400-calorie dinners (iv)

Life is uncertain . . . dessert first!

I know I've read a bunch in the blogosphere over the past few years about "sugar addiction" -- what are your thoughts?  I like to believe that I have a much healthier relationship with sugar these days than in years past, but honestly, I don't see myself ever giving up sugar in its entirety.  Treats are just too special a part of my life, and I love to bake!  For example . . . 

John's Valentine's Day present, which he actually finished off before Valentine's Day.  (Whoops.  Next time, I'll know better!  Bake closer to the actual holiday.)  Husband has a weakness for chocolate and peanut butter, and I thought these cookies would be the perfect way to use up some of the Hershey's Kisses that Santa left for me in my Christmas stocking.  (Confession: I really don't much care for chocolate, especially milk chocolate!  Weird, I know.)  Natural peanut butter gave these cookies a rich, crumbly, sandy texture that was . . . incredible.  At 117 calories each, these still fit nicely into my healthy eating plan!

Since the peanut butter-chocolate kiss cookies didn't last that long, I baked another batch of cookies this weekend . . .
















I'm typically not a huge fan of "light" desserts -- I feel like flavor and texture are often sacrificed, and I'd rather eat less of the "real" thing.  However, I tried swapping in a half-cup applesauce for half a cup of butter in my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, (I did leave one stick of butter in tact,) because I believe oatmeal cookies are best when soft and slightly cakey.  HUGE success.  I also used all whole-wheat pastry flour instead of AP, which I believed also paired well with the applesauce -- whole-grain treats can get a little dry and "wheaty," in my opinion, but the extra moisture from the applesauce is a big help.  At only 86 calories apiece, they certainly don't taste "light" or lacking in anything!

And now, more 400-calorie meals we've enjoyed this past week:

Cream of Wild Rice Soup:

A Minnesota classic, which we served at our wedding just under a year ago, vegetized by doubling the mushrooms and adding a little cubed seitan instead of chicken.  (Does anyone besides me find too much seitan to be overpowering?)  The result is a nutritious, warm, comforting, and filling supper, perfect for a bitter cold evening.  (Of which we've had many this winter!  Sigh.)

Breakfast Burrito:

Fill a whole-wheat tortilla with 2 oz refried beans, 1/2 oz cheese, 4 oz shredded Yukon gold potato (hashbrowned-up using a little olive oil cooking spray in a cast-iron skillet,) one egg over-easy, home-canned salsa, and a little sour cream ... perfect for a weekend brunch or a speedy weeknight supper!

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas:

Ok, so, one "light" food I REALLY don't believe in is reduced-fat cheese.  I mean, c'mon . . . cheese is fat!  What the heck is reduced-fat cheese anyway?  I slightly adapted this recipe, choosing to use 6 oz full-fat Monterey Jack instead of the 8 oz reduced-fat cheese called for.  This meal is relatively quick to prepare, given you're making your own homemade enchilada sauce, and even more delicious leftover.  (Somebody at work is always curious about what I have for lunch!)

Polenta and Roasted Veggies:

I threw this together one evening last week when John was working late, and boy, did he miss out!  (He was able to enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day.)  I decided to roast the veggies instead of pan-sauteeing, which freed up my attention to whip up the polenta.  Although the blue cheese does lend the polenta an unusual, slightly grayish color, this was one heck of a flavorful, colorful, healthy meal!

Stir Fry:

I find that most of the calories in stir-fry actually come from the rice . . . bummer.  Keeping my rice portion down to a 1/2 cup left room on my plate for loads of broccoli and tofu!  I had been wanting to try this recipe for "Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu" for some time.  It was . . . just okay.  The tofu and broccoli were delicious, but the sauce was nothing special.  Bummer!  I think my biggest complaint was that the citrus flavor wasn't at all present!  You'd think that something with "orange" in the recipe title would be citrusy . . . notsomuch.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:

Like artichoke dip?  You will LOVE these.  Seriously, make them tonight!

