Challenge Week 2- What the HECK is that?!?!

Today brings another mystery box from Dominion Harvest (https://www.dominionharvest.com/), and a little confusion! Remember that paper I told you about? Well, this week the first item on the list is Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. If you are like me, you just said WTF is that?!?!? Hahaha... Well... should make an interesting week of coming up with recipes!

So... here are is the loot from week 2 group of Dominion Harvest!

One Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (as it turns out... this is a squash variety)

One Acorn Squash

5 Red Delicious Apples

4 Red Bell Peppers

1 Head Bibb Lettuce

4 Green Tomatoes (my instinct is to fry them, like the movie title says to... but that would fall a bit short of "healthy"!!!)

1 Dozen Brown Eggs

3 BEAUTIFUL ONIONS!!!

Green Beans

Okra

Gouda Cheese

I will try to come up with some interesting recipes but I will be honest, some of these items sound like more fun than others. I am gonna really focus this week and try to come up with some yummy recipes!

Let the games begin!!! 



Challenge- Breakfast Frittatas

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Eggs
• Red Bell Pepper
• White Cheddar Cheese

Other Ingredients-

• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 2 diced jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed (I left them in one because I like the heat)
• 1 1/2 cups of crumbled turkey sausage (I used pre-cooked turkey sausage crumbles to make it easier)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

First, heat up the olive oil and cook the sausage for about 3 minutes over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Then add all of the veggies and allow to cook for about 2 more minutes.
Next, scramble 10 eggs and season with salt and pepper. Then pour over the sausage mixture. Allow to cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes while occasionally running a spatula around the edge to let the runny eggs reach the heat (like you would for an omelet!).
Once the bottom is firm and lightly browned, place a large plate (bigger than the skillet) over the top of the skillet, hold with a hot mitt, and flip. Then slide the frittata, cooked side up, back into the skillet. Top with 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese.  Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-7 more minutes or until cooked through and firm and the cheese is lightly browned.

This is an amazing make ahead breakfast. I find that most people don't eat breakfast or eat something that is not really healthy just because it is fast and easy. The above recipe takes very little time and is FULL of flavor.  PUT DOWN the donut and WALK AWAY!!!! Now is your chance to make a choice to be healthier!

Challenge- Honey and Vanilla Poached Pears

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Asian Pears
• Honey

Other Ingredients-

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

First, it a medium/large saucepan over medium heat combine water, apple juice, 1/4 cup honey, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
While the liquid comes to a boil- peel, halve, and core the pears and then toss in the lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Reduce the poaching liquid to a simmer, add the pears and cover for 3 minutes (let it go a bit longer if you prefer your pears to be softer). Remove and allow them to cool while you turn the poaching liquid back to a boil and allow it to reduce by half.
To serve, plate the pears and then pour the reduced liquid over the top.

Challenge- Eggplant Manicotti

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Eggplant

Other Ingredients-

• Carrie's Marinara (recipe in blog)
• 1 cup fat free ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil cooking spray

First, trim your eggplant to make it square and remove most of the skin. Then, either use a mandolin or slice by hand to get to 1/6 of an inch. Then lay the slices down on parchment lined baking sheets then season with salt and pepper and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and bake at 450 degrees for about 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them as it will be easy to let them go too far. You want them to be soft and pliable. When you take them out, set them aside to let them cool enough that you can easily handle them.
Mix the ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan with the fresh basil and combine completely. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put about 1 cup of the marinara into the bottom of an 11"X7" banking dish.
Next, equally portion the ricotta mixture into the large end of the eggplant slices as shown below.

Next, roll the eggplant up and place, seam side down, onto the marinara in the baking dish.
When all of the rolls are placed in the dish, cover with another cup of the marinara. Then top with mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until warm and bubbly.

A serving is about 4-6 rolls and comes up below 300 calories a serving. I chose to serve it with some simple blanched asparagus and it was incredible! This was my hubby's first entirely vegetarian meal and not only did he love it, but he was full afterwards!

