Stir..."Fry"?

Alright, yes, yes. I know I've been slacking so here's this week's entry.  This one is actually not one of my recipes but it comes from two inspirations/stories.

I was hanging out with my buddy, Josh, one time.  We realized that we were both off from work one day and we decided that we would go work out one morning.  He ended up calling me the next morning and asked, "Dude, are we still playing racquetball today?"  I, of course, had completely forgotten and immediately replied, "Yeah, of course!" (Sorry, Josh, I'm totally confessing here).  So by that point, I had already done an hour cardio in the morning and was scheduled to do some weight training in the evening.  Adding one hour of racquetball, let's just say that I was pretty exhausted by Noon.  So after racquetball, Josh offered to cook lunch (who am I to deny food??).  Needless to say, he made the BEST stir fry I've ever had...All veggies and protein and hardly any fat!  I didn't feel guilty eating more than one bowl.  So Josh, I'm giving you props on this blog entry!

The other reason I'm writing this recipe is because I was challenged by one of my readers, Adam....and when I say "challenged," I really mean he asked me to come up with something and my OCD/Type A personality wanted to call it "A Challenge" because it sounds cool!  Adam is currently on a nutrition plan and can only eat certain types of food.  When I read his list, Josh's recipe instantly came to mind!

So here you go...For Josh's Stir "Fry," you'll need the following:
- 1 Squash
- 1 Onion
- Red/Green/Orange Bell Peppers (half of each)
- 1 Stalk of Broccoli
- Can of black beans
- Two eggs (or egg whites if preferred)
- Olive Oil (Josh uses peanut oil)
- Soy Sauce (may use the "low sodium" kind if preferred)
- Pepper Flakes

This process is a little cumbersome but it's a cheap way to make a TON of food!

Start by bringing a pot of water up to a boil.  Once the water boils, you'll want to throw the vegetables every minute.  Start with the vegetable that takes the longest to boil:  Broccoli.  Throw it in the water and start timing up to ONE minute.  Once it hits a minute, throw in the peppers (de-seed them and cut into large squares before hand).  At the next minute, throw in the onions (also cut into large squares).  At the third minute, throw in the squash (diced or cut into slices).  At the fourth minute, move some of the veggie around in the water so it does an overall boiling.  Immediately at the fifth minute mark, take the veggies out of the water into a colander and throw cold water on them.  This will stop the cooking process and ensure that the veggies are al-dente and not mushy!

Here's the fun and quick part.  Heat up a wok (or large pan), throw your oil.  While the oil is heating up, whisk the eggs and throw them in the wok.  Let them sit there but don't let them cook completely (pretend you're making scrambled eggs).  Halfway through the eggs cooking, throw the beans.  Let it cook some more (up to 75%) and finally throw the veggies.  Stir in some pepper flakes (These are HOT, so go easy!) and then throw in the soy sauce.  Stir everything around and serve!

Veggie Stir Fry

The whole process will take you about 20 - 30 minutes but you'll have a dish that you won't feel guilty eating!  You can store it in various containers and grab-n-go every day for lunch.

Also, the beautiful thing about this dish is that you can pick and choose whatever veggies and meats you'd like.  Just the other day, Josh brought some stir fry for lunch that had chicken and celery and completely skipped the eggs and beans! Make them your own or ask the man...he's the expert!

Chicken Cordon Bleu? Sort of...

"Chicken Cordon Bleu" served with Caprese Salad and Italian Bread

Yes...sort of.  Come now.  Did you really think I was going to write about a breaded-high-in-calories entree? I've got to confesssomething about this dish...and I'm actually going to Quentin Tarantino this story.  Remember, the Wrapped Asparagus from last week's post? Well, that was actually a dish made from this main dish's leftover...Yeah, no joke!  Quick Apps was the ending of this story.

Ok, so what makes this Chicken Cordon Bleu ("CCB" as the cool kids call it) a "sort-of"?

