Exterior Makeover

Everybody knows that when you don't like the outside of something you generally don't like the "something" and most of the time won't try it. That's true for food, clothing, people, restaurants, hotels... you name it. We all know the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but are we really good at following that advice? The media would definitely say no - beauty sells! An ugly meal on the cover of a cookbook is not going to sell the cookbook no matter how healthy, nutritious or tasty it is. And who knows this better than our kids?!

For this reason I decided to create one of my favorite comfort meals with a whole new "cover". By changing the outside I figured I may be able to get my daughters to at least take a bite! And not knowing what it was... they did!! They loved it!

Try it for yourself and get those picky eaters to eat an old favorite!

In-Side Out Cabbage Rolls

1 lb lean ground beef (96%)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup beef broth
8 oz pizza sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, reduced fat, shredded

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink; drain as needed. Stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, pizza sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender. Stir in the rice and heat through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and let it stand until the cheese is melted.

I served it in bowls to allow all the juices to stay with it and a slice of garlic toast made with Sarah Lee Delightful 45 calorie bread. For 1 1/2 cups and the slice of bread it was only 6 WW PointsPlus value!! That serving size is rather large too so the points can be adjusted with the serving size.

The family has gotten used to not asking what's in something so I lucked out! Had the kids known it was cabbage I may not have succeeded at giving this not-so-pretty meal a much needed makeover! Will they ever learn not to judge by the outside? I'm not so sure about that but I'm doing my part to teach them well!

This makes me want a haircut and some new foundation...

Starting Over

How many times have we said and heard that one? I know I've said it at least 100 times! Starting over so many things, so many times... dieting, exercising, budgeting, moving, jobs, relationships, you name it, I've started it over. This time, I've actually started over before starting over! My blog that is!

Shortly after starting this blog almost a year ago and being very focused on cooking healthy meals, I lost it! No, not the weight, the enthusiasm and motivation. The family vacation traveling down the west coast helped - I think I left it somewhere between San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf and Disneyland!

I've now started my journey over - more dedicated than ever! I've been on my newest weight loss journey for 2 months now and the healthy meals are piling up in my recipe book! I'm using Weight Watchers again and find myself addicted to their online features! The recipe builder keeps me logging in every day, all day! So ready or not, here they come!

A little different format this time - no nutritional values for each ingredient. Someday I may come back and edit the new recipes to include that but for now it's all about the PointsPlus values on the bottom line.

Here's the first recipe to begin the new journey:

Chicken Chimichangas

1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked
1 1/2 cups picante sauce, mild
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, low fat, shredded
2/3 cup scallion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp dried oregano
6 flour tortillas, carb balanced, low fat
1 tbsp butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, 3/4 cup picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 cup onions, cumin and oregano. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold the sides and ends over the filling and roll up. Place the seam side down in a 15" x 10" baking pan coated with cooking spray. Brush each tortilla top with the melted butter. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20-25 minutes until heated through and tops begin to brown. Top with the remaining picante sauce and onions. Optional toppings include additional cheese and fat free sour cream.

Each Chimichanga is a mere 7 WW PointsPlus value and when served with a side of fat free refried beans it's a great meal for under 10 points.

My daughter, who thinks of herself as a Chimichanga expert (actually, she thinks she's an expert at everything since she's 16) was excited to learn we were having these for dinner. She even offered to retrieve the deep fryer from the shelf in the garage! When I informed her they were going to be baked she was skeptical (that's putting it mildly)! After one bite she was hooked! These chimichanga's will make you think differently about those fat laden deep fried ones you get in restaurants. There is no oily after taste and the flavors are all there for you to enjoy. I'll experiment with homemade picante sauce later - these were too easy and too tasty to mess with right now!

I think I'll go mess with something else....

It's about time!

Wow, it's been quite some time since I've been on here! Almost forgot my password... well, actually I did, I just had to remember how this blogspot works!

So we went on our vacation for two weeks down the coast of Oregon and California and we had an absolute blast! The girls enjoyed the dunes, Disneyland, San Francisco and Lake Shasta and are still talking about the Safari in Brandon, OR where we all got to hold, pet, play with and feed the lion and tiger cubs! Although the trip didn't lend itself to any culinary delights prepared in the miniscule trailer kitchen, we did eat pretty darn good!

