Sleepy on a Saturday :)

*Yawn* Stayed up too late last night. Just didn't feel sleepy, though I was exhausted. Doesn't make sense, does it? Anyway, bright light of sun thru thin curtains and chatty dh (who wanted to tell me about his interesting SAS book facts- lol) woke me up early. Gotta get thicker curtains. Not sure what I can do about the chatty dh though. It's good that he reads and it's cute when he gets excited about stuff. Plus, I gave him the book for Christmas, so it's nice he's enjoying my gift and all (especially since at the time of giving it, he stressed about it being too expensive: hard cover, new title). :)

Since my last post, I tried a couple of new recipes. My organic veggie box is definitely shaping (and encouraging more of) my recipe choices, btw. Firstly, I tried a Martha Stewart pesto one to use up some of my basil and fresh spinach from this week: Fettuccine with Parsley Pesto and Walnuts. The pesto ACTUALLY called for parsley, but since I had 2 pretty bunches of basil, I used those instead. I also cut back on the walnuts and didn't sprinkle any on top. I also used bow tie noodles instead of fettuccine. (This recipe was a last minute decision. Can you tell?)

My spinach leaves look HUGE compared to hers because while I was making this dish, I was also prepping a plain version for dh, so my spinach didn't get tossed in until the noodles were cooled down: ergo, little wiltage. (If I could only train dh to like pesto!)

I cut the recipe in half for 2 servings and after the picture, added some shrimp. The recipe isn't actually low in points (11 using all her ingredients anyway). It was, like all things Martha that I've tried: very tasty!

Yesterday, using up more organic produce I made the Cooking Light Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp ( 4 pts) and this new vinaigrette from my organic veggie box company (they send recipes with their emails sometimes): Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette. It was very delicious and tart! :)

FRESH LEMON VINAIGRETTE (foodreference.com)
Ingredients

€ 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

€ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

€ 1 clove garlic, pressed

€ 1/4 teaspoon salt

€ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

€ 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended. (If desired, prepare ahead by storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature and whisk before serving.)

Have a great Saturday, healthy bloggers! I'm hoping to get in a little exercise. Being tired kills my desire to sweat a lot. Maybe a nap first?

Weigh-In Wednesday

Another 3.4 down for a total of 20 pounds- as totaled by my ww online weight tracker. (Notice my new HYC bling.) This means I did make it back to my summer low point weight and into the 150s.

Hope my fellow Weigh-In Wednesday bloggers had a good day, too.

Checking in with Chops

HYC check in time... I had a good week. I got in a little exercise (have to make it more regular though), checked out one of the gyms we are considering and tried a few recipes. btw, I have way too much reading material on my ottoman: a ton of new recipe magazines (cooking magazine junkie in the howww-sse) and cookbooks from the public library. I need more free time! How about you?

I am down this week- currently between 2-3 pounds. woo hoo! My official wi day is not until tomorrow though and so that might not stick. I am very close to my low from the summer, before I fell into a bin o' pizza and poutine in Quebec. It's funny how easy weight goes on- as opposed to the coming off- not in the funny "Ha! Ha!" sense- more in the" Boo hoo!" arena. BUT I haven't been suffering too much (as in I've been enjoying what I'm eating), and though it has been slow going at times, I do feel stronger and healthier with sprouting muscles and everything (to offset the creaking bones).

Finally, last night I tried another recipe from the new Clean Eating: One Skillet Lamb Chops. They were super delicious. Sometimes you just feel like a chop, right? :) The ones pictured in the magazine were thinner (and prettier) than the ones I found at Costco (from New Zealand). I left mine in the pan for longer than the recipe called for because of that and then, later, microwaved my younger daughter's too red chop bits. We're more of a medium well family (or very well done- ie, burnt, in dh's case.)

The chops looked quite small, but one really was enough. It just shows you how the typical portion size in restaurants is really too big. Anyway, here's the recipe, typed out by moi for your amusement.

One-Skillet Lamb Chops

4 med or 6 small 3/4 inch thick lamb loin chops (1-1 1/4 lb) fat trimmed I used 5 of mine.

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 unsweetened apple juice

1/4 c low-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 firm ripe pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 in slices I missed the "peeled" part. Oops!

3/4 tsp fresh rosemary, thyme or combo chopped

Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Cook over med-high about 2 1/2 mins per side for med rare or 4 mins per side for med. Keep warm.

Discard any fat from skillet and return to med heat. Add apple juice, broth, vinegar and pear to skillet. Cook 2-3 mins until liquid is reduced by half. I reduced mine to barely anything, but luckily I was the only one who really wanted some. lol. Sometimes picky is GOOD. Remove from heat and stir in herbs.

