March 2009 Archives

I found this recipe in yesterday's newspaper. It is lighter version of the classic, but with a little "tweeking" it would be a great "family friendly" zone recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but will try it this week.

We all know potatoes are full of carbs. But I love me some comfort food...pot roast with some mashed potatoes...yummy!

Instead of using mashed potatoes, I have opted for steaming celeriac (celery root) and then pureeing it in a food processor. Adding just a tablespoon of olive oil gives it a whipped consistency but you really don't even have to do that.

Now you aren't going to fool anyone that celeriac is potatoes....there is a mild celery taste but with just a little bit of salt and pepper and some juices from your roast, you'll be loving your low carb mashed 'potatoes'.

Here are some basic celeriac nutrition facts:

1 serving (155g) has only 9g of carbs, 0g of fat and no sugar. Whereas the same serving of potatoes has 33g of carbs, 0g of fat and 3g of sugar.

One large celery root makes approximately 4 servings.

Makes two 3-block meals

The idea of figs and cheese is sort of a take-off from the idea of eating protein with fruits. You know...like apples with cheese. Figs and cheese are just for us grown up kids.

Here is a link to where I originally posted my recipe:

Figs with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Vinegar

But basically, you cut the figs in half, press some goat cheese or bleu cheese into the center, heat under the broiler for a few minute and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. The better the vinegar you use the better the taste is going to be. Adding goat cheese gives a much milder taste for those who don't appreciate the stout taste of gorgonzola cheeses.

I like to serve them on top of a bed of mixed greens. Not only does it look good but they taste great with the mixed greens too. These make a great snack or side dish for any dinner.

I know this seems so simple and easy but let's talk about omlettes for a minute.

I started eating omlettes every morning after I had been eating cereal for years...decades. I always had this awful feeling of hunger shortly after eating cereal and often I would just eat more bread. Once I started eating omlettes, I was cured from this insatiable hunger and could manage my need for more food.

With a husband and three children all at home it seems like I must be wonder mom to get omlettes cooked up every morning. But I'm not.

I spend a few hours on Sunday, or whatever other day offers me the time and desire to cut, chop, cut, chop and grate. I get everything out of the fridge and cut up enough omlette ingredients for the week, including grated cheese.

I only eat a 2 egg omlette and I load it up with veggies. What I put in the omlette depends on what is on sale and in season.

Things I love to put in my omlettes:

Brocolli
Zuchinni
Red or Green Bell Pepper
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Left over sauteed vegetables from the night before
Salsa
Cilantro
and of course a little bit of cheese
Some raw red cabbage sprinkled over the top of a cooked omlette is really good too

I use a little bit of coconut oil to cook my omlette in. It keeps it from sticking to the pan and gives it a really nice flavor.

For all of you non-cooks out there, I'll give you a simple run down of how to prepare an omlette.

First get out your container of pre-chopped vegetables that we talked about above. Throw them in a pan with a a few tablespoons of water in it and cook them to desired tenderness or crunchiness. While the vegetable are cooking crack open 2-3 eggs into a bowl (I use a 2 cup measuring cup) and mix the eggs. Place cooked vegetables on a plate.

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to a warm pan and turn the heat down to medium. Allow the coconut oil to melt and then add the eggs. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs spread out of the whole pan. Fancy chefs probably have an omlette or pancake turner but I use a good 'ol spatula. Once the egg has cooked nearly all the way through, loosen the edges and attempt to flip. Or just let it continue to cook on low heat until there is no runnies....this might just take a bit longer.

Throw in your cheese and vegetables on one-half of the omlette, flip the other side over to close it up and viola! You've got yourself an omelette.

If you aren't a breakfast person you can try this for dinner too! My kids love having breakfast foods for dinner....they must think it's a wacky, kid kind of day when we flip these around like that.

This is more of a public service announcement than anything else.

I wanted to share with all of you where I do my produce shopping.....at the Grower's Market in Downtown Eugene.

This is a food co op and it's amazing. All of the produce is organic and the prices are super low. Because it is a not-for-profit co op market so the hours are limited and they do ask that you take a short orientation to learn how the market is run. They have so many healthy options for food that will save your life and money. Buying produce their is only the beginning. Let me tell you that I bought a jar of basil there (I brought my own empty jar) and I paid 11 cents for it.

