Zucchini fritters

Ingredients:

4 cups of seeded then grated zucchini
4 Tbsp quinoa flour
1/4 tsp ground sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 large egg (beaten)

Step 1. Remove the stem and flower end and plit the zucchini (or yellow squash) lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds to your compost.  Grate the remaining zucchini flesh.

Step 2. Place grated zucchini on a clean kitchen cloth towel. Wrap up into a bundle and over a sink or bowl, squeeze with all your effort to remove as much water as possible.

Step 3. Preheat a griddle, skillet or flattop to medium high and lightly coat with extra virgin olive oil.

Step 4. In a medium mixing bowl whip the egg until frothy, add the pepper, salt, and garlic. Stir to combine. Add in the zucchini and mix then add the quinoa flour and stir until everything is well combined and coated evenly. It produces a sticky mixture at this point.

Step 5. Form into a ball slightly larger then a golf ball, and gently flatten in your hand and place on the preheated griddle. Cook until golden brown and then flip and repeat until GB&D on both sides. That's Golden Brown and Delicious in Alton Brown Speak! They are ready to serve!

Tonights were served with ham steak, garlicy sauteed spinach and atop the zucchini fritters I used a little Tico papaya curry hot sauce!

cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger

Ok, yesterday, September 18, 2011 was National Cheeseburger day! So in honor of that, and the fact I love a good cheeseburger I diverged slightly from my healthier eating plan. Still, I kept it as healthy as possible within the parameters that a good ol american cheeseburger goes.

A lean beef patty
one whole grain hamburger bun
slice of reduced fat cheddar
slice of tomato
sauteed peppers & onion
spinach - instead of iceberg lettuce
and tbsp of roasted garlic & tomato mayo I made.

For the mayo, I took
4 tbsp of a healthier olive oil mayo (there are many on the market now)
1/2 cup of diced cherry tomatoes
a heaping tbsp of minced garlic
tsp of cilantro puree
a light drizzle of garlic olive oil
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
a pinch of seasoned salt
a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

In a small pan (using a light spray of olive oil non-stick spray) sautee the garlic and tomato until the tomato begins to break down and the garlic carmelizes lightly without burning. Add that to the rest of the ingredients and puree in a blender or small food processer. I used one of those magic bullets for this step - just the right size.

a healthier pseudo cuban

Earlier today, while I was about to get lunch, Food Networks Great Food Truck Race was playing on tv. So that got me thinking of street food sandwiches of all sorts. Especially grilled sandwiches. The downside is they are usually heavy in the fats from the butter and or oils and cheeses. Still, it kicked off a craving for such. This is what I came up with.

1 low carb/calorie burrito wrap - Ole Xtreme wellness Tomato Basil 68 calories (16 from fat), 17 grams carbs, 12 grams of fiber for 5 net impact carbs. 0 sugars and 8g protien. I find them at Price Rite.

a couple thin deli slices of ham

half a medium tomato sliced

1 tsp of your favorite mustard

1/2 a dill pickle sliced

a serving of your favorite cheese or blend of grated cheeses (preferably reduced fat if you can)

Now a true cuban includes roast pork. I have some in the freezer, but 1. I didn't want to wait for it to thaw. 2. I am trying to cut calories and make my meals healthier. I already had plenty of fat and protien going into this sandwich.

An authentic cuban also uses a cuban bread that is soft, medium crust and from my experience, maybe a tad sweet. Placed in a sandwich press or on a flattop with a weight atop it, the bread compresses and gets a crusty crunchy texture to it. Again, I am watching what I eat, so I opted for the wrap which as shown has pretty impressive nutrtional data for a soft bread like wrap. It's already thin yet soft to begin with, but when grilled will get that crunchy texture as well.

Heat up a skillet or flatop grill or sandwich press if you have one (can even use a George Foreman grill). I used a light spray of non-stick cooking spray on the surface of our flattop. Place your ingredients onto the wrap and fold (this is where I have trouble) and place on your pre-heated cooking surface. Place a weight atop the sandwich to be and grill until lightly golden brown on one side then flip and repeat.

Here was my result - again, I need to learn to wrap them better.

Doesn't look like much, but it tasted great!

Turkey Taco bean soup

This made for a healthy quick dinner with a side of sauteed garlicy spinach.

