Food For Thought

The way we think about our food plays an enormous role in how we choose our food. As a culture, we have become more accustomed to food being good, and less accustomed to food being good for us. Flavor outweighs nutrition in most of our choices, with few exceptions.

Flavor enhancers are so overused that foods in their natural forms seem tasteless and bland. Sugar, in its many forms, has found its way into almost everything, from the places we expect to see it (cookies, ice cream, and other sweets) to places a lot of us would be shocked to see it ("health" foods such as yogurt and bread). High fructose corn syrup is only the most common culprit. (And, while I've mentioned that, and since it's become a source of debate at least on TV commercials, I'd like to point out that the corn coalition goes on TV to try to make us think that HFCS is just like sugar, and is safe in moderation. While it is not just like sugar, and it does process in your body differently than sugar, it probably is safe in moderation. But how can one possibly moderate its consumption when it is in almost EVERYTHING we eat???? Ponder that with me, please.)

Salt is another flavor enhancer that is difficult to steer clear from, both because it's in almost everything and also because we are so used to it being in everything that foods without it lack flavor. And, like sugar, it is safe in moderation but isn't healthy in overdoses, but is extremely difficult to moderate because it is found in most store-bought and especially processed foods.

And yet another flavor enhancer is artificial sweetener. This one is probably the worst, since it actually slows your metabolism and makes you crave more food (making you burn fewer and consume more calories throughout the day and therefore making you gain weight over time), and in its many forms, has been proven again and again to cause illnesses such as cancer. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1711763,00.html

And, lastly there is fat. Enough said.

So here is my challenge: Take this week to study labels. Look for added sugar in any form, and avoid it when you can. Look for added sodium and avoid it when you can. Make one meal this week that is made without anything processed. The ingredients can only come from the produce aisle or the meat counter (and not the deli meat counter!). Feel free to add your own flavor enhancers (read the labels). If you add them yourself, you can control them. And, if you can control them, you tend to use less. Less is more, and not just proverbially. Kosher salt, sea salt, black pepper are my most used flavor enhancers. A little goes a long way with these, and black pepper offers nothing bad--no calories, no harmful effects on your body, just flavor. Olive oil is the wisest fat additive. Again, a little goes a long way. And finally, if you must add a sweetener, try something natural, like honey, sugar in the raw, agave nectar, as these have a lower glycemic response (your blood sugar won't spike nor plummet as quickly, leaving you with fewer cravings and therefore more control).

Then, leave a comment for me as to how you felt about your challenge meal (be sure to tell me what you made!). Did you like it better or not as well as something processed? Did it take more time or less time or the same to prepare? How did your family respond? Are you more likely or less likely to cook like this in the future?

Good luck and have fun with it!

Sunday:

Monday: Onion-Smothered Pork Tenderloin, commercial bagged salad with homemade dressing, roasted potatoes

To roast the potatoes, heat oven to 450. Take a pound to a pound and a half of small red potatoes and quarter them. Put them in a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 1/2 T. olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 t. kosher salt and 3/4 t. black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet (line it with foil first to make clean up easier, if you wish). Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until beginning to brown (watch them closely at this stage). Be careful: these are better than french fries!

Tuesday: Garlic-Ginger Shrimp

Wednesday: Garlic Flank Steak, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Sugar Snap Peapods (make two pounds steak, and reserve half for tomorrow's wraps)

Thursday: Flank Steak Wraps, Apple Wedges

Flank Steak Wraps
Mix 2 T. tomato paste, 2 t. chili powder, a pinch of salt and a cup of salsa until well blended. Heat reserved steak (from last night) in a med pan over med heat until hot. While steak is reheating, warm up 4 tortillas in the microwave, sandwiched between paper towels, for 1 minute. Spread tomato mixture onto the tortillas, top with warm steak, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded iceberg lettuce. Roll up, cut in half, and secure with tooth picks.

Friday and Saturday we will be eating out.