Since our vacation, I've prepared so many new dishes it's hard to decide which one to do first. After looking at my list though, it was relatively easy to pick out my favorite. Surprisingly, my favorite includes meat, not chicken or seafood!

Baja Pork Tacos
18.4 oz Hormel Pork Tenderloin Teriyaka (585 cal; 18g fat; 0g fiber)
2 cans Ortega diced green chilis (40 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
1 10 oz can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and chilis (100 cal; 0g fat; 2.5g fiber)
12 La Tortilla Factory white corn tortillas (1080 cal; 12g fat; 12g fiber)
1 cup iceburg lettuce, shredded (0 cal; 0g fat; 1g fiber)
1/3 cup Mozarella, part skim, shredded (70 cal; 3.5g fat; 0g fiber)

Cut pork tenderloin into large chunks. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the green chilis, Ro*Tel and pork tenderloin. Lower heat, cover, and continue to simmer rapidly for two hours. When the pork is tender, shred with a fork without removing from the pan. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Place 1/4 cup of the pork mixture on each tortilla, top with lettuce and mozarella. Serves: 6 Nutritional information per serving: 314 cal; 5.6g fat; 2.6g fiber

This is an extremely versatile recipe. I made it simple and easy with what I had in the pantry. The Ro*Tel gave it a great 'kick' and the teriyaka flavor of the tenderloin added a soft sweetness.

Another great thing about this is that you can do it in the crockpot! Throw in the simple ingredients, set it on low for 6-8 hours and enjoy! Another perfect meal for those cheerleading, flute lesson, choir practice nights!

Enjoy!

Creamy Goodness

This Pacific Northwest weather has us all going a little stir crazy doesn't it? It feels like fall, it looks like fall, we act like it's fall, I'm dressed like it's fall... so I figured let's eat like it's fall!

Nothing like a nice warm bowl of chowder with a hot buttery biscuit to warm you up on a dreary July day! Yep - it was raining at the time we sat down to dinner. And then my husband informed me he turned the heater on when he got up in the morning! AND... I read on Facebook that a friend did the same thing! It was July 1st... what's going on? Enough about that, here's the food!

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
2 tbsp butter (220 cal; 22g fat; 0g fiber)
1/4 cup onion, diced (14 cal; 0g fat; .5g fiber)
1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced (4 cal; 0g fat; .5g fiber)
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced (4 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (50 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
1 cup milk, fat free (90 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
2 cups Half & Half, fat free (320 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
1 lb chicken breast tenderloin, cooked and cubed
4 small corn-on-the-cob, kernals only (252 cal; 4g fat; 8g fiber)
1 can cream style corn (350 cal; 2g fat; 3.5g fiber)
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Dash red pepper flakes

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and jalapeno; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add the flour; cook for 1 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in the milk and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 5 minutes).
Serves: 6 Nutritional data per serving: 230 cal; 5g fat; 2g fiber

I tell ya, this stuff is awesome! It's so creamy and sweet you'll want to have way more than just one serving. Which is perfectly fine!! Check out the nutritional data for each serving... you can truly enjoy a whole bunch of this stuff!

Don't substitute the fresh corn for frozen - it WILL NOT work! The sweet crispy flavor and texture that the fresh corn adds to this recipe should not be messed with! Also, make sure you get the sweet corn with the light yellow or white kernels, you won't be sorry.

You can also modify it a bit to bring down the fat and calories by using all fat free milk instead of the half & half. I'll never do that - I love the creaminess too much. Having been on Adkins before I really miss all the cheesey creamy goodness so I take it where I can get it!

Of course, what is chowder without biscuits? The reduced fat Pillsbury Grands biscuits are perfect - the kids love making them and I love the mess!! Next time I'll include a low fat/low calorie cheddar biscuit recipe - this time, we had the canned variety!

Enjoy!

New Obsession

Opening night for the new Twilight movie - what a blessing! All three girls attended the opening with somebody else this time - no midnight theater runs for us! What did we do with our evening alone?

