The Platter Overfloweth: A Dinner Party

It has been over a week since this dinner occurred and I am still full. I haven't been making a lot of pasta since the "20 x 3/5 Challenge" but when the opportunity came around to have friends over for dinner I thought, "...I just love my friends, I want to make six courses and something that'll set on fire!" I conjured that gem right before I doubled over laughing...I love 'em, but dinner for eight...PASTA! I love pasta but it is all-too-often ruined by fatty, greasy sauces. Just today I saw a commercial selling endless pasta with your choice of two different alfredos?! WTF? No one needs to eat alfredo ever, much less and endless amount! It's scary to think people do...

Healthy is easy but it isn't the most eye-catching. What I'm about to make is most certainly all-you-can-eat (and we did) and it is inexpensive to boot! We're talking a mound...well, you'll see. Even though this beast of deliciousness is just tossed in olive oil, it's just as delicious as a huge plate of greasy, heavy alfredo. We're talking about what makes you feel better afterwards...they're both wonderful - one is so much better for you.

A friend just passed along another blog (which if I liked I would promote but it's gross) where someone adds strange things to coffee to see what will happen. Very similar in format to my own blog - I'm kinda embarrassed by that...joking...the content here should never make you feel the way I felt when this person scrambled an egg in coffee...oh, uh, there's that feeling again...DESSERT...much better. When having others over I feel it is absolutely necessary to have dessert. Now, what do I make that will be unique, thought about, healthy and delicious? Well - you'll see - and it's was all of those things...

Pasta Primavera with Feta and Olive Oil

and for dessert Angel Food Cake and Berry Parfait

(For 4-6)

Jupiter's Shopping List:

2 lbs. Chicken Tenders (boneless breasts, etc.)

1 Large Yellow Onion

3 tbsp. chopped Garlic

1 bag Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Egg Noodles (they're bomb)

Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Carrots, Spinach, etc. (equal portions)

1-2 pkgs. Feta (10-14 oz)

For Dessert:

1 bag frozen blackberries

1 pint fresh raspberries

Angel Food Cake (pre-made)

Powdered Sugar

I added 3/4 cup Agave Nectar to the blackberries and let it simmer for an hour. Agave Nectar, if you don't already know, is a Low Glycemic Index (LGI) sweetener that is all-natural. LGI means that, unlike sugar, Agave Nectar doesn't spike your blood sugar, rather a gradual increase, and isn't as hard to digest as processed sugar. It's delicious in coffee, too. Eggs are not. FYI.

Chicken, Onions, Garlic, Salt and Pepper, enough water to cover the bottom 1 inch.

350 degrees, covered, 45 min - 1 hour

(This could be prepared any way, of course. Grilled would be awesome)

"Table-level Cutting Board Shot"

Chop safely! Carrots are slippery - knives are sharp!

Squash is a lot easier. That's all I have to say about squash.

The green beans are French Style (frozen), the tomatoes are seeded.

After the chicken is done, remove it from the "onion/garlic bath" and set aside to cool briefly. (Sorry no photo) Next boil pasta. No picture again. Hope you know how to do that. While boiling the pasta heat 2-3 tbsp. olive oil with 1-2 tbsp garlic for 2 minutes on medium heat (stir this around). Add the beautifully chopped vegetables (that Kristina did most of - thanks!)

Toss in spinach and flip like a professional...or not. A spatula works well and keeps it clean. When the spinach has started to wilt, kill the heat and slice the chicken.

Toss the all together and you have a marathon runners dream! I did have a nice run the next day - full I was - but I didn't feel bad about it. No heavy cream, a little bit of cheese (sort of) and it's something that isn't bad to over-eat...that doesn't happen a lot.

After you slice your store-bought (I did) layer it with fresh raspberries, the blackberry sauce you made and sprinkle with powdered sugar. BAM! Delicious, healthy...the whole bit. I really didn't even need this, but since I simmered blackberries for an hour+ I was sure as hell eating them!

