Abs Diet – Day 28: Chili Peppered Steak

Hey y’all had some computer problems yesterday and could not update the page. It has been an incredible weekend and I was feeling the need for something a bit spicy yesterday. As usual, I found something really good in the recipe section – Chili Peppered Steak.

Now if you decide to search for the recipe on the site (not sure why you would because it is further down below) they actually spell the Chili as “Chile” – not sure if this is a typo or a reference to the South American country. I’m thinking typo because I am not sure how a recipe calling for Hunan sauce is somehow related to Chile.

Now to be honest – I will be remaking this recipe. I forgot to add in the carrots and the broccoli (this is what happens when you and a friend are talking while you are cooking)…oh well. I thought I could add in both of the ingredients later – which you can but it makes for a not pretty picture on the plate with everything all over the place. So look for an updated picture in the next few days.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 2 cayenne peppers, sliced
• 12 ounces lean sirloin steak, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup hunan stir-fry sauce (you can use hoisin or any other sauce)
• 4 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Toss in the carrots and broccoli, and cook until tender.

2. Add the peppers and beef, and continue cooking until meat is done.

3. Add sauce, and serve over rice.

Tips:

Like so many of the recipes in the Abs Diet section, this one lends itself to modification and enhancements – for instance you could add a tsp/tbs of chili-garlic sauce, sriracha sauce, or you could omit the chili all together. Also you can modify the veggies used in the recipe – substitute water chestnuts, add bamboo shoots, or even green onions. Just pay attention to the carb count in the veggies and you should be fine. For this recipe I added in some leftover celery I had laying about, I also added some black fungus to the mix.

How Did It Turn Out:

Chili - Peppered Steak

A Word About Progress – Nice

I recently weighed in (last night to be exact) and I am very pleased to report that since I began this project on 09 Jan 2010, I have lost a grand total of 23 pounds…gone!

I can not tell you how incredibly motivating this discovery is to me. I really want to push harder now – but again as my trainer reminded me, slow and steady does it.

I am however going to begin strictly monitoring my portion control and dietary intake so that I can better track what I am eating for this I found a great online food diary that features many tools that help me stay on track – I found it at -  http://myfooddiary.com . This amazing little site helps you track calorie AND nutrient intake. It also breaks down where you are spending your calories and how many you have left to spend. Plus it has over 65.000 items in its archives ranging from restaurant/prepared foods, to food products, and raw ingredients. I really enjoy that it also focuses on your fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrate intakes.

I am debating on getting a heart rate monitor as well to help me in this next stage of my work outs.

Anyway, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up and to say thanks for the support. I appreciate it!

Abs Diet – Day 27: The Monster Meat Mash

A healthier, leaner version of Shepherd’s Pie is what this is. Don’t let the amount of mashed potatoes called for – it is actually not that much when you consider that this serves 6.

I also found the lack of veggies in this meal disappointing so I modified my version by adding 1/4 cup each – carrots, poblano peppers, onions, celery, and corn. I also reduced the amount of barbecue sauce called for from 1/2 cup to about 2 tablespoons – I figured I could cut down on the amount of sugar that way. I also wanted the meat and veg to be the focus, not the barbecue sauce. You could also make this meal leaner still by using ground turkey instead of beef.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 cup low-fat beef broth
• 6 cups prepared mashed potatoes
• 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once cooked, drain fat and set aside beef.

How Did It Turn Out:

The Monster Meat Mash

Abs Diet – Day 27: Penne For Your Thought

One word for this meal…amazing. It is substantial enough to really satisfy you, yet light enough that you do not feel bloated afterwards.  Add to that the fact that you can make this recipe with or without the chicken, as spicy or as mild as you want (just add red chili flakes) and you have a truly versatile meal. This is great on its own or with a small salad or even as a side (just leave out the chicken).

Needless to say, I added a good deal of red chili flakes for some heat – basically made an “arabiatta” or “diavolo” version. Either way it is OUTSTANDING! The cannellini beans do a great deal for the richness of the sauce that does develop in the pasta ((it is not a lot of sauce but it is very flavorful – the focus is the pasta and the other ingredients, not the sauce.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 2 ounces Barilla Plus penne pasta (I used whole wheat pasta)
• 2 (4-5 ounces each) chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4″ thickness
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon finely diced dried rosemary
• 1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 heaping tablespoons diced roasted red pepper
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Tips:

If you do not have a meat tenderizer, you can use the bottom of a small frying pan, just place the breasts between two sheets of saran wrap. I personally use a heavy sheet of clear plastic as a skin to pound the chicken within. Note the recipe calls for roasted red peppers - this is NOT as one my friends thought – cayenne… Their Penne For Your Thoughts…well let us say it went nuclear…

How Did It Turn Out:

Penne For Your Thoughts

Abs Diet – Day 26: Stew For You

It started snowing yesterday pretty heavy yesterday and I figured why not make some stew. I checked the Men’s Health recipe section and came up with this selection – Stew For You.

