Next Day of a Phased 1 Girl

I cook every 2-3 days, on top of doing my daily work, and trying to manage my newly created photography portfolio. Maybe next year I will manage to update my old website too.
Do you feel a bit overwhelmed on my behalf?  Why!?


Let's see what other tips I can share with you, good people.


Yesterday was a good day for me, I made 3 bean salad, hummus artichoke dip, babaganoush, turkey veggie meatloaf, sesame crusted chicken and eggplant ricotta parmigiana. It sounds like a lot and it was! Taking into account that I stopped all engines around 10pm. It took about 3 hours to finish the cooked dishes. I am including here both the waiting time, and the salivating time by the stove :). And no, I didn't eat my dinner at 10pm. I had a taste of each though to check if they were done.


I 'm not going to give you a recipe for hummus, I am sure you all know how to make it. Or should I?
I always skip the tahini sauce for my hummus. Besides the fact that I do not like tahini, it looks so oily and fatty that skipping it for this phase of the diet would be a good idea for you too. Maybe I am wrong, but it has about 8g of fat per 15g, and 89 calories. Really? Look at its Nutrition Data. You decide for yourself.


I used 2 cans of garbanzos, and 1 can of artichoke hearts. Be low on salt, since the hearts already have plenty. Mix them all up and then see if you need more salt. You will also need paprika, pepper, garlic powder if you want a less potent garlic breath :) and olive oil. Add these to the mixture you previously made and stir well.


You can serve with peppers, celery, or vegetable chips that are low in fat and sugar. Such as home made dehydrated zucchini chips. I will let you know how to make those if you have a dehydrator.  No corn, potato chips, or pita. Remember, no starches in this phase of the diet.

The 3 bean salad contains:
1 can of wax beans
1 can of green beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 tbsp light Safflower Mayo (use this sparingly)
1 garlic clove, salt, pepper and fresh parsley.


This salad is so easy and yummy to make. And colorful too! Just mix the 3 cans of beans, mayo, spices and crushed garlic and you're done! Serve as a side or as a snack, if you wish. 


Just don't go kissing anyone after that, they might mind your garlic breath, haha!


Now let's get to some serious cooking.


Sesame Crusted Chicken


2 chicken breast cut into long slices
2 tbsp of sesame seeds
ginger powder, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, cocoa powder (ab 2 tsp of each)
1 tbsp of Earth Balance Coconut butter spread  (use this spread sparingly in Phase 1)
canola oil


Mix spices in a bag, add chicken slices and mix well, until all chicken pieces are well coated.
Heat up the pan on medium, add oil and coconut spread and keep heat on medium. You do not want to burn the seeds. 
Add chicken and cook until done. Delicious!
Best would be to have a side of steamed green beans. Shiitake mushrooms would meet well with this chicken. I added a salad of shredded cabbage and flax seeds. This is what I had for lunch today.


Veggie Meatloaf for dinner

1lb of extra lean ground turkey
1 can of kidney beans
a few shiitake mushrooms
1 zucchini
2 eggs
fresh parsley, onion, the usual spices


Sauce: 1 tbsp light sour cream, 1 tsp dijon mustard, salt pepper


Mix the ground turkey with spices and the 2 eggs. Cook the onion, mushrooms and beans in a pan with canola oil, until lightly cooked. Add the beans toward the end, they are precooked. set aside for about 5 minutes. Mix in with the turkey meat. Oil up a pan and place the meatloaf in.
Cook for about 50 minutes on 375F. you may need to check it and see if there is any excess liquid in the pan before you decide it's cooked. 
Serve with the mustard sauce and brussel sprouts.


To cook the brussel sprouts you cut them in half, place them in a cooking pan, add 1 garlic clove sliced thinly, salt, pepper, oil. Mix in to coat well. And add 1/4 cup of water. Bake for about 20 minutes. Dinner is Served!

Desert -  Orange Ricotta Souffle


You make it the same way you did the Ricotta Amandine, only skip the cocoa and the nuts. Add the zest of a whole medium orange and mix all well. That imparts so much flavor to the souffle, you need nothing else. Enjoy!

Whatever day of Phase 1 meal ideas

It seems that I get way too involved in my work and my cookery to have time left over to post what I cooked for the day. And I was always wondering how a friend of mine with 2 kids and a husband as a full time job had time to blog. not much time in the end I guess, since she stopped it all together.
Enough digressing. But beware, this post will have a lot of digressions, all good and about your food, though.


