Belly Hungry

Roasted Red Potatoes

2009-03-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

12 small red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Original Blend, divided

Toss potatoes with olive oil and 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash in a bowl. Roast in a preheated 400 F oven for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 450 F. Sprinkle with remaining Mrs. Dash and continue to roast for 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.

Serving size: 6 potato wedges
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

193 Calories, 4g fat, 4g fiber

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

2009-03-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 cup Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriyaki 10-Minute Marinade
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 (12 oz.) bag frozen stir fry vegetables
3 cups hot cooked brown rice

Marinate chicken in marinade. Remove chicken and discard marinade. Heat oil in a medium skillet on high heat, add chicken, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Add vegetables and continue cooking until vegetables are tender -- about 6 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

254 calories, 6g fat, 3g fiber

Green Bean Casserole

2009-03-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions
1 (10 3.4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans

Mix soup, milk, pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes until hot. Stir
Top with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes. Serve.

Italian Meatball Soup

2009-02-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

I've been in a cooking slump lately, and trying to make something healthy as well as easy is often a challenge. Not only that, I have a child who hates to try new things, dislikes most vegetables (except corn and broccoli and cucumbers) and usually turns up his nose at anything I make.

Okay, wait... Before I go any further with this post, I have to tell you my exciting news. I've signed up as a Pampered Chef consultant. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but my fear kept me from taking the plunge.

I got my kit recently and it was like Christmas. I have so much of the Pampered Chef product that it seemed only right to take the first step. Going through all the new products and cookbooks was (and continues to be) a blast.

Now, as I was saying, Dawson is a picky eater sometimes. When I was going through the cookbook 29 Minutes to Dinner by Pampered Chef, I saw this Italian Meatball Soup recipe and knew it would be something delicious and, healthy and quick.

As I was prepping the ingredients I felt like Rachael Ray making a 30-Minute Meal. This soup is so simple and so hearty, I was very impressed.

The crushed tomatoes conceals the carrot, celery and onion, and the meatballs are so tasty. Dawson ate an entire bowl. I couldn't believe it. I loved the fact that he had no idea he was eating carrots. I can't get him to eat a raw carrot to save his life.

The soup was at the appropriate thickness, too. Not too thin, but not chunky, save for the meatballs, of course -- and the vegetables were al dente and so darn good!

Doug was impressed with it, too. Definitely a keeper! Here's the recipe:

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP
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INGREDIENTS

* 2 medium carrots
* 2 stalks celery
* 1 small onion
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 4 garlic cloves , pressed
* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
* 1 (28ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
* 2 cups beef broth
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 16 frozen fully cooked meatballs
* salt
* fresh coarse ground black pepper
*croutons for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel carrots. Finely chop carrots, celery and onion with a food chopper.
2. Lightly spray a 4 quart casserole (or stock pot) with oil and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Push vegetables to one side of casserole. Add tomato paste; cook 1-2 minutes or until tomato paste begins to caramelize.
4. Add pressed garlic and seasoning mix; mix well. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a simmer.
5. Cut meatballs in half; add to soup. Simmer an additional 10-12 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Weighing In on Weight

2008-11-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, kids -- here's the official weigh-in results. After four weeks of Weight Watchers (and eating healthy and exercising) my weight is 233.9 pounds. My last recorded weight was 238.9 so I'm down five pounds. Now, I know that isn't a lot, but I feel good (aside from the nasty cold Dawson gave me), my clothes seem to fit better and I'm a little more confident about myself.

These are all amazingly good reasons to stick with it.

I've had a few days where I've decided not to record what I put in my mouth, and ultimately it's because I'm learning to listen to my body and not worry about making "mistakes" with this diet. And really, I don't know if I'm dieting so much - I'm really making a conscious decision to be healthy.

To congratulate myself on sticking to the program, I bought myself a new Yoga DVD. This is the first time I haven't rewarded myself with some sort of sugary treat.

Although, it really is difficult to NOT raid Dawson's Halloween candy. Willpower, activate!

World Egg Day: Vegetable Fried Rice with....Eggs!

2008-10-09T07:54:00.001-07:00

Eggs. Incredible. Edible. I heart eggs. You've got that little jingle in your head now, don't you?

It's true, eggs are one of my most favorite foods. I like mine hard-boiled with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top. My husband prefers his eggs fried with bacon and slapped on slice of toast. Dawson won't eat them unless he doesn't know they're eggs.

Which is why he loves fried rice with a few eggs scrambled in for good measure. He just thinks it's "big and puffy rice." In honor of World Egg Day, we decided to make a batch of egg inspired dish.

