Couscous Feta Fritters

I was going through some of my older magazines (I have a lot to go through!) and I saw this and thought it looked really good. I'll have to make it soon.

Couscous fritters with feta

• 175g couscous
• 200ml hot vegetable stock
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp natural yogurt
• 85g feta cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
• 50g SunBlush tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil

1. Measure the couscous into a large heatproof bowl, pour over the hot stock, then cover with cling film. Leave to stand for 5 mins or until the couscous has absorbed the stock and is soft. Add the egg and yogurt and mix well. Season, then fold through the cheese, tomatoes and spring onions.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into burgers. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then cook the fritters over a medium heat for 3 mins on each side until golden. Serve with a green salad and a spoonful of your favourite chutney.
   

Making the fritters

Wet your hands before shaping the fritters to stop the mixture sticking to your hands. SunBlush tomatoes are softer than sundried. If you only have sundried, stir them into the couscous before adding the stock.

Nutrition per Serving: 510 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 51g, fat 27g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 1g, sugar 7g, salt 2.6g

Simple Syrup

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originally uploaded by dibranchia.

Ok, maybe it doesn't look so simple. It's not JUST simple syrup. It started with some local Pear Port (from Horton Vineyards). I made some poached pears using some I had left, and I had extra poaching liquid left. I used in quite a few things (over cheesecake, in tea, over poundcake) and when I remembered a bottle that a friend had recently given me, thoughts of poached pears roamed through my thoughts. Unfortunately, I keep eating the pears. So, I went ahead and made the syrup, and hubby is thinking of trying it on crepes.

Freezer Biscuits

Saw this in Cooking For 2 Magazine from Taste of Home. Can't wait to try it! Hubby loves biscuits, and I'm usually too tired or rushed in the morning to make them and don't think about them for dinner at night.

Freezer Biscuits
Yield: 8 biscuits Just mix up the basic dough, divide in half, stir in the different flavors and come up with 2 kinds of biscuits to have on hand!

2 c all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup 2% milk (I only keep soy or skim on hand)
Asiago Garlic Variation:
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
Sesame Herb Variation:
1/2 tsp dried marjaram
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sesame seeds

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, whisk egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. For Asiago garlic biscuits, add 1/3 cup of cheese, garlic powder and onion to one portion of dough. Knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4" thickeness; cut with floured 3 inch biscuit cutter. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

For sesame herb biscuits, add marjoram, thyme and basil to remaining dough. Repeat kneading, rolling and cutting steps. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Arrange biscuits in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13x2" baking pan. Cover and freeze overnight or until frozen. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

To use frozen biscuits: Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Bake at 400 Degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

More Variations:
1. Leaving out the garlic powder in the Asiago cheese and brush the tops with garlic butter instead. Or substitute your favorite cheese for the Asiago. If you don't have Asiago cheese on hand, you can sub Parmesan or Romano. Asiago is a little sweeter than both of those cheeses.
2. Changing the herbs in the Sesame Herb. Try oregano, tarragon, or an Italian Herb mix. For added flavor stir in some shredded cheese.
3. Serve the biscuits with flavored butter. Simply blend any chopped fresh herbs you have on hand with softened butter.
4. Using half the dough without seasonings to make breakfast biscuits. Slice and add an egg and sausage or bacon, or spread with cream cheese and jelly.
5. Adding dried cranberries or raisins to the basic dough along with the grated rind of a lemon or orange for a fruity scone-like snack.

Nutrition: 1 biscuit (without variations): 249 cal, 13 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 28 mg chol, 366 mg sod, 26 g carb, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein

Cooking For 2 Fall 2007 Mag. p 9

Get your Bialy's here!

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originally uploaded by dibranchia.

I haven't tried one yet.....these are just out of the oven. It smells soooo good in here!

From: http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/BREAD/BialysPletzel_-_pareve.html

Bialy's!

Picture041.jpg,
originally uploaded by dibranchia.

