Yesterday I posted a recipe for Tomato and Asparagus "Carbonara". You can find a link to the recipe in my previous post.
I started by doubling the recipe since I had a large box of penne. I created the egg and cheese mixture first to make sure it had time to come to room temperature before I mixed it in with the hot pasta. I also wasn't aware that Beth had pulled up our basil out of the garden for the season so I used a little dry Italian Seasoning instead. I increased the time for sauteing the vegetables as well to make sure the asparagus was cooked.
Recipe was pretty easy to follow and delicious. The tomatoes were ridiculously hot and I warned the kids about burning their mouths but they still complained, even after they had cooled. Like most things, it was better with a little extra salt but the recipe called for seasoning to taste so its up to you. If you can boil pasta, crack an egg, and saute some vegetables, this is an easy to complete recipe that is hearty and fresh. Give it a try.
Eat Well!
Otto
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Dinner Tonight, Review Tomorrow: Tomato and Asparagus "Carbonara"
Follow the link to see the recipe for the Tomato and Asparagus "Carbonara" that I am going to make for the fam tonight. Carbonara is in quotation marks since there will be no fatty pork product like bacon or pancetta in this recipe, just egg. I'm going to double the recipe since I have a big box of Barilla Plus brand penne, which is a good source of protein for non-meaters.
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2012/09/tomato-and-asparagus-carbonara.html
I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.
Eat well!
Otto
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2012/09/tomato-and-asparagus-carbonara.html
I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.
Eat well!
Otto
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
US Meat Consumption is Falling
October is National Vegetarian Awareness Month and it seems like I am coming across more and more useful articles about avoiding meat. I guess I am not the only one going veg:
http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4916&catId=1
And if you need some more incentive to try and be meat free this month, check this out.
http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/
You can pledge to be meat free and you will be entered to win some cash. If you enter and get selected, you own me half.
Eat well!
Otto
http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4916&catId=1
And if you need some more incentive to try and be meat free this month, check this out.
http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/
You can pledge to be meat free and you will be entered to win some cash. If you enter and get selected, you own me half.
Eat well!
Otto
Monday, October 1, 2012
Crab Seasoned Egg and Artichoke Salad
Just a little something to break the monotony of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a salad for those looking to salad outside the box. My kids love this, mostly because they are fascinated with hard boiled eggs. We had this tonight with some lentil soup and leftover cornbread.
I will let you decide what kind of ratios you like best on your veg in a salad but I'll put down what I used tonight.
8 oz greens
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Parmesan, Asiago, Romano cheese blend
Egg topping:
4 hard boiled eggs - chopped
1 can cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts - drained and chopped
1 tbsp Old Bay crab seasoning
Put all the ingredients for egg topping in a bowl and mix before adding to the salad
We used a white balsamic and honey dressing from Kroger that was super delicious. We have had it before with balsamic vinaigrette which is also very good. I got this from a Muscle and Fitness magazine recipe and substituted the beans for crab. Give it a try if you want to break out of the salad rut.
Eat well!
Otto
I will let you decide what kind of ratios you like best on your veg in a salad but I'll put down what I used tonight.
8 oz greens
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Parmesan, Asiago, Romano cheese blend
Egg topping:
4 hard boiled eggs - chopped
1 can cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts - drained and chopped
1 tbsp Old Bay crab seasoning
Put all the ingredients for egg topping in a bowl and mix before adding to the salad
We used a white balsamic and honey dressing from Kroger that was super delicious. We have had it before with balsamic vinaigrette which is also very good. I got this from a Muscle and Fitness magazine recipe and substituted the beans for crab. Give it a try if you want to break out of the salad rut.
Eat well!
Otto
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sweet Potato Fettuccine Review
Yesterday I posted a recipe for sweet potato fettuccine that I wanted to make for dinner. Since you can get the recipe in my last post, I decided to let you know how it went down, highlight style.
1. Peeled the potatoes and then sliced them up on my mandoline. Easy.
2. Had to cut the slices into uniform strips (about 1/4 in) so they would cook evenly. Keeping them uniform was VERY HARD!
3. Followed the recipe but added some sweet onions to the pan to saute a few minutes before I added the potato strips.
4. Added some blue cheese to the gremolata. Didn't have a lot, maybe 2 tablespoons. Figured it would compliment the sweetness of the potatoes with some creamy, tangy, savoriness.
5. After Will gave me a what the hell is this look and Ali complained about the toasted pecans, we ate it. Pretty good but needed more salt. The extra salt gave it a better balance of salt/sweet.
6. I decided that, like many vegetarian recipes, it would be better off as a side dish.
7. Then I decided that it was way too much work to be a side dish.
If you like sweet potatoes, this is good. The kids actually ate a fair amount but I did threaten no dessert when Ali complained about the nuts (she doesn't like the crunchy texture). It had good, bright, fresh flavor and was filling. Lots of fiber and plenty of vitamins. Not sure it was worth the effort but you never know until you try. Tonight is vegetarian chili!
Eat well!
Otto
1. Peeled the potatoes and then sliced them up on my mandoline. Easy.
2. Had to cut the slices into uniform strips (about 1/4 in) so they would cook evenly. Keeping them uniform was VERY HARD!
3. Followed the recipe but added some sweet onions to the pan to saute a few minutes before I added the potato strips.
4. Added some blue cheese to the gremolata. Didn't have a lot, maybe 2 tablespoons. Figured it would compliment the sweetness of the potatoes with some creamy, tangy, savoriness.
5. After Will gave me a what the hell is this look and Ali complained about the toasted pecans, we ate it. Pretty good but needed more salt. The extra salt gave it a better balance of salt/sweet.
