Steak Salad (HFC)

When you think of a steak dinner, you usually think "SPLURGE."

Whether you are thinking it's a financial splurge or a calorie splurge, let's be honest, a steak dinner is usually eaten when you want to indulge. This is mostly because the stereotypical steak dinner is eaten at a fancy steakhouse, costs at least a C-note, and consists of steak, buttery sauce, and rich side dishes like creamed spinach and loaded baked potatoes. Though we justify the large bill and and calories because this type of steak dinner just TASTES. SO. GOOD.

But I asked myself, is there a way to have a delicious steak dinner without the guilt and huge price tag? The answer is YES! If you have a taste for a delicious steak but want to watch your calories, try this healthy, fast, and cheap (HFC) Steak Salad.

It's healthy because I use a lean cut of beef (flank steak has less than 10g of fat) and I don't add any oil or fat. I also eliminated the carbs in this meal and paired the steak with a delicious, colorful salad. Also this meal is done in 30 minutes; making it fast. Lastly, this recipe is cheap because flank steak is relatively inexpensive and so are the vegetables. (Plus you can use the leftover veggies in another dish, like an omelet!)

The only special tool you will need is a grill pan. They sell them relatively cheap and I think they are a "must have" kitchen tool for anyone looking to make healthy, fast, and cheap meals. The non-stick Calphalon is my favorite brand and you can check them out here.

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

1-1.5 lb flank steak

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Bag of Salad (I like mixed greens w/ carrots already in it)

Handful of Grape Tomatoes (halved)

1 small cucumber (sliced)

1/2 of small red bell pepper (diced)

1/4 cup red onion (diced)

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed in the microwave)

1 avocado (diced)

Low-Fat Salad Dressing of Your Choice

Note: These are the salad toppings I like and the ones I felt matched the Mexican flavor of the steak, but feel free to omit the salad toppings you do not like and add the ones that you do.

Directions:

Remove the flank steak from the fridge, unwrap it, and place on a large plate. Then, in a little bowl, add the seasonings (chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder) and mix to combine. Then, rub half the seasoning mixture into one side of the steak, flip the steak over and rub the rest of the seasoning into the other side. Make sure you wash your hands and set the steak aside to come to room temperature while you fix the salad and heat the pan.

In a large salad bowl, empty the bag of salad greens. Then, halve your grape tomatoes, slice your cucumber and dice your red onion and red bell pepper. Add all of these things to the salad bowl. Next put your frozen corn kernels in a microwavable safe bowl and heat on high for approx. 4 minutes or until thawed, drain and add them to the salad bowl. (I found that heating the kernels kept them crunchier than defrosting them. But feel free to use your preferred method)

Next, heat the grill pan over high heat to grill the steak (Now would be a good time to turn your stove fan on as well). You want the grill pan to be screaming hot so as soon as you begin to see smoke, that's when you can put the steak on. For a medium steak (warm pink center) cook for 7 minutes on the 1st side and 6 minutes on the second then let the steak rest under tin foil for another 6-10 minutes. (Letting the steak rest is VERY important! All of the juices will run out of the steak if you cut right into it)

To serve, toss the greens with all of the salad toppings and divide the salad among 4 plates. Then dice the avocado and divide among the 4 plates as well. Top the salad with your favorite (light) salad dressing. Then on a large cutting board, thinly slice the steak at an angle. Divide it

into 4 portions and put it over the salad or to the side (your choice). Enjoy!

Game Day Chicken Kabobs w/ Greek Yogurt Dip

If you're like me, you're watching your weight in the new year, so you may be looking for something to serve on Super Bowl Sunday that won't completely ruin your diet. This Chicken Kabob appetizer is perfect. It's made with low-fat chicken tenders and the base of the dip is Greek yogurt which has so many health benefits. It's the kind of dip you can pile on your plate and not feel guilty because it's actually good for you.

The chicken is also healthy but packed with flavor. You may notice that some of the spices for the chicken marinade are a bit exotic but using all of these ingredients is what makes this chicken so good. Though if you don't have them on hand or have time to pick them up, you could sub in 3 tablespoons of curry powder to replace the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon.