I made these years ago, from a recipe I found in the Washington Post. I actually fell in love with King Arthur thanks to that article. I thought I had saved the recipe, but it looks like it's disappeared. *sigh*Anyway, these are like a bagel, except they aren't boiled before baking and there's no hole, just a depression that I've filled with an onion/poppyseed mixture. I hope these turn out as well as the first one's I've made. I've never eaten a real bialy, but I figure as long as I'm happy that's all that really matters.

Tonight's dinner

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originally uploaded by dibranchia.

Hot out of the oven: Chilaquiles. It's just stale tortillas and tortilla chips layered with black beans, TwinOaks Vegetarian Chorizo, tomatillo salsa and cheese (low-fat). The pepper is a Fool Ya Jalapeno from my back porch (It's a jalapeno flavor without the heat). This was spicy (the chorizo has chipotle in it) but oooooh so good! I wish I had an avocado to put on it.

Hokie Healing Square

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originally uploaded by dibranchia.

It's done. I still have a few ends to weave in (I tucked them underneath) and the little ball of yarn will go with it for them to use when attaching all the squares. It turned out really well! It should go out on Tuesday.

I'm just confused.

I've been struggling for quite a while with a diet. I don't necessarily mean as a "reduction in calories" style diet, but more of a "daily nourishment" diet that I can do. I don't know what I should focus on the most, my liver, my diabetes, my weight? The thing is, they are all tied in together, lowering my weight will help both my diabetes and my liver, defatting my liver will most likely help with my diabetes and my weight. Keeping my blood sugars under better control will help both my liver and my weight also. It's kinda funny. I want someone to hand me a sheet of paper and tell me: Do this! But then I rebel because I guess I get tired of following instructions? I just feel like I have no idea where to start or what's the best. I tried the vegan, I liked the food, and all that, but quite frankly, I just can't do it totally. But I really do think it helped with my blood sugar control, but it did nothing for weight loss. Weight Watchers....at one point years ago I lost 25 lbs and was considered "Diabetic controlled by diet" and I just can't get back to that mindset for some reason, I just kept losing and gaining the same 10 lbs or so. I've tried a few other diets, but most of them were for a few days (buying all the different foods gets expensive and most of the time we're on a fiscal diet), and I can't really say I tried them (Except for Atkins a few years ago: I didn't last a day, missed the bread and fruits so badly). The appetite control that the Byetta gave me, it's gone. It's not that I'm ignoring it, it's just that my body has gotten used to the dose and I no longer have that side-effect anymore. I am still not eating quite as much anymore, so I guess it still works a bit, it's just not what it was. I would just like a diet where I don't have to think, examine every type of food I eat and the possible effect it could have on me. I'm tired of thinking about every little thing I put or plan to put in my mouth and then the guilt that I feel after I've done something that I feel I shouldn't have done. I know I should just look at it like a slip, and keep on trying to do my best, but I'm darn tired of trying to be perfect and failing misserably. I'm tired of having people ask me if it's ok if we go to eat at such-and-such a restaurant, because I don't want to have to think about what I should avoid, and what I really don't want to eat even though it'd be better for me.

I know there are people that are the just eat healthy and that kinda stuff, but for me it really is a life and death kinda thing. If I don't clear my liver or get my diabetes under control I won't be around for a long time to enjoy the great husband and extended family that I have. But even that thought doesn't do much for me. It just kinda makes me want to pull a Scarlett and "Think about it another day." I'm not sure how to keep myself from hiding from what could happen, you'd think that liver surgery would kinda do that for me without much thought. It just makes me scared and worried, and obsessive which all cause me stress and guilt and then I want to just get away from it all, usually by eating.

I also need to get my behind out the door and move! I think that helps everything (liver/diabetes/weight) more than any way of eating could. Once I'm moving I like it, but for some reason I have that "Once at rest a body will stay at rest" law going on. I shouldn't have to lean on my husband to make me walk.

I really need to test my blood sugars more often. I usually forget to do it in the morning since I'm so focused on taking my pills and not eating until I can take my Byetta an hour later. I then forget to re-test after eating - or I've eaten something else when I remember that I needed to test first. That's the big thing, I don't really eat big meals that much anymore, I feel like I'm eating constantly, little things here and there. I think part of my not testing is because I don't want to see that number. I don't want to see that I need to control what I'm eating a bit better. I don't want to know that I am failing once more.

