Leftover Rice? Let's Make Rice Bowls!

Here is a simple, quick dish I whipped up the other night out of leftover rice.  I always make a big batch when I make rice so I have some ready to go for the next few meals.  It freezes well and is better than the processed stuff they call 'instant'!

You can use whatever meat, veggie and herb mix you like.  This is also a great use of leftover meat since it's already cooked.  All you have to do is add it in with the rice to heat through.

Rice Bowl with Veggies and Shrimp
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 ounces peeled shrimp
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 2-3 cups frozen peas
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

Instructions

1. Cook rice as per package instructions if you don't have any leftover on hand.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat
3. Cook shrimp until pink, toss in garlic
4. Remove shrimp from pan
5. Saute onions until soft
6. Add peas, curry, turmeric and ginger, heat until the peas are just bright green
7. Add in rice and shrimp, heat through
8. Serve!

Yup, that's it. Tasty!

Low Sodium Asian Stir Fry Sauce

I've been a little gobsmacked about the amount of sodium in Asian foods, even the recipes I make at home.  Here's a sauce that takes the sodium down to just 250 mg per serving!  Enjoy!

Be sure to cook this sauce for a couple of minutes to let the cornstarch do it's thing and thicken.  If you don't want to cook the sauce then leave out the cornstarch.

Stir Fry Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions:

1. Mix everything together and let sit until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Remix before pouring into your dish to make sure the cornstarch is well blended

As I mentioned it works out to 250mg of sodium per serving!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Why yes I am part Irish, what gave it away?!  When I went back to my natural hair colour after years of highlighting it to within an inch of it's life, I kept passing the mirror and thinking to myself "holy crap can you see the Irish in me now!".  This was due to the reddish brown tones mother nature gave me.  I'm English-Irish and can trace my family roots back 7 generations.  We may be dull but we're consistent.  It's only in this generation that anything other than English-Irish has entered our gene pool!  How's that for dull?!  While I live in New Scotland (Nova Scotia) I have not a lick of Scottish in me.  So today is extra special as we Irish take over Nova Scotia and call today ours. 

For dinner tonight I'm making a Shepherd's Pie.  There are lots of great recipes out there so I won't bother sharing mine.  However I did want to mention the Beef Broth.  I make mine from scratch.  It's deadly simple, way taster than store bought and healthier.  I put no salt or fat in mine, making it a neutral addition to any recipe.  I can always add more fat or salt when I use it later. 

Beef Broth
Makes 8 -12 cups

Ingredients:

• 1-2 good size beef marrow bones
• 1 rib celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 carrot cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2-3 springs thyme (or about 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• a good dash no salt added steak spice or Montreal steak spice
• Cover everything with water, to about 1/2 inch from top of pot.

Instructions:

1. Throw everything in a large soup pot.
2. Bring to a boil
3. Simmer 3-4 hours (or you can use your crock pot on high 5 -6 hours)
4. Strain the liquid, toss out all the solids as they are tasteless now.
5. Let cool, skip any fat off the top and freeze in 1 cup containers. 

I'll be using some of mine tonight to make the gravy/sauce base for my Shepherd's Pie.  I'll stir in some Worcestershire Sauce and a ketchup, about 1 tbsp each to add dimension to the flavour.  That will also up the sodium content so it's good to have that broth base be neutral..

Cassoulet

Also known as Fancy French Beans and Wieners.  Really, that's all it is.  The key to this dish is to use really good ingredients.  I use a local European style sausage and Jacob Cattle Beans but you can use whatever sausage/meat and bean combo you like.  If you can't find a decent sausage try lean ground pork with lots of sage, thyme, rosemary and garlic.  Great Northern Beans are often used in more traditional recipes.  White kidney beans would also work nicely.  Remember if you are using canned beans to watch the sodium level.  If you are using dried beans be sure they are the consistency you want before you add any juice, tomato or wine since adding acid will stop the cooking process leaving you with hard beans. 

