Easy Delicious Dinner: 4 Ingredients (flavors I stumbled upon during quarantine)

• Half pound of pasta (penne works well)
• half jar of Salsa Con Queso (medium)
• half jar of salsa (medium)
• half pound of ground beef (or 3 burger patties)

I discovered this awesome recipe during the Coronavirus lockdown.  It was in the beginning when I went to the grocery store and there was nothing on the shelves and the store looked like it was going out of business.  There were no canned vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables and no meat. This was the time when our dinners were so unhealthy.  I hated thinking about what I was going to cook.

Late one night when my husband’s job shut down and we were on the “stay at home order” I suggested a snack in bed.  This is something we never do, eat in bed, but we were never on stay at home orders either so we got some tortilla chips and Salsa con queso (Salsa with cheese) dip and a jar of Pace salsa.  I mixed half of each in a seperate bowl and that was our dip.  We watched the Golden Girls and had chips and dip in bed.

A few days later I was trying to decide what to cook because we had nothing that matched and I couldn’t get the taste of the dip out of my mouth.  I looked through our freezer and found hanburger patties.  We couldn’t find ground beef at the grocery store so I got a huge box of hamburger patties.  I cooked about 3 patties and boiled a pasta (Penne).  I ground up the burgers (Cut them with kitchen scissors) and added half a jar of cheese dip, half a jar of salsa, half pound box of pasta and the cooked beef in a pot and stirred it up.  It was amazing.

It is that simple.  I don’t think I need to go over directions, you just put them together.  If you feel you need more salsa, just add it. The second time I made this, I added diced onion, 8 oz can of diced tomatoes, and some diced bell pepper to the pan of burgers. That was great too.

Try this recipe and let me know what you thought.  Is there a recipe you discovered during the stay at home order that you really liked?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

The Best Chicken Fried Rice Ever!!!! (and the secret to the tender chicken)

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see where I got the recipe and see the video on YouTube.

I made this for 2 and this is what I used:

2 large Chicken breast diced (size is not the secret)
2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup soy sauce plus 4 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch
4 green onions
Diced/sliced carrots (I sliced a hand full of baby carrots, like 4)
3 cloves of garlic diced
diced 1/2 of an onion (I used a sweet onion)
Coconut oil

I used a rice cooker that cooks the rice in 30 minutes.   Get everything ready but don’t start cooking yet, trust me on this everything will go super fast.

It is important to know how long it will take your rice to cook so it will be ready when everything else is finished cooking.  If you are cooking rice the traditional way on the stovetop, just cook it and set it to the side because trust me, this will go fast.

First dice the chicken breast. (Cut lengthwise to make them thinner, then cut into strips, then dice. You want the chicken in bite-sized pieces.)
Place the chicken in a deep bowl. Add the 4 tbs of soy sauce, the baking soda, and corn starch. The baking soda will keep the chicken from drying out when you cook it. (THIS my friends is the secret!!) Next stir everything really good (I used a gloved hand) and set in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes while you slice and dice.

If you are using a rice cooker, now is the time to start it.

Now Dice the sweet onion, slice the carrots and green onion and mince the garlic. (you can use sweet peas if you want, we don’t eat them in our house so we omitted them.)

Now add 2 tbs coconut oil to a large skillet. (coconut oil can be cooked at high temps, most olive oils cannot so coconut oil is a good choice here and very healthy) Also, this will be the pan you cook EVERYTHING in all together so choose a big one. When the oil is so hot you see white smoke, add the chicken. It will have soaked up all the marinade by now and if not, add the juice too.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove it by placing it in a clean bowl. Add 1 tbs coconut oil to the pan again.  When you see white smoke again add your carrots. (don’t worry, this will be quick and your chicken will still be hot)  Cook the carrots for one minute, add the white parts of the green onion and the sweet onion. Let it cook until the carrots are tender and the onions are transparent then add the garlic and cook for less than a minute.  (cooking the garlic too long on high heat will change the taste of the garlic and it will become bitter so be careful)  now add all veggies to the same bowl as the chicken, just pour it on.