And, if you decide you want to be part of the community and volunteer a tiny amount of your time you get an extra 15% off of your already low co op prices.

The Grower's Market is on Willamette St. near the Amtrak Station. The phone number is 541-687-1145. If you have any questions just call the number listed here or you can just ask me.

Can I tell you how much I love pesto? I'm sure the fact that I'm writing about it is proof of my affection.

If you have ever shopped for good, fresh pesto than you have noticed how pricey it can be. Now that you have this handy dandy recipe at your finger tips you'll never have to spend money on store bought pesto again and you'll always enjoy the fresh taste.

One thing that can make pesto a pricey sauce is the basil and the pine nuts. Trader Joe's sells pine nuts at a reasonable price and if you grow your own herbs than acquiring basil won't be that hard. If you don't have access to your own basil, you can choose cilantro as a less expensive alternative and the flavor is just as good. Maybe even add a little bit of lemon or sun dried tomatoes. A less expensive nut option is walnuts.

I really enjoy the cilantro with lime pesto over some wild petrale fillets. Mmmm good.

This is the basic recipe for pesto sauce using basil and pine nuts. Substitute as necessary.

Large bunch of basil, dicard stems
3/4 C Olive Oil
1 C pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 - 3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic

Add all ingredients to a mixer and blend until it looks like pesto sauce should.

These cookies are so good and a great dessert for Crossfitters who don't want to eat any added sugar.

You can use unsweetened carob for sugar free cookies. You can make your own almond meal by pulsing almonds in a food processor until it is the texture of sand - don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter. And lastly, the coconut oil works beautifully here, just be sure to warm it a bit - enough that it is no longer solid, which makes it easier to incorporate into the bananas. If you have gluten allergies, seek out GF oats.

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - just shy of 15 minutes seems to be about right in my oven.

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

See this recipe and more at 101 Cookbooks

This is my favorite on the go breakfast, cause it's fast, easy and delicious. You can scale this as needed.

So this doesn't really qualify as a recipe but I just wanted to make a list of items I love! Kathy and I were talking the other day at a workout about certain items we like and I thought some of you may like to try them out! So here they are:

 

Better N'Peanut Butter - this is a creamy peanut butter with only 2 g of fat per serving, no sat. or trans fat, and it is absolutely delicious.....I know the point of PB is fat but if you are like me and can't handle the saltiness or thickness of normal PB this is for you :) Even Trav likes it

Morning Star Sausage Patties - these are vegan and amazing as well.....1 patty serves as 1 protein and they taste just like the ones from McDonalds....mmmmm

40 Calorie Bread - I am pretty sure this is what it is called.....it is in a shiny brown plastic bag but I like this because it's wheat bread but they are slightly thinner and smaller and 1 whole piece counts as 1 carb rather than having to cut it in half

Fresh Fruit - this is very basic but I wanted to let you all know Trader Joe's has exceptional fruit for pretty cheap........definately worth checking out. It is one of the best things to keep around

Laughing Cow Light Cheese - if you haven't already tried these, you MUST! They come in a wheel and are individually wrapped. One individual slice is of good size. My favorites are the swiss which is great on apples or the herb and cheese which tastes great on a rice cake

Turkey Bacon - I got Trav hooked on this.....I love the taste and it is so quick to make! Trader Joe's has very lean turkey bacon available but you can find it almost anywhere. It is a wonderful alternative to the real thing

Chile Lime Chicken Burgers - I have only seen these at Trader Joe's but they are so yummy.....especially when you are cravin a burger!

 

As you can see, I do a lot of my shopping at Trader Joe's but they have quite a wonderful assortment of foods and specialty items. And, unlike what many people think, it is not like Market of Choice or Whole Foods who tend to overprice the majority of their items. You can find incredible deals and most of what I have found is comparable to Winco so I suggest giving them a try. You will love it :)

 

 

 

These are great - so many things you can do with them. Freeze great - so make a bunch and stock the freezer.  Depending on the size you make them - 1 - 2 meatball counts as 1 block protein.  They are even great cold - perfect for lunch on the go!

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each about 4 ounces, cut into 1-inch chuncks
Herbamare (or your favorite all-spice)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 medium asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 teardrop tomatoes, halved (use cherry tomatoes if you can't find teardrops)
1 large portobello mushroom, stem and gills removed, cut into 8 to 10 1-inch pieces
6 scallions, white part only, sliced diagonally
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1. Season the chicken lightly on both sides with Herbamare, salt, and pepper, and set aside.