And, Quiche:

I typically cut my quiche into six slices; eight slices makes for more sensible portions for me these days.  (If you still want to enjoy a heartier portion while keeping an eye on your calorie intake, I'd recommend a crustless version -- pastry is kind of a calorie-bomb, unfortunately.)  This meal was a cinch to prepare, thanks to a homemade pie crust stashed away in the freezer and some pre-roasted sweet potatoes.  John loves quiche 'cause he loves eggs, and will take care of these leftovers before I can blink an eye most weeks.

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Off to make a pizza!  :)

back in the kitchen again!

After a long hiatus from cooking much of anything, (thank you, 90+ degree heat and high humidity,) I decided I had had enough salads, and got back in my kitchen this weekend.  :)  It's still hot, but I managed to sweat my way through several meal's worth of stovetop cooking and/or baking/roasting in the oven, and boy, was it worth it!

Dinner Friday night:

A simple meal of whole-wheat pasta tossed with homemade marinara and parmesan, with roasted pattypan squash on the side.

Bunch Saturday:

Breakfast burritos!  A whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with homemade refried beans, cheese, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.  This is one of those meals that if eaten after 10 am, will keep you full until dinner.  :)  Mmm.

Dinner Saturday:

Sloppy lentils piled on a whole-wheat bun, dilly beans, cherries, and Spud Puppies.

Dinner Sunday:

 

Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger, Steamed Baby Carrots with Orange-Dill Butter, cucumbers with sour cream and dill, and Zucchini Fritters.  This meal was a LOT of work, (and generated a lot of dishes -- shout out to John, who washed nearly all of them!), but it was so worth it!  I had a blast finding new ways to make some seasonal produce shine.

My life is incomplete without dessert:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake!  Between the cake and the fritters, I have managed to take down about 2/3 of the ginormous zucchini John brought home from volunteering last week.  I still have about a pound left . . . muffins?  Bread?  Cookies?  What's your vote?

weekend food recap

I'm lacking creativity this morning; I apologize for the bland and uninteresting post title. (My cat hates me, I think. I am so sleep-deprived!) Anyhow, I demonstrated much more creativity when meal-planning and cooking last weekend:

After a long, chilly, beautiful hike along the St. Croix on Saturday afternoon, a filling, speedy, delicious dinner was in order:

Breakfast burritos also make an excellent dinner! Sprouted tortillas stuffed with refried beans, cheese, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Delicious.

Lunch Sunday was supposed to be dinner Saturday night, but we swapped meals due to hunger and speed of preparation. The lasagna was just as good the next day!

Whole-wheat noodles, homemade sauce, and a three cheese/spinach/artichoke filling became much more than the sum of its parts!

Dinner Sunday night was quick, easy, delicious, and consumed on the couch in front of a movie:

"Indonesian Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. I love the sweet/salty/spicy/creamy/rich flavors in this soup so much!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too! (Although it really feels like a long time ago at this point . . . !)

Weekend in food!

Meals from the weekend - whole wheat pancakes and breakfast sausages,

burritos,

and Smoky Split Pea Soup with Cheese Muffins.

YUM!

vacation food

My goodness, I have barely been blogging lately! Is anyone still reading? :)

I was off last week for a vacation, of sorts -- a little traveling, and a little stay-cationing, but very little cooking. :) I am still going through the pictures from my vacation, and will post about what I did soon enough, but for now, here are a few things I've been eating, (besides more tempeh reubens . . . I'm still on a major sauerkraut kick!)

After being out of town and eating out too much, my body seemed to be craving two things: produce and protein!

Breakfast burritos definitely increased my protein intake for a few days:

Refried black beans, cheese, hash browns, scrambled eggs, guacamole, and salsa this time, stuffed into a whole-wheat tortilla. Sigh. Too bad I don't have time to make this breakfast this morning!

