Just for the Halibut! Not tonight honey..I have a Halibut...
I couldn't resist the above jokes although I'm sure they are much better with an illustration, especially the second one!
I cooked this Halibut using my favorite method - just parchment paper and a cast iron skillet. The Halibut comes out flaky and moist and is terrific with the mango salsa and a side of spinach. Very, very easy to make and perfectly light for a hot summer day. Enjoy!
Mango Salsa
1 Cup chopped pineapple
1 Cup chopped mango
1 Cup chopped red onion
1 Cup chopped grape tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
1 Jalapeno pepper - chopped
1-2 Tbsp hot sauce like tabasco
1 lemon (Slices for the top of the Halibut and the rest for the spinach)
Using my favorite pastry dough recipe (the same used in the apple tart) this free form fruit tart has become another staple of mine. Very easy to make and the combination of fruits are endless. This is another cheat day recipe so no calories calculated! I must say I often enjoy making the cheat day foods more than the 300 calorie meals, perhaps that's why I'm stalled in my weight loss!
Ingredients
Pastry Dough:
2 C flour
2 pinches of salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1 grated lemon rind
3-6 Tbsp. ice water
Additional:
1 Tbsp. sugar for sprinkling on dough
Pastry Filling:
1 Pound nectarines
1 Cup fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp. sugar (on fruit)
1Tbsp. vanilla extract
This was one of the first videos we ever shot and we are finally releasing it. I was trying not to post yet another cheat day! This is a very simple and easy recipe of sauteed chicken breast with lemon juice and capers, string beans and quinoa. I have finally documented that 1/4 cup of dry quinoa cooked provides about two servings - making the addition of this seed (yes it's a seed, not a grain) only about 85 calories per serving in addition to it's other rich nutrients.
Ingredients
Chicken Breasts (serving size 4oz)
Green Beans (serving size 3.5oz)
1/4 C dry Quinoa (cooked = 2 servings)
Capers (serving size about 1Tbsp)
This is the most delicious Oatmeal Cookie you will ever make or eat!
Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa" fame called and asked me if there was any way to improve upon her Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookie recipe. Of course I told Ina that her cookies were fabulous... but I did mention to her the addition of chocolate chips, more vanilla extract and a liberal sprinkling of kosher salt on top before baking them would really take them over the top. (Ina didn't really call me, but if she had I would have told her about my additions!)
The sprinkling of kosher salt on top of these cookies is a must! We all know how popular the salty/sweet combination is now - and this is fantastic.
I got the idea for the salt from cookies I used to buy on Martha's Vineyard called Kayak Cookies - cookies made by a woman who summered on Cape Cod and made them available in the region. She made these big fat oatmeal cookies with salt on top for her long kayaking trips and started producing them commercially.
This is clearly a cheat day recipe and I didn't calculate the calorie count but they are probably around 200. To me, it's a home made cookie and while it does contain sugar - it's much healthier than anything you can buy in the grocery store with a hundred ingredients - most of which you cannot even pronounce. You can use whole wheat flour in this recipe if you like. For the show I used 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat because I wanted to use up a small bag of flour I had.
At the end of the show I froze the left over batter in a plastic container, which is fine. However, I failed to mention that I often scoop out the cookies on a sheet and freeze them with the salt on top. Once frozen I place the cookies in a ziplock bag and store them for months. When I want some fresh cookies, I place them on a cookie sheet, let them thaw for about 20 minutes and cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pecans (or walnuts) roasted in the oven or a pan until toasted - about 5 minutes or so
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or wheat flour or a combination of the two
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling on top of cookies)
3 cups old-fahioned oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 1/2 cups raisins (you can use golden yellow if you like)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (10oz - 1 bag)
My first veggie burger! I'm sure there are tons of recipes out there but this was my first attempt and I loved it. The base for the burger is black beans, quiona and steel rolled oats. You could add almost anything additional you wan to the base of the burger. Just know that you may need to alter some liquids if it get's too dry or vice versa. Liquid smoke is awesome and it's the first time I have ever used it and as you would guess, it adds an amazing smoky flavor. You can find liquid smoke almost anywhere now, usually by the tobassco sauce. Next time I'm going to saute mushrooms into the base recipe. Enjoy!
