Food Therapy

Much to my delight, I have had some great success putting together healthy meals over the past couple of weeks.  I have lost nearly 5 lbs while still enjoying my daily wine consumption.  It's been a really great trade-off and has encouraged me to try some new food combinations in the meantime. 

Since we all know that I don't really "follow" any recipe, I just use them as guidelines, the following recipe is a Greek pork chop and salad, adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

Greek-Style Pork Chops
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, divided
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, mined
4 (4-oz) boneless pork chops (I used bone in, some you can use either)
3/4 c. plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh dill - chopped

1. Combine 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, oregano, 1 tsp. olive oil, and garlic in a zip-top plastic bag.  Add pork to bag, and seal.  Marinate for 20-minutes at room temperature, turner after 10 minutes.  Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar, remaining tsp. of olive oil, yogurt, sour cream, dill and 1/8 tsp. of salt in a small bowl.  Stir together with a whisk, cover and chill.
2. Heat a grill pan (or non-stick skillet) over med-high heat.  Coat pan with non-stick cooking spray, remove pork from the bag.  Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper.  Add pork to pan, and cook for 3-4 mins./side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove pork from the pan and let stand for 2 minutes.  Serve with Cucumber Greek Salad (recipe below) and top with dill yogurt mixture.

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss and chill until ready to eat.

One of the best things about my healthier eating plan, is that I am able to take traditional recipes and make them a little better for me.  It has made my creative juices flow and I am really enjoying the challenge.

Tonight I started with a recipe from Rachael Ray.  In general I find her recipes to be under-seasoned so I always have to adapt them, but this one I took a little bit more creative freedom with. 

Chicken and Roasted Veggie Napoleons
2 large or 3 small portobello mushroom caps (remove the stems and wash) Slice into 1/4-1/2 in. slices
3/4 of a 2.2 lb. tube of prepared polenta sliced into 1/4-1/2 in. slices
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-1/2 in. pieces (should have 6)
1 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal into 12-18 pieces
1 squash, sliced on the diagonal into 12-18 pieces
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into 2 pieces (should yield 6 pieces total)
3/4 c. non fat ricotta cheese
1/2 c. reduced fat Italian Cheese Blend
1 Tbsp. Sundried tomato paste (available in the Italian section of the store)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a large cooking sheet with Olive Oil Non-stick spray.  Layer zucchini, squash & mushrooms on the tray.  Spray veggies with olive oil spray and top with salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste. Place in oven for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Repeat process with eggplant and set cooked eggplant aside.

2. Meanwhile heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray with non-stick spray and add polenta.  Cook until heated through and crisp on the outside - about 2-3 mins per side. Set aside.

3. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Using the same pan, add more non-stick spray (if necessary) and cook chicken.  About 3-4 mins. per side.

4. In a small bowl combine ricotta, Italian cheese & sundried tomato paste.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to taste. 

5.  The eggplant will be the base for the napoleons.  Top each piece of eggplant with 1 piece of chicken, 2-3 pieces of zucchini, 2-3 pieces of squash.  Place 1 large tablespoon of the cheese mixture on top of the veggies and spread out.  Top with 2-3 polenta rounds and one more scoop of cheese mixture.  Top with mushrooms and return the napoleons to the oven for about 5 minutes until heated through.

This meal was incredibly satisfying.  The sundried tomato paste is a perfect way to add a ton of flavor without a lot of calories...not to mention, this is an entire meal in one!  Christopher (my bro) also suggested topping it off with a tomato sauce, which would be delish. 

For those of you that don't know, I am on a mission to lose some ell-bees (lbs.).  I quit smoking over a year ago and as a result of have added about 15 pounds of love. While my husband loves me unconditionally, I am not the long, lean woman that I once was and it kills me.  I have started a much stricter eating program and have finally incorporated some working out into the program.