Reality Bites

A word about food: reality. I plan, I prepare, I pack. I plan healthy meals, I prepare healthy meals, and I pack nutrients onto my family's plates with pride, at least most of the time. Some of the time, reality gets in the way. I didn't get to the store. I forgot an ingredient. I forgot to thaw. I ran out of time in the day. So we get stuck with what I like to call Reality Bites. Whatever I can find to make a meal out of something. A lot of the time it's frittata or pancakes. Sometimes it's grilled cheese or even cereal. The point is, it's not perfect, it's not even pretty. And that's pretty ok.

Sunday: Healthy Blueberry Pancakes, Turkey Bacon, Cinnamon Raisin Toast

Pancakes:

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. canola oil
2 cups low fat milk
2 t. baking soda
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

In med. bowl, mix eggs with oil and milk.

Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, and flour; mix until blended.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.

Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Sprinkle immediately with blueberries. When bottom is browned, flip and heat until cooked through. Serve with pure syrup, honey, yogurt, or my kids' favorite: unsweetened applesauce.


Tuesday: Meal Swap Meal (Jill's turn to cook)

Wednesday: Roasted Vegetable Pasta with chicken, breadsticks

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

1 orange bell pepper, julienned
2 zucchini, cut into half inch pieces
20 cherry or grape tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into half inch pieces
16 mushrooms, stems removed
2 T. olive oil
4 t. oregano
sea salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
8 oz chicken, cooked and diced
4 T. freshly chopped basil

Preheat oven to 450.
Place first 5 ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add sea salt and oregano and toss to coat evenly.
Place vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and return to pot.
Add broth and chicken to pasta and place over low heat. Heat through.
Add vegetables and toss to coat.
Add basil and season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Thursday: Broiled Lemon-Basil Salmon, Romaine Salad, Baked Sweet Potatoes

Broiled Lemon-Basil Salmon

1 T. olive oil
4 4 oz salmon fillets
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
4 t.bottled minced garlic
2 T. dried parsley
1/2 C. finely chopped fresh basil
1 whole lemon (half for juice, half for slices)

Line a baking pan with foil and coat foil with olive oil.

place salmon fillets skin side down on foil and brush with olive oil.

sprinkle salmon with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and half of basil.

Squeeze juice of half of the lemon over fillets.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat broiler. Broil salmon 6-8 minutes or until opaque in center and flakes easily.

Transfer to serving plate. Garnish with lemon slices and the rest of the basil.


Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Whole Wheat Pizza with roasted bell peppers.

Love. It is not in the air.

Love: it is not in the air. The air is frigid and threatening snow, and that is not conducive to any kind of love that I know. Except maybe the love of snow, which does indeed have its place. It is edging close to Valentine's Day, and pink hearts and sweet chocolates dance before our eyes everywhere from grocery store shelves to TV commercials. But that is not love.

Love is the every day. It's the hard. It's the I don't want to do this right now but I'm going to because I love you. For me, it's the food. It's the meals I plan and execute. It's the bodies I nourish. I guess food is my love language, or at least one of them. Love is that the boxed or take-out meals would be so much easier and in some cases cheaper, but I'll make you something from scratch because it's healthier, and your health matters to me, because I love you.

So I guess one could say that my time in the kitchen is a labor of love. I do love food, too, though, so I guess it's love in more ways than one.

At any rate, Happy Valentine's Day. Let it bring you the ones you love the most.

Monday: This is the day we will celebrate, since Tuesday is a sports night. My love of 14.5 years loves tacos, so that's what I will make. I will follow it with a chocolate cake because my husband loves chocolate. More than most. More than even the hardest core chocolate lover. Every year I try to out-chocolate him. Every year I fail.

Tuesday: Sports night. This requires something easy, or a crockpot, or a time bake. Or two of the above. Since the air is cold, I think Chili would work.

Chili Grande

1 lb ground beef (lean), or ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cans chili beans (such as bush's, mild or hot depending on preference)
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 packet or 1/4 cup taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in the pot of a crockpot. Cook on low 8 hours, on high 4 hours, or on low 4 hours followed by high 2 hours. I love this recipe because there's no need to brown the meat first.

Serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of sliced green onions. Or, serve it over freshly made cornbread. My favorite is the one right off the Quaker White Cornmeal container. It's easy and tasty!