This was the perfect meal for a very cold winter day. Filling, quick, and most important – helps provide enough protein for the between workout days.

You can add different types of veggies to this stew; try it and be creative.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1 pound sirloin steak, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 cups white mushrooms
• 2 cups frozen roasted potato cubes
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) low-fat beef broth
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup red wine

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (about 2 to 3 minutes). Once cooked, drain fat and set aside beef.

2. In same skillet, saute onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes until soft (about 6 minutes).

3. In a large stock pot, mix beef, sauteed vegetables, pepper, and salt, stirring well to blend.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together beef broth, flour, and wine. Pour broth mixture over beef and vegetable mixture, stirring well to blend. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, adding additional broth or wine if needed.

5. To reheat, microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once.

Nutritional Data:

http://recipes.menshealth.com/Recipe/stew-for-you.aspx

Tips:

Instead of using flour – I used a quarter cup of white beans pureed and stirred into thicken the stew.

How Did It Turn Out:

Stew For You

Abs Diet – Day 25: Italian Chowin’

One of my favorite things to eat is the Italian Meatball Sub at Subway – now I have sworn off these until I am down to my goal weight of 165 (50 more lbs to go!)…until now. I found a leaner less fatty version of the Meatball sub on Men’s Health Ab’s Diet recipes.

Yeah I know looking at the calorie count it isn’t exactly diet food. OK let’s be honest it isn’t. What it is, is a more sensible way to have the occasional indulgence. By this I mean it has approximately 15 g of fat per sandwich (and believe me, you only can eat but one) compared to 24 g of fat in the Subway version. Sodium is another area this sandwich comes in as a more sensible alternative to Subway’s version 1177 mg vs. 1610 mg…again bear in mind this sandwich is meant for the occasional treat – not for daily consumption. Men’s Health’s version also wins in the saturated fats category – 4.1 g of saturated fat vs. 11.5 g for Subway’s version. Finally, the Italian Chowin’ is the winner hands down in protein with 37.4 g vs. 24 g for Subway’s Meatball Sub.

Men’s Health takes the gold on this one. Again, I stress that this sandwich is best kept as an occasional indulgence to satisfy a craving. Moderation is everything.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or whey powder
• 1 jar (16 ounces) tomato sauce
• 4 whole-wheat hoagie rolls
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Mix the beef, crackers, onion, garlic, and flaxseed or whey powder into golf ball-size meatballs. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the meatballs until browned all the way around. Drain the fat from the skillet and add the tomato sauce. While the mixture is warming, use a fork to scoop out some of the bread in the rolls to form shallow trenches. Spoon the meatballs and sauce into each trench, sprinkle with the cheese, and top with the top half of the roll.

Nutritional Data:

http://recipes.menshealth.com/Recipe/italian-chowin.aspx

How Did It Turn Out:

Italian Chowin'

Abs Diet – Day 24: Hurry Curry

I got home today and was trying to figure out what to prepare for today’s recipe. Now I like Indian and Thai cuisines as in, “I like to breathe.” I have prepared a ersatz Asian dish from the Ab’s Diet section – The Broc Heads. However, while it was an awesome meal in its own right, it pales in comparison to the exquisite heat of a good curry, sublime in its gustatory delights. There are few things more satisfying than the gentle sweat that breaks out on your brow as you consume it, the heat and spiciness building to a crescendo of flavor in your mouth…ok enough of that….

Indian curries are good eats…period. Not all are mouth searing fire pots, some are almost sweet. But not this one…definitely not this one.

Hurry Curry is a fast, flavorful, and oh so spicy (well the way I made it is) dish that really gives the brown rice a backbone – for those who do not know, I consider brown rice to be culinary equivalent of the color beige. Normally, brown rice counters any spiciness and flavor a sauce or food might have. However, this time, it all came together in a perfect storm of sapidity.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise (do NOT omit this in order to cut calories)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onions (or puree them in a processor)
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (more according to taste)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2″ strips
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1.In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, onion, ginger, and curry powder.

2.Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika and pepper. Toss until coated.

3.In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt mixture. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Nutritional Data:

http://recipes.menshealth.com/Recipe/hurry-curry.aspx

Tips:

You can use a hot or a mild curry powder in this dish – adding some tumeric for color helps as well (not too much though or the dish becomes bitter). I used a very hot Madras Curry powder (Colman’s) Also I made a paste of the onions, I learned this trick from Hetel and Anuja at Showmethecurry.com. Thank y’all so much. Making a paste helps to infuse the flavors more evenly. Do not be tempted to add the spices to the chicken while it is cooking – the spices will burn, mixing them into a paste or with the yoghurt prevents this. You may also add zucchini and yellow squash as I did. I also made some crescent moons of onion to add to the cooking curry. Also once you add the curry-yoghurt sauce to the chicken – keep an eye on it or it will scorch.

How Did It Turn Out:

Chock full of rich curry goodness!