Keep this dish low sodium by using reduced sodium bacon, ground pork, dried beans or canned beans with no salt added, no salt added tomatoes and homemade or low sodium chicken broth.  I often use regular bacon and a really good quality sausage (moderate sodium), dried beans, no salt added tomatoes and my homemade chicken broth which I don't add salt to so I can control the salt when I use it in recipes.  And I NEVER salt a dish until the end once everything is added and cooked together.  Then I see if the dish needs seasoning (salting) or not.  You'd be amazed how little salt I add this way.  I constantly amazed at how rarely I need to add salt and how little it takes when I do. 

Okay I'll get off my soapbox now and get down to the recipe.

Cassoulet
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried Jacob Cattle Beans
• 3 cups water
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 5 Toulouse sausages, (French herb and garlic sausages)
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 5 medium carrots, diced
• 1 medium parsnip, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 14 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine or apple juice
• salt and pepper as necessary

Instructions:

1. Heat beans and water in a saucepan, bringing to a boil.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for an hour.  This can vary depending on the beans so check them often.  Don't overcook them.  At this point you just want them to be starting to plump up but still quite firm.
2. Heat a large dutch oven pan over medium high heat. Add in bacon and cook until crispy.  Add in the sausage and cook until the sausage is browned
3. Add the onion, celery, carrots and parsnip and cook until tender, about 15 minutes
4. Add in the garlic, thyme, chicken broth and beans.
5. Simmer until the beans are the right consistency, 2-3 hours approximately
6. Once the beans are as you like them, add in the tomatoes and wine/juice.  Let simmer for another 20-30 minutes.
7. Check the seasoning.  Add salt and pepper if necessary. 

Some traditional recipes use breadcrumbs on the top and place the whole pot in the oven to crisp it up the top.  Sometimes I do this and sometimes I skip it.  It thickens up the dish but often I don't find this necessary.  It's up to you.

Leftover Veggie Hash

Okay, this might seem like a no brainer but it's worth a discussion.  Tomorrow morning I'll head to the market to stock up on veggies and fruit.  This means I need to  empty out as much space as possible in my fridge.  It's Friday night.  Perfect night for Steak. So I'm combining my needs with my wants and making a Swedish inspired Pytti y Panna which is just a hash topped with a sunny side up egg on top. 

Here's some hash basics
All your veggies should be cooked or par cooked.
Dice everything up in 1/4 -1/2 inch squares, including your meat.
Heat some butter and olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Toss in your onions and meat first and cook until browned. 
Don't overcrowd the pan!  You can always do separate batches, just take out the finished food, keeping it warm while you do the rest of the food.
Take all the food out of the pan and use it to cook the eggs instead of dirtying another pan plus you get the leftover yummy flavour bits in the eggs.

Some items you can put in a leftover veggie hash:
Onions, Potatoes (I know, how obvious), beets, turnip, carrots, parsnip, squash, cabbage.
Use whatever meats you have on hand, precooked or not... beef, pork, chicken, sausage, bacon, ham...
Top with a sunny side up or poached egg!
Serve with Worcestershire Sauce, A1 or steak sauce, pickled beets and/or veggies.
Oh yum!

If you're making a hash out of holiday leftovers toss in the cranberry sauce - seriously, it's delish!  And top with leftover gravy! 

Ravioli Soup

Want a simple, quick, cheap soup to make next week?  Well here you go.  You're welcome.

Disclaimer!  Because you open a bunch of cans and packages to make this dish it has the potential to be VERY high in sodium (as in like... you're entire daily content!) so be sure to use no salt added tomatoes and black beans and low sodium broth (I made homemade with no added salt so I can control the overall sodium content when I use the broth in dishes). 


