WEEK 7 weigh In

I have been SO busy!  My sister had a baby on Thursday last week and I've been all baby crazy!!  We are approaching the end of our homeschool year and we are preparing for our exams.  The weather has been so nice that I have been out side working in the yard and gardens.  We have 2 gardens full of peas, and I've been working on my herb garden.  OK enough of that....now onto my weigh in.

This week I LOST 3.0 pounds!!  I was aiming for 4 pounds loss to make up for the week before...3 pound gain.  But I'll take it!! 

I made this the other day for lunch!!  I loved it so I thought I'd share it with you!

Green Salad with Strawberries

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup , or brown sugar (I used splenda brown sugar)

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper , to taste
3 cups baby spinach
3 cups watercress, tough stems removed
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup fresh chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Whisk maple syrup (or brown sugar), vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add spinach, watercress, strawberries and chives; toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with pecans and goat cheese.

215 calories; 17 g fat (3 g sat, 9 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 209 mg sodium; 454 mg potassium.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I love the simplicity of the packets of seasoning, BUT the amount of sodium and other stuff in them are horrible.  I came up with this taco seasoning to have with our tacos, and other mexican dishes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder (becareful when you buy this...look at the ingredient list, you'll be surprised how much other stuff is in there)

1/4 teaspoon of each:

garlic powder

onion powder

oregano

paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon pepper

add the ingredients into a jar, plastic or glass

doesn't that look beautiful!!  I love the colors....ok ok I know I'm strange that way.

give the mixture a shake and VIOLA!! The color is a bit different than the packet because they add some corn meal.  You can add that as well if you like...it just makes your mixture a little thicker.

To use cook up your ground turkey or beef, drain if necessary.  Add 2 tablespoons to the meat and heat a little while longer.  I add about 1/4 cup of water and cook.

ENJOY!!

Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

I found this recipe in Cooking Light.  My family LOVED it.  It is even better the next day.  I used dried beans (no sodium, all you have to do is soak them over night)  This recipe reads just like it does off the Cooking Light website.

Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

1 pound ground round
2 teaspoons salt-free chili powder blend
1 (14-ounce) package frozen seasoned corn
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can seasoned tomato sauce for chili

Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

1. Combine beef and chili powder blend in a large Dutch oven. Cook 6 minutes over medium-high heat or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and return to pan.

2. Stir in frozen corn mixture, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Ladle chili into bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and onions, if desired.

Nutritional Information


Calories:193 (14% from fat)
Fat:3g (sat 1g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:20g
Carbohydrate:20g
Fiber:3.4g
Cholesterol:40mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:825mg (You can see why I chose to use dried to cut this number down)
Calcium:0.0mg

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

I made this, this weekend and placed the rest in the freezer for a quick meal.  I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light 2007. I omit the salt because if you use canned tomatoes there is almost always salt in them, as well as the chicken broth.  To me it just adds too much salt.  My family does not really like fennel, so I cut this ingredient in half.  This sauce is SO easy anyone can make this.  Let me know what you think.

Picture Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers or zip-top plastic bags. Seal and freeze for up to four months. Consider freezing the sauce in one-cup increments (two servings' worth). That way, you can pull out exactly as much as you want for future meals.

To thaw sauce: Try one of three methods.
1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place frozen blocks in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Place frozen blocks in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH one minute at a time, stirring after each increment until thawed.

To boost taste: Long stints in the freezer can dull the taste of tomatoes. To perk up thawed sauce, add one-half teaspoon finely grated lemon rind or one teaspoon balsamic vinegar while reheating.

Homemade Healthy Refried Beans

I've made this recipe a number of times for my family, they really like it.  I usually make a double batch and freeze the rest for later use. I'm not sure where I got the recipe but I've had it for years.

Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups boiling water

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature on the slow cooker is too high.


Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.