Wednesday: If my husband can have his favorite, then I can have mine: grilled steak, baked sweet potatoes, steamed edamame (and, since I'm training for a half iron man, nothing for dessert) ... I have to say, these colors look so good on the plate. You should try it. Do it. Then comment on how impressed you are with yourself, and how impressed your family is with you.

Thursday: Another sports night. Easy peasy, nothing greasy. Croque Monsieur, salad, sweet potato fries

Friday: Shrimp Avocado Tacos (yeah, yeah, I know this is the second taco listing for the week, but I have some avocados that need to be used and shrimp sounds really good. Deal with it, or make your own dang menu! JK)

Saturday: Pizza night

Alive

Alive: it's a great word, isn't it? I mean, firstly, if you're alive, you're not dead, and that's always a good thing. My son, who just turned 8, frequently likes to point out how near death I am, at my age (which is, I guess, old in his eyes even though I still feel twenty something). Still, it's a little disturbing to have a miniature person taunting you with the O-L-D word. But, I AM still alive, at least for now, and I plan to live like it.

Secondly, my cousin just celebrated her 5 year "alive" anniversary, because 5 years ago this week she survived an enemy attack while serving with the armed services in Iraq. I am grateful for both her survival and her service. What a great reason to celebrate: just being alive. We are all so lucky!

So, while we're alive, let's enjoy it. Let's eat good food that also makes us feel good. Let's eat like we want to still be alive in 5 years, or longer. Let's eat food that makes us LIKE being alive, and makes it continue for a long, long time.

So, jump for joy. Go do it. For real. No matter who sees. Because you're ALIVE, and that is totally awesome.


Sunday: Grilled Cheese and leftover soup

Monday: Hamburger Stroganoff, steamed peas, dinner rolls

Tuesday: Spicy Sausage and Black Bean Soup, Speedy Quesadillas

Speedy Quesadillas (these are from the Cooking Light 5 Ingredient, 15 Minutes or Less cookbook)

Cooking Spray
6 Oz Turkey Kielbasa sausage, sliced
1 c. diced green, sweet red, or yellow pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
1/4 cup salsa

Coat med. saucepan with cooking spray, place over med heat until hot. Add sausage, and saute 1 min or until sausage begins to brown. Add pepper, saute 1 min.

add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; add beans and salsa. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Top with cilantro if desired.

4 servings

Wednesday: Grilled Sirloin Steak, Roasted Butternut Squash, Steamed Green Beans

(grill enough steaks for tomorrow night's sandwiches)

Thursday: Steak Paninis, Broccoli Slaw, baked potato chips (commercial)

Friday: Meal Swap

Saturday: Pizza

Decisions, Decisions

Sometimes in life we are faced with difficult decisions. "Should we buy a new car or keep spending money fixing the old one?" or, "Is this a battle I will choose with my kids?" or even, "Should I sell my house now at the bottom of the market, or try to wait out this slump?" "Should we have another baby?" The list goes on and on eternally.

For me, each week, I face difficult decisions. Okay, truthfully? Deciding what to make for dinner on a difficulty scale from 1-10 is pretty much a 2, especially when compared to the above dilemmas. Still, it FEELS difficult each time I sit down to write this blog. "Oh I really like that one, " says my left brain. "But you made something similar to that last month," says my right. "Oh my gosh all 216 recipes from this month's Cooking Light look soo good! I have to make them all!," says my left brain. "But you only have 7 days," says my right. There are so many great recipes out there; how will I ever choose?

This week I'm going to let you choose. Because I'm taking a break from decisions and because we all need more decisions in our lives. I know, I know. You're quite welcome.

Monday A: Tacos

Monday B: Peppered Flank Steak and Salsa, Roasted Asparagus, Sweet Potato Fries


Tuesday A: Sloppy Joes, raw carrots, home fries (try making these with egg whites instead of oil--fabulous!)

