I can't believe how easy this transition to organic/whole food has been for me. I feel fabulous and I am enjoying all the new flavors and the richness of my food. One would think that with reintroducing cream and cheese to my diet that I would have gained weight, but I have not. Wonderful - isn't it!!
I recently purchased and iPhone and found and app that allows me to track my food and calorie intake. It turns out, I was not eating enough! Who knew? I’d been hoping to lose the 10-15 pounds I’ve gained this year and my body has just been hanging on despite the healthy changes and increased time in the gym. PS – if you aren’t away – you cannot lose weight if you don’t eat enough!! This app is wonderful, because I can upload my recipes and it will populate the nutritional information.
So, now that I can track a little better and make sure I am taking in enough calories, I am anticipating the weight will fall off! HA! Let’s cross our fingers. Why is it so easy to put on and so hard to take off?
One of my lunches is so fabulous I have to share it with you. I like things that I can modify easily. This is basically a no lettuce salad that you can very easily take from Italian to Russian to Asian with a few different ingredients! The variations will all fall between 250-350 calories. The following makes one medium-large sized salad; a very filling and satisfying lunch. Add a few gluten free crackers or a slice of gluten free toast and you have achieved utter perfection. If you want a little extra (especially if you only eat three times a day) add a grilled chicken breast to the mix. When I used to work in an office, I would take a frozen chicken breast, salt and pepper and microwave for about 8 minutes and slice. Another great office friendly “meat source” are frozen turkey burgers!
The base of the salad is tomato and cucumber. I use two to three Roma tomatoes, quartered and chopped. This is one instance where I do not deseed my tomatoes. I peel, quarter, and chop about half of an English cucumber. You can see my post on cucumbers for a detailed explanation of why I prefer the English variety.
Once you have that done you can do the following:
Italian
Chopped basil (a few leaves, just for taste)
2-3 tbsp chopped or shredded Mozzarella (PLEASE do not buy pre-shredded. You will enjoy this so much more if you use real, fresh cheese! The taste is substantially different!)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp quality olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Greek
a few quartered marinated artichoke hearts
feta (approx 2 tbsp)
red onion (approx one ½” thick slice, chopped)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Spanish
½ c. white beans (navy beans)
1-2 slices Prosciutto or ham
3-5 kalamatta olives
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Russian (Eastern European)
2 tbsp sour cream/crème fraiche
2 tsp dill
Red onion (approx one ½” thick slice, chopped)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Toss everything in a big bowl, toss and enjoy! :-)
Friday, April 9, 2010
Quinotto
I had a dinner party a few weeks back and discovered a new love. I have made 3 variations on my original recipe. It is called "Quinotto" and is basically a Peruvian risotto. (Side bar: When you say "Risotto" you must say it with a British accent (riz-ah-to). It is just more fun that way and you can pretend you are mixing it up with Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver.)
Quinoa is an ancient grain harvested in South America. It is a staple of most South American diets. I was turned onto it when I discovered my issues with gluten. It is a naturally gluten free grain. It is chock full of protein and soluble fiber (36%). I find the taste and texture much more satisfying than other grains. In pasta form, you will find that you aren't left with that residual heaviness that you may experience with wheat pasta.
To follow are a few variations on Quinotto.
Spicy Mexican Quinotto
6 c. Sodium Free Stock (Veggie, Mushroom or Chicken)
2 c. Quinoa
2 tbps olive oil
1 lb chorizo (It is best to buy this at a Carnicerea, so that it is spicy)
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 large Portobello mushrooms (diced)
12 saffron threads
2 tbsp tequila (the alcohol will evaporate)
2 c frozen peas
2 c heavy cream (do not substitute - a risotto is not risotto w/out the cream)
Cilantro for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
In heavy bottom 12" skillet, add olive oil and cook the chorizo. You don't want to break it down too much, keep someone large pieces. When chorizo is completely cooked through, add mushrooms, garlic and saffron. When mushrooms are beginning to soften (4 min) add tequila and loosen any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan warm stock. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in mesh strainer under cold running water. This will keep the quinoa from having a bitter taste.
Add quinoa, peas, and 4 c. of warm stock to chorizo mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (12-15 minutes). Add remaining stock. Again, simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed (approx. 10 min). Stir in 2 c. cream and simmer until it is thickened and most of the liquid has been absorbed (approx. 10 min).
Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve! :)
Italian Mushroom Quinotto
1 1/2 c. quinoa
4 c. broth
3 tbsp olive oil
1 c. diced onion
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 c. mixture of mushroom (shitake, chanterelles, Portobello, etc...)
1/2 c. fresh baby spinach
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. Parmesan
Italian Parsley for garnish
Rinse quinoa under cold water in mesh strainer and set aside. Heat oil in heavy bottomed skillet. Add onions and garlic until the onions begin to soften and then add mushrooms. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile heat broth in separate sauce pan until it is warm (*opt. heat in class measuring dish in the microwave). Add rinsed quinoa to mushroom mixture. Turn heat to med-high and add wine mixing thoroughly to deglaze the pan. Add broth by the 1/2c. With each addition simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add the cream and spinach. Again, stir frequently at a simmer until sauce is thickened and most of the cream is evaporated. Remove pan from heat, add the parmesan and completely incorporate.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
I’ve found that I can dice up whatever veggies I have and add to the mix. I’ve also used ground elk meat. I think it would be fun to do a butternut squash with some nutmeg, cinnamon and Cheyenne! The possibilities really are endless. This dish is substantial enough to be a meal by itself. You could serve with a salad to fill out the plate, if you have a husband like mine that needs more than one thing on his plate!
Enjoy!
Quinoa is an ancient grain harvested in South America. It is a staple of most South American diets. I was turned onto it when I discovered my issues with gluten. It is a naturally gluten free grain. It is chock full of protein and soluble fiber (36%). I find the taste and texture much more satisfying than other grains. In pasta form, you will find that you aren't left with that residual heaviness that you may experience with wheat pasta.
To follow are a few variations on Quinotto.
Spicy Mexican Quinotto
6 c. Sodium Free Stock (Veggie, Mushroom or Chicken)
2 c. Quinoa
2 tbps olive oil
1 lb chorizo (It is best to buy this at a Carnicerea, so that it is spicy)
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 large Portobello mushrooms (diced)
12 saffron threads
2 tbsp tequila (the alcohol will evaporate)
2 c frozen peas
2 c heavy cream (do not substitute - a risotto is not risotto w/out the cream)
Cilantro for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
In heavy bottom 12" skillet, add olive oil and cook the chorizo. You don't want to break it down too much, keep someone large pieces. When chorizo is completely cooked through, add mushrooms, garlic and saffron. When mushrooms are beginning to soften (4 min) add tequila and loosen any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan warm stock. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in mesh strainer under cold running water. This will keep the quinoa from having a bitter taste.
Add quinoa, peas, and 4 c. of warm stock to chorizo mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (12-15 minutes). Add remaining stock. Again, simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed (approx. 10 min). Stir in 2 c. cream and simmer until it is thickened and most of the liquid has been absorbed (approx. 10 min).
Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve! :)
Italian Mushroom Quinotto
1 1/2 c. quinoa
4 c. broth
3 tbsp olive oil
1 c. diced onion
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 c. mixture of mushroom (shitake, chanterelles, Portobello, etc...)
1/2 c. fresh baby spinach
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. Parmesan
Italian Parsley for garnish
Rinse quinoa under cold water in mesh strainer and set aside. Heat oil in heavy bottomed skillet. Add onions and garlic until the onions begin to soften and then add mushrooms. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile heat broth in separate sauce pan until it is warm (*opt. heat in class measuring dish in the microwave). Add rinsed quinoa to mushroom mixture. Turn heat to med-high and add wine mixing thoroughly to deglaze the pan. Add broth by the 1/2c. With each addition simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add the cream and spinach. Again, stir frequently at a simmer until sauce is thickened and most of the cream is evaporated. Remove pan from heat, add the parmesan and completely incorporate.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
I’ve found that I can dice up whatever veggies I have and add to the mix. I’ve also used ground elk meat. I think it would be fun to do a butternut squash with some nutmeg, cinnamon and Cheyenne! The possibilities really are endless. This dish is substantial enough to be a meal by itself. You could serve with a salad to fill out the plate, if you have a husband like mine that needs more than one thing on his plate!
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)