I mean homemade and with real breakfast foods as toppings: bacon, eggs, etc. And, of course, with the best, most healthy versions of those ingredients possible. Here's a short video of how I do it:
Coincidentally, leftovers are great for dinner, too:)))
After raising five children I learned a few things (some a little late:)). And one of the most important was how much easier a little weekend prep can make the following five days of meal planning. Here are my top five tips making it easier to J.E.R.F. (just eat real food) instead of succumbing to the drive-thru line (again).
1. Roast a chicken.
That's mine, done on Sunday, for the week's use.
Find the best chicken you can. I drive an hour to get local, pasture-raised birds, but if the local grocer is your only choice, at least shop smart. Don't forget to check out the "specialty" sections of your grocer. When I can't get my favorite free-range fowl, I head to the seafood section of my big-box grocery store. For some reason, there amongst the shrimp are bison, buffalo, and the chickens I consider "second-best." For whatever reason they are not with all the other chicken brands . . . Do some detective work around your favorite grocery.
Add whatever will fit in your roasting pan (I LUV my old-faithful covered cast iron skillet:)) Potatoes. Carrots. Onions. Celery. Peppers. Mushrooms. Herbs. White-wine. Get fancy if you can, but don't let plain and simple discourage you. Onion, salt, and pepper will do just fine.
After the chicken is done, debone and set the meat aside. (Don't disturb the meat juices in the pan.) Put the bones back in a stock pot with celery, onion, peppers, carrots, plenty of salt and pepper, etc. etc. and simmer for some hours. While the stock simmers let's get back to that roasting pan. Watch this short video to see how I utilize every bit of that bird---the intermediate stage doesn't look too appetizing but the finished product/ YUM:))
2. Saute a pound or two of ground beef with onions and peppers. This will become the base of pasta sauce for spaghetti, filling for tacos, or a protein-upping, toss in after pan stewing onions, potatoes and cabbage for a hearty Hungarian Goulash. In the summertime I will often toss a 1/2 cup of this cooked ground beef on top of a green salad, add some thousand island dressing and croutons (both homemade, of course:)) Here's a fancy version just to make you feel good about this shortcut, but simple is equally YUMMY!!
3. Cook some brown rice and/or quinoa. Enough for your family two or three times over. Cook it in that awesome chicken broth"by-product" from #2 above. I don't have to tell you all the ways you can combine these yummy sides with the meat bases above to create some spectacular meals . . . do I?
4. Make sure you have three good fresh vegetable choices on hand that are not-so-perishable. In most parts of the country carrots, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower are always available and keep well for close to a week.
5. Always keep onions, peppers, garlic and celery. ALWAYS!!! Even if you (gasp!) have to occasionally throw a wilted casualty out, it's worth it to have these staples handy when you need them.
Okay, still working out the kinks in the video-making business, but I decided if I'm ever going to get anything out, I can't wait until it meets all my standards, which would be pretty close to perfection:((
So, with that in mind, I finally just did it---Got out there what I wanted to say!! Heck, I enjoy a ton of You Tube videos, most far from professional. In fact, I like the simple, homemade, imperfect aspect best---They're a major source of inspiration and intrigue for further food and fitness studies! Hope you feel the same:)))
Make this wonder food a regular part of your diet!!
The egg presents us a whole lot in a little package, making this power food a staple that should be eaten often, even daily.
One large egg contains:
71 calories (44 from fat--that's about 5 g, with 2 g being saturated) 211 g of brain-loving cholesterol!! Yes, that's right, our brain needs plenty of cholesterol for fabulous function all our life. (The full scoop is a post for another day, but read here for some advice on eggs and brain health.) The marvelous egg also provides 6 g protein, 0 carbs, and 0 sugars.
But that's not all . . .
Eggs are a wonderful source of folic acid (23.5 mcg), which is necessary for cell development (take note mothers-to-be, you have some huge cell development going on in there:)). Choline is one of the newest nutrients to be added to the list of required nutrients by the
National Academy of Sciences (in 1998) and one egg has 35% of our established daily need. Each of our cells needs choline to keep its proper shape and permeability so that nutrients pass in while toxins and wastes pass out.