Again add 2 tbs coconut oil to the pan and add your rice. Use the spatula to break the rice up. Add the rest of the soy sauce (1/4 cup) to the rice and quickly mix until all the rice is brown. No white rice left. Then add the chicken and veggies. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to incorporate all the flavors and add all the green onions to the pot and stir until completely mixed. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil, stir and serve.

The green onion you added, in the end, will still be firm and will add a nice spring flavor to the dish.  If you add the sesame oil too soon in the dish I feel that the flavor cooks away, so adding it, in the end, gives a bit more flavor.

ENJOY!!

If you would like to see a version of this recipe on Youtube, Souped Up Recipes was my inspiration.  It is a great video on ‘Chinese Chicken Fried Rice’.  I simply altered the recipe to my tastebuds and you can do the same.

 

Still Losing Weight The Healthy Way

So far to date, I have lost 10.5 pounds.  I have done this by eating healthier, meaning plenty of veggies and organic meat and intermittent fasting. I did a book review on Intermittent fasting by Gabriel Jackson you can read it HERE

I am learning to stop restricting myself so much and just enjoy life more.  Now let me be clear about the restrictions, I am still eating low sugar low carb, but it doesn’t mean no sugar or carbs at all.

The other day I baked some bread and we had it with dinner.  My husband was happy and we had a wonderful meal.  He didn’t freak out and say, “Oh my God…carbs!” No, instead, we enjoyed our dinner and each other and that was it.

Take a look at a few of the things I’ve been making for our health journey.

Bone Broth

Click here for information on the value of bone broth

This is how I make bone broth.  I buy the bones from the meat department.  They are called marrow bones.  I slow cook them for about 18 hours with all the leftover veggies in the fridge like carrots, celery, onion, bok choy, and even garlic cloves (garlic is an anti-inflammatory) 1/4 cup of white vinegar (that helps to leach the nutrients and collagen out of the bones) and then pour filtered water (not tap) to cover the bones by about 2 inches.  Then add whatever else you find that you like to eat and start it out on high and let it all cook down.  Some say it should cook on low, but I cook it on high for a few hours before I turn it down.

Afterward, I strain it by placing a tea towel over a sifter to double strain it to get everything out, the debris I call it.  (Tea towels wash up very easily by the way) Below are the results. Two beautiful gelatinous jars of love.  This can be added to anything and everything.  I never add water to any of my dishes, I always add some kind of broth, like chicken broth or beef broth because it gives the dish more flavor.  Now I have bone broth so that is what I’ll add.  You can even heat it up and drink it by the cup.  I add a pinch of salt and pepper mmmmmmm, like drinking a hot cup of soup.

almost gone

Bone broth can help cure leaky gut, it restores immune system function, helps you overcome food allergies and so much more.  The collagen/gelatin and the amino acids proline, glutamine and arginine that you get from bone broth help seal the openings in the gut lining that cause leaky gut and the collagen/gelatin also support gut integrity.  (bone broth made at home, not the imitation stuff purchased in a carton on the store shelf.)  Also, when it is cold, it turns to collagen/gelatin, when it is warmed up, it is liquid and you can add noodles to make a nice soup or drink it alone.

Below is a regular dinner we have been eating as you can see from the meal planners.  These are the best southern collard greens ever, seasoned with onion, garlic, and smoked turkey leg. (Look for the tutorial in upcoming weeks before Christmas)  Next to the collards is corn that I cut from the cob that we got at a farmers market in New Jersey a few days ago, along with a basket of honey crisp apples.  I always pack an apple cut into wedges in my husband’s lunch box with leftovers.

I added bone broth to the collard greens and the corn.

 

 

Week 10 Meal Plan

Each morning after my Bible time, I work out for about 20 minutes, sometimes I wait until after lunch.  I am enjoying the exercise, but I have started something new to help me get healthy faster.  I am doing intermittent fasting.  I think it is important that you find what works for you.  Exercise and portion control alone may not work for everyone.  Actually, I think those two things will help me maintain my weight.  Since I want to lose weight, I have added intermittent fasting.  This means I am fasting 16-18 hours per day.  I finish dinner at 6 pm and don’t eat anything else until lunchtime the next day.  I drink lots of water and even drink coffee as long as there are no calories in it. (black coffee) I’m not really a breakfast eater so lunch is a perfect time to start eating for me.  Normally I only list my husband’s breakfast and lunch in the meal plan because I usually just snack during the day or have a salad for lunch.  This meal plan will be different because I will list only my eating habits since I am the one who needs to lose weight.

