Monday, January 18, 2010

A new leaf

All,

Long time, no postings. I know, I know.. It's been a hard year for me to write about all the wonderful fatty things in my life, 'cause I cut them all out. The reason for this post, is that on Saturday, I weighed in at 173.6 lbs, which is below my goal weight. This means, not that I am done with weight watchers, but that I have accomplished something that I am really proud of. I've lost well over 70lbs by my doctors scale, 6 inches around my waist, 3 inches around my neck, and, well, I feel great.

I decided that I would start trying to post little tidbits of stuff about cooking, eating, and living life to the fullest (while keeping your waistline where you want it), now that I am committed to my new life.

First tidbit:

1) Caramelize those vegetables. Yeah, totally key. So many veggies get so much more flavorful when the surface sugars burn, ever so slightly. The keys to this phenomenon is pretty simple:
  • Consistent heat, medium to medium high on most stoves. But you have to WATCH, LISTEN, and SMELL. If the pan is smoking, or if it's not making sizzling noises, or if it smells like BURNING DEATH, change the heat settings! Let the pan get HOT before you start, but perhaps not so hot that it is smoking.
  • Leave plenty of room in the pan. No really, don't overcrowd the pan, as this will result in steamed vegetables.
  • Let the moisture escape. Really. No lids. No Covers. This also goes to previous point. Overcrowding the pan keeps moisture in the pan.
This makes boring things, like Zucchini, taste REALLY F*CKING GREAT.

Recipe: Vegetable Hoagie

I prep for this sandwich on the weekend, and then make a new one each day. It's 6 points, and it is awesome, good enough to make me forget how much I love a good cheesesteak.

I fire up my big cast iron griddle, lube it with non-stick spray and then wipe it down with a paper towel. I cook the vegetables in batches, and as each item gets cooked, I transfer them to a big container for storage. For a weeks worth of sandwiches (and if I am lucky enough left over to fill an omelet on the weekend) I use the following:

5 small zucchini, cut in 1/2" thick rings
1 medium onion, cut in 1/4" rings
4 baby leaks, whites only, cut in half, cleaned
1 lb asparagus
1 lb white mushrooms, halved
3 Red Bell Peppers

I take a nice Hoagie roll (the lowest calorie I can find is from Martin's), add two tablespoons of light boursin cheese (the garlic herb kind), and then a big helping of my caramelized veggies. I wrap the whole beast in Tin Foil, and when I go to eat lunch the next day, I toast it up in the toaster oven. AWESOME!

HUGS
- J