A little chicken of the sea…

Day 58 of 2018: Day 2 of trying to get back on track and dinner is served!  I must say that it turned out pretty good and I am definitely going to have to cook this dish again!

Seared Tuna on a bed of wilted spinach

1. In a saute pan, I stirred around a shallot along with garlic and sesame oil browning the shallot.
2. Next, I dumped a lot of spinach in the pan.  Spinach always gets smaller so I must have used about 2-3 cups full.  With the oil and the shallots really hot, the spinach wilted down pretty fast.
3. Last, I added some sliced cherry tomatoes.  Didn’t want these burst just warmed through, so I added them very close to the end.
4. Stir around the pan and add some pepper then let the mixture rest on a plate.
5. Using the same pan, I then seared some fresh tuna.  I love seared tuna (better raw on sushi) but this dish called for seared.  Brown the outside and leave the inside raw…OMG!
6. Plate up the tuna on top of the spinach and done!

It was a pretty good day overall.  Slow at work.  Swimming class for the little kid.  I was able to eat healthy and avoid the not so healthy that is always within reach.  The only bad thing was the husband had jury duty and he was selected.  It’s going to be a long week for him but we will be there together.  Was that in the marriage vows?  To provide support through jury duty?  Oh well, too late now.  lol

 

 

A little sea love…

Day 57 of 2018: Oh Monday!  How I didn’t miss you.  After working a long weekend, I knew you were coming but I was not prepared for you so…

Resolution as soon as I woke up…eat better!  and I did it!  I made it through the day with my cuties orange, my protein, my celery and humus, my almonds…all healthy and then I needed to figure out dinner.

It may look weird but I thought it was good.  We had picked up some Mahi mahi at the seafood market and thought we could try it.  First I sliced some Portobello and sautéed them in a balsamic glaze.  Then when those were done I seared the mahi mahi in the same pan using the glaze from the mushrooms as the liquid.  I placed both the fish and the mushrooms on some mashed potatoes we had leftover  and on top a mediterranean salsa  (olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, feta) to bring it together.  I thought it was pretty good.

So day 1 of eating better for this week ended very well.  No sugar in sight and I tried to limit my caffeine today as well.   Woo-Hoo!

Now back to work!

A little Asian fun…

Day 54 of 2018: So Friday was a busy day.  I was working all weekend so that means I had to try and get some chores and other things done.  It was technically a good day to do them.  Husband at work.  Little one at school. Yep, nice quiet day to get a lot of stuff done.  However this doesn’t mean that I ate well.

For some reason, when I work hard like this, I get cravings for junk food.  Healthy food is nice, however, when it is a day full of laundry, dishes, cleaning the bathrooms…the cravings call for salt and fried.

How do I satisfy this craving?

We went Chinese for dinner! (not my picture but it did look like this!)

General Tso’s Chicken is one of my favorites.  Some spice and the sauce is not heavy.  Put it over some rice and it was delicious.  The husband likes the Mu Shu Pork with the little potato pancakes and that sauce?  MMMMM!

Now about the rice.  Since we started eating healthier, we have tried to stay away from the extra carbs at home.  Rice, couscous, potatoes…all delish but we try to stay away unless we do go out.

Chinese food at a restaurant (oh and sushi!) definitely calls for the addition of rice.  It has the ability to absorb the flavors of the sauce of the dish it accompanies.  vegetables can be added and fried rice is made.  Little one loves fried rice.

So with a tummy full and happy, I was finally able to get a good night’s sleep and dream of some good Asian food from a little place down the road…now only if they would deliver…

A little of caffeine…

Day 53 of 2018: Okay! I am behind and can’t believe I am!  I promised to write something every day and now I am multiple days behind.  Is that because my life is going well and I just can’t find the time to sit and write.  Or am I just finding an excuse to not complete a task?

Well the good news is that I did take some notes and pictures of what I was doing and eating each day.  The bad news is that I am about to bombard your Newsfeed with posts.  Oh well!