All eggs are not "created" equal (Notwithstanding the whole "What came first?" question:))
Farm-fresh eggs from free-foraging pastured hens---no supplemental feeding at all--are optimal. A study published by Mother Earth News found that compared to commercially-produced eggs, pastured eggs: • 1/3 less cholesterol • 1/4 less saturated fat • 2/3 more vitamin A • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids • 3 times more vitamin E • 7 times more beta carotene
How to prepare your eggs for an optimal balance of nutrients
Rocky Balboa may not have been the first . . .
But he certainly
helped launch a fad that many gym rats still adhere to today. The only
problem is many raw egg devotees discard many or all of the yolks
thinking they are avoiding the "dangerous" cholesterol. But are eating
only whites the best way to maximize eggs' nutritional benefits? It
turns out the answer is NO!
The
raw yolk contains biotin, a very important co-enzyme and B vitamin.
Discarding the yolk will not only deprive you of some egg-cellent brain
power but could lead to biotin deficiency. Symptoms include hair loss,
rash around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital area and even depression,
lethargy,
and numbness and tingling of the extremities.
While
it's true that the egg white contains a protein that bonds with biotin
and renders it essentially unabsorbable, gently cooking the white
deactivates this protein while persevering as much of the other valuable
proteins in the egg whites as possible. Some advocates of eating
(safely-raised, organic) raw eggs maintain that the biotin content in
the yolk is plenty high to make up for the binding of some of it when
whites are left raw. One thing's for sure eating only raw whites and
discarding the yolk will most certainly help lead to a biotin deficiency
if you aren't careful to supplement.
Visit Simply Recipes for step-by-step instructions for the perfect poached egg!
If you can't get eggs from a local source (free-foraging chickens) or you just can't stomach the idea of raw in any case, your best bet is to cook your eggs over light or medium. Poaching is also ideal.
Long morning of pre-Christmas errands. Hungry. Eat out?
Hmmm . . . Would be expensive
and not as nutritious as home cooking.
So I resisted and ten minutes after I got home
had this on the table.
Okay. I admit this recipe is a bit of a throw-back to the 1960s or early 70s. Some of you closer to my age will
remember . . . You know, the decade when moms did some pretty crazy things with canned tuna.
You can't really blame homemakers of that decade for their weird experimentation. Pre-packaged convenience foods of all kinds were experiencing a surge in popularity nearly 20 years after the initial flood had hit supermarket shelves----in most cases straight from military commissaries.
Consumption of canned tuna soared in the years after the two world wars---when it had first been introduced on a wide scale, providing
a high-protein, portable and convenient food for soldiers in
the field. By 1954 the world’s largest tuna producer and consumer
was the United States. Back then the standard can contained seven ounces of tuna. In the 70's most major producers reduced their can size to 6 ounces---prices moving in the opposite direction, of course!! And by 2010 major tuna fish companies had quietly downsized cans from six to five ounces.
Even though those interesting congealed creations may not appeal to today's fastidious foodies, don't throw out the tuna with the gelatin molds just yet!! Wild-caught and properly canned tuna is still one of the highest quality convenience foods around. And, notwithstanding shrinking cans, it's a great value. A 3-ounce serving contains a whopping 25 grams of protein, 1,300 mg of omega-3s, an impressive amount of vitamin D and is a good source of selenium.
I always keep canned tuna in the pantry. It's just so easy and versatile. And, I'm not ashamed to admit I make my tuna salad pretty much the same way my mom did (does). Why not? It tastes great! And as mom's learned more about healthy food choices, she's come on board with a few upgrades herself, using organic ingredients, adding in more fresh, raw veggies, and being a bit more adventurous with the seasonings.
Other than substituting a cream cheese/yogurt combo for the mayo (I was out, but I prefer mayo---these replacements yielded results a bit too rich and tangy) this is what I include most of the time. (Not pictured: onion and a good quality relish--I experiment with ethnic varieties a lot.)
I mash egg yolks in with the wet ingredients and mix the chopped egg whites in with the veggies and tuna.
Here are some ways I've gotten adventurous with the can myself---a lot prettier than my standard mix!
Don't you wonder if people in the future will look back at these recipes as funny and unappetizing!! Surely not!!! You think . . . ? Maybe . . . ? NO! Certainly these are timeless! Hmmm . . . but don't we always say that about interior design, architecture, hair and clothing styles . . .