Couple good dashes of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion (white or yellow)
1 cup diced bell pepper (red and green)
1 rounded Tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 rounded Tbsp taco seasoning
1 20 oz package of Jennie-O Taco seasoned lean ground turkey
15 oz can of seasoned black beans (the one we used had lime juice and jalapeno peppers)
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
1 rounded Tbsp fresh minced cilantro
Salt to taste

Over medium to medium high heat the olive oil and sautee the peppers, onion and garlic for about five minutes. Add in the zucchini and taco seasoning, stir to combine. Add the turkey, and using a potatoe masher, break up the ground turkey into the pan. Keep cooking until turkey is cooked and lightly browning, stirring occasionally. Add the black beans, tomato, broth and cilantro and stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium/medium low and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and flavors have melded. Season with salt if desired to taste. As some canned beans have salt and some don't, the salt is left to taste.

pasta from vegetables

     As I am on my journey of cutting calories and getting healthier I find I am cutting more of the starchy, refined or processed foods. I will always love bread, rice, potatoes, pasta etc. I just have to make the best of the decisions I can in choosing them or finding ways to improve the situation. So in this post I am addressing pasta!

     There are some good quality pastas out there, and some even are gluten free, or find ways of reducing the impact net carbs. Yet, what to do with all the pasta already in the house. Let's face it, when its on sale, pasta is an inexpensive addition to a meal. And like most household we have a supply in our pantry. Would seem a waste to throw it all out. Yet, I don't want all those carbs to go to my waist. That is the quandry. So this summer, while growing veggies in our garden I made a dish using wide ribbons cut from yellow squash and zucchini. Sauteed them in some garlic and olive oil and added them to some tortellini. It worked great.

     So last night after making a healthy chicken cacciatore and having some leftovers but not quite enough to feed two for tonight I had to figure out how to extend the leftovers. My mind immediatly went to pasta. Now, mind you, I can eat some pasta so long as I don't over induldge. I have to watch the amount of gluten, glycemic load and such. The key is getting sated without over eating. The answer - add more vegetables. So for tonight, I decided to make zucchini ribbons once more, but took it a step further and cut them lengthwise into a close noodle shape and length.

Step 1. Clean and stem the yellow squash and zucchini.
Step 2. Split lengthwise
Step 3. Using a vegetable peeler, take ribbons off of each half until you reach the softer center and stop.
Step 4. Cut lengths of fettuccine or so wide noodles.
Step 5. Sautee in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and garlic until tender (or even healthier - steam them in a vegetable steamer)
Step 6. Add the resulting vegetable noodles to a scant single serving of pasta noodles. I found that one large (large but not ultra large like some can get) squash will yield about a single serving of pasta when cooked. So by doing both a zucchini and yellow squash, we made enough for three servings. By adding that to last nights leftovers, we had enough for dinner and one single serving for lunch tomorrow.

Picture 1 - the yellow squash cut into noodles

Picture 2 - the zucchini cut into ribbons

Picture 3 - the zuchinni cut ribbons cut into noodles

Picture 4. The cooked yellow squash and zucchini noodles added to a small single serving of pasta in a large family pasta bowl.

Picture 5. A serving of the veggie pasta with chicken cacciatore and grated parmesan over the top. The end result is I had one serving, with only a third of the normal pasta and was satisfied and full and didn't feel cheated or that I was missing out.

Fish soup recipe

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (yellow or white)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup red, yellow or orange bell pepper
1 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes or fresh diced
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound of haddock (or other fish/shellfish would work), cut into 3/4" chunks
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp grated lime zest
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro without stems
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach

In a three quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and sautee until tender but not brown. Around five minutes. Add the tomato and cook for three more minutes. Stir in the coriander and cumin and simmer for a minute.
Add in the broth, bringing to a boil and then add the fish. Bring to a boil once more and reduce to low heat. Let simmer for about three minutes before adding in the spinach. Stir in the tahini, lime zest and cilantro and serve. Makes around 1 1/2 quarts or four servings.

Other possible additions would be celery or sweet potato and if you want it spicy you might want to add a little of your favorite hot sauce. The original recipe called this spicy seafood chowder. To me it was very mild - it only has a 1/2 tsp of cumin for heat. It's tasty, but not spicy by any means.

