What I Ate Wednesday

I figured I better get this post done while it was actually still Wednesday!  Have you seen any of these “What I Ate Wednesday” posts floating around the blogosphere?  Some people blog about what they ate the Wednesday prior, but most just pick a random day.  You snap photos and blog about what was on your plate for a day.  I had hoped my first post would be a great illustration of how easy it is to achieve weight loss and fitness goals by eating right.  I feel like I have kind of fallen off the nutrition wagon the last few days.  I am on week 7 of doing P90X3.  The first four weeks were great.  My diet was on-point and I was totally motivated.  Lately though, I feel like my diet has been a little out of whack.  I have been trying to stay within 1500 calories per day, with 30% fats, 30% carbohydrates and 40% proteins, but that definitely didn’t happen yesterday.  My calories were in check, but my ratios were not.  I really should have tried to get more protein in yesterday.  But hey, you win some you lose some.  The day was still delicious!  This is what I ate yesterday.
   
I started the day by whipping up some homemade turkey breakfast sausage.  We love the recipe in the Primal Cravings cookbook - as simple as mixing dried sage, mustard powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne and red pepper flakes into the turkey, then forming it into patties.  The result is a smoky, slightly spicy sausage that is the perfect addition to a breakfast sandwich.  Breakfast sandwhiches are pretty much my go-to these days.  They are delicious, portable and a pretty balanced meal to have on the go.  I made mine on an English muffin with 2 eggs and a slice of colby-jack cheese.  I kicked things up a notch this time by adding a little maple butter.  It added a nice bit of sweetness, just like when you have pancakes and a little syrup gets in your eggs (which is the best part).  Basically, you get a McGriddle kind of vibe, but it isn’t full of chemicals and artificial flavoring.

The drive to work was pretty horrid, so once I got to there, I hit the coffee pretty hard to recover.  While I cringe at the idea of using powdered creamer, at least my office serves Colectivo coffee, which makes up for it.

My pre-lunch (a.k.a. morning snack) was a few slices of beef salami, some veggies and piece of string cheese.  My breakfast and coffee usually fill me up until just before noon, but then I need a little something to get be through the next hour or so until I take my lunch break.

For lunch, it was leftover Whole Wheat Orzo Salad with Kale, Chickpeas, Lemon, and Feta that we had for dinner on Meatless Monday.  The recipe was from Kayln’s Kitchen.  It was pretty easy to throw together and made for a quick refreshing dinner on a night that the drive home was less than ideal.  Thank you 7 inches of fresh snow!  We actually prepped the salad Sunday night.  We boiled whole wheat orzo and sautéed red onion with kale.  We mixed that together and added a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.  Then Monday we mixed up a vinaigrette of lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper.  I think I liked it better as a lunch salad than as a dinner.

My afternoon snack was an apple and vanilla Greek yogurt.  So simple, but so tasty.  I have been a little obsessed with Pink Lady apples lately.  I love Honeycrisp, but they are so expensive.  Pink Ladies are more in what I consider to be a “normal” price range for apples.  They are sweet but just a little tart, somewhat floral and nice and crisp.

Dinner was on the hubs last night and he did not disappoint.  He whipped up Shrimp Coconut Curry in a Hurry from the Body Beast nutrition plan.  We had it with some leftover Chinese takeout rice from over the weekend.  See, I told you we were off track.  I can’t even remember the last time we had Chinese takeout before this weekend.  The shrimp curry is made by sautéing shrimp and red bell pepper, then adding a mixture of coconut milk, lime juice, honey, curry, ginger and garlic.  Finally you stir in some fresh cilantro.  It is sweet, spicy, creamy, delicious and pretty easy to throw together.  I love the fact that I have a husband who isn’t afraid to get dinner on the table.  Good thing too, I was HUNGRY when I got home.  I’m a lucky girl.

One last thing I want to share with you while we’re in the “What I Ate” vein.  For Valentine’s Day, I made one of the best dinners I have ever had (pats self on back) and it wasn’t even that difficult to put together.  I started by making mashed potatoes using The Pioneer Woman recipe, then made cremini mushrooms escargot-style using a recipe I found here, and pepper crusted sear-roasted New York strip steaks using this method with a horseradish cream dipping sauce from Weber.  I also had some steamed peas and carrots on the plate.  It was DELICIOUS!  I could probably make a meal of just the mushrooms.  This is the exact meal I will go to over and over again when I am craving a steakhouse quality dinner at a fraction of the price.

