Dear Diary "I LOVE KALE CHIPS!"

So I am on a quest to have healthier snacks readily available or easy to make and my dearest friend introduced me to Kale Chips.  OH MY LANTA they are delicious!  I normally do not enjoy weeds aka kale you steam and serve with liquid aminos (seriously ya'll, people would eat this all the time at the Health Food Restaurant I worked at back in 2000).  Anyways this is so good and crispy and light, only 2 points per serving which is roughly under 100 calories and it is a good healthy green!  So my mother's day gift to you guys is this healthy alternative to potato chips, YOUR WELCOME!

Kale Chips-4 servings or 1 Delena (I should not eat all of it!)

4 cups of Kale (cut up chips size with stems removed)
1 tablespoon of olive oil or any oil (I use my Misto and spray about 2 long sprays of olive oil on it)
Sprinkle generousness amounts of Eden Foods Gomasio (sesame salt)*


Preheat oven to 425 degrees then take a large baking sheet and cover with foil.  Spread out Kale chips, spray or brush olive oil.  Then season with Gomasio.  Bake for 5-7 minutes depending on your oven.

*Alternative to Gomasio

So yeah I tried to find Gomasio here in Atlanta and even went to Sevenanda (the most granola herbal place since original Whole Foods) and they didn't have it SOOOOOOOOOO here is what I did in it's place.

Sea Salt
Japanese Red Pepper Mix Shichimi Togarashi (find in Asian section of store or specialty Asian stores)
Sesame Seeds

Sprinkle the above on the Kale Chips and bake and enjoy.

I love Trader Joe's they already have the Kale cut up and clean!

Eat these suckers and enjoy, seriously Jonathan loves them!

Dear Diary Livin' like an Italian Gangsta

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables!!!

Well this Fatty McButterpants was on vacation for 3 weeks.  Yes I know how does one take a vacation when one is unemployed well by going to Italia!  Yeah it was awesome and yes don't worry I will have pics up soon on Picasa peoples.  So I have been doing a weight loss challenge too for 12 weeks.  So far I have lost about 11 lbs when I started said challenge but officially I have lost 16 lbs since I started trying to shed weight beforehand.  Yeah well it is a miracle that I kept weight off in Italy but was it a miracle?  Apparently in Italy they have fresh fruit and vegetables and serve them at their restaurants, THAT IS CRAZY YA'LL.  I am used to vegetables that are picked way before they are ripe and are weeks old by the time they come to restaurants or grocery stores and I am used to frozen processed chicken matter pressed into nugget form that is deep fried served with tater tots (which are also processed potatoes pressed into tater form).  Yeah don't bother asking for that at any locally owned restaurant.  I was surprised to see so many American fast food chains there and packed with so many teenagers!  I wanted to yell at them to stop it DON'T EAT THERE!!!!! Yeah but teens are teens they are the same in most countries, obnoxious and loud and do not listen to their elders.  Well point being we ate well and we walked a lot!

I fell in love with fresh easy dishes, seriously there were no more then 4 ingredients in most dishes and the taste was so complex yet simple.  Check me out with my vague food review like most horrible food critics.  Hey in my next life if I ever master the English language and write well, I do want to be a food critic.  Anyways here is a dish I loved called Pasta Alla Norma, a traditional Sicialliana dish.  It is so simple and delicious!

Pasta alla Norma, Molto Bene

Pasta alla Norma

Serves 2-3 as a main dish

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes (or 2 Italian eggplants, they are smaller in size)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
pinch of red hot chili flakes
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
8 ounces spaghetti
1.5 ounces ricotta salata * (this is a hard ricotta cheese and you can find it probably at a gourmet specialty store or Italian grocery store or Whole Foods or Central Market but you can substitute parmesean or pecorino romano)
handful of fresh basil leaves 

Preheat oven to 400° F.  On a baking sheet, toss the eggplant cubes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the dried oregano, sea salt and some freshly ground pepper.  Roast for about 25 minutes. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for your pasta.

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large saucepan or skillet.  Add the grated garlic and gently cook for about 1 minute.  Add the chili flakes and the crushed tomatoes (I like to just crush them with my hands). Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered.  (Start boiling your spaghetti at this point. Don't overcook it.)  Add the roasted eggplant to your tomato mixture and simmer for 5 minutes, covered.  