UPDATE:

I have lost 4.4 pounds and I look like I’ve lost weight.  My t-shirts don’t cling to my stomach anymore.  Actually, you can’t see my stomach, before you could see the outline of my stomach.  I just feel better.  I will continue to update you.  I do believe the intermittent fasting has been the most helpful in losing those few pounds.  I used a book by Gabriel Jackson to get the information I needed you can read the review HERE

Here is the Week 10 Meal plan. Remember I stop eating by 7 pm and start eating again at noon or 1 pm.

Weekly Meal Plan Week 10

Update on My Weight Loss & Shocking Discovery (Weekly Meal Plan Included)

This week’s meal plan Week 9 Meal Plan

After getting married two years ago I noticed a slow but steady incline in my weight. Some people call it “happy pounds” because you’re so happy in life an indulge without restrictions, therefore making you gain weight. I think I can safely say this has been me. I’ve gained exactly 10 pounds over the last year.

We have been eating more veggies and less meat, and completely cut out sugar (even condiments) and almost no carbs or very few. Since doing this my husband has lost 10 pounds, I lost a few but slowly gained them back and I know why. Currently, I am writing a book and I also make jewelry so my life is pretty sedentary and my portion sizes when I eat are not what they should be and we haven’t gone to the gym in a few weeks because my husband is working weekends and staying late during the week. We have a membership to Planet Fitness but my husband is the member and I’m the guest. So I can’t go without him. Also, he’s a construction supervisor and builds malls, dealerships and such from the ground up which means he works in the heat and when he comes home he’s very tired. My husband is maintaining the weight loss, so he’s fine, I’m the one having the problem.

Also, let me say, I do cook every day, my house is always clean but again my life is sedentary and I have not incorporated exercise into my daily routine.

I have tried to walk 2,000 steps per day and that is a huge challenge. I know lots of you may be saying right now, “wow I walk 10,000 every day” and I understand that but I do not work outside my home, my kids are grown with their own lives and live in other states. I rarely leave my house.

So…

The other day I decided to look up what a good weight would be for someone my age, height, and gender would be and I was shocked and completely horrified. I thought I was within 10 pounds of where I should be but I was wrong. I’m actually 30 pounds overweight! (I think it’s all in my midsection) I’m 45 years old, 5 foot 7 inches, and my weight is normally 163. I thought my target weight for someone like me was 157ish which means I was only about 5-6 pounds overweight but in reality, I should be closer to 137 pounds. Honestly, I think I’d be fine at 140 or 145. So I’m on a quest.

After finding this information I decided to weigh myself and start losing weight. I felt pretty good but my scales said I was 167, not 163! Another shocker! So I’ve gained even MORE weight! So here are my goals.

1. I’m already cooking healthy meals so my priority is to cut down on food portions and not overeat by listening to my body.
2. Start a daily exercise routine & increase my steps per day
3. Drink more water
4. Count calories and calories burned.
5. I will also post my beginning weight of this journey and that week ending weight and maybe a photo.
We’ll see.
6. TaiChi everyday Youtube video (9 minutes)
7. Intermittent fasting. This will be 16-18 hours of fasting (Including 8 hours of sleep time) to boost my immune system and help me lose more weight. I used this book for        information on fasting  Intermittent Fasting: Aggressive Fat Loss, Heal Your Body and Enjoy Your Life by Gabriel Jackson

This information will be included in my weekly meal plan. I have not posted in a couple of weeks mainly because we’ve been out of town on vacation and such but I think if I post this information it will help me keep myself accountable. I will also post any YouTube video links that I use for weight loss and photos of my meals.

I have to say, I started this journey the last week in July (2019) so I don’t have photos of those dinners.

Since I am at home all day I can take a walk in my neighborhood (the weather has been 95+, and I don’t do well in the heat) or I can walk and workout in my home and I believe the latter is what I’ll do.

If you have any suggestions of videos that will help me in this journey please let me know in the comments below. I will not be doing high impact or vigorous cardio because I’m not in my 20s anymore haha!