 So, what’s on your plate?

Balsamic Grilled Chicken & Vegetables

I am always looking for new recipes for chicken.  It can get a little "blah" when you have it over and over again.  Since it's the middle of summer, it just seems so easy to throw some boneless skinless chicken breasts on the grill, which is great because it limits the amount of dirty dishes you have to take care of once meal time is over.  Unfortunately, you can sometimes end up with dry, flavorless chicken breasts that no one really wants to eat, except for the fact that they have those nice little grill marks on them.  I recently threw together a marinade that gave chicken breasts amazing flavor and kept them moist throughout cooking.  I didn't plan ahead, so the chicken didn't have much time to marinate, but the flavor was great and a real surprise.  It went together quick and there was zero clean up.  I also threw some veggies in a similar marinade then skewered them to make kabobs.  Again, zero clean up.  Score!

The next day I had some leftover balsamic grilled chicken on top of my strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing, and it was TO DIE FOR!  I recommend you give all of these simple recipes a try.  You'll be glad you did.

Chicken Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Method:
Preheat a charcoal grill or indoor grill pan set over medium heat.  Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create two thin chicken pieces (Doing this will help the marinade permeate the meat and they will cook faster, which means eating sooner).  Set aside.
Combine vinegar, oil, sugar and seasonings in a large zip-top storage bag.  Shake bag and knead with hands until ingredients are well-combined.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Store in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, or as long as it takes your grill to get going.  Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium flame/heat until cooked through, turning once about halfway through the cooking process.  This took about 5 minutes per side over direct heat on our charcoal grill.   

Vegetable Kabob Ingredients:
1-2 lg. sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), cut into chunks
1 lg. onion, cut into wedges
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into chunks
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary

Method:
Preheat a charcoal grill or indoor grill pan set over medium heat.  Combine oil, vinegar, garlic and seasonings in a large zip-top storage bag. Shake bag and knead with hands until ingredients are well-combined. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Store in refrigerator alongside your chicken until you're ready to grill.  Remove vegetables from marinade and place on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 15 minutes (or if you have one of those fancy metal kabob sets, that would be awesome).  Grill over medium flame/heat until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.

Click here for the printable recipe!

Come For Brunch

Every other month, my book club gets together to discuss our latest read.  I think we usually end up spending more time eating and socializing than we do actually discussing the books we read.  A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting a brunch for our group.

I have a chronic habit of undertaking too many projects at once when it comes to having people over to my home for any reason.  Whether it is my mom coming over for a simple supper, a birthday dinner or a holiday spread for family, I always tend to overdo it, resulting in my still being in the kitchen an hour or two after people have arrived.  I don't think that creates a very welcoming environment.

When making brunch for our "Chick Lit" book club, I realized that it is all about the prep work or mise en place if you want to get all technical about it.  If you read over all of your recipes, prepare what you can ahead of time, have all of your ingredients in place for the day of, and create a simple schedule, it will make preparing for a party or any meal a breeze.

The Brunch Menu:
Homemade Granola
Honey Vanilla Yogurt
Fresh Fruit
Super-Size Cinnamon Rolls (by far, the star of the show)
Stuffed Baby Bellas
Potato, Bacon, & Spinach Frittata

 The Recipes:

Honey Vanilla Yogurt (printable recipe)

from Ina Garten

2 c plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. clover honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (optional, but adds a really nice touch)

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Fresh Fruit

I used a mixture of strawberries (cut into 1/2 inch pieces), blackberries and blueberries.  I combined them in a large bowl and then placed a ring of sliced kiwis around the rim.  This made for a pretty presentation.  Use whatever fruit you like or whatever looks good at the market that day.