Off we went on the motorcycle!

After stopping at the Fireworks stand and purchasing saddlebags full of "celebration" we ventured into downtown Poulsbo to find some culinary delights. We were extremely successful!

We landed at Sogno Di Vino - a delightful little eatery that boasted wood fired pizza as it's mainstay. We had eaten there before, sitting next to the fireplace, enjoying a panini and some pasta. This time it was the pizza that attracted both of us. When we saw the open table on the patio that has a fire pit in the middle of it we knew it was where we wanted to eat.

Now, here comes the obsession part...

My new comfort food that will heal any emotional or physical ailment... I will not rest until I have mastered it!

Lemon Rosemary Aioli

We ordered a couple appetizers to tide us over until the pizza arrived... the Antipasto Platter and the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with that glorious wonderful Lemon Rosemary Aioli! Both appetizers were wonderful... the olives on the Antipasto Platter had such a great flavor I wanted a whole platter of those to myself. But that Aioli... that will be served at my 4th of July spread! That gives me 4 days to master it!

I can't close out without at least mentioning the pizza! I had the Caramelized Onion, Chicken, Mozzarella & Gruyere Cheese pizza - the flavors were wonderful. The crust is tender and soft yet has a nice crisp to it as well. Definitely worth returning for and maybe trying some of the other choices. I won't change my appetizer of choice though - that's a permanent selection!

Off to the kitchen I go - some aioli is waiting to be whipped!

Stay tuned for my recipe!

Today's Success

Welcome to my dinner table!

Tonight was a great success! With cheer practice running until 4:00 then flute lessons following the practice and everybody needing rides to somebody's house for something I thought it would be best to throw something in the crockpot. I figured everybody could eat when they wanted to and it would make things easy. Boy was I right!

Before I get into the recipe, I want to explain a couple things. With each recipe I'll put the nutritional values next to each ingredient. I do that with my electronic cookbook in order to more easily modify a recipe. I can add and delete things and quickly calculate the nutritional value with little effort. Since I enjoy being able to do that I figured you would too! I only keep track of calories, fat and fiber (yes, I do Weight Watchers!) so that's all that will be there. I'll total everything at the end of the recipe but I'm not going to put the WW points so I don't get into trouble!

Here's tonights success...

Crockpot Lasagna (Serves 8)
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (1,014 cal; 55.5g fat; 0g fiber)
1 small red onion, chopped (28 cal; 0g fat; 1g fiber)
2 tbsp minced garlic (30 cal; 0g fat; 0g fiber)
1 cup mozarella, 2% milkfat, shredded (210 cal; 11g fat; 0g fiber)
1 cup cheddar, 2% milkfat, shredded (384 cal; 16g fat; 0g fiber)
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese, low fat, 1% milkfat (240 cal; 3g fat; 0g fiber)
8 oz lasagna noodles (9 noodles) (840 cal; 4g fat; 8g fiber)
1 jar pasta sauce, 26 oz (50 cal per serving) (300 cal; 9g fat; 12g fiber)
1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz (87.5 cal; 0g fat; 3.5g fiber)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (54 cal; 0g fat; 2g fiber)
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped (30 cal; 0g fat; 3g fiber)
1 cup fresh spinach (7 cal; 0g fat; 1g fiber)

Cook lasagna noodles as directed on the package (or you can use the no-cook variety). Immediately immerse noodles in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain cold water and lay noodles flat on a clean dry linen towel. In a frying pan, brown turkey with the onion and garlic - cook until no longer pink. Add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes, stir over medium heat until heated through. Mix all cheeses in a seperate container. Mix all chopped vegetables in a seperate bowl. Turn crockpot on low heat. Begin layering lasagna: 1/3 meat sauce, 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 vegetables. Repeat 2 more times until all the ingredients have been used. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
Per Serving: 402 cal; 12g fat; 4g fiber

That's it! Enjoy with a small dinner salad using fat free dressing to keep it low... or not! It's got a good fiber count already and there's spinach and other veggies so the salad really isn't necessary if you're eating on the run.