It's getting coooollldddd outside and I've brought out my fall coats. And my rain boots. Those seem to be getting the most mileage but it has yet to REALLY rain. Instead it's just....misting, sprinkling and in general doing things that my hair does not appreciate at all. Accordingly, my hats are getting a lot of mileage too!
Now that summer is over all I want is hot, warm, preferrably creamy foods. I think it's going to be a soup-heavy season =) I'm starting on Monday with my cauliflower soupee (yes that's right, it's somewhere in between a soup and a puree, being too thick to be a soup and too thin to be a true puree).
Now that summer is over all I want is hot, warm, preferrably creamy foods. I think it's going to be a soup-heavy season =) I'm starting on Monday with my cauliflower soupee (yes that's right, it's somewhere in between a soup and a puree, being too thick to be a soup and too thin to be a true puree).
Ingredients
1/2 lb cauliflower (this was bought pre-chopped, making it too expensive!)
1 serving fat free cheddar cheese
1/2 serving Egg Beaters Egg Whites
1/3 or so cup skim milk
S+P+cumin
Damage: 200 cals for this HUGE bowl of soupee. It took so long to eat I had to stop midway and reheat! =)
Directions
1. Steam cauliflower (you can do this on the stove or in the microwave)
2. Toss remaining ingredients into blender and voila! (The egg whites will "cook" because of the heat of the cauliflower and the cheese will melt)
3. Serve with a piece of heavily toasted bread for dipping.
1/2 lb cauliflower (this was bought pre-chopped, making it too expensive!)
1 serving fat free cheddar cheese
1/2 serving Egg Beaters Egg Whites
1/3 or so cup skim milk
S+P+cumin
Damage: 200 cals for this HUGE bowl of soupee. It took so long to eat I had to stop midway and reheat! =)
Directions
1. Steam cauliflower (you can do this on the stove or in the microwave)
2. Toss remaining ingredients into blender and voila! (The egg whites will "cook" because of the heat of the cauliflower and the cheese will melt)
3. Serve with a piece of heavily toasted bread for dipping.
Then, since I had to buy lunch on Monday (and spent way too much money on it!) I decided I needed to come up with stuff to eat for week. Not wanting to shop or even really cook I took a look in my pantry and remembered this:
Near East Falafel Mix: just add water for easy falafel!
The box says that 1/5 of the package of dry mix is 100 cals. It also says that once you add water and wait 10 minutes you should fashion 10 falafel balls and deep fry them. Obviously not my style. I added a few good squirts of lemon juice and fashioned 13 falafel pucks (as my friends have called them) and baked them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes on one side, flipped them and baked another 10 minutes on the other side.
Near East Falafel Mix: just add water for easy falafel!
The box says that 1/5 of the package of dry mix is 100 cals. It also says that once you add water and wait 10 minutes you should fashion 10 falafel balls and deep fry them. Obviously not my style. I added a few good squirts of lemon juice and fashioned 13 falafel pucks (as my friends have called them) and baked them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes on one side, flipped them and baked another 10 minutes on the other side.
They come out looking like this, each "puck" being about 40 cals and being about the size of a flattened clementine (seriously I could NOT come up with a good analogy here!)
I've been taking them to work as a salad: 5 baby carrots, chopped, 1/3 of a seedless cucumber, chopped, bed of greens and 4 falafel pucks. I also crumbled 5 saltine crackers on top.
I've been taking them to work as a salad: 5 baby carrots, chopped, 1/3 of a seedless cucumber, chopped, bed of greens and 4 falafel pucks. I also crumbled 5 saltine crackers on top.
The dressing is actually about 1/4-1/3 cup of my Cucumber/Cilantro/Yogurt Dressing that I whipped up on Sunday night to go with the baked/grilled salmon. (That'll be posted next)
Here's a good closeup of the falafel. You can't undercook these, they'll just be mushy. But being entirely vegetarian, you wont be risking your health here!
This huge salad, WITH the crackers was about 300 calories. Before I ate it I crumbled the falfel with my fork and tossed in the dressing.
Here's a good closeup of the falafel. You can't undercook these, they'll just be mushy. But being entirely vegetarian, you wont be risking your health here!
This huge salad, WITH the crackers was about 300 calories. Before I ate it I crumbled the falfel with my fork and tossed in the dressing.
I had gotten home around 7 on that Monday and after eating my soupee, Boyfriend went to bed and I had very little to really do while the falafel baked. Yes, I could have cleaned/tidied but....eh.
I decided to continue to utilize the boxes of mix in my pantry and made pumpkin bread. The package said to add 1 egg, 1/3 cup oil and 3/4 cup water. So I changed that around and used 1 serving Liquid Egg Whites and 1/4 cup Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt AND 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree.
I decided to continue to utilize the boxes of mix in my pantry and made pumpkin bread. The package said to add 1 egg, 1/3 cup oil and 3/4 cup water. So I changed that around and used 1 serving Liquid Egg Whites and 1/4 cup Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt AND 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree.
The result was a slightly too-doughy bread that came out at about 140 calories per slice (not TOO terrible) but tasted a little underdone.
Interestingly, it aged well! Two days of refrigeration later and the bread is actually quite tasty.
Interestingly, it aged well! Two days of refrigeration later and the bread is actually quite tasty.
I've been taking it for breakfast, toasted, cut in half and schmeared with some PB like a little sandwich. And like a sandwhich I ate it open faced =)
THREE days later and I found I didn't even need to toast it! I had a half-piece this morning with no PB, no toasting and no regrets!
Sweet!
Next up: Review of last night's Wine and Cheese evening with my very-soon-to-be-married friend Nurse Z (who many moons ago introduced me to cauliflower pizza crust!)
What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?
Until then, Happy Halloween! =)
What are you going to be?
THREE days later and I found I didn't even need to toast it! I had a half-piece this morning with no PB, no toasting and no regrets!
Sweet!
Next up: Review of last night's Wine and Cheese evening with my very-soon-to-be-married friend Nurse Z (who many moons ago introduced me to cauliflower pizza crust!)
What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?
Until then, Happy Halloween! =)
What are you going to be?
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