 15-25 minutes
Stir in the olives
Taste, season with salt and pepper
Dish up with rice, and enjoy!!
This was surprisingly delicious. The mixture of the olives, cauliflower and tomatoes is amazing. This recipe made a ton! Probably 8-10 cups of the mixture. I would definitely cut this in half next time. And there definitely will be a next time! Original recipe: Greek Stewed Cauliflower
Recipe for: Cherry Tomato Sauteed Tilapia
Ingredients
Directions
2 TBSP olive oil
1 pound tilapia
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Capers, as much desired
1/2 cup white wine
Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high
heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to skillet and sauté until
just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to
platter. Add parsley and crushed red pepper to same skillet, sauté 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic; sauté until tomatoes are soft and
juicy, about 2 minutes. Add white wine, cook 2 minute. Season sauce with salt
and pepper; spoon over fish.
I've been making this one for years. I love tilapia. Its such a wonderful light fish. I paired this for some couscous and roasted brussel sprouts.
I've made some really amazing fish dishes recently, I will posting them soon!
Did everyone have a lovely weekend? Nice cool weather, what else can you ask for?
On Saturday afternoon I went with a few friends to Jules Thin Crust. One of my friends had been telling me about this place, they use fresh, organic and local ingredients so naturally I had to check it out and I was NOT disappointed. This place was amazing! They have about 30 different pizza options, meat, veggie and cheese. If you eat in, you can all kinds of different slices.
On the left: Organic edamame, ricotta cheese, locally-produced organic goat cheese,
caramelized onions, fresh mint, drizzle of lemon vinaigrette, mozzarella On the right: Its not on the menu online, but it had green and yellow peppers and a balsamic glaze.
I tasted some of my other friends pizza's, all were amazing! Highly recommend!
On Sunday I finally made my way back to the gym. I have been going off and on to Norcom Community Center for years. Its a great little gym. Its only $12 a month and its a great way to support the community. I just hung out on the treadmill for a half hour, need to get back into my grove.
I also made this little yummy Huevos Rancheros for breakfast. That's what i am calling it, I'm not even sure what qualifies huevos rancheros!
1 TJ's Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortilla
1/4 cup lite Mexican shredded cheese
Egg Whites
2 TBSP Salsa
1 Avocado
1/4 cup TJ's soy Chorizo
I sprayed a pan with olive oil and threw in the tortilla, flipping over so it gets hard and crunchy. I then topped it with cheese and kept it in the pan until the cheese had melted.
In a separate pan heat up the soy chorizo until a little brown.
In a separate pan spray butter and then cook your egg whites through
Layer the tortilla, cheese, chorizo, egg white, salsa and avocado and enjoy because this is one tasty breakfast!
Spinach-and-Ricotta-Stuffed Shells
Makes: 4 servings
Prep
10 mins Cook 45 mins
Ingredients
·18
jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
·1
1/2 teaspoons olive oil
·1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
·4
ounces fresh chorizo, crumbled (I used TJ's Soy Chorizo)
·1
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
·3/4 teaspoon sugar
·1/4 teaspoon salt plus additional for seasoning
·1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional for
seasoning
1. Cook shells according to package
directions; rinse under cold water, drain and pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and chorizo and cook until browned, about
5 minutes. Drain all but 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings and return pan to stove. Add
tomatoes and sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste; simmer until sauce
is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and
coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish
with cooking spray.
4. Combine spinach, cheeses, egg white
and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spoon half the tomato
sauce into prepared dish. Stuff each shell with 1 heaping tablespoon filling
and arrange stuffed shells in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells
and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until pasta is cooked through and sauce
begins to bubble, about 30 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
This was super yummy. I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I would maybe double the sauce recipe. Or I would just use a premade sauce like marinara.
After I devoured those stuffed shells I ate a fruit floe. Its a fruit Popsicle that Trader Joe's sells. This was really delicious and they are rather big so I felt satisfied. I went to take a photo of the box for my blog and that was the first time I read the ingredient list. There is saw CARRAGEENAN. Sometime in the past two weeks I had read an article mentioning this ingredient and to avoid. I was a little bummed that this was listed on this package. I started doing some more research and here is what I found.
