Monday Healthy Eating, Oct. 25, 2010

Today’s healthy eating tip:  Make convenience foods yourself ahead of time, so there’s no excuses!

Right now, I have apple-pomegranate-nut granola bars whipping themselves up in my dehydrator.  They took me a grand total of about 2 minutes to mix up, another 30 seconds to spread on the dehydrator sheet, and now I do nothing with them for the next 4 or so hours when I turn them off to cool down.  They’ve got very little sugar, tons of fiber, protein, and omega fatty acids, and no additional fat or preservatives. And they cost pennies each. Which makes them pretty much the antithesis of store-bought granola bars, which are loaded with empty calories from sugar, unhealthy fats, and things you can’t pronounce.

What’s this got to do with anything? Well, we’re all busy. Most people these days work at least one job (those lucky enough to have jobs in this economy), usually all adults in the house need to work, kids have school and a bazillion activities, and things sometimes get out of hand. This is when you’re likely to stop by McDonalds to get the kids (or yourself) a quick snack, or grab some mac-and-cheese out of a box. If that’s rare treat, then that’s totally okay. If it happens a few times a week, it’s a problem. So, this has to do with avoiding that problem.

One way I stay on track is to take a few minutes to set up conveniences foods when I have the time. The granola bars happened today both because I need them for my clients and because I had 5 minutes to spare. I keep a list of recipes on-hand, and some basic ingredients, and whip up some easy, healthy food for the pantry of freezer whenever I can squeeze it in, and it means I don’t have to resort to fast or processed foods.

You do have the time. Watching TV for an hour tonight? Take 5 minutes before your show or on a commercial to pop up some stove-top popcorn (don’t use microwave–it’s expensive, and it’s awful for you, even the “low-fat” stuff), toss it with some spritzed olive oil and your choice of spices (favorite combo of our are garlic, salt, and smoked paprika) and let it cook while you watch your show (eat some if you like, of course). Toss it into individual serving bags, and you’ve got a crunchy, low-cal, high-fiber snack for the week.  Sitting at the computer playing on Facebook? While you’re waiting for your updates, mix up a healthy meatloaf (black beans, lean ground beef, oats, an egg, spices, red & green pepper, onion, and whatever chopped veggies you want to toss in) and toss it in the oven. If you want, you can divide it up into individual serving sizes in small pyrex dishes to make lunches easier. Some of my favorite conveniences foods to whip up in a jiffy:

-Mini meatloafs

-Mini healthy muffins (there are even some decent mixes out there, and I add fruit and nuts if I use them)

-Mini frittatas

-Seasoned popcorn, pumpkin seeds, or nuts in individual packages

-Boiled eggs

-Dehydrator granola bars

-Cheese cubes (way cheaper to make these yourself than buy the pre-cuts)

-Homemade hot pockets (I use leftovers for filling), with a fat-free, whole wheat dough. You can even buy fairly healthy whole wheat pizza dough at some stores, and use that.

-Soup in the crockpot. There’s nothing faster: just throw in some beans, some broth, and a some veggies. If you want fancy soup, throw in some spices and canned tomatoes. Let it cook for a few hours, and you’ve got something easy for the week, or to throw in individual portions in the freezer for those lunches or dinners you just don’t have time to cook.

There’s more, I’m sure, but these are what I can think of off the top of my head. None of them takes more than a few minutes, and those few minutes save me hundreds of calories (and preservatives) every day.

To get started, just get a piece of paper and write down out what you tend to need convenience foods for: breakfasts, snacks, lunches, etc., and what kinds of things you’d like to have on-hand. Make a list and stick it up somewhere you can see it, and next time you have a couple of minutes, use those to help you make good food choices when it would otherwise be inconvenient.  There are tons of recipes on the internet for fast convenience foods, including some great whole-grain cookies (these are my current obsession)!

