Well, I haven't been a very good little diet blogger.
First, I've put on some of the weight I lost. I was so diligent, but the past couple weeks have crept up on me, as did some bad habits. I was drinking again. I did late-nite drive-thru a few more times than I'd like to admit. I stopped running altogether for a full week. When I weighed myself yesterday, I was back up to 158. Not terrible; to be honest I was expecting it to go higher. But definitely not the direction I want to go in.
Reading my old posts, I saw an arc occur. I was so gung-ho at the beginning. I was logging my points, working out, etc. Cooking a LOT. It was fun. But school picked up....work picked up...life picked up...excuses, excuses, excuses. It was easier to dine out than make food. I had visitors from out of town; I flew back to NJ for the weekend and got snowed in (hard to run when there's a foot of fresh snow on the ground, you didn't bring any running tights b/c you planned to have flown home two days ago, and the town doesn't clear the roads until halfway through the day.) OK so that was my ONE good excuse, and even that day I went for a long walk in the snow. But still. I washed down my walk with a Reuben sandwich with a full side of fries. I was totally off the rails.
I am going to try to get back on. I was avoiding the blog like I was avoiding my scale, because I knew it was going to force me to see the truth. Losing weight isn't a one-day shot. Its a whole life change I have to make. I'm getting older and my metabolism is slowing down. I really have to recognize that I'm not the same person I was before.
I'm making a few changes. One, I cancelled my WW account and signed back up with a free online calorie counter. WW was great for the first three months, and I got a lot of great tools that I can adapt to the free site. Saves me a bunch of cash and between that site and a Google weight tracker (also free) I can essentially get the same features of WW without spending a dime.
Two, I signed up for an earlier half marathon. I need NEED to make myself run now, because instead of having a half marathon in September to train for, I now also have one on May 3rd. GULP. That is less than 2 months from now so I cannot put it off any longer.
Third, I gave up fast food for Lent. Yes, Ash Wednesday was like a week and a half ago, and I didn't give anything up at the time. But last night as I polished off a Del Taco quesadilla at 1 am, I realized this had to stop, and I had to make a hard and fast rule with myself that this was just not going to be an option anymore. So. NO MORE FAST FOOD. If I'm hungry late at night, I can come home and roast up a chicken leg or make a roast beef and avocado wrap on my 0-point tortillas. Or air-popped popcorn, or carrots and celery with homemade hummus, or sliced and salted radishes and a piece of toast. NO. MORE. FAST. FOOD.
So here we go again today. New year's resolution take 2. And a recipe, to boot, starring chicken legs. I am always on the lookout for cheap chicken; my dog is actually ALLERGIC to DOG FOOD (they don't tell you this stuff at the animal shelter sometimes, or maybe they just don't realize it) and so I make her food by hand using raw chicken and vegetables. Her usual dinner is a raw, whole chicken leg or thigh (yes she can eat the bones if they're raw, NEVER give a dog cooked bones, but raw is fine...just think of what they eat in the wild if they had to hunt their own food) and some ground carrots.
I found a giant "family pack" of chicken legs at Vons the other night marked down to $0.99 a lb, which came out to a little less than $7.00 for about 7 lbs of chicken legs. And that is a LOT of chicken legs. Therefore, in addition to feeding the dog for the next few weeks, I'm enjoying a little dark meat. Guilt-free, too: a skinless chicken leg is equal to 1 WW point (for comparison, a full breast is between 3 and 4 lbs - its just more chicken by the ounce, and not all that different fat-wise from dark meat. I'd rather eat one chicken leg and enjoy it a lot than cut myself a small sliver of dried up chicken breast....but that's just me. I like flavor.)
Roast Chicken Legs
Chicken legs - skin on
Salt
Pepper
Favorite spice (I used a spice called "Redneck Pepper" that a dear friend sent me for Christmas...its got a weird name, but its pretty kicky)
This is so simple it hurts. Preheat oven to 350. Arrange chicken legs on a baking tray. If you want to make your life even EASIER, put a slide of foil on the tray before putting the chicken on. No mess! Put the chicken legs in the oven and allow to roast until cooked through. Turn over once while cooking to ensure evenness. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before eating - the bone is going to be hot and it helps keep the juices in the chicken. Remove skin only immediately before eating. Or eat the skin, whatever. Life's short, and chicken legs are small. I give it to my dog, who loves it, and who could probably handle the extra fat better than I can.