(We found our Vegetable Fried Rice recipe in the Around the World Cookbook that I got at a cultural fair at the local high school. I love this cookbook because the recipes are designed with kids in mind. Nearly all the recipes are easy for kids to make, with parental supervision of course. Unfortunately, Dawson wanted nothing to do with the chopping and cooking so as usual, I stepped in.)

This dish is so delish, I just have to share it with you. I promise, no more rhyming.

Our Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use EVOO. See that? I just channeled Rachael Ray.)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped (I use half red and half green)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups cooked white or brown rice (we use brown)
1/2 cup green peas (I use less, picky child and all)
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded (I julienne my carrot so that I can feel like a real chef)
2 large eggs (we sometimes use 3)
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add rice, peas, and carrot. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Push the cooked ingredients to the edge of the wok. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the side of the wok. Crack in the eggs and stir until scrambled. Slowly stir the rice mixture until blended.

4. Add the soy sauce, cook stirring constantly, until well blended, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

Mmmm. Yummy scrambled eggs...err..."puffy rice."

And egg inspired dish that is truly delish! (Okay, so I fibbed. I like to rhyme.)

Don't forget the soy sauce!

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This post is part of a blog tour put together by the Parent Bloggers Network, in honor of World Egg Day. For more worldly egg dishes, visit this PBN post.

Weight and BMI

2008-09-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I had a body composition done, and my BMI is 40. Not good. My weight is 238.9 pounds. Yuck.

So here's the goal:

Lose 100 pounds at a gradual pace.

Goal weight: 145 pounds.
Goal BMI: 20

Induction - Day One

2008-09-27T16:40:00.001-07:00

Okay. So it's Day 1 of the Modified Atkins/South Beach/Low Carb Journey. We'll call it the Induction Phase, because I'm more familiar with Atkins than South Beach. This is the phase that lasts two weeks, to jumpstart weight loss.

Today I ate the following:

Breakfast
2 hard boiled eggs - 2 carbs
2 baby carrot sticks - 2.5 carbs

Lunch
2 cups mixed greens - 2 carbs
1 cup alfalfa sprouts - 1 carb
2 T. salad dressing - 2 carbs
1 c. cucumber - 1 carb
splash of lemon juice - 0 carbs
1 t. bacon pieces - 0 carbs
1/4 c. cheese - 1 carb

Dinner
8 oz. lean sirloin beef steak - 0 carb
1 small steamed red onion - 4 carbs
1 oz. cheddar cheese slices - 1 carb

4- 8 oz glasses water
1 - 16 oz glass of water with crystal light flavoring

Surprisingly, I didn't feel as hungry as I thought I would. Each time a craving for carbs came on, I slammed a glass of water, or Crystal Light flavored water. That seemed to make me feel like I was getting sugar. It's a good weight to trick the taste buds, since CL has no carbs or sugar.

Belly Hungry For Sure

2008-09-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

For the last 18 months, my husband and I have been trying to conceive our second child with no success. Because of my diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) getting pregnant is difficult for me. Part of the problem is that I'm overweight, a symptom of PCOS. Even while I was exercising regularly, eating healthier foods and making better health choices, the weight came off in phases, and I often hit plateaus.

After reading some books about PCOS, I discovered that the low-carb lifestyle is the best natural treatment to alleviate my symptoms and hopefully reverse my condition and jumpstart ovulation. Many of you know that I tried the Atkins diet in 2003, and lost 40 pounds which helped me to get pregnant with Dawson in January of 2004.

While I'm not ready to go drastic Atkins again, I am trying to follow the South Beach diet and to incorporate the healthy choices I've been making into my new, healthier lifestyle.

Since I'm too busy to post regularly about this journey on The Dana Files, I decided to hijack my food/recipe blog (this here Belly Hungry) and post updates here. It's quite funny because this Belly Hungry title couldn't be more right for this new weight loss adventure.

Let the journey begin!

Summertime Risotto

2008-06-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small onion, diced
2 cups diced zucchini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lb arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 to 3 cups nonfat chicken broth
2 tbsp light butter
6 tbsp grated Parmesan
18 sea scallops
1 bunch parsley, chopped (optional

PREPARATION

Tomatoes Heat oven to 250°. Gently toss tomatoes in 2 tsp oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake on a nonstick baking sheet 1 hour.

Zucchini Heat 1 tsp oil on medium heat in a medium pan. Cook garlic and half the onion until translucent; add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. Puree zucchini mixture in a blender with lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Risotto Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pot on medium heat and sauté remaining onion until translucent. Add rice and cook 2 minutes. Gradually pour in wine, stirring until rice absorbs wine. Add broth 1 cup at a time until absorbed, stirring continually for 20 minutes or until rice is tender (add more broth if necessary). Once rice is cooked, stir in zucchini puree, butter and cheese. Set aside.