Remove the spaghetti from the pot and put it right in the eggplant tomato mixture.  Toss well.  Add torn fresh basil leaves and some grated ricotta salata.  Turn out onto a serving platter and grate some more ricotta salata on top and tear some more basil leaves for the top.  

Dear Diary Homemade Granola, STFD!

STFD, which stands for Shut the Front Door because I am trying to be PG or at least PG-13 on my blog.  Well I love Granola.  We would buy it almost every week from the HEEEB (is what we called H-E-B, to my out of state or country readers it is a grocery store that is in Tejas).  Well some of you know I have a subscription to Everyday Food and well I stumbled upon a recipe from one of its loyal subscribers for homemade granola!  I saw the recipe and went, THIS IS SO FREAKING EASY WHY HAVE I NOT DONE THIS BEFORE.  So my gift to you is the recipe in a nut shell with my own little spins and tips.

Homemade Granola, it is so easy ya'll

Ingredients

3 cups of rolled oats (old fashion oats not the instant kind it should say it takes about 5 minutes to cook them)
2 cups of nuts coarsely chopped (I have used pecans, walnuts, pistachios roasted and unsalted of course)
1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut ( I omit this because Jonathan hates coconut but feel free to add it)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar (Tip I have used dark brown sugar and it is wonderful too!)
1/2 cup honey (I have used agave nectar too in the place of honey works well for substitutions)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (look at your label I found out they use corn syrup in most vanilla extract but I found some without and it was bourbon vanilla, ugh yeah!)
3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of fine salt
1 cup of mixed dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, whatever you fancy)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Yeah now I am hungry

Preheat oven to 300 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Lightly coat two rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or I use parchment paper.  In a large bowl combine oil, honey, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, mix well.  Then add the oats and nuts to the mixture and still until it is all coated well.  Divide mixture between sheets.  Bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then add 1/2 cup of coconut to each sheet and mix; bake until mixture is golden brown about another 15 minutes.  Tip, I would check the granola to see how fast it cooks because dark colored baking sheets cook faster then light colored aluminum ones.  Let it cool completely on sheets.  Then break apart in large mixing bowl and add mixed fruit and chocolate chips.  Store in airtight containers for up to 3 weeks.  It is delicious!  I like to mix it with my greek yogurt for breakfast or a snack.

Dear Diary Lighter Enchiladas minus the granola topping

Chicken Spinach Enchiladas

Serves 8 or 1 Jonathan

You see I love queso!!!

Ingredients

1lb Chicken Breasts
4 cups of baby spinach or thawed 10 oz box of spinach
1 cup of Quesadilla cheese or low fat Monterrey Jack cheese shredded
16 corn tortillas (yellow or white whatever your preference)
2 1/2 cups of tomatillo salsa or favorite green salsa jar (recipe follows)*
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  To make this recipe lighter I poached the chicken breast in a large saucepan in one inch of water and seasoned water with cumin and chili powder.  To poach bring salted water to a boil and place chicken in water, cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then turn off heat and let it finish cooking for about 12-14 more minutes (it works!).  I got this idea from Martha Stewart, I am not going to lie.  Then take out chicken breasts and shred it with two forks or you can be lazy and chop it up in a food processor but don't over process!  Then place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl and add spinach (trust me fresh spinach will wilt when you cook the enchiladas!)  Then add 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce to the bowl and mix.  You can microwave the tortillas, wrapped in a paper towel,  in 30 second intervals until pliable to work with.  I heated the tortillas on the comal (a mexi-griddle) and liked that way better.  Normally you fry the tortillas in hot oil buuuuuuuut this is a lighter version so no deep frying Paula Deen style here!  Then you put some chicken spinach mixture in a tortilla and roll up tightly and place in a 9x13 baking dish and repeat until there is no more tortillas.  Then you pour remaining two cups of tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and then sprinkle cheese over the enchiladas, you can omit the cheese for my lactose intolerant friends (such as myself) because the sauce is just as good by itself.  Then bake enchiladas for 30 minutes when cheese becomes golden and bubbly.
Ways I lightened this up, poached the chicken, then microwaved the tortillas and used way less cheese then I normally do!  Seriously cheese may not like me but I love it so I normally would do about 4 cups worth!