Ravioli Soup
Serves 4 -6

Ingredients:

• 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (low or no added salt)
• 19 ounce can of black beans (low or no added salt), drained and rinsed
• 900ml or 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, or a mix of oregano, thyme and rosemary
• 350g cheese ravioli
• 2 cups fresh spinach or 5-6 chunks of frozen spinach (the frozen spinach I get comes in chunk!)
• Parmesan cheese to top each bowl

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan heat the tomatoes, black beans, broth and seasoning over medium high heat until it comes to a boil
2. Add in the ravioli and boil until the ravioli comes to the top, about 3 -5 minutes
3. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the spinach. 
4. Serve in bowls topped with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.

This soup does not keep really well as the ravioli will continue to absorb liquid.  I have had luck with it in the fridge for a couple of days but eat it quickly!  Luckily it's very popular as a lunch item around here.

Enchiladas

The life of a blogger...
I caught Julie and Julia last night on the telly.  I wonder, do people still get famous from their blogs?  Do all of us foodie bloggers hope we'll magically get a book deal?!  Or better yet, a tv show on the food network?   I started my blog hoping for all those wonderful things but alas, fame did not come knocking.  Instead my blog became a place I could send people when they asked for a recipe.  I still do that but these days I keep my blog more for me than anything or anyone else.  It's become my recipe database.  One of the biggest complaints my mother used to have was that I'd make a dish out of my head and then it was never to be seen again so I started writing them down so I could recreate my own dishes.  Thankfully the techno world intervened and now instead of going through mountains of paper (okay, I have all my handwritten recipes in a binder, all neat and tidy but still...) I can use that handy dandy search tool right up there in the top left corner.  I may never be famous but I'm a heck of a lot more organized.  I keep a knitting/craft blog too but I'm way more slack about updating it.  And guess what... I tend to forget what I've made for whom because I don't blog it!  My blogs have become my memory bank!  Awesome.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog entry.

I made some enchiladas this week and they were really tasty, cheap and healthy (seriously full of fiber!).  All my requirements for a recipe to repeat so here it is.

Enchiladas
Serves 4 -6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 mexican sausages
• 4 green onions, chopped and separate the white parts from the green parts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 roasted red pepper (you can use fresh, red or green), diced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 6 whole grain 6-7 inch tortillas
• 1-2 cups of salsa (I didn't measure so I'm guesstimating here)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat
3. Remove the outer casing from the sausage and break it up in the pan.  Cook until browned
4. Add in the white parts of the onion and garlic. Saute for a minute.
5. Add in the rest of the ingredients up to and including the lime juice.
6. Cook for a minute or two until blended and heated through
7. Divide the mixture into 6 portions
8. Pour a bit of salsa in the bottom of a 8 X 11 inch baking pan, just enough to barely cover the bottom.  Add a tablespoon or two of water if your salsa is really thick.
9. Spread each portion in a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down in the baking dish
10. Top with a good spread of salsa over each enchilada
11. Sprinkle with the cheese
12. Spray the shiny side of a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray
13. Cover and bake for 20 minutes
14. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
15. Serve with some sour cream, guacamole, avocado slices or a drizzle of ranch dressing.

ps. the leftovers freeze really well!

Superbowl Chicken Drumsticks and Sweet Potato Fries

Here are my first thoughts on my Superbowl menu.  I keep getting emails, watching cooking shows and visiting websites that are full of ideas for Superbowl eats.  But I have all the ingredients for these dishes so I'm trying to stick with them.  Did you know that in the US Superbowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day after Thanksgiving?!  That's some serious eats!

You have to marinate the chicken overnight so all you have to do on game day is toss them on a pan.  You can prep the fries in the morning so come game time you can just toss them on a pan.  Nothing more than "tossing" to be done when you're busy with the games and/or guests!

Tandoori Drumsticks
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1.5 lbs chicken drumsticks (at least 2 per person)
• 1cup yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 cardamon pods (or 1/2 tsp ground)
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• red food colouring (optional)
• juice from one lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Remove the skin from the chicken drumsticks
2. Mix the yogurt through red food colouring in a dish big enough to hold the drumsticks
3. Toss in the drumsticks and marinate overnight
4. An hour or so before you are going to put the drumsticks in the oven, mix in the lemon juice to the marinade and drumstick dish
5. Preheat the oven to 425F
6. Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil
7. Bake until the drumsticks are cooked through, about 50 minutes
8. Sprinkle on the fresh chopped cilantro and serve!

Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 -2 lbs sweet potato, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 beaten egg white
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Ranch dressing for dipping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or cover the bottom with parchment paper
3. Toss sweet potato strips in a bowl with the olive oil, egg and curry powder
4. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet
5. Bake for 10 minutes, turn, bake another 10 minutes. 
6. Serve with the ranch dressing on the side for dipping

Chicken and Leek Pie

Two blog posts in one day?!  This recipe was soooo delicious that I absolutely had to blog about it right away.  I was just going to comment on Jamie Oliver's website but then I started reading the 200+ comments.... In the future I will use the comments to verify how good an online recipe is.  I didn't need to add my "holy crap this was awesome", it was already well said. 

So here's the basic recipe.  http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/turkey-sweet-leek-pie

And here's what I did differently.
I used 2 1/2 Chicken breasts, diced up and tossed in to cook with the leeks. 
I added Summer Savoury since it just screams comfort, roast poultry dinner to me
I halved the liquid (2 c) since I don't have a decent sieve to drain it with and didn't really want the extra work.
Right before I put the leek/chicken in the baking dish I added in 6 small grated carrots.  I used rainbow carrots.  The purple ones turned the mixed dark and the meat a bit pink which was just interesting really.
I just used the plain puffed pastry, leaving out the chestnuts and sage. 

No way will this serve 6.  It was so good I went back for a second half portion.  And I NEVER go back for seconds.  I might get 4 servings.  You have got to try this one.  Seriously.  It's unbelievable.  I'm not kidding.  Really. 

The Weeks Menu

One of the things about doing a "reset" menu is that it should get you back on track for healthy eating.  It seems I sort of petered out on week 2 but I didn't.  I've incorporated the ideas from the menu or 'reset' into my dailyliving .  Or you could say I'm back on track.... yup, that was the point of the whole thing.

Now this being said, yesterday I could not figure out what to have for dinner.  Luckily it was market day so I was hoping I would come across something to inspire me.  You wouldn't think I'd find much inspiration in the limited offering at the market in the dead of winter but yes indeed!  Not only was I inspired for last night's supper but I came up with a whole menu for the week as I wandered around the market.  I love it when a plan comes together.  

Here's my week.  I hope you find inspiration and healthy eating too.

Maple Sausages with Fingerling Potatoes, Swiss Chard and Golden Beets.
Chicken and Leek Pie with Rainbow Carrots
Souffle with Farm Fresh Free Range Eggs and a Large Garden Salad
Shepard's Pie with Ground Lamb and Pork and Potato and Butternut Squash Topping
Pad Thai with Shrimp and Tofu
French Onion Soup (from my freezer) with Garlic and Onion Bread Toasts and A Salad
Spaghetti Bolognese with Free Range, Grain Feed Ground Chicken.

For lunches I bought some fresh whole wheat pita bread.  I'll make some hummus for hummus, veg and feta pitas.  Plus I have some leftover Minestrone soup. 

Happy Eating!

Winter Minestrone and The Looneyspoons Collection (my new fav!!!)

I've got a pot of Minestrone on the stove.  It fits perfectly into the cancer fighting menu I was following as part of the "Detox/Reset" menu I was using to get back on track.  Beans, greens, veggies of colour and some whole grain pasta! Superbly balanced and super healthy.  Here's the recipe (it's under Day 4). I used Turnip instead of squash because I had a turnip that needed to be used.  The leftovers will be lunches over the weekend (and maybe into next week!).   Mmmm, soup is going to be awesome since it's cold, rainy and miserable here.  The idea of a "reset" has been great.  It's been great to refocus my eating habits just to be sure I'm getting a good balance and a pre-set menu made it so easy. 

