Indian Food Experiment

I love Indian food with a bloody passion.  Not much gives me more pleasure than going out on a Friday night with my peeps and dipping naan in my vegetable vindaloo.  It really is an experience.  The flavors and smells are so complex that you have to think about what you are actually tasting.  Hmmmmm….  Happiness….

The downfall to Indian out is the ghee or clarified butter that is in your dish.  The food is delicious, but I do notice a film of grease lining the plastic container after I take it home.  Booo!!!  I came to the conclusion that I can make this and I can do it without all the butter and grease.

I have attempted chana masala several times, but I have never found a recipe that I loved.  There is nothing more disappointing than spending an hour making a meal that smells awesome but has lackluster flavor.

Recently, I found a recipe for chana masala on The Post Punk Kitchen and decided to make it.  Holy toledo, this was yummy!

Her picture is much prettier than mine!  Anyway, this meal was filling and contained yummy veggies and chickpeas.  I paired it with brown rice and half a piece of naan.  There is also quite a bit left over to eat for lunch or to freeze.  I always like that!

*I did make some Rachel style alterations…  I only used 1 tablespoon of oil.  I didn’t use cloves because I didn’t have any.  I added salt to taste and 1 tablespoon of honey.

I hope you guys try this recipe and tell me what you think.  Check out The Post Punk Kitchen.  There are a lot of awesome recipes on there and it is just such a fun site!

What’s your favorite Indian dish?

 

Trouble Commenting

Hello everyone. I apologize for not posting yesterday. I stayed home sick from work and was not in the mind frame for blogging. I also apologize for not responding to comments. I have been trying and having techinical difficulties, but I am listening.

Upon reader’s request =) I will be making some healthy fresh Thai food this week. It will probably be lettuce wraps or fresh rolls.  Stayed tuned for that!

This morning I had my last 2 pieces of honey wheat and 2 tablespoons of better’n peanut butter. Are you ever relieved when food is no longer in your house?

Eating Light Chinese

Chinese food is fast, super easy and filled with all kinds of MSG that makes my brain crave it in the worst way.  For the most part I try to avoid this evil food, but every once and a while my boyfriend gives me those chinese food eyes. I can’t constantly keep him from his general tzo chicken.

So when I do go out for chinese, I go prepared with a gme plan. Do not order anything fried! Order food steamed, sauce on the sides and brown rice.  The waiter might look at you funny when you tell him you want the sauce on the side and he might try to convince you otherwise. That is what happened to me tonight. Stand your ground. Order it how you want it and don’t be shy to ask for it.

This evening I enjoyed some spicy tofu with veggies and rice. Sadly, they were all out of brown so I had to go for white.

Lunch this afternoon was a tofuwich with hummus, veggies and avocado.  Carrots and an orange accompanied my sandwich.

Missing from my photo stash are the 2 cookies I ate after work when I was enountered with a bad situation… =(  You win some and you lose some.  Mayb next time I encounter a negative emotion I won’t run to the cookie jar.

What Do You Do With Your Almond Butter Jars?

You know when there is only a little itty bitty bit of nut butter left?  Not nearly enough to coat a piece of toast, but too much to throw out…

My Favorite Almond Butter In The World!

I like to eat my oatmeal out of my almond butter jars!

Meet Almond Butter & Strawberry Jelly Oatmeal.

Just make 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1 cup water in separate bowl.  Add salt, strawberries, cinnamon & sweetener if desired.  Pour into nut butter jar.  Mix up and enjoy.  This breakfast will keep you full until lunch with the fiber from the berries and the oats and the protein from the nut butter.

Now, I only do this when there is about a tablespoon or less left!  This breakfast is around 300 calories!  =)

I also brought one of my favorite things in the world with me to work today.

Have you ever had komucha tea before?  Because it is awesome and it is addictive!  It is kind of vinegary but once you get used to the flavor you totally crave it.

Tempeh Satay On A Hungry Day

Last night I decided to make Tempeh Satay.  This is a recipe that I adapted from the Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 to meat my dietary needs. =)

This meal was awesome!  I can’t wait to make it again…  I made a vegan version, but feel free to make it with chicken.  I recommend the tempeh though!  =)

Tempeh Satay with Whole Wheat Couscous

Rachel’s Tempeh Satay

Take 1 block of tempeh and cut into 4 even pieces. Place 1/2 cup tamari (low sodium soy sauce), 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 cloves chopped garlic in a bow and mix.  Add tempeh and marinate for at least 10 minutes to overnight.  I let this sit in my fridge over night.  The flavors really got to know each other and made the tempeh super yummy!  Spray frying pan with a little oil and grill each side of the the tempeh for 5 minutes or so.