To skin or not to skin? The original recipe called for skinnless fish fillets. I am not sure if they were concerned about a bit more calories from fat or in consideration of mercury or other toxins in the fish skin. If you are pregnant, eating fish more then twice a week or are serving this to children, then go with the skinless. If none of the above, then I would opt for the skin - it adds flavor as well as being a source of omega III's which are good for you.

Depending on the fish used, and skin or skinless will determine calories, protien, fat etc. However, that said, one serving will average between 240 calories to no more then 300 (unless you use something like crab or lobster or a really fatty fish). At any rate, I would consider this a healthy nutritious and flavorful part of my meal.

a healthier crockpot style moussaka

This recipe was originally in the book "The Biggest Loser: 6 weeks to a healthier you" on page 218. I diverged at a couple points from the original after making it the first time. Also, since we were taking it to a picnic, this one was made in mind of using in a crockpot where the original was meant to be baked in an oven.
Ingredients:

1 very large eggplant (two pound) or 2 medium eggplants (about a pound to pound 1/4 each)
extra virgin olive oil or olive oil spray
salt

Meat mixture:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of lean ground turkey
1 1/4 cups yellow or white onion chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth (fat free preferrably)
1 cup tomato puree
3/4 cup diced tomato
4 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp honey or raw agave syrup

Bechamel sauce:
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour (next time I am going to try quinoa flour or something similar)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups 1% milk ( I am considering trying unsweetened almond milk in this, did not this time in case anyone at the gathering this was made for had a nut allergy)
3/4 cup chicken broth (fat free)
1/2 cup green onions / scallions chopped (both green and white parts)
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine

Final ingredient:
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated fine

Preperation of eggplant:
Remove stem and remove a thin slice from the round bottom (to expose the inside flesh) and slice into 3/8" thick rounds. Arrange on a wire rack and sprinkle with course salt on both sides. Let set for 15 - 20 minutes. Using paper towels, blot dry the surface of the eggplant slices. Spray lightly (very lightly) the slices on both sides with olive oil. There are three ways to prepare, grilling on a bbq grill, roasting in an oven or cooking them on a flattop. The best method would be to roast in the oven one the wire rack at 425 degrees for about fifteen to twenty minutes until lightly golden and tender. Alternatively, cook them at the same temp on your grill or flattop until lightly golden brown and delicious.

Reasoning for this step in the preperation. The salting is to help remove excess moisture and the prior cooking again helps precook them and remove a bit more moisture. The first time I made the original recipe I did not do this (as it was not in the directions) and the dish, while tasting great was very soupy, almost watery. Eggplant is like a sponge, it will give and absorb moisture. This removing the water now, allows for it to absorb the flavors of the meat and bechamel while it is cooking in the crockpot. Also because of the salting to remove moisture now, I did not add any into the bechamel as it was originally written.
Remove eggplant to a safe container until ready to assemble. I cooked the eggplant and meat the night before, cooking the sauce and assembling and final cooking of the moussaka the day of the party.

Cooking the meat mixture:
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and onion. Cook for five or so minutes until the meat is no longer pink, stirring to break up the turkey. Using a potatoe masher works great to break up the meat during this step. Add the chicken broth, tomato puree, diced tomato, tomato paste, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon and honey. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about thirty minutes to an hour or so until the mixture is thick and seemingly almost dry. Think of a thick bolognese sauce.  The picture below was about a third of the way through cooking and still had plenty of cooking down to do yet. I did a triple batch so it took considerably longer.

Bechamel Sauce:
In a two quart sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Whisk in the flour and pepper, while constantly stirring with a whisk for one to two minutes. Add in the garlic and continue cooking until the garlic is soft and tender. Think of making a rue for cajun cooking to thicken a sauce. You want a light golden color for maximum thickening power. Pour in the milk and broth and continue cooking over low to medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching of the milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. If you are stirring and stirring and the mixture after three to five minutes has not begun to thicken, gradually increase the heat while stirring.
Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and sun dried tomatoes and set aside.

Assembly: A single recipe will be good for a three quart crockpot, a double will fill a larger crockpot for a party. Lightly spray or brush the inside of the crockpot with a little olive oil. Line the bottom of the crockpot with the eggplant slices, scoop on a layer of the meat and then lightly cover with the sauce and a sprinkling of the cheese. Place another layer of eggplant on top and press down (a potatoe masher works great for pressing this together) and add another layer of meat, sauce and cheese repeating until either the crockpot is full or out of ingredients. Try and have just enough bechamel sauce to cover the last layer of eggplant and sprinkle with cheese. Cover the crockpot and cook on high for a couple of hours.

