posole- it's healthy!

i got a recipe for posole from gerri after she shared hers with me last week. if i would have died after tasting the delicious yumminess that was this bowl of posole, i would have died happy.
(slight exaggeration. i'm a newlywed. i don't want to die after eating posole.)

posole can be made green. or red. with chicken. or pork. the details are up to you.
i edited gerri's recipe a little, so will share with you my version. i really only changed amounts of the ingredients.

POSOLE
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
8 cups (two containers) chicken stock. or broth. whichever.
2 cans green chili, chopped or diced
2 cups tomatillo sauce
italian seasoning
bay leaf
1 large and 1 small can white hominy
3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced in half longways.
garnish

in stock pot, sautee onion and garlic with a little olive oil until soft, about 15 minutes, with a little salt and pepper. add the chicken broth, chili, tomatillo sauce, and seasonings, then simmer for about an hour. or an hour and a half. whatever. take the chicken that has been sliced in half, and season it with cumin, salt, and pepper about 15 minutes before adding to the stock. then add the hominy (drained) and the chicken. poach the chicken in the stock for about 25 minutes. or 35 if you forget about it. take the chicken out and shred it with your fingers or with two forks, then add it back to the pot. warm it all up, and serve.
garnish with chopped cabbage. other garnishes are: chopped turnips, avocado, sour cream, or whatever you want. serve with a flour tortilla.

it is sooo good.

Kraft Recipes

I've been a member of Kraft Foods' website for awhile now and recently realized that they have healthy recipes. Not only do they have healthy recipes, but they have a section of budget-friendly recipes that are also healthy! Can't beat that. You can search to find the recipes you like and add them to your "recipe box." It will also add the ingredients to a shopping list for you. I think I'm going to start utilizing this tool more often, now that I'm back at work and having to deal with a 3-month-old who goes to physical therapy twice a week. This will help me to save time while also providing much-needed healthy, inexpensive ingredients.

Here are just a few recipes I found that sound tasty:

Better-Than-Ever Beef Enchiladas - Enchiladas? Sign me up. 340 calories / 11 grams of fat per serving.

Chicken, Cheese, and Spinach Manicotti - I go nuts for any kind of pasta. 370 calories / 9 grams of fat per serving.

Layered Summer Salad - I love making things like this in the summer. Anything to not have to use my oven in this Arkansas heat. 180 calories / 14 grams of fat per serving.

Quick Chicken-Parmesan Pasta - Again, I love pasta. And this is nice because it uses pre-cooked grilled chicken. 330 calories / 12 grams of fat per serving.

Working on this

One habit at a time. This is my goal. I want to work on one habit at a time. But it's hard. I'm so excited. Recently, hubby and I moved into a new apartment which includes a gym membership. The best part about the gym? It's in building, right down the hall. How many times have I been there? Twice. Once to walk on an elliptical for about 30 seconds when hubby and I checked it out after moving in and once when we got a tour of the building before we signed a lease. Problem? I think so.

So, I guess adding work out time isn't as much of a habit as it as a completely new behavior. The habit I want to work on is buying frozen, pre-made breakfast items. I checked the health content of a Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl and about fell over. It's crazy how must sodium AND calories are in one of those things. They aren't filling and at over 500 calories, I expect to be full for awhile. So, I'm working on making things that will keep and are easy for mornings when I don't want to make breakfast or get sick of cold cereal.

While brainstorming of ideas, I remembered my Mom eating these little egg "quiches" while on the South Beach diet. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me. I remember them being pretty good! :-)

Vegetable Quiche Cups to Go!

1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach

3/4 cup liquid egg substitute

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese

1/4 cup diced green bell peppers

1/4 cup diced onions

3 drops hot-pepper sauce (optional)

Microwave spinach for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Drain the excess liquid.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups. Spray the cups with cooking spray.

Combine the egg substitute, cheese, peppers, onions, and spinach in a bowl. Mix well. Divide evenly among the muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Quiche cups can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. Any combination of appropriate vegetables and reduced-fat cheeses may be used.

6 (2 mini-quiche) servings. 73 calories, Total Fat: 2.5 grams, Cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 195 mg
(For detailed nutrition information, check here)

(This post was finished, I just forgot to schedule it... Sorry!)

Hmmmm

So - My camera broke so no pics of the scale.... though that doesn't matter because I'm actually up a lb. I definitely know why. I stopped doing my Wii workouts!!! I thought my elliptical would be just as good, but it's not! No one pushes me when I'm tired, no one yells at me to keep going... (ok the Wii doesn't actually yell, but you gotta get it done, ya know?) So. Decision made. Back to Wii.