Enjoy and thank you for reading :)
Miles run today: 4.8
Miles run this week: 7.8
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Cabbage is Delicious
Summertime and autumn get the lions share of press when it comes to fruits and vegetables, but the winter offers some very delicious produce as well. Cabbage is one of my favorite, favorite vegetables and it is so versatile, healthy, low-calorie and yummy. Sometimes I get a small head of purple cabbage and I will slice it into wedges, salt it slightly, squirt some lime juice on it and eat it raw. Napa cabbage is light and really watery, so it is great in stir-fry, or turned into kimchi. I've made my own kimchi at home and it was so worth it. Its one of the top ten healthiest foods in the entire world! Eat more kimchi!
Weight Watchers, as I mentioned, really is soup-heavy. I picked up a dense, pale-green head of regular green cabbage last week, and used about half of it in a soup. But then I had all this cabbage leftover. A large head of cabbage goes a LONG, long way, and can keep for a long time in the fridge, but I like plowing through my produce quickly so its at the height of freshness.
I think raw cabbage is delicious, but not everyone likes its earthy, watery flavor. Cooking it can tenderize it, but it can give off a somewhat bitter taste if overcooked. A really great way to prepare green cabbage, therefore, is to salt-and-rinse it, and eat it raw in a salad. Lots of people eat raw cabbage in cole slaw, but weighing sweet cabbage down with heavy dressing masks its flavor and negates its health properties. This is a really easy way to eat raw cabbage with bright flavor, and keep all the health benefits.
Salted Cabbage Salad
1/4 head cabbage, sliced into thin shreds
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Thinly sliced red bell pepper
Thinly sliced cucumber
Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips (just bake in the oven w/ the seasoning of your choice until done - I always keep a few cooked breasts in the fridge for salads and stuff)
Black pepper
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce (available in the supermarket near the soy sauce - to make your own, just use 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 lemon juice)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Optional: jarred sliced japalenos
Place the sliced cabbage in a collander, and sprinkle salt over it and mix it together with your hands. No need to use ALL the salt, you just want enough to get the cabbage sprinkled.
Let the cabbage sit in a collander for 45 minutes - 1 hour. It will turn slightly greener, and become softer. Give the cabbage a REALLY good rinse under cold water - it will remove all the extra salt and leave the cabbage with a slightly briny taste that brings out its natural flavor.
Toss in a bowl with the cucumber, pepper, and jalapenos. There is enough salt in the cabbage so no need to add dressing.
Meanwhile, take the chicken you've sliced, and stir it around in another bowl with the ponzu sauce for just a few seconds. Place the chicken on top of the mixed vegetables. Cover with black pepper and the olive oil.
It is VERY good. This much could probably serve 2 people, but if you don't tell anyone, I ate the whole thing for lunch.
Weight Watchers, as I mentioned, really is soup-heavy. I picked up a dense, pale-green head of regular green cabbage last week, and used about half of it in a soup. But then I had all this cabbage leftover. A large head of cabbage goes a LONG, long way, and can keep for a long time in the fridge, but I like plowing through my produce quickly so its at the height of freshness.
I think raw cabbage is delicious, but not everyone likes its earthy, watery flavor. Cooking it can tenderize it, but it can give off a somewhat bitter taste if overcooked. A really great way to prepare green cabbage, therefore, is to salt-and-rinse it, and eat it raw in a salad. Lots of people eat raw cabbage in cole slaw, but weighing sweet cabbage down with heavy dressing masks its flavor and negates its health properties. This is a really easy way to eat raw cabbage with bright flavor, and keep all the health benefits.