Planning is everything in making healthful choices, but you have to start in small steps. You’ve already started meal planning (right?), and this is just an extension of that, really. We’re all busy, and we all want those few extra minutes to do something else; but, it’s about priorities. “Convenience foods,” many of which aren’t food at all, are one of the biggest culprits behind obesity in this country, especially childhood obesity. You’ll feel better eating better food, and it only take a few times making healthy items for later before you have a nice little stash to choose from. Once that happens, you have to take those few minutes less often to replenish it.

 

Related Articles

• Make healthy lunches kids will want to eat (canada.com)
• Healthy back to school snacking (thismamacooks.com)
• The Minimalist: Granola Bars, Unwrapped (nytimes.com)
• Quick Healthy Meals for Busy Families (webmd.com)
• How Food Affects Your Brain 10 Facts We Now Know (losethattyre.co.uk)

Let Me Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

The Frenchman’s Corner and Renaissance Cuisine want to help you eat healthier in the New Year. Start the year right with gourmet, Ready-to-Go meals! As most of my regular readers know, my focus is on taste and nutrition, and these well-balanced meals are full of interesting, bright flavors. All of the menu items will be calorie-conscious and heart-healthy to help you achieve your New Year’s goals.

To make eating healthy even easier, we are now offering subscription and delivery services. We have new rates and order deadlines, as well.

As always, meals are prepared from scratch with the freshest ingredients, then vacuum packed so they can be eaten immediately, refrigerated, or frozen to eat later.

All meal orders must be placed by Wednesdays at 3 PM. Late orders can no longer be accepted. Pick up is at The Frenchman’s Corner between 5-7 PM on Fridays.

Pricing:

Individual Entrées: $14.00/each

Monthly Subscriptions: $195.00/month. Monthly subscriptions allow you to choose any 4 individual entrees for 4 consecutive weeks at a great discount! You can order your meals weekly, or your can choose your entire menu all at once to save time.

Delivery: $10.00/week. At this time, delivery is only available within 15 miles of downtown Culpeper. All deliveries are made between 5-7 PM on Fridays. Scheduling must be done a week ahead of time to ensure your desired time slot.

Ordering information is on the Monthly Menu page. Stop by weekly to check out the new menus as they are added.

Food and Food Related Activity

First, let me say that it appears my launch for New Year’s Resolution meals will not take place this Friday. Long story, not my ball.

Now, onto the show.

I cook slow. I can’t use “slow food,” because I’d have to pay someone to say that. The point is that I like to know where my food is coming from, and what it was before it got to my plate. Also, as any of you who follow this blog know, I am something of a frugal health nut, for both myself and my clients. So, I thought I’d share some of our “Every day” foods with you. We eat amazing food every day, but that doesn’t mean it’s complicated or expensive. In fact, quite the opposite much of the time. Yes,  we do go all out and do the type of meals you’ll see on my Ready-To-Go Meal menu; but, most of the time, that’s just not practical.

Last night’s dinner was Shawn’s Famous Fish Patties with Fried Green Tomatoes and Baked Squash:

Above: The ingredients for much of dinner: whole wheat flour & corn meal mixture, patty mixture, and canned green tomatoes. The fish is wild-caught canned salmon, so it’s full of Omega vitamins and CLAs. It’s also much better for the environment than farm-raised. And, it’s inexpensive at Trader Joe’s. The tomatoes are from my uncle’s farm. We canned them this past August, and they are excellent for frying or using in salads and chutneys. Below:Patties and tomatoes being lightly fried in olive oil. Yes, fried. Fried does not always equal bad. Olive oil is good for you, and it’s important to get enough fat in your diet.

Served with (below): Roundabout Farms squash, steam baked. This stuff is heaven, really. It’s creamy, sweet, savory, and rich with a deep flavor that begs to be savored. Honestly, I could eat just this for dinner.

Mondays are always busy, so when UC and I do our 2-week meal plan (yes, we’re doing it for 2 weeks now), we make sure Mondays are easy and quick. Our slow cooker is a dear friend on these nights, and this is no exception.