Other than that, I've been baking. Ha. Always good for the diet. Banana bread, zucchini bread, cookies... terrible. Aaaaand tasty.

I did, however, find a great recipe for a yummy, healthy, salad.

* 2 cups water
* 2 cubes chicken bouillon
* 1 clove garlic, smashed
* 1 cup uncooked quinoa
*
* 2 large cooked chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
* 1 large red onion, diced
* 1 large green bell pepper, diced
* 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Bring the water, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 278 | Total Fat: 13.9g | Cholesterol: 45mg

So, its not exactly super lowfat/lowcal but it's definitely a healthy choice. Once you've tried the Quinoa and decide whether or not you like it, consider substituting for your rice in future dishes! It's much better for you!

CHALLENGE TIME: Take one picture of you exercising this week. Don't care what it is. Just wanna see you doing it.

xox!

Tamara

the most important meal of the day

i had a goal last week: to eat something quick and healthy for breakfast every day. i looked online for recipes and found TONS of things i wanted to try. many of the ideas i found were egg-based, but since i'm allergic to eggs, i had to work around those ones. i am, however, looking forward to making a bunch of those at some point for chris.

"research shows" that a *healthy* breakfast should be low in calories and high in fiber and protein. it's recommended that you get at least 5g fiber and 5g protein for breakfast-- so that was my goal. surprisingly, the protein was much easier to find than the fiber. i thought fiber was in everything... i was wrong. enjoy these recipes and breakfast ideas-- many of them would be great for mid-afternoon snacks, also!

Tuesday
1 EarthGrains Thin Bun
2 thick slices of tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

top each half of the bun with a slice of tomato, top with 1/8 cup cheese and a sprinkling of oregano, then broil in the toaster oven until the cheese melts.

Verdict: delicious. i would have this for a mid-afternoon snack, especially in the summer when the tomatoes are fresh and abundant. i felt energized all morning. feel free to switch the thin buns for english muffins-- just watch the fiber and calories.

Nutrition:
168 calories
4.7 g fiber
9 g protein

Wednesday
1/2 cup homemade granola
1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 banana (sliced)
in a small bowl, layer most of the granola and banana. top with the yogurt. sprinkle with the remaining granola and banana

Verdict: delicious. i would have added more bananas, and i'd like to try it with maybe a mix of bananas and frozen berries. or just switch the bananas for the frozen berries. so many possibilities.

Nutrition:
405 calories
5.9 g fiber
12.6 g protein

Thursday
1 EarthGrains Thin Bun
1.5 T peanut butter
1/2 banana
spread peanut butter thinly on each half of the bun. slice up the banana and make a layer of it on one half of the bun, then top with the other half.

Verdict: convenient! it was the first breakfast we had on-the-go, which was great because we happened to both be running a little late this day. there wasn't too much peanut butter, which was nice-- it was just there to keep the bananas in place, and to provide some protein and a little flavor.

Nutrition:
294 calories
7g fiber
11.7 g protein

Friday
1 EarthGrains Thin Bun
1/8 cup stir-fry veggies
1 turkey sausage patty
(smidgen of ketchup if you're anything like me)

it's a stir fry sandwich! i cooked the veggies the night before so i just had to microwave them. the sausage patty was cooked up in the microwave in about 45 seconds. i layered the veggies on the bun, then chopped up the sausage patty and topped it. you could probably add some cheese if you want.

Verdict: messy. the original recipe called for it to be in a pita, which would have made it portable. as it was, it was difficult to eat just sitting at the table. it was delicious, though! i cooked the veggies with a little red pepper seasoning in them, and the turkey sausage was healthier than a pork or beef sausage.

Nutrition:
194 calories
4.3 g fiber
11.1 g protein

Saturday
2 Eggo Buttermilk waffles
1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup frozen berries
toast the waffles, then put 1/4 cup yogurt on each. Top with 1/4 cup thawed berries.

Verdict: surprisingly delicious! as a devout syrup-user, i figured yogurt and berries on a waffle couldn't satisfy me. it sure did! and, like the tomato/cheese meal, it kept me satisfied for longer than some of the other dishes.

Nutrition:
340 calories
5.5 g fiber
10 g protein

Sunday
1 peeled and sliced apple
1 cup Raisin Bran cereal
sprinkle of cinnamon
layer half of the apples in a bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with the cereal. microwave for 30 seconds to one minute.

