Food for thought, it's really true!
When
we give suggestions that are good, it's called food for thought, and it
may help your brain keep sharp because it makes you think, we really do
need to eat right, or we can't think. So the term "food for thought" is
both literally and figuratively true.
While we ought to stay away from deep fried foods, an occasional treat say, once a month or something is really okay. Just make sure you're using healthy oils such as canola, peanut, flax, and other plant based that is low in fat and cholesterol. Good fats can help you lose weight. But, since some of these foods, like egg rolls, is labor intensive, so it's not something you're going to do often. I will do a special blog just on that and flautas.
Here are some good ways to create your own healthy versions of traditional and comforting foods, that are just as good, if not more flavor intensive.
With baked chicken, get chicken parts, rather than the whole chicken, and use the chicken breasts. For the stuffing, leave the croutons at the store. Those have been deep fried, most likely. Instead, keep the crusts or the stale bread from your loaves, and keep them stored in the back of your refrigerator. This will help you save money for future needs as well.
These left over pieces of bread can also be used as bread crumbs. Use your coffee grinder to turn into bread crumbs. They will be coarser, but, it's a bit heartier that way. Lay on a baking sheet, and on LOW (170F) dry the bread crumbs and store in a safe container. This is great to have on hand when you're making meatballs.
Buy spices in bulk. They keep for a long time, and you can play with amounts to ensure that you're spicing your food just the way you like it, and to please those you are feeding. They'll think it's a secret ingredient that costs money, when it's really you, and your ingenuity.
Also, when you want to do cabbage rolls and you want the sour kraut flavor but you want whole cabbage leaves, pickle your own head of cabbage by filling a pot with 2/3 water and the rest with vinegar, or save pickle juice from your favorite pickles and add it to the water. Simmer the cabbage head until cooked through. You'll need to be able to turn the cabbage head, and reserve water if you wish.
While we ought to stay away from deep fried foods, an occasional treat say, once a month or something is really okay. Just make sure you're using healthy oils such as canola, peanut, flax, and other plant based that is low in fat and cholesterol. Good fats can help you lose weight. But, since some of these foods, like egg rolls, is labor intensive, so it's not something you're going to do often. I will do a special blog just on that and flautas.
Here are some good ways to create your own healthy versions of traditional and comforting foods, that are just as good, if not more flavor intensive.
With baked chicken, get chicken parts, rather than the whole chicken, and use the chicken breasts. For the stuffing, leave the croutons at the store. Those have been deep fried, most likely. Instead, keep the crusts or the stale bread from your loaves, and keep them stored in the back of your refrigerator. This will help you save money for future needs as well.
These left over pieces of bread can also be used as bread crumbs. Use your coffee grinder to turn into bread crumbs. They will be coarser, but, it's a bit heartier that way. Lay on a baking sheet, and on LOW (170F) dry the bread crumbs and store in a safe container. This is great to have on hand when you're making meatballs.
Buy spices in bulk. They keep for a long time, and you can play with amounts to ensure that you're spicing your food just the way you like it, and to please those you are feeding. They'll think it's a secret ingredient that costs money, when it's really you, and your ingenuity.
Also, when you want to do cabbage rolls and you want the sour kraut flavor but you want whole cabbage leaves, pickle your own head of cabbage by filling a pot with 2/3 water and the rest with vinegar, or save pickle juice from your favorite pickles and add it to the water. Simmer the cabbage head until cooked through. You'll need to be able to turn the cabbage head, and reserve water if you wish.
Baked Chicken
Cube
enough bread slices into pieces. You'll need enough slices enough to be
about a half loaf, similar to Brownberry's half loaves of bread.
Dice a large onion and 2 ribs of celery. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and sage to taste. I use about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and I like to use extra sage, about a tablespoon, but it can be a mock gamey taste, and I've found that just a cinch of tumeric takes away that flavor and balances it out, w/o being intrusive. You may also add parsley, up to a quarter cup, if you wish. Drop an egg or two, and mix up well.
Place the stuffing mix into a bottom of a baking pan, and layer the chicken breasts (bone in) on top of the stuffing. Cover with foil, and bake @350F until done, about an hour. Take cover off for more added crispy to the skin.
Have a salad with raw spinach, tomato, grated carrots, and slivered mushrooms before hand, and serve the chicken with stuffing next to a green veggie such as broccoli or asparagus. To cook, cut into desired pieces. In a hot pan, add a tablespoon of butter, and olive oil to coat the veggie. Add some Mrs. Dash and lemon pepper seasoning to taste.
Dice a large onion and 2 ribs of celery. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and sage to taste. I use about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and I like to use extra sage, about a tablespoon, but it can be a mock gamey taste, and I've found that just a cinch of tumeric takes away that flavor and balances it out, w/o being intrusive. You may also add parsley, up to a quarter cup, if you wish. Drop an egg or two, and mix up well.
Place the stuffing mix into a bottom of a baking pan, and layer the chicken breasts (bone in) on top of the stuffing. Cover with foil, and bake @350F until done, about an hour. Take cover off for more added crispy to the skin.