Here is the final plate-

Carrie's Marinara- What? I am MARRIED to an Italian!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 large can low sodium crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons low sodium tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons honey (I hear you saying "HUH?!?!" but trust me! It helps break up the acidity of the tomatoes but is a healthier option than dumping in sugar.
• 2 tablespoons each fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. All chopped.
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped.
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

First, heat the olive oil in your pan. Once hot, sweat the onions for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
Next, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for about a minute. Keep an eye on this and keep it moving around the pan. Burned garlic is a nasty bitter flavor!
Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and herbs.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and let it gently bubble away for at least an hour. Add the water only to loosen up the sauce if necessary. If it is necessary, that is usually a sign that your temp is too high on the burner! Remember, you don't want this boiling for an hour, just simmering!

This recipe is east enough to double and then you can freeze some to have on hand in a pinch.

Challenge- Butternut Squash Soup

(CHECK OUT THAT STEAM!!!!)

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

•  Butternut Squash



First, I chopped a whole yellow onion and browned it in a tablespoon of olive oil plus salt and pepper to taste, in a 3qt pot.
Then, I added 1.5 teaspoons cumin and 1.5 teaspoons of ground coriander.
Then I added the chopped up butternut squash with 2 cups of low sodium fat free chicken stock and 1 cup water. I brought it to a boil, then turned to a simmer and covered with a lid.
After the squash had become tender, I put everything in a blended (it took several batches) and blended to a nice smooth texture.
To serve, I sprinkled a little cinnamon on top.

OK I will be honest, Kyle was not a fan of this one, but I loved it. I thought it was tasty and hardly had any calories, less than 100 per serving!!! My recommendation is that if you like squash, you will like this soup... but this is probably not something that is dynamic to make a believer out of someone who usually turns their nose up at this wonderful flavor!

Challenge- Indian Chicken Salad Pitas

OK so I lied, one more phone pic, I forgot to charge my camera. Sorry!

Let me just say that this picture does not do this meal justice! This thing was freakin amazing!

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

•  Cucumbers

First, I took 2 chicken breasts and split them so that they would cook faster and yield more bites for the same amount of food. I put a pinch of salt and pepper on them and grilled them up.

While the meat cooked, I mixed 4 tablespoons of low fat mayo, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry paste (I have a hot tomato based paste), 1/4 of a diced red onion, 1/2 of a seeded, diced cucumber.

After the meat has been allowed to rest, I chopped it into bite size pieces and added it to the mayo mixture.

Then I added some finely chopped lettuce, I had romaine on hand but you could use any kind you want. I would say about a cup after being chopped (2 romaine leaves) and mixed it all together.

I cut a whole wheat pita in half and filled with the chicken mixture, then served with a side salad.

I have never cooked with curry before. Keep in mind, the curry paste can be high in calories so you only need a small amount! It gave this dish an amazing kick and even Kyle liked it despite the onions, cucumbers, and lettuce!

I am loving these challenges, I cannot believe that CUCUMBERS inspired this dish!



Challenge- Chicken Lettuce Wraps

First, I know that these pics are not the best. I vow to start using a real camera from now on. No more cell phone pics!

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Bibb Lettuce
• Red Bell Pepper
• White Cheddar Cheese

 First, I put about a tablespoon of olive oil in my trusty cast iron pan and once it is hot, I added 2lbs of ground chicken. I sprinkled one teaspoon of Mrs. Dash (Salt Free) Southwest Chipotle seasoning with 1/2 a teaspoon garlic powder and a dash of black pepper. Break up the meat with a flat edged spoon, and turn once browned. After turning, add equal amounts of seasoning as previously used.
Next, I diced half of a red bell pepper and threw it in with the chicken. Continue to break the chicken up so it is in smaller pieces.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire. (I know what you are thinking... this is an ingredient that is used on BEEF! Well, yeah, but it adds tremendous depth of flavor and allows a meal that takes 20 minutes to taste like you spent significantly longer! TRUST ME!)
While the meat simmers away, gently wash your bibb lettuce and evenly disperse it among the plates.
Shred a small amount (about 1oz per person) of the fresh white cheddar cheese to be served with your wraps. You are welcome to serve more, but if you are counting calories like I am, keep it to 1oz and be greatful for the indulgence!
Lastly, put your chicken with peppers in a bowl and place it on a plate with your lettuce leaves and your cheese on the side. I chose to add some salsa to mine for an added punch!

