Sep 27 2011

Cauliflower “Spanish Rice”

I’m not going to lie, it’s been pretty brutal going from the 17 Day Diet’s cycle 3 back to a repeat of cycle 1. I would pretty much kill for a bowl of oatmeal, whole wheat pita or bowl of brown rice or quinoa right about now. I decided that this go around, I needed to get a little more creative with my food. I have been eating too much of the same thing. I kept seeing a bunch of recipes on the 17 Day Diet facebook page for riced cauliflower. I had tried cauliflower mashed potatoes on other food plans, I even tried cauliflower pizza crust and found a recipe for cauliflower breadsticks – which I will be creating another post for – but I’ve been craving Mexican food and I’m a bit burned out on turkey taco salads.

I did a quick google search on “riced cauliflower” and found a bunch of veggie, gluten free, and low carb blogs, websites, and videos, that all shared similar recipes. I decided to use what I had on hand, combined with some of the things mentioned on the sites, and I got to work in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
1/2 Head Cauliflower – cut into small pieces
1 Onion – rough chopped
2 Garlic Cloves – minced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3/4 Can Diced Tomatoes
3/4 Cup Fresh Salsa – I used medium heat
Pinch of Red Pepper
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

I’m apparently obsessed with colored cauliflower – expect to see the chartreuse green soon. 😉 Colorful Harvest out of Salinas, CA, is the brand I keep seeing in my local stores. It’s the little things on this diet that bring me joy.

Directions:
I broke as many florets off the cauliflower head as I could before tackling it with my knife.

I then used my “cheater” steamer solution for the microwave. I filled a shallow dish with water, added my cauliflower, covered the dish with a big mixing bowl, and it worked great. I ended up cooking the cauliflower for 5 minutes – testing every minute after the first 3 (I didn’t want to overcook it) – I was looking for “al dente” – not overcooked and mushy.

Once the cauliflower had cooled a little, I chopped it into small “rice-like” pieces. I might use a food processor next time, it took a while to get the pieces small enough.

Meanwhile, in a larger pan… I heated the olive oil over medium/high and then added my chopped onion and garlic.

I stirred often and once translucent, I added my diced tomatoes. I only added some of the liquid from the can. I let the tomatoes cook with the onion for a minute or two and then I dumped in the cauliflower.

I gave the mixture a good stir and let things simmer until some of the tomato liquid absorbed. I then added the fresh salsa.

Some of the pieces look more like corn than rice… that’s why I’m thinking I’ll break out the food processor next time or I’ll use white cauliflower. Continue simmering and stirring until the liquid has cooked off. I tasted it, added some salt, red pepper and black pepper and let it cook some more.  It took about 10 minutes before the majority of liquid cooked off.

I ate the Cauliflower “Spanish Rice” along with salsa chicken and loved it! Something new, something different, and I have lots of leftovers for future lunches. Now if only I could make a tortilla out of cauliflower… ha!

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5829

Sep 25 2011

The “Newton” Burger

I was archiving my photos this weekend and realized that I never even posted my winning burger from the 4th of July Star Spangled Burger-Palooza Contest. I posted photos on the recap, but never shared my recipe ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 Small Shallots – finely chopped in food processor
6 Sprigs Fresh Parsley – stems removed, finely chopped in food processor
1 lb. Organic Grass Fed Beef – I used Eel River
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/2 Medium Granny Smith Apple – cored, chopped in food processor
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
4 Tablespoons Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon BBQ Sauce
3 Tablespoons Mayo
Sliced Applewood Smoked Cheddar
Soft Hamburger Buns – I got mine from the Nugget’s bakery section

I prepped my shallots and rinsed and dried my parsley before putting them into my Oster blender with the food processor attachment.

I got a nice, fine, dice and then added it to my ground beef.

I then put my peeled granny smith apple chunks into the food processor with the lemon juice for a few quick pulses. I tried grating the apple, but it released too much fluid and I wanted my apples to remain juicy so they would add moisture into the burger. It was a take on the portobello mushroom “Perfect Turkey Burgers” that I have made before.

Add the apples and 2 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce into the ground beef and gently mix, be careful, you don’t want to over work the meat.

Note: This is where I stopped taking photos of the process because everyone showed up for the party.

I divided the meat into 4 patties. I made small indents in the center for more even cooking, and I placed them between layers of waxed paper on a plate into the fridge for a few hours until “go” time.

