Showcase of the meal....Leeks

So I made pesto chicken and pasta for dinner, but according to the other person who lives here the showcase of the meal was the leeks.


I had never roasted leeks before.  I generally have used them as an ingredient in a larger dish such as potato leek soup.


Tonight I had two leeks and decided to try and roast them.  They turned out amazing.



Ingredients: (recipe can be doubled, tripled etc)
2 leeks
1 1/2 tsp melted butter
1 tsp olive oil
salt
pepper
1 tsp Parmesan cheese 


Preheat the oven to 375.
Place the leeks in a baking dish
Cover with the melted butter, olive oil, salt and pepper
Cover with aluminum foil
Bake for 40 minutes
Carefully remove from the oven
split the leeks and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top

Ocho De Mayo Potatoes

Hi everyone!
Today was one of those days that I went on a cooking binge.  I wanted to cook all of the food in the kitchen and make it somewhat healthy.


I had half a bag of potatoes, some jalapeno peppers, shallots and an idea.


So, Ocho De Mayo Potatoes were born.  The other non-feline living in my house adores them.


Here is what you need-
6-8 small potatoes (I had Trader Joes Organic Gold Potatoes) - sliced into small wedges
4 Jalapeno peppers - diced
3 shallots - peeled and diced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves of garlic - minced

Preheat oven to 450
Spray 13 x 9 pan with non-stick cooking spray
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl
Spread the potato mixture in a single layer in the pan
Cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are slightly crispy

Serve with salsa.

Best Apple Chips

This recipe did not come out of culinary genius.  It came out of me trying to save money and not having enough hours in the day to accomplish all I need to.

I had been searching online for recipes for apple chips.  All of the recipes were relatively similar.  Most of the recipes called for two apples.  Over the past few weeks I have made apple chips a few times, and they were eaten within minutes. 

This week, apples were on a great sale, but only if I bought the 3lb bag.  I came home from work at around 7 pm and sliced up all of the apples in the bag with cinnamon and sugar, before I realized that in order to make all of these apple chips, I would be up until 6 am. 

So, I made two batches and placed the rest of the sliced apples in the refrigerator.  The next day when I came home, I made the rest of the apple chips.  Because the apples in the fridge had time to marinate with the cinnamon and sugar, the batches I made the next day were amazing.

Here is the recipe:

3lb of apples sliced very thin
1 tbsp of sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tsp of cinnamon (more or less to taste)

 Mix the cinnamon and sugar.
Lightly coat all of the apples in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and place in a sealed bag in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
Spread the apples on to baking sheets
Cook for 90 minutes and flip the chips
Cook for another 60 minutes


 

Cool Spring Night Soup

It has been a long time since I posted here and a lot has happened. I hit my goal weight, started a Master's program, and took on more responsibilities at work. I am working a lot of hours recently and found myself eating more food that I did not cook, some of it even came through the window of my car....

As we prepare for summer, I wanted to cut out the junk food and make the time to focus on my health. Sadly, time doesn't allow me to cook the way I did a year ago. But if I can cook every 2 or 3 days, the boyfriend and I can eat healthy and I can get some work done. I might even have time to watch an episode of the Big Bang Theory.

 Here is the recipe I made last night. It didn't take too much prep work, and I was able to get some reading done for class while it cooked.

• 1 turnip cut into 1 inch strips 
• 4 cups of chicken stock 
• 3 cups of water (for a thicker soup, only use two) 
• 4 cloves of garlic minced 
• 4 celery stalks sliced 
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced 
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced thin 
• 4 oz of watercress 
• 1 oz of ginger minced 
• 2 tsp salt (more or less to taste) 
• 1 tsp pepper (more or less to taste) 
• 3 cooked chicken breasts (I used left over pesto chicken from the night before) 

  Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately. Serve with whole-grain crackers, bread or dinner roles.

MC Depression Buster

It has been over a week since my last post, things have been crazy around here. My nephew came in from Denver, I have been working a lot of hours between my two jobs and my apartment still isn't clean...

One topic that I recently learned about was the link between iron deficiency and depression. Women are more likely than men to develop this condition because women experience blood loss during menstruation (yet another reason I believe Mother Nature is a man).

Tonight i made a large bowl of iron rich foods for dinner. Serve this with a nice leafy green salad.
MC Depression Buster Soup
serves 1-2 people, recipe can be doubled

1 and 1/4 c Trader Joe's Low Sodium Tomato Soup
1 c broccoli (frozen is okay)
1 clove of garlic, very finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil.
3-5 oz of steak, any lean cut
1/2 cup of corn kernels
a dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Marinate the steak for 30 min in 1/4 c of Tomato Soup and some salt and pepper. Grill the steak until it is almost fully cooked. When the steak is done cut into small chunks.

While the steak is grilling pour the olive oil into a pan over a medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Pour the soup into a pot and place on the stove at a medium high heat. Add the hot sauce, and some salt and pepper to taste. Next add the corn, broccoli, and meat, stir occasionally.

When the corn is hot the soup is ready.


For even more iron, serve with both a salad and a baked potato with skin.

Stress

I woke up angry today. I am not sure why. I woke up so irritable that I want a do-over. I am stressed about money and the direction of my career. I am stressed about love and my future. I want all of my problems to be solved NOW!!!!! I know that this is a process. It will take time. I made a healthy quiche today and it made me feel a little better.

Here is the recipe for today:

Broccoli and Artichoke Quiche with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4-6

1 cup broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 cup artichoke hearts (I used the frozen ones from Trader Joe's)
2 sun dried tomatoes (very finely diced)
4 eggs
1 whole wheat pie crust
1 cup soy milk
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

If using frozen vegetables defrost them. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Then mix the eggs, soy milk, broccoli, artichoke hearts, garlic and tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes.

It is a very simple and yummy recipe that made me happy on a cruddy day.

First post

I like food. I like good food. I am not going to lose weight using diet bars and fat-free taste-free calorie-free food. I want to eat real food.

My diet plan includes limiting the calories while eating good, real food and exercising. Simple.


A friend recommended that I have some "instant" foods for days when I really want the instant food of fast food. I agree with him, sort of. If I can prepare and portion out yummy food that I can freeze and heat up in a couple of minutes it will save me calories, money and taste.

I came up with the following yummy healthy turkey chili recipe that freezes very well:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
  
• 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, chopped
• 1lb 93/7 ground turkey
  
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons habanero pepper sauce (or a milder sauce if desired)
• salt
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2- 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
  

Heat the oil in the chili pot at a medium-high heat. Put the turkey, garlic, onions and peppers in the pot and cook for about 7 minutes until the turkey is almost cooked, mixing frequently. Add the sauce and broth, stir. Next add the tomatoes, corn, cumin, chili powder, pepper sauce. Cook for 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally add the beans. Let cook for 4 more minutes and serve.