I continue to eat healthily and hope that you do the same. Pasta is delicious without alfredo, too! Better in fact. And Cheesecake with berries is delicious - but this won't give you a heart attack after your third helping. I can't express to you exactly how it feels - how my body feels - from changing the way I see food, what I eat, and how much. Exercise is important, but what goes in your mouth is first! Make sure what you put in and around it is good for you! Your body will show you how happy it is. Try it!!

...and, no, you do not need to eat bread with pasta. It's kind of redundant.

-Walter

El Chico is Stupid: No-Microwave-Required-Enchiladas

One of my favorite things in the world - enchiladas. What's wrong with them?! (Ala Joey) Tortillas: goooooood, sauce: gooooooood, beans: gooooooooooooooood! Now...how to make them better...for your body. I, being part of a Mexican cuisine loving family, ate at many a Mexican restaurant across north Louisiana. My first love - Guadalajara Grill...now defunct. The wonderful Taco Mania (Shreveport, LA) and Trejo's (Bossier City, LA...BUT JUST BARELY!) - both delicious!! While learning about food I find that I am quite disturbed by what fats are used to make this delicious food. A lot. We'll say that.

Recently my friend Pat and I went to a local Mexican restaurant and asked if they made such a thing as "cheese dip" or "queso". The dimly-lit server (that's nicely put) said, "Oh, yeah, uh, we've got, uh, queso fresco." "Like a dipping cheese?" I ask and he replies, "Oh yeah." Well...we got nachos. That's what we were given when asking for a dipping cheese. Good cheese, but not what I was wanting. Queso is a very common thing in Louisiana Mexican restaurants. Along with "Enchiladas con Crema" or something similar. Neither seem to exist in California. Anyway, during my "20-lb by 3/5" challenge to myself, I have decided to try and "healthify" some enchiladas. Not try, I will...I will do that. 2010 - I WILL DO IT! Lost two pounds as of today, btw.

This is a wonderful recipe that would be great started in a crock pot if you can't be there with the oven. I found this wicked roasting pan at a flea market (don't know why it's called that still) for $4. I decided to also use the roasting pan as the enchilada pan. Less dirty dishes...

**Special thanks to Amy Moody for doing all of the dishes. She excels at some things.

LET'S GET TO IT!

This is a chicken version - it's also really delicious with turkey.

The needs:

(for 10 enchiladas - I made 20)

10 whole wheat tortillas

1.5 lbs. chicken (boneless is easier)

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 carton chicken broth

1 red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 large onion halved, quartered and picked apart

1-2 hot peppers (should you like that kinda thing)

***All of the above goes in a roasting pan or crock pot***

Roast in a 350 degree oven for 2.5 - 3 hours. Remove the chicken and puree the vegetables and broth in a blender.

HERE IS HOW TO DO THIS AND NOT HAVE A HOT BROTH FACIAL:

1) Fill the pitcher half way.

2) With the top ON but the CENTER REMOVED,

place a small towel over the center of the lid.

*IT WILL EXPLODE IF YOU COMPLETELY SEAL THE TOP.

3) Pulse until everything is moving well and puree

until everything is smooth...repeat.

Pour the pureed broth/vegetable/enchilada sauce in a large sauce pan and simmer while you chop...

Pull the chicken apart and remove any questionable pieces (should there be any) and add:

1 can corn

1 ea. chopped red, green, yellow bell pepper

1 can chopped green chilies

**A few other additions could be: spinach, beans, feta, diced potatoes, etc.

Get in there and mix it up. Let the record show that wet (from the shower, not sweat) platinum hair looks clear - I'm not that bald...yet.

With a whole wheat tortilla in one hand, fill with the other and roll as such.

**Having your pinkie finger up makes them fancier. FYI.

This is what it should look like - dump all remnants from the bowl on top.

Pour the reduced and subsequently thickened sauce on top.

Adding some "authentic" flavor - one large can of Green Chili Enchilada sauce.

It is eaaaasy to go crazy with cheese. For two pans it took about 1.25 lbs to cover well.