I feel like such a brat.

*SIGH*

Anyway, I am so glad that my allergy test is tomorrow. I'm tired of being stuffed up, headachy and having a runny nose. Could someone PLEASE explain how I can be stuffed up AND have a runny nose? My eyes are itchy, my body's itchy and I just want to take an antihistamine (I'm taking decongestants, they just don't work real well and I can't take too many since it messes up my sleep). I can't even take aspirin or ibuprofen since they both have anti-inflammatory properties. Hubby mowed the grass yesterday and I could only stay outside for a bit before my eyes became horribly unbearable. I need to remember to ask him if there's anything they can do about my poison ivy reactions. I went out today and sprayed a bunch that is in the front side yard (with a vinegar solution) and it's just scary how much poison ivy is spread throughout our whole yard. There's no way to get rid of it all. And I realized that since I couldn't garden last year, the amount of poison ivy I had went way down. It's also been down a lot more because we're a bit more careful with where the dogs go, especially since I can't take any steriods anymore when the poison ivy gets bad. But still, just seeing it popping up without any rhyme or reason scares me. I don't want to have to go through a major poison ivy infection this year. I also need to ask about food allergies.

Made a pretty good dinner last night. It's been one that has planned for a few days but I was feeling bad and didn't cook (Costco take-and-bake pizza is pretty good btw - we ate that for 3 days). Make a mixture of honey, dijon mustard, pepper and dill. Smear on pork chops and bake/broil until done. Then you make a pumpernickel stuffing using stale pumpernickel, broth, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and some seasoning. It was yummy!

My mom was over this weekend. My stepdad had a Lion's Club meeting in Richmond this weekend, so I went and picked her up and we headed out to Lavender Fields Farm for their herb thingy (I'm babysitting herbs for her actually since she leaves for Savannah today) and then we went to the Lebanese Food Festival and I got to introduce her to some wonderful foods that she's never tried before. :) We got a bunch of stuff and shared it. We shared: Kibbeh, cucumber yogurt salad (she already knows this, but likes it better with sour cream and dill, this had yogurt and mint, the way I like it), stuffed grape leaves, chicken schwarma, falafel, and a spinach feta pie. And I still lost a pound the next morning when I weighed. :D She's interested in going (along with my stepdad) to the Greek Festival now. He's a big lover of Pastas and stuff (His deceased wife was Italian) so we think he'll like greek food more than the lebanese.

My Lunch Today

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originally uploaded by dibranchia.

I was hoping to make a CousCous salad from the new issue of Vegetarian Times this weekend, but didn't get the chance. Today as I was trying to figure out what I felt like eating, I thought again of that couscous salad - but wanted a bit different flavor. This is what I ended up with. I must admit, I do know know if it's vegan or even vegetarian. Why? Well the seasoning packet I had came from Near East's Mediterranean curry Couscous and I used the couscous, stored the spice packet and threw away the box so I don't remember if it had something like chicken broth or fat or anything. Anyway, I cooked up 10 oz of couscous (whole-wheat), added the packet and let it sit while I prepped the veggies. I had roasted some asparagus earlier this morning since it was cool and had some spears just for this. I also added sliced radishes, sauteed their tops and added those, sliced green onions, diced cucumber, drained chickpeas and diced carrots. I forgot to add the diced tomato - but there's plenty left so I'll add it to the leftovers. I also added some homemade mustard-lemon based vinaigrette and some Liquid Gold (recipe from Becoming Vegan that has flax oil, nutritional yeast, and cumin along with other stuff). It's quite yummy!

I figured out how to post my photos to Blogger all by myself. :) Hubby had set it up for LJ (where I do most of my posting) but I wanted Blogger to be more about what I ate and not my life.