From Web MD:
Carrageenan is made from parts of various red algae or seaweeds and is used for medicine.
Carrageenan is used for coughs, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and intestinal problems. The French use a form that has been changed by adding acid and high temperatures. This form is used to treat peptic ulcers, and as a bulk laxative.In manufacturing, carrageenan is used as a binder, thickening agent, and as a stabilizer in medications, foods, and toothpaste. Carrageenan is also an ingredient in weight loss products.
For a review of the research on carrageenan see this PDF document by Cornucopia.org. Please look into this ingredient and make your own informed opinion.
At this point, I am not truly or realistically able to avoid unwanted chemicals as a lot of them aren't even know on the foods I consume. I just think its important to educate yourselves on what you put into your bodies (or at least the items you know of).
Current Weight Status -30lbs So I ended my juice fast on Wednesday night. I didn't even make through all of day 4. I just snapped. I felt so hungry. I am very disappointed in myself. I felt that I couldn't finish it and made up every excuse in the book and then used them all for my reason to stop. I feel better about it today, but I was so mad at myself yesterday. Oh well moving on.... I am trying to focus on eating more green and less carbs. Being mainly vegetarian is a little difficult. All of the things you would eat that are packed with protein are either loaded with carbs (Quinoa, rice, lentils) or fat (nuts, avocado). I have found I have been eating too much of these the past few weeks so its time to cut back.
Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 - 12 servings
Ingredients 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth 1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis,
undrained 1 1/2 tsp chili powder Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 1/2 cups frozen corn 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed juice of 1 lime 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Serve with:
corn or wheat tortillas chopped lettuce Monterey Jack, cheddar or cottage cheese diced avocados diced tomatoes hot sauce
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium
high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until golden and tender, about 3
minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in broth, diced
tomatoes, cooked quinoa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce
heat, cover saucepan with lid and simmer about 20 minutes, until mixture has
thickened.
Stir in corn and black beans and simmer, uncovered 5 - 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm over
tortillas with desired toppings.
These were delicious! I used Trader Joe's reduced carb whole wheat toritilla's and also added some lite Mexican cheese and lite sour cream. Even my mom liked it! The original recipe said this made 6-8 servings, but I will definitely get about 12 tacos out of it. It makes a ton! Here is the original recipe: Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Day 1 of my quick reboot was pretty good. I felt hungry at times but nothing like the first day of my first juice fast. I had 2 mean greens and a carrot, celery, apple, lemon and orange juice.
This reboot is exactly what I needed. When I got on that scale today, I reached a personal goal of my own and it feels amazing. I even did a little dance in the bathroom :-)
1 day down, 4 more to go!
I realized this weekend that I did not mention that I went to North Carolina to visit my Aunt and Uncle Easter weekend. It was a lovely time. My best friend and I flew out Friday and came home on Easter. A huge thank you to my aunt and uncle for accommodating my new way of eating. We stopped at TJ's and picked up some things which was helpful. On Friday they made seared scallops and sauteed zucchini and squash. It was FANTASTIC. I don't have a picture because I gobbled it up in 2 minutes. The weather was awesome down there and I didn't want to leave.
Some of you may be my facebook friends and have seen a lot of posts regarding GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) or Monsanto. Here's a little information about whats going on...
What/Who is Monsanto?
For those of you who have
never heard of Monsanto, it is a multinational agricultural biotechnology
corporation. They most notably produce herbicide gyphosate, the active
ingredient in Roundup (the weed killer). They also are interestingly the makers
of Aspartame and other deadly chemicals.
Much of Monsanto's stated
objectives are to sell genetically engineered seeds to farmers that provide
"high-performing", "durable" crops. Crops like soy, corn,
tomatoes, eggplant, etc. What they are
really selling is food that contaminates soil and current crops with plants
that produce their own insecticide and herbicides, which not only decimates
insect populations and create "super weeds" and "super
pests", including numerous rampant bee viruses, but also possible organ
failure in test subjects who ingest these foods. However, the FDA has given the
green light to Monsanto's products because they don't contain abnormal levels
of ingredients that would not be present in these foods normally. In the case
of GMOs there is simply extra DNA present. In some cases tomatoes are being
spliced with fish and in others, pigs with mice.