So far I  have search youtube for walking videos.  The ones I like and are listed below are predominantly walking videos but incorporate other exercises that I can do in my living room to maintain the heart rate of walking.  I chose them because they seemed easy to keep up with, yet presented a challenge. I usually only do one video per day but also do other things like walking in place or go up and down the stairs to our basement, jumping jacks, and lunges too.  I will say, my favorite workout that I’ve been doing is the 20-minute video listed below.

So far, here are the videos I’ve been watching.

9-minute TaiChi, my husband and I do this daily HERE

15-minute video by Holly Dolke   Here

20-minute video by Holly Dolke HERE

Week 9 Meal Plan

Why You Should Make a Weekly Menu

I use to make a stop at the grocery store two or three times a week to pick up extra things that I didn’t have at home.  While I did my regular shopping, I had ideas of what I was going to be cooking for the week, I bought everything I thought I would need for those dishes and all the regular things I was out of. As the days went on, I would cook what I had and later in the week I would remember dishes I wanted to cook, but I had used the ingredients already to cook meals I thought of in the spur of the moment.  So I ended up having to stop at the store a few times.

Another problem I realized was I didn’t plan far enough in advance.  I knew Tuesday evenings were less crowded at the store and I was able to leave work on time, but I always ran out of things by the weekend and had to shop on a busy Saturday when I could’ve been doing other things.

I knew having a menu would help solve this problem, but not just a menu, a detailed list of all the ingredients I needed for that meal.  This really helps because if we have chicken breast, fettuccine, and broccoli, we can have homemade alfredo sauce and throw it all together, or cook the chicken in peppers and onions, chicken stock, Italian seasoning and spoon that over the pasta.  This would mean I need to add peppers and onions to my grocery list as well.  If I know I will only use half of a red pepper and half of a green pepper I still have those halves left for another dish. To make it a bit tangier, I could add yellow banana peppers.

This brings me to my next point.  Always check your refrigerator to see what you are running out of.  If I use those banana peppers it may be the last of the jar, and I use those peppers in lots of things, so that will go on my list.  After I have made my menu for 7 days, ingredients and all, I look at what I need.  How many menus will include red bell peppers?  If we only eat 3 chicken breasts per meal and we have chicken 3 days out of the week, I need at least a pack of 10 chicken breasts.  See what I mean? list everything out then add to that list the regular things you need, like light bulbs, a case of water, jugs of water, you get the idea.

3 Day menu

Below is an Excel workbook with 3 sheets. 3, 5 & 7-day sheets.  They are empty so you can enter your own information.  You can also open it in Google Docs.

Menu & Grocery List (Excel)

 

Planning out your menu ahead of time will not only save you money, be less food waste, but will also save time.  Your menu doesn’t have to be 7 days.  You can plan 4 meals (including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) or 10.  The whole idea is to plan.  Some people like to plan around sales or coupons.  You can look through the ads and find out what is on sale that week and plan your menu accordingly. Once you start planning your meals like this you will notice the money you save and the time you have on your hands. If takes time to sit in traffic to go to the store, to find a parking space, pick out your items and stand in line at the check-out.  Not to mention loading your car, getting it home and unloading it.  If you plan your meals and make fewer stops you can use that time to do other things.  You can watch a movie with your kids, or have time to take a walk or time to work on that book you want to write.

Quick side note: Take-out is expensive and not good for you at all, most of the time it isn’t satisfying. You can make any takeout dish at home.  Pinterest is amazing!

If you choose a day to shop you can take your time and compare prices, compare items your family will like and even take time to clip coupons if you are a coupon person.  This is called planning your trip.  The past few months I’ve been ordering my food online at the grocery store and my husband drives to the door and they bring it out to him.  We get a text beforehand about substitutions and if we don’t like the substitutions they take it off our bill.  We are only charged after we drive away.  Many stores are doing this now, it saves time. Stores that have this curbside service are Wegman’s, Walmart, Target, Pick’n Save, Food Lion and lots more, but do your research and make sure they do it in your area.  I found that Wegman’s have this service but the one nearest me doesn’t.