For those who want a vegetarian version, obviously omit chicken and I would saute the fresh or thawed spinach with onion and garlic and 8 oz of sliced mushrooms in large skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil and then use that as my filling it is delicious!

Tomatillo Salsa

1-2lb tomatillos (hulled and cleaned and chopped in half)
1 poblano pepper (keep whole)
2 jalapeno peppers (keep whole)
1 serrano pepper (keep whole)
1/2 cup cilantro
3 cloves of garlic (take off skins)
1/2 onion chopped in chunks
1/4 cup of lime juice
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste ( I use about 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp of olive oil


Preheat oven to 400.  In a large mixing bowl combine tomatillos, jalapeno, serrano, poblano, onion and garlic and pour olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix until lightly coated.  Then on a large baking sheet covered in foil pour out the contents of the bowl.  Roast for about 20-25 minutes until you start to see the poblano pepper skin start to blister.  Remove from oven.  Chop up jalapeno and serrano.  Place the  poblano pepper in a plastic zip bag until it sweats this makes the skin easier to remove.  Then remove the skin and take out the seeds and rough chop poblano.  Place every thing in a blender and add cilantro, salt, cumin and lime juice.  Then blend until smooth.  Should yield about 3-4 cups depending.  If you want the sauce to be mild use more tomatillos and I would cut out the serrano and only use one jalapeno.  It is delicious as a salsa by itself!  Also another option is to add 1/2 cup of non fat sour cream to the tomatillo sauce just mix together and makes a creamy sauce ( I would add it when you are about to blend the ingredients).

I hope you enjoyed my recipe, my next goal is to make a lighter spanish rice, wish me luck on that I doubt I will touch that it is a prized family recipe!

PS. See Ken Smith I decided to forgo the granola topping!

Dear Diary Thai Curry Dishes are Yummy

Here is a recipe that I got from my friend Carol's Blog but I adapted it for our tastes and feel free to do the same but here is the basic recipe...

Garlic Curry Chicken and Spinach (With Sweet Potatoes!)

Yummy for my tummy

(Serves 4)

2tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 medium sweet potato diced into 1 inch cubes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion cut into thin slices
1 tbsp of curry (I love curry!)
2 tsp of cayenne (you can adjust to your taste but I love spicy things)
1 14-15oz can of light coconut milk
4 cups of baby spinach
Hot cooked Rice, (I use Basmati Rice since it is low glycemic, yes lower then Brown Rice)

Directions
Prepare Rice, if desired
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes, then add sweet potatoes and onion and cook for another 5 minutes.  Then add garlic, cayenne and curry and cook for 30 seconds or until you can smell the garlic.  Then add the coconut milk and I let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes covered until potatoes are done and you will get a thick sauce from it. Add Spinach and cook until it is wilted.  I don't add salt or pepper because it is so delicious with the spices without, but feel free to add salt and pepper to taste.  And serve over rice.

Dear Diary I am making changes for the better!!!!

Well not all at once but one step at a time.  I am excited about trying to lose 10 lbs in 12 weeks!   First off when I started this challege, I learned my favorite southern buttery goodness cook has Diabeetus (posting coming soon!), so of course that motivated me more to challenge myself to not only lose weight but live a healthier lifestyle.  I decided not to just sit down and give up.  I am making more meals and looking at what I am eating and LISTENING TO MY BODY.  I am moving now, whether it be Zumba or Circuit Training (hilarious post coming) or walking, its important to move.  Damn you sedentary lifestyle!!! Anyways just letting people know I am very serious about this.  So check out the little ways I am switching up my food intake. I will post recipes soon!

Chicken, Spinach and Garlic Curry so good!

Homemade Granola! 

Dear Diary Cauliflower Crust Pizza is......