2. Coat a saute pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Put 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in the pan, and heat it over medium heat.  Add the asparagus, cherry and teardrop tomatoes, and mushroom, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.  Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer, or until softened.  Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

3. Heat another teaspoon of the olive oil in the pan, add the chicken, and cook for 1 minute, or until it begins to brown on one side.  Turn the chicken with a spatula, and cook for about 5 minutes longer, stirring and turning, until the meat is evenly browned.  Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.

4. Spray the pan again with cooking spray.  Put the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the pan, add the garlic, and saute for about 1 minute, until golden.  Stir in the chicken broth, wine, and lemon juice, and bring the contents to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and mix them into the broth.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir well.

5. Stir the chicken and vegetables into the pan and cook, stirring gently, until heated through.  Stir in the basil, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 12 grams carbohydrates, 26 grams protein, 7 grams fat

Serves 2

Hot-and-sweet or your favorite store-bought mustard
2 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
4 ounces sliced smoked turkey
1 firm tart apple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ounces low-fat mozzarella, low-fat cheddar, or soy cheese, thinly sliced
Olive Oil cooking spray

1. Spread mustard on one side of each tortilla.

2. Lay the turkey, apple, and cheese on one of the tortillas.  Top with the other tortilla, mustard-side down, to form a "sandwich."

3. Spray a nonstick skillet or griddle with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once with a wide spatula, until the cheese melts and the tortillas are lightly browned.  Cut in half and serve.

Per Serving: 11 grams crabohydrates, 22 grams protein, 3.6 grams fat

Approximately 2 block breakfast. Use your block chart to adjust amounts for you.

I get the skinless boneless frozen salmon at Costco. They are all ready cut into 3 to 4 oz. portions and vacuum wrapped individually. They are easily thawed out in cool water just make sure to leave them in there vacuum wrap, takes about 10 minutes.

I haven't calculated the "blocks" on this - but it fits nicely in the zone! Our whole family loves this. Makes 6 - 8 servings. Great leftovers.

Welcome to our new Zone Friendly Cooking Blog.  I'm not that great of a cook so you guys need to help me out here.  The more people that contribute, the better resource this will be!!

We want to break up the recipes into categories by what type of meal they are (breakfast, snack, dinner, etc.), so hopefully we will all be able to find what we are looking for quickly and easily.  We also want to tag recipes with words that will help us find groups of recipes with similar characteristics.  If you try a recipe, leave a comment and tell us how it went.  Happy cooking everyone!

RE-EDITED (3:45 pm): If you had an account to post comments on this blog before we changed over to the new comment system, you already have access to post on this blog.  If not, follow the directions below in Step #1!  If it still doesn't work, let me know. Yes, to make entries on this blog requires a different log-in than to comment, sorry.  This might seem like a lot of instructions, but once you've done it once or twice it's really easy!
 
1.Click here to sign in   Everyone should have access to their blog.  If you had an account that worked to post comments way back when, use that user name.  If you did not, use your account name from the MindBody Online Scheduling program BUT use the password I posted on the white board in the gym (if you're still having problems logging in, email me).

2.In the top right you should see a link called "System Overview"  In the drop down list, choose "Blogs".

3. Click on the "Food Is Fuel" blog link in the list.

4. In the top left of the page you should see a picture of a house.  Just to the right of it you should see "Create."  Click that and then choose "Entry" from the drop down list.

5. A screen that looks similar to an email screen shows up where you can write your recipe.

6. When you've finished typing out your recipe, please also add any tag words in the "tags" field directly under your entry. Tag words are helpful to find a group of recipes that all have chicken in them, for example.

7. Next, just to the right of your entry you should see a section called "Publishing"  Make sure that your status is set to "Published" (from the drop down menu).  If it says "unpublished" then you will need to chose "published" from the drop down menu before your recipe will show up on the site.

8. One more thing before you are done with this screen.  Just below the publishing section you will see a categories section (bottom right side of screen).  Please check mark which category it belongs in (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks).  You can choose more than one category if you would like (for instance, if it could be lunch and/or dinner, or lunch and/or snack, etc.)