Mini Meatloaves

For dinner tonight, I surprised my husband by making mini meatloaves (which we both love, but I have never made).  I also made some long grain, brown rice and broccoli florets to round out the meal.

Here is the recipe for the meatloaves, which is low fat (12 servings).

1# extra lean ground beef, raw
2 large eggs
2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup low fat milk

1/2 cup ketchup
1 oz brown sugar
black pepper to taste

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Form into 12 small loaves and place in a muffin tin.  Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until internal temperature is at least 140 degrees.  Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and black pepper;  place on meatloaves.  Bake for another 10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition information for 1 mini meat loaf:

139 kcals, 3.5 g fat, 1.2 g sat fat, 54 mg chol, 174 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 17 g protein, 38 mcg vit A, 1 mg vit C, 19 mg calcium, 1.7 mg iron

Hmmm, what should I call this?

Today for lunch, I made an easy and comforting dish. I just don't know what to call it! I cooked certain parts separately so I can combine them differently and with other ingredients later in the week (cook once, eat several times).

Lentils are legumes but cook from scratch in about 20 minutes, so they are very quick to make. Tempeh is a cultured and fermented soy product using whole soybeans. It traditionally comes in a block, which can be sauteed, fried, broiled, baked or steamed. To me, it sometimes tastes like a potato but other times tastes nutty. Both lentils and tempeh are great nutrition powerhouses!

I cooked a half a bag of plain lentils in one pan (directions on bag). In an iron skillet I sauteed a package of Westsoy Original Tempeh (crumbled) with a yellow onion (cut in strips). I used about 2T olive oil by the time I was done, but also used some Pam spray to cut down on the amount of oil.

When the tempeh was almost golden brown, I added a freshly minced clove of garlic 1 teaspoon of cumin powder. I microwaved 2 oz frozen spinach in a small bowl and opened a can of no salt added diced tomatoes in juice). Finally, I compiled all of them together (see below)--delicious!!

3 oz cooked lentils
2 oz cooked spinach
2 tsp olive oil
3 T cooked onions
3 oz cooked tempeh
3.75 oz diced tomatoes

Nutrition information:

381 kcals, 15.5 g total fat, 2.2 g sat fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 36 carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 26 g protein, 355 mcg vit A, 18 mg vit C, 182 mg calcium, 7 mg iron

Curry Stir-fry

I know this sounds like a funny name for a recipe! But, I basically combined 2 ideas, after switching gears during the process. I often start off with a recipe, but change it according to my tastes, which ingredients I have, and how many leftovers I can use up from the fridge!

With that in mind, I made this a couple weeks ago, so I will do my best to remember what I put in... I will break it down into smaller parts to describe. At the end, mix all together and enjoy! I do recall that it was very spicy (we had to open a window and turn on a fan)! SO, I would recommend making a small batch of the spice mixture and tasting it on the side (before adding to the stir-fry).

Mix together the following seasons with 1/4 can crushed pineapple in a small bowel. It can become very spicy, so start with approximately a 1/2 teaspoon of each and taste. Add the rest of the pineapple and adjust the flavors as needed (again, slowly test a little as you add spices).

1/2 can of crushed pineapple
Ground ginger
Ground turmeric
Ground cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Curry powder

Saute or stir-fry in a small amount of water or flavored broth (instead of oil to save fat calories):

Carrots, cut in circles
Green peppers, chopped
Onions, chopped
Any other veggies you have on hand

Stirfry tofu in 1T canola or olive oil until golden brown:

Firm tofu, pressed and cut in cubes

Cook Eden Organic Udon Noodles according to package directions.

Mix all components together (seasoning, vegetables, tofu, and noodles). Enjoy!

Salsa delicioso

Here are 2 of my favorite recipes for salsas that I make at home. I eat them with corn tortilla chips, on eggs, on salads, use one or both as a base for chili, etc!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 can (14 oz) black beans
1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn
1 small red onion
1 lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Cumin

Directions:
In a colander, Drain and rinse black beans for 60 seconds to reduce sodium by 40%. Add frozen corn and rinse to speed the thawing process. Dice red onion finely and place in mixing bowl; add beans and corn; stir. Squeeze lime juice and pulp over salsa mixture. Add garlic powder and cumin to taste. Note: Freshly prepare black beans can be used, but I use canned because it is quick and easy.


Fresh Pico de Gallo
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 a red onion, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 serrano pepper, very finely diced
2-3 cilantro sprigs, to taste
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: fresh juice of one lime

Mix all ingredients. Enjoy!

Nutrition Philosophy

As a Registered Dietitian, I find it *fun* to experiment with all sorts of recipes! I guess I would call myself a Flexitarian, picking many vegetarian recipes (not necessarily vegan), but also not turning down meat all the time.

If I am going to someone's house, and they are serving meat, I would feel rude to refuse it. Plus, if my grandma is making her delicious beef and noodles, I won't turn it down! Plus, I don't believe meat is bad (I really love the taste of a good steak!). I just know it is healthier to *focus* on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans/legumes and the like; then, if a little meat is there...GOOD! :-)

As a side note, I do try other *special* recipes for people with celiac disease (gluten free), food allergies, diabetes, and so on. I feel it is my responsibility to be aware of those things, so I can tell a patient what is good tasting. In my experience, that makes them more likely to give my advice a try and be happier about it!