While the tempeh is cooking, you are going to make the yummy peanut sauce!!!  In your handy dandy Magic Bullet or food Processor place 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of agave or honey, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar (she uses 1/4 cup and it is gross! I had to make the sauce twice), 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (I used powdered because that’s all I had.), 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil and a dash of red pepper flakes if you are feeling zesty.  Mix up…  Yum Yum

Serves 4…  Around 200 calories a serving with sauce.

I served mine with with whole wheat couscous and broccoli because I was having a hungry day!

 

I hate hungry days…  You know those days where no matter how much you eat or what you eat, you should can’t stop being hungry.  I think this all stemmed from lunch…

I was in a rush yesterday morning and needed to  make lunch.  I decided to go for a can of black bean soup.  I added spinach and served with carrots and a piece of cheese.  It filled me up, but I got hungry pretty quickly after.

The Hunger Culprit!

So shortly after lunch I was starving and I decided to eat my apple…

Which might have made me hungrier…

When I got home I ate a homemade almond butter cup, not pictured because I ate it all…  I decided to make the satay after that and then I was still kind of hungry!!! I made a happy little sweet treat…

Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Bowl! =)

The Guilt Free Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Bowl

1/2 cup plain fat free organic yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup cereal – I used a mixture…  I couldn’t decide
2 teaspoons honey

Mix & enjoy

What do you do on your hungry days?

Only Pancakes Can Cheer Up This Dreary Morning

Bleh, the rain is so sad.  It definitely makes me want to stay in bed longer than I should!

This morning after I went to the gym, I want something substantial for breakfast.  I was even hungry when I woke up!  It must have been those sad tofu kebabs from last night!

I decided to make myself a happy Pancake Almond Naner Sandwich. =)

Pancake Almond Naner Sandwich

Spread 2 teaspoons of almond butter on 1 multigrain pancake.  Top with half a banana, a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of honey.  Top with another pancake & sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Enjoy this happy breakfast for only 319 Calories…  =) Yummy…

*These are the multigrain pancakes from the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

What did you eat for breakfast today?

My Favorite Tools For Eating Healthy & Staying On Track

Sometimes, it is really difficult being so good.  Here are a few tools that I love that make my life a little easier.

Measuring Cups…
Do you know how much a cup of Lucky Charms is?  Because it looks like the entire box to me!  Seriously, it is really easy to get carried away with our favorite carbs because they are super delicious and they release all the happy chemicals in your brain…  Measuring cups can help you win that evil battle.  Use them…  Use them all the time!

Measuring Spoons…
Can’t we all get carried away with sugar, honey, nuts and peanut butter.  They say a serving, 2 tablespoons, or nut butter is the size of a ping pong ball or a golf ball.  I haven’t been around a ping pong ball in over 10 years!  How exactly am I supposed to eye ball it out!  I also keep several pairs.  I have a set a my home, a set in my bag and a set in my cubicle drawer.  They are small and nobody has to know they are there.  You just never know when you may need them.

Food Scale…
This really helps when recipes are in ounces.  You might be working with meat, pasta or some other grain.  I have even seen recipes in grams.  It just helps keep everything more accurate.

Calorie Counting Devices…
I am quit fond of myfitnesspal.  You can use it on the computer or your smart phone.  If you are allowing yourself 1600 calories a day, this little bugger can help you make the right choices.  It has a data base full of every kind of food you could imagine and it tells you the nutritional information.  It can also keep track of your exercise.  Ready for the cherry on top of the sundae…  IT IS TOTALLY FREE

I am sure there are others out there.  This is just the one I use.

Food Processor or a Magic Bullet…
These things are awesome!  I love both of them.  You can make sauces out of fresh herbs and a little olive oil instead of making butter sauces in a pan.  You can make fruit and nut energy bars in the food processor.  You can make nut butter smoothies in your magic bullet.  The possibilities for healthy concoctions are endless.