Despite the need to be more conscience, I feel that I need to maintain some sense of 'normalcy' in order to succeed.  Potatoes and cheese are my weaknesses and but I am still able to eat them all, to a different degree and in moderation.  Tonight I made a "traditional" meat and potatoes meal...with a spin.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

It's been an incredibly long time since my last post and I have to apologize...there have been many changes on the Clem/Hendricks homefront in the past month which has resulted in my inconsistent postings.  We have decided to make the big move back to Dallas, but unfortunately, it means another long-distance relationship for the time being.  But enough about that, let's get back to the food...

I have decided to make a concerted effort to eat better which has encouraged me to make new recipes and in some cases use ingredients that I don't typically use.  Tonight I was craving some good, old-fashioned comfort food.  With the new eating regimine, that meant a turkey burger as opposed to my normal beef burger.  But word on the street is that I make a pretty mean turkey burger, so this one definitely hit the spot!

Turkey Burgers
1 package lean ground turkey (about 1 - 1 1/4 lbs)
1 egg
1/4 - 1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c. finely diced onion (red or white)
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce 
1-2 tsp. montreal seasoning
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and divide into 5-6 equal patties.  Make a divot in the center of one side of the patty (this stops them from "puffing up").  Cook on med-high grill or cast iron skillet for 5-6 minutes per side.  Add cheese during final 1 minute. Serve on a roll or english muffin.

I served the burgers with a side of green beans and an arugala salad (arugala, fresh parmesan cut with a potato peeler, topped with fresh lemon juice and olive oil).

I think that this healthy eating is a really nice trend that I am going to keep up with.  Expect more recipes with a healthy twist  :)

Ahhh...food therapy complete!

So, I made one of my stand-by, absolute fave Tex-Mex dishes last night.  It is sitting in a holding pattern until Wednesday, but I figured that it was better to share it tonight so you all could enjoy on Wednesday, as well.

This recipe is actually a Lindsay original.  One night I was at my favorite grocery store in the world, Central Market, and didn't feel like cooking.  So, I picked up a prepared meal of Mexican stuffed peppers.  I heated them up and thought that they were really good.  But, as I was eating them I realized that there were things missing...and that I could make these better than what we were eating.

So I had my challenge.  Make these Mexican stuffed peppers.  AND, make them better than what I had eaten before.  Well, after a couple of tries, I had a keeper.  This recipe is so yummy.  It is unlike anything I had ever eaten before.  It has a little bit of heat, a little bit of meat and whole lot of love...so good!

With Cinco de Mayo coming up on Wednesday, I thought that this recipe was too good not to share.


Mexican Stuffed Peppers
4 poblano peppers
1 small yellow onion
fresh cilantro
1 rotisserie chicken
1 bag shredded mexican cheese
1 bag 60 sec. spanish or mexican rice
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. chili pepper
Lg Sour Cream

• Drizzle poblanos with olive oil; sprinkle w/ salt and pepper. Sear skin over gas stove or broil in the oven.
• Shred chicken; place in a bowl (remove skin & discard)
• Dice onion - place in bowl with chicken
• Finely chop cilantro - start with 2-3 Tbsp - add more at the end if you want
• Add 3/4 bag of rice (add more depending on how much chicken you end up with)
• Add 1/2 bag of cheese.
• Mix in rest of ingredients. Add 1/2 container Sour Cream.
• Cut peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and stuff. 
• Place in 350 over for 20 mins. 
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese - bake an additional 5-10 mins.

As I have mentioned before, having this blog really encourages me to think outside the box and come up with more creative meal solutions than I have in the past.  I mean, I can't keep publishing the same recipes over and over again, right?  So, in an effort to expand my horizons, I went only Amazon and added to my cookbook collection.  While I did stock up on the newest Gourmet cookbook, I also added Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito.  The concept is that all meals are under 350 calories, so naturally I had my doubts.  No butter?  No full-fat cheese?  No white bread?  This cookbook went against ever fiber of my being.  But, hey, what did I have do lose but I few lbs?  And if anyone could pull off good tasting, low cal meals, it had to be a James Beard award-winning chef, right?

