I’ve been muffin-topping lately.

NOT HAPPY.

What’m I doing about it?

Upping my gym-time. Stocking up on veggies and salads. Attempting to eat less.

*sigh*…same as everyone else on the planet.

 

Today I decided to have 2 über veggie friendly meals: Salad for lunch and a Steamed Veggies and Chicken dinner.

What really happened?

I created a lovely salad for lunch. That was fine.

Dinner?  Well, I fell off the wagon a little bit. I added sour cream. Not real sour cream, because it was meat meal, the toffuti kind. This, of course, led to a discussion about the caloric count of the said sour cream and whether or not my recent meals have been…well, a little less than focused on healthy recipes.

*sigh*

I know. I know that my weight gain is my own damn fault. I put the food in my own mouth.

I know I need to start tracking my food intake again.

I know I need to start SERIOUSLY start using my old portion control methods again.

I know I need to focus on better-for-us meals.

I know I know I know.

 

Ok. Deep breath.

Tomorrow is another day. I’ll start over tomorrow.

Today’s Salad by Me

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

Salad. I prefer the pre-washed and cut varieties, because I.LAZY. Feel free to make your own mix.

Fresh Mozzarella Balls **I usually use 3-4 of these little mini balls per person.

Cherry Tomatoes **I think they’re easier to eat in a salad if they’re cut in 1/2.

Olives **I used 1/2 dozen today, and I cut them in half so they’d flavor the salad, not overwhelm it.

Fried Onions **I usually don’t use these, but I saw them in the pantry and threw on a handful atop the salad. Not the healthiest choice, she realized in retrospect.

Salad Dressing **I like the Lite Sweet Vidalia Onion, C prefers the Light Blue Cheese.

How To:

1- Dump salad into a bowl.

2- Top with stuff.

3- Serve with dressing on the side.

**I usually like adding nuts and dried fruit to salads. I think the sweetness and crunch are really nice touches. I looked at the raisins today and thought about adding them in…and then I forgot. Ahh well.

 

Cheese Toast with Roasted Peppers and Dijon by Me

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

2 3″ hunks of bread, cut in half lengthwise **Today I used an Italian loaf.

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

4 slices Roasted Red Pepper **I used the stuff outta the jar.

4 slices Baby Swiss Cheese **I got these from the deli counter. Feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand, though the mix of swiss and dijon really is great.

How To:

1- Line a baking sheet with foil.

2- Slice your bread in half lengthwise if you haven’t already done so. Lay these open faced sandwiches out on your foil-lined sheets.

3- Shmear the dijon over all four pieces of bread. Top with roasted pepper slices. Top that with 1 slice of swiss cheese each.

4- Toast to melt the cheese.

5- Enjoy!

 

Creamy Chicken with Steamed Broccoli and Pasta  by Me

Printable Recipe HERE

Dairy-FREE, Toddler-APPROVED

Ingredients:

1 head of Broccoli, washed and cut into florets

1 container Mushrooms, cleaned and cut into large chunks **Today I used 8oz. of Button Mushrooms.

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil, divided

3 large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in half and then in 1″ chunks

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, washed

1/2 cup White Wine

1 box of Pasta **I used Penne today.

1/2 cup Sour Cream **I used Tofutti brand non-dairy Sour Cream.

How To:

1- Dump your cleaned broccoli florets into a REALLY BIG microwaveable dish with a cover. Add 1 Tablespoon of water and close the lid. If your microwave happens to have a Fresh Vegetable button – Use it here. If not, nuke the veg for about 3 minutes, maybe 4, check your veg for ‘doneness’ as you go. Yes. That is SO a word.

2- Dump the mushrooms into the dish and cover again. Leave on the counter to steam. The residual heat will cook the mushrooms through.

3- Heat 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in enough chicken chunks to cover the bottom of the pan without crowding. Leave them to get a little crunchy on the bottom – about 3 minutes, depending on the size of your chunks. Flip them over and continue cooking them until they’re no longer pink in the center.

4- Dump the cooked chicken into the container with the steamed veg and re-close the lid.

5- Dump your tomatoes into the skillet and let them warm through, but try not to let them burst. Shake the skillet frequently so they don’t stick to the bottom.

6- Add the tomatoes to your chicken-veg melange. Close the lid.

7- Pour your white wine into the skillet and let it come to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits (with a wooden spoon) from the bottom as you go. Reduce your heat to low and leave the wine to reduce by half.

8- Get your big pot o’ salted water boiling for your pasta.

9- When you dump in your box o’ pasta, grab your veggie dish. Dump everything back into your skillet and stir it all up so the wine reduction flavors all your veg. I like reheating over medium-low heat, but do as you see fit.

10- I like to use coriander along with my salt and pepper seasoning. Use whatever seasoning you like here, but mostly focus on the salt/pepper.

11- Drain your pasta and put it back in the pot. Add in your sour cream – if using – and stir well.

12- Add your veggie and chicken to the pasta and stir.

13 – Taste. Need salt? Pepper? ADD ADD ADD!

Enjoy!

Oh, and try not discuss your belly and it’s muffin-topping qualities during dinner.

No one likes to hear that kinda stuff.

Especially over dinner.