Serve lamb topped with pears and pan sauce. 5 points per serving (4 1/2 oz of lamb, 1/4 pear and 2 tbsp sauce)

The Best Broccoli Ever

Monday did roll around PDQ, eh? Anywhooo...I did manage to fit in 1 20 min. run/walk on the treadmill yesterday and tried a couple of new recipes last night. I did this broccoli recipe recommended by the amazing (and funny) Dietgirl. She linked it from The Amateur Gourmet's blog who was inspired by a Barefoot Countessa recipe. 6 degrees of diet blog separation. ;)

I should start by saying that I'm really am not a cooked broccoli fan. I steam it for the rest of the family- who will actually eat this vegetable without complaint, but I prefer it raw. I LOVED this recipe though. It really is delicious. I limited the olive oil in it, but I did (unlike the Amateur Gourmet) try it with the pine nuts (love pine nuts!) though I cut those down, too, and also used the basil (which I had left over from my organic box.)

dh enjoyed it, too, going back for 2nds and 3rds. My children, on the other hand, will have to grow to love it. They didn't enjoy it *sigh* proving for once and for all that I have the pickiest children in Canada and possibly, North America. ;) So much for the Amateur Gourmet's friend's comment "If parents made this broccoli for their kids, kids wouldn't hate broccoli. They'd beg for it." He hasn't met mine. ;P BUT that being said, it really, really was the best broccoli I ever ate. For the tots, I will stick with steamed for awhile.

The Best Broccoli Evah! (originally from the Barefoot Countessa)

Preheat the oven to 425.

4 to 5 pounds of broccoli cut into florets I used half a pre-washed HUGE bag from Costco

5 Tbs olive oil I used less than 2

1 1/2 tsps kosher salt I used sea salt. It was a little too chunky. Led to random bits of salt.

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced

1 1/2 TBSP of olive oil I used less

3 TBSP toasted pinenuts

1/3 C shredded parmesan cheese

Put the clean and dry broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Now toss the sliced garlic in too.

Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes. The broccoli should be tender crisp and the tips starting to brown. Take the broccoli out and zest a lemon over the broccoli and then squeeze the juice over it. Toss in 1.5 TBSP more olive oil, 3 TBSP toasted pine nuts and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. and 2 TBSP of julienned fresh basil.

Jambalaya- fun to Eat and fun to Say!

...and Asian Chicken-Soba Noodle Salad.

Hey bloggers! Happy Saturday night! no movie night with dh, afterall, but a fun day cropping and a tasty meal of Jambalaya and wine once home. So it's all good! :)

Menus 2 and 3 from Clean Eating's "Meal Multiplication" were both tasty and recommended to you by moi. With mil over this weekend, I had another NON-PICKY diner to taste test the recipes, and she liked both, too. Yeah! love dining visitors. :o)

Anyway, if you read my last post, from the Roasted Chicken with Cherry BBQ sauce & toasted almonds, came the next 2 recipes. Firstly, yesterday night we had Asian Chicken-Soba Noodle Salad. It was pretty easy to whip together, though I left it late and had the family waiting at the table, enjoying their rolls. I liked it quite a bit. It was a light, tasty meal. I enjoy sesame oil dishes like this. The family, usually not as much, though the dh didn't complain, so it was a winner to that extent. The kids picked out what they liked and ate it, slowly. as per usual.

I got home quite late after my crop- it was quite productive: 11 Disney vacation pages later- woo hoo! Eventually, I'll be done our Disney vacation pictures from 2 years ago... and so I just made the Jambalaya for two: mil and me. (The family had ordered pizza earlier.)

Anyway, the Jambalaya was pretty easy to whip together (though mil was impressed and said she would have personally just had "toast" after coming in late.) It was pretty tasty. I really liked it- as did mil. I liked the brown rice more than I thought I would, too. I'm usually a basmati rice girl. The mixture tasted spicy and fresh. :)

Here are the two recipes. I couldn't find them online, so I typed them up "in brief." Enjoy. :)

Asian Chicken-Soba Noodle Salad

8 oz soba noodles

1 c snow peas

4 cooked chicken breasts (from Roasted Chicken recipe)

1/3 c scallions

1/4 cilantro, chopped

1/2 reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c dry roasted cashews

Cook soba noodles according to package. Add snow peas last 30 seconds. Drain and put in large bowl. Add chicken, scallions, cilantro and toss.

