Saturday 15 September 2012

The Seafood Diet not the See Food Diet week 3



Film noir scenario written by Linda Gauthier

Let me set the scene







 (sound track playing in the background, ominous, moody, the character walks toward her enemy)


The Time and Place:  Weigh in Day

Character Mood and Motivation:

With trepidation she approaches the enemy, it has been a week of challenges, and she's afraid, so very afraid, she may not have been as vigilant as the week before. A look of dread spreads across her face. She is only allowing herself a once a week weigh in, so it is with true nerves of steel she braces herself to step into the ring with her opponent.
Too dramatic? Well it's sort of true, it's more fun than saying I stepped on the scale.  Anyway, here goes, wish me luck.











Next scene:



Camera spans back to capture the look on our heroines face.



Starting weight 171.4 lbs, week 2 164.8 lbs beginning of week 3 160.00 Total lost 11.4 lbs 

feet doing a happy dance, and my thanks to this dear lady who has her photos on Pintrest.You are wonderful.  You make me happy.

I used to make the use of the old joke I'm on My See Food Diet





I used to make use of the old joke "I'm on My See Food Diet" but now I can truly say I'm on My Seafood Diet.... 

Written by Linda Gauthier


I don't know about you but I'm mad about seafood.  I love all types of seafood and it is definitely making it easier to follow this diet.  Over the last few years I have found I have an increasingly difficult time digesting red meats.  I have no explanation why, only the fact that I know how my body feels after I've eaten a large steak.  The shame of it is that I love steaks, roasts, etc.  I have been known to have drooling sessions over a beautifully grilled steak.  I suspect it may be the hormones they inject the animals with.  I do on occasion eat organic hormone-free beef or bison and I have less difficulty with it, however, I still increasingly rely on fresh sustainable seafood and organic poultry.  For further information on sustainable fish and seafood please check out this link.

Here is my Bouillabaisse recipe:





I did make one change, as I forgot to pick up enough clam juice, so I added clamato juice, which I had on hand.  I think it may have added to the flavour as it was very tasty.

Please remember that if you are cooking with fresh shellfish, to be sure to keep them refrigerated until you use them and when you cook them.  Any clams or mussels that do not open when cooked, BE SURE TO DISCARD THEM, THEY ARE NOT SAFE TO BE EATEN.  In other words, don't be tempted to be "cheap"!

Bouillabaisse, Fresh Mussells, Shrimp and Halibut. 
The following photo is the leftover served over Soba Noodles topped with fresh Cilantro





Crazy week, changing menus


Written by Linda Gauthier

Well this week there where some recipe changes, or some alternative ingredients put in place, due either to change of mood or it could be just because I was having a disorganized week, trying to fit too many things into too few hours.  A menu is just a guideline anyway right?  It is not a absolute decree.  So here is one of my changes.



This is or is supposed to be The pepper Lime Turkey Burger.  What it actually is, is a Pepper Lime Tilapia Burger, open face on 1 slice of whole wheat toast, topped with 1 slice of smoked gouda, 2 tablespoons of homemade guacamole, homemade salsa, and the Ranch Lime Sauce, served with 1/2 cup of baked beans. 



Essentially the recipe is the same, only with ground tilapia.  The guacamole was made with 1/2 a medium avocado and Epicure Selections Guacamole dip Seasoning, 1/4 of a medium tomato and some lime juice.  These changes did not affect the recipe in flavour but the point value increased by 2.  I did reduce my bread intake by making this adjustment though.

This next selection was as advertised in the menu and well worth making.

The following is a picture of the Grilled Pepper Chicken and Lemony Bean Salad, both recipes worked very well together.  The ranch dressing I made using Epicure Selections Ranch Dressing, I used 1/4 c low fat yogurt and 1/4 c buttermilk.  Each salad had 1 tbsp of dressing drizzled across the top.




On Wednesday I went to the farmers market in downtown Victoria, and bought some wonderful produce, so a couple of things changed on that evening's menu.  We were supposed to have Southwestern Turkey Chili with Black Bean Brownie.  What we ended up having was:

Seared Chicken with Pear and Ginger glaze.  Couscous, with kale and strawberry salad topped with balsamic vinegar.




I generally find kale kind of hard to chew and slightly bitter, but I read somewhere if you massage your kale with olive oil, it breaks down and becomes pliable, so I thought I'd try it.  I'll be darned if it didn't work!  It became soft and pliable like spinach and the flavour was, it seemed to me, slightly sweeter, served along with the fresh local strawberries and the balsamic vinegar.  It was a real treat.  Try it.  You'll be pleasantly surprised.