Tonight’s dinner: Fiest Mixed Bean Soup.

Above: Navy & Great Northern beans that  I soaked overnight,carrots, and two kinds of onions. Below: Homemade spicy vegetable stock and spices round out this part of the cooking.

About a half hour before we want to eat, I’ll stick blend the soup for just a second or two, adding some good EVOO. It’ll be topped with a small bit of grated parmesan, paprika, and eaten with homemade Anadama bread (courtesy of UC).  This is, obviously, vegetarian, and is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins & minerals, and flavor. it’s lowfat, too. Most of all, though, it’s YUMMY.

Since I was home today working anyway, I decided to debone one of your hens from the Nelkes. I’d roasted it about two days ago for specifically for making stock and lunchmeat, and it needed to get done. These were the same hens that gave us our favorite eggs, and they’re not dissapointing in the stock department either.

Above: the chicken in the process of being skinned and deboned. Below: Some of the deboned meat, which we’ll run through the meat grinder with pickles, carrots, onions and spices to make excellent lunchmeat.

Above: Onions and garlic  from Roundabout farm are sweated with a little EVOO, a bit of the chicken drippings, and some spices before adding the water and chicken carcass (below).

The stock is still cooking, and I’ll let it go on a very, very low simmer until about 4:oo today (making it about a 5 hour simmer). I’ll strain everything out, then put it in the refrigerator. Later tonight or  tomorrow, I’ll skim off any extra fat. What’s left will be an amazing, rich stock perfect for soups, casseroles, rissottos, and anything else that calls for stock.

This is the kind of thing I do for my clients, as well. These homemade touches are healthier, and part of why my food tastes the way it does.

In other news, I am still working on finding a kitchen. I’m working on renting the Depot, but that process is taking a very long time. Really, I’ve never had (or heard of) this kind of trouble renting a hall kitchen. In MI, you call the hall, they g ive you their rates and tell you if the dates you want are available, and you send them a check. Here, it’s very political. Which is weird, becuase it’s just a kitchen. And, frankly, with the economy the way it’s going, most places in other areas are virtually pulling you in the door and offering your almost anything to get you to spend cash at their facility.

So, if anyone knows of a commercial kitchen in, or within 15 minutes of,  Culpeper, I’d be most obliged.

Ready To Go Meals, To Resume January 9th

Ready To Go Meals at The Frenchman’s Corner will resume on January 9th, with some fun and exciting changes. Drop in next week to see what the New Year looks like at Renaissance Cuisine, and what new and fun meals you can expect!

In the meantime, stop by The Frenchman’s Corner and say hi to Marc, Peg, Jerry, Jeff, Bert, Pam, and the rest of the crew. They’ll help you pick out the perfect gift, the perfect chocolate, great wine and beer, and put together a cheese platter for that New Year’s Party.

Happiest of holidays.

Ready To Go Meals, December 19th.

Fish orders must be placed by Wednesday at 2:00 PM. All other orders must be placed Thursday by Noon. Pickup is at The Frenchman’s Corner from 5-7 PM.

You can order by phoning the Frenchman’s Corner, or emailing me.

All Menus are seasonal, and may vary slightly if fresh ingredients are not available.

Salisbury Steak, served with mashed golden potatoes. 100% Grass-fed, Free-Range beef from Pannill’s Gate farm, red onion, mushrooms, and other vegetables are combined with special spices to create this flavorful new take on an old favorite. Served with golden mashed potatoes. The lean, grass fed beef in this dish provides extra B vitamins to elevate mood during this holiday season, as well as protein and fiber to help keep you full while you complete your shopping!