Oven - 350 degrees, Timer - 45 minutes - and while that's cooking...

I love beans, my mother loathes beans ("Cut the beans, double rice" she says) - sorry mom, just scroll down past this I guess.

I love to make doctored-sides. Taking cans, adding fresh, making something special and delicious. And easy. Take a chopped onion and a large clove of garlic chopped and saute with 1 tbsp. butter (only butter in the whole meal). It should look like this...

This smells heavenly and is my favorite step of any food preparation. Butter, onions, garlic...goooooood.

Once again, I doubled the recipe, so the regular recipe would be:

1 chopped onion

1 large chopped garlic clove

1 can black beans (or others) juice-and-all

1 can fat free refried beans

1 tbsp. fat free sour cream

1 cup cheese - see it's not all fat free

I added some of our "Peppers of Unknown Origin" to add heat. It didn't - they're hit or miss. Fire or nothing...it's weird.

This is what the handle of the spatula sees all the time. Not a bad life...until you're submerged in gross sink water.

The sour cream adds creaminess but could be omitted since there's a cup of cheese coming.

Another "moment". Let this simmer and meld (stirring occasionally) until the enchiladas are golden brown and bubbly.

Enchiladas...that are almost completely homemade and healthier. That's the goal.

They were well received.

There is always going to be a part of me that wants to go out and eat. What if there is no Amy and you have to clean the dishes your self? It's not that much fun - but you know when cooking at home the food will be delicious and you'll know WHAT'S IN IT! Almost everything from the beans to the chicken broth were certified organic and there was very little fat used. Without cheese it would be delicious still and many fewer calories...but how many compromises can we make, huh?! Get the cheese.

I hope you'll try these! Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Pork, Crawfish, Lobster (for you big ballas') - try something new!! Make it yours!! And make it HEALTHIER!

Make it better, make it healthier - in and around your mouth!

-Walter

Moderation Is Key - Except When It's Steamed

I have been motivated by the "Half Ton Teen" (that's kinda unfair, but I think about him a lot) and by my own desire to live better and have set the goal to lose the last twenty pounds or so that I still carry from my "previous life". Having been fat for many, many years, I really didn't think that I could look different. From that moment when I was eight and realized I could fit more than any little boy should, I formed terrible habits, thinking that it was food - food is food is food. It's uneducated and ignorant to think so.

California offers a lot of healthy options - healthy examples, but those ideals are available outside the state! I know that eating well, and taking in fewer calories than I burn off with exercise, I will burn fat. It's science. Your body needs fuel to burn fat in a healthy way. That means keeping your body working by snacking on nuts and drinking lots of water throughout the day - I am admitting to you all, now, that I drink TOO MUCH coffee and I am going to make a fervent effort to stop doing so. Water flushes your system, it helps your skin, it is readily available and delicious. Let's all drink a gallon a day, huh? Get yourself a steel water-bottle (eco-friendly alternative to countless plastic bottles) and drink five a day. Mmmm, it's soooo good.

Further, in my effort to be able to see my abs for the first time in my life, I will document what I do to alter my diet and what I replace some things with. I already gave you one - nuts. I know, that's what she said, whatever, but they're awesome and best in the bulk isle. I buy "Tamari Roasted Almonds" which have a little soy sauce roasted with the almonds. They are delicious, zero effort, and easy to have around. Another is protein and vegetable usage. I don't eat A LOT of meat - I may have some friends wondering who the hell is typing this because it sure-as-hell couldn't actually be me saying that - I used to live for the hamburger, now I want something that fills me up and makes me feel good afterward. I am running everyday, going further everyday, while intermittently incorporating P90-X workouts (especially Abs). I have another blog where I recounted my attempts to complete P90 in so many days. It didn't work so good. I lost focus hard-core, kept eating better, but hardly worked out at all. It's a funny read if you have the time - believe me - it's pretty short.