For nutrition, I try to have a well-balanced approach. Because of that, I feel that the information and education I provide is well-received to those who are willing to listen (patients, clients, friends and family).

Fitness Philosophy

Since November 2009, I have been consistently tracking my daily food intake and physical activity on a free website called NutriMirror (NM). You can find it at www.nutrimirror.com (go check it out!). NM is an awesome tool because you can track your eating and exercise habits, and it adjusts your daily Calorie level based on your input for each of those things. It also tracks your daily totals for fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. You can set up a profile with pictures, goals, etc. I have done part of that already but when it asked about my goals, I realized I should post this here instead.

In general, I am a perfectionist and a rule follower, so I sometimes have viewed goals like rules (feeling guilty when I fall short). In college especially, I struggled to exercise consistently because of pressure I put on myself to perform well in school...I would do something overboard and then not exercise the rest of the week. It felt like exercise was adding to whatever stressful event (work, school, etc) I had going on. Sure, I was studying nutrition concepts in school, but exercise, the other part of the equation, was difficult for me. I can also be a stress eater so my weight varied quite a bit because of this double whammy. I was overweight, but I didn't think I was unhealthy. However, using NM and focusing much more on "being green" has really helped me to feel and look my best!

Of course, it has been said something to the effect, "If you want what you've never had, you have to do what you've never done." Around October of 2008, I also found a quote by another health professional, saying in effect, the choices you make today will affect your health ten years from now. I decided that 10 years from that point, I didn't want to wake up still dealing with the same old mountain (lack of exercise, stress eating, clothes not fitting right, etc). I started setting small goals for the week and for the month, based on what I thought I could do. If I didn’t reach the goal I needed to change it. Likewise, if I didn’t like the goal or met it too easily, I needed to change it when the specific timeframe was up. I just really wanted to exercise consistently and see what resulted!

When it comes to goals, it is important to make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). So in the spirit of consistency, I now have one broad goal...just do something everyday! Mainly, I make this goal SMART by using my treadmill; its tracking system has really helped. This year my goal is to walk 2 miles a day minimum (730 miles/year). It doesn't sound like much, but it is consistently adding up (versus doing say 6 or 10 miles in one day, and then skipping the rest of the week!).

Sometimes, I do take a break (life happens, or I just physically need it), so then the next day or so, I will just add those 2 miles to the next workout. I prevent boredom by listening to music, reading magazines, daydreaming, talking on the phone, etc. I often go past 2 miles, but the minimum goal is for those days when I just can't keep going. It really has helped me to relax and accept "good enough" days.

Having a minimum goal of 2 miles, at first felt like a big goal (a long time on my treadmill). Before this year started, I had actually take time to slowly work up to it. Originally the goal had been 10 minutes on my treadmill (it was new), knowing that I would do more. Now, I almost always walk or run the distance in under 30 minutes (again, my goal is consistency, not speed or distance ultimately). The only time I don't is if I am talking on the phone or reading something really interesting (hard to concentrate!).

I really like this goal because it is simple, but not necessarily effortless. As you can imagine, if I skip even two or three days, it really adds up! So, it is motivating to stay up with the mileage. Sometimes, I work ahead if I know something is coming up. In fact, because of our recent move, I did all my July miles in JUNE!! Hey, I didn't have much else to do with my husband already up in North Dakota, and knew I would be without my treadmill (I am a planner, for sure!). In July, I walked and ran several miles a day in the summer heat (thanks to my treadmill training, I ran the routes faster than I previously was able to do!).

While gym memberships can be helpful for some, I am a firm believer that you can work out in so many other ways and still be healthy. I now have much more energy and motivation to try other activities, besides walking and running. I am very creative in doing home gym types of things with small weights, a shiatsu ball, yoga, stretching, dynabands, calisthenics, kickboxing, etc.

The tracking system on NutriMirror has helped me see my progress with exercise and eating right. My weight has steadily decreased, though in a safe and healthy way. In fact, I have lost about 20# since signing up for NM, which makes a total of about 30# since October 2008 when I decided to make those personal lifestyle changes. I feel confident that I can stay healthy despite Life’s many changes. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years holds in store!

Long time...no recipe...

Okay! Well, if you check out the dates of my last postings, it has been several months since I was last on here. I actually forgot my email acct too! But, now I am up and running again. Just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been busy cooking or eating...

Let me catch you up to date on what I have been doing. For starters, I have moved! Yes, I used to live in Central IL, and because of my husband's job relocation, I now reside in Southeastern North Dakota (how's that for a mouthful?!). So, we recently went through the whole moving process which included selling a home, building/buying a home, packing and unpacking.

Now that we are getting settled in, I am starting to look for a job. I am not exactly sure what I would like to do as a Registered Dietitian, but I want to keep up my skills and continue speaking the 'lingo' so I can jump back into it soon. In some ways, I would like to 'do my own thing' which is why I am reinstating this blog, to get my mind flowing in that direction. So without further stalling, here goes!