How do you plan your shopping trips? Does it work well? Leave me a comment and let me know what you do.

 

Week 8 Meal Plan (Low Carb Low Sugar)

Week 8 Meal Plan

Other blog posts with weekly menus are listed at the end of this post.

Salmon and Capers in a lemon butter cream sauce (Easy)

I started these menus because my kids and my sister would call sometimes and ask what I was cooking for dinner.  This tells me they do not plan their meals for the week, instead, when they go to the grocery store they buy what they are out of and when they want to cook something it requires another trip to the grocery store for those items.

Also when you make your list for a weekly menu, you will check to see what you already have in your kitchen.  If you notice 3 days on your menu where you use red bell pepper measure it out.  1/4 cup is about a 1/4 of a bell pepper, depending on how large you dice it.  The larger the pieces the more room it will take up in the measuring cup.  I try to measure 1/2 a bell pepper for each meal.  3 meals will be a bell pepper and a half. You may use that half in some spicy corn, for lunch, or you may slice it up with some ranch dipping sauce for a snack.  I buy onions by the bag, 2lb to be exact.  Kept in a dark bottom drawer they will last as long as I need them (a couple of weeks).  I measure onions the same as bell pepper, 1/2 an onion per dinner, plus you have to remember they cook down.

After looking at 2 months worth of weekly menus I hope you can get the idea of how to plan your meals.  You can do this, trust me.  Choose a meat that is less than 8 ounces per person.  If you have chicken breast, cut the breast in half lengthwise to make 2 breasts.  If we see 2 chicken breasts on our plate it makes us feel better, makes us feel as though we have enough and are not starving ourselves.  Next chose 2 to 3 vegetables that you like.  Over half of your plate should be covered in veggies, if it is not, add a salad or bowl of soup.

If you season the vegetable it will be more enjoyable to eat, unless you prefer your food unseasoned or bland.  Try something new and combine vegetables while adding a seasoning, like, baby carrots and corn seasoned with parsley or peppers.  Or baby carrots and broccoli seasoned with minced garlic or diced onion or both. When you try something new, comment below and let us know what it is.  I’d love to hear the combinations you come up with.

Here are my other blog posts with meal plans 1-7:

What We Are Eating: Meal Plan Week 1

Losing Weight with the Mediterranean Diet (Free Meal Plan Week 2)

Week 3 Meal Plan

Week 4 Meal Plan

Easy Chicken Scallopini With Mushrooms and Artichokes in a Lemon Caper Cream Sauce (Week 5 Meal Plan)

Weekly Meal Plan Week 6

Weekly Menu For Week 7 (Low Carb Low Sugar)

Weekly Menu For Week 7 (Low Carb Low Sugar)

I have to admit I am enjoying finding new recipes and tweaking them to make them healthier for us.  The meal plans I post are not carb free, but they are low carb and low sugar, less meat, and more veggies and fruit.  When we eat chicken, it used to be 2 chicken breasts but now I cut one in half lengthwise and we call that 2.  We drink bottled water on a daily basis and at dinner sometimes we have hibiscus tea sweetened with stevia, not sugar.

My husband and I drink a cup of coffee together every morning before work but there isn’t much time for breakfast so at the beginning of the week I cook a frittata in a large cast iron skillet and cut it into pieces and wrap it in parchment paper.  I put one in my husband’s lunch box every day to enjoy when he gets to work so you will see frittata on the menu every day.

The photo above is the ingredients for the shrimp and beef sausage.  It is another dish my husband asks to be on the menu every week, but I can’t make all his favorites every week because there aren’t enough days in the week.

Another favorite is chicken stirfry.  On the menu you will see on Wednesday there is a great stirfry dish and the sauce is amazing, I found it  HERE on latteintero.blogspot.com 

Here are the menus for the past 7 weeks.  Each one will open in a separate window as a PDF.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open them.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can install it HERE for Free

Enjoy!

Menu for Week 1

Menu for Week 2

Menu for Week 3

Menu for Week 4

Menu for Week 5

Menu for Week 6

Menu for Week 7

 

Weekly Meal Plan Week 6

Week6 Meal Plan

If you notice, we eat more squash, zucchini, corn, mushrooms and carrots than any other vegetable.  It is important to know that is OUR preference, it may not be yours.  You may like more broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, green beans, collards, or beans.  When you look at my meal plans you can substitute any vegetable with what you like instead.  You may start combining veggies and find something new. Also, you can choose dinners from week 1 and mix with weeks 3 & 4 and make your own menu.