               I'm calling this Relaxed Kale and Strawberry Salad

The chicken was 
seasoned with salt and pepper, seared in my
non-stick pan with non-stick olive oil spray, then 1/2 cup water was added, and simmered to finish cooking.  After about 10 minutes, I added 1 1/2 tbsp pear and ginger jam (homemade low sugar content), this was simmered until the water had mainly evaporated and the jam was acting as a glaze for the chicken.  Remove from heat.

The couscous was cooked according to the package directions, I did add a little low sodium chicken broth into the cooking water and 1 tablespoon homemade salsa to the couscous after it was cooked.





These are excellent, moist, yummy and easy to make.  I did make a couple additions, of course.

1.  I added with the cocoa powder, 2 tbsp. Epicure Selections Mocha Cheese Ball Mix  Yummy!!!

2.  I did not cook them quite as long as the recipe said because I made them bite size.

I placed the plate on my e-reader and my cell phone in the picture so you could judge the size of the plate and the yummy brownies  These are definitely a make again treat.  The whole family loves them.  My husband didn't even know they were made with black beans. 












Tuesday 11 September 2012

Blogging a cathartic experience, who knew???..


What I thought I'd write about today is the importance of a well stocked pantry but something funny happened on the way to the forum...
written by Linda Gauthier


Cowichan Shipyard
Cowichan Bay. I used to ride my bike here when I was a kid. Ah Memories, hasn't changed much. Love it!
It seems I have always cooked and cooking has always played an important role in how I see myself.  I grew up in, by today's standards, a large family: 4 sisters, 1 brother, 2 parents and my grandfather and umpteen dozens of cats, dogs, chickens and pigs. It was wonderful, loud, busy and happy.  We didn't have much, but we didn't know it. It is funny but we never realized we were relatively poor.  We always had full stomachs, clean clothes and we always had each other. 

Where we grew up was considered in the country, in an area outside of a small town on Vancouver Island.  We were a typical family for that time, my dad worked as a mechanic, my mom stayed home to look after the family and the home.  She was a wonderful mom, she was always teaching us how to express ourselves, how to be creative, how to find our talents and our strengths.  She was also sneaky. Why would I say that? Well, with me, she saw I loved to be in the kitchen and I loved cooking and she also noted how when someone complimented me on my cooking, I stood a little taller and smiled a lot more.  What better way to pass off the chore of cooking dinners than to compliment "miss eager beaver" on making the best meat loaf, or stew, or chowder, so by the time I was twelve, I was making a lot of the dinners.  Baking breads and cakes on weekends and doing canning and preserves in the summer and fall.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a chore, it was love.  My first love, love of food, and you never quite get over your first love.  Not that it is a bad thing, but I have in the past used food as a crutch to help me through the bad times.  To wrap the feelings associated with it, the warmth of the emotions I associated with it, around me to drown out the issues I was dealing with during those particular times.  Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Where did that come from?  Who knew blogging was cathartic?  Sheesh!  Back on track Linda.

My Mom also taught me to keep a well supplied pantry, and that is what I started to write about before the little trip down memory lane and onto the psychiatrist's couch, so back to business. 

The importance of a well stocked pantry:

When you are trying to be more mindful of the types of foods you are eating, what they contain and how they are made, it becomes even more critical.  If you have the basics on hand, you can always create a meal.  It may take a little thinking, but you can do it.  I can remember my kids always saying "Mom, you have all this stuff, but NO food."  What they were saying is I didn't have the quick foods they wanted or it wasn't in the form they were used to seeing.

So here we go.

My Pantry:


Items from my pantry

This is a list of items I always try to have on hand:

  • all purpose flour, white and whole wheat, chickpea flour, rice flour                  
  • sugar, brown and white
  • honey
  • baking powder, yeast, baking soda, cream of tartar
  • corn starch
  • Cocoa powder for baking, drinks, sauces, etc
  • shortening
  • oils, olive, sesame and canola
  • corn meal, quick cook oats
  • rice, white and brown
  • quinoa, couscous, assorted pastas
  • chicken, beef and vegetable broth.  All low sodium
  • vinegars: apple cider, white, balsamic
  • sauces: soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire, Kikkoman Ponzu (citrus seasoned soy sauce), prepared mustard, horseradish
  • peanut butter, smooth  (you can use this in baking, on toast or making peanut sauce)
  • beans, lentils, peas, dried and tinned 
  • potatoes, sweet and white, yams, onions, garlic
  • canned cream corn for soups, fritters, corn bread, etc. 
  • tinned salmon and tuna
  • tinned tomatoes, stewed and whole.  Great for quick sauces, soups, etc.
  • bottle of soda water.  This is ideal when making light batters, for instance, tempura, or for fritters or in case of a kitchen emergency a Vodka soda with lime, of course!


