One of the joys of finally being home for a stretch of time is getting to do some cooking again.
A cute and tasty take on insalata caprese
There was no opportunity, alas, to plant a spring garden, and all that came back was weeds and basil. Thank goodness for basil. I've been plucking it by the handful for pestos and delicious side dishes like this colorful version of insalata caprese. Mixed red, yellow, and purple cherry and pear tomatoes (so sweet!), shredded basil, and bocconcini (bite-sized mozzarella balls), drizzled with some fresh Texas olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Couldn't be easier or more delicious!
Polenta - so easy!
One night (the day before Grocery Day ... when there wasn't much left in the house) I scrounged around the pantry shelves and found a bag of Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits. If you're a yuppie, or Italian, you call this polenta. It's very easy to make, and since I can never leave well enough alone, I added my own touch, which was to boil the grits in mushroom broth instead of water, for added flavor, and toss in a big handful of basil. Here's the recipe:
MUSHROOM BASIL POLENTA
6 cups mushroom broth (or water)
3 tbsp butter (optional; could also use olive oil)
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups corn grits aka polenta
Big ol' handful of shredded fresh basil
1/2 to 1 cup of shredded parmesean cheese
In a heavy, deep pan, boil the broth and salt. Stir in the polenta a little at a time. Reduce the heat and simmer for about half an hour, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very thick. I suggest a long-handled wooden spoon. Add butter if you're using it, basil, and the cheese. Stir well and turn out into a greased pie tin. Let it sit for about 10 minutes; then cut into thick slices and serve hot.
There are lots of ways to enjoy polenta --- traditonally you'd spread a little tomato sauce and sprinkle cheese on top --- but I opted to make a squash hash.
Cindy's polenta topped with squash hash
The squash hash is also REALLY easy.
EASY SQUASH HASH
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large yellow squash, grated
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
Olive oil
Artichoke hearts, chopped
Cherry and pear tomatoes, sliced in half
Smoked mozzarella
Brown the onions in a little olive oil and salt; add the squash and garlic, and cook until most of the moisture is gone and all is nicely browned. Serve over a hot slice of polenta; top with a slice of smoked mozzarella. Let the mozzarella melt; then top with artichoke hearts and tomatoes.
Let me tell you, this dish was a hit at my house. If you're worried about protein, I'd just throw a couple scoops of protein powder into the polenta mix. Or add some black or cannellini beans.
Green veggie enchiladas for homemade TexMex goodness!
Determined to get back to my old, good habits of cooking a big dish or two per week (less temptation to run out at the last minute and get something I shouldn't!), I bought the stuff to make enchiladas. It's Hatch chile season here in the southwest, and hubby has been jonsing for some Tex-Mex, which is delicious but can of course be very fatty. What follows here is my lazy version of enchiladas. For extra flavor, I would have grilled the veggies first.
CINDY'S LAZY GREEN VEGGIE ENCHILADAS
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 large yellow squash, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
Garlic cloves to taste, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 package chicken-style seitan (optional)
1 can of Hatch green chiles
2 cans of Hatch green chile enchilada sauce
1 package of fresh corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Sautee the onions, garlic, pepper, squash, and seitan in a little olive oil and salt, until most of the moisture is gone and they're nice and brown. Add the canned chiles. In a rectangular pan, pour out a little enchilada sauce; the cover with torn up bits of corn tortilla. Top with veggie mix. Repeat these layers until the pan is full. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 F for about half an hour, or until throroughly heated, with bubbly cheese.
If I were doing a big, nasty, calories-be-damned version, I'd take the time to roll the veggie mix in each corn tortilla, cover with enchilada sauce, and use a whole lot more cheese. By tearing and layering the tortillas, you use less; and by sprinkling cheese on top instead of saturating the whole dish with it, you're saving a lot of calories without sacrificing taste.
Or, as I like to call it, Liquid Salad
For breakfast, I've been making lots of green smoothies. It's a great way to get your veggies in at breakfast, and help set up healthy eating for a day when you'll be on the run. There are lots of great recipes out there, but this is my favorite:
THE GREEN PINEAPPLE
2 leaves of kale
4-5 mini carrots
1/2 a zucchini
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup frozen pineapple
Throw it all in the Vitamix and blend. If you don't have a Vitamix, you might need to chop the veggies up very well first. Also, if you want it thicker, add a few ice cubes; sweeter, a teaspoon of maple syrup or a little more pineapple. Looks like oobleck but it tastes good and stays with you!
So there you have it. Cookin' up a storm, all of it healthy, cheap, and really, really quick and easy (just what you want in the hot summer time). Enjoy!
Hi friends. Thank you for all the messages of encouragement and support. This blog was started to help me with accountability, but I also wanted it to provide inspiration and encouragement for others, and it really helps me to know it has achieved that goal. More importantly, I appreciate and am reassured of its value, knowing that it continues to be a source of inspiration to some of you. One of the things I have struggled with for some time is how much of my current battle to share; but ultimately, I decided that it's important to show the hard times as well as the good ones. All we see from the weight loss industry are the success stories, and you never see how those people who lost a miraculous amount of weight in a short time are doing two, three, five years later. Maintenance, as it turns out, is a lot harder than the losing phase!
To clarify, although it's true the thought of ending the blog has entered my mind, I have no intention of doing so any time soon. Clearly there's still some work to be done. Plus, I am way too much of a Pollyanna to let it end on less than a successful and happy note. Thank you to everyone who commented and asked me not to stop writing it, or kindly offered understanding but said you like to read it. We'll keep on slogging for some time to come!
I'd like to address a few of the comments in more depth.
RebeccaNYC, thanks for your comments. I've gained too much weight back, to the point where I am not comfortable and don't feel good about my body. Fitness is my main goal now, but I would like to lose about thirty pounds and call it a day. I think that's realistic and reasonable, and something I could maintain without making myself crazy.