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!

Citrus Flavored Cheesecake

When I was testing the recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake, I made about a million plain cheesecakes. Once I finally felt like I nailed it, I decided to start testing different versions of the cheesecake to get some variety. This one was the first one I tried, and it got rave reviews at two different parties. What makes this cheesecake special is the orange zest and Grand Marnier, an orange liquor, which gives it a fresh and festive flavor. I personally think the orange is perfect for the holidays but if you are more of a lemon fan, you could substitute lemon zest and Limoncello for a different citrus flavor.

Now this recipe is super easy and almost full-proof but there are two things that you must do to ensure success. Tip #1: Make sure ALL the ingredients are at room temperature. When all the components are soft and at the same temperature, they combine so much easier in your mixer and the end result is smooth and velvety as opposed to lumpy. Tip #2: This cheesecake has to refrigerate for at least 6 hours, so plan accordingly. I always make it the night before I want to serve it and let it refrigerate overnight.

I served this cheesecake with mixed berries that I sprinkled with sugar and a spoon full of the Grand Marnier, but the cake is so rich and delicious that it can be enjoyed by itself too. Happy Holidays!

Cheesecake Crust:

25-30 Graham Cracker Squares

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3 yolks, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• • 20 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tbs. Grand Marnier
  • Zest of 1 orange

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind graham crackers and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until moist; the mixture should look like wet sand. Then press it into the bottom of a spring form pan and bake for 20 minutes. Set it on the stove to cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

To make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. In a medium sized bowl whisk together your liquid ingredients: vanilla, eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream and set aside. Then, using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the sour cream for 1 min. Then, add the cream cheese, a few chunks at a time and mix until combined and smooth. Next, add the sugar and mix until well combined (about 2 minutes). Now it is time to pour in the liquid ingredients a little at a time; pour in a little, let mix until combined and then pour in some more. Once everything has blended, stop the mixer and add the orange zest and Grand Marnier. Turn the mixer back on for about 30 seconds or so, to let that citrus flavor incorporate. Then, pour the batter into the spring form pan on top of the graham cracker crust. Place pan into a large roasting pan and pour hot water around it. (See picture below. I usually use an entire tea kettle full of hot water). Put the cheesecake into the 275 degree oven and let it bake for 90 minutes. Now ovens are different so what you are looking for is the cheesecake to not giggle at all when you gently shake the pan. If it giggles in the center let bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Once it's done, refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Then slice and enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

It's officially fall! For some, this time of year represents impending doom; the hint that winter is on it's way. But for me, fall is my favorite time of year. The temperature changes from hot to cool, you've got football, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Fall to me is always the season for family, fun, and of course FOOD!

And there is no food that is more enjoyable in the fall than a hearty, hot bowl of soup. Now, let me be clear, I can make and eat soup year round. But it's during the fall and winter that simmering a big pot of soup all day and having your house smell amazing feels the most comforting. Well, this soup recipe will do the trick, but it does not take all day. In fact, it can be made in under 30 minutes so it's a perfect weeknight meal when you are in the mood for warm soup. Enjoy!

1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large handful of shredded carrots or 2-3 carrots, cleaned and chopped

Salt & Pepper

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1-2 handfuls of frozen peas

1 pkg. (9oz.) cheese filled tortellini (I used Buitoni Three Cheese)

chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over med. to high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic, followed by the carrots.  Add salt and pepper to taste and sauté for another 5 minutes or until carrots are soft.  Next, pour in the two containers of stock and bring to a boil. Add tortellini, peas, check the seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Boil for approximately 5 more minutes or until all the tortellini are floating at the top.  Turn off heat, stir and ladle into bowls. Top with a couple pinches of flat leaf parsley.

THE ULTIMATE Red Velvet Cheesecake

Yes, the rumors are true! I have mastered the infamous Red Velvet Cheesecake. Inspired by The Cheesecake Factory but created with my own personal flair, my version of Red Velvet Cheesecake is rich and sweet perfection. It is a layer of plain cheesecake topped with a layer of red velvet cake and finished with white chocolate cream cheese frosting.

It is a vision to see but the pictures will never live up to the taste. So until you can taste it, here are my best pictures to showcase one of the best things I have created in the kitchen. And from the pictures you can get a pretty good idea of how I make it.

Oh and I am sure Tyler Florence has copyrighted "the ultimate" title. But I have to borrow it for this. If there was any cake that deserved to be the "the ultimate" cake to me, it's this one!