Salted Cabbage Salad
1/4 head cabbage, sliced into thin shreds
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Thinly sliced red bell pepper
Thinly sliced cucumber
Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips (just bake in the oven w/ the seasoning of your choice until done - I always keep a few cooked breasts in the fridge for salads and stuff)
Black pepper
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce (available in the supermarket near the soy sauce - to make your own, just use 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 lemon juice)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Optional: jarred sliced japalenos
Place the sliced cabbage in a collander, and sprinkle salt over it and mix it together with your hands. No need to use ALL the salt, you just want enough to get the cabbage sprinkled.
Let the cabbage sit in a collander for 45 minutes - 1 hour. It will turn slightly greener, and become softer. Give the cabbage a REALLY good rinse under cold water - it will remove all the extra salt and leave the cabbage with a slightly briny taste that brings out its natural flavor.
Toss in a bowl with the cucumber, pepper, and jalapenos. There is enough salt in the cabbage so no need to add dressing.
Meanwhile, take the chicken you've sliced, and stir it around in another bowl with the ponzu sauce for just a few seconds. Place the chicken on top of the mixed vegetables. Cover with black pepper and the olive oil.
It is VERY good. This much could probably serve 2 people, but if you don't tell anyone, I ate the whole thing for lunch.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Waiting, and Preparing for the Weekend
So tomorrow evening is New Year's Eve. Part of the program I'm on emphasizes preparation, both mental and physical. NYE is going to be a feast of junk food and booze; the booze is easy enough to avoid - I'm driving, so I will do my evening champagne toast and stay sober the rest of the night. I already know there will be DUI checkpoints all over Anaheim, and I don't want to risk anything. Its the food I need to prepare for. Chips and salsa - oh, that's my weakness. I'll need someone to follow me with a flyswatter to keep my hand from reaching into the bowl too many times.
I also have a Very Important Person flying in to see me tomorrow. This VIP can eat and drink whatever he wants tomorrow as far as I am concerned - I am just happy to see him. But this person will be hungry tomorrow, and doesn't get much home cooking where he lives. One of the things I love doing for him is cooking him a healthy, delicious, hearty home-cooked meal. So far I've done shrimp scampi, homemade mac-n-cheese, beef stew, and roasted acorn squash - and that was just in his kitchen.
I think for tomorrow I'm going to keep it simple, and have a delicious roasted chicken waiting for him when he walks in the door. Its excellent on its own, or pulled off the bone and slapped into a sandwich. And it makes the whole house smell...well, like home.
ROASTED CHICKEN
1 Whole "fryer" chicken, rinsed and giblets* removed
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of butter, sliced to 1 tablespoon each
4 garlic cloves (more if you're like me and cannot get enough)
Kosher salt
Pepper
Thyme (fresh if you have it, but dry will do)
Sliced vegetables such as zucchini, onions, red bell peppers (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350. Rinse the whole chicken and pat dry.
Take a fork and stab the lemon all over; go ahead, take out your stress. Imagine its a particularly irksome coworker or the guy who knocked into you on the sidewalk. Shove the stabbed lemon up inside the cavity of the chicken. Then, put the garlic cloves inside the chicken cavity as well. If everything keeps sliding out, use a toothpick or two to pin the cavity closed.
Next, take the two tablespoon-sized pats of butter, and slip them under the skin over the breasts of the chicken, one over each breast. This will help keep the leaner breast meat moist.
Season the chicken by first sprinkling the breast side with the salt, pepper and thyme. Then, place the chicken breast-side down on the baking tray/roasting pan, and season the other side. Don't be afraid to move and pat the spices between the wings, legs, and sides of the bird.
Place the chicken breast-side down in the oven, and roast slowly for at least one hour, or until cooked all the way through. To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer and take an internal reading - should be at least 165 degrees. Or, if you don't have a thermometer, slice a knife through a thick part of the chicken meat. If the juices run clear, its done - if they are even the slightest bit pink, the chicken needs more time.
If you opt to cook the vegetables, give them a quick coat of cooking spray and place them on the baking pan when you have approximately 30 minutes left of chicken-cooking time.
Check on the chicken often, as its just a few minutes difference between "juicy and delicious" and "dry chicken-salad fodder". The butter helps keep the breasts tender, as does cooking it breast-side down. If you like crispy golden skin, crank the heat up for the last few minutes or so until the skin gets crackly-brown.