For twenty years I've been driving an hour away for shopping at a wonderful coop grocery. When my oldest four kids were little doorsteps it wouldn't be unusual for me to be "wearing" my youngest baby, have the three year old in the proper toddler-seat space in the cart, the five year old crammed among the groceries in the main compartment of the cart, and the seven year old "helping" push the cart.
Things have changed a lot now that it's just me and my fifth and youngest doing the shopping. We don't go as often (maybe twice a month) and it's a lot less chaotic (notice, I did not say more fun---sure miss those crazy days!!) We usually go hungry and start out at the wonderful hot bar and deli, linger over coffee (and a special "treat' drink for my daughter) and linger some more as we peruse the aisles reading labels, taking advantage of specials, and generally enjoying ourselves thoroughly!
Hmmm . . .which one? Love both brands but I steer clear of lowfat, so Kalona wins!! Delicious!!
I stock up on things I can't find (at affordable prices, at least) closer to home. And this time, with Christmas only days away, I brought my gift-list along. I love giving friends and family "usable" healthy items for holidays and birthdays, even as wedding or baby shower presents---Always trying to encourage good eating habits and introduce natural health and beauty products, even through gift-giving!
Not giving this delicacy for a gift. No, not even to my pets:))
Another "delicacy" not available closer to home. Thanks for bringing back the original formula GT!!
Hope that you have an awesome grocery nearby that makes your shopping a happy and healthy experience!!!
Home alone. Nobody else to please. Feeling the need to keep it mostly healthy. Here's what came together:
Organic broccoli, sauteed gently in lots of grass-fed butter. A generous handful of broccoli sprouts. A tablespoon or so of my soaked-then-dehydrated raw sunflower seeds.
Organic sweet potato medallions, roasted with onion and poblano peppers, sprinkled with plenty of coarsely-ground pepper, Celtic salt, a bit of cayenne, and an even smaller bit of maple syrup.
And for dessert . . .
The rest of my morning "fix," a bit of peanut butter and four dark chocolate-covered almonds.
Random? Yes! Yummy all!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
It's What's For Dinner Tonight---Grass-Fed Sirloin Tip Roast
After a few days of enjoying leftover Thanksgiving poultry I'm ready for some beef! But not just any beef!! This beautiful sirloin-tip roast has been thawing in the frig for 5-6 days. It's part of my annual "half-cow" purchase from my friend Robert at Amber Grassfed Beef.
I love this cut. It's not a big roast, only 2-3 pounds and an inch to inch and a half thick. I cook it long, slow, and low (300 oven for 2 hours) for the tenderest and tastiest result. The best part, though, is knowing the health benefits of this grass-fed delicacy! Check out this article from Eat Wild if you need to be convinced (or reminded) grass-only is the ONLY way to go!!
A great colorful duo of rainbow carrots and heirloom potatoes look so yummy alongside the beef. Coarse Celtic salt, cracked pepper, sliced yellow onion and a generous handful of fresh thyme snippets are sprinkled on top just before covering and popping into the slow oven.
I usually remove the meat and veggies from the pan juices with a slotted spoon, add freshly ground flour, cook for a few minutes on medium heat, turn off heat and stir in milk until smooth, and cook the gravy on medium-low until thick. Add some extra salt and pepper then add back the veggies and meat! What can I say! This Southern girl loves gravy. (And my super-fresh organic ingredients make it healthy and guilt-free!!)
Out in the garden the cabbage is well on its way to forming heads but, alas, I can never wait. I'm always out there with my kitchen scissors, stealing those dark green, tender, baby leaves from all sides. I only clip a few from each plant, hoping they won't notice and will go about their business producing some nice, for-real cabbage heads in a few more weeks.
Aren't those little new potatoes the prettiest? Found them at Fresh Market, conveniently packaged in little net bags. I bought them with the cabbage in mind for one of my favorite (and so simple) cold weather dishes.
The only seasonings are coarse Celtic gray salt, cracked pepper, and caraway seed.
The thinly shredded cabbage leaves are added last and only cooked to tender crisp. If I'm in the mood for a heartier stew-type dish. I'll add some butter, sprinkle with some flour, stir in some milk or half and half and cook on low until cabbage is tender and sauce is thickened. For the creamy version I'll usually stir in some Taleggio cheese or sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with toasted rye bread. YUM!!!