Have a salad with raw spinach, tomato, grated carrots, and slivered mushrooms before hand, and serve the chicken with stuffing next to a green veggie such as broccoli or asparagus. To cook, cut into desired pieces. In a hot pan, add a tablespoon of butter, and olive oil to coat the veggie. Add some Mrs. Dash and lemon pepper seasoning to taste.
5 Hour Stew.
2#
of your favorite meat - beef, lamb, what ever you'd like. Cut into
large bite sized pieces. I just get a roast, what ever is on sale, and
trim the fat and cut it up myself. Stew meat is expensive.
Cube up 4 potatoes, 3 carrots, 3 ribs of celery, and a large onion. If you wish, you may substitute the potatoes with a rutabaga instead. 2 large cans of whole or stewed tomatoes. Pepper to taste. If you're using fresh tomatoes, reserve the juices of the tomato to put into the mix, and add salt. If using cans, there is enough salt in the cans that you don't need extra. 6 table spoons of dry tapioca pudding mix. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Bake @ 250F for 5 hours. No peeking!
Serve a salad with arugula & endive, and cut up an apple. Sprinkle walnuts on the salad, and use a little Miracle Whip as a dressing.
Cube up 4 potatoes, 3 carrots, 3 ribs of celery, and a large onion. If you wish, you may substitute the potatoes with a rutabaga instead. 2 large cans of whole or stewed tomatoes. Pepper to taste. If you're using fresh tomatoes, reserve the juices of the tomato to put into the mix, and add salt. If using cans, there is enough salt in the cans that you don't need extra. 6 table spoons of dry tapioca pudding mix. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Bake @ 250F for 5 hours. No peeking!
Serve a salad with arugula & endive, and cut up an apple. Sprinkle walnuts on the salad, and use a little Miracle Whip as a dressing.
Nimono
Soak desired amount of dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups water.
Boneless/skinless chicken thigh meat, cut and browned in oil.
Add large chunks of carrots and daikon (a Japanese radish).
Optional are green onions.
Remove mushrooms from water, cut stiff ends off, (save water) and add to the pot.
In the water from mushrooms, add more water to make it back up to 2 cups. Then add a little dashi, 2 tablespoons of sake (or dry vermouth), 2 tablespoons of sweetener, such as truvia, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, and pour over the ingredients. This should just barely cover the ingredients. Cover and slow simmer about an hour.
You may use rutabaga in place of the potatoes and daikon, but if you do, skip the sweetener.
Serve with brown rice and pickles. Blanch a full bag of spinach, squeeze extra water out, cut, and pour a dab of soy & fish flakes on as an extra side of veggie.
*Haikuku brand brown rice is really good, it's soft like white rice, and is healthier, doesn't give you the harsh taste some brown rice has.
Boneless/skinless chicken thigh meat, cut and browned in oil.
Add large chunks of carrots and daikon (a Japanese radish).
Optional are green onions.
Remove mushrooms from water, cut stiff ends off, (save water) and add to the pot.
In the water from mushrooms, add more water to make it back up to 2 cups. Then add a little dashi, 2 tablespoons of sake (or dry vermouth), 2 tablespoons of sweetener, such as truvia, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, and pour over the ingredients. This should just barely cover the ingredients. Cover and slow simmer about an hour.
You may use rutabaga in place of the potatoes and daikon, but if you do, skip the sweetener.
Serve with brown rice and pickles. Blanch a full bag of spinach, squeeze extra water out, cut, and pour a dab of soy & fish flakes on as an extra side of veggie.
*Haikuku brand brown rice is really good, it's soft like white rice, and is healthier, doesn't give you the harsh taste some brown rice has.
Sarma
Pickle
a full head of cabbage, cool off to handle. Tear outer leaves off, and
lay on bottom of a baking pan. Core the cabbage to remove individual
leaves of cabbage.
In separate bowl, mix up 4# ground chicken, dilute 2 packets of the fant brand papriku & sarmu spice mix in 1 cup of warm water, and add about 6-8 oz rice.
http://www.amazon.com/Seasoning-Stuffed-Peppers-Cabbage-2-1oz/dp/B000LRILHQ/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_b
Mix well, and roll into the cabbage leaves. Place each roll in pan on top of the layer of leaves, until your pan is full. The small leaves at the end, chop and place on top of the rolls. Sprinkle some of the left over liquid over the top. Bake until done. About an hour or so.
Enjoy with a tomato and cucumber salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
In separate bowl, mix up 4# ground chicken, dilute 2 packets of the fant brand papriku & sarmu spice mix in 1 cup of warm water, and add about 6-8 oz rice.
http://www.amazon.com/Seasoning-Stuffed-Peppers-Cabbage-2-1oz/dp/B000LRILHQ/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_b
Mix well, and roll into the cabbage leaves. Place each roll in pan on top of the layer of leaves, until your pan is full. The small leaves at the end, chop and place on top of the rolls. Sprinkle some of the left over liquid over the top. Bake until done. About an hour or so.
Enjoy with a tomato and cucumber salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
Eat your veggies! They're good for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDUVhLzC0Es
What's for dinner?
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