Silicon Baking Mat…
I love my silicon baking mat.  It keeps everything from sticking to the pan without adding oil!  You also have less clean up because your baking sheet isn’t so yucky!  I have used it to make granola, veggie chicken, roasted veggies, cookies.  *Just don’t cut anything on it!!!

What are your favorite healthy tools?

Lunch this afternoon was a tofu avocado wrap & some carrots.
301 calories… =)

 

Black Bean Chili & Ripped in 30 Breakfast

Last night I decided to try the Black Bean Chili recipe from the Jillian Michaels’ Master Your Metabolism cookbook.  I had to make a few alterations to fit my schedule and my available ingredients.

Jillian Michaels Black Bean Chili…  Rachel Style
Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a few pinches on black pepper
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup quinoa
salt to taste
cilantro, greek yogurt, guac & lime juice for garnishing

Directions
Saute garlic, onion and pepper in olive oil until onion becomes translucent.  Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, 2 cups water, honey orange juice & cook for five minutes.  Add quinoa and beans and simmer for 15 minutes.   Serves 4…  300ish calories.
Top with 1 teaspoon greek yogurt, gauc, lime & cilantro.  Enjoy

Breakfast this morning was from the Ripped in 30 Meal Plan Day 1.

2 pieces Ezekial Toast with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil spread on each & 2 eggs.  317 calories

Smuggling Snacks Into The Movie Theater

Why do you think they invented purses that huge?  Seriously, you can fit a baby or a small puppy in those things!  So, why don’t you stick some snacks in there for the movie theater to avoid blowing your diet!

This afternoon I took advantage of the matinee deals at the movie theater and saw My Idiot Brother.  Paul Rudd, like always, is totally adorable in this movie!  I highly recommend seeing it.

Instead of ordering those high calorie treats to go with my movie, I decided to bring my own.  Before I left the house, I popped up some Newman’s Own Movie  Theater Popcorn.  I measured 1 serving and threw it in my bag.

This was pretty tasty and the ingredients didn’t seem like they were going to kill me.  It didn’t have any partially hydrogenated oils which really makes me smile.  I still like air popped corn better.  However, it was fast and you can’t go wrong for 120 calories.

I also brought a nice navel orange to eat along with my popcorn.

This orange was perfect.  Sometimes you buy oranges and they are dry and sad on the inside.  This one was perfectly sweet and juicy.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any napkins. =(  My popcorn and my orange only came out to 200 calories.  Compare that to a bag of movie theater popcorn!

Prior to the movies, I hit the mall to scope out the Labor Day sales.  I decided to eat at Subway after working up an appetite.

I had a 6 inch veggie sub on honey out bread with mustard and all the veggies and 1/2 bag of Baked Lays.  I like to stick chips in my sandwich. =)  This whole meal only set me back 345 calories.

Has anyone seen My Idiot Brother yet?  What did you think?

 

Quinoa Crunchy Morning

Quinoa Crunch, Greek Yogurt & Berries

Happy Friday!  Wahoo.  What’s everyone doing for this holiday weekend?

For breakfast, I wanted to make something really special to celebrate Friday and the upcoming long weekend.  I decided on Quinoa Crunch, from the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook.  =)

Now, this recipe is kind of like a super healthy granola.  Quinoa is a rockin’ grain with tons of fiber and protein.  We always like when we can get the most health bang for our buck!  It kind of has a nutty flavor that might need some getting used to.  It also might be kind of expensive at the grocery store.  You can find it much cheaper at a Trader Joe’s, Ocean State Job Lot or some other discount store that carries food.

*Unless the box says pre-washed, you need to rinse it in a mesh strainer!

Quinoa Crunch,
adapted from the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

Ingredients
1 cup rinsed quinoa
1/4 cup flax seed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (you can use another kind, this one is just the healthiest)
1 tablespoon of honey or agave (you can use 2 if you like your crunchies a lil’ bit sweeter)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or maple extract =)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Spread across cookie sheet.  I recommend cooking on one of those silicon baking mats.  Bake for around 15 minutes stirring mixture once in the middle.  Take out and allow to cool.  Break up and store in airtight container.

This makes 8 – 2 tablespoon servings.

Serve 2 tablespoons with 1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 teaspoon honey.

216 calories

I hope this recipe passes the lunch time hunger test!