Well, let's work our way out and into the center of it all.  For starters, this dish is not breaded...AT ALL!  I still use the traditional chicken breast or chicken cutlets.  Normally, Chicken Cordon Bleu (CCB) is stuffed with ham.  My version includes Prosciutto (Remember that one item from the Wrapped Asparagus?).  I use cheese and finally, something different, asparagus...Also used in the Wrapped Asparagus.

Ok, so here's what you need to make this cooler, healthier, grown-up version of CCB:

- Chicken breast or chicken cutlets

- Prosciutto

- Sharp provolone cheese

- Asparagus

- Salt and Pepper

- Chicken Herb Seasoning

- Toothpicks

- Olive Oil

- Aluminum Foil

Alright, start layering.  Grab a chicken cutlet, salt and pepper one side.  Then, layer with a slice of prosciutto and provolone cheese.  Grab two stalks of asparagus and start rolling the cutlet around the stalk.  No need to cook the asparagus. They'll cook in a bit.  Make as many rolls as needed or wanted.  In order to keep the cutlets from unrolling, stick a toothpick through them.  

Heat up a pan to medium high with some olive oil.  Sprinkle some herb seasoning over the cutlets and place in the pan, seasoned side down. Season the top side of the chicken.  Cover the pan with foil and let the cutlets cook for 5 - 7 minutes.  Flip over, cover with the foil and cook the other side for another 5 - 7 minutes.  Time varies depending on the thickness of the chicken.  Once cooked.  That's it.  Ready to serve!

I admit it.  It's a little work intensive but, as always, you can make a bunch of rolls, pre-cook them and store them in the fridge only to heat up later.  Another tip, if you make your cutlets small enough, you can also make them appetizer size and serve in parties.  So cook up, eat up and enjoy...Trust me, you'll be very popular and impress folks with this dish!

Quick Apps!

As much as I would love for it to happen, you definitely can't get this "App" on the App Store!

Ok, let's discuss some scenarios:  A) You get home and arrive to find out that you have company coming in an hour; B) You got caught up at work and now have to rush home to prepare dinner; or C) You're literally starving and need food NOW!  Unfortunately, I can't get credit for this recipe but it's helped me out several times!

Use the following ingredients:

- Bunch of Asparagus

- Prosciutto

(Yeah...that's about it!)

Cut about an inch of the bottom of the asparagus.  Take about four stalks and wrap them in delicious (and oh, so yummy) prosciutto.  Spray them with olive oil spray and stick them in the oven on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Once cooked, sprinkle them with a little cheese and DONE!  (Total prep and cook time - 20 minutes!)

I know...the next question is how do you serve them?  Well, here are a few serving tips and suggestions: 

1)  Um...eat on its own.  Seriously...it's that good!

2)  Toast up some ciabatta or italian bread (or any bread you'd like).  Slice and serve each asparagus wrap on top of the bread (Drizzle some balsamic vinegar)

3)  If you want to get fancy and make it a meal...Drop some mixed greens onto a plate.  Add cherry tomatoes, mozarella cheese, avocado and balsamic vinegar.  Add the asparagus wraps on top of the salad.

The cool thing about this dish is that A) it's so versatile and nearly every home has asparagus lying around the fridge...you may only have to run out and get prosciutto; B) Each wrap is roughly about 60 calories; C) It's cheap! You can make a whole bunch of wraps under $10!  D)  Make a bunch of it and use it for different dishes (as the suggestions mentioned above)...Remember how on an earlier entry I mentioned that I would talk about extremely versatile food items? 

So far, my repeat ingredients in this entry alone have been mozarella cheese, cherry tomatoes and balsamic...Same as the Caprese Salad from a few days back.

So how's dinner so far?

Don't Get Mad...Get Glad!

If you're in a rush, one of the best ways to eat is to cook your food ahead of time.  Cook dishes that can make versatile meals through the week.  For example, make a huge batch of a side dish or grill your steaks and chicken on Sunday evening.  Ok, so you have a bunch of food in your fridge...why not eat it all now?  Well, that would defeat the purpose of containing your meals to serving sizes.