I set all the grill burners to medium/high, placed the burgers onto the hot grill and the total cooking time was 8 minutes – 4 minutes per side.

I then spread a mixture of 3 tablespoons mayo with the remaining 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce on each side of the untoasted buns. I placed the burgers on the bottom buns, and then topped them with thin slices of the applewood smoked cheddar cheese before placing the top buns. The cheddar almost looked like red apple slices – the cheese end was actually covered in paprika.

The smokey apple flavor was incredible! I have made the burgers several times since – once by adding a little cinnamon and liquid smoke to Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce (it’s what I had on hand.) In the event that you want to make your own sauce – the main ingredients of the Paula Deen sauce are apple cider vinegar, ketchup, corn syrup, salt, onion and garlic powders, tomato paste, molasses, water, brown sugar, honey, mustard seed, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cinnamon.

A first place win in the beef burger category – Woohoo!  and it took just under 3 months to share the recipe.

Question – What’s your favorite burger toppings? Toasted or not toasted bun?

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5803

Sep 21 2011

17 Day Diet – Cycle 3 Update

51 days down. I am happy to report that I am still going strong and doing well with the 17 Day Diet. I have stayed true to the plan and I have noticed big changes in my body and overall health. I feel amazing!

I still hate drinking the hot lemon water every morning – but I learned this past weekend that a great aunt drank hot lemon water every morning of her life and swore by it. Interesting… it definitely gets your digestive juices flowing – my stomach rumbles and grumbles within 10 minutes of drinking my 8 oz. mug.

My “go to” fruits are still strawberries (got that basket from a farm stand), peaches (from the same stand) and small apples. I am amazed at the jumbo size of some apples and peaches at farmer’s markets and in stores. I bet they are at least 3 servings – crazy! I’m still slicing up strawberries and putting them on top of yogurt or I’m pouring Yakult over my cut up fruit. The no fruit after 2:00 p.m. rule doesn’t apply to cycle 3, but I did stick to it on most days due to routine. However, I did have frozen grapes for dessert on occasion.

I am an artichoke addict. There, I said it. I honestly can’t get enough of them. I was able to have my lemon, dill and mayo dipping sauce this cycle and I looked forward to eating at least 4-5 chokes a week.

I added lowfat cottage cheese as a pre-workout snack for this cycle. I tried several organic brands, but kept going back to Knudsen – it’s less “wet” tasting. I also increased my daily workouts to between 35 and 45 minutes. I did evening workouts Monday though Thursday and morning workouts Friday – Sunday. I have yet to break an 8 minute mile, but I came close once. I do interval treadmill sessions and skipped 3 of the 17 days as rest days.

Salmon, chicken, chunk light tuna, tiny shrimp… all staples in my freezer and pantry. I really enjoyed tuna sandwiches with the addition of mayo and whole wheat bread/pitas on this cycle. I opted for toasted rye bread for most of my sandwiches.

Sugar free Boston Creme Pie Jello Pudding was also added as a snack this cycle. I realized that I just can’t do sugar free, it’s a headache trigger for me. It took an entire 6 pack to make the connection. Next time I do cycle 3 – I will opt for a 100 calorie fudgsicle if I need something chocolate and sweet – or a piece of dark chocolate.

Crock pot chicken was consumed every couple of days. It’s easy and super tasty. I had a lot of late work nights due to trainings and side graphic work and it was nice to come home to delicious smells. I poured a little broth in the pot,  then I used 12 ounces of Pace Picante Sauce (Medium) and set the temp. for 325-350 degrees for at least 4 hours.

Shredded chicken perfection. I ate it by the bowl, I put it on pita pizzas, and I had my favorite lunch of cycle 3 – Chicken Quesadillas.

I happened to be out of avocado on this day, but that was another addition for cycle 3. Whole wheat 10 inch tortillas, crock pot chicken, grape tomatoes, salsa, reduced fat Tillamook cheddar, fat free sour cream and shredded lettuce.

Cheesy, melted, nacho-like goodness… I probably ate this meal 2-3 times a week for lunch.

I am really going to miss the additions I was able to make on cycle 3.  Low fat cheeses instead of fat free… mayo, nuts, string cheese, daily oatmeal, avocado, bread, bananas… oh well, it’s back to cycle 1 for 17 more days.