Breakfast: Tuna salad lettuce leaf wraps


To make tuna salad, you will need 2 cans of tuna in olive oil.  I really like the cans of tuna from Genova (image courtesy of Ibanjo)
There are concerns about white tuna or otherwise known as albacore,  such as the higher content in mercury, fat and calorie value, as compared to light tuna. If you want more info on this, I found this concise article about it. Besides all these other facts, I also like tuna light from Genova better than the regular bumble-bee tuna cans you find in supermarkets.
Tuna covered - check-check!


Some oil is good for you, olive and canola are great. - I use the canola for cooking and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for salads. I recently made an investment on the olive oil, instead of buying a bottle of 750ml for about $9, I bought a 3l-can for $23 from Mediterranean Foods.  as for Canola, I usually buy it in bulk from Costco, so I have enough to last me for a good 6 months. 
I sometimes cannot believe I am back to canola oil, the rapeseed oil (interesting name!), when we used to hate canola oil in the period before '89. That was all we could afford back then, or offered as the only option. It's still a mystery to me, either it was really cheap to produce, or there was a health care for us all that we didn't see. Either way, canola oil is better than sunflower seed. See why.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans of tuna
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp light mayo
• 2tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 2tbsp dill
• Salt, pepper, paprika
• 4 Romano lettuce leaves

Mix all together until everything is incorporated.
fill in the tuna salad into the lettuce leaves and give yourself 15 minutes to enjoy! 
You can add a diced tomato or any veggie you would like as an addition to your breakfast.
You can have coffee or tea with it. Maybe try to stick to 1 cup of coffee per day. 


Mid Morning Snack: 1 celery stalk with 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese light.


Lunch: Chicken en Papillotte
This is really e fast and easy to prep. I love food that needs baking, you don't really need to worry too much about it, I think it's easier than food cooked at the stove top, that one needs watching more closely.

• Parchment paper 
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 2 scallion  strands
• 1 clove of garlic
• 5-6 shiitake mushrooms chopped
• orange zest, salt, pepper, tarragon

Mix all veggies in bowl, add spices of your choice to the chicken. 


Place chicken in the middle of the parchment paper and add half of the veggies on top of each chicken breast. 


Fold the parchment paper over and then bake at 400F in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Ta-Da! 


Desert: Sugar-free Jell-o


Mid Afternoon Snack: 1 Quiche cup to go

Quiche cups can be made in advance and refrigerated. grab it and go. It takes about 40 minutes total to prep, cook and stash away.

Makes 12 cups.

You will need a muffin baking tray and liners.

Ingredients:1 bag of frozen cut spinach
4 eggs
2 slices of feta
2 cups of diced mushrooms
salt, pepper, paprika
dill, scallion


Saute diced mushrooms with scallions, until all excess juices have evaporated
Microwave spinach or lightly boil. Squeeze excess liquid and mix in bowl with beaten eggs, cheese, mushrooms, spices. use an ice cream scooper to fill in the baking cups evenly.
bake until cooked, it usually takes about 20 minutes. To try if cooked, use a baking stick to see if inside is solid and there are no juices coming out. You should be able to see when it's cooked by the consistency. 
I like them baked well, so the edges might show a bit brown when I take them out. They get crispy on the edges and caramelized to some extent.  some people might called that burnt, but I like them just like that. I don't have a pic for it but I will post one on my next batch.


Dinner: Oh no, not fish again!

Ha ha! I just love fish! I am water child, I grew up by the sea side, watching fishermen go out to sea for the catch of the day. My dad and Grandfather are fishermen. I grew up eating fish and separating bones and having nightmares about choking on a bone.


So I went to the market and bought 2 whole blue fish. They gutted in front of me, what a treat! 

Ingredients: 
Blue fish - ab 1 foot long each.
1 carrot
1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper
2 tomatoes
1 cup white wine
ginger, 3 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaf, 1tbsp peppercorns, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano.


Chop the tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and carrot into thin slices.  use half of the veggies to stuff the fish and the rest place in the baking dish. Spice up the fish with salt pepper, paprika and oregano. 


Place the remaining veggies in a baking pan, add the whole fish and win. Toss the peppercorns and bay leaf in the liquid and bake on 400F.
Bake for about 40 minutes. Half way through turn fish on the other side, with care and patience. At this point the fish is quite tender. You just need to crisp it up on the other side too, so it looks all pretty and enticing!

Desert: Ricotta Amandine Souffle

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 lb part skim ricotta
4-5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1/4 tsp of your choice of sweetener - I use Stevita.