I have some tempeh bacon I need to use up (I cooked it all in one go) and I am tired of TLT's. I'm still trying to figure out what to use it in. I think tonight's going to be an asparagus tart. (Not vegan - but veggie) since I have some Feta I need to use. I need to figure out where Sunergia's (sp?) feta is sold. It's not at Good Foods, and Ellwood Thompson's and any of the HFSs in C'ville are about the same distance away. I don't often head to C'ville only because it's easier to hit the West End of Richmond than there (I pretty much live right in the middle of both). I don't head into (or close to) downtown Richmond at any point. And with gas being so high (We actually saw it at 3.29 at one place last night in Richmond), around 2.79-2.89 a gallon here I can't just go traipsing off for the heck of it. Oh well, I'll hopefully find it soon. I know I like it after trying it at the C'ville Veg Fest Last year.

We ARE Virginia Tech

Not so much has been going on really. At the moment I have a stuffed up ear with a touch of pain (I've started antibiotics), still occasionally having liver pain, found out that I am a true Omni - but I am still trying to eat more plant based foods since they are yummier, having my best friend moving back to VA in just a bit, and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Whew! :)

I've been a bit down this week. I went to Tech for 2 1/2 years, I would go back if I had a reason to, I must admit. I loved it there, still love it actually. The shooting there felt so personal even if I hadn't been there in ages. A major tragedy at Tech! Why? It's such the last place I would have thought it would happen. And I'm upset at how the media is trying to place the blame on Tech and guns. They did the best they could have at the time, and the gun situation? If he wanted to get guns he would have found a way, it's not like he had a record and couldn't have gotten them in the first place. I do realize that he had some problems a few years ago, but I think everyone is optimistic that people change. I don't think it's a thing where people "don't want to get involved" but more of a "I can't believe someone could actually do something that horrible" that cause people not to do much. It is also hard for me to get away from all the media reports, it's feeling quite a lot like 9/11 in that respect. I've spent a lot of time turning the tv off, listening to my ipod and reading. It's just too much.

One good point....from the convocation....Nikki Giovanni's "We ARE Va Tech!" I held it together, losing it as everyone started the Hokie cheer. I am a Hokie, I am proud, and THEY can get through anything together.



We are Virginia Tech

We are sad today
We will be sad for quite a while
We are not moving on
We are embracing our mourning

We are Virginia Tech

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry
And we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again

We are Virginia Tech

We do not understand this tragedy
We know we did nothing to deserve it

But neither does a child in Africa
Dying of AIDS

Neither do the Invisible Children
Walking the night away to avoid being captured by a rogue army

Neither does the baby elephant watching his community
Be devastated for ivory
Neither does the Mexican child looking
For fresh water

Neither does the Iraqi teenager dodging bombs

Neither does the Appalachian infant killed
By a boulder
Dislodged
Because the land was destabilized

No one deserves a tragedy

We are Virginia Tech
The Hokie Nation embraces
Our own
And reaches out
With open heart and mind
To those who offer their hearts and hands

We are strong
And brave
And innocent
And unafraid

We are better than we think
And not yet quite what we want to be

We are alive to imagination
And open to possibility
We will continue
To invent the future

Through our blood and tears
Through all this sadness

We are the Hokies

We will prevail
We will prevail
We will prevail

We are
Virginia Tech

Nikki Giovanni, delivered at the Convocation, April 17, 2007

I'm trying to crawl back....

I fell off the wagon... Not good. And I'm starting to feel bad, so I know I need to work my way back. I think instead of doing it cold turkey like I did earlier, I'm going to slowly transition back to vegan stuff. I get to obsessed over what I'm eating, what to eat next, all that stuff. (Same thing happens when I do Weight Watchers too.). I guess this would make me a true omnivore, but I'm trying to eat more plant based than meat centric and we'll see if it goes any better slowly.

Today's meals!!!

