Saturday, January 8, 2011

Hungry Like the Wolf

2 blogs in one today...I started the other first but decided to go ahead and get this one done, post it first and then post the other one since this is more recipes/info and the other is the regular blog...

So, are you Hungry like a Wolf?

I've written about what I eat before, but here are some ideas that you can add or use for your own diet/health...

Let's start with breakfast...

Egg Not-McMuffin:
1 thin bun, deli flat, or English muffin (see note)
ham (thinly sliced...)
egg white---poached or microwaved or "fried" with Pam...1 or 2
2 TBS fat free cheddar cheese

Toast your bun, flat, or english muffin with the cheese on top (I use toaster oven). If you want ham, put it on the bread under the cheese. Cook your egg. Put egg on and close the sandwich. You can serve with salsa or...yogurt salsa (Fage fat free yogurt and salsa, mixed).
Note: Deli flats and Thin buns are 100 calorie thin buns found in the bread section. Look for whole grain...

Egg White Omlette:
Cook some egg whites in a heated pan with Pam (add the Pam while the pan is cool). You can beat them first for a fluffier omlette or just dump them out of the egg. I use 2 extra large eggs. Use a yolk if you don't have cholesterol issues. Once cooked, turn out onto a plate and add spinach (or whatever veggies you like...I use my leftovers) and fat free or low fat cheese. Goat cheese is really good!

Yogurt and fruit:
Fage fat free or 2% yogurt
washed and cut up fruit or berries
honey or agave nectar

Stir in honey or agave to yogurt. Add fruit...eat...good as a snack too...

Cottage Cheese Yum (also a good snack):
cottage cheese (fat free or lowfat)
pineapple or berries
Splenda

Stir some splenda into the cottage cheese. Add chopped pineapple or berries. You can leave out the splenda...

Egg Scramble:
cooked ground turkey
fat free or lowfat cheese
egg whites
cooked broccoli, broccolini, sweet potato chunks, or whatever

Beat the eggs with a fork...heat the turkey in a pan and add veggies to warm up...add the egg whites...scramble around...add cheese as the eggs start to set up.

Now let's move on to lunch...

The easiest is leftovers! Those Glad and Ziploc boxes are great for this...and I re-use my Fit Food containers or "doggy bag" containers. But the trick is to make them seem appealing...so if I eat salmon the night before, I make an extra piece so I can eat it for lunch and then I pack it up on a bed of spinach or arugula.

Healthy Chicken Salad:
cooked chicken breast (poached or grilled)
blueberries (i prefer fresh but dried are also really good)
dried cranberries
lowfat mayonaisse
celery

Chop up or shred the chicken. Add the berries, celery, and a bit of mayo to bind it. Serve on top of lettuce or make chicken salad rolls by rolling it in a lettuce leaf. Easy to pack and go...

Club Bun to-go:
Deli Thin bun (whole wheat)
mustard (flavored makes it better!)
thinly sliced turkey
thinly sliced ham
fat free cheese
strawberry jam (optional)

Build your sandwich on the bun...I like a schmear of mustard on one side and a schmear of jam on the other...add meats and cheese...wrap in plastic wrap so you can zap it in the microwave to warm it.

And dinner...

Salmon with greens:
Salmon filet (I like a thick slice)
marinade (I like a ginger teriyaki)
fish seasoning or just salt and pepper

Marinate the fish. Place in a pan. Season. Broil until desired doneness (I like medium to medium rare).

Place on a bed or arugula (I like to add blueberries)or place it on a bed of sauteed spinach. If I put it on uncooked greens, I like a splash of fat free salad dressing or a squeeze of lemon.

Pan Cooked fish:
Take some tilapia or redfish or snapper...season it with garlic salt, lemon pepper, red pepper (if desired) or a fish seasoning blend. Dust with a little flour or just season the flour. You don't want to "bread" it, just DUST it...
Heat a little olive oil in a pan until nice and hot. Add the fish...turn after a few minutes (this will depend on the thickness of the fish)and cook on the other side.
Deglaze the pan with some white wine. Add a squeeze of lemon and a pat of butter after the wine has reduced. Add chopped tomatoes and some avocado. Pour over the fish and serve with roasted veggies.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup:
1 large butternut squash
olive oil
chicken stock
fat free half and half
curry powder
salt
pepper

Slice squash in half lengthwise, rub with olive oil and roast at 450 until soft and cooked. Scoop out flesh and put into blender. Add some chicken stock and some fat free half and half if you want it creamy. Season with the curry powder and salt and pepper. You can leave the curry out.