Thursday was all about caffeine.  I was having trouble all day staying awake.  I did sleep.  How do I know that?  Every time I opened my eyes, a couple of hours had passed on the clock.   However, I spent the day feeling like I hadn’t slept.  It was just one of those nights. So…

Did I mention there’s a Starbucks literally across the parking lot from my little one’s pre-school?  Pro: when I need caffeine…DONE!  Con: when I need caffeine, it is the sugary drinks that call my name…DONE!

Oh, Caramel Frappucino that I haven’t had in many a year, you saved me on this day and my alert level working with the public so thanks you.

A little spice is nice…

Day 52 of 2018: so while I was working a 12 hour day…long but productive day…I was thinking about what I could do when I got home tonight for some dinner. What could I pull together fast and maybe taste good?

I’m already tired so what could I do that won’t take long and won’t burn down the house?

The little one will want my attention so what could I throw in the oven fast that will give me the opportunity to catch up on what she wants to tell me?

The husband has had a stressful week at work so what could I do that will give me a few moments to listen to his day?

Salsa chicken

I had some chicken in the fridge so I threw that in a glass dish. Next, I poured some black beans on top and then I smothered the whole thing with a jar of salsa I’ve had in the pantry. Covering the dish with foil, I placed it in the oven at 375° for 30 minutes. At this time, I uncovered the food and sprinkled some cheddar cheese on top placing it back in the oven for about 5 more minutes melting and browning the cheese.

The salsa braised the chicken so that the flavors permeated the meat and all of the flavors joined together. I would’ve loved maybe some green onions or sour cream on top but I didn’t have any.

I did have some jalepenos! 😎😎😎

Well, it’s bedtime so I can do it all again tomorrow. Good night!

A little skirt…

Day 50 of 2018:  So I have gotten behind again, but thank goodness I took some pictures of my meals and so voila, what I had for dinner.

No grill or panini press needed!

I set the oven to 425 degrees.  On a sheet pan, I laid some asparagus and white onions on it.  I poured some olive oil, garlic powder and black pepper on them and mixed it all together.  Directly on top of the veggies, I placed a nice size skirt steak. After sprinkling some Paul Prudhomme Steak Magic seasoning  (love this stuff!) on top, I placed the whole pan in the oven for about 30 minutes.  The good thing about this piece of steak was the size differences.  There was a thick side and and a thin side.  The thin side was more well-done while the thick side was more medium rare.  We all got to choose which side we wanted to eat.

OK, I will admit this was too easy.

I need to open up my recipe books soon and venture out of my comfort zone again.

Stay tuned!

A back to basics night…

Day 49 of 2018: Italian food is my nemesis. Growing up, if dinner wasn’t spaghetti, I wasn’t eating it. Pile on the parmesan cheese and I was a very happy girl.

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed that I have developed (or it was always there and I didn’t know what to call it) a sensitivity to bread. Anytime I eat pasta or such, I feel like I am having an allergic reaction.

So I have been trying to give up gluten, however it is hard when there is so much yummy goodness out there to partake in. I also have many people who think this is a ‘diet’ and it’s hard to get them to realize it’s not.

Enter the spaghetti squash! When I was first introduced to this veggie, I really didn’t understand how it could replace my favorite dish, however this hearty winter squash and I have come to a mutual understanding…I’m hungry and this will feed my craving. Delish!

2 problems-

1: it’s expensive. Sometimes the store will have spaghetti squash on sale and I grab a couple as they do keep for a little time in the pantry.

2: it’s not available year round. Spaghetti squash is named winter squash for a reason.

So in between making sure the bills are paid and the time of year, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of some ‘spaghetti’ while I can.

To cook the spaghetti squash:

Cut one in half and scrape out the inside seeds. Place in microwave for 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness) until soften. When cooled, take a fork and scrape out the inside. The meat of the veggie will come out like spaghetti strings.

Some people like to roast their squash in the oven for 45 minutes. True, cooking like this adds that additional flavor many enjoy. I don’t have that time. Remember hungry family.

By the time the microwave beeps, the sauce is cooked!

Today, I sauteed some ground turkey meat with garlic and a white onion. After sweating the onion and cooking the meat to mostly done, I added some thyme and rosemary and red pepper flakes. I cooked the meat a little more covering the pan for a few minutes to let all the flavors mix. Next I added some tomato sauce. True, I could’ve just added some of the tomatos I had and water and… blah blah blah…but I had this jar in the cabinet so I used it. (It was a basic low sodium, no additional flavors, no additional preservatives tomato sauce so I was good with it.).