Herb and Lemon Tilapia with Roasted Pancetta & Brussel Sprout Creamy Barley. Fresh Tilapia from The Frenchman’s Corner is quick-seared with lemon zest and Urban Accent’s Fisherma’s Wharf spices mix. Served with brussel sprouts and pancetta roasted to bring out their deep, complex richness. Fish is an excellent source of lean protein. Brussel sprouts are high in Vitamin C to ward off those winter colds, and are also full of protein. When combined with barley, Brussel sprouts are a lean source of complete protein. This meal is perfect for those people wanting a hearty, filling meal without all the calories.

Polenta and Mushroom Stuffed Red Peppers, served with garlic risotto. Red peppers are stuffed with mushrooms and homemade polenta seasoned with basil, then roasted to enhance the sweet pepper taste. Served with creamy risotto made from The Frenchman’s Cellar’s Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic from Roundabout Farms. Red peppers are high in Vitamin C to keep you healthy this winter, and antioxidants to fight heart disease. Protein-rich mushrooms are also high in B vitamins to keep your spirits up during the hectic holiday season. Garlic is a cholesterol reducer.

Chicken Lasagne with wilted greens. A low-fat alternative to traditional lasagne. Chicken layered with low-fat cheese, spices, red sauce, and noodles to create a rich lasagne with fewer calories than traditional lasagne. Served with wilted seasonal greens with vinegar and oil. This low fat dish will sate all your cravings for comfort food without the guilt! Lean protein in chicken, calcium in cheese, and fiber and antioxidants in the greens give you a complete, healthy meal.

Foodie and Frugal, Week of 12.13.08

Above: tonight’s dinner: Polenta with wild mushrooms (chicken and puffball), onions, and fricasse’ sauce. It was served with a mix of peas and collard greens. Yummy! Below: last night’s dinner: okra & pinenut pasta with blue cheese sauce and herb rubbed salmon.

I’ve been a bit lax on the whole “Foodie and Frugal” thing, and apparently it’s been missed. Sorry about that. So, here’s the menu plan for this coming week:

Monday: Lentil & Sausage Soup. You see this here a lot because it is very tasty, very hearty, very healthy, and very quick. Mondays see both UC and I gone for classes, me at Body Combat and him at Tai Chi; so, we need a quick meal. We use turkey sausage to keep the fat down. Lentils are a complete protein and full of fiber, so it keeps you full.    The recipe we use makes a huge pot that feeds us for several meals (and occasionally a few helpings even make it into the freezer) for under $3.00. We’re using the chicken stock I am making tonight from the hens we got a while ago as the base:

Tuesday: Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf and Sweet potatoes. This recipe is one of the absolute best I’ve made recently. I’ll try to get it up on the sidebar later this week. It’s also very healthy, and low-cal. Served with sweet potatoes for antioxidants its’ pretty much a complete meal, but we’ll toss in some beets or corn, too. This can be a bit pricier just because it has meat, but it also has veggies in it. It’ll give us two meals, so I’m going to guess $1.50/person per meal.

Wednesday: Chicken or beef kabobs. This is movie night, and we feed lots of people. We make the main dish, everyone brings a side to pass. Tonight, it’s meat and veggie kabobs. I think I’m going to do them in a Thai peanut sauce.

Thursday: Beef Stew. You’re seeing a lot meat on this menu, it’s true. Our veggie dish was tonight. While I like to do more, UC is back to trying to gain weight, so we’re back to eating more meat (its seems to be the most effective thing he can do). This does break the bank a bit, unfortunately, but it keeps him in good shape. Beef stew is a pretty effective use of the beef, and it’ll also mean I can crock pot it. Which is great, since this is our night for spin. I’ll brown off the meat earlier in the day, then toss it in the crockpot with carrots, onion, corn, peas, and potatoes. We’ll have it with some of the sourdough UC is making right now, and probably brown rice.

Friday: Chicken Lasagne. This is one of the dishes you’ll see on my menu for my Ready to Go Meals this week, so I am just going to toss another one in the oven. This will give us some leftovers for later. I’ll be using whole wheat noodles, spinach, TVP, mushrooms, and a low-fat cheese combo I make myself (there’s no ricotta in this, but it’s actually doesn’t need it). This is really frugal, and with all the protein and fiber, it’s incredibly healthy.