6. I decided that, like many vegetarian recipes, it would be better off as a side dish.
7. Then I decided that it was way too much work to be a side dish.
If you like sweet potatoes, this is good. The kids actually ate a fair amount but I did threaten no dessert when Ali complained about the nuts (she doesn't like the crunchy texture). It had good, bright, fresh flavor and was filling. Lots of fiber and plenty of vitamins. Not sure it was worth the effort but you never know until you try. Tonight is vegetarian chili!
Eat well!
Otto
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sweet Potato Fettuccine
Got a few seconds before the kids start their homework but I wanted to let you know what we are having for dinner. Gonna try this recipe for Sweet Potato Fettuccine and see how it turns out.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-fettuccine-50400000123963/
Hopefully I will have time to review it tomorrow and let you know if its as good as it sounds. I'm thinking about adding some blue cheese crumbles to the finished product for a little extra goodness.
Eat well!
Otto
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-fettuccine-50400000123963/
Hopefully I will have time to review it tomorrow and let you know if its as good as it sounds. I'm thinking about adding some blue cheese crumbles to the finished product for a little extra goodness.
Eat well!
Otto
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Skillet Pot Pie
Last night, I made a veggie pot pie in my cast iron skillet. I took inspiration from a recipe from Southern Living that made one of the best apple pies ever, you can find a similar apple pie recipe here. It was fast, delicious, and could easily be adapted for meat eaters by adding some chicken or turkey chunks.
Here is the recipe:
2 frozen pie crusts, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil, divided (2 for sauteing veggies, 1 for under pie crust)
2 onions, chopped
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
10 3/4 oz can Cream of Onion soup (choose any cream soup you like, mushroom or potato would be good)
1/4 cup milk
2 29 oz cans Veg-All, drained (substitute fresh veggies of your choice and saute them on your own if you desire)
15 oz can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Warm 2 tbsp oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and shallots until translucent and tender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more.
3. Add soup and milk directly into skillet with onion mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Add Veg-All and beans to skillet and heat through. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. Remove pot pie filling from skillet into a large bowl. Wipe down skillet with a wet paper towel to remove any residue from the filling. Caution: skillet will still be hot. Do not rinse under water.
6. Coat bottom of clean skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place one of the thawed crusts in the bottom of the hot skillet.
7. Add filling back into skillet on top of crust. Cover filling with remaining pie crust. Use fingers to spread crust out to edges of skillet to cover all of the filling. Use a knife to cut holes in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
9. Remove from oven and allow to coll for 10 minutes before serving.
I had a little garlic butter spread in the fridge so I melted some and brushed it on top when I pulled it out of the oven. Not necessary but it gave the top crust a little extra flavor.
Eat well!
Otto
Here is the recipe:
2 frozen pie crusts, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil, divided (2 for sauteing veggies, 1 for under pie crust)
2 onions, chopped
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
10 3/4 oz can Cream of Onion soup (choose any cream soup you like, mushroom or potato would be good)
1/4 cup milk
2 29 oz cans Veg-All, drained (substitute fresh veggies of your choice and saute them on your own if you desire)
15 oz can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Warm 2 tbsp oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and shallots until translucent and tender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more.
3. Add soup and milk directly into skillet with onion mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Add Veg-All and beans to skillet and heat through. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. Remove pot pie filling from skillet into a large bowl. Wipe down skillet with a wet paper towel to remove any residue from the filling. Caution: skillet will still be hot. Do not rinse under water.
6. Coat bottom of clean skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place one of the thawed crusts in the bottom of the hot skillet.
7. Add filling back into skillet on top of crust. Cover filling with remaining pie crust. Use fingers to spread crust out to edges of skillet to cover all of the filling. Use a knife to cut holes in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
9. Remove from oven and allow to coll for 10 minutes before serving.
I had a little garlic butter spread in the fridge so I melted some and brushed it on top when I pulled it out of the oven. Not necessary but it gave the top crust a little extra flavor.
Eat well!
Otto
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Stanford Study: Organics vs Conventional
My wife and I were recently watching TV and our local news station had a story about a study that demonstrated that organic produce, meats, and dairy were not any more nutritious than the same items that are "conventionally" grown.
Essentially, a soy bean is going to give you the same nutrients whether it is covered with pesticides or not. I don't feel like this is groundbreaking information but I do feel like it is misleading. I have since seen information on the same study presented on national news programs and in multiple locations online (popular places like Yahoo!) where the consumer would be led to believe that paying extra for organic food is a complete waste of money and offers no health benefits over buying regular produce at your local grocery store. This must make companies like Monsanto, makers or Roundup and lots of genetically engineered seed, very happy as public perception of their company and their products has taken a hit over the last few years with backlash over the effects of pesticides.
I tend to think more in line with this editorial from the LA Times. While the vitamins and minerals you get from a strawberry may not change just because it is organic, there are many other things to consider for your health and well being. A panel of experts presented this statement to the government in 2010: With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."
The panel also commented on exposure to pesticides and other dangerous chemicals and its impact on children. From the Washington Post: "Children are particularly vulnerable because they are smaller and are developing faster than adults. The report noted unexplained rising rates of some cancers in children, and it referred to recent studies that have found chemicals in umbilical-cord blood, which supplies nutrients to fetuses."
And the real kicker: About 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use in the United States, but federal regulators have assessed only about 200 for safety.
In summary, I will continue to buy the majority of my produce from the organic section regardless of cost. Check out this photo slideshow of foods you should always buy organic and pay special attention to those. Enjoy what you eat and take comfort in knowing that organic food will help sustain the health and well being of your family.
Eat good!