I usually try to keep in mind that the size of my fist is the serving size of any dish.  A piece of chicken or steak should be approximately the size of my fist, the vegetables that accompany my chicken should be the size of my fist, my carb of choice should also be the size of my fist...Get the gist? Your fist is approximately one cup of food.

Ok, so my fist is a serving size...now what? Well, pack your lunches ahead of time using your fist...or at least compare the food to the size of your fist.  Go out and buy food containers that will fit your meal.  If a container is larger than the size of both your fists then you're eating too much!  Glad containers have a great variety of tupperware in different shapes and sizes.  I'm partial to IKEA's PRUTA Food Savers...not only because it doesn't come with a billion parts necessary for built, but they're also cheap!

The come in various sizes that allow you to pack your food ahead of time, leave in the fridge and simply grab-and-go when you're ready.  When lunch time comes around, simply throw in the microwave and eat away.  It's like having a frozen meal that you created yourself...and the best part, you know exactly what ingredients went in your food!  So you can guarantee that it's both low in fat AND in sodium!

Caprese...Bruschetta...Whatever you want to call it...

OK, Jaime A, this entry is dedicated to you!

So while growing up, tomatoes were NOT one of my favorite vegetables (and/or fruit). I can't exactly tell you what happened along the way but I've found that tomatoes can be an extremely versatile food item...and tasty if done the right and certain way.  The following is one of my favorite side dishes that I eat with mostly everything.

Use the following items:
- 1 - 2 boxes of cherry (or cherub) tomatoes
- Mozzarella balls
- 1 to 2 cloves of garlic
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper

Start out by cutting the tomatoes in half and placing in a serving dish.  This will be the longest process in making this dish and it's probably the most tedious part but so worth it in the end.  Once your tomatoes are halved, cut the mozzarella balls in 2-4 pieces.  Add to the tomatoes.  Then, chop up the stalk of basil and add to the mix.  I love basil so I do use all of it!

Chop the garlic cloves and add to the mixture.  Be careful with this part! The garlic can make or break this dish.  If you love garlic, feel free to add the two cloves.  Otherwise, start with one clove and if you need more, add the second one!  Then, salt and pepper to taste.  Last, drizzle with equal parts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  If it's too biter, add more olive oil.  If it's too oily, add more vinegar until you find your taste.  No science to it.

That's all it takes! The best part about this dish is that you can make a big batch and let it sit in your fridge for upcoming meals.  The longer it sits in the ice box, the more the ingredients marinate and the yummier it tastes (not to mention that it saves you time during the week).  A few ways to eat it:  I like to eat it with a good piece of grilled steak or chicken, or throw it on top of angel hair spaghetti to make it Margherita style, or simply add it to toasted Italian bread and eat it by itself.

In a few blogs later, I'll write another variation of this awesome dish!  Enjoy and stay tuned...

Welcome to the Monologues!

So you like food but also like to keep conscious of what you eat?

As mentioned on the side tabs, this blog is meant to discuss tips for those who are always "on-the-go."  I, along with my various contributing writer counterparts, will attempt to fill you in on recipes, restaurants, supplies and any other tidbits that may help you make better choices in your everyday life whether you have the time to prepare for your day or simply in a rush!

You'll notice that many of the recipes will not have exact amounts.  Why, you ask?  We believe that cooking should not be an exact science and meals should be your own creation.  We simply follow the basic fundamentals.  For example, things like parmesan cheese are salty so you'll want to go easy on the salt when using these items in your meals.  Remember that it's always easier to add ingredients than it is to take away.  I find that most of my meals, even though the same, never taste alike (but they sure are yummy!).  So expand your mind and be creative!

I hope that this blog helps you in your everyday life.  If you have any tips or recommendations that you use in your everyday life, please feel free to reach out and share with us.  We'll love to have you published on our blog!