Today has been a pretty good day. It didn't rain (they were calling for the chance for scattered showers), but we still stayed inside together. Hubby's day's off are Thurs and Fri, so that's what I think of my weekend as. As per my usual, I used an electric skillet for everything (for some reason, whenever I make pancakes in the am, the skillet it used for the rest of the day, and then put back until the next pancake time). I made silver dollar pancakes this morning, a size I hadn't made before. They were just plain pancakes. I had mine with some Pear Butter (just pear,pineapple and sugar cooked down) that I bought last year at the Mennonite's Dayton Days thingy (the money they raise goes to their relief fund). I need to go to another one, I'm out of the fresh ground corn meal. John walked in the back door and looked at my pancake and asked, "Is that marmite?" I looked at him and told him what it was. "Now that I think about it, that would have been a lot of Marmite." he replied. Now, I like marmite, but that would have been quite a lot!

And then lunch was Jerk Seitan the idea of which came from VWaV. YUM!!! I didn't make the marinade that VWaV used, I had a sample of Jerk Seasoning that I had gotten while at one of the Food Shows for 12Dinners. I marinaded the seitan strips with that, some lime juice and some vinegar. When it was time too cook, I added a touch of soy sauce to the leftover marinade and finished the recipe as directed.

Dinner....mmmm....Peanut noodles. I had half a head of napa cabbage. (I've had this for a while now, the Evert-Fresh bags are wonderful!) and I finished it up by sauteing it, some onions, some broccoli slaw, zucchini, and snow peas. I only did them for a few minutes, wanting to keep them crisp. I sliced some radishes and green onions, threw them into a bowl with the semi-cooked veggies and cooked some Soba noodles. While the noodles were cooking I mixed up the sauce: peanut butter, garlic, onion powder, Chili-garlic paste, lime juice, soy sauce, roasted sesame oil and some rice wine vinegar. I used some of the simmering noodle water to thin the sauce (I used a bit too much I must admit, the peanut butter was pretty hard since it was the natural style and the bottom of the jar in the fridge). It was still wonderful!

The only thing I have planned for tomorrow is to make some grits. I've got some soy nacho cheese, so I'll make my southwestern style grits: a touch of cumin, some pickled jalapeno and the cheese. Yummers! It's leftovers for lunch (leftover cajun stuffed peppers for hubby and butternut squash soup for me). I do know that since they're calling for rain tomorrow, hubby and I will catch up on the shows we've missed (because they come on at the same times as others that we like) and I'm sure I'll make some popcorn. That may just fill us up. :) I am thinking of just sauteeing some cabbage and onions and serving it over pasta. The napa cabbage cooking today smelled wonderful, even hubby commented on it, so I'm craving kluski.

Enjoyed the VegFest, and really enjoyed being with my mom and sister. I really miss being with them. Dinner tonight is this (from vrg.org) except I'm adding a touch of ground cumin.

GARBANZO BEAN BURGERS
(Simply Vegan -- Quick Vegetarian Meals)

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), mashed
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/4 small onion, minced
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons oil

Mix the ingredients (except oil) in a bowl. Form 6 flat patties. Fry in oiled pan over medium-high heat until burgers are golden brown on each side. Serve alone with a mushroom or tomato sauce, or as a burger with lettuce and tomato. Makes 6 burgers.

Day 3 of McDougall

Yep, doing McDougall, or at least trying to. Hubby's finishing up the few deli meats we have left in the freezer and he said he's willing to at least go vegetarian for lunch. So I went online and found a bunch of recipe ideas. I made a document, listing them, and then got it laminated. He's supposed to look through it on his days off, choose what he wants, and then I know what to buy/make for him. The big thing is he doesn't eat leftovers for lunch. He just wants sandwiches, and not roll-ups or anything like that, just sandwiches. *sigh*

I did cheat a bit last night, used a prepared Organic pasta sauce (Prego) since I have a few bottles instead of making my own from the recipe. I also added a half of a "log" of veggie sausage from Twin Oaks (Thanks to Chris and Darlene's "Eat air" vegan blog ) [<--first link there!!!]. It's made up the road from me basically, about 10 miles or so. I also found some of the chorizo at Good Foods, and I already pick up their tofu either at GF or at the Goochland Farmer's Market on Saturday. I need to email them sometime to find out if I can pick it up there instead of driving into Richmond. I'm thinking of buying it by the case (it's more for hubby than for me) and freezing it. I hope it freezes ok. I don't see why it wouldn't. I already occasionally freeze tofu, so I know that's ok. It just changes the texture a bit.