My need for more produce was met with giant, meal-sized salads:

I went the Greek-ish route this time, topping mixed baby greens with chickpeas, cucumber, artichoke, tomato, kalamata olives, red bell pepper, feta, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

And more produce combined for a giant pot of homemade minestrone:

Thank you to Ann, who kindly joined me for dinner (and took home some leftovers) so I didn't have a gallon of minestrone to get through on my own!

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Vacation re-cap soon!

maybe? maybe not.

Before I forget again, I better talk about the quick stop we made at InfiniTea Tea House yesterday! Stopping at InfiniTea wasn't part of my original plan for "28 Hours of Fun," but while we were running errands, we were on our way by, and Dan doesn't need much convincing to stop for a cup of tea! :) I stumbled upon InfiniTea back in December, and was shocked, amazed, and pleased by their array of teas, made-to-order chai lattes, simple but gorgeous decor, and selection of tea accessories for brewing at home. Dan had a cup of Chinese black tea, (I forget what kind -- sorry -- but it was excellent!) and I had a coconut truffle chai latte . . . hell yes! They make all of their chai lattes to order with almond milk and honey, but I did see a bottle of agave nectar on the counter, too, so it's definitely vegan-friendly. You can purchase loose tea to take home, as well as have a cup of ANYTHING ON THE WALL brewed for you on the spot! They have several Zojirushi tea kettles set at a variety of temperatures along the tea prep area, and I noticed our tea guy using a timer for both Dan's black tea and my latte. Man, do they know their stuff! I was really impressed, and we will definitely be back. They offer a selection of "tea flights" as well, which is something we will certainly have to try on a return visit. :) If you live in the Cities and like tea even a little bit, you definitely have to check out InfiniTea!

On to meals from today . . .

I feel like it's been a while since we've had breakfast burritos, so we were due!

Same as usual -- whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with refried black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, hashbrowns, scrambled egg, salsa, sour cream, and hot sauce. Mmmmmmmmm! A glass of orange juice is the PERFECT accompaniment to this meal -- salty balances sweet, and rich balances acidic. YUM! Plus, all of the protein really holds me over well. Happy brunch!

Dinner was, again, miso soup:

Am I growing tired of miso soup yet? Maybe. Maybe not! Things have changed a bit around here lately, which means I'm on my own for a lot more meals, and miso soup is one of those things that is a cinch to make for one . . . though it's been so long since I've been focusing on cooking for one, I've forgotten many of my old standbys! Miso soup is one that I remember, though, and a delicious meal in a bowl!

What are some of your favorite meals for one?

boo!

Happy Halloween! We didn't really do too much Halloween-y stuff today, but I did manage to spend some time in the kitchen!

We observed "All Saints Day" in church this morning, and it was, frankly, kind of a bummer of a way to start the day. Important, but still not exactly uplifting, ya know? So, regardless of what church is about, there is one constant -- church ALWAYS makes me hungry! Enter, breakfast burritos:

So decadent. So packed with protein. SO TASTY! MMMMMMMM.

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I cooked up a gorgeous pumpkin last night, and I just HAD to show you a picture of some of the finished puree:

LOOK AT THAT COLOR! Courtney described it as, "Crayola crayon macaroni and cheese color!" Right on! This will make one gorgeous batch of pumpkin soup in our near future!

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I also made granola this afternoon:

Loaded with the usual good stuff, I am always impressed by how heavenly the granola smells when it comes out of the oven! Toasty, roasty, sweet, maple-y goodness! I am on a quest to eat better breakfasts, (I'm not huge on breakfast in general, but do need to eat something substantial,) so I hope bowls of granola will help me get to lunch without eating a bunch of crap at work!

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Dinner tonight was another success from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers:

"Whole-Grain Pasta with Greens and Tomatoes" ROCKED! Yum! I had been feeling a serious lack of veggies this weekend, and this pasta, along with a side of roasted broccoli, helped fill the void. Mmm!

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BOO!

my favorite thing to do

I asked Dan this morning if he was getting sick of breakfast burritos yet; his reply? "NEVER!" Good, 'cause I don't think I could ever get sick of them either!