Since I am running, doing weight training and making my muscles "confused", so says Tony Horton of P90-X, I want to make sure that I eat whatever my body needs to rebuild and continue to progress while also dropping fat. SO, mornings: steel cut oats/Kashi mini wheats/eggs/spinach, turkey sandwich for lunch, and light carb dinner. Tonight and previous nights I have had pan-seared chicken tenders and steamed vegetables. I try to use salt as little as possible but use Cajun seasoning almost blindly. I grabbed some organic baby carrots, cauliflower and spinach and steamed them all, tossed that in the pan with the cooked chicken and BAM - delicious and filling. While I say I have not been eating meat very often, I eat cheese in it's place - like most vegetarians in the world - so I have to give my beloved cheese up for a while to achieve my goal by March 5, 2009. It's gonna happen, dates just help, you know?

Here's to 2010 being the best year of our lives - achieving our goals, excelling in what we love and accepting our bodies potential and ability to love us back.

I don't have any pictures to visually depict what I'm writing about today - sorry if you're disappointed. Go eat some nuts...in and around your mouth. -Walter

To Poach or Not to Poach: Here's the answer

I love eggs. I've always loved eggs. Do remember the first time you had one? Scrambled probably, huh? Not to say I "hate" scrambled eggs, but I think the only place for them is in a quiche. Again, that's me. Everybody tried them, you either like them or not - or you can't eat them at all which is tragic- but they are in almost everything, serve umpteen million purposes from culinary to hair gel or missiles. "My" egg is over-medium. I will go into this further...

From a guy who has served breakfast at several places, please take these things into consideration when ordering "your" egg:

1. "Over-easy" doesn't mean cooked whites/runny yolk - that would be over-medium. Over-easy is set on the bottom, flipped and cooked long enough to yawn and wonder what you were doing, then flipped again and slid on a plate. Bam...over-easy.
2. "Over-medium" has a completely cooked white, slightly warmed yolk (enough to make it oozy but not watery. This is achieved by making an over-easy egg but after the first flip, butter two pieces of bread and swirl the pan before flipping. The swirl isn't necessary - you're killing time. Flip again (or not, whatever, it's done anyway) and onto the plate.
3. "Over-hard" means it's completely solid - nothing runny. Scrambled without the effort.
4. "Basted" is old-fashioned and essentially over-medium but slightly different in preparation. It's covered, cooking the top of the egg with circulated heat instead of flipping it. It's prettier than a traditional fried egg.
5. "Poached" is the deciding factor of whether or not the breakfast cook has any idea what they're doing. It's also the healthiest way to cook an egg (except doing whole-boiled) because you don't have to use any fat. This is what I will show you today. Also known as the "three minute egg", it can be butchered easily and when served over done is the same thing as a hard boiled egg. Hence "THREE MINUTE EGG" - IT SHOULD ONLY BE IN THERE 3 - 3:30 MINUTES!
6. I think I already told you what I thought about scrambled...but in addition to quiche, an omelette is another acceptable use for scrambled eggs.  Simply with cheese is nice.

Here we go...Get a decent size sauce-pan and enough water to be able to submerge your hand (how's that visual help?). Bring it to a boil with a little salt.

After the water is simmering, add a 2 tsps of white vinegar - THIS IS KEY.

The vinegar holds the egg together so you don't get "egg-drop soup". Kill the eggs...start the timer for 3 minutes flat.

Using a spoon (wooden is nice) corral the white around the yolk ever-so-gently. You don't have to do this very long, just until the egg knows for sure you're the boss...or the spoon is.

After 3:15 (that's my system) I scoop up the beauties with a slotted spoon and let set on the plate for a few moments to continue cooking. The longer it sits to cool down, the oozier the yolk will be (good thing, for me at least).

White - completely done, yolk - delicious and, forgive the weird reference, "creamy"

I hope that you enjoy some eggs today. Try out something new if you want. And, although I think it's a bunch of whooey to say it - when flipping "it's all in the wrist". Whatever - practice flipping toast if you care so much.

Happy, healthy eating!

-Walter