Scallops Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan. Salt and pepper scallops and cook both sides until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and sauté 5 minutes. Spoon risotto on plate and top with scallops, tomatoes and parsley.

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488 calories per serving
14 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
68.5 g carbs
3 g fiber
16 g protein
Serves 6

(from Self.com)

I'm No Rachael Ray, So I Married Alton Brown

2008-06-08T09:25:00.001-07:00

Cross-posted from The Dana Files.

I'm not a horrible cook. I'm not the world's greatest chef, either. It's safe to say I can turn on the oven, boil water, and make almost any basic recipe given to me. I have a vast collection of cookbooks and I love to dig them out of the back of my pantry to try something new on occasion, but for the most part, my husband is the master chef of our kitchen.

When we were first married, I cooked dinner every weekday. My husband always seemed to eat what I prepared and never complained, however, as a former line cook in a popular local restaurant, he always took it upon himself to educate me on cooking techniques and ways to "doctor up" my favorite dishes.

I always say if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and it started to irritate me that my loving spouse had a "suggestion" for every meal I made. After a few years I decided to hand over the reigns. If he was so smart, he could do all the cooking, right? In fact he thinks he's the greatest chef in our town and often refuses to go to restaurants because he could cook a meal ten times better. (This is probably why we haven't gone to Chili's in ages. He insists on outdoing their baby back ribs.)

After Dawson was born, I barely had time to shower let alone stand in the kitchen over a hot stove for 30 minutes. Then I discovered Rachael Ray and fell in love with her 30-Minute Meals. Her cookbooks are my favorites, because when I do have to cook, she makes it quick and somewhat easy. I've even caught myself saying, "Yummo" and using a garbage bowl.

My husband, a FoodNetwork addict, would frantically write down recipe ingredients from these shows, and then try to recreate the culinary masterpieces. He will spend hours watching Alton Brown on Good Eats, and he has a secret crush on Giada De Laurentiis.

A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to make an Emeril recipe for coconut shrimp. I bought all the necessary ingredients, made the batter with the flaked coconut and proceeded to line the coated shrimp in rows on a baking sheet. I was so impressed with myself, until I realized I forgot to clean the shrimp veins. My husband assured me we wouldn't die from eating shrimp poop, but it took me a good three weeks to eat the little crustaceans again.

These days, my "cooking" consists of visits to Subway, and Dawson doesn't seem to mind. (Of course my know -it-all husband insists he could make a better sub at home. He probably could.)

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This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a contest sponsored by the American Egg Board.

Home Cooking

2008-02-17T15:37:00.001-08:00

In an effort to eat healthier and slim down, I decided to eliminate fast food and do all my cooking at home.

This morning, I had scrambled eggs with tomato and spinach, and a side of low sodium/no sugar added bacon. I also had a small glass of Simply Apple juice. It is delish!

Then for lunch I made a turkey sandwich with cucumber, tomato, cheddar cheese, avocado and a little mustard, on 12-grain bread. It was so healthy and yet so good.

I really don't have recipes for these, I sort of just threw them together. If anyone would like step by step instructions, leave a comment and I'll do my best post them here.

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

2008-01-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner this weekend. I got the recipe from the French's website. It was easy and delicious, and even the very picky three-year-old loved it!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 1/3 cups French's french fried onions
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Crush french fried onions in plastic bag. Dip chicken into egg; then coat in onion crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F until cooked through.

For more recipes, go to www.frenchsfoods.com.

Best Ever Burgers

2008-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
3 T. instant minced onion
6 hamburger buns

Thoroughly combine beef, 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and onion; shape into 6 patties. Cook on grill 3 inches from hot coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Brush burgers frequently on both sides with remaining teriyaki. Serve onhamburger buns. Or, brown on both sides in small amount of olive oil to desired degree of doneness. Just before serving, brush patties again with teriyaki sauce.

Makes six 1/4 burgers.

Grandma's Easy-Cheeseycake

2007-11-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I haven't posted a recipe since the summer. I was so busy managing The Dana Files, writing various posts at other blogs and trying to keep the house in order that I neglected a lot of other tasks. This blog is one of them.

With Thanksgiving just days away, I've been thinking a lot about turkey, mashed potatoes, apple pie and my favorite, blueberry torte. My dad loves my recipe and has asked me to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner. It's kind of my thing. I usually make it without being asked.

Here's one of the many versions of the classic dessert (I rotate between several). This recipe was given to me by my grandma Alice several years ago.

