Onward and Upward: Kale Chips, casseroles and stews

Alas, my vacation is over... Back to work tomorrow. I find that the best success I have is being prepared with my meals AT LEAST through Wednesday of a work week. To that extent I have been cooking all morning (see below), and when I'm done blogging will head to the kitchen again to prepare at least two-days of fresh tossed salad. Someone gotta do it... lol

I have cycled through many "diets" and "lifestyles" in the past year, and have settled on the South Beach way of eating. For any of you who did the original South Beach, I urge you to get the new materials - it is much more "permissive" than it was years ago. The allowed foods go on for pages, including many more nuts, protein sources, etc. For a healthy way of eating (but a slower initial weight loss) you can jump right to Phase 2, which is as close to "normal" as any diet out there. The saying for when you have "strayed" is: "It is a treat not a cheat" which, psychologically, makes it easier to pick yourself up and go on rather than take an all or nothing attitude.

However, after a lot of soul searching, I realize that I am in this for the long-run and that indeed it is a lifestyle change, NOT a diet. (Well, it is a diet, but you know what I mean.) Your library should have all the new books and cookbooks, or else their website is FANTASTIC and EXTREMELY reasonably well-priced. The entire program, recipes, and support forums are there, and for an extra $3 you can sign up to have a personal dietitian work with you. I actually did that when I got started, and it was perfect. I got answers to all my questions, support, and anything personal that helped me (i.e., fitting this into my schedule, my family's way of eating, foods I liked, etc.). I no longer have the on-line membership, but it was great in getting me started.

So to that end, here are the recipes I made today:

I've made these before: Kale "chips" are a great substitute for potato chips IMHO :) (Although I am sure a full 50% of you won't try this and 50% of the remaining 50% won't like them lol ) Take a bunch of kale and remove the stems and tear the kale into bite-sized pieces. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt and spread on a baking pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Bake in a slow oven (about 300) until the "chips" get crispy, stirring once. This is usually 30-45 minutes. While I had a slow oven going I also roasted some fennel bulbs and chicken breasts to use in salads and other recipes for the week.

Also - I made two of my MOST favorite vegetarian casseroles today from the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook: Acorn Squash and Two-Bean Gratin (to which I added whole wheat pasta shells) and Picadillo-Style Lentil Stew. I am loathe to reproduce copyrighted recipes here but if you can get this cookbook from the library (or purchase it) I strongly recommend these two vegetarian recipes. Later in the week I am making Herbed Quinoa and Edamame Salad and African Red Bean Stew. Those two will be recipes I haven't tried yet but almost everything from this cookbook has been scrumptious so I have confidence that I will like these two as well.

I also made the "Chicken with Cremini Cream Sauce." Since first making this I must have made it a dozen times - sometimes at least once a week. What I do is bake the chicken breast separately and add it to the sauce later, and sometimes, when I don't even have time for that I buy the Perdue or Trader Joe's already cooked chicken breast and add it to the sauce. I cannot recommend this recipe highly enough - but do use cremini mushrooms or you will not have the same flavor.

Onward and upward on the path to clean eating!!!!

Samida