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so since we are not starving ourselves any longer to achieve our goals... then lets focus on what we should be eating-- we have breakfast and lunch down, so next comes ::DINNER:: which should be you last meal of the day. This does not mean you should fill yourself up until you feel like you are going to explode... keep it simple! slightly smaller or about the same size as lunch-- and shoot for at least 3hours before bedtime.. ie- you go to bed at 10.. dinner should be no later then 7. =)
Now here are some yummy recipes to try out... feel free to email me your own yummy ideas too!
Three Cheese Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)
- 4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)
Directions
Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.
Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.
Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Per serving (about 1 1/3 cups): Calories 403; Fat 17 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 517 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 20 g
Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef round, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 6 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons fine corn meal
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- Fresh salsa, homemade or store-bought, for serving
- Lime wedges and cooked brown rice, for serving
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; sear the beef in two batches, adding up to 2 teaspoons more vegetable oil, until browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the beef to a plate as it browns.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot; add the onion, red pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cocoa, chili powder, oregano, cumin and coriander; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the corn meal and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste sticks to bottom and caramelizes, about 2 minutes. Stir in 6 cups water, scraping tomato paste from bottom of pan; bring to a simmer. Add the reserved beef and beans; partially cover the pot and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer until the beef is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Serve chili with fresh salsa, lime wedges, and brown rice, if desired.
Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 186; Total Fat 4 g (Sat Fat 0.4g, Mono Fat 0.7g, Poly Fat 1.5g) ; Protein 18g; Carb 23g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 23mg; Sodium 421mg
Baked Fish&Chips
Ingredients
For the Chips:
- 3 medium russet potatoes (1 1/4 pounds)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
For the Fish:
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 3/4 cups crispy rice cereal
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless Pollock (or other firm white fish), cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces
- Tartar sauce and/or malt vinegar, for serving (optional)
Directions
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F using the convection setting, if available. Place a baking sheet on one of the racks to preheat.
Prepare the chips: Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick sticks. Toss with the olive oil and cayenne in a bowl. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any oil from the bowl over the potatoes. Bake on the top oven rack, turning once, until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, make the fish: Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Lightly crush the cereal in a bowl with your fingers. Add 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt until frothy.
Dip the fish in the egg whites, then roll in the cereal crumbs to coat. Place the fish pieces on the rack (position them on their sides so that the majority of the crust is exposed) and mist with cooking spray.
Bake the fish on the bottom oven rack until crisp and just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve the fish and chips with tartar sauce and/or malt vinegar, if desired.
Per serving: Calories 442; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 63 mg; Sodium 1,015 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 37 g
(all of the recipes above came from Food Network.Com)
Another good site for yummy dinner ideas is Skinny Crock Pot on Facebook. I follow her site a lot for yummy ideas that I can throw into my crockpot on those super busy days. =) Also try Skinny Oven on Facebook too! Both I think are filled with awesome ideas and most of the recipes listed also offer the nutritional facts. If you have any other sites that you use please feel free to email them to so I can share them on here! =)
Now that all 3 meals are taken care of.. lets look at something I enjoy ::Snacks:: I believe that a healthy diet should consist of 3 meals and 2 snacks. Spreading out your daily calories like this gives your body more time to process things and also helps your mind not feel like it is starving because you are feeding yourslef. =) My typical guideline for my snacks is to try and stay 100-200calories... but you should decide what works best for you and for the diet you have set up for youself. Start with this link
*25 super snacks with 100Calories or Less* and look out for my next post which will have more snack ideas as well as yummy treats for those of you who are like my husband and are HUGE sweet monsters. =)
and as always-- Stay Positive, we are on this journey together! -JMS
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