Grandma's Easy-Cheeseycake

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. melted butter
3 tsp. sugar
16 oz. marshmallows
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. cream cheese
1 pt. whipping cream
1-21 oz. can blueberry pie filling

Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with cracker crumbs, butter and sugar (mixed together). Melt marshmallows in milk and cool; add vanilla. Beat cream cheese until creamy; add cooled marshmallow mixture and beat again. Blend in 1 pint of whipping cream, whipped. Poor into crust and refrigerate overnight. Top with blueberry pie filling and chill until ready to serve.

No-Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies

2007-07-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

From Recipe.com's recipe of the day!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
2 tablespoons shortening, divided (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided
2-1/2 cups (5-oz. can) chow mein noodles, coarsely broken and divided
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, divided
dried apricots, cut into small pieces (optional)

Preparation:
1. Cover tray with wax paper.

2. Place 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are melted when stirred; stir in 1-1/4 cups chow mein noodles and 1/4 cup oats. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared tray; flatten slightly. Press 2/3 cup peanut butter chips into cookies; allow to set until firm.

3. Place remaining 1 cup peanut butter chips and remaining 1 tablespoon shortening in another medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until chips are melted when stirred; stir in remaining 1-1/4 cups chow mein noodles and remaining 1/4 cup oats. Drop and flatten as directed above. Press remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips into cookies; allow to set until firm. Garnish with apricots, if desired. About 2 dozen cookies.

Cheese Zucchini Crisps

2007-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Cheese Zucchini Crisps - Adapted from the Food Down Under recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup cornflake crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or other hard cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt or dried herb/s or both
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 very young (4-inches long) zucchini or other summer squash,
cut in 1/2" strips
1/4 cup olive oil (or olive oil spray to further reduce calories)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Either dip squash strips in olive oil or spray both sides with oil spray. Press each strip with crumb mixture on both sides. Arranged coated strips on cookie sheet and bake approximately 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a starter, side dish or snack. --

Mom! What's For Breakfast?

2007-06-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

I borrowed my neighbor's copy of The Sonoma Diet Cookbook. She's into dieting and chasing her three children around the yard, (actually I think the latter is what keeps her thin) and she recommended several recipes to me.

As I browsed the dog eared pages, I came across Canadian Bacon and Egg Pockets.

Who doesn't love bacon and eggs? I can't wait to make this for breakfast on a Saturday morning (hopefully one that doesn't involve temper tantrums and crabby husbands).

Canadian Bacon and Egg Pockets

4 egg whites
2 eggs
3 Tbsp water
1/8 tsp kosher salt
3 oz Candian-style bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp sliced green onion (optional)
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
2 large whole wheat pita bread rounds,
halved crosswise
2 oz reduced-fat shredded cheddar chees (1/2 cup) (optional)

1. In a medium bowl combine egg whtes, eggs, water, and salt. Beat with a wire whisk or rotary beater until well mixed. Stir in Canadian bacon and, if desired, green onion.

2. Lightly coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add egg mixture to skillet. Cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge.

3. Using a spatula or a large spoon, lift and fold the partially cooked eggs so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked through but is still glossy and moist. Remove from heat immediately.

4. Open pita halves to form a pocket. Fill pita halves with egg mixture. If desired, sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition facts per serving: 162 calories, 4 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 118 mg cholesterol, 616 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 13 g protein.

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 very lean meat, 1/2 fat.

The Cookbook Collector Starts a Recipe Blog

2007-06-13T07:24:00.001-07:00

When I was a young girl about the age of eight, my grandmother bought me a cookbook. I remember it had a drawing of Strawberry Shortcake on the cover and the pages inside had easy recipes that kids could make with help from parents.

I loved this cookbook and took it with me everywhere I went. I even read it while in the bathtub, and one day the book slipped into the water and was ruined. No amount of blow drying could save the soggy pages.

I cried for days about the book and I told my grandma how sorry I was. She wasn't angry. She just bought more cookbooks for me as the years went by.

My collection today is large and I have cookbooks of today and years past.

I especially love the church cookbooks. There is something nostalgic about the idea of women, many my elders, collecting their memories in recipe form and sharing them with others.

In an effort to downsize my cookbooks (because they're taking up 4 shelves in my pantry), I decided to revisit the pages and post my favorites here.

At first I wasn't sure about a recipe blog and I considered copying my recipes onto index cards, but let's face it. We're live in a technology age. The logical thing to do was to add them to a blog. It's free storage and a heck of a lot easier than having all the paper lying in and around my recipe box.

Welcome to Belly Hungry! I'm so excited to share my food memories and recipes with you.