2 nights ago I made Summer Salsa, a favorite recipe of ours from my sister-in-law Erianne. It's a chunky and hearty vegetable dip with an Italian flavor that is delicious with pita chips. Even when not watching what we're eating, this is one of my husband's favorite foods.
Summer Salsa:
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 avocados, diced
-2 cans chick peas or garbanzo beans, drained
-1 can black-eyed peas, drained
-2 dry packets of Italian dressing seasonings
-oil, vinegar, & water as directed for just one of the packets
Combine the dressing packets with the oil, vinegar, and water. Mix in with the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl. Makes about 8 cups. Keep refridgerated. Flavor best when allowed to marinade overnight in fridge for flavors to mix. Stir before serving.
Last night we had a salmon fillet. We actually grilled it on a cedar plank, because we hadn't tried that at home before (remember we're into trying new recipes). I tried buying farmed salmon a couple times earlier this year and both brands I tried were too fatty. Now I buy a couple fillets (wild coho or wild atlantic) when they are on sale and put one in the freezer (just be sure to defrost with cold water--not in microwave). The salmon sold in the freezer section that is vacuum sealed is also good, just be sure it is packaged in the U.S. (One brand said it was caught in Alaskan waters and said "Product of China" What?!)
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have a grill, you can easily prepare salmon in your kitchen. In the winter time, we lay it in a piece of Al foil, make a steam pouch, place that on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 400° for 12-15 min for 1-1.25 lb. For seasoning, we range from a drizzle olive oil with salt & pepper to oil, lemon or orange juice, herbs, salt & pepper to a spicy rub of hot paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, kosher salt and whatever else my husband puts in there.
Elise at simplyrecipes.com (one of my fav blogs) has a great Pan Seared Salmon recipe if you don't want to turn your oven on.
We often have brown rice or potatoes with salmon. (Did you know if you leave the skin on your potato you get 5g fiber?) Last night we had arugula, potato and green bean salad by Deb at smittenkitchen.com (my fav blog). I substitute olive oil for walnut oil (much less fat and less $). You're still getting 5g fat from the walnuts in there, but the dressing is made from plain yogurt and mustard (much healthier than mayo).
That brings me to another thought...we probably each have a different definition of "healthy" foods...maybe a topic for discussion?
Have a great day! :)
I'm trying to eat "real" foods and cut out the bites here and there from making food for my kids throughout the day. I'm REALLY trying hard to not eat anything after 8pm. For the last few years it has become a huge habit of me and my husband to eat snacks when all the kids are in bed. It's turned into, "lets bring out the yummy stuff we don't want to share with the kids time"........ I'm pretty sure this extra meal has added to the spare tire around my middle. :) So, this week I'm focusing on giving that up completely and just eating healthy when I do eat. With 2 evenings down, I gotta say it has been VERY hard! It does feel good knowing though that while I'm sleeping my body is burning fat rather than burning through those extra calories I've been eating before bed.
ReplyDeleteOh hey Kristin, you lost 80 pounds last year???? That's amazing!!!! Tell us how you did that! Any advice?
Sarah the salsa looks delicious! Sarah F. I lost 14 pounds with the fitnesspal and I love it! I gained 4 pounds back when I stopped it. Give it some more time.
On Monday I had a spinach salad with boiled eggs, grilled chicken, strawberries, and almonds. mmm mm mmm. For sure healthy and SUPER tasty! (I had some other stuff too but so you guys can get an idea of what I'm eating.) Yesterday I had baked chimichungas (it's a Weight Watcher's recipe, but SO yummy). I have a recipe blog. Some of it's healthy, and some of it is for sure LESS then heathy. So you guys can feel free to check it and try whatever. It's all been tried and tested by my family. I'll try to add some more healthy recipes soon! The blog is www.lovedrecipes.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteSarah F & Lindsay, I put your blogs of recipes up on the Fav Links of this page. Can't wait to check them out for good ideas! Wow, Sarah F, you and your hubby are quite the talented cooks and foodies! I've never done the cedar plank, but I've done the tin foil pouch in the oven or on the grill, but we usually use a glass-covered round pyrex dish in the oven, tossing a few handfuls of cauliflower or broccoli on the top of the seasoned salmon before popping it in the oven. Where do you buy your salmon & what brand do you like- or is it fresh? My personal strategy for healthy eating (and everyone's going to be different on this) is minimal lean meats, really heavy on lots of veggies, a whole wheat roll each night, oatmeal for breakfast, and just keeping calories, fats, etc. within my parameters on MFP to lose weight. I try to steer away from processed foods. I think you've got the ticket, Nicole- keeping foods "raw." Good for you taking control of your evenings, Nicole! I've heard it takes 6 weeks for habits to be internalized and hardwired in us- so don't discourage when it's a challenge now- in a while it will become habit! I'm trying to kick caffeine/sugar-free energy drinks....AGAIN..., and with the headaches and fatigue, I have to keep that in mind, that someday soon it will be a good and easy habit to only be on water & milk! I can't wait to get to that point! Keep up the great work, everyone! And yes, Kristin, do share ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your feedback on myfitnesspal. After two days of getting my feet wet, I am getting into it and more excited about this challenge.
ReplyDeleteI've learned a lot from you already! It's great to hear your strategies for changing habits and how you think about healthy living. By spending some time thinking about my diet and exercise, I'm further defining my goals.
