Halloween preparations have consumed us all week. Sorry for the crappy updates.
Ate at a Mexican restaurant last night. I had 2 taquitos and some beans.
Tonight we'll be having Salmon and broccoli. I will barely have time to make it and finish my costume so I won't be posting a pic. I will however have a post up this weekend summarizing my month long experience and retouching on why I did this in the first place.
Total Calorie Count for the Day (29th): 960
Total Calorie Count for the Day (30th): should be 750ish, I'll update later.
Oct 30, 2009
Oct 28, 2009
Potato Soup with Andouille Sausage
Same as always for breakfast. Skipped lunch.
Made a potato soup today using onion, garlic, and minced rosemary sauteed with andouille sausage. Added the potatoes, covered with water and boiled until the potatoes were tender, then added two cups of milk and served it in a bread bowl. Good way to have potato soup without any canned stock or broth.
Received a boon in apples from my friend Brad, so I decided to make apple pie. Used the crust from smittenkitchen, which had vodka added to it of all things, and used the caramel apple pie filling method, where you saute the apples, tossed in cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a bit of cream, to form a caramel base that thickens while baking. It's possibly the most beautiful, flaky looking pie I've ever made. Got the camera working just so I could take a picture.
Won't be having a slice of it tonight, but it'll be calling me in the morning.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 845
Made a potato soup today using onion, garlic, and minced rosemary sauteed with andouille sausage. Added the potatoes, covered with water and boiled until the potatoes were tender, then added two cups of milk and served it in a bread bowl. Good way to have potato soup without any canned stock or broth.
Received a boon in apples from my friend Brad, so I decided to make apple pie. Used the crust from smittenkitchen, which had vodka added to it of all things, and used the caramel apple pie filling method, where you saute the apples, tossed in cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a bit of cream, to form a caramel base that thickens while baking. It's possibly the most beautiful, flaky looking pie I've ever made. Got the camera working just so I could take a picture.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 845
Gumbo (26th) Manhatten Fish Chowder (27th)
Camera still wasn't working on Monday or Tuesday.
Monday was a leftover night, everyone kind of fended for themselves. I finished the last bowl of gumbo.
Tuesday I made manhatten fish chowder which, if you wiki it, has an interesting history. Recipe follows:
Monday was a leftover night, everyone kind of fended for themselves. I finished the last bowl of gumbo.
Tuesday I made manhatten fish chowder which, if you wiki it, has an interesting history. Recipe follows:
Manhattan Fish Chowder
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes in juice
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a large 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice (breaking tomatoes up with a spoon), clam juice, and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil.
Add potatoes and thyme; reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add tilapia; cover, and cook until opaque and flaky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. With a ladle, spoon solids and liquid into six soup bowls; serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes in juice
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a large 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice (breaking tomatoes up with a spoon), clam juice, and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil.
Add potatoes and thyme; reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add tilapia; cover, and cook until opaque and flaky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. With a ladle, spoon solids and liquid into six soup bowls; serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Total Calorie Count for the Day (26th): 856
Total Calorie Count for the Day (27th): 923
Oct 25, 2009
Caloric Restriction
I've been asked several times why it is that I chose a 1000 calorie diet for this experiment. Generally, the choice came first because I sought a diet that would challenge me enough to require a significant personal change. Further, however, I sought something that was less about gimmick and more related to something that made simple sense. You can't get much simpler than the truths of caloric balance. To boot, I was also able to take some of the consequences to their logical conclusions in order to evaluate how one might balance the potential negatives of such a diet with the clear gains. However, there are more gains associated with caloric restriction than I have mentioned and that, more than any other reason, is why I chose the 1000 calorie diet. There is a direct link between caloric restriction and general longevity; a strict diet can, according to the research, help us to live longer. Extending life... an amazing dream and something I hope to see come to fruition. So, without further ado, let me present Dr. Aubrey de Gray and his reasoning for the future of humanity.
