Cold enough for soup again!

Because it was literally almost freezing when I got up this morning, I decided it is still soup weather...and it would be so nice to come home to a bowl of hot soup!

I found in my cabinet a mix that I'd picked up somewhere (wish I could remember where!)--Antonio's Tuscan White Bean Entree. I chopped up a ham steak and added to the beans along with Antonio's secret seasoning blend (cornstarch, dehydrated potato flakes, garlic and onion powder, dried parsley) and 4 c. of water. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hrs. When I got home this afternoon, I added about 1/2 c. shredded carrots, 1 rib of celery (finely choppped), and a handful of chopped, fresh spinach...let it cook another 30 min.....grab a bowl and some hot cornbread and I'm ready for supper!

The good news? It's only 110 calories....well, without the cornbread it is! You could also add chicken or Italian sausage to this mix or even some frozen veggies.

I've got another slow cooker mix in the same brand--Signature Family Recipes--that is called Big John's Texas BBQ Beans. Since I have no idea where I bought these, I did find a place to buy them online...and you can too!
http://trinidadbenham.com/catalog/category.asp?category_id=109

More soup this week...

I'm trying out another new soup recipe this week--in honor of Natalie coming over to have supper with me on Monday.

Ground Turkey Soup

Makes 12 servings (I'll cut this recipe in half--my slow cooker isn't big enough for the full recipe)
120 calories per serving

1 lb. fat-free ground turkey (If you are feeling really creative, you can make little meatballs by using some bread crumbs and one egg mixed with the turkey)
1 c. onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can navy beans or kidney beans, drained
1 c. carrots, sliced
1 c. celery, sliced
1/4 c. rice, uncooked
1 qt. low-sodium diced Italian tomatoes
2 c. green beans (I'll probably substitute zucchini)
1 t. parsley flakes
half a green bell pepper (not sure if the color really makes a difference--I've got a yellow one on hand, so will use it--and probably roast it)
1 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
3 c. water

Brown turkey in large skillet. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 8-9 hours. Remove the bay leaf after cooking. Can also add some shredded fresh spinach to the soup--serve after the spinach has wilted.

A new twist on three bean salad...

We've already had at least one day of 80+ weather and it's making me sweat just thinking about summer arriving! So I'm on the lookout for new recipes that I'll enjoy when the weather is warm...ok, HOT....ran across this which was featured on an MSN spotlight.

Three Bean Salad with Blue Cheese

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (I'll use basalmic vinegar)
1/4 cup top-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package frozen green beans, blanched and cut into thirds
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed (I'll probably use a can of wax beans...I don't really care for garbanzo, unless it is hummus!)
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can hearts of palm, sliced (if you like artichokes, you'll like these!)
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced (I'll probably use some green onion or a sweet onion--and not a whole one---just enough to give some flavor)
4 fresh mint leaves, cut into strips (I can pick my own from my little herb garden! But if I don't have any growing, it is something I can leave out)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (this might be optional--in other words, if you don't have it on hand)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (feta might be a good cheese to use also)
3 to 4 bacon slices, cooked until crunchy and sliced (you can substitute cubed ham or shredded chicken)

DIRECTIONS: In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar and oil. Whisk to dissolve the sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the green beans, chickpeas and kidney beans to the bowl with the vinegar. Add the hearts of palm, red onion and mint. Season again with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a serving platter.Sprinkle the top of the salad with lemon zest, cheese and bacon. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is a dish that travels well and holds up, so could take to church, school, or reunions as a side dish. If you want to add a bit of color to it, you could throw in some thinly sliced baby yellow squash and tiny tomatoes.

Still losing...

Despite a month of hobbling around with no pretense of any form of exercise, I'm still losing! Dr.Green said he was pleased with my results so far (and I did NOT have to talk to the nutritionist). I do have to go have labs done before the end of the year just to make sure I'm staying nutritionally healthy.

I really wanted to lose a total of 50 lbs. by Christmas, but I'll be happy to lose a total of 50 by early to mid-January. Just losing 3 more pounds means that I'll have less than 100 to lose!! (Doesn't that just seem like an enormous amount of weight to lose??) It will be amazing that I'll end up having lost weight that is equal to the weight of a healthy person.

I'm beginning to really tell a difference. I think my largest lapband scar has slid down about 2 inches! (I won't mention other things that seem to be headed south in a hurry!)

Last week I made a quick low-fat chili recipe that is yummmy!

Kim's Quick and Lean Chili

1 md. sweet onion
1-2 t. minced garlic
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. of 93/7 lean hamburger meat
1 can Ro-tel Chili Fixin's
1 can Ranch pinto beans with jalapenos
fresh cilantro, optional
1 can of water

Caramelize the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Remove and set aside when done. Cook hamburger meat until well browned. Add rest of ingredients and stir well. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve over low-fat tortilla chips and top with low-fat shredded cheese.

Put the soup on...

Soups are so much easier for me to eat....even though I get really hungry for some meat to chew on! They tend to be lower calorie, very tasty and filling--which is what I need.

Found this recipe in a recent issue of People Magazine. :

Bus Stop White Chili
(a recipe from Martina McBride)

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 14 ½ oz. cans chicken broth
1 ½ t. white pepper (or use black pepper)
1 t. garlic powder
3 T. olive oil
2 15 oz. cans great northern beans or navy beans
2 4 ½ oz. cans chopped green chilies
1 10 ½ oz. can cream of chicken soup
3 T. (or less) jalapeno pepper juice (this could be optional)
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
1 t. salt

[Notes: Buy the low-sodium, healthy request versions of the broth and soup. This recipe could also be cut in half.]