Either way I hope you give this a try! Your taste buds and waistline will thank you!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 lbs. Chicken Tenders

1 tablespoon Cumin

1 tablespoon Coriander

1 tablespoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Oregano (or Italian Seasoning)

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

2 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Coarse Black Pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt (low-fat or non-fat)

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

1 garlic clove

Juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken:

This chicken is best when marinated overnight but if you can't, I suggest making it at least 3-4 hours in advance. If you are using wooden skewers, you also want to soak them in water at least 3-4 hours in advance to prevent burning. Small skewers work best, but I used large and they were fine.

In a large bowl add the oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Use a whisk to mix the spices with the oil; it will become a thick paste. Add the chicken to the bowl and using a large spoon, thoroughly mix the chicken with spice mixture until all the chicken is covered. (You may be tempted to use your hands here, but tamarind will stain your nails! I learned the hard way.) Next, cover the bowl with saran wrap and marinate in the refrigerator.

About 20 minutes before you are ready to cook the chicken, take the bowl out the refrigerator to let the tenders come to room temperature. Then, thread each tender onto the top of a skewer. (see picture>>>)

Now you can cook these using a grill pan (preferred method) or broiler. Either way you want to make sure the broiler or the grill pan is preheated; broiler should be set to high and the grill pan should be on very high heat so that it's almost smoking. Then cook the tenders for 6 minutes on 1 side and 5 minutes on the other side. You can serve immediately with the Greek Yogurt Dip, but these kabobs are tasty even at room temperature.

For the Greek Yogurt Dip:

Just like the chicken, this dip gets better the longer it sits, so feel free to make it as early as a day in advanced.

In a small bowl, add the yogurt, chopped mint, and lemon juice. Using a Microplane, grate in one clove of garlic and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with the chicken.

Game Day Guacamole

I decided to make guacamole because avocados have alot of great health benefits. After I posted a pic of my finished product, a few people requested my recipe. I figured I would just put it on the blog because guacamole is a must have on Super Bowl Sunday which is in 2 days! My "semi-homemade" version is full proof and ready in minutes.

Ingredients:

2 Ripe* Hass Avocados

1 Lime

1/4 cup Store Bought FRESH Salsa (in the refrigerator in the produce section)

Salt and Pepper

*A ripe avocado is dark green and soft to the touch when you squeeze it gently. If your avocados are bright green and hard, they will need 2-3 days to ripen by simply leaving them out on the kitchen counter.

Directions:

Grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit. (SEE PICTURES BELOW) Remove the seed by scooping it out with spoon or using a knife to cut into the seed and twisting it out. Then, using a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocado out into a small bowl. Roll the lime on the kitchen counter to release it's juices, cut the lime in half and squeeze all of the juice onto the avocados. Next, mash the avocado using the spoon until it is smooth (you can leave some chunks if you like). Lastly, add the salsa, salt and pepper to taste. Give it a final mix and serve immediately. If you cannot serve immediately you will need to keep adding lime juice to keep the guacamole from browning until you are ready to serve.

For even more flavor: Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro and/or grate in a small clove of garlic.

The Abs Diet

I started working out with a personal trainer in July and ever since, he has shown up three days a week to torture me physically. During the workout I whine, complain and make excuses but after each workout I always feel great. I know that even though the workouts are hard, they have had a great effect on me. I have been less stressed and most importantly my overall health has improved. Not to mention I am in much better shape. I went from barely making it through 10 minutes of cardio to being able to run 15 minutes on the treadmill. Go me!

But there is just one problem: my weight on the scale has not changed since July. I weighed in at 163 lbs. back then and the last time I weighed myself, I was still that same weight.

They say a sign of insanity is when you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Well clearly I have been acting crazy for months. I have been doing my 3 workouts but, at the same time, eating whatever I wanted and would be shocked when the scale wouldn't move. My main excuse for my eating is that I COOK healthy. I never fry foods, I cook lean meats and I always include vegetables in my dishes. But all of this healthy cooking and eating doesn't cover up the fast food I may eat a couple times a week or the wine and vodka cranberries I have on the weekends. It is quite clear to me that, now that I have my fitness routine set, I need to change the way I eat if I really want shed pounds.

When I told my trainer this he gave me The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. He actually gave me the book a few months ago, but this past weekend I actually sat down and read it because it just so happens that my belly is the part of my body I like the least. I don't know if it's hereditary or what but all of my weight goes to my middle and I feel like if I can shed the belly fat and maybe 10-15 pounds, this would be a body I would be proud to walk around in.