So what does that have to do with Caloric Restriction? A lot actually. Not only is there a lot of verifiable, data backed research suggesting Caloric Restriction may lengthen your life, there's some common sense to it, too. As Aubrey mentioned, most of what accounts for aging is a part of the metabolic process. Things build up, add to, are taken from, etc. over and over again in your body as part of making your body function. What if you cut that process in half? Or even reduced it by 25%? Then you'd have less of those negative events occurring (and of course, less of the positive events too). This will trigger hunger responses, but as I've mentioned before, it will also trigger basic homeostasis response: adaptation. You live longer because your metabolism slows and you take in less free radicals, etc., and in effect take longer to reach the same destination. All it takes, or so it would seem, is a bit of self control. We're in the business of mind over matter, folks!
Papa Murphy's (23th) Pasta Bake (24th) Frybread Taco (25th)
Camera went on the fritz, so just a brief update.
Had some deLite pizza from Papa Murphy's Thursday, make a pasta bake with leftover spaghetti sauce, some pepperoni, and some mozzarella, and had frybread tacos again today. Trying to stretch our current food supply a bit.
Total Calorie Count for the Day (23th): 985
Total Calorie Count for the Day (24th): 884
Total Calorie Count for the Day (25th): 954
Had some deLite pizza from Papa Murphy's Thursday, make a pasta bake with leftover spaghetti sauce, some pepperoni, and some mozzarella, and had frybread tacos again today. Trying to stretch our current food supply a bit.
Total Calorie Count for the Day (23th): 985
Total Calorie Count for the Day (24th): 884
Total Calorie Count for the Day (25th): 954
Oct 23, 2009
Andouille Sausage Cornbread Stuffing
This update is for Thursday, Oct. 22.
Orange juice for breakfast... really had no time this morning.
The wife and I had lunch at our favorite sushi place. It was fantastic. We split a lobster roll, had a half cup of rice, and some edamame.
For dinner, I made a stuffing meal out of leftover ingredients from the gumbo. Combined the remaining cornbread and andouille sausage with celery, onion, and red pepper. It's very good and very filling.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 993
Orange juice for breakfast... really had no time this morning.
The wife and I had lunch at our favorite sushi place. It was fantastic. We split a lobster roll, had a half cup of rice, and some edamame.
For dinner, I made a stuffing meal out of leftover ingredients from the gumbo. Combined the remaining cornbread and andouille sausage with celery, onion, and red pepper. It's very good and very filling.
Oct 21, 2009
Papas Fritas con Chorizo
Eggy toast for breakfast, gumbo for lunch.
Threw together some leftover chorizo (frozen from a few weeks ago) with some potatoes. Added some diced tomatoes for a few more vegetables. Fairly simple dish, but very satisfying, particularly because we don't have potatoes often.
Threw together some leftover chorizo (frozen from a few weeks ago) with some potatoes. Added some diced tomatoes for a few more vegetables. Fairly simple dish, but very satisfying, particularly because we don't have potatoes often.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 993
Oct 20, 2009
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Eggy toast for breakfast and a slice of toast with a slice of cheddar and an orange for lunch.
It was a cold, rainy day today, so I decided to make my wife's favorite: Gumbo.
This recipe was created by reading, of all things, a theory paper on how gumbo should be. My grandpa is a retired navy captain and gourmet chef, and after having heard that I was interested in learning how to make gumbo, he gave me a large stack of papers that turned out to be some guy's musings on what goes into a good gumbo. There were generally few directions and no measurements, with references to possible and preferred ingredients. So I adapted this, through trial and error, into my own homemade gumbo. What makes it different from others? Mine is a bit less thick because I don't care for the okra flavor in most gumbos (used as a thickening agent), though longer cooking will thicken it just fine if you're a real stickler but also don't care for the okra. Without the okra, however, mine also has a brighter palate with more distinct individual flavors within the flavor medley. As well, without the okra mine also has more diverse color instead of being a sort of thick green. I also use jalapeno in mine, though I doubt that's so uncommon. I use olive oil instead of butter for the roux (a much healthier fat) and I always include tomato in mine, though it's very common for tomato to be omitted in most gumbo recipes. The only real problem I come across when printing this recipe is that it's mostly in my head. I've only ever written it down for my brother-in-law. Here goes:
To make the Roux:
Roux consists of equal parts fat and flour. Heat the fat in a large pot and once a bit of flour dropped into the oil starts to sizzle, stir in with a wire whisk the remaining flour. I usually use 1/2 cup of each. You must constantly stir this for roughly 10 minutes. A finished roux should be somewhere between the color of a rusted penny and chocolate peanut butter. The darker the roux, the stronger the flavor.
