Burgers and Tomatillo Salsa
Burgers are my friend.
I have always loved hamburgers - charred on the outside and juicy on the inside - a good burger is a thing of beauty.
We had things of beauty, tonight.
The actual burger was merely 80/20 ground beef with salt and pepper - grilled almost medium. I don't care what the experts say - I wanna see pink in my burgers.
The real fun was everything on the plate to accompany it.
We started off with fresh spinach sauteed with onion and garlic for the base and we added a tomatillo salsa to the top. We have tomatillo plants out back that are finally starting to produce, and the hot pepper and tomato also came from out back. I see more salsas like this in our future.
Tomatillo Salsa
- 4 tomatillos, chopped
- 1 yellow tomato, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 Caribbean pepper, minced
- 3 mini peppers, chopped
- 1 tbsp mint, minced
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- tequila
Mix tomatillos, tomato, onion, and peppers. Stir in mint and add garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Drizzle with tequila and mix well.
Really quick and easy - with lots of flavor. The Caribbean pepper is hot - like a habanero - so use your discretion. Any hot pepper will work, and since we have at least 8 varieties growing right now, we'll be switching them out.
Steak Tips and Roasted Vegetables
We're still working on the roasted vegetables and tonight, I mixed in a green tomato and some Hatch Valley Salsa into them to give them a bit of a bit of a Southwestern spin. Reasonably awesome, if I do say so, m'self.
The steak tips were grilled with some homemade chili sauce.
Simplicity.
Grilled Vegetables
Our new favorite thing to have in the 'fridge is a big batch of grilled vegetables. They can be eaten cold as a salad, or warmed and used as a side dish or ingredient for something else - total versatility.
And reasonably healthy, as well.
Today's batch included:
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- mini potatoes
- asparagus
- green onions
- mushrooms
- yellow zucchini
- mini peppers
- carrots
- beets
The basic is to keep them whole or in fairly large pieces, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and slowly grill until tender - taking items off the grill as they're done. Once cooked and cooled, they get chopped into bite-sized pieces, drizzled with a bit more olive oil, and a bit of balsamic vinegar - just enough to add a bit of sweetness - not enough to mask the vegetable flavor.
From there, it's lunch, dinner, side, or snack. Tonight, it was dinner.
We still had polenta from the other night, so I cubed it into about 1-inch cubes and lightly browned it in a skillet. I took it out and added a cubed chicken breast and cooked it until about half-done. I added an almost-ripe tomato from the garden that I chopped, along with a splash of white wine.
Next into the skillet went the grilled veggies, and when they were heated through, I stirred the polenta back in.
A bit of S&P and some chopped fresh herbs from the garden finished it off.
The only thing missing from the vegetables was coen. Gentile's only had white corn on the cob - and I'm a yellow corn person. I really don't care for white corn - I find it rather tasteless. I'll see about getting a couple of ears today and adding them in...
In the meantime, we have lots of good food in the 'fridge to get us through the week - and plenty of ideas for using it!
Polenta and Sausage
Yesterday's big batch of polenta became the base for tonight's dinner - a quick fry-up of vegetables and sausage served over polenta triangles.
The fry-up started with some Italian sausage and included bell pepper, onion, celery, tomato, garlic, oregano, and a splash of white wine.
Very quick and easy - no waiting for polenta to cook.
The End of Week Fifty-Two
We did it.
Fifty-Two Weeks of seeing a Personal Trainer three times a week. One hundred and fifty-six training sessions.
The results are pretty mind-boggling.
Victor has gone from a Body Fat Percentage of 38.5% to 31.4 and a BMI of 32.2 to 27.5.
I went from 32.7 to 20.8 and a BMI of 31.4 to 24.8.
I'm wearing 34" waist pants down from 42" and we're both now exclusively in large t-shirts - down from XXL. It's nothing short of a miracle - and a lot of hard work.
The first low plank I did a year ago lasted 34 seconds. Today I did two and a half minutes - and could have gone longer. Three times as many push-ups, three times longer on a wall-sit. And I didn't want to die, afterwards. Victor was right there, as well - doubling and tripling what he was able to do last year - and he did a hellava lot more sit-ups than me. I hate sit-ups.
