New Year’s Goals!

The most popular New Year’s resolutions almost all have to do with food: losing weight, increasing fitness, bringing down cholesterol, changing to a more heart-friendly diet, saving money on groceries, and other variations.  While these types of resolutions are great, and the New Year is a perfect time to start fresh, they can be stressful and daunting overall, leading to failure. I can help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions!

Did you know that 80-90% of weight management is in what you eat? That the safest way to lower your cholesterol is through diet and exercise,  but that the wrong “low-fat” foods can actually increase your cholesterol? That the right types of seafood give you more heart-friendly Omega Fatty acids, but that other types of fish can actually be detrimental to your fatty acid balance?  Or that planning your meals can save you hundreds of dollars a month?

I offer online meal planning, dietary food counseling, Personal Grocery Services, and Personal Chef services to clients in the Greater Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Charlottesville areas.  Visit my Personal Chef Services , Sample Menu, and Classes pages to learn more.  Contact me today, using the “contact me” form on the right of this page, for more information on how I can help you!

On the Menu: Dec 3-9th

It’s snowing on my blog! It is not, however, snowing here in VA. Monday was 70 degrees, today it’s supposed to hit 72.

So, what are we eating this week?

On the Menu

Monday: Beef fajitas. I had some leftover flank steak in the freezer,which is perfect for this.

Tuesday: 3 Bean & Beef Chocolate Curry chili. Yes, I know “real” chili doesn’t have beans, but I’ve never claimed that I only cook “authentic food.” And, we like beans. You can’t really taste the chocolate in this, it just adds a great depth that is really enhanced by the small amount of curry.  This will make great leftover for lunches, because chili gets nothing but better as it rests.

Wednesday:  Pot roast, with potatoes, carrots, and a side salad. My clients are getting a pot roast, as well, and since my spice mix recipe makes enough for two pot roasts, I’ll save a step here.

Thursday:  Catfish over spaghetti squash. Thadd’s night to cook! He’s only cooking once this week, so he has time to study for his finals next week.

Friday: leftovers.

Saturday: Doro Wat stew in the slow cooker. Once in a while, we go all out and do a full Ethiopian feast; but, it’s a lot of work. So, this is a great recipe to tide us overs with the intense, deep flavors of the cuisine but without the time commitment. We’ll serve it with homemade injera.

What are you eating this week?

Related articles

• On the Menu: Nov. 12th-16th (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
• On the Menu: Oct 21-27 (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)

What I Eat: Nov. 29th, 2012

Breakfast: eggs with spinach and nutritional yeast, chai tea.

Lunch: Turkey vegetable soup

Snacks: apple, banana, almonds, milk, cheddar cheese

Dinner: Fideua (spanish dish with sausage, veggies, tomatoes, and broken noodles). Salad of romaine lettuce, pecans, parmesan cheese, and homemade balsamic raspberry fig dressing.

Cooking for One: Red Lentil & Rice Soup

This is actually green lentil soup, but you get the idea.

Perfect for winter, this hearty soup makes just enough for a great meal for one!

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1 small carrot, chopped

1 shallot, diced  (shallots can usually be found singly in the produce department)

1 clove garlic, crushed and diced -OR- 1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic

1/4 cup brown rice

1/4 cup red lentils (you can use green, too, but red is better with this recipe)

1 can chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium

1/3 cup water

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Spices: pepper, salt to taste

Directions:  In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot and shallots, and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Shallots should be translucent. Add garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add lentils and rice, stirring to coat with onion mixture. Add all remaining ingredients, and simmer until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes). Additions: you can give this a Middle Eastern flare with some curry, ginger, and coriander (fresh leaves are great!). Or, you can add a Moroccan touch with cinnamon, golden raisins, ginger, and nutmeg.

Related articles

• Black Lentil Vegetable Soup (hummusapien.com)
• On the Menu: Oct 21-27 (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
• {she cooks} spicy tomato & red lentil soup (therailways.wordpress.com)

From the Archives: My Thanksgiving Recipes!

Local, pastured turkey, ready for carving.

This year, we’re doing some different dishes than in the past: a crown roast, a spatchcocked turkey, glazed brussel sprouts and chestnuts, and a few other items. But, there are favorites that appear on the table every year, and a few years ago I did a live-blogging event with my recipes. Here they are again, in one easy place!

Roasted Cranberry Orange Dressing

Pomegranate , Chestnut, and Fig Cornbread Dressing. Cornbread recipe is here.

Not-Your-Mom’s Green Bean Casserole

If you want to read the entire event, including the process of the homemade ciabatta dinner rolls and Thadd’s famous cinnamon rolls, it starts here.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cooking for One: Lime Shrimp & Broccoli over Quinoa

The nice thing about both shrimp and broccoli is that, at most grocery stores, you can get just enough for one person.

Ingredients:

1/3 lb. raw shrimp, de-veined

1 lime, zested & juiced

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine (or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic)

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cilantro or basil

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 lb. fresh broccoli florets, rinsed

1/2 c. quinoa (you can also use instant brown rice, if you prefer)

1 cup water -OR-  1 cup chicken or shrimp stock

Directions:  Peel shrimp. In medium bowl, combine shrimp, lime juice and zest, garlic, olive oil, cilantro/basil, and red pepper. Use your hands to mix thoroughly, cover bowl, refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or, if you prefer, do this in the morning before you go to work, and take it out for dinner). In the meantime, rinse quinoa in fine-mesh colander until water runs clear (about 30 secons). In small sauce pan with heavy bottom (or, better yet , a rice cooker if you have one!), add quinoa and water/stock. Cook per package directions if using a sauce pan, or cook as with rice in rice cooker.  Heat a small to medium skillet over medium heat, and add a teaspoon of olive oil to heat. Add broccoli, and cover. Stir occassionally, cooking to desired tenderness (I like mine al dente’, so it only cooks for 3-5 minutes). Add shrimp and marinade. Cook quickly, removing from heat as soon as shrimp is nice and pink (this is less than 3-5 minutes). Don’t over cook!  Serve over quinoa.

Related articles

• Lime and Cilantro Quinoa and Garbanzo Bean Salad (whohastimeforthegym.wordpress.com)
• Grilled Cilantro-Lime Shrimp with Spicy Hass Avocado Puree Recipe (avocadocentral.com)
• Mediteranian quinoa salad with shrimp (cookingkarens.wordpress.com)

What I Eat: Nov. 13, 2012

Greek yogurt is one of my favorite food. It can be quick and simple, with just a banana, or it can make an elegant dessert.

Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt with a banana.

Lunch: Chicken and broccoli casserole (leftovers),

Snacks: almonds, cheddar cheese, apples (I am on a huge apple kick right now), almond butter

Dinner: Catfish, brown rice cooked with chicken stock (low-sodium), steamed mixed vegetables

Stay tuned for another Cooking for One recipe tomorrow!