Verdict: pretty good. great flavor, but tasted kind of dry. needed a splash of milk or something in it also. next time i'll try it a little different.

Nutrition:
234 calories
9.3 g fiber
5.7 g protein

It's working, it's working!

What could hold me more accountable than a picture of my scale weekly? Nothing.

I did consider the picture... I even took some. I love you ladies, but I cannot subject you to such a thing. I figure, if I do keep dropping weight, and get to a reasonable size, I'll post the pics then :D

So for me, this week has been a battle of wills. I have four work-outs left in my "30 day challenge" and it seems I'm averaging 2 lbs per week. The work-outs are getting harder, and the pounds really are coming off! I love reading that you all are still losing weight as well. We can do this ladies.... we can do this!

In saying that, I will now admit to the ways that I have found to still have the things I love, without blowing the budget. No one was kidding when they talked about portion control. It truly is about portion control. Measure it out if you have too. And if you are feeling particularly snacky - have one of these:

Yep - I have considered eating a diet which consisted solely of ice cream bars. Alas, that would not be balanced so please, don't do it.

I leave you with a recipe I will be trying today!

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

From EatingWell: Winter 2004, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine Today!

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This satisfying remake of broccoli chowder benefits from the creamy texture of cooked potatoes and smooth, tangy reduced-fat sour cream instead of getting its richness from as much as a cup each of cream and cheese. Not only is the flavor vibrant, but a single serving gives you over half of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.

---

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was a great soup! The recipe was easy and fun. I ended up adding extra cayenne pepper and dried mustard for extra flavor. I do suggest cooking this in the morning or mid-day for an evening meal, in order for the flavors to mix...

• Recipe

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6 servings, 1 cup each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces broccoli crowns, (see Ingredient Note), cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
2. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.
3. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

• Ingredient note: Most supermarkets sell broccoli crowns, which are the tops of the bunches, with the stalks cut off. Although crowns are more expensive than entire bunches, they are convenient and there is considerably less waste.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 205 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 4 g fiber; 508 mg sodium; 436 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (61% daily value), Vitamin A (64% dv), Calcium (34% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

You Can Have Your Pie and Eat It Too!

I have to share this recipe with you.  It's so simple and so delicious with virtually no calories.  That's right ladies!  This is all you need:

(1) .8 oz (22g) box of Sugar Free, Fat Free Jell-O Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding
(1) .30 oz (8.5g) box of Sugar Free Raspberry Jell-O Gelatin (can substitute for Strawberry)
1.5 Cups of fresh Raspberries (can substitute Strawberries.  If you do so, cut the strawberries in half)
2 Cups of water
(1) Pie pan

Mix Cook & Serve pudding with 2 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil (this means the pudding is boiling as you are stirring).  Turn off heat & mix in gelatin.  Stir until gelatin is dissolved, set to side.  Pour all the raspberries in the bottom of the pie pan.  This should completely cover the bottom of the pan.  Pour the pudding/gelatin mixture over the berries and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight or until the pudding/gelatin mixture has set.  Cut & serve.  Serves 4.

Now, are you ready for the calories and fat for this ENTIRE pie? 

314 Calories
3G   Fat

Per Serving?
78.5 Calories
.75G Fat

I hope you will give this a try.  It is very good.  The calories vary slightly if you use strawberries instead, but not much.  So, go ahead and have 1/4 of that pie for desert.  One thing is for certain, you won't feel guilty at all about it!

Food for Friday

I am going to post two recipes today: chicken salad pitas and salmon loaf.

Dislaimer: I have only tried the chicken salad. I just want to post the salmon loaf because it looks tasty and easy, and because several people asked me to post it when I mentioned I read it in my pregnancy magazine.

Chicken Salad Pitas

Here's the original recipe but I made a few modifications.

• Rather than 2 small cans, I used 2 large cans. It ended up being about 2 cups of chicken.
• I used more celery than was called for, chopping up 2 ribs which made about 1 full cup of chopped celery.
• Instead of chopping up the lettuce, I just pulled off leaves and placed on top of the chicken and cheese.
• I did not use pitas but I found these really great thin multi-grain buns (these would work for hamburgers and deli sandwiches as well).

The celery really gives this chicken a good crunch. If you don't like celery, you can probably substitute dill relish instead.

This made quite a bit. MK and I both had one sandwich for dinner and I had one for leftovers the next day. We still have some in the fridge.