I've got a few of the McDougall books thanks to Paperbackswap.com. I want to get the Quick and Easy and the New McDougall Cookbook, but it looks like I'm going to have to order them. I can't even get them through Louisa OR Goochland's library. :( I'd also like to get some of the older cookbooks, but I'll have to get hubs paypal info for that. I wish the sellers were all the same people instead of different people. I like McDougall's recipes better than Ornish's only because they are more "real people" type. The Ornish's are good, but you can tell they are designed by chefs. Now, as an ex "chef" it's great. I just means a bit more work than I want to do at this point to eat. And although a lot of the recipes seem to be involved, it's more of the prepping (chopping and sauteing and stuff) than actual cooking. The titles are just fancier (they usually list all the ingredients *grin*).

OK, off to the hosptial to get a copy of my pre-op bloodwork to see where I'm starting from.

I know, haven't been around much. My sleep schedule is WAY outta wack. I'm getting to bed anywhere from 4-6 am and sleeping until about 11:30. It's like Hubby and I are two passing ships in the night anymore. :( It all started because I do too much and then when I sit down, I totally collapse and fall asleep. I've even had to take my pain pills occasionally since I still do too much. One day soon I hope to be back to "normal".

I'm sure my body will be complaining to me later. It's kinda mumbling now. I cleaned out my freezers of meat...kinda. I have about 4-5 plastic shopping bags with stuff for my sister to take. And I filled up the back of my car with MANY more to take to the dump today (the main one isn't open on Sunday's, but the recycling centers have dumpsters and are open 10-6 or so). It felt kinda odd to be tossing all that meat, I must admit. Most of it was stuff that I had FoodSavered - so no freezer burn or anything. I tossed it because some were dated 03 and 04. I had a few Ziploc bags that were unlabeled, I knew what they were, but my sister wouldn't. I saved her quite a bit of stuff though. Including a few ready made foods - and I found some brunswick stew that my mom will like having. :) I also found the Tempeh Portobello Burgers I made a while ago in the bottom. They are individually sealed and look good. I can't remember if I've tried once since I've made them, but I think I have. I do know there is probably too much fat in them to be Ornish friendly, but they are veggie and I KNOW my sister won't eat them.

Hubs has off tomorrow. So we'll get to spend the day together, doing nothing really. I would imagine we'll both be playing Animal Crossing, we do that a lot together on his "weekends." I am going to fix the last of the shrimp (sister's allergic to them) and cheese hot dogs (they are too good to send to her! I wish they made veggie cheese hot dogs!). That'll do it for the meat in the house besides a few packages and cans of tuna. I'm slowly getting there! Yay!

I've been having trouble logging into blogger lately, not sure if it's on my end (we're dial-up) or theirs. Anyway...

Made Mattar Keema the other night. Instead of beef I used some seitan I had made. I don't think I let it mix enough and it was crumbly looking. It stuck together so I went ahead and threw it in the crockpot and hoped for the best. It came out still looking like hamburger patties...so I divided them up and threw them in the freezer, keeping one bag out to try. This looked disturbingly close to the real stuff. I thought it was ok (a bit too wheaty tasting) but hubby liked it. We've liked it better with Morningstar crumbles and next time I might try using lentils.

My sleep schedule is screwed up. I couldn't sleep the other night, so I made PPK's tempeh bacon. So far I've had a few pieces these past two mornings (afternoons) and it's quite good. I need to get a good tomato and make a TLT.

Next on the list... I've been eyeing Greek Basmati Rice and Lemon-Herb Tofu from Vive Le Vegan!

Last night was FFY (Fend For Yourself) although hubs commented that it was more like IMYAPOL (I'm Making You a Plate of Leftovers) *grin* It was good. I had: Chickpea and Tomato Stew, Channa Masala, Mattar Keema, a blob of garlic hummus, and some whole wheat pita bread. Yummers! Today I don't feel real great, I think it's because of my sleep schedule. So I told hubs he could get what he wanted while in town (He has some McD's gift certificates burning a hole in his pocket *shudder*) and I'll just nosh on the leftovers (there's quite a lot and I don't have room in the freezers yet to put some there).