Add vegetables:
Prepare these and collect in a single bowl before you start making the roux.
1 large onion, diced
1 elbow celery heart, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp ground thyme
2 tsp ground black pepper
1- 2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
The spice measurements aren't exact; I'm basically guessing at how much I put in. Add these vegetables and spices to the finished roux. Note those first three ingredients on the list: in Louisiana cooking they're called "the trinity." Coat the vegetables and spices evenly with the roux (it will smell amazing when you first drop them in) and cook for 7-9 minutes until the vegetables soften.
For the broth:
The only important thing about the broth is that it be room temperature. If the broth is hot or cold, the broth will disrupt the roux and cause the oil and flour to separate and your gumbo with be strange and lumpy. I usually use chicken broth for flavor. If you were to do a seafood gumbo you might try fish stock and clam juice. If doing beef use beef broth, etc. Really, you can't go wrong with chicken. Add about 3 cans of broth, or 4 and 1/2 cups. Bring this to a boil. As it boils, scum may rise to the top. You may choose to or not to remove that. Despite the name "scum," there's nothing wrong with leaving it in.
For the meat:
I use about 4-5 ounces of chicken breast and 6 ounces of andouille sausage. Some say you can't have gumbo without andouille sausage because without it it's just not gumbo. I have no idea if that's a purist definition, but honestly andouille sausage is synonymous with Louisiana cooking. It can, however, be hard to find. I was in the Provo area a few years ago, planning to make this for family, and couldn't find it anywhere. My grandpa had to bring some from Ogden. Otherwise, I've found them most reliably at Albertson's. The andouille is generally precooked, so your concern is to cook the diced chicken in the gumbo. Regardless drop both meats into the pot. Commonly I've added a half pound of shrimp, but there was no need for the calories.
Finishing the dish:
Once you've combined the previous ingredients, add some diced tomatoes. Fresh is best. Probably about a cup to a cup and a half. You've added these so late because tomatoes are so much softer than everything else. Allow these ingredients to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. The longer the better for the flavors to combine. Traditionally, gumbo is served with rice on top, not the other way around, and often with a slice of cornbread, as I served mine in the picture above. Gumbo is amazing and once you get past the learning curve, it's relatively simple to make. Enjoy! This recipe will make about 10 1 cup servings at about 178 calories per serving (not including rice and cornbread).
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 948
It was a cold, rainy day today, so I decided to make my wife's favorite: Gumbo.
This recipe was created by reading, of all things, a theory paper on how gumbo should be. My grandpa is a retired navy captain and gourmet chef, and after having heard that I was interested in learning how to make gumbo, he gave me a large stack of papers that turned out to be some guy's musings on what goes into a good gumbo. There were generally few directions and no measurements, with references to possible and preferred ingredients. So I adapted this, through trial and error, into my own homemade gumbo. What makes it different from others? Mine is a bit less thick because I don't care for the okra flavor in most gumbos (used as a thickening agent), though longer cooking will thicken it just fine if you're a real stickler but also don't care for the okra. Without the okra, however, mine also has a brighter palate with more distinct individual flavors within the flavor medley. As well, without the okra mine also has more diverse color instead of being a sort of thick green. I also use jalapeno in mine, though I doubt that's so uncommon. I use olive oil instead of butter for the roux (a much healthier fat) and I always include tomato in mine, though it's very common for tomato to be omitted in most gumbo recipes. The only real problem I come across when printing this recipe is that it's mostly in my head. I've only ever written it down for my brother-in-law. Here goes:
Roux consists of equal parts fat and flour. Heat the fat in a large pot and once a bit of flour dropped into the oil starts to sizzle, stir in with a wire whisk the remaining flour. I usually use 1/2 cup of each. You must constantly stir this for roughly 10 minutes. A finished roux should be somewhere between the color of a rusted penny and chocolate peanut butter. The darker the roux, the stronger the flavor.
Add vegetables:
Prepare these and collect in a single bowl before you start making the roux.