While Dan likes his hashbrowns on the side, I prefer mine crammed in the burrito. Dan's comment, "you sort of just like 'em smashed in there, don't you?" Yes!

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I think I've decided that my all-time most favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon, at least during the fall, winter, and spring, is stay at home and BAKE. Usually, I'm not all that picky about what I bake, but love the warm apartment, delicious smells, and inevitable treat that I will get to enjoy later.

In my opinion, there is no better baking smell than fresh yeast bread. Hooray! I was happy Crystal and Victoria were ready to return to our bake-a-long, because I've desperately wanted to try out some new bread recipes! This weekend -- Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread:

Sliced:

This bread is heavenly! Soft and chewy, with a beautiful orange color and faint pumpkin taste, I can see making this one again, and again, and again! In fact, if I hadn't already made dinner, I think I could have thrown caution to the wind and eaten a half-loaf of bread with butter for dinner. :) It will make gorgeous toast, and probably a pretty amazing PBJ, too. Mmm!

Speaking of dinner . . .

Tofu Mom's Kale-"Sausage" Soup is always a hit at our house! Dan loves anything containing any form of seitan, (and since it's not my favorite protein source, he doesn't get to enjoy it as often as he'd like,) and we both love kale. A lot. :) I added some cubed red potatoes this time, just for extra heartiness, (and because I have a big bag of potatoes on the counter right now,) and subbed lentils for the usual white beans. Dan's looking forward to having extra seitan sausages left for after-work snacks this week. He likes to eat them cold, dipped in mustard. Hm. Weirdo. (At least warm 'em up or something!!) :)

You know, as long as I had the oven on, I just couldn't help throwing in a little dessert to cap off the weekend . . .


Truthfully, I rarely pull Joy of Cooking off my cookbook shelf, except to serve as a tofu weight, and when I want to make fruit crisp. Best apple crisp ever! I used Regent apples, which have bright white flesh when fresh, and seem to fall apart completely when baked. Lovely!

The kitchen is still a mess, and I need to quickly whip up a batch of almond milk, too. I'm off! Hope you had a good weekend!

last hurrah

I knew we had a busy morning planned today, so I decided to whip up a couple of breakfast burritos to keep us fueled for a long time!

Mmmmmmmmmmm . . . I SO want another burrito RIGHT NOW! Whole wheat tortilla, refried beans, hashbrowns, eggs, salsa, queso fresco, and sour cream. Yummers! I ate this at about 9:30 this morning, and wasn't hungry for lunch until 2:30! Whoa!

Dan and I hit up the Farmer's Market right after breakfast, just in time to catch Liz before she started her canning demo! Yay Liz! It was great to finally meet in person, and I enjoyed her presentation.

We quickly completed our shopping after meeting Liz, which meant we missed the first bit of her presentation. After we sat down to listen for a while, Dan leaned over to me and said, "what is she making?" I replied, "dilly beans!" Dan then said, "oh! I kind of like those . . . " He's as subtle as a fire truck, eh? :) I sent him off with five bucks, and he came back with grean beans, dill, and two bucks change. :)

Even though I don't can, I CAN make a decent refrigerator dilly bean:

We'll have to give these at least a week before digging in -- I bet they'll taste that much better due to anticipation, right?

I named tonight's dinner "Last Hurrah Curry" --

I sense that the Farmer's Market is winding down -- the tomatoes that were available were mostly pretty underripe, the summer squash and zucchini were tiny, almost no cucumbers left, meager lettuce and spinach, etc. The end of the summer is indeed bittersweet -- I look forward immensely to the cooler temperatures of fall, but will miss the beautiful produce I've been able to collect every week! Tonight's curry contained a little of everything -- a "last hurrah" to summer! Summer squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, grean beans, butternut squash, kohlrabi, eggplant, ginger, garlic, tofu, coconut milk, soy sauce, curry paste, and a squirt of agave combined to make one glorious, end-of-summer meal.