Abs Diet – Day 23: Colonel Mustard

This is the first salad from the website that I have prepared and I have to say that if Colonel Mustard is any indication of how good the other salad recipes are, then I will be making many more salads as the days begin to warm up!

The maple syrup and the dijon mustard really work well together for a very good sweet & spicy taste. You can also add minced garlic to the mixture in order to really liven things up a bit. This salad is a complete meal – the only thing I might want to add next time are some dried cranberries, or dried cherries, and some walnuts.

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 thin-cut boneless pork chops
• 2 cups italian salad greens
• 1 tablespoon low-fat balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together syrup, mustard, oil, salt, and pepper until well blended.

2. Place chops and mustard mixture inside a large zip-top plastic bag, then shake to coat the chops. Place chops on a nonstick skillet heated to medium-high, cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side. In last minute of cooking, pour remaining mustard mixture onto chops as they cook.

3. Toss greens and dressing in a large bowl to coat.

Nutrition Data:

http://recipes.menshealth.com/Recipe/colonel-mustard.aspx

Tips:

Maybe de-glazing the pan with a little white wine in order to thin out the sauce will allow you to omit the vinaigrette entirely and make a wilted salad using the sauce as a dressing. You can also substitute any green for the greens used in the recipe.

How Did It Turn Out:

Colonel Mustard

Abs Diet – Day 22: Enchilada Lasagna

You know this one makes sense – mean all you do is open up the enchiladas and flatten them out.  I have to admit this was one really good dish. The cottage cheese (make sure you drain it first) blends well with the other ingredients to make a rich binder to hold it all together.

I think the next time I make this I am going to use a fat free cotija or other fat free Mexican farmer’s cheese instead of, or maybe with, the cottage cheese. I highly recommend this y’all. I think maybe this is going to inspire me to explore some of the foods from my grandmother’s kitchen that I ate growing up.

Anyway:

Here Is What You Will Need:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat Mexican-blend or cheddar cheese
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese (drain it first)
• 1/4 cup canned jalapeno chili peppers, diced (use the pepper you like)
• 1/2 cup green onions
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 9 (6″) corn tortillas
• 1 cup taco sauce (I omitted this – adds too much sodium)

Directions:

1. Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet (about 5 minutes).

Tips:

Make very sure to drain the cottage cheese – otherwise the whole thing becomes very soggy. The small curd cottage cheese works best – smaller cheese chunks = more even melting in the oven. Be sure to check the sodium content on the canned tomatoes – use no salt kind if you have them. Also you can use any type of pepper you want. I made the recipe once with jalapenos and the second time with poblanos and chipotle…definitely an improvement.  I also added cumin powder and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

How Did It Turn Out:

Yes guys that is ONE serving...lol

Abs Diet – Day 21: Chicken Little Italy

Wow today I made Chicken Little Italy – now this is the first recipe that I have prepared that actually uses a whole cut of meat – a chicken breast. I will also admit that I had some reservations about making it when I saw the calorie count  coming in at almost 400 calories. However, I got to thinking about it and I realized that this was but one meal out of four and that I am allowing myself around 2000 calories per day. (the doctor wants me on this for my diabetes until some more weight comes off)

With that in mind I prepared this meal and wow what a meal. I used plain bread crumbs and flavored them with rosemary, sage, thyme, red and black peppers, and gray salt. Don’t buy the premixed seasoned muck that some companies pass off as bread crumbs – take 5 minutes and season your own, the taste is worth it.

What You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 3 handfuls baby spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. While pan is heating, pound chicken to 1/4″ thickness, then sprinkle with bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper, pressing lightly so crumbs stick.

3. Place in pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with nuked marinara.

4. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic in another nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

5. Add spinach, turning frequently with tongs until wilted (about 6 minutes).

Nutritional Data:

http://recipes.menshealth.com/Recipe/chicken-little-italy.aspx

Tips:

Like the recipe recommends, the thinner the meat is, the better it will cook. To pound the chicken thin, place the breast between 2 pieces of wax paper of saran wrap and then pound it with the flat face of a meat tenderizer.  If you do not have one of these items, you may hold a small thick bottomed skillet and strike the meat with the flat underside of the pan – that is what I did.

Also – BEFORE you dredge the breast in the bread crumbs – pat it dry, or at least until it is just barely damp, then press it into the crumbs. Be sure to press the meat into the crumbs and also to press the crumbs into the meat once you have flipped it to the other side.

Make sure that you preheat your pan on the stove before you add the oil – remember: Hot pan, Cold Oil…food won’t stick. You can when the oil is ready because it will shimmer slightly and when you turn the pan will skooch around the pan in a very nifty way. You want your pan and your oil hot in order to brown the chicken properly – also if the oil is hot enough, it will not soak into the chicken or into the breading. If the oil is cool or not hot enough, the breading will soak up the oil like a sponge…not good.

How Did It Turn Out:

Chicken Little Italy