I really credit Charles, our Trainer, for pushing, us prodding us, and giving us the confidence to do it. He has read us well - knowing when to push, knowing when to back off, and working with each of us as individuals even when we were doing the same routines - adjusting them to suit our needs and abilities.
My biggest area to work on will be flexibility. I still can't get close to touching my toes, but I can pretty much pick something up off the floor without kneeling - that's something I couldn't do a year ago.
Victor can touch his toes and pretty much bend himself into a pretzel. He wants to lose a few more pounds, so we'll be back to watching portions, better. They've been creeping up...
We're taking a month off from Personal Training because we need a break - three days a week for a year has been pretty intense. Next month we'll be back one day a week for about six months to fine-tune things and keep us on track.
And I think the gym will be a regular feature in our lives from here on out. We've come too far to fall back into our former slothful ways.
That, of course, doesn't mean we won't splurge on things or overeat or gorge on ice cream now and again. It simply means we won't do it a lot - and we'll be aware of it when we do so we can balance it out with a few less calories and a bit more work.
Our celebratory meal, today, is Shrimp and Grits - with the Grits coming from Anson Mills. Actually, it's their Rustic Polenta Integrale, but I'm not quibbling.
I made a very basic polenta - a lot, because it's also going to be a part of tomorrow's dinner - and topped it with Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas mixed with shrimp and just tons of fun foods and flavors.
The basic ingredients included:
- shrimp
- green pepper
- onion
- garlic
- celery
- Penzey's Cajun Spice
- Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas
- tomato
- corn cob coins
A simple saute of the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery with the tomatoes and beans adding the necessary liquid. On went the lid and in a few minutes I stirred in the shrimp. The cover went back on and in two minutes it was ready.
It was a fun and filling dinner - lots of eating with fingers - and the perfect meal for a fun and fulfilling day.
The numbers surprised me. I knew we were doing well - but seeing the actual numbers made an impact - and a decision not to fall back. I'm not putting myself through this, again.
And I think it also proves that if we can do it, anyone can. We started this journey at 66 and 67 years of age. There was a real fear that in retirement, I was going to cook and bake us to death. Let's face it - our love of food has never been a secret. The foods we were eating were relatively good, we were just shoving way too much of it into our mouths. The excess weight fueled the lethargy that fueled the overeating that fueled the lethargy. We needed to break the cycle - and we did.
If you've been keeping track this past year, you'll note that we are not dieting. There are no foods that are forbidden, there are no ingredients we cannot eat. It's more about just being sensible. It's been rethinking our meals and our portions - and learning to stop when we were full and not licking our plates clean.
We still have dessert every night, but it's now usually fresh fruit or popcorn instead of pies, cakes, and cookies. The pies, cakes, and cookies still appear, but in smaller versions. You can make a 6" cake with 3/4 cup flour and a half-cup of sugar - just don't make them every day.
But simply eating better is merely one part of the equation - moving is the other. We've broken the sloth-cycle, as well.
So here's to the past year and to all the years ahead.
We're ready.
Cod Cakes and Grilled Vegetables
Summertime, and the livin' is easy... and hot and muggy and wet. The only thing loving this weather, right now, is the cucumber plant.
I don't mind hot, but when going outside is like walking into a steam room... well... I tend to stay inside a bit more. It just saps my new-found strength.
My original thought for dinner, tonight, was grilled cod with grilled vegetables. I grilled the vegetables earlier in the day, but decided to make cod cakes because I didn't feel like standing over the grill, again.
It was a good choice.
This batch of vegetables included
- corn
- mushrooms
- fennel
- cauliflower
- carrots
- leeks
- yellow zucchini
- asparagus
- green onions
I liberally coated everything in olive oil, hit them with salt and pepper, and onto the grill they went. Really simple, very basic.
I then chopped everything, mixed them into a bowl, and drizzled with a bit of good balsamic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
The cod cakes were pretty basic, as well. I poached the cod and mixed it in with some good stuff.
Cod Cakes
Poaching liquid:
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups water
- juice of 1 lemon
Cod cakes
- 1 lb cod
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp good mustard
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp mixed fresh herbs
- salt & pepper, to taste
Poach fish in poaching liquid until just cooked and fish flakes. Remove from liquid and set aside to cool.
Saute celery, onion, and garlic until wilted. Set aside to cool.
