Category — Recipes

Remember how I mentioned “the boot” on Monday?  And how I haven’t been exercising much?  Well, I’ve got a confession to make – I got on the scale yesterday and the picture’s not pretty.  All this not moving has caused weight gain I’m not comfortable with.  Sure, I expect that I’ll spread out at a time like this – I can’t do the gagillion squats and lunges I depend on to keep things in check – but now I know I’ve also been too lax in the eating department.

So, the hammer’s coming down.  Back to 1,200 calories.  Back to logging everything that goes in my mouth.  Back to rules and goals – if I can’t log it, I can’t eat it, and if I make my first goal, I’m treating myself to a massage.  Those who know me know I treat myself pretty well – but a massage is a true indulgence for me.  It’s definitely something to look forward to if I can reign it in a little bit here for the next month.  And that’s how I go about this, and you might want to, too.  Small, intermediate goals help you feel the sense of achievement you need to stay on track.  Sure, you might want to change your life radically in some way, maybe it’s weight-loss, but if you set a huge goal for yourself it just might be too overwhelming to deal with after a week.  I’m all about baby steps – now literally and figuratively (groan).

But another confession, I’ve been enjoying eating anything I want.  I’ve been conscious of moderation, but I’ve definitely been eating more calorie-dense foods.  I like the variety of foods that being more relaxed has allowed me to eat.  So my other goal for this time is to come up with some yummy new ideas for snacks and meals that will still fit into my calorie budget.  Add to that the easy-prep angle, and I’ve got a challenge.  But lucky for all of us, I love a challenge!  [Read more →]

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Some of you who know me know that I’m currently sporting this crazy brace – I have terrible tendinitis in my left leg/ankle and this thing is supposed to give my leg a rest and help decrease the inflammation.  The jury’s still out on whether it’s making any difference in the tendon, but the verdict otherwise is that it’s a huge pain in the a** to wear around.  It weighs over 5 lbs. on its own, and comes up to just below my knee.

For some, takeout would be the way to go, but now, more than ever, I want a healthy meal at dinnertime.  I can hardly exercise at all, and, well, I’m “of a certain age” such that exercising is pretty much a necessity – unless I want to show off everything I eat on my lower-half.  So I’m trying to find more convenient dinners that minimize prep but which also emphasize healthy components.  And where do I go for inspiration?  Trader Joe’s, of course.  [Read more →]

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• Michael Pollan on Big Food vs. Big Insurance
• Training apps for your smartphone
• Mark Bittman’s twist on chicken w/40 cloves of garlic
• Are you a “foodie,” “cook,” or “home-cook?”
• Learn to make a Asian fusion dish with Gwyneth (video!)
• What Marion Nestle has to say about BPA

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I know some of you are afraid to cook fish at home.  I’m not really sure where this comes from, because aside from the fact that you need to buy it day-of cooking (in most cases), I find fish to be a quick and easy answer to the “what’s for dinner?” question.

In our house, we eat a lot of cod.  I know, I know, cod has historically been  over fished, but it’s the only fish that we all consistently agree on.  My daughter won’t eat any of the greens associated with a fish recipe, but she’ll often eat some of the cod itself, along with her ever-present noodles.

[Read more →]

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Have you seen all those articles that say that if you get your kid(s) in the kitchen, they’ll be more invested in trying the foods they make?  That they’ll suddenly become more adventurous and maybe even like to eat <gasp!> a wide variety of foods? 

Well, in my case, it’s hogwash.  My daughter has been cooking with me since she was 2-years-old, and since then, she probably eats fewer foods.  This is a child that used to eat EVERYTHING with gusto.  Then at 2, the list of foods she’d eat got progressively smaller and smaller.  I used to scoff at picky kids and figure that it was nurture, but we are living proof that it’s not always the case.  She was, for a period, on that dreaded American “beige diet” – it’s mortifying, I know.  It’s interesting that all this time, she has clamored to be cooking with me, yet she has no interest in tasting the final product.  I keep at it though.  I’m stubborn.

But I digress. 

There are some things she loves to make and eat.  They’re all in the dessert category, surprisingly enough.  Yesterday we made a great and easy s’mores bar cookie recipe.  The Brownie troop leaders (of which I’m one – no snickering) and their kids got together to plan some meetings, and I offered to bring dessert.  What’s more Girl Scouty than s’mores?  This is a nice recipe for a 6-year-old because there are no electronics involved in the preparation, save for the oven.  It’s just a smash, stir, dump, press, spread, sprinkle operation. 

Enjoy!

Smore’s Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put several whole graham crackers (approximately 7) in a large zip-top bag and squeeze the air out.  Pulverize the crackers with a rolling pin/meat mallet until they form a fine crumb.  In a large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Press into a 13×9-inch pan that’s been coated with cooking spray.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.

Set oven to broil. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the melted chocolate. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 20 to 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes or longer.

Serve warm or room temp, and store any remaining bars tightly covered – those marshmallows will get hard & chewy if you don’t.

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From the Epicurious Blog – ways to doctor up prepared foods.  Sometimes, you gotta take shortcuts.

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It’s not over ’til it’s over, right guys?  There is still more time to grill, enjoy eating alfresco and to savor some summery weather.  This menu has been top-of-mind lately because I made it for a family celebration of my daughter’s August birthday last year.  My husband, in particular, found it mind-blowing – in fact, the salad here is what turned him into a fresh fig lover.  Serve it up to people you love, and treat them to a last, fresh taste of summer.

For a main course, this Rosemary Chicken Skewers With Berry Sauce recipe from Simply Recipes is simple to prepare, but looks and tastes like it took much more effort.  The sauce is very delicious.

For starch, this Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds, from Bon Appetit has a nice sweet/savory thing going on.   I use whole wheat couscous to amp up the nutrition and protein and I also make double the dressing – I find I need more than the amount called for in the recipe (but not the entire doubled amount) to dress the salad.

For greens, this Late Summer Salad is an adaptation of a recipe from the Fields Of Greens Cookbook by Annie Somerville.  It is a beautiful composed salad that makes a striking presentation for your guests.

Late Summer Salad 

Wash the spinach and dry it in a salad spinner.  Arrange it on a serving platter.  Make the vinaigrette. 

Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeeds, then thinly slice and peel, following the contour of the rind.  Rinse the figs and pat dry.  Cut them into halves or quarters.

Arrange the melon and figs atop the spinach.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Serves 4 – this can easily be doubled – just use a medium cantaloupe.

Orange Vinaigrette

Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil.  Makes 1/3 cup, but again, can be easily doubled.

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This recipe for tomato, white bean & bacon soup from the Simply Recipes site looks so delicious . . . and although it’s not been a good year for tomatoes, there are still a bunch at the farmers’ market every week.  Might have to try this for Friday. 

And you might know my motto:  “everything’s better with bacon!”

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