Saturday: Yule. This is our holiday celebration with good friends. We’ll be cooking off a turkey and a bunch of other stuff, but the specifics are still in the works.

I expect to spend $35-45 on groceries. The rest is from the pantry.

Check back tomorrow for my Ready To Go Meals selections for this week. Also, check the RSS Feed on the sidebar for my published articles on treating ADD/ADHD and Depresison with diet.

Ready-To-Go Meals for December 12th.

All Menus are seasonal, and may vary slightly if fresh ingredients are not available.

Quantities may be limited. Full descriptions submitted prior to public release of menus.

Fish orders are due by Wednesday at 2:00 PM. All other orders are due Thursday by 12:00 PM. Pick up is at The Frenchnan’s Corner from 5-7 PM on Friday evening.

Please select your first choice, and an alternate in the event your first choice is unavailable.

Beef: Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf and whipped sweet potatoes. 100% grass-fed & Free Range beef combined with black beans, onions, and secret spices make this zippy, flavorful meatloaf a new favorite. Served with whipped sweet potatoes. This meal is rich in protein and fiber, while being low in fat and cholesterol. Sweet potatoes are not only rich in proteins, but also in antioxidants that will keep your immune system healthy and your skin glowing this season. Grass fed beef is an excellent source of Omega fatty acids, which help fight off the Winter blues.

Fish: Asian Salmon served with Steamed Vegetables. Salmon baked to perfection with a caramelized orange sesame sauce, served with a side of fresh, steamed vegetables seasoned with a hint of soy and lime. Salmon in one of the best sources of Omega fatty acids! This meal is perfect for those watching their cholesterol and calories who still want a flavor-packed meal. Fresh steamed vegetables provide those much needed winter vitamins to keep you going through all of your holiday festivities.

Vegetarian: Black Bean & Cheddar Patties with Southwestern rice and Vegetables. Black beans mixed with spices, TVP, and onion are topped with Apple Wood Smoked, Paprika rubbed cheddar cheese, and served with flavorful Southwestern style vegetable brown rice. Note: This dish contains eggs & Cheese. Black beans are high in soluble fiber, and are perfect for those people watching their carbohydrate intake. This meal is low fat, and the soluble fiber makes it perfect for anyone with diabetes.

Chicken: Spicy Creole Chicken and Vegetable Pasta. Chicken marinaded in Urban Accents Creole spice mix, served over whole wheat pasta with squash, tomatoes, and broccoli in a light, zesty sauce. This meal is a wonderfully balanced meal bursting with flavor for the whole family. It’s the perfect balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber.

You can email me to place your order, or you can contact The Frenchman’s Corner. Entree’s are $12/each.

Ready To Go Meals for December 5th

Order your meals through The Frenchman’s Corner. Fish meals must be ordered by 2 PM Wednesday, and all other meals must be ordered by 5 PM Thursday. Meal pick up is at The Frenchman’s Corner, from 6-8 PM on Friday evening.

Beef and spinach frittata, served with baked sweet potato. 100% Grass-fed beef from Pannill’s Gate Farm baked with Spinach into a golden brown egg frittata. Served with baked sweet potato in the jacket. This meal is perfect for a healthy boost of  B12 and Omega fatty acids during the holidays to help maintain energy during this rushed and hurried season. It’s high in protein and fiber to help stave off hunger, and loaded with healthy, cancer-fighting CLA, which also helps maintain lean muscle!

Herb & garlic stuffed halibut, with Morroccan zucchini. Fresh Halibut from The Frenchman’s Corner, stuffed with herbs and fresh garlic from Roundabout Farm. Served with yellow and green zuchinni, spiced with Moroccan style herbs. This low-fat, lowflavorful entree is high in protein, fiber, and cholesterol stabalizing nutrients.