In an afternoon I read The Abs Diet cover to cover and I learned alot of useful information; most importantly I learned specific foods, he calls them "Powerfoods," that I should be eating to get rid of the belly fat. I also learned that the best way to burn belly fat is to boost metabolism by eating 6 times a day (3 meals and 3 snacks). Another thing that Zinczenko recommends to be successful is to plan your meals and snacks for 14 days in a row. This is what I spent most of yesterday doing; planning my meals and snacks that incorporated the "Powerfoods" as much as possible.

I decided to share this new endeavor on my blog because this diet is not only going to change how I cook but it's also going to change what I cook. I plan to be on this diet for a minimum of 8 weeks and the recipes I post will most likely be light dishes that incorporate the "Powerfoods." I also hope that posting the details of this process will help keep me on track and perhaps I can inspire you all to think critically about what you eat and maybe you will even try out some of the recipes I post.

Today marks Day 1 of my first 14 days. I have posted my stats below and a few new strategies I am using in the next 2 weeks to make sure the number on the scale moves.

Stats:

1/30/11

Weight: 159.6 lbs (1st thing in the morning, no food or drink)

Waist: 33"

Middle of Abs: 35"

Lower Abs: 36.5"

Strategies:

1. Eat 6 times a day (3 meals, 3 snacks) and try not to eat anything after 7:30pm.

2. Add 1 more day of exercise-3 with my trainer and 1 on my own

3. Cut waaaayyyyyy back on the booze-I am allowing myself 1 day a week to drink. This week it will be Superbowl Sunday.

4. Eat as many Powerfoods as possible. Here are the one's that are already in my 14 day meal plan:

• Green Tea:almost Daily
• Oatmeal: 4 days a week (I bought Better Oats organic raw oats w/ Flaxseeds)
• Berries: Put on top of my oatmeal and in smoothies
• Dairy: Yogurt as snack and in smoothies
• Almonds: almost daily
• Fish: Salmon for Dinner, Tuna on Salads for Lunch (The book says that if you eat fish for lunch, you will consume 11% less calories at dinner b/c fish keeps you fuller, longer.)

HFC Black Bean Soup w/ Smoked Turkey

If you read my last blog post you would know that in 2012 I am trying to create HFC recipes. HFC stands for Healthy, Fast, and Cheap. A lot of people feel like it’s hard to eat healthy on a budget because healthy food is expensive but I think we should have recipes on hand for healthy dishes that are affordable so that when we are pinching pennies, we don’t have any excuses to not feed our body right.

This black bean soup recipe is a great go-to dinner when you don’t want to break the bank and you want to be health conscious. When I priced the ingredients it came to $20.00 including tax, making it a mere $4-5 a serving.* To make it even better all of the ingredients are healthy. The main ingredient, black beans, is so good for you that they were named one of the 14 SuperFoods. This is because beans are high in fiber, lower cholesterol, fight heart disease, reduce obesity, lessen cancer risk, and relieve hypertension. Need I say more?

In addition to beans, this soup contains colorful peppers, celery, tomatoes, onions and garlic to help boost the health factor even more. It is because of this, that I thought that it would be ok to add a (somewhat) healthy protein: smoked turkey. I say somewhat because smoked turkey, though high in protein and low in calories, does have a lot of salt. Though I am mindful of this and I found other ways to cut the salt.

So I think I’ve given you every reason imaginable to make this dish but just in case you needed a couple more: it’s ready in under an hour AND it freezes well. PLUS I have variations for vegetarians and spicy food lovers.** Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 4-5 servings):

3 Cans Black Beans

1 Container of Chicken Stock

2 Smoked Turkey Legs (Approx 1 lb.)

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (veg. oil works too)

1 Red Pepper (I used half of a red and half a orange for extra color)

3 Ribs of Celery

1 Onion

3-4 Cloves of Garlic

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1 Bay Leaf

1 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

2 tbsp Cumin

1 tsp Coriander

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Sour Cream (for garnish)

Scallions (for garnish)

Lime (for garnish)

Directions:

Before you begin to cook the soup you must prep the smoked turkey and the black beans. First, place the smoked turkey legs in a small pot and add the container of stock. (Leftover stock can be refrigerated to make rice or use in another soup recipe) Put the pot on low/medium heat to simmer while you prepare the soup. Boiling the turkey legs will flavor the stock and it will be helpful when you remove the meat later.