Tuesday B: Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy, smashed potatoes, steamed peapods


Wednesday A: Meatloaf, baked sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli

Wednesday B: Bacon and Butternut Pasta, Crusty French Bread


Thursday A: Rotisserie Chicken, boiled red potatoes, Roasted Carrots and Onions

Thursday B: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables, Buttermilk Biscuits


Friday A: Spaghetti, French Bread, Salad

Friday B: Herbed Fish and Red Potato Chowder, Whole Grain Crackers, Red Bell Pepper Strips

Food, Glorious Food

I love food. I love to eat. It doesn't even have to be comfort food. It can be anything and it will be comforting. I'm pretty sure it's an addiction, similar to cigarettes, alcohol, or online scrabble. This affinity I have for what is ultimately only fuel for my body is counterproductive to the desire I have for a nicely shaped body. But, though it is an addiction, I can't just quit cold turkey, no matter how strong my will power or how talented the hypnotist. And so, like much of life, I strive for balance--balance between fuel and fun, need and now, provision and processed. Fortunately, many times the flavor and the fuel aren't mutually exclusive.

Monday: Stuffed Glazed Pork Chops, Steamed Green Beans, Roasted Potatoes

Stuffed Pork Chops
4 Pork Loin Chops, 1 1/4" thick
1/2 lb pork sausage (or turkey sausage)
1 C. onion, chopped
1 cup cornbread, crumbled and dried
3/4 C. shredded apple
2 t. fresh thyme, minced, or 1/4 t. dried thyme
1/3 C. apple jelly
1/3 C. apple Juice
1 1/2 T. lemon juice

Cut a slit in each chop with a sharp knife, the length of the fat side almost to the other side, but not all the way through. Refrigerate chops while preparing stuffing. Cook sausage and onion in large skillet until sausage is brown, drain well. Wipe skillet with paper towel. Return to skillet and and stir in cornbread, apple, and thyme. Spoon 2 T. of apple juice over stuffing mixture and toss to combine. Spoon 2 T. stuffing into each pork chop pocket, use toothpicks to secure stuffing in pockets. Set aside remaining stuffing. Place chops on a rack in a roasting pan. In small saucepan combine jelly and lemon juice. Cook over low heat and stir until jelly melts. Brush chops with glaze and bake, uncovered, in a 375 oven for 20 minutes. Brush chops again with glaze, and add the remaining stuffing around the chops. Return to oven for another 20 minutes.

Roasted Potatoes

1 bag small red potatoes, quartered
1/4 c. olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper

Toss above ingredients until well coated.

Bake in single layer on cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 45 min or until potatoes are soft and beginning to brown.


Tuesday: Chili Grande, corn bread

1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 cans chili beans
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot (no need to brown the meat first). Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serve over yesterday's leftover corn bread.

Wednesday: Steak Frites with Herb Mustard, Romaine Salad

Thursday (vegetarian, breakfast for dinner): Spanish Tortilla with Bell Pepper, Fresh Fruit

Friday: Baked Chicken Legs, Steamed Sugar Snap Peas, Lemon Wild Rice

Saturday: Pizza night

Sunday: Shrimp Soup, Baked Tortilla Chips

Dinner Diva Delves into '12

Regardless of what will likely happen in subsequent weeks, this week we're starting out with healthy meals, exercise, good attitudes, plenty of sleep, and a strong work ethic applied to household chores and homeschool academics. . . Well, a girl can dream. At least I have a small say over the meals. Handily, this month's Food Network Magazine is dedicated to great food, light. It is here inspiration for the week will be found. Come hungry to the table, my family, and I will cheerfully feed you well.

Monday: Bobby Deen's Baked Spaghetti, Whole Wheat French Bread, Romaine Salad

Tuesday: Lemon Salmon with Lima Beans, baked potatoes

Wednesday: Cajun Stuffed Peppers, Whole Wheat Garlic Toast

(Use the leftover bread from Monday. Slice, spread with nonfat plain yogurt and sprinkle with garlic powder. Broil for just a few minutes until toasty.)

Thursday: Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing, Steamed Brown Rice, Baked Sweet Potatoes

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: pizza

Sunday: Beef and Barley Soup, whole wheat crackers