Otto
Essentially, a soy bean is going to give you the same nutrients whether it is covered with pesticides or not. I don't feel like this is groundbreaking information but I do feel like it is misleading. I have since seen information on the same study presented on national news programs and in multiple locations online (popular places like Yahoo!) where the consumer would be led to believe that paying extra for organic food is a complete waste of money and offers no health benefits over buying regular produce at your local grocery store. This must make companies like Monsanto, makers or Roundup and lots of genetically engineered seed, very happy as public perception of their company and their products has taken a hit over the last few years with backlash over the effects of pesticides.
I tend to think more in line with this editorial from the LA Times. While the vitamins and minerals you get from a strawberry may not change just because it is organic, there are many other things to consider for your health and well being. A panel of experts presented this statement to the government in 2010: With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."
The panel also commented on exposure to pesticides and other dangerous chemicals and its impact on children. From the Washington Post: "Children are particularly vulnerable because they are smaller and are developing faster than adults. The report noted unexplained rising rates of some cancers in children, and it referred to recent studies that have found chemicals in umbilical-cord blood, which supplies nutrients to fetuses."
And the real kicker: About 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use in the United States, but federal regulators have assessed only about 200 for safety.
In summary, I will continue to buy the majority of my produce from the organic section regardless of cost. Check out this photo slideshow of foods you should always buy organic and pay special attention to those. Enjoy what you eat and take comfort in knowing that organic food will help sustain the health and well being of your family.
Eat good!
Otto
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Netflix
Its been a LONG time since my last post. I've stuck to the diet and continue to feel great. We splurged on some responsibly raised and produced meat on vacation, it was nice to be in an area that places value on providing that kind of food at restaurants when we were in Florida. I've been filling my free time with vacations to Big Canoe and St. Augustine, weightlifting, t-ball, and watching the Olympics. And since we signed up for Netflix, I have been watching lots of food related documentaries. Food Inc, Forks Over Knives, Frankensteer, Food Fight, and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead were all entertaining and informative.
It makes you wonder why there are so many documentaries about what we eat, how our food is produced, the health repercussions of our food choices, and its impact on our health care system. Why do filmmakers and many Americans find this so fascinating?
I find them interesting because the information they provide is so different from what I was taught as a kid. Why is it important to eat meat? The answer was always protein. Why is it important to drink milk? The answer was always calcium. I shudder to think of all the money that was spent on promoting those two ideas. It seems to me that there are so many industries making money off of keeping people unhealthy that the lobbyists have the government in their pockets and its killing the people the government should be responsible for protecting. Corn producers get huge subsidies so that we can have cheap processed foods laden with high fructose corn syrup and so we can cheaply feed animals (many of which are not meant to eat corn). These animals show up on the cheap in supermarkets and in fast food restaurants. People eat those animals and get fat and sick and then the health care system and drug companies make money off the sickness. And our system treats the symptoms and not the causes. Its scary.
Most people get scared and really analyze their lifestyle when something catastrophic happens. Heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, etc. I am thankful to have a wife that planted the seeds of eating well before any of those things happened to our nuclear family (although they have impacted our extended family). I am also thankful to have children that are willing to try new foods and the financial means to be able to spend the extra money to buy organic.
Related to dietary changes after a major health event, here is a clip of Bill Clinton talking about his changes in diet. We all remember his love for McDonald's with 2 sides of heart surgery. At the urging of doctors, he has gone veg. I don't agree with his politics but I do wish that he would use his notoriety to promote this lifestyle. It seems to have done wonders for his health and I think it can help everyone to take any steps they can to avoid meat and the health risks that go with it.
It makes you wonder why there are so many documentaries about what we eat, how our food is produced, the health repercussions of our food choices, and its impact on our health care system. Why do filmmakers and many Americans find this so fascinating?
I find them interesting because the information they provide is so different from what I was taught as a kid. Why is it important to eat meat? The answer was always protein. Why is it important to drink milk? The answer was always calcium. I shudder to think of all the money that was spent on promoting those two ideas. It seems to me that there are so many industries making money off of keeping people unhealthy that the lobbyists have the government in their pockets and its killing the people the government should be responsible for protecting. Corn producers get huge subsidies so that we can have cheap processed foods laden with high fructose corn syrup and so we can cheaply feed animals (many of which are not meant to eat corn). These animals show up on the cheap in supermarkets and in fast food restaurants. People eat those animals and get fat and sick and then the health care system and drug companies make money off the sickness. And our system treats the symptoms and not the causes. Its scary.
Most people get scared and really analyze their lifestyle when something catastrophic happens. Heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, etc. I am thankful to have a wife that planted the seeds of eating well before any of those things happened to our nuclear family (although they have impacted our extended family). I am also thankful to have children that are willing to try new foods and the financial means to be able to spend the extra money to buy organic.
Related to dietary changes after a major health event, here is a clip of Bill Clinton talking about his changes in diet. We all remember his love for McDonald's with 2 sides of heart surgery. At the urging of doctors, he has gone veg. I don't agree with his politics but I do wish that he would use his notoriety to promote this lifestyle. It seems to have done wonders for his health and I think it can help everyone to take any steps they can to avoid meat and the health risks that go with it.
Menu for the work week
- Spinach, apple, and pear salad with feta and crispy onions in a sweet onion vinaigrette
- Spaghetti with roasted squash, zucchini, onions, cherry tomatoes, and orange peppers with a roasted garlic, olive oil, and butter sauce topped with freshly grated parm and chopped basil
- Vegetarian pho and mandarin orange salad with ginger sesame dressing
- Indian eggplant and lentils with basmati rice and naan
- Couscous with chickpeas and caramelized fennel with a citrus vinaigrette and pickled cucumbers
Eat smart people!