My first selection was the chicken cordon bleu...I know, I know...I should have known better.  Matt and my Dad both liked it well enough, but I was disappointed.  Low fat ham and low-fat swiss combined for a combination that I felt was bland and uninviting.

But then Night 2 came along...I chose the Zucchini and Eggplant Vegetable Lasagna.  Holy amaze-balls!  This recipe was awesome!  Naturally, I made a few tweaks, but none that added too many calories and came out with a product that I will be happy to make and proud to serve...it's crazy good!

Zucchini & Eggplant Vegetable Lasagna (adapted from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito)
1 large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into long, thin strips (1/4" thick)
3-4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced thin
3 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into long, this strips (1/4" thick)
salt & pepper
nonstick olive oil spray
1 1/4 c. nonfat ricotta
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
Italian Seasoning
3/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 c. low-fat marinara
1-2 c. (or so) reduced fat mozzarella
1 lb. ground turkey

• Preheat the broiler on high.  Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray them with olive oil spray
• Lay the eggplant slices, in a single layer, on one of the baking sheets.  Lay the mushrooms on the second, and zucchini slices on the third.  Season the veggies with S&P to taste and spray them lightly with olive oil spray.  Broil each sheet of veggies until they are slightly browned and mostly tender - 5-7 minutes.  Set aside.
• Preheat over to 450.  Spray 9x13 in. baking dish with olive oil spray - set aside.
• Brown the ground turkey in a frying pan.  Season with S&P to taste.  Drain & set aside.
• In a bowl, combine ricotta & half of parmigiano-reggiano cheese.  Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning and S&P, to taste.
• Spread 1/4 of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Lay the roasted zucchini on the top of the sauce.Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over zucchini.  Top with 1/3 of the ground turkey and a thin layer of mozz. Repeat the process with the portobello slices, sauce, ricotta, turkey and mozz. Top the entire lasagna with remaining sauce, mozz and parmigiano-reggiano.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Uncover, and continue to bake until the cheese begins to brown, another 10 minutes.  Let lasagna rest for about 5 minutes.

1. I would recommend peeling the eggplant and preparing it earlier in the day or night before.  Layer the eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt - this will remove the excess water for the eggplant.  While the flavore of this lasagna was awesome, it was runny.  Removing the excess water will help.
2. Place a baking sheet on the rack below the lasagna while baking.  The pan will overflow and drip onto the bottom of the oven.

As a girl growing up in the Northeast, I never really embraced the Southern breakfast staple...grits. As a matter of fact, for most of my life I found them rather tasteless and boring...not to mention, the texture of paste. With all of that said, Matt was rather surprised when I ordered Shrimp & Grits for brunch at Hattie's in Dallas.

I don't know what it was, but when I saw them on the table next to me, I was captivated. It was not long before I realized that I had lived my previous 28 years in the dark. I was missing out on a decadent, silky, corn-based food that when topped with shrimp became a delicacy. Seriously...it was amazing. So amazing that I wanted it again and again. I had to replicate it...with some twists of course.

I first made this recipe over a year ago but recently brushed it off to see if it was as good as I remember...it was. It was awesome. It is a little timely to put together, but well worth the wait.

Shrimp & Grits (well...Risotto)

• 1 lb large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 cloves garlic - smashed
• 1 shallot
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 5-6 shakes Tabasco
• 2 c. chicken stock

Cheeseburgers are the all American food. I mean, what is better than a warm night and a burger right off the grill? But I find that burgers can be boring...ground beef (or turkey), mixed with a few spices and put on a bun. Anyone who has read my blog can realize that while I do like traditional food, I yearn to put a creative spin on things. Some things are not meant to be adapted, like a good Filet Mignon, but come on people, ground beef is not filet.

