From the monthly archives:

October 2009

Booooooootiful Eats

by J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) on October 30, 2009

Wow, I am so late with this update! :oops: First, the bagel recipe that I promised:

Low-sodium Bagels

3 ½ cups (500g) of bread flour or high gluten flour *extra might be needed for kneading
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar *can substitute with other sweeteners like honey
1 ½ cups of warm water *extra might be needed
Toppings of your choice; e.g., sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc.

1. Combine the yeast with the sugar and ~1/2 cup water, let sit for 5 minutes; then stir together
2. Add flour to a bowl, make a well in the middle, then add in yeast + sugar mixture
3. Pour the remaining water into the well, add more as needed.
4. On floured counter top, knead dough for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and stretches well.
5. Coat a bowl with about 1 teaspoon of EVOO, put the dough bowl inside of it.
6. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or 2 or until it has risen. Then punch the dough down and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
7. Start making dough balls. Use a food scale to accurately divide the balls into even sizes. If you don’t have a food scale, just eyeball it the best you can.
8. Shape each ball into a round bagel shape, using the counter to roll them around if you want.
9. Flour your finger and make a hole in the center of each bagel; stretch it out a bit.
10. Preheat oven to 425-450F
11. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet covered with a damp towel again.
12. Boil a large pot of water, then reduce the heat.
13. Gently drop on 2 to 3 bagels at a time with a slotted spoon; boil on each side 1 to 2 minutes, 2 minutes gets them closer to NY style.
14. When all bagels are boiled, transfer them to a baking sheet lightly coated with oil/cooking spray or silicone baking sheets.
15. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown; cool on wire rack

Makes 8 NY style bagels (~210 calories each) or 16 mini bagels ~105 calories each

I have a bunch of food pics to get to, so please forgive me if I’m not very descriptive with all of them. ;)

Yogurt, cereal and fruit bowl:

yogurt_golean_1_oct26

1 Chobani strawberry yogurt (140 cal) with 1 sample box GOLEAN Crunch! Honey Almond Flax (220 cal), 1 medium banana (110 cal) and 10g raisins (30 cal) = 500 calories

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yogurt_golean_3_oct26

Leftover 96% lean beef meatball salad + homemade bagel

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meatball_salad_2_oct26

meatball_salad_3_oct26

Bed of spring mix tossed in EVOO + red wine vinegar, tomato slices, red onion, meatballs, and parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top like snow on meatball mountain. :)

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Tuna salad sandwich with a deluxe tossed salad

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salad_tuna_2_oct27

4oz Trader Joe’s no salt added Tongol tuna (120 cal) mixed with 1.5 TBSP Hellmann’s olive oil mayo (75 cal) on 2 slices Martin’s 100% whole wheat potato bread (140 cal) and a side salad of spring mix, tomatoes, red onions, shredded carrots, kalamata olives, 14g reduced fat blue cheese crumbles (40 cal) with EVOO + red wine vinegar. ~500-550 calories

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salad_tuna_5_oct27

Health Valley No Salt Added Vegetable Soup with a side of deviled egg salad + Kashi Honey Sesame TLC crackers

deviled_egg_salad_1_oct27

Soup: 180 cal
Crackers: 120 cal
2 large eggs: 150 cal
1.5 TBSP Hellmann’s olive oil mayo: 75 cal

525 calories

I sprinkled paprika over the egg salad in the spirit of this devilish time of year. :twisted:

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deviled_egg_salad_3_oct27

Morningstar Farms Mushroom Lover’s (meatless) Burger with Swiss cheese and a tossed side salad

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1 Morningstar Farms Mushroom Lover’s Burger (110 cal, 220mg sodium) on a homemade bagel (~210 cal) with 1 slice Sargento reudec fat Swiss cheese (60 cal), 2 dill gerkin pickles (5 cal), Heinz No Salt Added ketchup (15 cal) and yellow mustard (5 cal). Side salad of spring mix tossed in EVOO + red wine vinegar.

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mushroom_burger_3_oct28

Stuffed pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with roasted potatoes and broccoli

bacon_loin_1_oct28

This unintentional Atkins-style dinner was extremely high in fat, but full of flavor. I cut a pork tenderloin in half down the middle butterfly-style, then pounded it out a little bit. In the center I put: cream cheese, Polaner apricot fruit spread, minced garlic, and prunes. Then I folded it together and wrapped Trader Joe’s center cut uncured bacon around the outside and tied it with butcher’s twine. I placed it in an oven dish surrounded by a mixed package of very small sweet and regular potatoes and carrots. I baked it in a preheated 425F oven for about 45-50 minutes; the first 30 minutes with foil over the top.

bacon_loin_2_oct28

Wow, this was so rich! I couldn’t eat too much of it, just a few small pieces was filling (the pieces are a lot smaller than they look lol). Fat has incredible flavor, YUM! My stomach didn’t really respond well to all of that richness though. I was left with a very unsettled feeling after eating it. :? Oh well, was worth it. hehe

bacon_loin_3_oct28

Mini spaghetti and meatballs with a side salad

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1oz whole wheat angel hair pasta (105 cal) with 1/4 cup Franceso Rinaldi no salt added tomato sauce (35 cal) and 2 Quorn meatless meatballs (45 cal) with a side salad topped with 14g goat cheese (35 cal), 1/2 tsp EVOO (20 cal) and red wine vinegar. ~290-300 calories

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I love finding uses for my itty bitty colander. :) 1oz of angel hair is perfect for it!

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My booooooooootiful salad. :)

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Turkey and kidney bean chili topped with red onions, cheddar cheese and a side of unsalted tops saltine crackers

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I made a HUGE pot of turkey chili with:

1.5 lbs ground turkey breast
3 cans no salt added diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked kidney beans
2 small white onions, diced
~TBSP minced garlic
~2 TBSP cumin
~1/4 cup chili powder
Black pepper

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turkey_chili_3_oct29

Clam chowder

I was in the mood for batch cooking this week, so I also made a big pot of clam chowder with:

1 TBSP EVOO
Minced garlic
1 lb whole baby clam meat
Diced celery, carrots, potatoes and onions
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups skim milk
4 cups water
2 TBSP xanthan gum (thickening agent) (can substitute corn starch or flour)
Black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper

1. Add EVOO, garlic + veggies to large pot; stir and let cook for a few minutes
2. Add in clam meat; stir and let cook for a few minutes longers
3. Pour in liquids and spices, then stir; let cook for about 20-30 minutes on medium with cover
4. Dilute in xantham gum in a bit of water; mix and then stir into chowder; keep mixing until blended in well
5. Let simmer on medium-low for 30-45 minutes

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View from Dustin’s bowl:

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LOVED The consistency and the flavor!! The xanthan gum worked PERFECTLY! This is the first time I used it and I was worried that I messed up the whole pot of chowder because it was lumpy at first, but I kept stirring until it was smooth. Phew! My only regret is that I used whole clams instead of chopped, they were a little too chewy. Next time I’ll use chopped for better texture. :) By the way, you can find xanthan gum in the baking aisle or by the “specialty flours” in your store’s “natural or organic” section. The one I used was made by Bob’s Red Mill: http://www.bobsredmill.com/xanthan-gum.html I’m very pleased with the results and look forward to using it in other recipes.

Tomorrow is Halloween and I have a gazillion things to do, so, time for bed! Ghould night! :twisted:


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