Mix mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs and spices. Stir in celery mixture. Break up cod and lightly stir into mixture. Form into 4 patties.
Fry in a lightly-oiled skillet until browned on both sides and heated all the way through.
Serve on top of grilled vegetables.
We also had a roasted beet from the garden, so that went onto the plate, as well.
Lots of flavors and lots of textures, and because it was done in short stages over the course of the day, it took no time to pull it all together.
A bowl of grilled vegetables is now a staple in the 'fridge. Perfect for lunch, snacking, or a quick side for dinner.
The livin' is easy, indeed...
Stuffed Tomatoes
We've picked the first two tomatoes from the garden! They were a bit under-ripe, but... I had to do it. I've been craving a homegrown tomato since last year. The tomatoes in question are Green Zebra tomatoes - they're supposed to be green!
Being just slightly under-ripe made them perfect for stuffing and baking - they held their shape. The filling was a throw-together of about a cup of cooked rice, a cup of leftover grilled vegetables, quattro formaggio shredded cheese, and about a third of a cup of salsa verde. I hollowed out the tomatoes and filled them, placed the rest of the rice filling in a small baking dish and then placed the tomatoes on top.
The dish was covered and then went into a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. While the tomatoes were cooking, I split a chicken breast in half, doused it with berbere spice, and grilled them.
Simplicity.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ahhh... the joys of Summer on the east coast... oppressive heat and humidity, thunderstorms, power and cable outages... Just another day in paradise.
The storms have been interesting. High winds and torrential rains for two or three minutes followed by blue skies, followed by more wind and rain. It's actually neat to sit out back and watch it all come down - until the wind starts blowing sideways, that is... Then it's time to head back inside and hope the power stays on. It's amazing how fast muggy can penetrate an otherwise well-insulated home.
Our grill is covered, so we can cook outdoors in any weather - and that definitely came in handy, today - starting early with a clean-out-the-'fridge-salad.
Corn, broccoli, green onions, yellow zucchini, carrots, mini peppers, and mushrooms...
This was about as simple and basic as anything can be. I doused everything with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and tossed them on the grill. From there, they got chopped and mixed with some fresh herbs from the garden, olive oil, and some balsamic vinegar.
I sprinkled on a bit more salt and pepper, and it was done. Really easy and really really good!
I mixed some burger with canned diced green chiles and a bit of hot pepper sauce, grilled 'em, and placed them on thick slices of tomato.
Yesterday, I had roasted the first of our beets from the garden, so they went onto the plate, as well.
The perfect stormy weather summer dinner!
The End of Week Fifty-One
I think retirement has suited me well. Both of us, actually. Neither of us had the drive or ambition to claw our way up the corporate ladder or fight the roadblocks placed in our way. Early in my hotel career, at Department Head level, I was told I wouldn't go any further because I wasn't married. Gee - I wonder what they meant? By 1989, I was done with hotels. 2001 was goodbye to nutrition and dietetics, and 2018 was goodbye to putting little pieces of food on little paper plates or asking if someone found everything they were looking for. It's now been a full year since I retired and my once Type-A personality has quickly moved through the alphabet.
I get a laugh out of folks who say they would be too bored not working. Boredom has never been a word in my vocabulary. Of course, I never lived to go to work. I went to work to live.
And now, that I don't have to, living has gotten so much better - especially after fifty-one weeks with a personal trainer and losing fifty pounds! Fifty-one weeks. I guess it's like childbirth - you forget the pain when you see the result.
And we can see - and feel - the results. One more week with our trainer, and then a month off. We need a bit of a hiatus.
We also need to see how we'll maintain the weight loss. We're not looking to lose more - just not gain any back - and that will take some discipline. Not something I usually have a lot of...
With all the fresh produce of Summer, we should be okay. Keep it light and keep it healthy. A bit like tonight's dinner - grilled tri-tip and braised cauliflower.
I did a dry rub of chipotle powder, garlic, salt, amd pepper, and when it was mostly done, I poured some BBQ sauce on top and let it brown.
The braised cauliflower started with chopped mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and green beans in a skillet. I then added a can of whole peeled tomatoes - our fresh tomatoes aren't ready, yet - along with a can of water. Then some berbere, cumin, salt, and pepper. Finally, I added the cauliflower, covered the skillet, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Easy-Peasy.
