The day after a night out and I'm feeling the need to start cutting back, I turn to a filling salad and grilled chicken. And ladies, if he's still hungry, this is a great opportunity to make a "side plate" with any leftovers that are in the fridge.
Maniac Marinade
2 tbs whole grain mustard
1/4 cup balsalmic vinegar
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to a zip-loc bag, add 2 pieces of chicken breast (raw, cleaned and trimmed). Close the zipper and mash it all together until its well mixed. Let rest in the fridge for 4 hours or over night. Grill until done (8 minutes or so).
Crazy Salad
2 cups of greens
10 baby carrots chopped in half
10 olives
1/2 cucumber chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
2 tbs feta cheese
Mix all ingredients and whatever else you have on hand. Measure out 1 tbsp of salad dressing to top.
Cost: $4.65
Calories in 1 piece chicken and 1/2 salad: 353
Buying meat for 2 people can be really frustrating. This week at the store, chicken breasts were on sale, but you had to buy the large package. And then, the large packages don't have an even number - always 5 or 7 breasts. This time I got a package with 2 larger pieces and 3 small pieces. I made the 2 large ones tonight and the other three I put in another zip-loc bag with a different marinade and stuck in the freezer for another meal.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Pantry Potato Salad
Here is the recipe for a potato salad that I made for dinner the other night. I hadn't gone grocery shopping in a couple of weeks, and this made a super meal made right from the stuff we had on hand.
Pantry Potato Salad
3 medium potatoes
3 eggs
1/4 cup light or fat free mayo
5 slices hot cherry peppers, chopped
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp relish
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper
Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and then let cool. Peel them, discard the yolks and rough-chop. Bake the potatoes in the microwave while the eggs are cooking, cook on high about 7 or 8 minutes. Chop the potatoes and combine with the egg whites and place in the freezer while you combine the wet ingredients. When you're combining the rest of the ingredients, be sure to incorporate well so it creates a nice sauce for the potatoes and eggwhites. At this point you can also add any other ingredients you have on hand - some raisins, celery, carrots or fresh green pepper would all be lovely. Retrieve the egg whites and potatoes from the freezer and combine with the sauce. Let sit in the refridgerator for another 5 minutes. Then enjoy with your favorite beer or any other beverage you have on hand!
Pantry Potato Salad
3 medium potatoes
3 eggs
1/4 cup light or fat free mayo
5 slices hot cherry peppers, chopped
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp relish
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper
Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and then let cool. Peel them, discard the yolks and rough-chop. Bake the potatoes in the microwave while the eggs are cooking, cook on high about 7 or 8 minutes. Chop the potatoes and combine with the egg whites and place in the freezer while you combine the wet ingredients. When you're combining the rest of the ingredients, be sure to incorporate well so it creates a nice sauce for the potatoes and eggwhites. At this point you can also add any other ingredients you have on hand - some raisins, celery, carrots or fresh green pepper would all be lovely. Retrieve the egg whites and potatoes from the freezer and combine with the sauce. Let sit in the refridgerator for another 5 minutes. Then enjoy with your favorite beer or any other beverage you have on hand!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Asian Chicken with Veggies & Rice Noodles
Asian food can often be really high in calories, but by minimizing the sauces and carbs you can have a healthy dinner. This recipe uses rice noodles and frozen veggies, but you can swap out for brown rice and fresh veggies if you have them.
Asian Chicken:
3/4 lbs of chicken breasts
3 tbs of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 tsp of hot sauce
Cilantro
Crushed red pepper
Marinate the chicken at least 3 hours or over night. Grill for about 6 minutes or until cooked through.
Rice Noodles:
1/2 package of rice noodles
boiling water
Cook the noodles according to package directions - usually 4-6 minutes in boiling water.
Veggies:
1/2 package frozen stir fry blend
Cook according to package directions. Usually I put frozen veggies on one of our plates and microwave - that way I don't have one more dish to clean.
Create a plate with 1/2 of the plate as veggies, 1/4 as chicken and 1/4 as noodles. Top with 1 tsp of your favorite stir fry sauce.
Cost:
$4.97
Calories in 1 small chicken breast and 1/2 veggies and 1/4 noodles:
413
There are big take aways here: 1. the marinade helps to flavor the meal so you'll use a lot less of the sauce and 2. plating the components separately instead of stirring them all together helps you to focus on eating the veggies and protein first and saving the noodles for later.