Otto
Thursday, June 28, 2012
A Little Help From My Friends
Hard to believe its been so long since my last post. Summer is a pretty busy time around our house and it can be a really hard time to eat vegetarian with the smell of barbecue drifting through the neighborhood and trips to see family and friends. Luckily for us, we have lots of fresh, local produce (including our backyard) to keep us interested and thoughtful family and friends to keep us on target. That being said, I want to thank my folks for providing meals that were healthy and meat free while we were down there visiting last week.
One of the things that my mom did that I really liked was a pasta dish. She cooked some chicken breast in a cacciatore sauce in the crockpot. When it came time to serve, she pulled the chicken out and put it on a separate serving plate. The sauce was then served over spaghetti and people that wanted to put meat on their pasta could add it on. It gave people a choice about what they ate and allowed me to stay mostly vegetarian without being a sore thumb. Thanks Mom.
As for the bbq smells, we made some of our own this weekend. Ali had a friend over for the day which included our evening meal. Her mom had a chat with her about being polite no matter what we ate. She promised to declare it as scrumptious even if it was slop so as not to offend. We decided to go with something we knew would please her 7 year old taste buds, the Applegate organic hot dogs recommended by Ottaviano in a comment on this blog.
I found them in the regular old hot dog section of my local Kroger. I had not been into that section of the store since we started eating vegetarian and I was pleased to see them there and not secluded in the organic section of the store. Hopefully some hot dog lovers would decide to give these a try over more traditional hot dogs, which is definitely a good thing. If you like hot dogs, they are worth the extra money for the peace of mind.
Here is the rundown on the nutrition:
Regular Ball Park Beef Frank: 190 cal (150 from fat), 16 g fat (7 saturated), 7 g protein, 550 mg sodium (23% of your daily value) Ingredients: BEEF, WATER, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: SALT, POTASSIUM LACTATE, BEEF STOCK, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.
Applegate Organic Stadium Style Dogs: 110 cal (80 from fat), 8 g fat (3 saturated), 7 g protein, 330 mg sodium (14% of your daily value) Ingredients: Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Paprika, Celery Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk).
Easy to see the difference and the Applegate dogs were delicious. We had them with some Honey Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and slaw.
Hope this post finds you well. Now is a great time for local produce. We had a good harvest of tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, and green beans from our garden yesterday. Its supposed to be 105 degrees on Saturday so hopefully everything will survive the heat. Go out this weekend and find your own great local produce.
Eat smart people!
Otto
One of the things that my mom did that I really liked was a pasta dish. She cooked some chicken breast in a cacciatore sauce in the crockpot. When it came time to serve, she pulled the chicken out and put it on a separate serving plate. The sauce was then served over spaghetti and people that wanted to put meat on their pasta could add it on. It gave people a choice about what they ate and allowed me to stay mostly vegetarian without being a sore thumb. Thanks Mom.
As for the bbq smells, we made some of our own this weekend. Ali had a friend over for the day which included our evening meal. Her mom had a chat with her about being polite no matter what we ate. She promised to declare it as scrumptious even if it was slop so as not to offend. We decided to go with something we knew would please her 7 year old taste buds, the Applegate organic hot dogs recommended by Ottaviano in a comment on this blog.
I found them in the regular old hot dog section of my local Kroger. I had not been into that section of the store since we started eating vegetarian and I was pleased to see them there and not secluded in the organic section of the store. Hopefully some hot dog lovers would decide to give these a try over more traditional hot dogs, which is definitely a good thing. If you like hot dogs, they are worth the extra money for the peace of mind.
Here is the rundown on the nutrition:
Regular Ball Park Beef Frank: 190 cal (150 from fat), 16 g fat (7 saturated), 7 g protein, 550 mg sodium (23% of your daily value) Ingredients: BEEF, WATER, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: SALT, POTASSIUM LACTATE, BEEF STOCK, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.
Applegate Organic Stadium Style Dogs: 110 cal (80 from fat), 8 g fat (3 saturated), 7 g protein, 330 mg sodium (14% of your daily value) Ingredients: Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Paprika, Celery Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk).
Easy to see the difference and the Applegate dogs were delicious. We had them with some Honey Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and slaw.
Hope this post finds you well. Now is a great time for local produce. We had a good harvest of tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, and green beans from our garden yesterday. Its supposed to be 105 degrees on Saturday so hopefully everything will survive the heat. Go out this weekend and find your own great local produce.
Eat smart people!
Otto
Saturday, June 9, 2012
What do you do when you don't have time to cook?
Summer vacation brings a lot of fun activities with the family. This week we made it to the $1 movies, the Riverbanks Zoo, the library, the pool, etc. T-ball was supposed to start this week but it got rained out. I am still on schedule and going strong in the gym. Beth is training to run in the Peachtree and playing tennis. So what do we eat when we are busy and don't have the time to make dinner from scratch?
Of course we would rather eat a meal where all the food is fresh and unprocessed. It just tastes better and keeps you feeling tip top. But for most of us, we have jobs, family, and hobbies that impact our schedules and don't allow us the time to make a full meal. So here is the low down on one of my favorite, quick fix, vegetarian meals.
If you only have 10 minutes to cook and eat before you are out the door, this is a great way to go. Pop the naan in the oven to warm up so its soft and chewy, the eggplant heats up in 90 seconds and it is aromatic and flavorful without being spicy, and the rice adds depth and makes the meal filling. I usually get all this in the international section of my local Food Lion, you can get everything for about $7. Tasty Bite makes many other vegetarian meals with potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and lentils that are good but the eggplant is the best. If you are on the go this summer, try to keep this meal in mind. The eggplant and rice will keep for a while in your pantry so it something to keep on hand if you are in a rush and want something meatless and delicious. Half the bag of eggplant, half the bag of rice, and half a loaf of naan will put you at 560 calories.
