Pasta Jessica
This is my new favorite thing. It came about after I had made spaghetti with meat sauce the other night using whole wheat thin spaghetti and ground turkey. As I was packing up the leftovers for lunch the next day, I ended up spooning all of the sauce over the husband’s portion. So for my portion, I just had pasta. Now, I usually don’t mind because I’m a pasta whore and all I need is a little garlic and olive oil to make me happy. But I got to talking with my friend Jessica about my pile of leftover pasta and she asked me what other ingredients I had on hand. I’m trying to clean out my pantry, so I listed a bunch of canned goods: artichoke hearts, asparagus, beans of all kinds. This is the genius idea Jessica inspired:
- 1 can Progresso artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 galic cloves, minced
- 2 cups cooked whole wheat thin spaghetti
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
Sautee the garlic and shallots in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the artichokes and beans. Toss with hot pasta, drizzle with olive oil and then top with cheese and basil.
Serves 4 at about 6 WW points each.
*picture coming later today
Dreaming of Madrid
Since last night when the realator came over, I’ve been dreaming of what it will be like to live in Madrid. I’m really excited. I’ve found out that the days start late and dinner usually isn’t until like 9pm and later. Crazy!
I’m going to need to learn how to use the metro. We don’t really have any good public transportation here and the only time I’ve ever been on a subway was on a couple of trips to NYC where I didn’t even have to figure it out because my friend is a NYer and she knew what she was doing.
I’m also going to need to learn how to use my camera to it’s fullest extent. My pictures don’t come out nearly as nice as some great work I’ve seen on here and Flickr. Maybe the husband will let me get a fancy camera…he said I could, but I haven’t asked in months, so he may have forgotten…but then I’d have to learn to use that one, too.
I am pretty good at Spanish already, thanks to 5 years in middle and high school and two semesters worth in college. But it being a second language, it’s going to take some getting used to once we’re there.
I’m excited to try tapas. It should be nice to try new things in small quantities. And maybe I will learn to like wine, since I imagine most of it will be local type stuff and there will be a lot to choose from.
I’m also trying to figure out what to bring with me. We’ll be there for a minimum of six months and up to three years. I don’t want to bring a ton of stuff with me. I want to live a simple life there, and then translate it to life back in the States. I need to find clothes that are versatile and stylish at the same time. And comfortable for walking around, but I don’t want to look like a tourist, since I should grow out of the tourist mode after a month or so.
One of the things I am looking forward to the most is buying food at the market. I am imagining it to be like I wish it were here. I’m thinking I’ll walk down to the market early in the morning and see what looks good, decide what to make for lunch and dinner and buy it all fresh. It will be so much nicer to do that instead of going to the ghastly Super Wal-Mart here and buying stuff that was trucked across the country in cardboard boxes before going in the plastic bag with the smiley face on it.
Oh Madrid, when will you get here?!
Vinaigrette experiment
I found a blog that I like and the author had a vinaigrette recipe. I decided to try it. It was kind of a make-your-own-vinaigrette recipe where you choose the ingredients.
I’m almost out of olive oil, so I figured I’d use canola oil and sesame oil. And I thought red wine vinegar would be good. Not so much. So I added some balsamic vinegar to it. Still wasn’t right. Then I figured I was gonna throw it away anyways so I might as well experiment some more. So I added some local raw honey.
Needless to say, I did NOT create a masterpiece. But it is kind of edible.
I guess I need to get some more olive oil….
{update} It is not kind of edible. *gag* Back to the drawing board. 
Food tracking or one of the reasons why I am as-is.
I started this blog in an effort to track my food as well as my thoughts. I have yet to write down what I eat.
I obsess over what I eat. It’s pretty bad. I want to have a healthy relationship with food. But I can’t. I just want to eat everything. I brought leftover dinner in for lunch today but I forgot it was in the fridge and went to Chan’s for some lo mein instead. Plus I had like 5 cookies for breakfast. I *did* eat a banana, and there were veggies in my lunch…oh who am I kidding?! I ate like crap today.
But I’m okay with that. It’s odd. I am so polar opposite with my eating. Sometimes I won’t allow myself to eat. I am an undiagnosed anorexic. I withhold food to punish myself for being less than perfect. It’s a mind game with me. Sad, huh? Other times I binge on anything I can find that doesn’t have mayonnaise on it. But the feeling in my head is always the same. Both of those actions cause the reaction of me feeling like a complete failure.
But today I feel okay with eating what I did. It tasted good. It made me feel full. I don’t want more food, but I’m happy that I ate. To me, that’s a rare feeling. I want to savor this feeling the way I savor the flavors that I love so much. I want to have this feeling after every meal. I’m on my way to that.
And maybe once I find that place, I can start to love myself more.
Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce
Ingredients
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
4 lime wedges
Preparation
Preheat broiler.Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.
Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 506(30% from fat); FAT 17.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.5g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.6g; SODIUM 616mg; PROTEIN 29g; FIBER 3.1g
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 ears shucked corn
Cooking spray
Preparation
Prepare grill or broiler.Combine butter, rind, juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place corn on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from heat; brush corn with butter mixture.
Yield
8 servings
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 103(28% from fat); FAT 3.2g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.6g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.6g; SODIUM 108mg; PROTEIN 2.6g; FIBER 2.2g