Extras I like to have on hand:

Wasabi, pickled ginger and anchovy paste.  A lot of my cooking is influenced by Asian cuisines.

My top 10 gotta have herbs and spices are as follows:

These are all Epicure Selection of course!
  1. 3 Onion Dip Mix, you can use this in eggs, soups, meatloaf. Anywhere you'd like a little punch of onion
  2. Bruschetta, dips, spaghetti, salads, a little bit of Italy in a jar
  3. Guacamole, dip of course, but oh so much more.  Use your imagination, it's great.
  4. Madras Curry, great in egg salad, curries of course, this is nice full flavored curry but not overpowering
  5. Seafood & Fish, barbecue salmon, steamed fish, when cooking mussels, on and on
  6. Herb & Garlic Dip, just the best, great in a dip on pizzas, in sauces, the list goes on and on I love it
  7. Tzaziki Dip, great in salads, on chicken, pasta and of course in the dip  Tzaziki  Dip in yogurt and a little lemon makes a great marinade for chicken.
  8. Tomato & Parmesan Cheese Ball, in macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, sauces. No Sodium, really good. I mean really, really good!
  9. Mango Curry Dip, just the best ever. I use it in soups, curries, dips, marinades, etc.  If you like Thai or Vietnamese cooking, you need this, its wonderful; add lime leaves (Epicure Selections of course ) and coconut milk, and you have an easy Thai curry for chicken, vegetables, etc. Serve over noodles, rice and Voila! pure magic.
  10. BLT Bacon Leeks and Tomatoes, mild onion flavour of the leeks with soy, bacon and tomatoes.  Sooo good, sprinkle in tomato soup, in sauces, in egg dishes, really good 
I also have salt, pepper and all the Epicure Sansel products (low sodium salt replacements) and cinnamon.

So there it is.  I've laid my cupboards bare and, so it seems, my soul.

I'd also like to let you know that if you're interested in any of the products I mention in my recipes, or you have any questions just email me.  If you are living in Canada and you do not have an Epicure Selections Consultant and you'd like to buy any of the Epicure Selection products please follow these steps:

  • Go to my website, look through the online catalog, and if you decide to place an order 
  • Follow the links to the order form, place your order
  • Epicure Selections will ship it directly to your home, usually within 72 hours from time of placing your order. Orders over $50 shipping is free.  We do get extremely busy during the month of December however, so place your order early if you decide to buy any as gifts.  Gift items could be delivered within Canada to your intended recipients
  • If you and a few of your friends want to place an order together, contact me and we can set your order up as a catalog party, with the designated Hostess receiving the order and the Hostess' gifts.  If you are in my area and you don't have an Epicure Selections Consultant, and you would like to host a party; or talk to me about becoming a Consultant please contact me, I'd be happy to help you. Have fun, explore and enjoy the recipes on the site.
Here's one of my favorite Epicure Soups, great for fall lunches or quick dinners.  Enjoy!


Epicure's Cream of Vegetable Soup


Epicure's Cream of Vegetable Soup


A delicious purée the whole family will love

Makes 4 servings
Cost Per Serving: $0.85

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp (30 ml) all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 L) milk, heated
1 lb (450 g) cooked vegetables, your choice
1 tsp (5 ml) Epicure's Seasoning for Cheese, Chives & Bacon Dip
Epicure's Sea Salt, to taste
Epicure's Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Make a white sauce by sauteing diced onions in melted butter over medium-high heat in Epicure’s 12-cup Multi-Purpose pot. Sprinkle flour over onions, stirring for 1 minute. 
2. Slowly add heated milk, whisking continuously. 
3. Bring to a slow boil until sauce has thickened. 
4. Puree cooked vegetable and Seasoning for Cheese, Chives & Bacon Dip. 
5. Add to white sauce, season to taste with Sea Salt and Black Pepper and heat until steaming.