I know that I have a tendency to over-explore the fridge (is 8 times a day excessive?), but sometimes opening that door leads to brilliance. OK, maybe not brilliance but good ideas for sure. This one was awesome. Matt and I both loved it and kept wanting to eat more. I will definitely make this one again...let me know what you think!

Italian Style Stuffed Cheeseburgers
1 lb ground beef (85/15)
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper
4-5 balls of marinated mozzarella cheese (small size)
6 slices American cheese (or provolone)

Preheat grill to medium. Mix everything except mozzarella in a bowl until well incorporated. Split meat into 6 even pieces - set aside 3 and make 3 into thin patties. Cut the mozzarella in thin slices. Place 3-4 slices on the patties. Make the remaining beef into 3 more patties. Place on top of the mozzarella topped patties. Pinch the sides together until well sealed. Grill for 5-6 minutes a side for medium - add cheese on top during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Serve on toasted buns (English muffins are awesome too!). Top with basil mayo (recipe below) and toppings of your choice.

Sometimes the best way to make something unique with one simple addition. This basil mayo is quick, easy and so yummy! The combo of the ground beef, Italian seasoning and fresh basil mayo really takes it all to the next level.

Basil Mayo
1/3 c. mayo (use something good like Hellman's)
10-12 leaves of fresh basil
1 tsp. of the oil from the marinated mozzarella (this is a great way to add tons of flavor - there are so many spices to take advantage of!)
fresh pepper

Place all ingredients in mini food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Add pepper to taste.

By the way, the Cuisinart mini-prep is the best! It's inexpensive and perfect for dips, aiolis, salad dressings, etc. I love it!

Usually I use large tomatoes on the vine for my Caprese salad, but I used some heirloom cherry tomatoes (leftover from Easter), marinated mozzarella and basil and it really made the salad great.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)
Marinated Mozzarella Balls (cut in quarters)
2 Tbsp. oil from the marinated mozzarella
6-8 basil leaves (sliced thin)
Salt & Pepper

I definitely carried the Italian theme throughout this meal but even with the same ingredients across courses, it all worked. I said it before and I will say it again...I will definitely make this combo again. So good!

Ahhhh...food therapy complete....

Sorry for the lapse in posting. The week leading up to Easter has been jam packed! Between work, errands, golf and meeting Giada, I have been a busy girl!

Yep, when I say Giada, I mean Giada DiLaurentiis. Vicki and I waited in line for 2 1/2 hours to get our copy of her newest cook book signed, along with 1,856 soccer moms. I swear, there were more strollers in that line than cowboys is Texas...it was unbelievable. But, all in all it was worth it. I gave her a "business card" with my blog info on it and got to talk to her about it for a quick 7 seconds. I am convinced that she was super impressed and will become a follower and take my blog to the next level. :) As Mark says, next thing you know we will be getting movie offers and making millions...oh wait...they have already done that...whomp, whomp...

Well, despite the fact that I am sure that my blog will be limited to likes of my closest friends and family, I am still committed to providing recipes that taste great. Tonight was beer can chicken, salad and left-over twice baked potatoes from Easter. For anyone that knows me, serving leftovers is a big step for me...I hate them. I insist on putting them all in pretty little plastic boxes with blue lids, but I still hate them. I never eat them and usually wait 5-7 days before I purge them into the big silver box. But tonight the fridge was looking bare and they made a fab accompaniment to my meal.

Beer Can Chicken
1 - 5-6 lb. roaster chicken
1 can beer
1 tsp. truffle oil
1 tbsp. Montreal Seasoning
1 tbsp. garlic powder
pepper

Preheat 1-side of the grill on med-high. You only need 1/2 a can of beer for this recipe. I don't care what you do with it, but "get rid" of 1/2. I used a beer that I drink (Miller Lite) but people say that the more flavor the more flavor the beer, the better. Add truffle oil, Montreal, garlic and pepper to beer. Coat chicken with the same ingredients. Remove giblets from roast. Place roast on can. (see photo). Place chicken on grill in indirect heat (opposite of flame). Let cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. or until 165 degrees. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve.

