2 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper (I leave the peppers in fairly large chunks)
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
1 green bell pepper (optional)--add if you like lots of pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 to 1 bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
4 T. chili powder
3 T. ground cumin
2 T. chopped garlic in oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp or "to taste" salt
1 tsp or "to taste" freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Place the ground sirloin in a skillet and brown, drain off any excess grease. Place the rest of the ingredients in the skillet with the meat and cook slowly until done. Sometimes I do all of this in my crock pot. If needed, drain.
This is good served as a separate dish with black beans and a salad or use as a base for a soup or wrapped in a tortilla with reduced-fat cheese.
If you use for a soup, add
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can Rotel with lime and cilantro
1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour to fully season.
Stay tuned for a Cilantro Chicken Salad recipe in a few days and an update on the shakes.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Three Bean and Cilantro Salad
Oh my gosh, I made a "take off" of one of MckMama's recipes (sorry, I don't know how to do the little linkie thing but I am going to learn soon) and it was awesome. I served this with a ground sirloin dish on whole wheat tortillas. I will try to get that recipe on before the end of the weekend.
I used these ingredients (all except the oregano--decided not to use that)
I used these ingredients (all except the oregano--decided not to use that)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
drain and wash all beans
1 cucumber chopped--I like to leave it in medium-sized chunks
several grape tomatoes or if using cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 bunch of green onions sliced--I use about half of the green part also
1 large handful of cilantro--this is NOT optional--I chop it but not a lot
about 1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 to 1 tsp. of oregano--if you like more, put more--just go easy til you get it just right)
sea salt to taste
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
about 3 T. of olive oil
about 2 T of lemon juice or to taste--I like it really tangy
about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of Splenda (this is the secret ingredient)
1 squirt of lime juice-a tsp or so
You can eat this right away or refrigerate it for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. It is good either way.
Right before serving, I put about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of fat-free feta cheese on it and mix in--
ENJOY! I made this for the first time today and it was wonderful. My daughter-in-law stopped by and I gave her a bowl. She snarfed it down and said it was perfect and wanted the recipe.
If you are so natural that you don't use Splenda, I guess you will have to forego this recipe, no, just kidding, I think a tiny bit of sugar would do--just don't get it too sweet. Go easy.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
GINGER PORK!!! YUM
UPDATE #2--Hubby and I have been having a blender shake every night this week (we are now in our third week of this eating plan so we only started the shake this week)--
This serves 2 people
1 1/2 cups of fat free or skim milk
2 packages Equal
6 medium strawberries
1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (last night I used banana but used just a little more, maybe a teaspoon)
9 ice cubes put in one at a time through the top of the blender
about 1/2 tsp of Splenda
blend until frothy and most of the ice is crushed
Enjoy!!
Okay the kicker: Tonight I didn't have any strawberries so I used about 1/2 cup ricotta cheese and black walnut extract--was really good!!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE: This post will be really hard to believe if you read my post a couple of weeks ago entitled: MY NEXT HOUSE WILL NOT HAVE A KITCHEN! Suffice it to say that we needed to start eating better and I decided to bite the bullet and start cooking regularly again.
For the past two weeks, my husband and I have been eating very, very well and losing weight. He has lost about 14 lbs and I have lost at least 5. I have only weighed one time and only plan on weighing once every 2 to 3 weeks. Basically, it is a Semi-South Beach eating plan. I have adjusted a little bit here and there just to make it a really "long-term" deal.
Now, I don't think pork is on South Beach but afterall, isn't it "the other white meat?" This meal included a squash and zucchini dish, the pork chops with vegetables, fresh green beans from the produce section of the grocery store, and a salad.
The Pork Chops
I really don't measure anything most of the time but will try to give you an idea of what I did.
First of all, I put a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet with a teaspoon of Gourmet brand ginger paste (I couldn't find fresh ginger or would have used it), a tablespoon or so of lite soy sauce, and about a third cup of cooking sherry, along with fresh ground black pepper and salt. I meant to add some fresh garlic but forgot. I added it the last time I prepared this dish and it was really good.
I cut up a big Vidalia onion in slices (any yellow sweet onion will do), 6 to 8 medium-sized mushrooms, and a yellow pepper. Any of these are optional or add your favorite vegetables. When the pork chops were about 3/4 cooked, I added the vegetables. Cooked them low to medium for a while and toward the end turned the fire up really high to get some real browning going on. I love the taste that leaves on the meat and the veggies. Oh, I also added a few green onions, mostly the green of the onion.
Normally I serve a small baked sweet potato with this meal but the ones I chose the other day at the store had ruined (I have never had this happen before with sweet potatoes) SO I served left-over squash and zucchini and green beans.
I prepare almost all of my vegetables this way:
Olive oil, white cooking wine and butter, however since we have been on this eating plan, I use Smart Balance instead. I basically cooked the vegetables on low to medium for quite a while and then turn up the heat really high toward the end of cooking time to get a really browned taste. I cook the green beans the same except I don't put the heat to them at the end. Same with fresh asparagus.
