Being a Better Being

Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato & Smitten Kitchen's One-Pan Farro

Great summer Snapper recipe from Cooking Light--it is really delicious.  From the remaining pint of the cherry tomatoes I made the Smitten Kitchen one-pan farro to go along with it (omitting the parmesan cheese) and it was incredible! A little green side salad and you are done!

Recipes for Health from the New York Times: Greens Au Gratin

I have a major crush on Martha Rose Shulman. She writes the Recipes for Health column in the New York Times and has authored other cookbooks as well.  I made her Greens and Millet Au Gratin and served it with a kale salad with apples and cheddar.  A lot of cheese in this meal, but that was one of the sources of protein in this veggies only dish.  Link to recipe here

Ottolenghi Leek Fritters with Green Salad & Yoghurt Chive Dressing

There is a lot of oil in the original recipes for this meal, between the frying the fritters and the salad dressing. I was able to use less with a non-stick pan for the fritters and just cut the oil a bit for the dressing, maybe by 2 TBSPs!  This made a great meal and I was asked to "make a note of it."  I used the Leek Fritter recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi's "Plenty."  As he suggests as an alternative, we didn't make the dressing, we just squirted fresh lime on the fritters. Delicious.

Not sure where I found this recipe for the salad dressing, but it was at least  7 years ago. I have swapped out plain yogurt for nonfat Greek and adjusted the oil down a bit for you here.

Yogurt Chive Dressing

• 1/4c Greek non-fat yogurt
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/4c canola oil + 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (I have reduced the numbers for you from the original recipe, you may want to add another tablespoon of olive oil, but remember,  that is another 120ish calories)
• 1/2 tsp course salt
• 1 TBSP finely chopped chives
• 1 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp coarsely chopped capers

Put it in a bowl and whisk it up.  I poured it into a bowl of shredded red lettuce, finely sliced red and green peppers, yellow cherry tomatoes, cucumber, thinly sliced radish. Add some toasted pine nuts for some crunch.

 

Being a Better Being

Moving to San Francisco in 2006 started a period of discovery and beneficial change for me;  I started making better nutrition choices and began moving more every day.  With the eventual onset of bouts of sciatia and herniated & bulging discs and a diagnosis of 'degenerative disc disease'  I stepped it up a bit and feel better for it. I want to share some of the discoveries that I've made and things that people have taught me along the way.

One of the folks I'm learning a ton from is Sarah Britton through her blog, My New Roots. Please see her feed over on the right side for amazing recipes, inspiration and nutritional insight.

That Breakfast Thing

Over the past several months I've been experimenting with a "breakfast thing."  Not fully named yet as it has been in the shape of muffins, loaves and frittatas. But I think I may now have it. 

This "breakfast thing" has been a great way for me to infuse some protein into my life in the morning. A complete "carb monster" by nature, it's extra hard for me to look a bowl of fruit in the eye in the morning...I want a muffin! Or some carby equivalent.  With the help of the 70 calorie 'Carb Watch Pita' as the wrapper, I have been completely satisfied with this wildly low-calorie breakfast.  Here it is..."The Breakfast Thing" in the form of a loaf.

Think about the types of vegetables you are going to use in your loaf....for example, spinach retains a lot of liquid so when you reheat your loaf it gets very wet and a bit mushy.  But experimenting is part of the fun.

• 1 mini loaf pan
• small omelet pan or fry pan
• 1 XL egg (80 calories)
• 1/2 cup egg whites (Eggology is 59 calories)
• 2 tsp chives (about 2 calories)
• 1 small clove garlic (4 calories)
• 1 cup small chop veg (for this recipe I used 1/2 cup red pepper and 1/2 cup zuccini...about 45 calories)**
• 1 tsp olive oil (40 calories...it looks like a lot in the pan but it seems to help the dish stay nice and moist, your call)
• nonstick cooking spray
• hot sauce
• Carb Watch pita bread (70 calories per pita)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  I used a toaster oven, so keep your eye on the top of the loaf, which expands and could touch the elements when cooking.

2. Chop vegetables into small pieces.

2. Heat pan over medium heat. Add oil.  When hot (shimmering) add the garlic and cook for about a minute. You don't want it to get brown.  Then add zuccini and red pepper. Or the vegetables of your choice: mushroons, onions (therefore omitting chives), broccoli, green pepper, leeks...you get the idea.  Cook until starting to soften. Remove from heat and let sit in pan to become room temperature.

3. Mix the egg whites with the one egg and add a pinch of salt and pepper. I add a big glug of hot sauce to add some umph--you might choose to omit this. But sometimes I also add a pinch of ancho chili powder, too.

4. Spray the mini loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and add the egg mixture. Don't be too frugal--these guys can stick.  It will come up less than half way up the pan.

5.  Here is where I add my fresh cut chives to the egg. Chives are delicate so you don't want to saute them with the other veggies.  If you are using other fresh herbs add them at this point.

6. Add the veggie mixture to the loaf pan. Give it a little swirl with the spatula. 

7. Stick it in the oven for about 20 minutes.  I've had very different results, but then again, I haven't truly made this same recipe twice. 

(FYI...I've also had mixed results trying to get these guys out of the loaf pan or muffin tin.)

9.  Cut into 8 slices.  Each loaf makes 4 breakfasts for me.  I take two slices and put in the center of a pita and some mornings add a little HP Sauce (6 calories) and wrap up and eat like a kebab.  I also sometimes add arugala or spinach. I always feel nourished and satisfied for hours...it always takes me up to lunch time and I never feel hungry and want to snack.

Now do the math:

# Total Loaf Calories / 4 (days) + 1 Pita per day =  about 150 calories for each breakfast.  (I've taken these numbers off the packaging and some are based on internet research, I am no nutritionist).  You can have a hot, protein-rich and satisfying breakie for about the same calories as a serving of cereal (which is MUCH smaller than what we usually pour into our bowls).