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So I decided to try a recipe I pinned on my Pinterest (and if you don't have a Pinterest you are better off its ADDICTIVE).  I started off by going to Trader Joe's and grabbing some ingredients for my ZA (oh yeah busting out more douchey words).  First off the cashier at Trader Joe's was dogging my home state of Texas, he said and I quote "There ain't nuthin good about Texas except Austin, outside of Austin it ain't good..."  I was about to bust out my Texas ID to show him oh WHAT I am from Texas and its not AUSTIN, in yo Face but alas I got a Georgia License now and it says Atlanta on it, UGH!  So much for my argument.  Turns out the guy was really nice FOILED AGAIN, I wanted him to be a pretentious ass munch but he was just a Georgian ill-informed about the other GREATER Texas cities other then Austin.  Austin can keep their weirdness.  AAaaaaanwHays onto the Pizza!  I was unsure about it at first.  As you know one thing I like to do is listen to my body and my body says eating tons of bread makes you a fattymcbutter pants, and I mean white yummy bread that is so refined and processed it makes you go into insulin shock, not really but you catch my drift.  Well I thought I would try this GLUTEN free recipe and reduce my refined flour intake.  First, you chop up a whole cauliflower and put it in the food processor and chop until it looks mealy or if you don't have that you can grate the cauliflower, this is called riced cauliflower and it kind of looks like little baby rice or really couscous.  Then you mix it with tons of CHEESE and other ingredients and well judge for yourself....

Here is the "crust" before it's cooked

Here is the cooked crust!  Look at it, it is so CHEESY

Then I put on some serious toppings, Chicken Sausage, Spinach and Garlic!

So apparently I didn't get a picture of the finished product cooked whoops, I thought I did, well it was AWESOME!  I wasn't sure if Jonathan would like it and he said "I ate four slices, I would say I like it"  Then he said, "It's exactly how I thought it would taste being what it is, it just tastes like a weird hippie pizza crust but its a good crust."  Ugh thanks I guess, well I thought it was great, feel free to try it.  So here is the recipe from the blog Eat.Drink.Smile

Dear Diary BREAKING NEWS A VEGETARIAN RECIPE MY HUSBAND LOVED!

Oh yes Oh yes it is as good as it looks!

ROASTED EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 pound Eggplant peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tsp Olive Oil

15 oz Fat Free Ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil

2 cups of Marinara Sauce (jar or homemade)

6 no-boil or oven ready lasagna noodles***

4 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush baking sheet with olive oil. Place eggplant pieces on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt; let stand 20 minutes. Transfer eggplant to prepared sheet. Toss with 2 teaspoons oil. Roast eggplant until tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Set aside. Maintain oven temperature.

Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and basil in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Oil 8x8-inch square glass baking dish. Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce in dish. Arrange 2 lasagna noodles crosswise in single layer in dish. Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Arrange half of eggplant over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon generous  1/2  cup sauce over. Arrange half of mozzarella over sauce. Repeat layering 1 more time. Top with 2 lasagna noodles. Spread remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan and Mozzarella . Cover tightly with lightly oiled foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.)

Bake until noodles are tender and lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese begins to brown and sauce is bubbling slightly at edges, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

It was sooooooooo good that even my husband loved it! LOVED IT!

***Important note, I use the Barilla Lasagna Rolled Flat Like Homemade pasta they are small sheets and can fit in the 8x8 baking dish

Dear Diary Farmers Markets are...AWESOME

Okay this was in San Francisco not Atlanta but still!

But I am too poor to enjoy them all the time!  The other day I was driving around exploring my new adopted city.   I saw a sign that said Green Market.  It was a farmer’s market that was located at Piedmont Park.  So after circling around like National Lampoon’s European Vacation when they were stuck in the roundabout and kept seeing Big Ben, I finally found a parking space.   The Farmer’s Market was so nice with its fresh vegetables and fruits and hydroponics…no dudes not that kind of Dro.  Yeah they had so much to choose from.  This is the best way to support your local city by purchasing local produce and even meats.  But we know the problem, it’s SO DARN EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!  Is it really though in the long run?  Look at those TOMATOES...

Dear Diary I is poor now but this B still gotta eat,

So I am underemployed and I still have nightmares about my old job.  Another blog, another post.  Well I am calling on you my blog followers to give me ideas for recipes on the cheap.  I got some from friends via Google+ (which I love!)and Facebook but need some more ideas or websites.  You gotta help or else I will have to resort  to Jonathan for an idea and well left up to his own devices you get these artery cloggers on a plate:

I feel the heart disease starting now just staring at these

Dear Diary Friends CAN be supportive Part Dos,

I have some links to share with you duderinos.

