SoWell on SoWal 2008

[potatovixen]

I do not like healthy food. seriously.

Me neither. If I can find something that's healthy, easy to make, and actually tastes good, I've found a winner. Unfortunately, that bean salad is just about the only one I have that gets made on a regular basis.

 

[elgordoboy]

I do not like healthy food. seriously.

Healthy food is evil.
j/k

Me neither. If I can find something that's healthy, easy to make, and actually tastes good, I've found a winner. Unfortunately, that bean salad is just about the only one I have that gets made on a regular basis.

I cook for myself and a roommate. I am attempting to limit carbs, limit fat, and limit calories. When I say limit I mean reduced from my previous 1500 calorie, stick of butter, pasta filled meal plan. I get chicken breast, I slice it half to make a cutlet (easy if you put your hand on top to hold it). It gets salted and peppered well and then lightly dusted in defatted peanut powder (or skip this peanut part) and sauteed in a bit of oil until done. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock or even better the liquid from reconstituted mushrooms (such as morels). Let it reduce a bit (adding chopped up mushrooms if you have them -shallots-whatever you like) and add a spoonful of Glace de Poulet or an equivalent product, it is a 20 to 1 reduction of chicken stock. Let the glace "melt". I like to finish it with a spoonful of cream it doesn't seem terrible to add a little bit back. Also works wonderfully with a seared piece of pork loin 1" thick or so (no peanut dusting unless you schnitzelize it). Served with vegetables, say fresh green beans with ends snapped off, sliced yellow bell pepper, a pack of cherry tomatoes, chunked portobellas, and sliced onion all salted and peppered and all coated in a tablespoon or two of Olive oil and roasted at 425 for 30 to 40 minutes. I am going to make a General Tso approximation this way soon.

It takes longer to read this than it does to prepare. I can't post really legibly on cooking it seems.

 

[potatovixen]

elgordoboy, that sounds good, but you're right... the way you wrote it makes it sound more complicated than it probably is.

I've got a General Tso recipe around here somewhere... I'll see if there's an easy way to make it a little healthier.

 

[elgordoboy]

elgordoboy, that sounds good, but you're right... the way you wrote it makes it sound more complicated than it probably is.

I've got a General Tso recipe around here somewhere... I'll see if there's an easy way to make it a little healthier.

I am thinking white rather than dark meat, sauteed rather than deep fried, splenda instead of sugar, deglaze with vinegar and soy and water, add the demi glace w/o thinning much to keep it syrupy, a spoonful of Sambal and some garlic. Top with chopped green onions. Critiques?

 

[Paula]

I'm glad this thread was revived again. I haven't been to my trainer in 3 weeks because I had a crazy February at work and then went on vacation to Sanibel last week (just got back yesterday and am cleaning so many shells - trip report soon to be posted in the lounge). I clearly need my trainer to keep me motivated because I haven't done any weight training in those 3 weeks, but I walked a little bit on the treadmill at home and at the beach. I'm going to assume this was a "good" break for me but I'll get back to the trainer this week and will go down to the basement treadmill right after I post the trip report. I wish I was more motivated on my own (it would be mucho cheaper). So, I signed up for another 3 months with the trainer and I hope then I can start motivating myself.

As for diets, I do my own diet, Toots. I don't even call it a diet and decided to just call it healthy eating. I'm guessing I probably have about 1500 calories a day when I'm good (which is now pretty often). For breakfast I eat the mini whole-wheat bagels with fat free cream cheese and low/no sugar jam with tea; mid morning oatmeal or Activia light vanilla yogurt with berries and home-made low-fat granola. Every now and then I'll make eggs and if there's some good Italian or other crusty bread around the house, I'll enjoy that toasted with butter (life's too short to not eat good bread toasted with butter - but I only eat one good slice). For lunch I try to keep it at under 400 calories and I'll eat a variety of things, including ready-made frozen Healthy Choice or other frozen low-cal meals. Then for dinner, I typically eat anything but I put 1/2 - 3/4 of my plate full of vegetables and usually no bread (but about 3-4 nights a week I'll have a glass of wine). If I snack at night, I'll usually have yogurt. On vacations and dinners out/holidays I eat what I want but try to watch the amounts. If that doesn't work, I just enjoy it and then spend about 2 weeks eating well again at home and then the weight seems to do OK.

Anyway, the healthy eating hasn't been a problem, but clearly I'm still not a "natural" at exercise. I do it because it's good for me not because I enjoy it. When I stop working with the trainer, I'll probably start pilates and/or jazzercise for a change. But the trainer sure has done some nice work on my muscles.

I'm glad this thread is up and running again. I'll pull together a few recipes one of these days, but now I'll do the trip report and get on the treadmill.

 

[DD]

Water...let's talk water. Hate it. My question is..if I drink tea, coffee, etc., am I still getting my water in? I force myself to drink plain old water, but I am so hoping someone will tell me it doesn't matter as long as I get it in some form.

 

[Minnie]

Water...let's talk water. Hate it. My question is..if I drink tea, coffee, etc., am I still getting my water in? I force myself to drink plain old water, but I am so hoping someone will tell me it doesn't matter as long as I get it in some form.

sorry DD but no, liquids are vital, but water is necessary above and beyond the liquids.

Also the caffene in the tea and coffee are off setting any gain from the liquid.

Certainly any liquid is better than none, but water is essential to be healthy and lose weight. Have you tried the flavored waters.

 

[DD]

sorry DD but no, liquids are vital, but water is necessary above and beyond the liquids.

Also the caffene in the tea and coffee are off setting any gain from the liquid.

Certainly any liquid is better than none, but water is essential to be healthy and lose weight. Have you tried the flavored waters.

Dammit. I have tried it with bourbon--does that count as a flavor?

 

[potatovixen]

I am thinking white rather than dark meat, sauteed rather than deep fried, splenda instead of sugar, deglaze with vinegar and soy and water, add the demi glace w/o thinning much to keep it syrupy, a spoonful of Sambal and some garlic. Top with chopped green onions. Critiques?

That sounds good. I'd go ahead and use real sugar though, but that's because I hate sugar substitutes. I'd also go with low-sodium soy sauce and cut out the demi-glace altogether. Most broths and boullions are loaded with lots of unnecessary sodium.
To get the sauce to thicken, toss the chicken in a little corn starch before sauteeing. It should be just enough to thicken the sauce the right amount.

 

[kathydwells]

Dammit. I have tried it with bourbon--does that count as a flavor?

:funn:It does to me!

Oh, and I am waiting for that new show on TLC that starts on March 16th called I Can Make You Thin. Paul McKenna will be the host. You can read about him here. I have been a bad Darlene.:shock: I need to get back on track real soon. July will be here before I know it.