While the marinara sauce is simmering, I check on the spaghetti squash and pull out the parmesan cheese. Next up is to plate dinner and enjoy!

A day away…

Day 48 of 2018: today was horse show day. My niece has become quite the equestrian and today was a chance to see how she looked on her new horse she’s training. She was awesome as usual. I look back and see the little kid that I would take care of many times during my younger days, coming home from college, and giving up many nights and weekends to help watch her and her friends. Our favorite place to visit was the Disney store and getting a princess cookie at the mall. Now she is all grown up and looking fantastic.

Well if you have never been to a horse show, it is a lot of sit around and wait. Which I do not mind here and there, however today was the weather factor. The weather factor being cold and damp. Add a toddler to the mix, and it’s a ‘fun’ time. Lol

I would love to live on a farm. If I was ever to win the lottery, I have always said I would buy a farm. Just something about being out with the animals and fresh air. Love it… tickets in my wallet.😎

On days like these, it’s just easier to stop for some food at a local restaurant. Cooking isn’t in the cards so on the way home, we stopped at a great local BBQ place called 521 BBQ. Their smoked chicken is so succulent and the ribs are to die for. I think the hot wings could be a little spicier but that’s why Frank’s hot sauce was invented…I put that #@*# on everything. Lol

The red tablecloths, picnic tables and fireside blue plates add to the ambiance of the whole dinner. Now my question is why does the little one need so many straws to drink from? 😂

A little German love…

Day 47 of 2018: I don’t know why (maybe all the sweets I had this week?) But when I was thinking about what to cook for dinner, all I could think of was this bag of sauerkraut I had in the fridge.

It was calling my name!

Seriously!

So sauerkraut was definitely going to be eaten so said the voices in my head…what else? Looking in the freezer, I had some nice pork chops that I could grill and green beans added that pop of color.

Delicious meal with just one problem to solve…how to cook?

These weren’t any regular sized pork chops. We get the nice, thick ones from the store. Some people would be inclined to butterfly them in half because they are so thick. This thickness makes it hard to cook in a regular pan.

I used to have this nice pan with a lid so I could steam/grill the pork chop, however, after many years of ‘love’ in the kitchen, it finally passed away.

If it was better weather, the outdoor grill would’ve been perfect to use.

What was left? Panini press time!

We received a panini press/griddler for a wedding present many years ago and it has been great during times like these. Easy to use and easy to clean up. Grilling the pork chops made dinner!

As for the paper plates…I just don’t like to do dishes…😎

A little bit of creativity…

Day 46 of 2018: it’s been a busy week. Some take out was eaten. A lot of sugar was indulged in. In between, a full time job was to be done or I wouldn’t have had any money for the takeout or sugar! Lol

Well, I finally got back in the kitchen tonight and I must say it was delicious, a little healthy and a little fun. The key to enjoying cooking, I have found, is make it different. Make it unique. Make it yours.

The more creative I got, the more fun I had in the kitchen. I didn’t used to like certain foods like tomatos and mushrooms but now I know how I enjoy them. If I cook them a certain way, I will eat them. If the plate looks pretty, I am more inclined to eat what’s on it.

Experimentation is good!

Tonight was turkey burgers and veggies!

Ground turkey is healthy and light, however it can be a little bland unlike beef or chicken. So when I started eating ground turkey, I had to get creative and tasty.

For turkey burgers, I like to add some green onions, garlic powder and black pepper. It’s a combination that I think enhances the flavor. Of course, any seasoning will do, but this is what I like.

For the tomatos, I usually enjoy a nice heirloom tomato on the grill, however I didn’t have any tonight. This regular one did the job though adding to the spring mix of lettuce on top.

As for the sauce, I made a little aioli with mayo and Sriracha…ok, maybe a lot of Sriracha. You know me and my love for spice!

As for the other veggies, some mashed potatoes and buffalo cauliflower with a pepperoncini or two to chase it down.

Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. I have decided to make cooking fun!