Eat smart people!
Otto
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Getting called out!
I got called out today for not updating the blog (thanks Tiffany) so I figured I would spend a few minutes getting people up to date. I seem to spend more time working in the yard and watering the garden with my free time now that the weather is warmer so the blog has gone on the back burner. Here are a few updates:
1 eggplant
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil spray (Pam)
15 oz container of ricotta cheese
salt
pepper
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pasta sauce - homemade or jarred, I used Naturally Preferred Organic Roasted Garlic flavor
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix ricotta, italian seasoning, parm, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Slice eggplant into quarter inch thick rounds. I got about 14 rounds from one large eggplant.
3. Dredge the eggplant in the flour.
4. Mix the 2 eggs and water to make an egg wash. In a separate container, mix the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of Parm.
5. Coat the dredged eggplant in the egg wash being careful to let the excess egg drip off. Place the eggplant into the bread crumb mixture making sure to coat all surfaces of the eggplant.
6. Place eggplant on a rack set on top of a cookie sheet. I use a cooling rack so that both sides of the eggplant will be exposed to air during the cooking process. Repeat with all of the eggplant slices.
7. Once all of the eggplant is coated, spray generously with olive oil spray on both sides. Other varieties of spray oil would work as well.
8. Bake eggplant in oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and spray top of eggplant with olive oil again. Flip eggplant over and spray again before returning to the over for 10 minutes or until eggplant begins to get brown and crispy.
9. When eggplant is browned, remove from oven. Place half of the eggplant slices on a separate cookie sheet.
10. Spread about 2 tbsp pasta sauce on top of each eggplant on the cookie sheet. Spread about 2 tbsp of the ricotta mixture on top of that. Place the remaining slices of eggplant on each stack to cover the ricotta layer. Spread on 2 more tbsp of pasta sauce. Cover with shredded cheese.
11. Return to the oven until cheese melts and begins to bubble.
12. Remove from the oven and finish with basil on top of the cheese.
Enjoy and be meat free!
- Its been over a month since we started flexing. I have only had meat twice since I started, both times it was chicken. We still eat out once a week or so but we have managed to avoid eating meat. Pizza with veggies, salad plates, black beans and rice at a Puerto Rican joint, that type of thing.
- Garden is now in full force. Our patio was completed last month and I wired and mounted some outdoor speakers as an early Mother's Day gift for Beth so now we have every reason to spend even more time in the backyard. Buster has ruined our mint and Will's watermelon plants but everything else is doing well. Upside down tomatoes are going wild and we have already had squash and zucchini. We continue to get a variety of fresh lettuce from the garden nearly everyday for salads.
- Weightlifting is going well. I am on a system that focuses on high repetitions, usually 3 sets with 15 per set. 3 workouts per week, 1 is back and biceps, 2 is chest and triceps, 3 is legs and shoulders. I am definitely getting stronger and feeling better in the gym. Its nice to have a strict schedule to follow where I can track my progress. Here is a good link for vegetarian weightlifters.
- Lots of new and interesting foods. Some good, some not as good. Sometimes it does feel like I am eating all side dishes and something is missing. Seems like the dishes we like the most have quinoa or eggplant. We had eggplant parm stacks last night. I'll put the recipe on here next.
1 eggplant
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil spray (Pam)
15 oz container of ricotta cheese
salt
pepper
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pasta sauce - homemade or jarred, I used Naturally Preferred Organic Roasted Garlic flavor
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix ricotta, italian seasoning, parm, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Slice eggplant into quarter inch thick rounds. I got about 14 rounds from one large eggplant.
3. Dredge the eggplant in the flour.
4. Mix the 2 eggs and water to make an egg wash. In a separate container, mix the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of Parm.
5. Coat the dredged eggplant in the egg wash being careful to let the excess egg drip off. Place the eggplant into the bread crumb mixture making sure to coat all surfaces of the eggplant.
6. Place eggplant on a rack set on top of a cookie sheet. I use a cooling rack so that both sides of the eggplant will be exposed to air during the cooking process. Repeat with all of the eggplant slices.
7. Once all of the eggplant is coated, spray generously with olive oil spray on both sides. Other varieties of spray oil would work as well.
8. Bake eggplant in oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and spray top of eggplant with olive oil again. Flip eggplant over and spray again before returning to the over for 10 minutes or until eggplant begins to get brown and crispy.
9. When eggplant is browned, remove from oven. Place half of the eggplant slices on a separate cookie sheet.
10. Spread about 2 tbsp pasta sauce on top of each eggplant on the cookie sheet. Spread about 2 tbsp of the ricotta mixture on top of that. Place the remaining slices of eggplant on each stack to cover the ricotta layer. Spread on 2 more tbsp of pasta sauce. Cover with shredded cheese.
11. Return to the oven until cheese melts and begins to bubble.
12. Remove from the oven and finish with basil on top of the cheese.
Enjoy and be meat free!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Busy week
Hey followers! Or should I say follower cause I only have 1 (thanks Ottav).
Another busy week. Knockout roses and foxglove planted. Check. Kids survived another week of school. Check. Beth has no after effects of the half marathon. Check. Fighting off the weeds in the yard and the kudzu bugs in the air. Check. Pressure wash the house. Half check since the sides still need work but big thanks to my dad who supplied the pressure washer and was a huge help, without him this would be unchecked. Convincing Ali that vacuuming is awesome. Check. Cooking all vegetarian meals for the fam. Check.
Still sticking to the plan, we had lots of good food this week with only minor complaints from the kids for homemade hummus and also for avocado. Here is the meal rundown.