This was the end results after less then a half hour at yesterday's picnic party. Which was a double recipe of the above.

a healthier taco

Dinner tonight was two turkey tacos!
For the taco meat, I used:
1 package of ground turkey 
1 large yellow (or white) onion, chopped
1 poblano chile pepper, chopped
2 cups of grated zuchinni
1 tbsp of crushed garlic
1 tbsp of taco seasoning.
Saute the onion and pepper until semi-tender. Add the zuchinni and continue to saute until golden and tender. Add the garlic, taco seasoning and turkey. Mash the turkey in the pan with a potato masher to break up. Let cook on medium to medium high heat stiring occasionally, until the turkey is thoroughly cooked. This should make enough for 10 to 12 tacos
For the rest of my tacos, I sauteed on our flattop one sliced red, green and poblano peppers each and a large red onion also sliced all until nice and tender.
Diced cherry tomatoes with cilantro
Torn baby spinach
Reduced fat Cheddar
Taco shells
I estimate my two tacos done this way to be around 350 - 375 calories in total for the meal. Not too shabby.

Cucumber Quinoa salad with avacado dressing

2 cups quinoa (cook as per package instructions and fluff)
2 medium seeded cucumbers small to medium dice
1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used white)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1/4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 Hass Avacado diced
1 lime juiced
1 tsp garlic herb mix or a zesty herb salad mix
salt to taste

Cook the quinoa as per the instructions, fluff and let cool. Meanwhile, chop the cucumber and bell pepper and place in a large salad mixing bowl.
Pit the avacado and remove the flesh and give a quick dice. Squeeze the lime juice and place into a mixing bowl with the avacado and toss to coat. Add in the vinegar, olive oil, tomatoes, cilantro and herb mix. Stir lightly to combine. Give a taste and salt if desired.
In the large bowl, combine the cucumber, bell pepper and quinoa. Spoon over the avacado dressing and combine.

More about quinoa
quinoa nutrition
more quinoa recipes

arthritis or inflammation problems?

This really helps me control my osteoarthritis naturally. I no longer rely on pain relievers.
Several years ago I injured my knee badly. My surgeon, after examining it, explained the cartilage in my knee was shot and it was now bone on bone. I take this daily and feel no pain or stiffness in my knee and can exercise with complete confidence. Click the link and then click on the video link.
OPC-3

Sept. 2nd

Lunch today was a blend of last nights dinner and yesterdays lunch. Took a Morningstar Farms chipolte black bean burger and grilled it. Topped it with some of last nights tomatoe, pepper & onion chutney and then a slice of asiago cheese and baby spinach, all on a sandwich thin by Arnolds.

Added an apple from our orchard that I picked yesterday while out mowing the lawn. Years ago, our cocker spaniel we had at the time found out about the apple tree and these sorta crab apples that grew on it. He would wait for the apples to grow so he could eat them. Since then we transplanted the tree and every year, I have some apples from it. This was the first of this years crop.

Dinner was like last nights (see previous entries) dinner, with the addition of a bed of baby spinach for the fritters to go on.

Now onto some exciting news!  Thanks to some of my food blogging (as it is) and picture taking of said food, I won a trip from Buitoni Pasta to the Food Network NYC Food & Wine Festival ! How cool is that!

So my day has been a bit crazy. I did get to the farmers market and picked up some fresh corn and other fruit and veggies that we didn't have in our garden this year. I still need to get a workout in. Think I will go do that now!

Steak for dinner

Steak, yellow squash fritters and tomato pepper onion chutney

my healthier burger option

Like many an American, I love a good burger. I was having a craving for one for lunch today and this is my healthier option I had today.
Here is the nutritional breakdown as per the labels of ingediants and what I got off the TLS website.
Calories 420 Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Carbs 52g, Fiber 14g, Sugars 5g Protien 26g 
Now, can you guess what all is in it?

Comparatively, here are the nutritional values of your average BK Whopper with cheese.
Calories 790, Fat 48g, Cholesterol 114 mg, Carbs 52, Fiber 3g, Sugars 13g, Protien 35g
Whopper w/cheese nutritional data
While the carbs are similar, I can tell you this, theirs is more from the refined white flour and less then the veggies. Where mine is more from veggies and the roll in mine uses whole grains.