Last week I got a late Christmas gift - The Looneyspoons Collection cookbook.  It's fantastic!  It includes updates on my favs from the Looneyspoons cookbook back when we thought low fat was the only way to go and disregarded good fats and carbs.  Plus it has the recipes the ladies had developed for Readers Digest.  There were some real gems in that mag.  The nutritional info is up to date and complete.  The book is well indexed which is a real treat, not just by recipes but the nutritional tips and info too.  If you have any bridal showers, baby showers, graduations or weddings coming up this year I highly recommend this as the perfect gift for everyone who should be cooking!

Detox/Reset Menu Week 2 - Day 2

One thing I'm noticing with this menu I'm following is that there are a lot of beans as well as whole grains.  I've always prided myself at how much fiber I get on a daily basis but this menu really had it covered!  One thing I've learned is that adding a tbsp of beans to a salad is an easy was to up the daily intake and that's a good thing.  I love it when I pick up a new and easy healthy habit!

Week 2 - Day 2

Breakfast
English Muffin with Natural Peanut Butter, Clementine, 1 cup Skim Milk

Lunch
Leftover Turkey Rice Soup

Dinner
Grilled Salmon, Braised Red and Green Cabbage, Polenta and Garden Salad
Braised Red and Green Cabbage

• Slice up about 1- 1 1/2 cups of cabbage per person, both red and green
• Heat 1 tsp per serving of butter and olive oil in a saucepan
• Toss in a few fennel seeds and 1/4 tsp dried thyme per serving
• Once the butter is melted add in some sliced red onion and saute until soft
• Add in the cabbage and about 1/4 cup veggie or chicken broth per serving
• Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
• Add a couple of splashes of balsamic vinegar per serving, turn heat up to medium high, leave lid off and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the cabbage is tender and sweet. About 10 minutes

• Grill salmon on bbq or in grill pan on the stove (crispy skin is really tasty - give it a try!)
• Follow the directions for the polenta
• Mix a salad with romaine, tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, red onion, peppers, white kidney beans. Top with light balsamic vinaigrette.

Last night I had popcorn from my air popper (I love my air popper!) Tonight I'll probably have some edamame in the shell, microwaved for 3 minutes then tossed with a little salt. Tasty!

Detox/Reset Menu - Week 2

I didn't blog about my weekend because everyone needs a break.... And all I made was Turkey Soup which consisted of just about everything, carrots, onions, celery, can tomatoes, jasmine rice, chickpeas, a bit of leftover turkey, my homemade broth and a package of frozen chopped spinach. It's lunch for the rest of the week.  I put in some curry powder, a bit of Thai spice mix I had on hand and a couple of drops of coconut extract.  Nice taste.  Not really Indian or Thai but just enough to be different.

Okay, on to day.  I noticed the overall menu from last week had a lot of greens, whole grains and beans.  So I'm using some meals from the original menu and some of my own for this week.

Week 2-Day 1

Breakfast:
Egg with Spinach and Provolone. Whole Wheat English Menu

• Heat a non-stick pan over medium high. Break egg into pan, top with spinach and cheese. Sprinkle with Garlic powder and onion powder if you want.

Lunch:
Leftover Turkey Rice soup

Dinner:
Pork Sandwiches with Avocado Spread, Refried Bean topped with Cheddar and a Southwest Salad

• Marinate pork sirloin or boneless chops in lime juice and apple cider vinegar for 6 - 8 hours.
• Mash 1/2 an avocado with 2 tbsp salsa and a squeeze of lime juice. set aside
• Heat a pan over medium high heat.  Cook the pork until no longer pink inside.  Shred with a fork.
• Spread 1 tbsp of the avocado mixture on half of a whole grain flat bun.
• Top with 3-4 ounces of the pork.
• Heat the refried beans until warm. Top each serving with a tbsp of shredded cheddar
• For the salad take 1 cup of romaine greens shredded and toss with 1 tbsp corn, diced cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper (or fresh). Top with 1 tbsp reduced fat/lite ranch dressing.