Separate egg whites and beat them until stiff with half of the sweetener.
mix the yolks with the ricotta, cocoa and rest of the sweetener. fold in the beaten egg whites. Toast 1/4 cup pecans and chop them up. reserve about 12 whole halves for decoration.
Place baking cups in a 12 muffin baking pan, same one you used for the quiche.


Use an ice cream scooper to place the mixture into the prepared baking cups, it will be roughly about 2 scoops per cup. place on scoop and some of the chopped toasted pecans before adding a second scoop. on top of each place 1 half of toasted pecan. Sprinkle some cocoa on the top and place into the oven at 350-375F.
it takes about 15 minutes to bake. 


So once you made the souffles, you will have 12 portions to enjoy for the whole week. I wouldn't keep them longer than that, not that they would even last :)


Don't forget to limit your deserts to 75 calories.



So there goes day 2. 
Let  me know how it went!
Bon Appetit!

Phase One food lists

I just posted my day of meals of the South Beach Diet. Some of you may be familiar with it, some not. I decided enough of the secrecy. This fabulous diet is Dr. Agatson's South Beach. 


Although it works 100%, I have to admit, as per my lifestyle it is still not an easy diet. Because I choose to cook everything myself and refuse to take shortcuts. It takes some sort of mental fortitude to be able to plan ahead 2-3 days of meals and snacks for 2 people, one who is doing medical residency and the other who is a work-from-home graphic designer. 
I do not know which life is easier: leaving home to go work or working from home!?  At least when lunch time comes, a colleague may grab you, or you can make plans to have lunch together.  
My struggle is taking a break from work, remove myself forcefully from my computer at lunch time and actually eat. 
Oh well, fin my life is easier, at least I save the commute back and forth and I get to cook my food. which les and less people do nowadays. Diner, deli, diner, deli... Stop and Shop? they got good broiler chicken. Not kidding!


Anywho... Right now it's about 12 am, and I am realizing I do not have enough time in a day anymore. I have to find a way to make these posts easy for me and helpful for you. now that you know what it is, you could buy the book or the app and come back here for tips and ideas, especially for first-timers. I will try to keep things interesting and easy. 


Here is the list of foods to enjoy in Phase I (I may cross some legal boundaries by posting this, no clue...) 
As you will see, choices are wide, happiness is assured. Bon Appetit!





Foods Allowed in Phase 1

BEEF Lean cuts, such as: Eye of Round Ground beef: Extra Lean (96/4) Lean (92/8) Sirloin (90/10) Tenderloin Top Loin Top Round LAMB (Remove all visible fat) Center Cut Chop Loin PORK Boiled ham Canadian bacon Loin Tenderloin POULTRY (SKINLESS) Cornish hen Turkey bacon (2 slices per day) Turkey and chicken breast SEAFOOD All types of fish and shellfish TOFU Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties VEAL Chop Cutlet, leg Top round EGGS The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites and egg substitute if desired. LUNCHMEAT (go meat!) Fat-free or low-fat only MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED) Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day Burger - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion Chicken Patties & Nuggets - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion Hot Dogs - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion Natural Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp (may use as protein choice or limited nut choice) Sausage Pattie - Limit 1 patty per day Seiten Soy Crumbles Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup for a protein snack is suggested serving Tempeh Yuba DAIRY Low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free milk or soy milk Plain or sugar-free low-fat or fat-free yogurt Fat-free half & half CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT) American Cheddar Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free Feta Mozzarella Parmesan Provolone Ricotta String NUTS (Limit to one serving per day as specified) Almonds - 15 (Dry roasted recommended) Brazil Nuts - 4 Cashews - 15 (Dry roasted recommended) Pecans - 15 (Dry roasted recommended) Macadamia - 8 (Dry roasted recommended) Peanut Butter - 1 tsp Peanut Butter, Natural = 2 TBS Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled) Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce Pistachios - 30 (Dry roasted recommended) Walnuts - 15 (Dry roasted recommended) In place of nuts, may use: Flax Seed - 3 TBS SPICES AND SEASONINGS All spices that contain no added sugar Broth Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others) Horseradish sauce I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray Lemon Juice Lime Juice Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)

