Tonight's Dinner

Tonight I cooked a delicious, healthy meal. I think I mentioned before about my previous addiction to eating out. Well, that issue has been almost entirely resolved, and I'm preparing my breakfast, lunch and dinner at home at least 6 days out of the week. (On the seventh day I do enjoy an entire day of eating out, but I make much better choices than I used to - more on that in another posting.)

Some of the recipes I was making for a while were a bit complicated, so tonight I thought I'd take it easy on myself. I baked a boneless chicken breast with just a small touch of olive oil and salt, and a bunch of red and black pepper, topped with jalapeños. Then I cooked some couscous and some frozen peas. The entire meal took 30 minutes to prepare. And even though it wasn't as complicated as some of the meals Rachel Ray prepares in the same amount of time, I enjoyed it just as much.

I'm still on track with my diet, although I've hit a plateau at just under 380 pounds. But I'm steady, and eating healthy has me feeling worlds better than I did before. I'm supposed to see my trainer at the gym on Monday or Tuesday, so I'll be increasing my exercise very soon and hope to begin to shed pounds again soon.

My weight loss regime inspires me to cook!

I've been having some early success since I started my new diet and exercise regimen. For about a week now I've been losing two pounds a day. I'm now weighing in at 382 pounds! If I keep this up I'll be down to about 350 by the time I head back to Philly for a long weekend next month. The last time I flew - to Acapulco in August - I was at my heaviest; I was lucky to squeeze into that American Airlines seat (they are the widest of the domestic carriers, I've found). And I was fortunate that the flight attendant supplied me with a seat belt extender. This time I believe I, and the person sitting in the middle seat beside me, will be much more comfortable.

Anyway, as the title of this blog states, my new diet and exercise regime has inspired me to get back into the kitchen and cook. I've been reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows for inspiration, including 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes (Agate Publishing) and Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meals. My step-mother has also been a good how-to resource. So tonight, I was ready to wing it. Here is what I came up with:

Tomato, Chick Pea and 7-Grain Stew

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil, 4 to 5 tablespoons
garlic, 4 cloves
onion, ½, chopped
cumin, ¾ tablespoon cumin
sweet Paprika, ¾ tablespoon sweet paprika
cinnamon, ½ tablespoon
vegetable stock, non-fat, 3 cups
stewed tomatoes, two 17 oz. cans
chick peas, 1 large can
Kashi 7-Grain Pilaf, cooked, 2 cups
plain non-fat yogurt, 1 or 2 tablespoons per serving, depending on taste

Preparation

1. In a large sauce pan, prepare the Kashi 7-Grain Pilaf per instructions (use 1 cup dry grains)
2. In a covered stock pot, sauté garlic and onion for 10 minutes
3. Add cumin, sweet paprika and cinnamon (stir for 1 minute)
4. Add chick peas, stewed tomatoes and vegetable stock
5. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes
6. Add prepared Kashi 7-Grain Pilaf
7. Simmer for 20 minutes
8. Serve in a soup bowl with a dollop of non-fat yogurt


Try it...I think you'll like it!