Friday, August 26, 2011

Rise 'n Shine!

One of my favorite breakfast dishes that I like to make on the weekend is a frittata.  It's a versatile dish that uses up leftover vegetables, cheeses and even meat that we've had during the week.  I rarely make it the same way twice!  Today I'm using some fresh peppers, mushrooms and carrots and flavoring it with basil from my garden.  In total there is about 6 cups vegetables, so go ahead and substitute your favorite veggies or use up those leftovers.

Traditionally you're supposed to add the beaten egg to the sauteed vegetables and continue cooking it on top of the stove to set the bottom of the frittata before finishing it off in the oven.  I find it's easier, and comes out just as well, if you pop the skillet right in the oven after the egg is added, then bake it through.  And don't forget to let the frittata stand after removing it from the oven.  It will cut and serve better.

Hearty Vegetable Frittata

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
16 eggs or 1 container (32 ounces) egg substitute*
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  1. Heat the oil in a heatproof ** 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add red and green bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and carrots.  Cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove from the heat.
  2. Beat the eggs and black pepper; stir in the basil.  Pour the egg mixture over the sauteed vegetables, then gently stir to evenly distribute the vegetables.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg is set. Remove from the oven and top with the cheese.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.  (The center of the frittata may rise during baking.  It will flatten while standing.) 

* If you like fresh eggs, but not all the cholesterol, you can use 8 eggs and 2 cups egg substitute.
** If the handle of your skillet is not heatproof, wrap it in aluminum foil before baking.


Storage Tip: If I have any leftover frittata, I place each wedge in its own container and have a ready-made breakfast that heats up quickly in the microwave during the week.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The No-Carb Challenge!

I'm in the middle of the second 17-day cycle of the diet and carbs are back!  BUT there are rules.  You can have 2 servings per day every other day from a select list of carbs.  There's one more catch...they must be consumed before 2pm.  I really wanted some Italian comfort food for dinner Sunday night, specifically lasagna.  Hence my no-carb challenge. 

I've done vegetable lasagnas before, however, without the pasta to absorb some of the moisture from the veggies the dish can turn out watery or bland.  Since thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini are the perfect substitution for the lasagna noodles, I decided to grill them first.  Not only did it cook off some of the moisture, it added another dimension of flavor.  As you can see from the picture the lasagna cuts beautifully after the 15 minute stand time.  The dish satisfied my craving for Italian....so much so that we had it two nights in a row! 

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

Turkey Meat Sauce, recipe follows
2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
1 large or 2 medium zucchini squash (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
  1. Prepare Turkey Meat Sauce.
  2. Cut eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
  3. Brush the eggplant and zucchini with olive oil.
  4. Grill eggplant and zucchini slices over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Set aside.
  5. Mix yogurt, cheese, egg substitute and black pepper.
  6. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon    1 1/2 cups meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer half the eggplant slices over the meat sauce, overlapping to fit.  Spread half the yogurt mixture over the eggplant. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over the yogurt mixture.
  7. Top with a layer of the zucchini slices, overlapping to fit.  Spread the remaining yogurt over the zucchini, then top with 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce and the remaining eggplant slices.  Spoon the remaining meat sauce over the eggplant.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with additional shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.
Turkey Meat Sauce

Makes about 6 cups sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots, shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
  1. Heat oil in 6 quart pot.  Add onion, mushrooms, carrot, garlic and oregano.  Cook and stir for 8 minutes or until onion is tender. 
  2. Add turkey.  Cook until done, stirring constantly to break up meat. 
  3. Add tomatoes and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Tip: This meat sauce would also be delicious served over hot cooked pasta or spaghetti squash.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Salad Days of Summer

The difference between a good salad and a great salad is the dressing.  I lean to the creamier, richer dressings that add all the dreaded fat and calories to an otherwise healthy salad.  I like a big salad at lunch time to fill me up and get me through the "valley of munchies" that strike around 4pm.  So to stay with my current eating plan I whipped up two dressings that are packed with flavor.  I use Dijon mustard in both to add body to the dressing and keep the ingredients blended.

Balsamic Dijon Dressing

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Whisk together all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.  (A 1/4 cup serving is plenty for a a big tossed salad and counts for 1 tablespoon oil on the 17 Day Diet)

Orange Dijon Dressing

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup white wine or cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sugar free orange marmalade

Whisk together all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.  (I love this dressing because it's fat free!)  This dressing is also delicious spooned over baked fish fillets.

Tip:  If you like a sweeter dressing you can add a packet of artificial sweetener or some agave nectar to taste.

Friday, August 12, 2011

It's All About Flavor

I love experimenting with different flavors to add variety and kick to dishes.  It can make the difference between feeling satisfied at the end of a meal or having a lingering taste for something else that causes me to overeat.  I made a delicious pork roast a few weeks ago and the marinade/baste was a keeper.  During this week's shopping trip I got a good price on boneless chicken breasts so I decided to adapt the marinade and baste for tonight's dinner.  To keep with the 17 Day Diet I cut back on the oil, substituted agave nectar for the brown sugar and eliminated the salt.  I also added some punch by using smoked paprika.  I kept the rest of the meal simple and served some steamed fresh asparagus and tomato-scallion salad on the side.