Enjoy!

Detox/Reset Menu Day 5

Tonight I'm heading out for dinner.  McKelvie's is an old Halifax Seafood institution.  I'm looking forward to getting my seafood feed on! Now, how to balance the rest of the day.... 

Day 5
Breakfast
English Muffin Bacon Sandwich and an Orange
On a toasted english muffin, layer one slice of bacon, a slice of your favorite cheese and some lettuce.

Lunch
Tomato Soup with Salad and Breadsticks
Salad - Toss some greens with peppers, mushrooms, red onions, white kidney beans.  Drizzle with some light balsamic or Italian vinaigrette. 

Dinner
Seafood ( or you're favorite meal out - we're not into denying ourselves here!)

Tomorrow I'm home all day, watching football and doing laundry.  I've got some turkey broth and turkey bits from yesterday's carcass boiling - I see a turkey curry soup coming tomorrow!

Detox/Reset Menu Day 4

We're waiting for snow around here.  It's been a pretty wimpy winter thus far and the dogs are keen for some snow.  Emily believes each snowflake as the potential to be a snowball and in her world all balls are a good thing.  I've discovered I have 4 Turkey carcasses in the freezer so I think a pot of turkey soup is in order.  I'm going to put the bones on to boil today but first let's talk about today's detox/reset menu.

Day 4
Breakfast
Cereal (I picked up a new bag of cereal yesterday at CostCo and was keen to try it out this morning - Wild Roots Triple Berry Morning Bliss - it was yummy!)

Lunch
Curry Egg Salad Sandwich with an Orange

• Mash hard boiled eggs with a little mayo and either some hummus or some mashed white beans.  Sprinkle in some curry powder, a little or a lot, depending on your taste.
• Spread the egg mix on whole grain bread
• Top with spinach and sliced tomatoes.

Dinner
Steak Salad

• Grill or pan sear lean steaks, no more than 4 ounces per person.
• For the dressing mix 2 -3 diced green onions, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard.  Set aside
• Place 1 1/2 cup of torn romaine on each plate.
• Top with 1/2 cup each tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and corn
• Slice the steak and place on top.
• Add 1/4 chopped avocado.
• Drizzle 1 tbsp dressing over each plate.
• Serve with a whole grain roll

Snacks
1 container of fruit yogurt.
1 ounce pretzel sticks with herb garlic dip (mix 1tsp herb and garlic cream cheese with 1 tbsp light sour cream.

Detox/Reset Menu Day 3

I'm finding that the original menu from Self magazine has a lot of meals!  I've mentioned before that I eat a late breakfast and therefore I don't need a big lunch, just a snack will do.  So tonight I'm eating yesterdays lunch as my dinner.  I'm thinking I might be able to stretch this menu out to 2 weeks...

Day 3
Breakfast
Whole Grain Cereal with Skim Milk and a Banana

Lunch
Slice of provolone cheese and a clementine

Dinner
Warm Salmon Pasta Salad

• Prepare whole wheat penne or rotini according to the package directions.  Save about 1 cup of the pasta water.  Drain, cool and set aside.
• For one 213g can of salmon mix 6 tsp olive oi, 6 tsp lemon juice and 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• Add the drained can of salmon with skin and bones removed
• Mix in 1/2 cup white kidney beans.   
• Toss in a few cherry or grape tomatoes.
• Toss the salmon mix with the warm pasta, add some of the pasta water if it's too thick for your liking
• Serve the pasta mix on a bed of spinach.
• Top with Parmesan if you like.

Snack/Treats
1 glass of red wine and 1 cup of edamame in the shell. 

• Microwave the edamame 2-3 minutes on high or according to package instructions.  Toss with some course sea salt or kosher salt. 

Enjoy!