To prep the black beans, use a colander to drain and rinse 1 CAN of beans. Then, using a mini food processor, puree the can of beans and set aside. If you don’t have a mini chopper, use a fork to mask them up. Next, using the same colander, rinse and drain the other 2 cans of black beans but leave those beans whole and set them aside as well. It is important to rinse the beans because it will rinse away a lot of unnecessary salt.

Now you can begin to cook the soup. In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium/high heat. While the oil is heating dice the pepper and celery and add them to the pot. Then dice the onion, mince the garlic cloves, add those to the pot and give everything a good stir. Throw in the bay leaf, a pinch of cayenne and salt and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Next, add the can of tomatoes, the whole black beans and the pureed/mashed black beans as well. Add the cumin and coriander and give everything a big stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium/low.

Remove the small pot containing the stock and turkey legs from the heat. Using tongs, pull the turkey legs from the stock and lay them on your cutting board to cool. Then, add the stock to the soup, stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the soup to simmer on medium/low heat for about 15 minutes while you remove the meat from the turkey legs. First you must let the legs cool slightly, and then I use tongs to help remove the skin and pull the meat from the bone. Once the meat has been pulled from the bone, I give it a rough chop and stir it into the soup.

Now the soup is finished and it can be served immediately. Top with scallions, sour cream and lime to squeeze over soup right before eating.

**If you like spicy foods you can add a jalapeño or red pepper flakes to the rest of the veggies, or just finish with hot sauce. If you are a vegetarian, use vegetable stock and leave out the smoked turkey.

*The price of this recipe was calculated with the assumption that you have oil and the seasonings on hand. It also does not include the price of the garnishes so the cost may increase if you have to purchase any of these items. Though a lot of the ingredients can be used again in other recipes.

Prices

Bag of Yellow Onions 2.99

1 Red Bell Pepper 1.50

Bag of Celery 2.50

1 Head of Garlic .59

Smoked Turkey Legs 4.00

Container of Organic Chicken Stock 2.99

3 cans Black Beans 1.25 x 3 = 3.75

Can Diced Tomatoes 1.50

$19.82 X .008 tax= $19.98 round to $20

Gift Ideas for the Foodie in Your Life

A few people have asked me recently what gift they should get the foodie in their life. I think I have become an expert on this because I cook and bake all the time and, thanks mostly to my roommate, my kitchen is pretty much stocked. Therefore, I know what is fun and practical to have in the kitchen. So here are a few ideas for gifts that will be worth the money (no matter your price point) because they will be appreciated AND USED by any foodie you know.

High Price Point:

Keurig Coffee Maker

(Yes they are expensive, but people buy them for a reason. Fast, no filters, no coffee grounds everywhere, and it's versatile. Coffee, tea, coco all in one machine.)

Shun Knives

(If someone on your list has asked for "chef quality" or just "good knives" this is the way to go. Shun, the Japanese knives endorsed by Alton Brown and Guy Fierri, are what I use and they are the real deal.)

A LeCreuset "French Oven"

(My Dad calls these "the Cadillac of pots" so again if someone wants "chef quality" or "good pots" and you want to REALLY impress them, LeCreuset is where it's at.)

Moderate Price Point:

Calphalon Nonstick Grill Pan

(My fav item in the kitchen year round. Don't forget the tongs!)

Collapsible Colander and Mixing Cups

(For your foodie tight on space. Get the colander here and get the mixing cups here or in the Williams Sonoma Store. When I lived in NYC and had little to no drawer and cabinet space, these things saved my life!)

A Personalized Apron

(A guy on facebook asked if giving a woman an apron is sexist. Well a guy gave me an apron w/ my name on it and he scored extra points with me. So my answer to his question was NOPE! As long as it's special.)