Super-Size Cinnamon Rolls (printable recipe)

Dough:

1 c milk, warm

1 packet active dry yeast

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c margarine, melted

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

4 c flour

Filling:

1/2 c margarine, softened

1 c brown sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing:

1/2 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese, softened

2/3 c margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

Method:

Combine dry ingredients for dough in large bowl.  Dissolve yeast in warm milk (I use fast-acting yeast so that the dough rises quicker).  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add eggs, margarine and milk/yeast mixture.  Mix well, then knead with hands into a large ball.  Put in greased bowl, cover and let rise until the size has doubled, approximately 1 hour.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  When dough has risen, remove from bowl and roll with rolling pin into a large rectangle that is a 1/4 inch thick.  It should be somewhere around 21 x 16 inches in size.  Spread the dough evenly with 1/2 c margarine, leaving about a 1/2 inch edge at the bottom of the dough.  Top evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Starting from the top (which should be the 21 inch side), roll tightly and evenly until you have reached the bottom.  By leaving the 1/2 inch gap at the bottom, the roll should sort of seal itself.  Slice the roll into ten 1 3/4 inch thick slices.  I find the best way to slice the rolls is to use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss.  Slide the floss under the roll, then criss-cross the ends like you're tying a knot.  You'll get perfect slices every time!

Place rolls in buttered 8 or 9 inch round or square pans with five rolls per pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until rolls are light brown.

Combine all icing ingredients in mixing bowl.  Starting on slow speed, begin mixing.  When ingredients start to come together, beat at high speed until mixture becomes soft and creamy.  Top warm cinnamon rolls with 2 Tbsp. icing each.  Serve remaining icing in small bowl in case people want extra! 

Stuffed Baby Bellas (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby portabella mushrooms

1 lb. breakfast sausage

1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) cream cheese

2 tsp. chopped parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 c panko bread crumbs

Method:

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems.  Chop stems into a fine dice and reserve.  Cook breakfast sausage until barely pink, then add reserved mushroom stems and continue cooking until sausage is fully cooked and mushrooms have released a majority of their liquid.  Transfer sausage mixture to a bowl and add cream cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, and cheese.  Mix ingredients until well combined, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Toast bread crumbs in the same skillet that you cooked the sausage, until they just begin to turn golden brown.

Fill mushroom caps with a heaping spoonful of sausage mixture so that each cap has a mound of it, then top with toasted breadcrumbs.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until  mushrooms are fork tender.

Potato, Bacon & Spinach Frittata (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 med. red potato, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 c Gruyere cheese, shredded

9 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. pepper

Method:

Place potato on microwave safe plate, and cook until just shy of done, about 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, begin cooking bacon in skillet set over medium heat.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then add onion and cook another 2 minutes.  Add potato and continue cooking until onion is translucent and potatoes are fully cooked and beginning to brown.  Add spinach, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up pieces and combine ingredients.  Let cool slightly, then add eggs, cheese, and pepper, making sure ingredients are well combined.

Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 8" pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.

The Planning:

If this all seems like a lot of work, don't be scared.  It may seem like a lot of steps, but if you read over the recipes, and make yourself a simple schedule, it really won't seem like that much work.  With a little planning, you'll even have time to enjoy a mimosa before your guests arrive!   

Two Days Ahead

Make Homemade Granola

One Day Ahead

Prepare Honey Vanilla Yogurt

Prepare Cream Cheese Icing, then store in an air-tight container

Cut up fresh fruit and keep in refrigerator

Measure out dry ingredients for Super-Size Cinnamon Rolls

Shred cheese for frittata and keep in refrigerator

Brunch Day

You'll want to start about 2.5 hours before your guests' scheduled arrival.  This will give you enough time to complete everything, but not enough time for food to get cold.

Start by mixing up the dough for the Super-Size Cinnamon Rolls, so it has time to rise.  While the dough rises, you can prepare the mushroom and frittata ingredients.  About a 1.5 hours ahead of time, bake the mushrooms.  When they are done, cover them with foil and place on the stove top, since the oven will be warm while you bake the cinnamon rolls and frittata.

While the mushrooms bake, you can put together the cinnamon rolls so that when the mushrooms come out of the oven, the cinnamon rolls go in.

While the cinnamon rolls bake, put together the frittata.  When the cinnamon rolls come out, frittata goes in.  While the frittata bakes, frost cinnamon rolls.

Put out plates, glasses, serving pieces, etc., do a little clean up (may require hiding some items in the dishwasher for the time-being), and make yourself a mimosa for a job well done!

Just as your guests arrive, pull the frittata out of the oven and voila...brunch is served!