Monday - Veggie plate with homemade hummus and ranch (for the kids). Hummus is pretty easy to make if you have a good food processor and you like hummus. I use a can of garbanzos, cannellini beans will also suffice and seem to make a smoother hummus. Either way make sure they are rinsed and drained but reserve the juice in case your hummus is a little chunky and you want to pour some in to smooth it out. Juice of a lemon, couple tablespoons of tahini (they sell it in a can at Publix or Kroger), couple of cloves of garlic or roasted garlic out of the jar, tablespoon of cumin, dash of paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and let the processor rip.
We followed that up with a vegetable paella. Similar to your usual paella but replacing the meat with asparagus, broccoli, and garbanzo beans.
Tuesday - Fettuccine Primavera. Just a fettuccine with low fat alfredo with some veg including peas, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Wednesday - Mexican triple corn squares. This was a hit. Took a can of cream corn, a small can of kernel corn (drained), and a box mix for corn bread (I used one that was a little sweet) with a couple tablespoons of melted butter and 2 eggs. Mixed it all together and threw it in a 13 x 9 pan at 400 for about 15 minutes, until it all looked set. Pulled it out and let it slightly cool. Cut out squares and threw it in the bottom of a bowl and covered it with all kinds of good fixins like black beans, spanish rice, fresh salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc. Super delicious.
Thursday - Roasted eggplant and red pepper sandwich with risotto florentine. Risotto was really good, used vegetable broth as the liquid and added garbanzo beans and spinach and finished it with some freshly shaved parm.
Its still fun to try all these new recipes although it does take a lot more time to meal plan, buy the ingredients, and cook things fresh. If you want any more info on the recipes let me know and I can be more exact with the ingredients and directions.
As for me, I am feeling really good about it and looking forward to using more ingredients from the garden. We will have some yellow squash in a week or so with zucchini soon to follow. We have some tomatoes on our upside down planter but those are still a way off. I am feeling pretty healthy as well. I had been running on the treadmill pretty regularly but was getting bored with it and I am shifting back to lifting weights, something I haven't done seriously since college. I am fairly sore and I am curious to see what kinds of gains I can make without the help of protein from meat.
Be good!
Otto
Another busy week. Knockout roses and foxglove planted. Check. Kids survived another week of school. Check. Beth has no after effects of the half marathon. Check. Fighting off the weeds in the yard and the kudzu bugs in the air. Check. Pressure wash the house. Half check since the sides still need work but big thanks to my dad who supplied the pressure washer and was a huge help, without him this would be unchecked. Convincing Ali that vacuuming is awesome. Check. Cooking all vegetarian meals for the fam. Check.
Still sticking to the plan, we had lots of good food this week with only minor complaints from the kids for homemade hummus and also for avocado. Here is the meal rundown.
Monday - Veggie plate with homemade hummus and ranch (for the kids). Hummus is pretty easy to make if you have a good food processor and you like hummus. I use a can of garbanzos, cannellini beans will also suffice and seem to make a smoother hummus. Either way make sure they are rinsed and drained but reserve the juice in case your hummus is a little chunky and you want to pour some in to smooth it out. Juice of a lemon, couple tablespoons of tahini (they sell it in a can at Publix or Kroger), couple of cloves of garlic or roasted garlic out of the jar, tablespoon of cumin, dash of paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and let the processor rip.
We followed that up with a vegetable paella. Similar to your usual paella but replacing the meat with asparagus, broccoli, and garbanzo beans.
Tuesday - Fettuccine Primavera. Just a fettuccine with low fat alfredo with some veg including peas, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Wednesday - Mexican triple corn squares. This was a hit. Took a can of cream corn, a small can of kernel corn (drained), and a box mix for corn bread (I used one that was a little sweet) with a couple tablespoons of melted butter and 2 eggs. Mixed it all together and threw it in a 13 x 9 pan at 400 for about 15 minutes, until it all looked set. Pulled it out and let it slightly cool. Cut out squares and threw it in the bottom of a bowl and covered it with all kinds of good fixins like black beans, spanish rice, fresh salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc. Super delicious.
Thursday - Roasted eggplant and red pepper sandwich with risotto florentine. Risotto was really good, used vegetable broth as the liquid and added garbanzo beans and spinach and finished it with some freshly shaved parm.
Its still fun to try all these new recipes although it does take a lot more time to meal plan, buy the ingredients, and cook things fresh. If you want any more info on the recipes let me know and I can be more exact with the ingredients and directions.
As for me, I am feeling really good about it and looking forward to using more ingredients from the garden. We will have some yellow squash in a week or so with zucchini soon to follow. We have some tomatoes on our upside down planter but those are still a way off. I am feeling pretty healthy as well. I had been running on the treadmill pretty regularly but was getting bored with it and I am shifting back to lifting weights, something I haven't done seriously since college. I am fairly sore and I am curious to see what kinds of gains I can make without the help of protein from meat.
Be good!
Otto
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Health Risks of Red Meat
To start, I wanted to apologize for the lack of updates this week. Beth has been training for her half marathon and has been extra busy with work which has left me with lots of dad time and little free time to post. She ran the half this weekend and did very well, even in the downpour that covered most of the Southeast today. We are very proud and hopefully the increase in whole grains, organic fruits and veg, and lower intake of meat helped. Her weight is down, too.
I have felt pretty good and managed to get through the week with only one meal with meat. I took the kids to the zoo with some friends and we went to Zesto afterwards which is an old school drive in kind of place, without the ability to drive in, and without a lot of meat free options unless you are going for ice cream. I had some great chicken and the kids had burgers. Otherwise, it was easy to avoid meat.