This was a delicious and healthy dinner! This has the added benefit of making you work to put the food together before you eat it. This is fun because it is interactive, but it allows your stomach to have time to tell your brain "I am full." I once dieted simply by eating EVERYTHING with chopsticks. Seriously! (It is crazy what fat people will resort to to get thin!) Even without changing the food I was eating, I lost a good bit of weight simply because I slowed myself down! We need to remember to have a relationship with food that does not begin and end with inhaling it. When you take the time to enjoy your meal, you give your body time to tell you when enough is enough. Trust me, and if I see you out eating steak and salad with chopsticks, you will get no judgement from me!



Challenge- Spicy Green Beans

Ok guys, step one of my personal challenge. You will notice that you do not find many processed carbs in my meals, so my plates may look empty... but healthy!!!

For this challenge I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Green Beans
• Red Bell Peppers

For this I blanched the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drained and put in an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then drained again.
In a non stick pan, I heated up a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, then added 2 tablespoons of shallots and cooked for 2 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
Next, add a crushed garlic clove and simmer for another 30 seconds.
Then add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 a teaspoon chili pepper powder and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper and stir around until well mixed with the oil.
Lastly, add the green beans (I had about 1lb) and one red bell pepper that was sliced in long thin strips. Stir around so it is well covered, and allow to cook about 2 more minutes.

I like my green beans crispy... so if you prefer they be softer, you might allow for more time at the end. This ended up being a pretty dish that I served with a pork loin that I covered in cajun spice before cooking in the oven. All in all, it was a meal with the right kind of heat that didn't make anyone sweat while eating. I hope you give it a try and enjoy!

A New Way of Eating

With my new role at work I am traveling quite a bit these days. That has given me the opportunity to try new foods at some really incredible places! I have really learned what a difference local and organic food can make to the taste of the dishes you ar making. As a result, I recently started looking into getting involved into a co-op or getting produce from local, sustainable farms and finally decided on Dominion Harvest (https://www.dominionharvest.com/). I decided to order the Cardinal box and to have it delivered to our house once a week. Knowing that Kyle is picky on things, I knew this would be a risk but thought I could always eat the veggies myself!

Today I got my first shipment and I was SO EXCITED! I read how it would come to us, in a red bin with ice packs and I even told Kyle he wasn't allowed to open it until I got home! When I walked in and saw that red box on our counter it was like a little kid on Christmas morning! I opened it and dug through the packing and ice pack and finally got to the goodies. JACKPOT!!!! I noticed there is a paper taped to the box that tells you what is in the box, and what farm it came from. How amazing to know EXACTLY where your produce came from? Kyle stood by as I dug through and explained everything to him, even though he knew what most of it was already. God love him for his patience!

Well, once I saw this box it sparked something in me.... a challenge. And lord knows I LOVE a challenge! Recently I have been considering taking a cookbook and cooking every single thing out of it (picture the movie Julie and Julia). Here is what I came up with instead- Every week I will post a picture of my produce with a list of what I got. Then, I am going to come up with some (mostly) healthy recipes to use everything I got and share them in my blog! My thought is that I can mix and match as much as I want, but I will have to use every single thing at least once.

So.... this is Week 1 from Dominion Harvest! Here is what I got-
A dozen brown eggs
3 red peppers
3 cucumbers
1 eggplant
1 butternut squash
1 head of bibb lettuce
4 asian pears
2lbs (roughly) green beans
1 jar of local honey
White cheddar cheese (forgot to put it in the pics! WHOOPS!)

(On a side note, check out that amazing cutting board I got this weekend! That thing is BAD ASS!)

So, let the games begin!!!!!! I am excited to share my food with you!

Black Bean Burgers

OK Guys, this is not my own recipe but it is YUMMY! High in fiber and a good change of pace. Even Kyle likes them, and that is really saying ALOT! I hope you give them a shot and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
For The Pico de Gallo
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded
and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 T lime juice
1 t extra-virgin olive oil
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For The Burgers
1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium black beans
Cooking spray
3 clv garlic, minced
1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs), preferably whole-wheat
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 large California avocado, peeled and sliced

Directions
To make the pico de gallo, combine tomato, onion, jalapeños, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir, cover, and set aside at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.

To make the burgers, rinse black beans in a colander and set aside. Meanwhile, coat a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat to mediumlow. Add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more.