Today when I was doing the Taebo Cardio DVD, I was thinking of you all, that you were trying to make time for exercise in your lives, too. It was a big encouragement to me. I felt like we were working out together. We ARE working out together!
So while each of you are fighting your battles, I'm thinking of you, too, and wish you good luck!
Sarah, I like your idea of tossing vegs in with the salmon--less dishes to wash! I prefer the fresh fish at the local grocery chain (Copps) when it's on sale. The frozen fish & seafood at Trader Joe's is always good quality. But any brand of wild, vacuum-sealed frozen salmon I've tried has been good.
I'm no fan of eating healthy. As soon as I tell myself, "okay, let's eat healthy food." My mind suddenly craves every fast food joint in town. But so far I've done good. 2 days! I'm trying not to go all out and only eat veggies and chicken and fruits because I know I will not continue that forever. I'm mostly trying to keep my servings smaller, which is a hard hard task for me. The calorie counter is good for me just to get an idea of what I'm consuming.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm totally impressed you guys! I know it's only been 2 days, but the support already is amazing! This is precisely what I need to be successful and it's greatly appreciated! :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as my meals go, I need to start "cooking". I started dieting 2 weeks ago and have mainly been doing a Lean Cuisine diet. Oatmeal for breakfast, LC for lunch, and LC for dinner, with various 100 calorie snacks in between, and a chocolate milk chug after workouts. I have been browsing for recipes because I know I am going to get tired of the frozen meal routine. I cook for myself, so it needs to be pretty simple and relatively inexpensive. I've just been focusing on the LC diet because it is an easy way of controlling my calorie intake. I am skilled at making tasty food that generally involves pasta, butter, and cheese. :) So cooking healthy is something new I need to learn. I look forward to it too because ultimately I want to get off processed foods all together. I'm not a huge meat eater, so want to start out learning how to make fish recipes. I've tried a few times over the years and somehow managed to fail miserably. So I'd love for some tips on how to make your basic baked or pan fish. I don't have a grill unfortunately. I know that would taste incredible. Also, I would prefer to buy fresh fish and make it immediately, but I have a tendancy to shop late after the fish dept has closed at the store so I find myself lost in the frozen fish aisle. I don't know how to properly thaw fish or how long you can keep fresh fish refridgerated if you don't make it right away. PLEASE HELP!
This weekend I am looking forward to making an Asian Slaw salad. Also, my boss gave me about 5 ginormous zucchini's and a huge acorn squash. I have found a few great recipe's I'm going to try the veggies with. I will let you girls know how it turns out!
Sarah F & Michele, I'll try buying fresh fish instead of frozen next time :) Jessie, I totally hear you. I hope My Fitness Pal helps us all see how much we work to burn X # of calories and how many calories our favorite comfort foods are, because we all have those, no denying it. I'm glad you're becoming more self-aware- that's great! I heard on the radio yesterday about a study that showed that seeing a picture of unhealthy foods makes women want to eat healthier. Now, I don't know if there's truth to that, but I'm curious. Maybe you could try looking at a picture of a greasy fatty burger, Jessie? Haha, I have no idea... Kind of a funny study, though. Michele, good work on the calorie watching! The only thing I'd caution against on the LCs a lot is the amount of sodium you're taking in each day. Have you checked the sodium column on your MFP food diary? You can customize it all so it shows on your main screen. I think you're off to a fabulous start and that you're doing phenomenally! The LC mac & cheese is so yummy :) LCs fix my comfort food cravings for cheesy, saucy kind of things. I too am trying to build up a recipe repertoire of healthy things to make since my whole childhood was hamburger helper and cheesy unhealthy goodness! So maybe next week recipes we'll talk about really really simple healthy recipes for me & Michele, the novice cooks ;)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE to cook (both healthy and unhealthy things.) I got some good fish recipes I'll have to put on my blog for you Michelle because I LOVE to eat fish. I really dont' like red meat much at all. I mostly eat fish, chicken, and turkey meatwise. For defrosting meat, I just throw it in the microwave and defrost it that way- I have an easy meat button on my microwave, but if you don't have that then your user manual should have some guide of what power level to use for defrosting. I think 30% and then adjust the time for how much weight you're defrosting. I hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah for those prepared meals really watch the sodium- it's scary stuff how much can be in there, and too much sodium can cause a lot of health problems down the road. This is why I'm actually doing this program then anything else. My family has a history of high blood pressure and heart disease and I'm trying to adjust my diet to try to avoid those problems as long as possible!
I too am cautious of Lean Cuisine meals because of the sodium. But I do love the convenience of frozen meals and my favorite brand is "Organic Bistro." The wild salmon, broccoli and brown rice only has 65mg of sodium! (13g fat, 390 calories) I buy them at Whole Foods.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite fish to make at home is Tilapia. I usually buy the "value pack" of 15-20 non-frozen fillets. Then I wrap each one if a foil packet after I add a sprig or two of thyme and some pepper to the filet. I then freeze them in a big freezer bag. When I get up in the morning, put one fillet in the fridge (I live alone) and it is thawed out by the time I get home. I then put the fillet (foil and all) in a skillet for about 4-5 per side. In the meantime, I heat up some frozen veggies and make a simple salad. A healthy and tasty dinner is ready in 10 min (and since you cook the fish in the foil, clean-up is non-existent!).
I love to use fresh herbs and ground spices to make any meal tastier. Thyme, basil and cilantro are my favotire herbs and pepper, cumin, and paprika are my favorite spices. I never add salt to anything, and with these other flavors you won't miss it!