I haven't had a person turn down this chicken yet. I even did a modified version of it for Christmas dinner, and it was gone in a flash. This is a really basic roast chicken recipe - you can make your own modifications. Stuff it with an orange, or with stuffing and sausages. Try rosemary instead of thyme, or oregano and basil for an Italian flair. Its up to you.
I cannot wait for my VIP to get here. Now I am off to the store to pick up a chicken so I can greet him with hugs, kisses, and the coziness of a home-cooked meal.
*If you have a dog, feel free to give them the giblets right out of the chicken. Yes, its raw, but how else would a wild dog eat their food? Snowy loves her chicken hearts and kidneys so much, she will sit at my feet and wait for them to magically drop down to her when I prepare a chicken for dinner.
I also have a Very Important Person flying in to see me tomorrow. This VIP can eat and drink whatever he wants tomorrow as far as I am concerned - I am just happy to see him. But this person will be hungry tomorrow, and doesn't get much home cooking where he lives. One of the things I love doing for him is cooking him a healthy, delicious, hearty home-cooked meal. So far I've done shrimp scampi, homemade mac-n-cheese, beef stew, and roasted acorn squash - and that was just in his kitchen.
I think for tomorrow I'm going to keep it simple, and have a delicious roasted chicken waiting for him when he walks in the door. Its excellent on its own, or pulled off the bone and slapped into a sandwich. And it makes the whole house smell...well, like home.
ROASTED CHICKEN
1 Whole "fryer" chicken, rinsed and giblets* removed
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of butter, sliced to 1 tablespoon each
4 garlic cloves (more if you're like me and cannot get enough)
Kosher salt
Pepper
Thyme (fresh if you have it, but dry will do)
Sliced vegetables such as zucchini, onions, red bell peppers (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350. Rinse the whole chicken and pat dry.
Take a fork and stab the lemon all over; go ahead, take out your stress. Imagine its a particularly irksome coworker or the guy who knocked into you on the sidewalk. Shove the stabbed lemon up inside the cavity of the chicken. Then, put the garlic cloves inside the chicken cavity as well. If everything keeps sliding out, use a toothpick or two to pin the cavity closed.
Next, take the two tablespoon-sized pats of butter, and slip them under the skin over the breasts of the chicken, one over each breast. This will help keep the leaner breast meat moist.
Season the chicken by first sprinkling the breast side with the salt, pepper and thyme. Then, place the chicken breast-side down on the baking tray/roasting pan, and season the other side. Don't be afraid to move and pat the spices between the wings, legs, and sides of the bird.
Place the chicken breast-side down in the oven, and roast slowly for at least one hour, or until cooked all the way through. To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer and take an internal reading - should be at least 165 degrees. Or, if you don't have a thermometer, slice a knife through a thick part of the chicken meat. If the juices run clear, its done - if they are even the slightest bit pink, the chicken needs more time.
If you opt to cook the vegetables, give them a quick coat of cooking spray and place them on the baking pan when you have approximately 30 minutes left of chicken-cooking time.
Check on the chicken often, as its just a few minutes difference between "juicy and delicious" and "dry chicken-salad fodder". The butter helps keep the breasts tender, as does cooking it breast-side down. If you like crispy golden skin, crank the heat up for the last few minutes or so until the skin gets crackly-brown.
I haven't had a person turn down this chicken yet. I even did a modified version of it for Christmas dinner, and it was gone in a flash. This is a really basic roast chicken recipe - you can make your own modifications. Stuff it with an orange, or with stuffing and sausages. Try rosemary instead of thyme, or oregano and basil for an Italian flair. Its up to you.
I cannot wait for my VIP to get here. Now I am off to the store to pick up a chicken so I can greet him with hugs, kisses, and the coziness of a home-cooked meal.
*If you have a dog, feel free to give them the giblets right out of the chicken. Yes, its raw, but how else would a wild dog eat their food? Snowy loves her chicken hearts and kidneys so much, she will sit at my feet and wait for them to magically drop down to her when I prepare a chicken for dinner.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Resolutions, and Honey Mustard Chicken
What came first - the chicken or the New Year's Resolution?