Detox/Reset Menu Day 2

Have you noticed how every daytime talk show is discussing healthy eating this week.  No wonder we're so depressed in January.  All that talk about what you should be eating and what you shouldn't be eating....blah, blah, blah.  But I must say yesterday's eating was quite enjoyable.  Last night's pizzas were a big hit. Pitas make great pizza shells.  Having a menu to follow to get back to healthy eating is definitely the way to go!

Welcome to Day 2

Breakfast:
Broccoli Scrambled Eggs, 1 Slice of Whole Grain Toast and an Orange

• For 1 serving, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet until hot. 
• Saute some chopped onions (I used green onions and red onions) until soft. 
• Add in about 1/2 cup chopped broccoli and 1 tbsp water.  Steam then saute broccoli until tender.  I added a touch of Ms. Dash herb and garlic seasoning. 
• Mix 2 eggs with 2 tsp water and 2 tbsp finely shredded Parmesan. 
• Add eggs to broccoli mix and stir until set and scrambled.

Lunch:
Salmon Pasta Salad

• Prepare whole wheat penne or rotini according to the package directions. Drain, cool and set aside.
• For one 213g can of salmon mix 6 tsp olive oi, 6 tsp lemon juice and 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• Add the drained can of salmon with skin and bones removed
• Mix in 1/2 cup white kidney beans. I did this mix ahead of time and put it in the fridge.
• When you're ready to serve heat up 2 ounces of the pasta until warm.
• Toss in a few cherry or grape tomatoes.
• You can heat up the salmon bean mix a bit if you like.  Toss in about 1/4 of the mix and add to the pasta.
• Serve the pasta mix on a bed of spinach.

Serious yum! (geez I like white kidney beans!)

Dinner:
Chicken Tacos with Coleslaw
Chicken Tacos

• Saute diced chicken breasts (one per serving) in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until cooked through
• Add in 1 tsp of tomato paste and 1 tsp salsa per breast. Sprinkle in some chili powder, more if you like it spicy!  Saute for 2 minutes
• Add in some green onion, cilantro or parsley and a good squeeze of lime juice. Turn off the heat and let sit while you get everything else together.
• Set up 2 whole grain, preferably corn tortillas per plate.  Spread each tortilla with 1 -2 tbsp low fat refried beans.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup of chicken breast mixture on the each tortilla
• Top with shredded romaine lettuce, 1 tbsp salsa and 2 tsp low fat sour cream.

Coleslaw

• You can buy the prepackaged coleslaw or you can shred some cabbage and carrots yourself. 
• Mix with some plain yogurt, a bit of sour cream, a little horseradish, a dash of Dijon mustard, lime juice, chili powder and cider vinegar. 
• Make ahead and let the coleslaw sit so the flavours can really come together.

Don't even get me started about all the talk on TV and in print about what exercises we should be doing, what workout routine is this and that... Oh lord, one step at a time, one step at a time... See you tomorrow!   

Time to Detox! Day 1

After an indulgent holiday season I feel compelled to set my body right.  October's Self magazine had a really nice 7 day Cancer fighting menu that sounded yummy and looked totally doable.  It's daily intake is between 1800 and 2000 calories which is a little higher than I want but I'll make some adjustments as I go along.  For the complete menu as Self published it check it out here http://www.self.com/health/2011/10/cancer-fighting-meal-plan-slideshow#slide=1 .  I've decided it is just the right 7 day directive to set me back on track.  Welcome to day 1.

Breakfast:
Blueberry, Banana, Orange Smoothie!

• to make 4 + cups/4 servings toss 1 cup blueberries, 1 banana and 1 peeled orange in a blender, add 1/2 cup yogurt and about 1/2 - 1 cup milk, add a splash of vanilla and blend until smooth. Using the whole orange instead of just the juice gives you all the nutrition of the fruit, not just the empty sugary calories. 