Smoky Dijon Grilled Chicken
Makes 4 to 6 servings

3/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  1. Blend mustard, Worcestershire, agave nectar, paprika and oil.  Refrigerate 1 cup of the mustard mixture.
  2. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and add remaining mustard mixture.  Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. 
  3. Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium.  Remove the chicken from marinade; discard the marinade.
  4. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.  Heat the reserved mustard mixture.  Slice the chicken and serve with the mustard mixture.



Monday, August 8, 2011

Lancaster, Chocolate and Irresistable Farmer's Markets

The only thing worse than a garden full of zucchini that keeps on giving is a morning of farm-stand hopping that results in having purchased several weeks worth of fruit and vegetables!  I couldn't resist the gorgeous fresh summer produce from the local farms in Lancaster.  More on this later, but first an update on the diet. 
Normally when my husband and I travel, all bets are off on dieting.  But having been to the Amish country several times over the years, we've eaten our fill of delicious Pennsylvania Dutch specialties like chicken pot pie, funnel cakes, apple dumplings and pretzels plus chocolate in every shape and form.  So we decided to see how well we could follow the 17 Day Diet on vacation.   We were traveling with my brother and his family, so we didn't want them to miss out on any of the fun food places in the area.  We started out in Lititz, Pa. and had lunch at Cafe Chocolate.  We chose the chili and meatloaf options and were satisfied we didn't stray too much from the plan.  After we all earned Official Pretzel Twister status at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery and did some deep breathing at Wilbur Chocolate, we toured the Amish Country.
Keeping our dieting resolve, we stayed away from the 'all you can eat' buffets and selected restaurants in the area that allowed us to choose a salad and fresh fish or poultry.  Our hotel included a complimentary breakfast and thankfully they had fruit and yogurt among the offerings.  So I feel we stayed on track while we were on the road for the last 2 days.  I'll see what the scale says tomorrow....

Now back to all that produce, specifically the squash which is my go to vegetable for grilling during the summer.  I usually buy a mix of yellow and green and grill enough to have leftovers on hand for a quick toss in a salad or a side dish later in the week.  At my local supermarket, the salmon was $1/pound off if you purchased 2 pounds or more.  Although that's more than we can use in one meal, I'll cook it all off and use the extra for lunch with a tossed salad during the week.  I'm going to grill the salmon sprinkled with a dry rub on a cedar plank and serve it with the squash and some sliced tomoatoes with basil....yum! 

Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
Makes 8 servings

1 cedar grilling plank
2 pounds fresh Atlantic salmon fillets
3 tablespoons Smoky Grilling Dry Rub, recipe follows
  1. Soak plank in water for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Place salmon, skin-side down, on soaked plank.  Season with Smoky Grilling Dry Rub.
  3. Set plank on preheated grill over low to medium heat; close the grill lid.  Grill for 10 to 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Smoky Grilling Dry Rub: Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 packets Splenda (R), 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 tablespoon smoked paprika.  Store in airtight container.

Grilled Summer Squash

Green or yellow summer squash
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar

This is a recipe that you can adjust to the amount of squash you have. I usually purchase 1 to 2 squash per person depending on their size. Diagonally cut each squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Sprinkle with some kosher salt, then drizzle with a little olive oil.  Grill slices over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until tender.  Remove squash to a serving platter and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Another Diet...Is this THE ONE?


Here I go again....a new diet.  I've tried many of them and they work until I get bored with either the food, the incessant measuring and tracking, the deprivation or the planning....to name a few.  My friend recommended The 17 Day Diet and is already into the second cycle.  Boredom is not an issue because every 17 days you change up the foods you eat.  During the first cycle you're basically eliminating simple carbs, but the only foods you have to measure are the dairy and the oil.  Pick up the book so you understand the details. I picked it up at Borders during it's 'Going Out of Business' sale and saved a few bucks.  So I'm into Day 7 and it's working....I've lost about 3 pounds and I'm not bored (yet).  Today at the supermarket I found tilapia on sale, so that is the star of tonight's dinner: Tilapia with Basil Pesto and Red Pepper and Cauliflower Stir-Fry.

Tilapia with Basil Pesto
Makes 4 servings

Basil Pesto, recipe follows
1 pound tilapia fillets (about 4 fillets)

  1. Make Basil Pesto; reserve 2 tablespoons for this recipe, then freeze remaining in 2 tablespoon amounts for the next time you make this recipe.
  2. Place tilapia on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (I usually line with foil then spray for easy clean up).  Spread pesto evenly over fillets. 
  3. Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.
Basil pesto: Put 3 cups fresh basil leaves, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup olive oil into blender.  Blend until smooth.  Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.  Makes 1/2 cup pesto.

Red Pepper and Cauliflower Stir-Fry
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 head cauliflower
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
3 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, diagonally sliced

  1. Cut up cauliflower into bite-size florets.  Place florets and broth in 4-quart pot.  Heat to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.
  2. Remove stem and seeds from bell peppers and cut into strips.
  3. Heat oil in large skillet.  Add peppers and stir-fry for 3 to 4 mintues or until tender crisp.
  4. Add cauliflower with any remaining cooking liquid and green onions.  Cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Season with ground black pepper if desired.