This is a quick desert using my favorite greek yogurt that really satisfies your taste buds. It has creaminess, sweetness, pineapple and chocolate chips for crunch. While making this video I forgot to add fresh vanilla bean which I usually keep in the panty, so if you want a nice hint of vanilla - scrape some in.
Remember to buy local raw honey, I believe it really helps control your allergies.
I found most of this recipe from a chef named Sean Brock who owns two restaurants in Charleston SC, Husk and Mc Crady's. Instead of using the usual Arborio Rice for risotto, he uses steel cut oats. What I love about this recipe is how much better I feel the next day, rice like pasta makes me feel heavy and takes a while to work through my system but the oats ... well they just keep on moving!
1 quart chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 leek
3 large cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups steel -cut oats
1 cup frozen petite peas
8oz button mushrooms
1/2 cup pecorino romano
I love, love meatloaf and I'm never giving it up! The great thing about meatloaf is once you reduce the fat in the meat you choose, you can greatly reduce the calories. I like to use 90/10 grass fed bison but you can use grass fed ground beef too and 10% fat is plenty to give you flavor no matter which type of meat you choose. If you haven't tried bison yet, you should - some people say bison tastes like beef did back in the 50's. This meal includes roasted brussels sprouts in a cast iron skillet and yam with orange zest - yum!
I honestly don't know why I stopped making stuffed peppers, I always loved them as a kid. But when I went to make them from my memory, I was a little surprised at the calorie count. Of course most of those calories came from the rice, so I replaced the rice with my new friend the Shirataki Noodle.
The new stuffed pepper recipe turned out to be delicious and I was able to bring the calorie count to a tad under 200 calories per pepper!
If your new to my videos, I have a soup and stir fry recipe I prepare with these noodles called Faux Pho Soup.
6 Bell Peppers (6oz each)
2- 8oz Packages of Tofu Shirataki Noodles (could probably get away with just one package but if the mixture does not stretch to 6 peppers you'l have to up the calorie count)
1 medium onion (about 1 cup)
16oz lean (99/1) ground turkey
3 cloves garlic
14.5oz diced tomatoes (1 1/4 cups)
3oz monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup reduced sugar ketchup
Parsley for garnish
Get Porked!
Sometimes I just don't feel like roasting a pork tenderloin in the usual way. So I love cutting the tenderloin into little pork medallions, like little filet mignons. I also found a great recipe for a very simple, chunky plum sauce that's easy to make and really dresses up the dish and adds some fiber to the meal. The asparagus in the dish is peeled, blanched and shocked in cold water to preserve the color. Enjoy! (307 Calories, Fat 6g, Carbs 32, Fiber 5, Pro 28, Weight Watchers 7 points)
PS: Looking at my body in the purple shirt has made me re-double my efforts to get to 160lbs!
Recipe Cook as much as you want of the port, potatoes and asparagus but the individual serving size is listed below - keep the leftovers for another day
1 Pork Tenderloin (3oz serving)
Fingerling Potatoes (3oz serving)
Asparagus (8 Asparagus or 4oz)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 cups fresh plums (1/4 cup serving)
2 1/2 tbsp diced shallots
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp butter
Towards the end of the winter I became obsessed with making broth - thinking I could sip my way into loosing 15 pounds! Well that didn't quite work out but a few good things did come from my obsession. The best was the discovery of the Japanese Shirataki noodle made from the Elephant or Konjac yam. They are made of almost pure soluble fiber and have no calories and no carbohydrates. The noodles don't have any nutrition either, so you need to add vegetables and protein to make a complete meal.
Although Shirataki noodles can be found dry (I have yet to find them) I have been buying the "wet" form in several grocery stores around Chicago - not just specialty stores. The usually have a shelf life of up to one year. You'll want to rinse them before using them as there is an unpleasant odor when you first open the package. You can par-boil them before using them to give them a more pasta like consistency or just drop them in your hot soup for a minute or two while still heating your soup on the stove.
I go back and forth between the traditional Shirataki noodles which are clear and the noodles mixed with Tofu. I think many of you will find the Tofu noodles closer to the taste and texture of pasta.
Why is it called Faux Pho? Well, I really took some short cuts on the broth. It takes more ingredients and a longer cooking time to produce the subtle complex flavors in a traditional Pho broth - maybe next time. Let's just say the soup is in the spirit of Pho!