Asian Chicken:
3/4 lbs of chicken breasts
3 tbs of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 tsp of hot sauce
Cilantro
Crushed red pepper
Marinate the chicken at least 3 hours or over night. Grill for about 6 minutes or until cooked through.
Rice Noodles:
1/2 package of rice noodles
boiling water
Cook the noodles according to package directions - usually 4-6 minutes in boiling water.
Veggies:
1/2 package frozen stir fry blend
Cook according to package directions. Usually I put frozen veggies on one of our plates and microwave - that way I don't have one more dish to clean.
Create a plate with 1/2 of the plate as veggies, 1/4 as chicken and 1/4 as noodles. Top with 1 tsp of your favorite stir fry sauce.
Cost:
$4.97
Calories in 1 small chicken breast and 1/2 veggies and 1/4 noodles:
413
There are big take aways here: 1. the marinade helps to flavor the meal so you'll use a lot less of the sauce and 2. plating the components separately instead of stirring them all together helps you to focus on eating the veggies and protein first and saving the noodles for later.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sirloin Tips, Zucchini & Baked Potatoes
I really love this zucchini dish; its cheap, healthy and really yummy. At this time of the year, zucchini is usually on sale for $0.79/lb. I bought some a couple of weeks ago and was a bit worried about what I would do with them. Zucchini can look too healthy and daunting to cook. The first time I made this recipe there weren't any left overs - good sign!
Sirloin tips:
3/4 lb of beef tips (usually sold as stew meat)
Dried parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper
Place the steak on the grill and coat with the spices. Grill on each side until preferred doneness.
Zucchini:
2 Medium Zucchini (or green / yellow squash)
1 tbs Olive Oil
3 tsp Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper
Slice the zucchini on the diagonal (it looks much more luxurious that way!). Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat until warmish. Add the oil and zucchini. Coat with the salt, black pepper and red pepper. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently about 6 minutes. Plate and coat with the Parmesan while the zucchini is still hot.
Baked Potatoes:
1 Small potato (about 2 inches in diameter)
1 Large potato
Put the potatoes in the microwave on high for 6-9 minutes or until cooked on the inside.
Calories in 1/3 of the steak, 1/2 zucchini and small potato:
370
Cost of the meal:
$4.79
The biggest take away tonight is about package sizes. Most steak comes in a package that is way too big for two servings - usually over 1.2 pounds. The sirloin tips, often labeled stew beef, usually come in smaller packages - a pound or less - and are usually on sale or a lower price. In this case, the package of beef was $3.99/lb and cost $3.43. Look for a package that doesn't look too fatty and you'll end up with a good steak at a smaller portion for less money.
Sirloin tips:
3/4 lb of beef tips (usually sold as stew meat)
Dried parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper
Place the steak on the grill and coat with the spices. Grill on each side until preferred doneness.
Zucchini:
2 Medium Zucchini (or green / yellow squash)
1 tbs Olive Oil
3 tsp Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper
Slice the zucchini on the diagonal (it looks much more luxurious that way!). Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat until warmish. Add the oil and zucchini. Coat with the salt, black pepper and red pepper. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently about 6 minutes. Plate and coat with the Parmesan while the zucchini is still hot.
Baked Potatoes:
1 Small potato (about 2 inches in diameter)
1 Large potato
Put the potatoes in the microwave on high for 6-9 minutes or until cooked on the inside.
Calories in 1/3 of the steak, 1/2 zucchini and small potato:
370
Cost of the meal:
$4.79
The biggest take away tonight is about package sizes. Most steak comes in a package that is way too big for two servings - usually over 1.2 pounds. The sirloin tips, often labeled stew beef, usually come in smaller packages - a pound or less - and are usually on sale or a lower price. In this case, the package of beef was $3.99/lb and cost $3.43. Look for a package that doesn't look too fatty and you'll end up with a good steak at a smaller portion for less money.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Man Food Trickery
When you start living with your significant other, a big challenge for women can be weight gain. Let's face it, men need a lot more calories than women do and their eating habits tend to lean more toward pizza and wings than grilled chicken and salad. As a woman, you have one of two choices: tiny portions of man food or choosing a healthier alternative. Or, you can make a healthier version of junk food!
This week I scored on the sales - Nathan's 97% Fat Free Hot Dogs for $2.65, hot dog buns for $1.69 and saurkraut for $1.25. Each hot dog only has 40 calories and each low calorie roll only has 80 calories. Dinner looked really manly and was filling - if he only knew the calorie count!