To welcome fall, I'm headed to the apple orchard tomorrow! Wahoo!

personal slow-motion

I'm having a weird twist of time this weekend -- I feel like time is flying by, while I can't seem to get myself motivated to do much of anything! I'm experiencing personal slow-motion, I guess. :)

Even though my brain feels like mush and my feet feel like concrete, I have managed the usual errands and a few projects in my kitchen, like making granola, drying roma tomatoes in the oven, and roasting, pureeing, straining, and freezing butternut squash for future use.

I also cooked! A humble loaf of 100% whole-wheat Artisan Bread:

To go with soup!

I used 12 ounces of the mixed beans/peas/lentils that I bought up north this summer, and made a soup based largely on Moosewood's "Black Bean and Chipotle Soup." (You can find the recipe here, just scroll down.) Yum! A cheap, nutritious, uncomplicated dinner last night.

Even though I didn't make this, I have to tell you about my dessert, too!

I had a coupon for a 4-pack from Natural Brew, and I had never seen this "Chai Cola" until today -- and woo-ee, is it tasty! Imagine all of your favorite chai spices in soda form -- mmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

I may have discovered my new favorite Sunday brunch:

Oh Breakfast Burrito, how I love thee! We filled whole-wheat tortillas from the farmer's market with refried black beans (from a can! Gasp!), hash browns, scrambled eggs, queso fresco, salsa, and sour cream. Expect a repeat next week. :)

I did a little baking this weekend, too:

"Orange-Almond Polenta Cake," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. Technically, I made "Lemon-Almond Polenta Cake," since I only bought one orange and I burned my first stab at the cake. (Note to self, if you smell caramelizing sugar, the cake's probably done, regardless of how many minutes are left on the timer or how important your phone conversation with your friend is! Sheesh. I hate wasting food.) Anyhow, I caught cake #2 just in time, (and let me tell you, this cake was done TEN MINUTES earlier than the suggested baking time in the book,) and it is fantastic! Lemony, sweet, with little crunchies throughout from the cornmeal and almonds. Mmmmmmmmm!

Laundry's calling . . .

taco time

Tacos never fail to satisfy, do they? (I also don't think I've ever met a person that doesn't like tacos!) Ours last night:



We filled whole-wheat tortillas with home-cooked black beans, (seasoned with garlic, onion, epazote, lime, and a pinch of salt,) fajita veggies, lettuce, salsa, shredded chipotle gouda, and homemade guacamole. I roasted up a big batch of asparagus on the side, because, really, why not? :)

What are your "must-have" ingredients in your tacos? Personally, guacamole is one of my favorite foods, so as long as avocadoes are at least reasonable, we indulge every time!

not a lot of cooking

Until I finally managed to get back into my kitchen yesterday, it had felt like I hadn't cooked in a week! (Really, it was more like a few days, but, you know what I mean.) Towards the end of last week, we were subsisting on leftovers and the ever-reliable pasta and burritos:





I swear, you could put guacamole on a rock and I'd consider eating it. :)

Friday, I picked up a few small things during my break so I could officially start my holiday baking and candy-making Friday night:



One down, eight to go!

Saturday morning, I woke bright and early, and decided to get the shopping over and done with for the next two weeks. After visiting THREE different grocery stores, (Asian market, Middle Eastern market, and the co-op,) I was much poorer, but had a carload of food, including all of my holiday baking supplies.

The baking is going to have to wait until next weekend, though, because it was time to make some REAL food!

"Old-Fashioned Cream of Mushroom Soup," from Love Soup, by Anna Thomas:

Yummy! Additionally, I'm not typically much of a broth fan, but I couldn't get enough of this one. Practically licked my bowl clean!

AND, it was time for "Brooklyn Pad Thai" again:

Broccoli has become a requirement with this recipe lately, and that's a good thing!

I'm SO excited to get busy baking this weekend! Watch for the finished products later this week!