For the love of dresses

I didn't have an aha moment. No epiphany during a winded moment on the stairs. There wasn't a sobbing moment of realization that 'I deserved better'. I just got fat and one day, I didn't want to be anymore. *Disclaimer - At the time of this writing, I'm still fat.

You see, I like dresses. I like to dress up. And when I dress up, I want to feel amazing. Like, really amazing. You know, when you get that walk like you're in the slow motion part of a music video and Beyonce is playing in your mind? Like that amazing. And for a long time, I was there. I was feeling myself. 

But recently, I haven't felt comfortable. There's nothing worse than being uncomfortable in your clothes. I could buy some new clothes, but guys, I have some fly-as-fuck dresses. If anyone 'deserves better' it's my damn dresses. That's right spring floral swing dress, I'm doing this for you. Because damn, girl. 

So what is happening to the blog, you ask? I'm going to share recipes and share a little bit about the changes to my lifestyle. I can tell you already, I'm hungry. I've been hungry for days. But it isn't a stomach-growling, hateful, kill-someone-for-a-cookie kind of hunger. It's more like a pushy, annoying little gnawing. I just pretend it's my stomach gurgling all that fat it's burning and that helps.

In true weight loss montage fashion, let's start with clearing out all the 'bad' foods from the kitchen. Turns out, our kitchen is chock full of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meat....WTF? With the exception of Oreo thins (because I'm human, damn it), we don't have a lot of processed food in our house. We love to cook and the fresher the ingredients the better. But upon closer inspection, portion control was the enemy. Too much of a good thing. 

We also found that some of our favorite 'light snacks' were super high in fat, salt, and served up ridiculous calorie counts. For example, we love these little whole grain breakfast biscuits. They're lovely with coffee and full of fiber. Turns out, they're also full of crap! While the ingredient list is not alarming, those tiny biscuits packed almost 300 calories in a serving. And we were having them daily as a mid-morning snack! So those are gone. 

Here's another perfect example; sausage and peppers. 

We use turkey sausage because we don't eat much pork or red meat in our house. So how could we have been going so wrong? Well, boys and girls, it turns out those turkey sausages still pack a whole mess of calories. 160 each, to be exact. So instead of eating three sausages, which is what I'm inclined to do because they are DELICIOUS, I opted for one and a half. I sautéed the peppers and onions on high heat with only a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to get that char I love so dearly. It was wonderful and I could have and would have eaten about twice as much. For now, this'll have to do. 

 

Sausage with Kale and Peppers

Kale is the amazing little veggie that could. Although it looks more like a lettuce, it is actually a form of cabbage. Like its relatives broccoli and brussel sprouts, kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C.

During World War II, the cultivation of kale was encouraged with the Dig for Victory Campaign. Victory Gardens, as they were called, were popular in the U.S., Britain, and Canada because of the lack of some foods due to rationing. The war efforts put a great deal of pressure on the public food supply, so Victory Gardens were a great alternative.

There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own food. Unfortunately, we haven't been growing anything in our little garden this summer. So I grabbed myself a big bunch of delicious kale at the market and whipped up a delicious garden fresh meal. This dish is so simple and really lets the flavor of the kale come through. Enjoy!

Sausage with Kale and Peppers

Ingredients

4 sausages (chicken or pork), sliced
1 pound fresh kale, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, julienned
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1/2 green pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow pepper, julienned
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until slightly transparent. Add sausage and saute until almost cooked through. Remove onions, peppers and sausage from pan.

In the same pan, add chicken broth and kale. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add sausage, peppers and onions and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.



Back with a bite: Stuffed Peppers with Cheddar Cilantro Sauce

After a short hiatus (and much needed vacation), we're back! So let's jump right in!

I love peppers; especially when they're stuffed with delicious fillings. Cultures all over the world utilize peppers in this way. In Italy, bell peppers are stuffed with tomatoes, basil and garlic. In Greece, pepperoncinis are packed with capers, fish and mint. And in Mexico, poblanos are stuffed with pork, adobo and chili sauce.

Taking some inspiration from these dishes, this recipe is a mish mash of awesome. It can be made with bell peppers or poblanos depending on your desired heat level. And topping it off with a creamy cheddar sauce just makes it THAT much better.

Stuffed Peppers with Cheddar Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

4 medium sized peppers
1/2 pound ground turkey (dark meat)

½ cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, diced

1 fresh jalapeno, minced with seeds (without seeds for less heat)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

½ tablespoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, finely shredded

Heat a griddle or grill on high heat. Cut the tops off the peppers, seed and core them, and place them open side down on the griddle. Pour about 4 tablespoons of water on the hot griddle every couple of minutes to add some steam to the cooking process.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and saute onion until slightly transparent. Add jalapeno, cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and ground turkey. Cook until browned and add red pepper.

In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat until bubbling slightly. Add flour and stir continuously until it forms a creamy paste. (This is also known as a roux.) Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add nutmeg and cheese while stirring and remove from heat once it has reached a thick consistency. Stir in fresh cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once peppers are fully grilled, stuff with ground turkey mixture. Serve with rice and pour cheese sauce over the peppers.



Stone Soup Chili

Every culture has their one pot magic dish. If you aren't familiar with the childrens tale "Stone Soup" I'll quickly fill you in. A young man claims to have a magic stone that makes broth. He puts it into a pot of boiling water and tricks people into adding things to the 'soup' until it becomes a hearty stew. And SHAZAM! You've got stone soup.

In America, our stone soup is chili. This American staple is a mish-mash of everything from beans to ketchup. Chili recipes across the country are as varied as the country itself. The recipe used for American expeditions in the 1800's consisted of dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt, which were pounded together and left to dry into bricks which could then be boiled in pots on the trail.

Nowadays chili is a full fledged industry. Cookoffs and cookbooks revolve around this once low class dish. To honor chili's rise to fame, (and because I promised a friend a vegetarian recipe) today's recipes are Stone Soup Chili and Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins.

You can certainly add ground meat to this recipe as I do from time to time. And every once in a while I throw all kinds of random veggies in there. It is pretty hard to mess up chili, so don't be afraid to get creative.

Stone Soup Chili

Ingredients

15.5 ounce can kidney beans, with juices
15.5 ounce can pink beans, drained (Substitute 1 lb ground turkey or beef if you like.)
28 ounces diced tomatoes
14 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, julienned
1 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp adobo sauce*
pinch of cinnamon
1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

*You can purchase adobo chiles in sauce in the 'ethnic food' aisle of most grocery stores.

If you want to make this in a crock pot, simply saute onions, peppers and garlic (and meat if desired) and toss it all in. Cook on High for 4 hours.

Without a crock pot:

In a saute pan, saute onions, garlic and peppers on high heat for only about 3 or 4 minutes. Just enough to quickly carmelize them. In a large pot on medium heat, combine all ingredients except jalapeno and cheese. Stir well. Cover and let simmer for at least 1 hour. The longer you let it simmer, the more intense the flavor.

Garnish with jalapeno and cheddar or - my favorite - a dollop of greek yogurt.

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup corn
1/2 cup diced jalapenos
3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk milk, butter and egg. Using a rubber spatula, mix in remaining ingredients except cheese. Gently fold in cheese.

Pour into well greased muffin pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

*Don't use paper muffin cups. They will give the muffins a chewy texture and they don't pull away easily.