Which leads me to my next goal. See, I figure that whenever we have to approach the same topic multiple times, it indicates a need for improvement in our lives...more like a lifestyle change. But I don't believe diets really work. If you just diet or withhold a certain food group, you will inevitably rebound because you didn't change your habits, just what you were eating. As soon as a goal is reached, and the forbidden fruit reintroduced, your old ways become your new ways again.
Anyway, moderation in all things. Here's my current problem. My menu for this month reads:
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Teriyaki Chicken
- BBQ Meatball Sandwiches
- Pot Roast Dinner
- Crepes
- Moroccan Chicken
- Taco Soup
- Sweet Pork Burritos
- Spicy Honey Chicken Salad
- Yellow Chicken Curry
- White Chicken Chili
- BBQ Chicken and rice
- Egg Skillet
- Orange Chicken and rice
- Baked Potato Bar
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Sausage Egg Breakfast Bake
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich
- Grilled Quesadillas
- Chicken, Bacon, and Bowtie Pasta
- Green Chile Beef Burritos
- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
- Steak Fajitas
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Creamy Baked Tortellini
- Mary's Hamburger Casserole
- Taco Salad
- Chicken and Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Green Chile Beef and Potato Burritos
- Bakes Chicken and Bacon Alfredo
- Beef, Beans, and Potatoes Casserole
- Three Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
Now, here's my second problem. We don't eat this much meat because we WANT to, so much as I simply don't have many recipes that DON'T call for meat. We can only eat pasta so much! I get so sick of italian. I search online for meatless recipes and either I get wimpy meals (like my favorite Tomato and Cheese Fondue which seems so inadequate) or I get all veggies (which we like to a degree, but not in that much abundance) or I get meals loaded with cheese or other not as good for you things. Or, I know the alternative is rice and beans for every meal, but coming from the land of mexican cooking, rice and beans are a PART of a meal, not the entire thing.
So what do I do? I set a lofty goal. My goal is to reduce our meat consumption by at least 50%. I would like to see us eating meat only 3 times a week, having 4 meals meatless, for a month. But I can't do that without ideas and recipes. Could you help me? I know I've asked for favors in the past, and many of you have been hugely helpful! But I don't want to bother you. However, if it is easy and you have a favorite recipe or two (or ten) to share, I'd love it. I want to learn to like things like quinoa and tofu more, too.
For tonight, we had pasta primavera with a little spin on the usual. It was fantastic.
PASTA PRIMAVERA
1 box pasta (spirals, manicotti, penne, etc.)
Fresh Green Beans, in 2 inch pieces
Red bell pepper, in 2 inch pieces
Any addtional veggies as desired (squash, asparagus, etc.)
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Garlic salt/powder
Dried Basil
Oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs fresh basil, chopped (add more if you have it!)
Tomato, diced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions until al dente; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, spread beans and peppers (and other veggies) onto cookie sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, garlic salt, basil, and oregano. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Saute until translucent. Add parsley, basil, and tomatoes. Reduce slightly. Add salt and pepper, garlic salt, dried basil and oregano to taste. Add pasta and stir to coat. Remove veggies and add to pasta. Serve. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
One day down, 29 to go.
8 comments:
This is also really good. Cut bakc on the spice, if necessary. But The kids and I really like it. http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/Detail.aspx
Love you!
I completely agree on the eating meat sparingly thing. "In times of famine or war" does not mean for breakfast lunch and dinner every day (or even just lunch and dinner every day). :)
We like to make vegetarian enchiladas, but we call it "enchilagna" because we layer it like lasagna instead of taking the time to roll enchiladas. Way faster and super yummy. I'll send you the recipe we use (we always change it around).
I love fried tofu with veggies and rice (or even no rice) and peanut sauce. Or any asian sauce you like. Cut extra firm tofu into cubes, coat it in corn starch (or flour, but I like the corn starch), cook in a little bit of vegetable oil until nice and crispy. Then serve with steamed veggies and rice with sauce. Even if you don't love tofu, it's crunchy and yummy.
Sometimes I make spring rolls with it (lettuce, mango, cashews, rice noodles, green onions, and some sauce in rice paper).
Let's see. What else?
I prefer vegetarian chili over chili with meat.
Black bean soup with corn bread or sweet corn mush on the side.
Potato soup/chowder.
Butternut squash and apple soup (http://sweetforbabycakes.blogspot.com/2010/10/butternut-squashers-and-appletons-or.html).
Veggie pizza.
Thanksgiving-type meal without the turkey (mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, green beans, etc).
Portabella mushroom burgers.
I'm making myself hungry...
I have a rice recipe from Heidi (friend) that we like. She thought it was so wimpy and that we wouldn't like it, but we DO like it and make it when we need that light-meal-feel-heatlhy make over. But you might not, so...well, remind me to get it to you :)
This is awesome... we're big meat eaters (hubby driven) so I've thought about this alot. You're my inspiration :)
I love adding shiitake mushrooms and peas to this dish--but it is delicious without anything added.
Basic Risotto
Serves 6 (as a side dish)
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Add-in Ideas:
prosciutto, vegetables such as peas, seafood such as shrimp, or herbs and other seasonings such as saffron. Don’t cook these items with the rice or they will overcook with the long cooking time. Instead, cook them separately and add them in at the end.
Autumn Squash with Chili Flavors
Ingredients:
4 cups butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin cubes (or a combination)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
pinch of chipotle powder
drizzle of olive oil
1 can kidney or black beans (we used black beans), drained and rinsed
4 oz. can diced green chiles
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Jack or Mexican blend)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Place the squash cubes and red onion on a baking sheet, and season with salt, pepper and chipotle powder.
Drizzle with olive oil and roast until squash is tender, about 18-20 minutes.
Toss with drained beans, chiles, corn and cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.
**Can also reheat with chicken stock to make a soup or puree.
Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.
Cuban Black Bean Patties and Pineapple Rice
Rice:
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Patties:
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
Cooking spray
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Preparation
To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.
To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.
Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.
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