Collection of Exotic Spices

(Go to your fav specialty foods store and buy bottles of good quality: cumin, chili powder, paprika, Herbs de Provence, and saffron. Put them all in a pretty gift bag. FYI I put this in the moderate price point because at approx. $10 each, this can get pricy but a great gift nonetheless)

Low Price Point:

Bottle of Good Quality Extra Virgin or Infused Olive Oil

(A true cook can never have enough. Get it from a specialty foods store and put it in a christmas wine bag)

A Microplane Grater

(A must for any kitchen. Good for new foodies b/c old foodies probably already have one)

Gift Card to Williams Sonoma, Trader Joes or Whole Foods

($10-$25 denominations will be appreciated TRUST ME)

Bottle of Wine

(For Red I recommend: Beaujolais Nouveau, the quintessential Christmas Wine. For White I Recommend: Relax Riesling, the most widely available, best tasting, twist off white wine your $10 can buy)

Dry Ingredients for Cookies

(Stay tuned for my next blog post where I will show you how I layer all the dry ingredients for cookies in jars and give them as gifts. All the receiver has to do is add the wet ingredients in a bowl, mix and bake. It's a cheap gift that everyone loves!)

Do you have to have money to eat healthy?

Several weeks ago, I got into a friendly debate on twitter surrounding this question: Do you have to have money to eat healthy? I say yes and no. Yes, you have to have some money, but do you have to be rich to eat healthy? Absolutely not! Now, I base this response off of my own experience. I am a full time teacher, making a modest salary so I can't afford organic groceries from Whole Foods on a regular basis but I do budget about $200 a month for groceries and have been able to maintain a pretty healthy diet with that. I utilize sales at my local supermarket and I also utilize the everyday affordable prices at Trader Joes, my favorite store ever. Because of my thriftyness when it comes to groceries, most of my meals are homemade (or semi-homemade), never fried, with plenty of vegetables and healthy proteins. So when I saw a discussion about money being linked to healthy eating, I chimed in sharing my view that it is possible to eat healthy on a budget.

However, a good friend of mine disagreed. She told me that she was unemployed and consequently broke, so she had almost no budget for groceries. She confessed that her budget could be as low as $2 a meal so she was reduced to eating things like ramen noodles just to survive. Now, I like ramen noodles just as much as the next person. But to know that ramen noodles is a staple in my friend's diet is just is too much for me to bear. The sodium alone is off the charts, not to mention it has absolutely no nutritional value.

After learning this information, I began to worry about my friend and she has been on my mind ever since. And this question: "Do you have to have money to eat healthy?" was constantly popping up in my mind. Not to mention it's the start of a new year and with all of America trying to eat healthy, loose weight, and "get moving," I wonder is money really the main factor keeping some people from getting on board. Are we too broke and is healthy food too expensive? Or are we lazy and/or lacking the will power to give up our big macs and fried foods? OR do we just not have enough options for dishes that are both healthy and affordable? Well, I think it's the latter and at the end of our debate my friend told me that although she was pretty firm in her belief that you needed money to eat healthy, she would entertain any ideas and/or tips that proved the opposite.

So my resolution for the new year is to give her, and anyone else who is interested, some cheap, healthy dishes that would help maintain a nutritious, balanced diet. I also decided that, besides being cheap and healthy, these dishes should be quick to make and any leftovers should freeze well. These two factors are important because the friend, whose name will be revealed shortly, also has some health issues which is something that we have in common. I have been battling Crohn's Disease for the past 5 years, and she has a similar disorder, so I know first hand that when you are having a flare up, you don't feel like cooking but yet you have to eat. And you want what you do eat to be delicious, comforting, and be full of fiber and nutrients to boost your energy and (lets be honest) move your bowls. Therefore, I think it would be great to have leftover dishes in the freezer so that when we are not feeling well, healthy, comforting food is just a few microwave minutes away as opposed to making ramen or ordering take-out that we can't really afford and shouldn't be eating anyway.

So stay tuned to this blog for a few recipes that I call HFC: Healthy, Fast, and Cheap. Healthy to keep us looking and feeling our best, fast so that we have no excuses, and cheap to help us all through this recession. First up, I've got Avier's (Stop Eating Ramen Noodles) HFC Chicken and Vegetable Soup and my HFC Black Bean Soup.

I also will be posting some tips that will be useful to any cook whose on a budget and/or trying to eat healthy. They're just a few things that I learned while trying to create these Healthy, Fast, and Cheap meals. It definitely wasn't an easy undertaking but perhaps if I teach you what I know now about thrifty grocery shopping, it will be easier for you to be successful.

Lastly, while you all are waiting on my posts, I would love to hear what you think about the subject. Do you think you have to have money to eat healthy? Do you think that healthy is synonomous with wealthy? What are your experiences with grocery shopping on a budget? Your stories and opinions will not only help influence by blog posts, but also the cookbook I am writing. Can't wait to hear from you!