Put chicken in glass baking dish, pour in 1 can chicken broth, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for an hour. Remove chicken and reserve broth. Cut chicken into small pieces and season with pepper and garlic.

Saute chicken in oil in pot for 2-3 min. Add reserved broth and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 min.

To serve, cut 6-8 corn tortillas into ¼ in. strips. Place in serving bowls. Ladle chili on top. Garnish with sour cream and grated mozzarella cheese if desired.

[Another note: the tortillas can be cut in strips and put in the soup pot while it simmers. This serves as a good thickener.]

Damn scales!

Ok...I couldn't stand it any longer...I'm feeling noticeably less "round" today. My arms feel closer to my sides. There seems to be a lot of fat gone from just under the most prominent part of my chest. My abdomen feels smaller. My arms are smaller. My capris are looser and I felt excited all day about losing weight and making progress...I decided I just had to see how much more I'd lost....it felt like at least a few pounds, but not more than 5.....so I got on the scales just now and it says I've gained 1.5 lbs!!!! I think the scales lie...damn scales! ...and yes, I took my clothes off (except for undies)!

And I'd just finished making some of the guilt-free bean dip and the Mexican meatball soup. I'd just gotten everything out to make some Mediterranean tuna salad and checked to make sure I had everything to make the baked tilapia tomorrow.

And Kari had just sent me a new soup recipe to try that freezes well. Well, at least I can say I'm eating much healthier, feeling and sleeping much better, moving with much more energy, feeling much more alert (did I have fat in my brain, too??), and clearer looking skin....and can wear some of the clothes I was wearing 1-2 yrs. ago.

White Bean & Turkey Chipotle Chili

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 lg. onion, chopped
1 garlic clover, chopped
16 oz. fat-free chicken broth
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. chili powder, chipotle variety (this is something I might leave out)
15 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Spray skillet with cooking spray or use 1 T. olive oil. Cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until turkey is browned, about 10 minutes; drain off any fat.

Add turkey mixture and remaining ingredients to a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled. Hmmm...I might add a can of diced tomatoes to this.



Mediterranean Tuna Salad (85 calories--makes 2 1/2 c.)

2 6 oz. pouches albacore tuna
2 T. low-fat mayo
juice of 1 lemon, about 2 T.
2 T. drained and finely chopped roasted red peppers
10 Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped (I think I'm going to substitute capers or black olives)
2 T. finely chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Empty tuna into small bowl and mash with a fork until very finely flaked. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine, adding a little water or chicken broth to further moisten if necessary.

Food management...

Last week was not an easy week for me--trying to juggle food intake with a balance of rest while not feeling well and trying to work yet faced with long drives--ugh!

I felt guilty for not following the prescribed/suggested food list. I hardly had any protein shakes. Instead, I was living off half turkey sandwiches, string cheese, jello w/cottage cheese, V-8, soup, and wheat crackers....and one night I even had refried beans, rice, and chicken enchiladas! (I could only eat half...but man, was it delicious!) While none of that may sound like anything bad to you, and it really isn't--I was not overeating by any stretch of the imagination-- I just felt out of control...like I'll be the only lapbanded person who won't lose weight!

Yesterday I went to the book store in search of a recipe book geared specifically towards people who've had weight-loss surgery....and I found a great one that addresses everything! The recipes are practical and sound delicious. There is a Q & A section about life after surgery. Food stages are discussed and outlined. Proteins and carbs are explained in detail. Reviews are given for protein drinks and powders along with sources for purchasing them.

After skim reading parts and looking at the recipes, I ordered $150 worth of protein drinks, samples, powders, and bouillon. Then I made my grocery list to match the recipes....so I'm off to buy good things so I can spend the day cooking chicken stock, pinto bean dip, chicken salad, and whatever else sounds good!

Chicken Stock (makes 4 qts.)

1 whole chicken 2 1/2-3 lb.s
3 carrots, cut in half
3 celery stalks, cut in half
1 large onion, quartered
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper

Place ingredients in 8-10 qt. stockpot and fill with water to cover. Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer, skimming any foam off as necessary, for 3 1/2 - 4 hrs., until reduced by about one third. Transfer chicken to bowl and pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl or pot, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. (I'm saving the carrots and onions to put in a soup.) Cool the stock at room temperature. Cover and chill until the fat has solidified, at least overnight and up to 3 days. Scrape off and discard the fat. Can freeze in 1 c. portions for later use in soups.

Pinto Bean Dip (makes 2 c.)

1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 16 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4-3/4 c. chicken stock or broth
1/4 t. cumin
kosher salt and pepper
1 T. finely chopped cilantro
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned and very soft, about 6 min. Add the beans and mash with a potato masher (I put mine in the Magic Bullett) to make a coarse puree. Stir in enough broth to thin to a creamy consistency. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot. Add the cumin, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and cheese.

Italian Tomato Soup (makes 4 c.)

1 29 oz. can whole or diced tomatoes with juice
1 15 oz. can navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 t. dried basil
2 T. grated Parmesan
1/2 t. garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper

Place tomatoes, beans, basil, cheese and garlic powder in blender and puree until very smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 min., stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Of course, you don't have to puree this soup, but for people needing a softer consistency diet, pureeing it just makes it easier to go down.