First up an article I read about how friends helped each other lose weight:

Weight Loss Transformations: Best Friends Edition

Second is, my friend, Dahnya's recipe she posted on her blog, a delicious less fattier but not skinny on the flavor lasagna:

Incoherent Musings: Hearty Dining

Dear Diary more recipes so good you wanna slap yo Momma!

I had a previous post talk about having dinner with friends who made a delicious vegetarian Shepherd's Pie and Green Beans. Below are the awesometastic recipes:

Sunday's at Moosewood's Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 package protein crumbles

1 Large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon Thyme

½ teaspoon Ground coriander seeds

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

½ cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped

Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

1-2 tablespoons Soy sauce to taste

4 Large potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 tablespoons Butter or margarine

½ cup Milk

Salt to taste

Mushroom Gravy

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

½ pound Mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons Soy sauce

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups Hot potato water

2 tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water

Preparation

This Shepherd's Pie is a casserole combing three elements: a tofu saute, mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy. If you perform the three operations concurrently, you will shorten the preparation time considerably. Start the freeze-thaw tofu procedure at least the day before you expect to make the casserole.

For the tofu layer, heat protein crumbles through and set aside.  Saute the chopped onions in the oil with the thyme, coriander, and black pepper until the onions are translucent. Stir in the chopped walnuts and protein crumbles. When heated through, stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Remove from the heat.

To make the mashed potatoes, place the cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the potatoes are soft. Drain, saving the hot potato water to use in the gravy. Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk. Salt to taste.

For the gravy, heat the oil in a skillet. Stir in the mushrooms, soy sauce, and black pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender. Add 1 1//2 cups of potato water and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook at a low boil, continuing to stir, until the gravy is clear and thick.

Oil a 9-inch square casserole dish or use a 10-inch round cast-iron skillet. Layer the tofu mixture, then the mushroom gravy, and then the mashed potatoes. Dot the top with butter or margarine. Bake at 400º for 15 to 20 minutes until the top becomes golden. 

Dear Diary I can’t believe it’s not meat!

Well I am on my way to my goal of more vegetarian friendly meals.  The other night I made a Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Chowder that had no meat in it.  What it had were “meat” crumbles from Morningstar which is basically Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).  I got the recipe from Weight Watchers which has yummy recipes.  I doctored it up a bit for my tastes since I am not a big fan of kale (me no likey).  It is so good that Jonathan had 3 bowls!  Yeah he can do that because he does hard core work outs.  My hard core work outs are typing on this key board and moving this mouse and one and two and one and two, ugh let me stretch my index finger and one and two… So below is my version of the recipe.

	Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Chowder 2 tsp olive oil
	1 cup(s) onion(s), diced   ( I substituted 2 cups of Leeks)
	3/4 cup(s) carrot(s), diced
	1/2 cup(s) celery, diced
	4 cup(s) vegetable broth
	28 oz canned tomatoes, diced, in juice, undrained
	15 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
	3 tsp minced garlic
	1/4 tsp dried thyme
	1 cup(s) kale, frozen, chopped   (I substituted chopped frozen spinach)
	1 cup(s) frozen cut green beans
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1 cup(s) dry textured vegetable protein, granules (TVP)   ( I used Morningstar Crumbles)
	1 tsp fennel seed
	1/2 tsp black pepper   (I used red pepper flakes for spice)

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute 5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add broth, tomatoes and juice, beans, TVP, garlic, fennel and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. 
• Stir in kale, green beans, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until vegetables and TVP are tender. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. (Note: Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for future consumption.)

This chowder is approximately 4 points per serving which is pretty low in calories.  So go and make it and be amazed that there is NO meat in it, NONE.  Well yeah it only fools vegetarians who haven't had meat in years but it is still delicious!!!!!!

Dear Diary Healthy Recipe for my Belly

Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs

I thought this recipe looked good, you get cauliflower and it doesn't sound gross!  If you guys have more ideas feel free to share with me in the comments section.  I need all the ideas I can get.  I do love to cook but since I am Mexican the things I cook are covered in cheese and some type of gravy so by all means recipes please.  I am also trying to do more vegetarian recipes, yes I know I do live in Texas and beef is in our blood but man can't a girl not dine on rotting animal carcass just once.