Monsanto’s “life sciences” arms are most associated
with insecticides, herbicides, and defoliants, as well as genetically modified
organisms. The company manufactured some of the most infamous chemicals that
exist, including DDT (notably profiled in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and
banned in the US in 1972)[34] and the defoliant known as Agent Orange,
which killed at least half a million people in Southeast Asia, sickened
millions more and left a poisonous legacy that impacts local
communities to this day.
Rather than conceding
victory to Monsanto on the basis of its market share, however, there are a few
things we can do. Avoiding Monsanto subsidiaries, to whatever degree we can, is
essential, and simplygoing vegan will already eliminate your
participation with many of those products. Whenever possible, we can also
support local, organic farmers through CSAs and farmer’s
markets or even grow our own food. GMO's
Genetically modified food has
quietly become second nature in the U.S., and it may surprise you just how many
foods you are eating that you never knew contained a genetically modified
ingredient.
Experts say 60% to 70% of
processed foods on U.S. grocery shelves have genetically modified ingredients.
The most common genetically modified foods are soybeans, maize, cotton, and
rapeseed oil. That means many foods made in the U.S. containing field corn or
high-fructose corn syrup, such as many breakfast
cereals, snack foods, and the last soda you drank; foods made with soybeans
(including some baby foods); and foods made with cottonseed and canola oils
could likely have genetically modified ingredients. These ingredients appear
frequently in animal feed as well.
If this shocks you, a new
USDA-funded survey shows you're not alone. Researchers found that only 52% of
Americans realized that genetically modified foods are sold in grocery stores
and only 26% believed that they have ever eaten genetically modified foods -- a
modest 6% increase since 2001.
The U.S. government's position: Genetically engineered crops are safe,
resist disease better, and can provide much-needed food in starving nations.
The EU position: Keep it out. We prefer organic, which is much healthier.
The risk of genetically modified foods to health and the environment outweigh
the benefits. Only the multinational biotech companies will benefit, dominating
the world food supply and squeezing out traditional farmers. The U.S. is the
largest producer of genetically modified crops.
More than a
dozen countries around the world have latched on to the technology, including
Argentina, Canada, China, Australia, India, and Mexico.
Currently, food companies aren't required by law to label
foods containing genetically modified ingredients, so it's no surprise that
most Americans don't know they've eaten them.
Bottom line: All food should be labeled as GMO so
people can know what they are putting in their bodies. Having food genetically modified is simply not necessary.
I am not perfect, what I am is inspired. I have been learning a lot about food since I went on this journey and I am doing the best I can to make good decisions for myself and my body.
So much for my big effort to blog twice a week. I think I over committed myself. I have been very busy over the past few weeks.
Here's what I have been cooking.
I woke up late one day, almost 10am and I wasn't in the mood for juice. I decided to make a little quesadilla. I used Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Tortilla, spread some goat cheese on the bottom, small handful of spinach and a little marinara, topped with a tortilla and put a pan to cook. I didn't actually get to take a photo of the finished product because I gobbled it up in about negative 1 second. Really yummy!
In one of my many visits to Trader Joe's, I discovered this fantastic salad dressing. Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola, OMG, amazing. Highly recommend.
A couple of weekends ago was a weekend of comedy with my friend, two shows Friday and Saturday. What a blast. First was Amy Schumer, this is my new favorite female comic. If you haven't heard of her, check her out on youtube. She is WRONG and raunchy and I love it.
One of the best parts about this night was the opening act, Bridget Everett. I don't even know what to say about this woman, she was astounding. Check her stuff out!
Second was Josh Wolf. He's on Chelsea Lately and is extremely funny.
Did I mention he was super cute and super nice? he signed his book for me, which I read last weekend and if you like to laugh AND read, this book is for you to check out. It Takes Balls.