You have so much flexibility with this recipe. Try a different beer, try a different rub/spice mix. You can cook on the grill or cook in the oven on 375. Just have fun and use the technique...you can do anything and the chicken will be great!!!

Twice Baked Potatoes (these were leftovers from Easter dinner but a recipe worth sharing...totally amazing!)

5-6 baking potatoes
1 block cream cheese
1 block medium cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 lb. bacon - diced and browned over medium-high head (reserve grease)
1 bunch green onions
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Bake potatoes on 400 for 45 mins-1 hr. Pinch fore doneness - should be tender to squeeze. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out insides. Try to keep skins intact as much as possible. Add to large mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese and bacon (including drippings), green onions and salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix well. When fully incorporated spoon mixture back into left over baked potato skins. Return to 375 degree oven for 25 mins (if still warm) and up to 1 hr if directly from fridge. You can make these 1-2 days ahead and bake when ready to serve.

This dinner was a great change. With this fabulous weather, we were able to sit outside and hang out while dinner cooked...a welcome change from the standard kitchen. I encourage anyone to try this recipe...so yummy and super easy....just make sure to leave yourself the time.

ahhh...food therapy complete.

As I mentioned in my post last night, I think that boneless, skinless chicken breast is the enemy. I know, I know...it's healthy...blah, blah. I don't care how "healthy" you tell me it is, I think it's BORING. And by boring, I mean super boring. I would rather eat shoe leather.

So that said I challenged myself to make something that remained healthy, but tasted as little like shoe leather as possible. Of course...the answer was clear...cheese. Cheese makes everything better. I would put cheese on Cheerios if I could.

On the side I continued with my salad success, making a strawberry spinach salad...so yum! I mean, I run the risk of being hungry in an hour due to the lack of carbs, but hey, the hubby was super pleased...the food tasted good and fit in his diet.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 lemon
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 c. sliced almonds - toasted
1/4 c. red onion - sliced thin
16 oz. strawberries - sliced
crumbled feta

Mix vinegar, juice of 1 lemon and sugar in small mixing bowl until sugar dissolves. Add oil and poppy seeds. Set aside. Meanwhile, toast almonds in pan over medium heat, tossing frequently. Place spinach in salad bowl. Top with strawberries, almonds, onion, feta. Top with dressing when ready to serve.

This is a great salad for the spring. Strawberries are sweet and the combo of the berries, onions and feta creates a party in your mouth.


Veggie Smothered Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Italian dressing (I used the Four Seasons mix at home - better than the bottle)
1/2 large red onion - sliced 1/4 in. thick
1 green pepper - sliced
10-12 button mushrooms - sliced
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
garlic powder
sea salt
pepper
8 slices provolone cheese
Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing for 2-4 hours. When ready to begin cooking, slice onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken in Pyrex baking dish with remaining marinade, sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper and place in oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, saute veggies in butter and olive oil over medium heat until tender. When chicken is almost done, pull out of oven and top with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Like I said, cheese makes everything better and this is no exception. And the mound of veggies on top acts like a side dish in an of itself. It's perfectly easy, quick and delicious.

On a side note, I need to talk about my recent purchase...I don't know about you, but I love recycling but hate that you need to separate the recyclables from the trash. I mean, I am sick of tripping over brown Trader Joe's paper bags! So I have been on a mission to get a trash can and recycling bin all contained in one unit. Well, I found the best thing to happen to my kitchen since the cast iron skillet. It's the simplehuman Deluxe Rectangular Recycler...so awesome! Yes, it is a little pricey but so worth it for my sanity...I'm in love! Check it out...

Ahhhh....food therapy complete...and some trash therapy too...