Salmon Loaf

Healthy Additions: Shredded Carrots and Zucchini
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
Serves: 4

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 15-ounce canned salmon, drained
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup 1% milk (we always buy skim, so that's what I'll use)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped (I'll probably omit this because I hate onions or I might just use the dried chopped onions you can buy in the spice aisle)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Salsa (optional)
  

>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Using a box grater or mandoline, shred carrots and zucchini and set aside. In a large bowl, flake salmon. Add bread crumbs, milk, egg, onion, carrots, zucchini, curry powder, lemon juice and pepper to the salmon and mix very well until moist. (Add more milk, if necessary.)

>Form salmon mixture into load shape and place in pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until load is set in the center. (It will feel firm to the touch.) Slice and serve topped with salsa, if desired.

>Per serving: 300 calories, 37% protein (27 g), 41% carbohydrate (31 g), 23% fat (7.5 g), 379 mg calcium, 13 mg vitamin C, 3 mg iron, 65 mcg folate, 4 g fiber.


I really need to buy a loaf pan. :)

[Salmon photo and recipe from February/March 2010 issue of Fit Pregnancy.]

Wednesday - Taco Soup Dinner

Yesterday, Erin asked for recipe ideas for the week. So, I shared with her my favorite Weight Watchers recipe, Taco Soup. After discussing it with her, I had to make it. So, I went to the store and bought the ingredients. This is a 1 pot meal. You gotta love that! So the recipe is as follows:

1lb lean hamburger (you can also substitute ground turkey or chicken)
1 small onion, diced (this can be omitted if you wish)
1/4c green bell pepper, diced (this can be omitted if you wish)
1 16oz can black beans, drained
1 16oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 16oz can of kidney beans - do not drain
1 16oz can of diced tomatoes - do not drain
1 can of Mild RoTel tomatoes (or any heat level you prefer) - do not drain
1 package if Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder
1 package of Taco Bell Taco seasoning (or any brand you prefer)
1 to 1.5c of water
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pot, add a tsp of oil, bell pepper, onion and saute to onions are just about clear. Add in your ground meat, salt and pepper, and brown. Drain meat, peppers, & onion. Put meat mixture back into pot and add beans, tomatoes, and corn. Mix well. Mix ranch dressing & seasoning packs to water and pour into pot. Mix well. Start with 1 cup of water. If the soup is too thick, add 1/2 cup more of water. Be careful not to add too much water, as the soup will lose it's taco flavor. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

1 cup of the soup has 211 calories, 4 grams of fat, 30.8 grams of carbs, and 6.6 grams of fiber. 1 cup of this soup is 2 points on the Weight Watchers program. I always add a bit of cheese and sour cream to mine. This does affect the calories, but just factor them in with the soup. This soup does well in a crock pot too. Its a soup that is so satisfying. I don't even feel guilty about eating it!

Enjoy!

Monday

I received the Weight Watcher's newsletter via email from my mother late last week. It was unusual, as it's the first time I'd ever gotten this from her. Mind you, Mom's been in Weight Watchers for, well, maybe 1.5 years, and in that time, she's lost nearly 100 lbs. So, my mom will shed some enlightenment on this trek for me, I imagine.

Anyways, the main reason she sent it to me is because I had a disaster in my Crock Pot last week, and there were WW Crock Pot recipes that she said sounded good. I printed a bunch of them and added them to my home binder to use in the future. Most of the time that I'll write here, I'll include a new recipe, and a few little ways that I was able to make it a bit healthier. Last night, I made French Onion Soup and it was amazing! I found a delicious recipe where you use olive oil instead of butter to saute the onions, and I limited the cheese that I put on top-- also chose a little more parmesan than havarti, and made my slices of french bread for toast a little thinner than you might normally.. I don't know how much of a difference many of those choices made, but it feels a little healthier, and it was delicious!



My main goals during this blogging time are to be able to not get winded during longer walks, and fit into all the pants in my closet. I'm not putting a weight loss goal on here, because that's so deceiving. I lost about 20 lbs while in China in November and December, and I came absolutely no closer to fitting in the pants. It boggles my mind, but all I know is I need to do some work. I am fine with eating healthy, but I'm much more comfortable sitting on the couch than getting up and working out. That's a big one I need to work on.

And lastly, I want to be as comfortable with my body as my boyfriend is. I want to love the parts that he loves on me. Cause you know, if you can't love yourself, who else is going to do it?