Monday, April 29, 2013

Simple goodness

Need an easy, healthy meal?

Not to mention cheap?

Wash a russet potato and rub in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 425 oven for about an hour.

Meanwhile, wash and drizzle some asparagus with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Put on a pan and cook in the oven with the potatoes for the last 20 minutes or so.

When all is cooked and ready, throw on a plate, dress your potato as you wish and enjoy! A simple dinner!



Sunday, April 21, 2013

Lemon gingerness

Asian cooking is not a strength for me. However, when I saw a recipe for lemon ginger chicken, I couldn't help but taste the delicious poultry paired with fried rice and broccoli!

Cook 2-3 servings of rice as directed and set aside. Steam a heaping handful or two of broccoli florets and set aside as well. Heat a skillet with about a tbs. olive oil. Squeeze 1/2 lemon's juice in a bowl and whisk with 1 tsp ginger. In another bowl, mix 1/3 cup breadcrumbs with about 1 teaspoon of your seasoning of choice (I used a mixture of salt, lemon peel, garlic and pepper). Dip chicken in lemon-ginger liquid then dip and dip and cover with breadcrumb mixture. Cook in the hot oiled pan until crispy and cooked through.

When chicken is done, remove it from the pan, place on an oven safe plate and keep warm in a 250 degree oven.

With the oil and chicken bits still in the pan, add the rice and broccoli. Cook rice and broccoli with 1/4 cup low-salt soy sauce (more or less to taste) and a tsp ginger. Season with pepper if you desire. Cook the rice until browned.

Throw it all together on a plate and enjoy!



Thursday, April 11, 2013

Cheesy creamy pasta...

Sounds pretty unhealthy, right? It doesn't have to be!

Start with 2-3 tbs olive oil in a hot skillet. Throw in your favorite chopped veggies.

I used sweet onions, yellow squash, mushrooms, red pepper, and baby spinach.

Season with your desired seasonings and sauté until soft.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, mix 2 tbs flour, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tbs butter, 1 tbs lemon juice. Whisk while this thickens, then slowly add about 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to whisk over medium heat until it reaches a nice thickness. Play around with broth and flour if it is too thick or thin. Season with similar seasonings you used for the vegetables.

Boil your favorite noodles and put them in a baking dish. Toss with cooked vegetables, creamy sauce, and about 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated, not the powdery stuff). Throw in some sliced cherry tomatoes before you cover the pan and bake at 300 for 20-30 minutes.

Voila!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter!

Blogging from the iPad this morning! Let's see how this goes!

Mr. PT and I had a wonderful Easter here in Roanoke. My mom came in town to celebrate Holy Week with us at our church. I'm in the choir so my vocal cords are still recovering from all the singing!

Mom is trying desperately to keep her cholesterol number down these days without the support of prescription medicine. I am so proud of her because she has dropped almost 40 points with healthier eating and exercise only. Way to go Mom! Specific changes she has made include...

-eating meat only 2-3 times a week
-eating vegetarian meals with whole wheat pasta or rice
-salad with fresh fruit and baked chicken
-eating out at restaurants less
-cutting back on diet soda
-only drinking alcohol on the weekends
-walking to the gym, working out, walking back 2-3 times a week
-using her exercise bands daily for a 20 minute strength workout

As you can see, they are not huge changes that have drastically changed her life, but they are simple, consistent changes that she has gradually embedded into her daily routine. The results are evident! She looks thinner (she has lost between 5-10 lbs), her clothes fit better, she has more energy, and she is much less winded when we exercise together!

With the extra 20 lbs I'm hauling around these days, I am more winded and tired than her!

Anywho, we ate some great meals while she was in town. Try this one I found on Pinterest! It had a great flavor and made awesome leftovers!

http://www.celebrations.com/content/skinny-chicken-broccoli-alfredo

We also had a dinner of fresh fruit, hummus, crackers and cheese one night.

On Saturday we made blueberry pancakes (of course) and ate dinner at a fantastic farm-to-table restaurant here in Roanoke called River and Rail. Mom ordered a plate of perfectly roasted vegetables with grits. Yum!

In between breakfast and lunch we snacked on apples, Lara bars, and cheese!

For Easter dinner, Mr. PT and I were alone but we did not go hungry! A friend from the church choir made us some authentic egg rolls to brown off and dip in her homemade duck sauce. Wow, were those good. We munched on fresh pineapple and strawberries as well.

Happy Easter everyone!