This also works with carrots...just simmer some baby carrots until soft...I like to simmer them in chicken stock.

Try this with cauliflower...roasted or steamed...

This is a soup that is good hot or cold...

Carrot Green Chili Soup:
1 large bag baby carrots
1 TBs Brown sugar
2 cans chopped green chilis
fat free half and half
chicken stock
salt and pepper

Bring carrots to a boil in water (or chicken stock). You can add the brown sugar to the cooking liquid or, for a sweeter soup, add to the soup itself. Once carrots are cooked, put into blender (may have do batches) and add the green chilis. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and/or fat free half and half to liquify the soup.

Chicken wraps
These vary according to what kind of flavor you want...but basically all you need is some cooked chicken meat, some shredded veggies (onion, carrot, cabbage, peppers), some cilantro and some sort of dipping sauce and some firm lettuce leaves to wrap them in.

For chicken fajita wraps, season your chicken breasts or thighs with cumin, garlic, salt and pepper and then broil, grill, or pan saute them. Roll up cooked chicken in lettuce leaves with some onion and bell peppers (you can saute or leave raw) and some cilantro. The lettuce is your "tortilla". Dip in salsa or salsa/fat free yogurt.

For thai style wraps, season your chicken with some soy sauce and garlic before cooking. Wrap up the cooked chicken with cilantro, shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. You can buy any number of different dipping sauces---peanut, ginger, soy, etc. Or make a soy ginger sauce out of low sodium soy sauce, grated ginger, a little brown sugar, crushed garlic and a bit of rice wine.

Greek style: season chicken with lemon juice and garlic before cooking. Wrap chicken in lettuce with chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, a bit of feta (can be fat free) and serve with tzatziki sauce (Greek yogurt with peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber, juice of 1 lemon, 1 TBS chopped mint, 1 TBS chopped dill, 1 clove finely chopped garlic. You can make thicker sauce by straining the yogurt overnight in cheesecloth hung over a bowl).

Easy White chili:
Saute an onion and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves in a bit of olive oil until soft and browned. Add in a can of chopped green chilis. Add in 2 cans great northern beans. Add in cooked chicken breast, (can use the frozen fajitas), chopped into small chunks. Add in a cup or two of chicken stock. Stir in some fat free cheese before serving.

Sauteed brocollini:
Brocollini is like long, skinny broccali but it has a milder taste.
Saute a bit of garlic in some olive oil. Add the brocollini and saute until starting to soften. Add chicken stock (a cup or so) and let simmer until stock is gone. Saute the tender brocollini until it gets a little brown color.

Now here are some tips I have found to make things easier on myself:
Costco sells bulk veggies, often trimmed and ready for roasting or cooking...try their butternut squash.

Roast veggies by putting them in a pan, tossing with a bit of olive oil and sea salt, and roasting at 450 until tender. This works with so many veggies. Do this in large batches so that you roast once and then have portions to re-heat.

You can make cauliflower "rice" by taking steamed or roasted cauliflower and putting it through a ricer, or just breaking it up with a fork...I like it mixed with seasoned ground turkey and a bit of fat free cheese.

Make large batches of soup but freeze half of it...you WILL get tired of the same soup so if you make it and freeze it you can have some a few weeks later...

You will need room in your fridge and freezer for all of this food...so throw out the JUNK and make room.

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches and the little cups of ice cream are GOOD...

A bite of dark chocolate can curb sugar cravings...

Try sandwiches on the deli flats (thin buns)...or wrap things in lettuce.

Add blueberries and strawberries to your salad...it adds antioxidents and flavors up your greens.

Keep a box of chicken stock in your fridge. Same goes for beef and veggie stock. Use them to add to sauces, cook with, or season with.

If you take the time to chop up veggies or fruit, you will eat it.

Make flavored water: in a pitcher throw in some mint, a sliced or chopped cucumber, a few orange slices, and a few strawberries and maybe some choped melon. Add water. Put in fridge. Replenish water as you drink it. Throw out fruit after a few days.

Here's a Dimples tip: before drinking a glass of wine, have a glass of water. It does slow me down.

In another blog (soon!) I will write up my tips for eating out.

In the meantime, to quote my hero Julia Child: Bon Appetite!

Inspiration Song: Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran...it fits...

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