One more week and we do our final weigh-in - the official weigh-in - and compare it all to Day One.
I'm pretty proud of what we've accomplished.
Boursin Burritos
We were watching a cooking show a while back and the folks were in France. Someone was whipping up a quick hors d'oeuvre and pulled out some Boursin from the 'fridge. She said that Boursin could be found in every refrigerator in France - it's the French Velveeta!
Who am I to argue? We have it in our 'fridge most of the time. On the other hand, we never - ever - have Velveeta. Ever. I have never cared for it - even as a child on grilled cheese sandwiches. We always had it in the house, but my mom loved different cheeses and I'd get the good stuff whenever I could. As a teenager, by brother's then-girlfriend, Chris, and I would roam San Francisco trying to find the stinkiest cheeses to try and gross the other out. Neither of us succeeded in grossing the other out, but we did find that Limburger was the stinkiest we could find. I still like it.
I remember when Boursin hit the market and was all the rage. Burgers stuffed with molten Boursin, and sauces on everything from beef to vegetables. It's still pretty tasty and very versatile all these years later.
Which brings us to dinner, tonight...
My original thought was a Mexican-inspired burrito-ish dish - spicy and tomatoey - but we all know that what I first think of and what actually gets made can be pretty different. I had most of a grilled chicken in the 'fridge, plenty of vegetables, the Boursin, and a package of small flour tortillas - and gravy that I had made from the chicken. The wheels started turning and I went to work.
I grabbed a couple of mushrooms, a small zucchini, and a piece of red onion and chopped them all fine. Next was a small package of diced pancetta. It went into the skillet and I browned it up. Next went the diced veggies. I cooked it all together with a bit of minced garlic, added some white wine and cooked it all down.
Meanwhile, I prepared the tortillas. They were easy - all I did was spread them with Boursin.
I topped them with some of the vegetables and some chopped, cooked chicken and rolled them up. Into a disch they went. I covered it and placed it in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. While they were in the oven, I heated the gravy.
They were surprisingly good with lots of flavor. The Boursin really stood out without being overpowering. I made six, put three on each plate - and that was waaaaay too much food. We barely finished two - the leftovers will be lunch.
And it's the chicken that keeps on giving. There's probably half a chicken still left. Time for some more creativity!
More from the Garden
We've been harvesting more cucumbers. I think by this weekend we'll be making a chilled cucumber soup. call me naive, but I really didn't know one little plant would be producing so much! It's rather fun, because cucumbers are not something I've ever really thought about. I mean... sliced or cubed into a salad, but I've never had such an abundance of them that I had to think about what to do with them. Methinks I'm going to be thinking about what to do with them.
I didn't have to think, tonight - Victor made a cucumber salad. Thinly-sliced cucumber, red onion, and celery, minced garlic, fresh herbs from the garden, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice - we're still using it up from the limoncello - and some S&P.
Simplicity.
The rest of the salads were from the 'fridge - a barley salad and an ancient grains salad I made a couple of days ago, eggs, tomatoes, grilled chicken, hot peppers...
The chicken was a whole roaster done on the grill like a beer can chicken - except I used a vertical roaster. I liberally doused the chicken with Penzey's Mitchell Street Steak Rub and it grilled to perfection.
Chicken is going to be on the menu for a couple of days, I think...
Maybe tacos tomorrow night...
Summertime Salads
Beans and cucumbers - and a couple of hot peppers - are the first to be harvested, this year. I'm liking the slow start - it's giving us a chance to plan a bit. We also staggered some of the plantings so everything isn't ripening at once.
If I can pick a handful of beans every day, we can just add them to lunch or dinner and stay on top of things. The cucumbers, on the other hand, are going to be out of control pretty quick. I'm working on a canning recipe.
The first of the beets are almost ready and tomatillos and tomatoes are not far behind. The eggplant is taking its time, but... I'm sure it will be going crazy in a few weeks. At least we got smart and only planted one.
And then there are the peppers... It's gonna be hot sauce heaven, this fall!
We're eating lots of produce nowadays and sharing one steak between the two of us where once upon a time we would each have our own. And making our own salad dressings.
I think I'm spending less time in the kitchen than I ever have - and we're eating better and enjoying it more.
I think there's a lesson in there for me, somewhere.....