Here is what we ate last week.  Week6 Meal Plan  My husband has maintained the weight loss as have I, I think we would’ve lost more but due to doctor appointments and working late We have missed a few days at the gym.  We are still eating lots of veggies and fruits and I believe that has allowed us to keep the weight off.

Below is a picture of what I pack for my husband for lunch when we don’t have leftovers.  Deli turkey, cheeses, fruit, and nuts.  This plate is a snack I made for when he comes home from work and we talk about our day.  I make his in a smaller version for his lunch.

 

Perfect Lunch: Deli turkey, cheeses, fruit and nuts

Easy Chicken Scallopini With Mushrooms and Artichokes in a Lemon Caper Cream Sauce (Week 5 Meal Plan)

Week 5 Meal Plan

Oh my goodness I found a great recipe so I went ahead and made it so I could share it with you.  I have also added it to the Week5 Meal Plan If you like the dishes I’ve been posting, I’m sure you’ll love this.  It is quick and easy but looks like it took all day to make. I was looking for a recipe on Pinterest to add to my meal plan and came across this recipe at Victoria’s Table website Victoriastable.com

The only thing I did differently is I didn’t use pancetta, flour, or corn starch because I am cutting back on carbs.  I also used less lemon juice because it was too lemony/tart and only a tablespoon of butter instead of 3.  I added 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 1/2 cup and I also used less heavy cream.

The recipe is below:

Heres how I cooked it:

First, take two chicken breasts and cut them lengthwise to end with 4 chicken breasts. Add pepper and begin cooking them in a little olive oil.  When you turn them once and notice there is little oil, add the artichoke brine and let the chicken simmer.

While the chicken is cooking, wash 1 lb of mushrooms and sliced them.  (You can have fewer mushrooms if you like but they do cook down a little and you may wish you added them all) You can use button mushrooms or baby portabellos. Saute them in olive oil.

Next, I used a can of artichoke hearts and cut them in half.

Saute the mushrooms and add the artichokes and 3 tbsp capers.

As the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers cook and become tender, (keep an eye on the chicken turning it often) Add 1 tbsp butter to the veggies and 3 tbsp white wine and squeeze half of 1 lemon.  While the liquid simmers and the wine reduces, gently stir in 1 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of heavy cream.  After a few minutes of simmering, add the chicken breasts to the sauce and allow them to finish cooking.  Taste as you go.  You don’t want to get to the end and realize you need more pepper or salt, or something else.  Your taste buds will tell you if you are missing something.

I felt that this dish was very mild, and next time I will add thinly diced onion, and a clove of garlic for a bit more flavor.  Garlic is a natural anti-inflammatory and is very good for you and adds wonderful flavor. Look for this dish on the Week5 Meal Plan

I hope you enjoyed it, please leave a comment.

Recipe:

2 chicken breasts cut lengthwise to make 4
1 lb mushrooms sliced
1 can artichoke hearts 6-8 artichoke hearts
3 tbsp capers
½ squeezed lemon
3 tbsp white wine
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook the chicken breasts in a little olive oil. When you turn them over and notice the oil has cooked away, add the artichoke brine to the pan and let the chicken simmer.
As the chicken cooks, in another pan add a few tablespoons of olive oil and add the sliced mushrooms. When they begin to darken from their original color (white) add the artichokes and capers and allow them to cook until tender. (continue to turn the chicken)
Add 1 tbsp butter to the artichokes mushrooms and capers and 3 tbsp white wine and squeeze half of 1 lemon. While the liquid simmers and the wine reduces, gently stir in 1 cup of chicken broth and whisk in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. By adding the chicken broth before the heavy cream, the broth cools the liquid down for the cream. After a few minutes of simmering, add the chicken breasts to the sauce and allow them to finish cooking. Taste as you go. You don’t want to get to the end and realize you need more pepper or salt, or something else. Your taste buds will tell you if you are missing something.