Whole Wheat English Muffin and 1 tbsp Peanut Butter (all natural, no added sugar or salt- you really have to try this stuff, so much tastier than the processed stuff)

Lunch:
(this is a bit of a problem as my day starts late so I tend to miss lunch and just snack but this is also a good place to downsize the caloric daily intake of the original menu)
Tomato soup and Whole Wheat Roll (I'm skipping the bean salad since there are already beans in the dinner salad)

Dinner:
Spinach Pizza with Romaine Salad

• You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this pizza.  Heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat and saute 1 clove of minced garlic.  Add the spinach and saute for 2 minutes or until wilted. Spread a whole wheat pita (I have Weight Watchers pitas) with tomato paste or tomato pesto, toast for 2 minutes.  Mix the spinach with a couple of tbsp of low fat cottage cheese.  Spread over the pizza.  Sprinkle with part skim mozzarella.  Top with thinly sliced red onion.  Broil for a couple of minutes until golden. 
• Shred romaine lettuce, toss with beans (chickpeas or white kidney beans), cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, sliced red onion. Dress salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette (I have Paul Newman's light Balsamic) or a light Italian vinaigrette. 

Snack:
Tonight is the BCS College Football Championship so I'll be having a beer, this menu is not about denial! and some popcorn.  I have an air popper and I love it but if you don't have an air popper I did hear someone say you can take 2 tbsp popcorn and put it in a paper lunch bag, fold the top and microwave for 2-3 minutes until the popping stops (also way cheaper than buying microwave packs!).  I've never tried this method so.... 

YUM!

Newfie Slush

Anyone who has been to just about any house of a Newfoundlander over the holidays has been offered a glass of Slush.  It's a tradition!  Slush is a frozen low alcoholic drink made up of lots of fruit juices.  This year I made up 2 batches, one with alcohol and one without.  What I didn't realize was how comforting Slush is when you're feeling ill.  Soothing on the throat and stomach, thirst quenching for that nasty dehydration that comes from either pukin or a constant runny noise and breathing through your mouth... you get the idea. I'm putting on another batch of the non-alcoholic version tomorrow (you can always add a bit of booze when you make up a glass if you're feeling festive and not at death's door) to have on hand as we swing full on into cold season around here.

Newfie Slush
Makes 2 good size ice cream containers

Ingredients:

• 1 can frozen unsweetened orange juice
• 1 can frozen unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 can frozen lemonade
• 1 cup sugar ( you can add a little less if you don't like it too sweet)
• 6 cups water
• 1 pint or 375ml vodka (optional)
• lemon lime pop, ginger ale or club soda to serve it with it

Instructions:

1. Mix everything from orange juice to vodka together and pour into buckets
2. Freeze 24 hours.  If you aren't using alcohol be sure to stir up the freezing mix with a large fork several times during the first 6 hours or so.  Otherwise you'll end up with one big slush ice cube. 
3. Scoop out enough frozen slush to almost fill a glass.
4. Top with pop or soda and mix.
5. Enjoy!

Fall on a Plate

I've been making this combo all fall and just realized its not here on the blog for all to see.  We buy apples by the 20lb bags, peel, slice, soak in salt water and freeze to have year round.  There are nothing like Annapolis Valley apples!  You can use your favourites in this recipe.  I like Cortlands or Spartans but whatever tickles your taste buds will do just fine.  I first made this recipe with cabbage but you can use carrots, turnip, sweet potatoes and/or potatoes, dice them no bigger than 1/2 inch thick so they can cook through without the pork drying out or overcooking. 

Pork, Apples and Veggies
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1lb pork chops or sirloin
• 3 cups sliced cabbage
• 4 apples cut into eight wedges, peel if you wish
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp sage
• 1 cup water or chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or wide shallow ovenproof pan with a lid over medium high heat.
3. Saute the onions until tender
4. Add the pork and brown on both sides
5. Toss in the veggies and sear a bit, about a minute or two.
6. Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
7. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until the pork is done and the veggies are tender. 

Enjoy!