VEGETABLE CHOICES (includes legumes) (May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar) Artichokes Asparagus Beans, Green Beans, Italian Beans, Wax Beans or Legumes: Black Beans Butter Beans Chickpeas or Garbanzo Pigeon Peas Soy Beans Split Peas Broccoli Bok Choy Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Collard Greens Cucumbers Eggplant Lettuce (All varieties) Juice (Limit to 6 ounces per day) Tomato V-8 Mushrooms Mustard Greens Okra Onion - Limit to 1/2 per day Peppers (All varieties) Pickles - Dill or those sweetened with Splenda® Radishes (All varieties) Rhubarb Sauerkraut Snow peas Spinach Sprouts, Alfalfa Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Summer Yellow Zucchini Tomato - Limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry per serving FAT CHOICES (with some suggested serving sizes) The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily: Olive Oil Canola Oil Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated): Corn Enova Grape seed Safflower Soybean OTHER FAT CHOICES: Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil Guacamole - ½ cup = 1 TBS oil Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance Mayonnaise - Regular or Low Fat - 1 TBS Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS Salad Dressing - Use those < 3 gms sugar per serving TOPPINGS & SAUCES use sparingly (check labels for added sugar) Hot Sauce Salsa - Limit to 2 TBS during phase 1 Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS Whipped Topping (Light) - 2 TBS SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day) Candies, hard, sugar-free Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar Cocoa powder, baking type Fudgsicles, sugar-free Gelatin, sugar-free Gum, sugar-free Popsicles, sugar-free Sugar substitute Some Sugar Free Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts. SUGAR SUBSTITUTES Acesulfame K Fructose (needs to be counted as Sweet Treats, Caloric Limit) Nutrasweet (Equal) Saccharin (Sweet & Low) Sucralose (Splenda) Stevia (Not approved by FDA)

Foods NOT Allowed and to be Avoided in Phase 1

VEGETABLES Beets Carrots Corn Potatoes, white Potatoes, sweet Yams BEEF Brisket Liver Other fatty cuts Rib steaks POULTRY Chicken, wings and legs Duck Goose Poultry products, processed PORK Honey-baked ham VEAL Breast FRUIT  Avoid ALL fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1, including: Apples Apricots Berries Cantaloupe Grapefruit Peaches Pears

DAIRY 1/2 cup of plain fat-free yogurt (once per day max.) Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2, Nonfat milk, 1% milk, Soy milk allowed with coffee. Otherwise avoid all other dairy products (unless listed under protein choices or sweet treats). Limit to < 2 TBS per cup of coffee. Otherwise, avoid all milk products in Phase 1, including: Yogurt, cup-style and frozen Ice cream Milk, low-fat, fat-free, whole Milk, soy STARCHES AND CARBS Avoid ALL starchy food in Phase 1, including: Bread, all types Cereal Croutons, all types Matzo Oatmeal Rice, all types Pasta, all types Pastry and baked goods, all types CHEESE Brie Edam Non-reduced fat MISCELLANEOUS Alcohol of any kind, including beer and wine No regular ketchup or cocktail sauce No pork rinds - too high in saturated fat No jerky - too high in sugar content Limit Caffeine-Containing Beverages to 1-2 servings per day

Day 1 - Resist Temptation

A few ground rules for the following two weeks:

• 3 meals per day, 2 snacks. 
• No carbs whatsoever: no pasta, rice, grains, bread, fruit, sugar loaded veggies, no alcohol. 
• Eat everything low fat, skim/non-fat milk and milk products (1%), sugar free treats. Eggs, lean meats and seafood, veggies. The less processed the better. 
• Eat raw veggies, rather than cooked (when possible). The more effort your digestive system puts into digesting, the more energy it consumes. The more energy it consumes, the more your weight loss. 
• Enjoy seasonings of your choice, salad vinaigrettes no sugar and low fat varieties. 
• Don't eat raw meats, though :) You can eat lean sashimi, no rice though. 
• Eat plenty, but don't abuse your happy foods either. I will post a happy foods list next, no worries. 
• Stick to a eating schedule, don't forget your snack, want it or not, have it. This way you avoid drastic drops in blood sugar that trigger dangerous cravings

Breakfast: Baked Frittata - serves 2

Baked frittata-licious

4 eggs, 1 cup chopped mushrooms, 1 quarter inch ginger root, finely chopped, half red bell pepper chopped, 2 green onion stalks, 1 half zucchini, thin slices, 1 slice feta cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Sautee all veggies in a pan. beat eggs and mix up with feta and seasoning of your choice. Once the veggies are half way cooked, mix them with the eggs, pour everything in a glass oven resistant pan and bake at preheated oven at 350. It probably take about 20 minutes to cook, depending on your oven and pan you are using. Check your baked frittata after 10 minutes to keep up with the progress

Garnish with the rest of the red bell pepper and sprinkle some mizythra cheese to give it the look.

Pretty food makes for happy people!

