Here is my dinner plate (as fancy as I can get) from last night. Forgive the iPad and Kindle on my counter, they were both charging. My only complaint about dinner last night was that everything was GREEN. That is all I saw, green...I really enjoyed the Stir-Fried Vegetables with the similarly seasoned chicken thigh. Very nice! I did have Anise extract in my cabinet so I used it as directed on my Broccoli Buds. Not overpowering, nice subtle flavor. I liked it. Could have done without the entire Cucumber Boat and Shrimp thingy though. It didn't seem to go. Wasn't bad, just seemed out of place. Also, the pic makes my chicken look a tad bit on the 'done' side, but really it is just the poor lighting in my microscopic kitchen!
Today I had my 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (30 calories) mixed with 1 tsp Fat-Free Cottage Cheese ( 18 calories) and a forkful of green chilis. I had to open a can for the LUNCH entree and decided they would flavor the eggs nicely. Lite salt and freshly ground pepper. Very nice. I brought 1 medium naval orange with me but here it sits, all sad and lonely. I just didn't want it. Poor orange.
LUNCH:
2 ounces thinly sliced, cold, roasted lean meat
green chili and tomato salad with Nicoise Dressing
Pears Poached in Red Wine
tea or coffee
DINNER:
demitasse of Beet and Yogurt Soup
1 large knuckle of Osso Buco
1 small zucchini boat filled with 1/4 cup Ratatouille, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
1/4 heart of romaine lettuce with 1/4 cup shredded radishes, Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup Orange Ice in orange shell
tea or coffee
RECIPES in order of use:
Vinaigrette Dressing
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSPs lemon juice
2 TBSP vinegar
3/8 cup safflower oil
vegetable or Lite salt to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/8 cup water
Put first six ingredients in a bowl and beat for 1 minutes with a whisk. Whip in the water a little at a time. Recommended portion: 1 TBSP (54 calories). VARIATION: For Nicoise Dressing, add 1/2 clove garlic, minced; 2 TBSPs onion, minced; and 2 TBSPs chopped parsley.
Pears Poached in Red Wine
for 4
4 fresh pears, firm
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup water
4 slices lemon
4 tsp sugarless sweetener
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Peel pears, leaving them whole. Drop into a pot with the wine, water, lemon, sweetener, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pears are tender but not soft. Cool in syrup and chill. Serve as a dessert with a little of the syrup. You can also prepare these for breakfast, substituting water for the wind and serving them hot. Recommended portion: 1 pear (87 calories).
Beet and Yogurt Soup
for 4
1 cup plain yogurt, low calorie
1/4 cup cooked or canned beets, chopped fine
1 cooked egg white, chopped fine
1/4 cup cooked shrimp, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped fine
1/8 tsp dried dill weed
4 ice cubes
4 slices of lemon for garnish
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except lemon slices. Chill. Serve with lemon slices floating on top. Recommended portion: 1/3 cup (44 calories).
Osso Buco
for 4
4 16-oz veal knuckles
1 TBSP salad oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 cups chicken broth
vegetable or Lite salt to taste
4 lemon slices for garnish
Trim veal of any fat; there shouldn't be much. Heat oil in skillet and brown the knuckles. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft. Add tomatoes, wine, seasonings, and broth. Cover and simmer until meat is tender and bone end is soft. Add more broth if necessary. When meat is tender, remove knuckles. Strain sauce, pushing as many of the cooked vegetables through the strainer as possible. Pour the strained sauce over the knuckles and let stand covered until read to serve. Garnish with the lemon. Recommended portion: 1 knuckle with sauce (210 calories).
Ratatouille
for 4
1 medium zucchini
1 small eggplant, peeled
1 medium tomato, peeled
1 small green pepper
1 TBSP salad oil
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp vegetable or Lite salt
2 TBSPs chopped parsley for garnish
Wash zucchini and eggplant and slice in 1/4-inch slices. Cut tomato into medium-sized dice. Seed pepper, blanch 1 minute, and cut in strips.
Heat oil, add onion, and saute 1 minute. Do not brown. Add tomato and cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients except parsley. Cover, bring to boiling point, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue simmering until liquid has evaporated. Season and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot as a vegetable or cold as a salad on fresh spinach leaves. Recommended portion: 1/2 cup (50 calories)
Orange Ice in Orange Cup
for 8
3 cups orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
2 tsps sugarless sweetener
2 TBSPs grated orange peel
Mix all ingredients. Freeze in an ice cream maker or in a tray in your freezer. Garnish with slivers of orange peel. Recommended portion: 2 ounces (22 calories).
I've been told I will lose 84 vacation hours if not used by August 31, 2015. Yes, I was told today. SMH! SO, I will vacationing, even if that means just not getting out of my pjs at home. I will have to see if I can post to this from my iPad, because I know I can't from my phone. I'm going to go ahead and give you several extra days to to be safe!! ENJOY!!
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