Hot Dogs & Saurkraut:
4 hot dogs (3 for him and 1 for me)
1/2 package of saurkraut
4 low calorie whole wheat hotdog rolls
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Slice each hot dog almost all the way through lengthwise. Add some nonstick spray to the pan and place the hot dogs slice side down to sear. Let them cook for a couple of minutes and then flip over. Let the skin side sear for about a minute and then place the saurkraut on top of the hot dogs, cover and let come to a boil.
Chopped Leftover Salad:
1 tomato
1 green pepper
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsalmic vinegar
ground black pepper
oregano
Chop the tomato and green pepper in bite sized pieces. Add to a medium sized bowl with the vinegar, oil, pepper and oregano. Stir to coat. Let rest in the refridgerator for a half hour. You can also add any other vegetables that you have on hand (carrots, celery, zucchini, etc).
Calories in 1 hot dog and 1/2 of salad:
186
Cost of meal:
$4.65
Now, I'm that much closer to buying a new dress that I want AND seeing the scale drop!
This week I scored on the sales - Nathan's 97% Fat Free Hot Dogs for $2.65, hot dog buns for $1.69 and saurkraut for $1.25. Each hot dog only has 40 calories and each low calorie roll only has 80 calories. Dinner looked really manly and was filling - if he only knew the calorie count!
Hot Dogs & Saurkraut:
4 hot dogs (3 for him and 1 for me)
1/2 package of saurkraut
4 low calorie whole wheat hotdog rolls
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Slice each hot dog almost all the way through lengthwise. Add some nonstick spray to the pan and place the hot dogs slice side down to sear. Let them cook for a couple of minutes and then flip over. Let the skin side sear for about a minute and then place the saurkraut on top of the hot dogs, cover and let come to a boil.
Chopped Leftover Salad:
1 tomato
1 green pepper
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsalmic vinegar
ground black pepper
oregano
Chop the tomato and green pepper in bite sized pieces. Add to a medium sized bowl with the vinegar, oil, pepper and oregano. Stir to coat. Let rest in the refridgerator for a half hour. You can also add any other vegetables that you have on hand (carrots, celery, zucchini, etc).
Calories in 1 hot dog and 1/2 of salad:
186
Cost of meal:
$4.65
Now, I'm that much closer to buying a new dress that I want AND seeing the scale drop!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Lemon Pepper Chicken and Taboule
I went to the grocery store today and chicken drumsticks were on sale for $1.13/lb. I'd never cooked drumsticks before, but thought I might as well try for that price. Living in an apartment building with only the George Foreman as my grill, the drumsticks took a lot longer to cook than I thought. But, overall the dish turned out great! My partner was impressed and even went for seconds!
Recipes:
Chicken -
1 lb of Roaster Chicken Drumsticks
2 cups of Lemon Juice (I used from concentrate, it was totally fine)
Parsley, ground black pepper, salt
Marinate the drumsticks in the lemon juice and coat liberally with the pepper, parsley and salt. Let this soak in a ziploc bag for 3 hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken on a grill for 20-25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
Taboule -
1/2 cup of bulgur wheat
1/2 cup of water (or stock)
1 small tomatoes chopped
1/2 medium cucumber chopped
1 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tbs of lemon juice
Parsley, salt and pepper
Fresh salad greens (baby spinach or chopped romaine leaves)
Let the bulgur wheat and water soak for 2 hours in a medium sized bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients and refridgerate covered for another 1/2 hour.
Serve the taboule over the salad greens
Calories per serving (1 drumstick and 1/2 of taboule)
414
Total Cost
$4.35
Recipes:
Chicken -
1 lb of Roaster Chicken Drumsticks
2 cups of Lemon Juice (I used from concentrate, it was totally fine)
Parsley, ground black pepper, salt
Marinate the drumsticks in the lemon juice and coat liberally with the pepper, parsley and salt. Let this soak in a ziploc bag for 3 hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken on a grill for 20-25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
Taboule -
1/2 cup of bulgur wheat
1/2 cup of water (or stock)
1 small tomatoes chopped
1/2 medium cucumber chopped
1 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tbs of lemon juice
Parsley, salt and pepper
Fresh salad greens (baby spinach or chopped romaine leaves)
Let the bulgur wheat and water soak for 2 hours in a medium sized bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients and refridgerate covered for another 1/2 hour.
Serve the taboule over the salad greens
Calories per serving (1 drumstick and 1/2 of taboule)
414
Total Cost
$4.35
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