Dinner Last night.

Ok, well Hubs only gave it a 7, he said only because it didn't hit a spot...he wasn't craving pasta. Me on the other hand had been looking forward to it all day. So..it's getting put as a repeatable...


* Exported from MasterCook *

PASTA WITH TOMATO-LENTIL SAUCE

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup Lentils -- or 1 cup cooked
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
7 1/2 Ounces Pasta

Braise the onions, garlic, basil, and oregano in red wine. (If you are
using cooked lentils, ignore the information regarding lentil preparation
and omit the bay leaves.) While the onions are cooking, put the lentils
and bay leaves into a separate pot with 11/2 cups water and cook for 30
minutes, until done. Do not overcook the lentils because they will need to
retain their shape.

After the onions have softened, add the tomato puree. Let cook for
approximately 20 minutes, until some of the liquid is reduced and the
sauce has thickened.

When the lentils have finished cooking, remove the bay leaves. Drain the
lentils and add them to the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package
directions without using salt, until al dente? tender but firm to the
bite. Drain. Serve the sauce over the pasta.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 463 Calories; 2g Fat (3.6% calories
from fat); 21g Protein; 90g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 525mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3
Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : This very hearty sauce works with lasagna as well.

yield: 2 3/4 cups sauce (3 to 5 servings) by Mark Hall
Serving size 1 cup pasta 1 cup sauce
22 calories
0.9 grams total fat
0.1 grams saturated fat
0 milligrams cholesterol


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

My First Week

Well, it didn't go too badly. I wasn't perfect, but not too bad. I am trying to use up some of the non Ornish stuff in my freezers (like the veggie burgers that aren't totally right, and some shrimp (which my sister is allergic to: she's taking the rest of the meats though). Hubby loves couscous, and I have to admit I didn't make it that often. I'm making it more now. And he loves indian stuff, so that makes it easier. I made fresh okra for the first time (only ever had it from frozen and pickled).

Our 3 faves from this week: Pasta with Tomato-Lentil Sauce , Tomato Okra Stew, AND Chick-Pea and Vegetable Stew with Couscous. [Many more recipes can be found here: http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/17/99886 ]

The few times I had something with a moderate amount of fat, I felt bad, physically. That's a better reminder than anything else. It's an actual thing for me to point and and go: "See, you don't want to feel like that!"

I'm going to meet my mom and sister at the Charlotesville Veggie Fest at the end of Sept. (It's halfway between my house and theirs) and I'm hoping to get more ideas while there. I'm looking forward to it!

Here's the okra recipe:


* Exported from MasterCook *

TOMATO AND OKRA STEW

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2/3 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups Corn Kernels -- 2 to 3 large ears
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 ground cumin
1 1/2 cups diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups Okra -- thinly sliced
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper -- plus 1 pinch
Salt
1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper -- to taste

Braise the onions, garlic, and oregano in the 1 cup water. When the onions
begin to soften, add the corn kernels and red wine. Continue braising for
10 minutes after adding the corn.

Add the cumin, green pepper, okra, and tomatoes. Cover and stew for 45 to
60 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cayenne and add
salt and pepper to taste.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 143 Calories; 1g Fat (7.3% calories
from fat); 5g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3
Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : Serve this stew over Wild and Arborio Rice or another
grain dish. [ I loved it over a baked potato!!!!!]

yield: 4 cups (4 servings) by Mark Hall
Serving size 1 cup
139 calories
1.6 grams total fat
0.3 grams saturated fat
0 milligrams cholesterol


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Dinner Tonight

Well, this week hasn't been easy. I've done ok, but not great (some Nutella, some Fluff, some lemon icing...some deli meats and some shrimp have all entered my system so far).
So far this is our favorite meal of the week, Hubs gave it a 9.9 :) I didn't have any zucchini, but threw in some mixed sliced fresh mushrooms and baby spinach leaves. It was great!