I wanted to talk about the known health problems connected with consumption of meat. There have been countless studies done by groups on both the pro and anti-meat sides of the issue but many of the same health issues seem to be linked to eating meat. Cancer has had a great impact on people in our family and many studies have seen a correlation between eating meat and a higher risk for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Increased risk for heart disease are also related to eating meat. People that eat a lot of meat also eat a lot of refined grains and deserts so while its difficult to determine the exact cause of increased risks for this health problems, it seems clear that substituting whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies in the place of meat products can lessen your chances of cancer. Underlying causes for cancer with meat include saturated fat, carcinogens formed when the meat is cooked, and over-consumption of iron.
If you do choose to eat meat, try to stick to cuts with loin in the name to cut down on harmful fats. Tenderloin and sirloin have lower fat contents than other cuts of meat. Grass fed beef is also lower in total fat and has higher levels of omega 3's which are helpful even though they are found in relatively small amounts in any red meat. Vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds are better sources for omega 3's. Many hormones and antibiotics are also used to raise the animals that we get our meat from so try to choose organic, local meat if you can.
Hopefully you can try to put some of these tips into practice when choosing meat, or choosing to avoid meat. Our family history includes cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and strokes to name a few health issues. If lowering our consumption of meat and replacing it with high quality grains, nuts, dairy, fruits, and vegetables can help to lower the risks of these afflictions for my family, we are going to give it our best try.
Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment. I have had communication with friends that has forced me to do more research and really think about all the benefits and reasons for choosing to make this lifestyle choice. Hopefully this info strikes something in you that makes you look at even some small changes that can benefit you and your family. If I have time tomorrow, I hope to put up some recipes for people to try. And if you have a favorite meat free recipe that you would like to suggest, please do so.
Eat good, feel good,
Otto
I have felt pretty good and managed to get through the week with only one meal with meat. I took the kids to the zoo with some friends and we went to Zesto afterwards which is an old school drive in kind of place, without the ability to drive in, and without a lot of meat free options unless you are going for ice cream. I had some great chicken and the kids had burgers. Otherwise, it was easy to avoid meat.
I wanted to talk about the known health problems connected with consumption of meat. There have been countless studies done by groups on both the pro and anti-meat sides of the issue but many of the same health issues seem to be linked to eating meat. Cancer has had a great impact on people in our family and many studies have seen a correlation between eating meat and a higher risk for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Increased risk for heart disease are also related to eating meat. People that eat a lot of meat also eat a lot of refined grains and deserts so while its difficult to determine the exact cause of increased risks for this health problems, it seems clear that substituting whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies in the place of meat products can lessen your chances of cancer. Underlying causes for cancer with meat include saturated fat, carcinogens formed when the meat is cooked, and over-consumption of iron.
If you do choose to eat meat, try to stick to cuts with loin in the name to cut down on harmful fats. Tenderloin and sirloin have lower fat contents than other cuts of meat. Grass fed beef is also lower in total fat and has higher levels of omega 3's which are helpful even though they are found in relatively small amounts in any red meat. Vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds are better sources for omega 3's. Many hormones and antibiotics are also used to raise the animals that we get our meat from so try to choose organic, local meat if you can.
Hopefully you can try to put some of these tips into practice when choosing meat, or choosing to avoid meat. Our family history includes cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and strokes to name a few health issues. If lowering our consumption of meat and replacing it with high quality grains, nuts, dairy, fruits, and vegetables can help to lower the risks of these afflictions for my family, we are going to give it our best try.
Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment. I have had communication with friends that has forced me to do more research and really think about all the benefits and reasons for choosing to make this lifestyle choice. Hopefully this info strikes something in you that makes you look at even some small changes that can benefit you and your family. If I have time tomorrow, I hope to put up some recipes for people to try. And if you have a favorite meat free recipe that you would like to suggest, please do so.
Eat good, feel good,
Otto
Monday, April 16, 2012
Surviving the Weekend
We made it through the work week meat free! If you are interested in trying one of the recipes we ate here it is:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/eggplant-rollatini-recipe2/index.html
I served it with a side of spaghetti to keep the kids interested. Ali had seconds. Will mostly ate the cheese mixture out of his and left the eggplant alone. In his defense, the eggplant was a little undercooked, if you make this recipe definitely give the eggplant some more time when you cook it so it softens up.
We were invited over to eat with some friends Saturday night. We worked in the yard pretty much all day and we were famished. I had not told Josh and Julie that we were flexing, that is the beauty of it. You don't make friends cook something just for you, you eat what they make. You don't sit on the sidelines eating an empty bun with a side of sad face. Julie made a delicious chicken dish served over rice. We definitely didn't go over board on the food. Fresh tomato and cucumber salad. Strawberries they had picked earlier in the day at Cottle Farms (yes it has been warm enough for strawberries) served with some ice cream. Good food and good friends helped us survive the weekend.
So I'm feeling good, the kids haven't complained, and hopefully Beth's craving for hot dogs has passed. Tomorrow I am going to write a little for Ottaviano who still wants answers on why I'm avoiding meat. I'll outline the health implications for him and anyone else interested.
I'm smarter for having taught your son, he's raised some issues this year that I've never dealt with. But its not always in a bad way, I've just always got to be on my toes.
- Mrs. Dottie, Will's preschool teacher who has been teaching for 20 years
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/eggplant-rollatini-recipe2/index.html
I served it with a side of spaghetti to keep the kids interested. Ali had seconds. Will mostly ate the cheese mixture out of his and left the eggplant alone. In his defense, the eggplant was a little undercooked, if you make this recipe definitely give the eggplant some more time when you cook it so it softens up.