I was never very patient, so I have decided to start on my New Year's Resolutions before 2009. And before the aforementioned chicken. I miss writing, so here goes another blog. I dislike the person I see in the mirror, so I joined Weight Watchers yesterday. And I sure love to cook, and I'd like to spend this year learning to make simple, tasty, budget and waist-friendly dishes for myself and my friends.
Thanks to modern technology I can do all three at the same time.
I'm going to chronicle my progress on Weight Watchers, and I will be posting the recipes I craft along the way. (Due to legal issues I cannot really post the "Points" value of things; I can however let you know if its something you can eat with abandon or something you can be a little more conservative with.)
But whatever. Stipulations aside... I'm in love with taste, texture, and satiety, so come along with me to my kitchen, my bathroom scale, and the year beyond. I'll be weighing in with thoughts and recipes here and there, and weighing in literally every Monday.
And keep me honest dammit. I am tired of starting things and not finishing them. Except food. I have to learn to leave a little more of that behind on the plate, naw'mean?
Honey-Mustard Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 4 oz portions - about the size of a deck of cards)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream
2 chopped scallions (small pieces)
1 tsp dried dill
cracked pepper
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together the honey, mustard and sour cream to make honey-mustard dressing (is also good for dipping stuff). If you need more dressing, just increase the amounts equally for all 3 ingredients. Coat the chicken breasts with the dressing. Sprinkle the chopped scallions liberally over the chicken, and then dust with the dill. Crack some black pepper over them if you so desire.
Bake at 425 for about 18-20 minutes (or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). Enjoy with pasta or rice, over a salad, or tucked into a sandwich. Or if you are like me and cannot be bothered with such frivolty, just eat it straight outta the oven.
Blogger is being a pest and won't let me post a picture, so here' s a link to my chicken:
Honey Mustard Chicken
*I am not a food photographer. I am not much of a photographer at all. If this does not look appetizing, I am sorry. It tasted really good. That's all you need to know.
Monday weigh in: 163.4
Pounds lost: 0.8
I was never very patient, so I have decided to start on my New Year's Resolutions before 2009. And before the aforementioned chicken. I miss writing, so here goes another blog. I dislike the person I see in the mirror, so I joined Weight Watchers yesterday. And I sure love to cook, and I'd like to spend this year learning to make simple, tasty, budget and waist-friendly dishes for myself and my friends.
Thanks to modern technology I can do all three at the same time.
I'm going to chronicle my progress on Weight Watchers, and I will be posting the recipes I craft along the way. (Due to legal issues I cannot really post the "Points" value of things; I can however let you know if its something you can eat with abandon or something you can be a little more conservative with.)
But whatever. Stipulations aside... I'm in love with taste, texture, and satiety, so come along with me to my kitchen, my bathroom scale, and the year beyond. I'll be weighing in with thoughts and recipes here and there, and weighing in literally every Monday.
And keep me honest dammit. I am tired of starting things and not finishing them. Except food. I have to learn to leave a little more of that behind on the plate, naw'mean?
Honey-Mustard Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 4 oz portions - about the size of a deck of cards)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream
2 chopped scallions (small pieces)
1 tsp dried dill
cracked pepper
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together the honey, mustard and sour cream to make honey-mustard dressing (is also good for dipping stuff). If you need more dressing, just increase the amounts equally for all 3 ingredients. Coat the chicken breasts with the dressing. Sprinkle the chopped scallions liberally over the chicken, and then dust with the dill. Crack some black pepper over them if you so desire.
Bake at 425 for about 18-20 minutes (or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). Enjoy with pasta or rice, over a salad, or tucked into a sandwich. Or if you are like me and cannot be bothered with such frivolty, just eat it straight outta the oven.
Blogger is being a pest and won't let me post a picture, so here' s a link to my chicken:
Honey Mustard Chicken
*I am not a food photographer. I am not much of a photographer at all. If this does not look appetizing, I am sorry. It tasted really good. That's all you need to know.
Monday weigh in: 163.4
Pounds lost: 0.8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)