Pesto Eggplant Rollatine
Total Time:about 1 hour
Ingredients:
3 T olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 medium-sized eggplants (about 3 pounds), peeled, and sliced lengthwise into 3/8-inch thick strips salt and black pepper 2 cups marinara sauce 2/3 cup prepared basil pesto 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup) 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach 2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease two rimmed baking sheets. Combine the oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush the oil on both sides of the eggplant slices and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheets. Season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Place the baking sheets side by side in the oven (if possible). Roast for 20-25 minutes, until well browned and very tender, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. (If your baking sheets don't fit side by side, place one on the middle rack and one on the bottom rack and rotate them a couple of times during roasting.) Spread about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread each eggplant slice with a spoonful of pesto and top with a pinch of each kind of cheese, a few spinach leaves and a couple of sun-dried tomatoes. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and the rolls are heated through. Serve hot. Makes about 4-5 servings. I pretty much followed the original recipe (pesto eggplant rollatine) above except for the measurements... I feel this recipe calls for much more than I actually needed. I think it depends on the size of your eggplant slices. Regardless, this was an amazing dish! I have never cooked eggplant before and I am sad I have been missing out all of these years!
Overflowing Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Serves: 4 as a side/starter; 2 as an entrée Makes: Makes 4 stuffed portobellos.
INGREDIENTS:
4 large Portobello
mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 roasted red peppers,
chopped
Handful fresh basil leaves,
chopped
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread
crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
cheese
Sea salt and ground black
pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove stems from mushrooms
and set aside. Clean mushroom tops (TIP: Erin uses a mushroom brush) and set
upside down on a work surface.
Heat oil in a medium
skillet. Chop mushroom stems and add to skillet with zucchini, onion, garlic
and vinegar. Sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until onion and zucchini start to
soften. Add tomato and roasted peppers and heat through, about 2 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in basil, bread crumbs
and cheese. (If you prefer a drier mixture, simply add more bread crumbs.)
Season with salt and black pepper.
Fill mushroom tops with
vegetable mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until mushrooms look tender and
cheese is slightly melted.
While I love the concept of the stuffed portobello's, I didn't LOVE these. They were good, but not great. I wouldn't duplicate this recipe again. I would modify. I would omit the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and zucchini and add in mozzarella and yellow squash.
Here are a few food purchase fails:
Amy's Organic Low Fat Cream of Tomato. While it tasted good, it was loaded with sodium and it tasted like someone dumped a shaker of salt into it.
Trade Joe's Artichoke Parmesan Spread - No bueno peeps. I used tortilla chips as a dipping tool and this was just not good.
Food Purchase Success?
Trader Joe's Chickenless Crispy Tenders - WOW WOW WOW. If I fed these to a carnivore they wouldn't know the difference. These are a huge trader joe success! See the next recipe for how I used them :-)
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad with Broccoli
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 as a main, 4 as a side
Ingredients
Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
6 TJ's chickenless crispy tenders (cooked as directed and chopped)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cabbage (I used bag of cole slaw mix)
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, plus more for garnish
4 green onions chopped, save half for garnish
Dressing
1/4 cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
1-2 TbSP Olive Oil
Instructions
1. In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa well and drain. In a medium pot, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork.
2. Heat a medium size skillet over medium high heat Add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the broccoli for about 5 minutes. You want it to just start to soften, but still be crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chicken, olive oil and a little bit of the hot sauce to the same pan coat chicken and heat up a little.
3. When the quinoa is ready add the chicken, broccoli, carrots, shredded cabbage and as much of the dressing as desired and toss well. Add the blue cheese and half of the green onions. Toss again and serve warm with extra blue cheese crumbles and green onions.
This was incredible and I cannot begin to tell you how awesome those chickenless tenders are. It was just what I needed. I actually prefer eating this cold than warm.
This is a quick and easy meal to prepare for lunch or dinner. You can use any BBQ sauce you like. Try it with a sweet, or a spicy sauce. It is packed with protein, and fiber and is very low in fat.
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 Can of Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 - 1 Cup of BBQ Sauce
1 Medium Tomato, diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
2 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
2 Whole Wheat Tortillas or Pita
In a pot, heat BBQ sauce, when BBQ sauce is warm, add beans. Let beans simmer in BBQ sauce for 10 minutes. Serve beans on a tortilla/Pita and top with tomato, romaine, and celery.
I used Annie's Organic BBQ Sauce and I didn't love it. Next time I will use Kraft Lite. I wound up putting these in a Josephs oat and flaxseed pita (Giant carries this brand). A little messy but super yum.