In a large bowl, combine black beans, onion mixture, panko, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mash, allowing some chunks to remain. Form bean mixture into four patties about 3 inches wide and half an inch thick.

Divide tortillas into two stacks of four and wrap each stack loosely with foil. Place burgers and tortilla packets on a lightly oiled grill and cook for 4 minutes. Flip burgers and packets and cook for 3 minutes more, or until burgers are lightly browned. To serve, arrange two tortillas on each of four plates. Top with a burger, salsa, and avocado slices and serve.

The Turkey Meatloaf That Will Make You a Believer!!!

I highly suggest making a double batch of this... either cook it all together for lots of leftovers or cook half and freeze half. It is a great thing to keep on hand in case you need something one night and don't want to put a ton of effort in! If you are like me, you hate the idea of meatloaf (who the hell wants to eat a LOAF of MEAT anyway?!?!) and to consider it with turkey just sounds foul. I promise you, this tastes amazing and is super filling. Even my hubby likes it! The added beans give it a high fiber twist and the dijon mustard makes it nice and tangy.



Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard plus extra for serving

Instructions
Heat the oven to 375° F. Lightly coat an 8- by 4- by 2 1/2 –inch metal or glass loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add beans and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cooled bean mixture, turkey, eggs, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with wet hands to combine. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan.
Stir together mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and set aside.
Bake meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved Worcestershire mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until a thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 170 ° F. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Dijon mustard.

Forever Battle

Well, I know I have been gone for a while but I had some encouragement from friends and I really want to let you know what I have learned- Being thin is a forever battle. I know what you are thinking, because I thought it too- "Shit, really? That sucks!" And yes, really. And yes, it sucks! BUT... I can do it and SO CAN YOU! The day you realize you have gained some of that weight back that you worked SO HARD to lose, it is immensely frustrating. But, I hope that you A) avoid that after reading this bc you have been warned or B) that you feel the same way I did upon this bitter realization- "I am going to fix this now and not let it happen again!" It would be so easy if once you lost the weight that it just stayed off, but then would you really be "choosing your hard" then? I think not. Being thin and healthy is a choice that you have to make every single day. Some days you may choose to be more healthy than others, but you still have to make that choice. When you start flying by the seat of your pants and riding on the glory of the weight you lost before, it will creep back up on you before you can say "yes, I want fries with that." WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!

True to form- here is my story-

I lost nearly 100lbs (as you can see from other posts and pics) and since then, here is what happened. In the span of 30 days I got a new job, quit my old one, moved from Charlotte to Richmond and stayed with my mom for several weeks, started a new job, got married, went on a honeymoon, hubby got a new job (also in Richmond) and we rented and moved into a new place. HOLY CRAP! That was alot!

In that time.... I lost track of myself. Is it understandable? SURE! I was super busy... but that is life! I am big about not making excuses for myself, that is really what allowed me to lose all that weight in the first place. It is what allowed me to say "yeah, I am fat. So now what?" Well, here are the excuses I have been giving to myself for the last 5 months or so (stop me if you have heard them before... strike that... take a good hard look in the mirror if you have SAID these before)-

• I am too tired to workout
• I am too stressed to make time to work out
• I need to get dinner on the table so there is no time to work out
• I am in a hurry so I will just grab something for dinner on the way home
• I can eat this... now that I know how to lose weight, I can just get it off later (that one really stings when you realize how freakin stupid it is!!!)

Honestly, those are just a few. I finally had to accept that I was just being lazy. YES, I am tired and stressed. Yes, I do need to get dinner together and sometimes I don't have alot of time. However, if I plan ahead there are OPTIONS. I can cook meat in advance and throw it together with veggies in NO TIME. I get being tired, but you really will have more energy when you aren't so out of shape! Mind over matter! We make time for things day in and day out, make time for yourself and your health. NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT.

This is my way of getting back on the wagon. I am back to eating right, exercising, making good choices, and drinking enough water that I feel like I am going to float away. I have decided that I am going to get back to blogging because I think some people like reading it, and I REALLY like writing it. However, I am going to mix it up a little. You all know I love to cook... so I am going to work on making this blog more recipe focused... and I am super excited about it. If you have thoughts or requests... let me know and I will try to put something together with a more healthy spin on it!