This Apple Tart or Tarte aux Pommes is one of my favorites and you will love it! It's relatively easy to make. Once you master this dough you can use if for lots of different deserts. I like to use it for more rustic tarts where you just dump the fruit in the middle, fold up the sides and bake. It took me awhile to figure out the best way to slice these apples but finally after a few years I think I have finally figured it out!
Recipe:
Tart Crust (Pate Sucree)
2 cups flour
Pinch salt
1 tbsp. sugar
12 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. or less fresh nutmeg (optional)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
Filling
3-5 granny smith apples
1/4 cup sugar
Glaze
1/2 cup unsweetened apricot jam (find a jam that is sweetened with fruit juices - like St. Dalfour)
2 tbsp. Calvados (Apple Brandy) If you don't like the slightly liquor taste of Brandy you can thin the apricot jam 2 tbsp.w/water.
I lost my poor Meatball when somebody sneezed.....
This is a super easy Turkey Meatball recipe that will help you when your ravenous and you need to stick something in your mouth and you don't want it to be a cookie!
I usually keep a bowl of these meatballs in my refrigerator and pop one in my mouth when I walk in the door - it holds me over until I can prepare a meal.
At the end of the show (Part 2) I make a simple meatball sandwich for just over 300 calories.
Once I moved to Chicago I couldn't believe all the choices there were for pizza, especially deep dish. I love a good deep dish pizza but I must say I'm not a fan of many of the crusts that accompany them - they sometimes taste like unsweetened pastry crust, yuck!
So I came up with my own deep dish pizza that I could make in a cast iron skillet and cook on my pizza stone. It's delicious and relatively easy to make even with a fire in the middle of the preparation! And best of all a lot less calories then a slice of take out.
Fire in the Kitchen - Death of a pot holder! We pulled the fire scene out of the video and made it a blooper, so enjoy the fire and the rest of the videos that make up this fantastic dish.
Not really a cheat day dish but still higher in calories than my usual meals. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (1/6 of the pie is approximately 558 Calories, 35g Protein, 8g Fiber and 14 Weight Watchers Points - but one piece of this pie is a meal, you will be full!)
For Pizza Sauce 1 can (28oz) Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1 can (6oz) Tomato Paste
Pizza 1 12inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 6oz Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese 1 lb. Jenne O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage or other lean meat 3 Large Onions 3 Green Peppers 16oz Button Mushrooms 1 Ball of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes (sliced in half)
Eating egg whites is a great way to get lots of protein for minimal calories and without all the cholesterol. I make omelette's for breakfast lunch or dinner and at around 300 calories and 44 grams of protein, I'm filled up for hours. This is just one of the variations I do but there's nothing more satisfying than a fluffy egg white omelette with Spinach and Salsa on top and I love making the cheese crust in the bottom of the pan... Yum.
We had a fun time shooting this video trying to figure out our first shots at the stove and finally after several tapings of other shows.... I remembered to use that mini pineapple!
Below is a list of the ingredients and as usual, you'll need to watch the video for instructions. (298 Cals, 44 g Protein, 4.8 g Fat, 19 g Carbs, 6.4 g Fiber and 7 Points)
6 egg whites beaten
2oz cooked chicken breast
2 cups fresh spinach
1 small onion (2.5oz)
4 tbsp tomatilla salsa
1/2 oz part skim mozzarella
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Devil Wears Red Velvet
Why does traveling for business orpleasure always seem to derail the great progress you make eating healthy at home? Just when you get a good streak going it gets broken!Below is the picture of the red velvet cupcake (before I devoured it) that derailed me today while visiting my company's headquarters. Those friendly co- workers, who bake and fill candy jars can really increase your calorie count and sabotage your diet.
The website RealAge states that "What kills any regimen of healthy eating isn't the occasional slice of fudge cake or pizza; it's what happens after the initial indulgence...the harm isn't in the mistake; it's in not figuring out how to deal with it."
I think this statement couldn't be truer, if you fall off the wagon - don't give up and continue eating poorly, just make the next meal a good one.