Now for my favorite part, the salad:
I use heart of romaine lettuce, lots of fat-free Feta cheese (look hard in the deli section of your grocer--sometimes it is kinda hard to find--I used to buy the reduced fat but haven't been able to find it in a couple of years--, seedless cucumbers, green onions, and tomatoes. Tonight I added an avocado but really like this salad better without it.
The dressing consists of a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, about a tablespoon of oregano leaves, salt, pepper and the secret to the whole thing--Splenda to taste--maybe a half teaspoon or so. Too little and it's good, too much, it's not so good, if you hit it just right, this dressing is absolutely incredible. For a change, I substitute either Balsamic vinegar OR white cooking wine in place of the lemon juice. I buy the lemon juice in the little yellow plastic lemony looking thingie in the produce section. I put all of this directly onto the salad and then mix like crazy. The salad needs to be eaten very soon after adding the dressing.
I really don't want this to become a "recipe blog," but if you check back every few days or so, I will try to update what we are eating, if we are still losing weight, and a few "loose" recipes.
Oh, by the way, we have left off all potatoes (except sweet potatoes and didn't have them for the first two weeks, sugar, pasta, and bread except we do have a large whole wheat tortilla most days--I either fill it with tuna or chicken salad or some brand of deli turkey. This is our lunch many days.
Stay tuned--I will give you more ideas for sides to eat with your sandwich.
This serves 2 people
1 1/2 cups of fat free or skim milk
2 packages Equal
6 medium strawberries
1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (last night I used banana but used just a little more, maybe a teaspoon)
9 ice cubes put in one at a time through the top of the blender
about 1/2 tsp of Splenda
blend until frothy and most of the ice is crushed
Enjoy!!
Okay the kicker: Tonight I didn't have any strawberries so I used about 1/2 cup ricotta cheese and black walnut extract--was really good!!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE: This post will be really hard to believe if you read my post a couple of weeks ago entitled: MY NEXT HOUSE WILL NOT HAVE A KITCHEN! Suffice it to say that we needed to start eating better and I decided to bite the bullet and start cooking regularly again.
For the past two weeks, my husband and I have been eating very, very well and losing weight. He has lost about 14 lbs and I have lost at least 5. I have only weighed one time and only plan on weighing once every 2 to 3 weeks. Basically, it is a Semi-South Beach eating plan. I have adjusted a little bit here and there just to make it a really "long-term" deal.
Now, I don't think pork is on South Beach but afterall, isn't it "the other white meat?" This meal included a squash and zucchini dish, the pork chops with vegetables, fresh green beans from the produce section of the grocery store, and a salad.
The Pork Chops
I really don't measure anything most of the time but will try to give you an idea of what I did.
First of all, I put a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet with a teaspoon of Gourmet brand ginger paste (I couldn't find fresh ginger or would have used it), a tablespoon or so of lite soy sauce, and about a third cup of cooking sherry, along with fresh ground black pepper and salt. I meant to add some fresh garlic but forgot. I added it the last time I prepared this dish and it was really good.
I cut up a big Vidalia onion in slices (any yellow sweet onion will do), 6 to 8 medium-sized mushrooms, and a yellow pepper. Any of these are optional or add your favorite vegetables. When the pork chops were about 3/4 cooked, I added the vegetables. Cooked them low to medium for a while and toward the end turned the fire up really high to get some real browning going on. I love the taste that leaves on the meat and the veggies. Oh, I also added a few green onions, mostly the green of the onion.
Normally I serve a small baked sweet potato with this meal but the ones I chose the other day at the store had ruined (I have never had this happen before with sweet potatoes) SO I served left-over squash and zucchini and green beans.
I prepare almost all of my vegetables this way:
Olive oil, white cooking wine and butter, however since we have been on this eating plan, I use Smart Balance instead. I basically cooked the vegetables on low to medium for quite a while and then turn up the heat really high toward the end of cooking time to get a really browned taste. I cook the green beans the same except I don't put the heat to them at the end. Same with fresh asparagus.
Now for my favorite part, the salad:
I use heart of romaine lettuce, lots of fat-free Feta cheese (look hard in the deli section of your grocer--sometimes it is kinda hard to find--I used to buy the reduced fat but haven't been able to find it in a couple of years--, seedless cucumbers, green onions, and tomatoes. Tonight I added an avocado but really like this salad better without it.
The dressing consists of a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, about a tablespoon of oregano leaves, salt, pepper and the secret to the whole thing--Splenda to taste--maybe a half teaspoon or so. Too little and it's good, too much, it's not so good, if you hit it just right, this dressing is absolutely incredible. For a change, I substitute either Balsamic vinegar OR white cooking wine in place of the lemon juice. I buy the lemon juice in the little yellow plastic lemony looking thingie in the produce section. I put all of this directly onto the salad and then mix like crazy. The salad needs to be eaten very soon after adding the dressing.
I really don't want this to become a "recipe blog," but if you check back every few days or so, I will try to update what we are eating, if we are still losing weight, and a few "loose" recipes.
Oh, by the way, we have left off all potatoes (except sweet potatoes and didn't have them for the first two weeks, sugar, pasta, and bread except we do have a large whole wheat tortilla most days--I either fill it with tuna or chicken salad or some brand of deli turkey. This is our lunch many days.
Stay tuned--I will give you more ideas for sides to eat with your sandwich.
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