We were invited over to eat with some friends Saturday night. We worked in the yard pretty much all day and we were famished. I had not told Josh and Julie that we were flexing, that is the beauty of it. You don't make friends cook something just for you, you eat what they make. You don't sit on the sidelines eating an empty bun with a side of sad face. Julie made a delicious chicken dish served over rice. We definitely didn't go over board on the food. Fresh tomato and cucumber salad. Strawberries they had picked earlier in the day at Cottle Farms (yes it has been warm enough for strawberries) served with some ice cream. Good food and good friends helped us survive the weekend.
So I'm feeling good, the kids haven't complained, and hopefully Beth's craving for hot dogs has passed. Tomorrow I am going to write a little for Ottaviano who still wants answers on why I'm avoiding meat. I'll outline the health implications for him and anyone else interested.
I'm smarter for having taught your son, he's raised some issues this year that I've never dealt with. But its not always in a bad way, I've just always got to be on my toes.
- Mrs. Dottie, Will's preschool teacher who has been teaching for 20 years
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Accountability
Thanks to all who looked at the page and took the time to comment. Got some good posts on my Facebook page too.
I am hoping to use this page in part for accountability. I want to let you guys know about Flexing and share lots of recipes that I find that are easy and delicious. I also want to keep up with what I eat and track my weight. I think that I will use Thursdays as the day that I report on how the lifestyle is going, how I am feeling, what my weight is, etc. So here goes:
I haven't eaten meat since a hamburger on Sunday night after we got home from traveling. I feel pretty good and haven't had a craving for meat yet. I'm not vegan and not opposed to using animal products so I have had butter, milk, cheese, and eggs. Egg salad sandwiches and pimento cheese sandwiches have filled the lunch meat void admirably.
Last night I made homemade broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese hot pockets which were good but not great. Not nearly worth the effort. And I won't post the recipe since I probably won't make it again. Tonight is eggplant rollatini in tomato sauce with a salad and a side of spaghetti. So far the kids are still interested in the food and I know the pasta will help. If its good, I'll share it with you.
I weighed in at 186 after all the Easter candy, birthday cakes, and gluttony but was already down to 184.6 this morning. I made it to the gym this morning as well for some treadmill running which is always fun.
Going to eat with some friends on Saturday night at their house and haven't informed them about te Flexing. And I'm not going to either. If the meal is built on meat, I will definitely eat it and enjoy myself. Looking forward to it. Check back tomorrow for an update on the rollatini and I'll also provide more information on the Flexing book I am reading if you are interested.
Be excellent to each other,
Otto
I am hoping to use this page in part for accountability. I want to let you guys know about Flexing and share lots of recipes that I find that are easy and delicious. I also want to keep up with what I eat and track my weight. I think that I will use Thursdays as the day that I report on how the lifestyle is going, how I am feeling, what my weight is, etc. So here goes:
I haven't eaten meat since a hamburger on Sunday night after we got home from traveling. I feel pretty good and haven't had a craving for meat yet. I'm not vegan and not opposed to using animal products so I have had butter, milk, cheese, and eggs. Egg salad sandwiches and pimento cheese sandwiches have filled the lunch meat void admirably.
Last night I made homemade broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese hot pockets which were good but not great. Not nearly worth the effort. And I won't post the recipe since I probably won't make it again. Tonight is eggplant rollatini in tomato sauce with a salad and a side of spaghetti. So far the kids are still interested in the food and I know the pasta will help. If its good, I'll share it with you.
I weighed in at 186 after all the Easter candy, birthday cakes, and gluttony but was already down to 184.6 this morning. I made it to the gym this morning as well for some treadmill running which is always fun.
Going to eat with some friends on Saturday night at their house and haven't informed them about te Flexing. And I'm not going to either. If the meal is built on meat, I will definitely eat it and enjoy myself. Looking forward to it. Check back tomorrow for an update on the rollatini and I'll also provide more information on the Flexing book I am reading if you are interested.
Be excellent to each other,
Otto
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Your Last Meal
I am starting a blog about the fundamental principles and advantages of eating as a Flexitarian. Its for people that want to have all the health benefits of a vegetarian diet but can't imagine a life completely void of meat. Basically, you eat vegetarian meals most of the time but if you are out at a baseball game and want a hot dog, you eat it. If you are at a bbq, you have a hamburger. As someone who has made their own bacon and stuffed their own sausage, I am a huge fan of meat and can't imagine going totally without it.
I am still learning about it myself so I am hoping that the blog will grow as my knowledge and experience grows. I want to use this blog to track my own weight and health. I will try to post ideas and share recipes almost every day. Tomorrow I would like to post some of the guidelines behind the diet for people that might be interested.
My question for you today: If you could only eat one more meal, what would it be? I'm thinking mine would be a chicken fried steak smothered with sausage gravy with a side of crispy hash browns covered with cheese. Much like the ideas behind Flexitarianism, its not something you would want to eat everyday if you want to be healthy or at an ideal weight. Let me know what you would want for your last meal!
Otto
PS - Please pass this blog on to anyone you think might want to learn about eating healthier, finding new recipes, or anyone else you see fit. Thanks.
I am still learning about it myself so I am hoping that the blog will grow as my knowledge and experience grows. I want to use this blog to track my own weight and health. I will try to post ideas and share recipes almost every day. Tomorrow I would like to post some of the guidelines behind the diet for people that might be interested.
My question for you today: If you could only eat one more meal, what would it be? I'm thinking mine would be a chicken fried steak smothered with sausage gravy with a side of crispy hash browns covered with cheese. Much like the ideas behind Flexitarianism, its not something you would want to eat everyday if you want to be healthy or at an ideal weight. Let me know what you would want for your last meal!
Otto
PS - Please pass this blog on to anyone you think might want to learn about eating healthier, finding new recipes, or anyone else you see fit. Thanks.
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