Here are some tips that help me get through business travel without putting on too many pounds:
Drastically reduce your calorie intake, cut them by 25-50% if you can. Your body just doesn't seem to process your food as easily when you travel - I find a reduction in calories can help me feel better and my body doesn't seem to miss them
Work out every morning no matter how crappy the gym - at least get on a treadmill for 30 minutes
Drink a liquid protein shake for breakfast. You can find them everywhere now and the calories are usually under 250 with lots of protein to keep you filled up. If you can't do that, order an egg white omelette with vegetables, skip the toast there are plenty of calories to come
Eat the lightest lunch you can with protein- chicken, fish, meat and vegetables - save the inevitable wheel barrel full of calories coming when you take your client out for dinner and drinks
At dinner, order fish, order fish, order fish! You can usually order it prepared lightly and it's easier to digest then red meat and will make you feel better than pasta. It's probably late and you don't want to go to bed with a big full belly
Drink wine if you can, I find it doesn't make me as hungry as consuming hard liquor
Don't beat yourself up if you fail and eat crappy, tomorrow offers another chance to get it right
Do I follow these rules every time I travel? Heck no! Last week I had tiramisu at lunch, chicken marsala for dinner, more tiramisu for desert and a terrific straight up manhattan. But hey, I was going home the next day!
1/21/12 I'm not sure if a protein shake a day will keep the doctor away but a protein shake is a great way to kick off the morning. Here's the thing.. you wake up and no matter how poorly you might have eaten the day or night before, you always get a fresh start. Let's face it - if you mess up with breakfast it's doubtful you'll get back on track the rest of the day. Every other day I jump on the scale, record the number...hmmm, I'm either happy with the weight I'm at or I'm committed to losing a few more. Unfortunately, since the holidays it's been a tough haul! Today I was 174.6 pounds and want to get to 160. However, my short term goal over the next few weeks will be to at least drop below 170. Set little goals for yourself so you can have some successes. I have been making this tasty chocolate Protein Shake for almost two years now. It has 310 calories, 34 grams of protein, 40 carbs and 9 Weight Watchers Points. Enjoy! Off to make an Apple Tart for a dinner party tonight, I will try to control myself! I'll post the Apple Tart tomorrow.
Recipe: 1 Scoop Whey Tech Protein 3oz FAGE 0% Yogurt 1/2 Banana (3 inches or so) 1/4 Cup Blueberries 1 Tbsp. Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder 1 Tbs. Raw Honey Handful of Ice Cubes
A cold arctic morning in Chicago today - check out this picture taken from my living room. The ice has pushed itself against the Chicago waterfront. We had about 6 inches of snow yesterday.
Well here goes, it's time to start my blog - a companion to my cooking channel My Unexpected Guest. My name is John, I love to cook and entertain but also struggle to keep my weight in some kind of proportion to my height. I refuse to eat boring food and I'm not giving up cooking, so I'm constantly trying new recipes that are delicious but also keep the calories in check.
Two years ago I lost 50 pounds, going from 210 to 160.
Me at 210 Pounds
I did it by counting calories and taking in enough protein to keep my hunger away. This past year I went back up to 178 (yikes) after hosting too many holiday events! I really think it was the buche de noel I made that put me over the edge. Chocolate cake, mocha butter cream center and chocolate ganache - yum! But I'm working my way back down. (I have documented my buche experience in another post)
My blog and companion cooking show will document the recipes and tricks I've created to lose the pounds and for the most part keep them off - the buche de noel is not one of those tricks!
Me at 160 Pounds
Obviously not everything you see on my blog will be the healthiest or lowest in calorie (see pic of the buche) but I believe in cheat days and fattening things in moderation are not going to hurt you. I will always try and give you the calorie and protein count and even the weight watchers points for those of you in that very successful program.
Obviously not everything you see on my blog will be the healthiest or lowest in calorie (see pic of the buche) but I believe in cheat days and fattening things in moderation are not going to hurt you. I will always try and give you the calorie and protein count and even the weight watchers points for those of you in that very successful program.
The 2011 Christmas Buche De Noel
I started photographing my foods and writing samples for this blog just after Thanksgiving 2011, so forgive the chronological order and theme of some of my postings but I wanted to share them with you - they will catch up to real time shortly.
So this blog is for all you weight watching, enthusiastic cooks, hosts and hostesses out there that just don't understand the concept of buying prepared foods in a grocery store. I hope you'll enjoy following the antics of a slightly neurotic and funny guy just trying to make his way in the world.
Don't forget to visit My Unexpected Guest if you want to watch (and hopefully repeat) my food performances... Bon Appetite!