Whisk broth, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add noodle mixture. Toss. Sprinkle cashews over top just before serving.
(8 points per serving- 4 servings per batch :))

Jambalaya

1 c long grain brown rice

2 tsp olive oil

1 each green and red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 c reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cooked chicken breast (from recipe), cubed

1/2 lb med shrimp

1/4c parsley chopped

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to directions.

Heat oil in wok over med-heat. Cook peppers, onion, garlic (3 mins). Stir in seasoning. Add broth and chicken and heat to simmer. Stir in seasoning. Add shrimp and cook 2 min. Add rice and cook 1 min more.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(4 servings- 6 points a serving)

Clean Eating on a Friday Night

TGIF! Don't you love Friday night? :) The weekend laid out, lengthy seeming in front of you? It's like you have amnesia every Friday night about how fast the two weekend days actually go. Like a little child, you're all innocent and hopeful- planning to do such minor activities as reorganizing your home, having moving family time adventures and getting in a little fitness while planning and prepping menus for the week. At least I usually get dressed in the morning- oh, ok, by early afternoon. ;) (kidding! dh would never let me sleep in THAT long. :P) Anywhooo...

Thought I'd share my meal from last night- which carries on to a meal for Friday night and then Saturday, too. After reading about Clean Eating magazine on some of my favourite blogs AND hearing about it from friends in real life, too, I thought I'd pick up a copy. Roasted Chicken with Cherry Barbecue Sauce & Toasted Almonds is from the current March/April 2009 issue and a part of the article, "Meal Multiplication." The roasted chicken goes into 3 different meals (love that!) Tonight's dish (which I'm going to prep as soon as I post this) is Asian Chicken-Soba Noodle Salad. I will share a review tomorrow.

The roasted chicken was very tasty. I will post the recipe following this and make some notes about ingredients missing, etc. Overall, I was in a super rush to make it as I got to the grocery store late (grounded at home with my little pox patient), so my almonds don't look that browned and my potato side wasn't ready in time for dinner- so I just served quick noodles with it. and my salad looks very "unchopped". It all tasted very good together though. A serving will cost you 9 points, but that is with 1 oz of almonds and 3 oz of the sauce. I misread that part and put almonds all over the dish (and so didn't eat an oz of them).

Roasted Chicken with Cherry Barbecue Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

olive oil cooking spray
1 cup(s) no-sugar cherry preserves or cherry jam I used regular cherry jam.
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4c low-sodium tomato sauce
2 tbp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke I couldn't find this at the store
1 tsp cumin
10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 5 oz each)
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat Oven to 400. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together cherry preserves, vinegar, tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and cumin. Set saucepan over med-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

3. Meanwhile, arrange chicken in one layer in prepared pan and season the tops with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken. Roast chicken 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

4. Toast almonds in a small, dry skillet over med-heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve 4 chicken breast halves with almonds sprinkled over top. I put mine over the whole dish by accident. Reserve remaining 6 breasts for the next two recipes!

Patient Number 2 and a Secret Smoothie Ingredient

In spite of paying for vaccines when they were little, daughter number two has now come down with the pox! Poor sweetie is upset to miss school, told her friend (who said she wished SHE had chicken pox) to bring home LOTS of homework. lol. That'll change by high school, this I'm sure. So, I'm grounded today (and home from high school), hoping I can bring in reinforcements next week at least. It's hard when your family is spread across the country (and across other countries): long distance reinforcements don't work that well.

Anyway, I made the patient a smoothie and I thought I'd share with you all our new, favourite secret smoothie ingredient: low fat coconut milk. It comes from a prior share from Devin Alexander's The Most Decadent Diet Ever- now overdue, btw, due to our missing our library visit due to what we thought was the flu (aka the chicken pox). oops!

Anyway, for this smoothie, I used 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, 1/2 c skim, 1 banana, 1 c (or so) of frozen strawberries, and 1 container of low-fat yogurt. Today I had to use a DanActive Cranberry-Raspberry drink cause I didn't make it to the grocery store yesterday and I'm out of yogurt.

The drinks are really good, btw. I bought them at Costco after a taste test there and both kids really like them in lunches.

I don't like to use the artificially sweetened yogurt with the kids (as Devin does in her recipe). The drink adds 13g of sugar, but with the coconut milk and the yogurt, you don't need to add extra sugar to get a non-sour smoothie. The other day, I also made this with my unsweetened plain yogurt instead of the little container of sweetened, flavoured stuff. It still tasted sweet enough for me.

This smoothie is usually 4 points if you use 2 individual containers of no-real sugar added yogurt and 2 cups of the strawberries (and pour it into 2 servings). :)