Vegetarian: B-b-q lentil bake, with roasted red onions stuffed with honeyed greens. Lentils cooked in homemade vegetable broth, mixed with onions and whole grains and zesty Urban Accents Creolo spices and baked. Served with olive oil and black sea salt rubbed red onions, caramelized slowly. Onions are stuffed with kale seasoned with local honey and garlic from Roundabout Farm. This does contain eggs, so is lacto-ovum vegetarian. Lentils are a complete protein, and high in fiber! Kale is rich in antioxidants and vitamins to help maintain your immune system during the flu season. This option is especially good for those watching their cholesterol!

Greek chicken and vegetable kabobs, served with lemon scented brown rice.  Cubes of chicken are marinaded in yogurt, lemon juice, smoked paprika, cilantro, and other spices, then skewered with vegetables marinaded in olive oil and spices. Served with brown rice cooked in broth and scented with lemon zest. Yogurt contains probiotics that help maintain healthy levels of needed bacteria, which is especially important during the holidays to counterbalance the effects of sugar on the digestive system. Fresh vegetables provide antioxidants and vitamins to boost your immune system, as well as helping maintain glowing skin and healthy hair and nails.

Thanksgiving Bounty

One of the dishes for my Ready-To-Go meals mentioned in the post below is Roasted Cranberries. I saw this recipe in Saveur magazine courtesy of Peg at The Frenchman’s, who pointed it out to me when I was in one day. It sounded great, and so it went on the menu. I changed up the recipe a bit, but it’s generally the same one you’ll find here, just sans the jalepeno (the folks who ordered the meals are not ones for a lot of heat).

Also, please excuse the crappy pics. Still using the webcam, but the other camera (I am told) is on it’s way!

Above: Cranberries mixed with fresh orange peels, sugar, and spices, then put on a parchment-covered baking sheet to go into the oven. Below: The finished product, post Port addition and refrigeration time.

The verdict: This recipe is a definite winner. It’s got a wide range of complex flavors that both remind you of childhood, and remind you that you’ve grown up. It’s tart, tangy, sweet, and will hit you in those little ticklish spots right at the back of your mouth. It’s great, and I definitely plan on making it again.

If all goes well, I may try to post some of my Fig and Chestnut stuffing pictures tomorrow. We’ll see if I have time. If not, have a wonderful holiday!

Thanksgiving Meals and Side Dishes From Renaissance Cuisine

In honor of Thanksgiving, Renaissance Cuisine, in partnership with The Frenchman’s Corner, is offering a special menu to help you celebrate.

All orders must be placed by 3:00 p.m. on November 22nd. Order may be picked up at The Frenchman’s Corner on Wednesday, November 25th, between 3:00 and 5:00 PM. Orders can be placed at The Frenchman’s Corner, or by email Chef Shawn at: Chef at shwankie dot net.

A Thanksgiving Feast

Price: $25.00/person.

Roasted turkey breast with Shawn’s cornbread fig-and-chestnut dressing, roasted cranberries, curried sweet potatoes, and garlic green beans.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Your Dinner

$15, serves 4.

Cornbread Fig & Chestnut Dressing.

Homemade cornbread is mixed with hand-roasted chestnuts, white wine, orange and lemon zest, homemade vegetable stock, butter, dried figs and cranberries, and a secret blend of spices. This is Shawn’s most requested holiday dish, and hands down her most overall requested recipe.

Curried sweet potatoes

Creamy sweet potatoes are whipped with a light blend of curry, Garham Masala, cinnamon, nutmeg, and local honey, then baked with a homemade granola crust..

Apple and onion hash

Red and green apples are cooked in cider with rosemary, garlic, and pepper with red and yellow onions to make this deep, richly flavored side dish.

Please note that quantities are limited.

(sorry for the weird formatting. My word processing program doesn’t get along well with MT’s formatting)