* Exported from MasterCook *

CHICK-PEA AND VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Recipe By :Deborah Madison
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup Chickpeas -- plus the cooking broth (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
1 large onion -- diced in 1/4-inch squares
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 green bell pepper -- diced slightly larger than the onions
1 cup Zucchini -- cubed, or other summer squash
1 can canned tomatoes -- (about 2 cups) chopped, and their juices
2 tablespoons Golden Raisins -- or regular
1 teaspoon Saffron Threads
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley -- chopped
2 tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
1 cup Frozen Peas
8 ounces couscous
Fresh Cilantro Sprigs -- for garnish
Fresh Parsley Sprigs -- for garnish

Sort and rinse the chick-peas, then soak overnight in water. Drain and
cook in 5 cups water until tender, about 2 to 3 hours. Drain, reserving
the broth, and set aside.

Warm a cup of the chick-pea broth in a skillet or soup pot and add the
onion, garlic, and the dried spices. Simmer gently until the onions have
begun to soften, about 7 minutes. Don 't let the pan dry out or the spices
will burn. Add more liquid as needed instead.

Once the onions are soft, add the chick-peas, pepper, squash, the juice
from the tomatoes and the chopped tomatoes, the raisins, safflower or
saffron, if using, the parsley, and cilantro. Add enough chick-pea broth
or water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are
done and the liquid has reduced, making a nice sauce. Add the green peas
during the last 5 minutes.

Make the couscous and serve with the vegetables and their sauce. Garnish
with cilantro or parsley.

Couscous: If using packaged couscous, follow the directions on the box.
Otherwise bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil, pour in the precooked
couscous and turn off the heat. Cover and let stand until the couscous has
absorbed the moisture, about 5 minutes.

Source:
"Dr. Dean Ornish's Program from Reversing Heart Disease"
Yield:
"8 Cups"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 476 Calories; 4g Fat (7.3% calories
from fat); 21g Protein; 92g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 105mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat;
1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : The basis of this stew is the chick-pea and its cooking
broth. You can vary the vegetables according to the
season, using winter squash in the winter and zucchini in
the summer, for example. You can also increase or lessen
the amount of vegetables, according to your own taste. The
cooking liquid is important for it lends a certain
viscosity that is reminiscent of oil but which is absent
in water. It gives the stew more body and a richer
texture. This is easy to multiply.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ok...so I'm back from having the left lobe of my liver removed. And the biospy showed that my liver is 90% fat. :( The doctor said it was the fattiest liver he had seen in all his years. I told him that I didn't eat a lot of fatty stuff. He told me it was probably due a lot to my diabetes. The extra carbs and calories that I eat automatically got stored in the liver. This could lead to cirrhosis (sp) of the liver, and a possible liver transplant down the road.

I also can now have no alcohol. I don't drink a lot, but will ocassionally have some wine, beer or a mixed drink.

The doctor also told me to go on a vegetarian diet, and specifically mentioned Dr. Ornish. *gulp* Now I have to admit, I eat veggie sometimes, and love the recipes I've tried...but being told I would die very early if I don't do it is quite sobering. I don't react well to change, much less such a big one. I'm trying not to be scared out of my wits. The big thing is I don't do so well with cooking off the cuff for veggie meals yet. Now some I can, like spaghetti and stuff, but other types I can't. I'm so used to just looking in the fridge and coming up with something that tastes great, and I'm scared my mojo will be leaving when I try. Also this very low-fat thing....that's also going to impact the wonderfulness of foods. I just feel so overwhelmed and scared and not sure where to start first.

I am lucky in the fact that the doctor didn't tell me to "become a vegetarian marathon runner" as someone said their doctor told them on a blog I read. The doctor mentioned I should get some vegetarian cookbooks, and I just kinda smirked. Last night hubby and I figured I have at least 100-150 of them. I did pick up 3 today: Dr. Ornish's "Eat More, Weigh Less" and "Everyday Cooking" along with Joanna Lund's "Cooking Healthy with Soy." We'll see what happens... I am actually thinking about learning what I need to do to become a nutritionist.

I can do this...I HAVE to do this, but I can do this well.