1 large onion, diced
1 elbow celery heart, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp ground thyme
2 tsp ground black pepper
1- 2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
The spice measurements aren't exact; I'm basically guessing at how much I put in. Add these vegetables and spices to the finished roux. Note those first three ingredients on the list: in Louisiana cooking they're called "the trinity." Coat the vegetables and spices evenly with the roux (it will smell amazing when you first drop them in) and cook for 7-9 minutes until the vegetables soften.
For the broth:
The only important thing about the broth is that it be room temperature. If the broth is hot or cold, the broth will disrupt the roux and cause the oil and flour to separate and your gumbo with be strange and lumpy. I usually use chicken broth for flavor. If you were to do a seafood gumbo you might try fish stock and clam juice. If doing beef use beef broth, etc. Really, you can't go wrong with chicken. Add about 3 cans of broth, or 4 and 1/2 cups. Bring this to a boil. As it boils, scum may rise to the top. You may choose to or not to remove that. Despite the name "scum," there's nothing wrong with leaving it in.
For the meat:
I use about 4-5 ounces of chicken breast and 6 ounces of andouille sausage. Some say you can't have gumbo without andouille sausage because without it it's just not gumbo. I have no idea if that's a purist definition, but honestly andouille sausage is synonymous with Louisiana cooking. It can, however, be hard to find. I was in the Provo area a few years ago, planning to make this for family, and couldn't find it anywhere. My grandpa had to bring some from Ogden. Otherwise, I've found them most reliably at Albertson's. The andouille is generally precooked, so your concern is to cook the diced chicken in the gumbo. Regardless drop both meats into the pot. Commonly I've added a half pound of shrimp, but there was no need for the calories.
Finishing the dish:
Once you've combined the previous ingredients, add some diced tomatoes. Fresh is best. Probably about a cup to a cup and a half. You've added these so late because tomatoes are so much softer than everything else. Allow these ingredients to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. The longer the better for the flavors to combine. Traditionally, gumbo is served with rice on top, not the other way around, and often with a slice of cornbread, as I served mine in the picture above. Gumbo is amazing and once you get past the learning curve, it's relatively simple to make. Enjoy! This recipe will make about 10 1 cup servings at about 178 calories per serving (not including rice and cornbread).
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 948
Frybread Tacos and Southwestern Pumpkin Soup
Eggy Toast for breakfast, a half a banana and a slice of toast with a slice of cheese for lunch.
Made a frybread tacos for dinner. Cora loves this stuff, I call it her soul food. I made a basic sort of bean taco filling to go on the frybread. Also made a southwestern pumpkin soup that only I and the boy liked. Meh, what can you do. Here's the recipe I used for the frybread:
Made a frybread tacos for dinner. Cora loves this stuff, I call it her soul food. I made a basic sort of bean taco filling to go on the frybread. Also made a southwestern pumpkin soup that only I and the boy liked. Meh, what can you do. Here's the recipe I used for the frybread:
· 3 cups flour
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 1 tablespoon powdered milk
· 1 tablespoon lard or margarine
· 1 1/2 cups warm water
For the Frybread: Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and powdered milk. Add lard or margarine and mix. Add water to make dough soft. Refrigerate until use. Dough will keep several days.
In a heavy skillet, heat 3/4-inch of oil to 375 degrees F.
Pat or roll out dough into about 6 (1/4 to 3/8-inch thick) rounds. Slide into hot oil. Puncture once or twice. Fry until golden brown. Flip the dough over and fry other side to golden brown. Take out and drain on paper towels.
The dough can be quite sticky, if so knead in flour until it's not. Sorry that picture is a bit blurry, the lens must be dirty. Frybread tacos are really simple and quite delicious. I flattened the frybread out quite a bit so it wouldn't undercook the middle, but that made my meal seem huge and therefore I couldn't finish it all. Oh well, lol.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 926
Oct 18, 2009
Tofu in Thai Curry Sauce
Eggy Toast for breakfast.
Banana for lunch.
Made Tofu in a Thai Curry Sauce with some Cauliflower Gratin. The tofu was meh, but the cauliflower... like macaroni and cheese without the noodles.
Total Calorie Count for the Day: 898
Banana for lunch.
Made Tofu in a Thai Curry Sauce with some Cauliflower Gratin. The tofu was meh, but the cauliflower... like macaroni and cheese without the noodles.
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