When I jumped on the scale this morning, I knew the good choices and sacrifices were worth it. I am down another 4.7 lbs. That takes my total to 25.2 lbs. I am over the moon excited with the results. I went 9 solid days with NO movement on the scale and that is when I decided once again to put the thing away. It went in the bathroom cabinet until this morning. I had a feeling that I had lost more weight, my clothes were telling the true story. I have gone from a very tight size 14 to a very loose size 10. I even bought size 8 jeans last weekend before my trip to Monterey. I have lost close to 5 inches in my waist. They aren’t kidding when they say this diet blasts belly fat.

So here is the break down if you missed the other updates or are just skimming ;).

Cycle 1: – 15.2 lbs.
Cycle 2: – 5.3 lbs.
Cycle 3:  – 4.7 lbs.

Total Weight Loss: – 25.2 lbs.

I don’t want to make it sound like this has been easy. I’m not going to lie, It’s been rough and challenging at times. Through the support of several diet buddies, I have managed to stay on track through some pretty stressful events – including the death of my aunt and her memorial/Celebration of Life this past weekend. I’ve had to work nights on a few occasions, conduct trainings that ran right through my lunch hours and I’ve had to make smart menu choices when dining out with friends and at parties. My social life and busy schedule did not stop because I was on a diet/trying to lose weight. I’ve used my busy/over-scheduled life as an excuse for the past 5 years. I finally got it through my head that my schedule and life were never going to change, so I needed to make eating healthy and daily workouts a top priority and I needed to find workarounds… instead of just throwing in the towel when things got busy or times got rough.

I’m so glad I did just that. After doing a little math and looking at my calendar. I have prepared 144 of the last 153 meals I have consumed. With the exception of dinner this past Saturday, I have never strayed from the program. My Aunt’s “Celebration of Life” dinner was a fixed menu and I chose to just enjoy it without substitution.

Mixed Field Greens with Tomatoes in a Red Wine Vinaigrette
Chili Crusted Chicken Breasts with an Apricot BBQ Sauce – served with Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes and Green Beans
Chocolate Espresso Bread Pudding with Bourbon Creme Anglaise

I loved and savored each and every bite.

I think the idea of maintenance on cycle 4 is right on track with where I see myself once I reach my weight loss goals. Keeping on track Monday through Friday and then enjoying some meals out or indulgences at home on Saturday and Sunday… then right back on track with cycle 1-3 eating during the week. It’s doable and something that I’m actually looking forward to.

I have less than 20 lbs. left to lose. I will then be smack dab in the middle of a healthy range for my height – 5’7″. I have not seen numbers this low in 6 years. While I’m super interested in seeing the scale continue to go down, I’m more interested in meeting my main weight loss goal. My wedding ring has been stuck on my finger since 2006. I was 136 lbs. and in clothing, a size 4, when I got married… my ring is a size 5. My finger is no longer a size 5. I thought on many occasions that I was going to have to get my beautiful ring cut off my finger due to redness and swelling. I am happy to report that I can spin the thing like crazy now and I’ve come very close to getting it off with ice and soap… The permanent marks are almost gone. I’m thinking the ring will slide off as the weather gets colder and as another 5 lbs. comes off. I will celebrate the day it finally happens with an ear to ear smile and a good steam cleaning at the jeweler.

My rewards up until now have been pedicures and some new jeans and shoes along the way. Speaking of shoes, I’m down almost an entire shoe size. I ended up buying inserts for some of my current shoes, it’s just too big of an investment to buy all new shoes.

So that’s it… my cycle 3 update. I know this diet and a busier schedule due to work, food prep, exercise, etc. has really changed the format and frequency of my blog posts, but I promise… it’s for the better. I am getting healthy and I’m once again excited about life and what each day will bring. Getting dressed in the mornings is pretty fun too! I promise to continue with recipes and I also have some events and cooking classes planned for the upcoming months… and I’ve been decorating up a storm. I have lots of new photos to share in future posts.

If you’ve made it this far, I’m impressed. Just so you know, I really appreciate “you” – my readers, and your continued support. I have received lots of sweet emails from people starting their own weight loss journeys and I’ve gotten emails from new readers that found my blog through doing a “17 Day Diet” google search. I’ve had fun getting to know some of you through email and finding the 17 day diet facebook page and recipe sites has helped a lot too.

So now it’s back to detoxing on cycle 1.  Wish me luck… I’m going to need it!

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5768