Per serving: Calories 250, Fat 11 g (saturated 7 g, trans 0.4 g), cholesterol 35 mg, sodium 350 mg, carbohydrate 29 g (fibre 4 g, sugars 6 g), protein 11 g.

Variations:

1. Broccoli with 2 - 3 tsp (10-15 ml) Epicure's Lemon Dilly Dip Mix. 
2. Wilted spinach with 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Epicure's Nutmeg. 
3. Cauliflower with 2 - 3 tsp (10-15 ml) Epicure's Seasoning for Cheese Chive and Bacon Dip . 
4. Green peas with 2 tsp (10 ml) Epicure's Mint. 
5. Tomato: add 1 x 19 oz can (540 ml) diced tomatoes with juice and 1 tbsp (15 ml) Epicure's Pesto Herbs.


THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES

Talk to you soon,
Linda






Sunday 9 September 2012

Sunday Mornings are the best...

Sunday Mornings are the best.
written by Linda Gauthier


Sunday Mornings are my favorite time and day of the week.  Gary's home and Nicole is not with her caregiver, and we all get to enjoy each others company.  We get up a little later, I usually get up, put the coffee on, turn on my favorite music, at the moment it is either the Black Keys or John Butler Trio.  We sit around, enjoy the first cup of coffee and then I start breakfast.   
My routine is missing a little something right now, but it still is my favorite day, because usually, while I'm cooking I'm dancing.  Until recently, my son would come in and tease me about my dancing and we'd laugh, which in turn would result in us all laughing.  However, he has gone off to travel the world for a year, and it has left a gap in my routine and a small hole in my heart.  Last year, my daughter left and she now lives on the East Coast in St. John's, Newfoundland.  As much as I missed her, I still had her twin brother here, but now they are both gone and my Sundays are not quite the same.  We do however still have our Nicole at home with us, so it is not a bad thing, just different.  Why am I telling you this?  Well, I don't really know, other than this is a time of change, change in life, change in lifestyle, change in cooking style.  Which brings me to my recipe today.
I have never done any baking in the microwave and neither have I ever made corn bread, so this is a first on all fronts.

Microwave Sausage Chile Corn Bread was a pretty good success but... The flavour was good, the texture overall was pretty good, but there were a few areas which may be improved upon.  They may be attributed to my inexperience in baking in a microwave.  I found the timing quoted in the recipe may be too long for my microwave.  The outer crust was crisper and darker than the rest, and the middle portion bottom felt moist or sweaty, but it was cooked through.  On a personal note, it was more a textural thing rather than outright failure.

The flavour was good, the spices and the turkey sausage was nice.  I used a Jalapeno turkey sausage, browned it and then cut it into small pieces.  The cooking time was very quick, so was prep and the clean up was easy.  There is enough leftover for use later in the week or you could freeze it.

Microwave Sausage and Chile Corn Bread



Notice the darker crust it seems to be slightly overdone. May need to adjust cooking time.



square Epicure Silicone Steamer $24.99, I love it :)
















5 portions left after feeding 3 for breakfast. will use for lunches.

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM....




So we meet again...
written by Linda Gauthier



Pinned Image
words to live by



Week 1 down, several more to go, but I have taken that first step, and it's been a good one.  I'm happy with the results. It has been fun working on the recipes, and I'm finding that I am not missing my old way of cooking or eating.  Using the smaller plates and making each meal an event or at least being mindful of what I'm eating is really helping.  It also helps eating 3 meals a day and not skipping a meal.

I've always eaten a lot of vegetables, but I have also always eaten more meat and bread than I'm allowing myself now.  My old way of eating contained far more oil than now as well.  These few simple changes have truly made a difference. 

With this new attitude and determination, I'm finding I feel better. I'm also noticing when my cravings are hitting, and what is causing them, for instance the other night I was feeling bored, nothing on TV etc. etc. when I found myself standing in the pantry staring into the shelves looking for something to eat.  Not hungry mind you, just wanting something to nibble on, so I made myself some black tea and read my book instead.  Redirecting my attention away from food, which I didn't want or need in the first place.  

You will find this weeks menu and recipes at this link.
Week two menu  I have used recipes from Company's Coming Healthy Choices and Weight Watchers in 20 minutes.  I have tried to make the menu quick and easy for people with busy schedules.

Have a great week I know I'm going to.  I'll post more pictures and comments during the week.  bye for now