Total prep time amounts somewhere around 30 min. Consuming time, 15 minutes. Take your time, chew it up:)

Yes, I didn't say you need to put time into your life style changing diet. If you don't have 30 minutes in the morning, prep it in the evening, and warm it up when you wake up.

Snack: 2 low fat mozzarella sticks

Broiled salmon filet with asparagus and almonds

Lunch: Salmon Filet with Asparagus and Almonds

Side note: I noticed that having a bigger lunch helps with the hunger during the day. Although the American society eats salad or sandwich at lunch, maybe for lack of time, I suggest straying away from this habit, if possible. If not, stick to salads, but do add protein to it. Low fat fish, chicken breast, lean beef are great additions.

Season your salmon steak, squeeze half a lemon and put in the broiler. Check in 10 minutes and turn on the other side.

In a cooking pan, on a baking sheet, arrange your asparagus on one row, season, add vegetable oil and almond slivers and mix well. Bake for 12-18 minutes on medium heat.

Plate and eat! 

You can have desert too. Maybe stevia sweetend tea, or coffee, it helps with the cravings, tricks your body into thinking he got something sweet.

Snack: nuts

Enjoy nuts portions: 15 almonds, 8 walnut halves, 30 pistachios.

Dinner: Tuna Chickpea Salad 

1 can chickpeas, 1 can tuna in oil, lettuce leaves, green pepper, 1 tomato, 1 small cucumber.

oil and lemon juice, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp toasted flax seeds.


Sorry I got no picture for the salad, but post yours, let me see what you got.

Desert: sugar free jello - limit sweets intake to 75 calories

Tell me how it went. Questions? I am here, shoot!

Long Time No Diet

A sneak peak into the kind of food you will be eating the next 2 weeks

It is now clear that the past few month left me no room for cookery updates. I apologize for the MIA I have shown. I am trying to make amends and find some balance in my schedule and find time to post my latest creations.


Some of you may be happy to learn Life-Style-Change-Diet is in ... da haus!


I know a lot of people are struggling with cravings and trying to lose belly fat, hip fat, or whatever kind bothers them, or just plain "get me healthy Now!" kind a deal,  so I thought I helped out.


My goal is to give you daily meal ideas and quick tips for losing weight and cravings, and getting healthy in the mean time. so anyone who is interested in this, bug me if i fall asleep.


There will be no carbs, no sugar here, sorry people. But I have a solution for the sugary cravings, no worries:). Get ready, eat up all you can today, 'cuz tomorrow we are on a strict 2 week-meal-plan. Stay with me and you will be happy after the 2 weeks. You will see the difference, trust me on this.

My Twist on the Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern traditional salad made of bulgur wheat and fresh cukes, tomatoes and aromatic herbs, has gained a lot of attention in my kitchen a few years ago.

I love health foods and this one seemed to cover this base at least. Tabbouleh turned out to be my hero: easy to make, delicious and healthy, low in fat and rich in dietary fibers and vitamins that are not easy to get on a daily basis from just eating your regular meals and without help from the Vitamin Shoppe.


Here is my latest twist on the classic tabbouleh:

My twist on the classic tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 1 box of cream of buckwheat (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 boxes of cherry tomatoes
• 2 medium cukes
• 1 bunch scallion
• 1 kohlrabi
• 1 long red pepper
• 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1/2 cup of red quinoa
• Lemon marinated anchovies (you can find them at Mediterranean Foods of Astoria)
• juice from one lime
• extra-virgin olive oil
• salt, pepper to taste
• Mexican tostadas - optional

I love the combination of colors of buckwheat and red quinoa. The buckwheat is slightly on the pink side, as compared to bulgur wheat, more of a yellow.  I prefer the red quinoa for the nice contrast, but you can use the white or black one as well. Both Quinoa  and buckwheat are a good choice for gluten and wheat-free diets. 


Boil buckwheat using the amount of water and salt indicated on the box, until it becomes tender but still crisp, you do not want it mushy. Your purpose is not to make a cream of buckwheat. Wash immediately in cold water so you stop the cooking process. Boil quinoa following box instructions. Wash in cold water.

Chop pepper, cukes and kohlrabi. Slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Finely chop scallions and aromatics. Gently mix everything together using a fork so that every ingredient is mixed well, but salad does not become mushy. Add lime juice, oil, salt pepper to taste.



My choice for mexican tostada was totally random, but I love the result:  It gives tabbouleh the crisp element it needed.


Place tostada on a plate and lay spoonfuls of tabbouleh, garnish with anchovies and parsley.


Bon appetit!

DanaTina