Jane’s still working on the technicals of the book release and I’m starting the next outline, so both of us are mentally occupied—
Rainy and near freezing. But I’ve got to head out to the store to get some necessities or we starve. One thing about a mostly-fresh vegetable diet, no frozens, it does mean you have to go to the grocery store often.
Had a new one last night, South Beach AND Jane’s diet legal: bring to boil one diced chicken breast, skinless, in small saucepan. 1/4 cup mild green chili (verde) sauce [canned], 1 small can Ortega green chilies, diced, one heaping tbs sour cream [light], 2 low carb tortillas—grande. Heat tortillas, put in long ramekins, open, spoon hot chicken mix into same, fold tortillas into burritos, top with handful of shredded jack-cheddar mix, microwave 2 minutes each. Top with tsp sour cream and a few jalapeno slices and a dash of hot dark chili powder for kick and color. Serve with side salad. THAT tasted like the best of Mexican restaurants. Definite do-again.
Sounds delicious! Probably be even better with fresh green chilies. I also find that the hot canned tomatoes (i.e. Ortega) with chili peppers are far spicier than canned green chilies.
Have you thought about substituting a non-fat yogurt for the sour cream? That might bring the calorie count down if that’s an issue and adds probiotics if you use live-culture yogurt. I personally like Nancy’s organic non-fat yogurt.
If you aren’t too worried about plant-based fats, how about smooshing a nice avodado with your dairy (sour cream or yogurt) + chilies/powder topper? You might be able to eliminate the cheese if you add the heartiness of avocado instead. Chop up a little cucumber to add zip/texture and provide some diuretic effects at the same time.
Yogurt does work well in that instance. I had a Japanese roommate who would substitute it in for a lot of things of that nature that aren’t commonly used in Japan. Still felt weird putting it on my potato.
I’ve been eating lettuce wraps for lunch lately. A side effect of watching too much Korean drama. They are yummy though.
That sounds good.
My lunches at the moment consist of whatever vegetables are to hand, fresh or leftovers, sautee with olive oil, break an egg into it, cover, and cook on low until the egg is as you like it. Season with whatever strikes your fancy. Tasty and filling.
good ideas!
I reverse-engineered the Quiznos cheddar-broccoli soup by popular demand. It is a one-pot meal and retains a lot of the vitamins and minerals, because you don’t pour off the liquid from simmering the veggies, just incorporate it into the soup.
That sounds good!
@haika: A non-fat sour cream would be acceptable.
I’m glad I didn’t see guacamole in that recipe. Yuck! Yes,I know it contains mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and avocados are supposed to be good for you, but as the oldest of 6 brothers, I remember what Gerber Strained Peas looked like coming out of the jar, and then later, seeing the strained peas at the other end of the alimentary canal. Terrible visual image, I know…..
The concern I would have with canned chilies or with the canned tomatoes with chilies is the sodium content. I’ve never seen either of those products in a low-salt formula.
Off topic: There’s a great graphic image that’s been created by artist Ward Shelley about the history of sci-fi. For folks who haven’t seen it, it’s here:
http://scimaps.org/submissions/7-digital_libraries/maps/thumbs/024_LG.jpg
(Clicking on it makes it big enough to read.)
C.J.’s Downbelow Station is included in the middle of the triangle formed by Hard, Space Opera, and New Space Opera.
That is a very cool map.
Some of my local supermarkets have ready-to-cook veggies. Today, for example, I bought a ready-to-nuke package of broccoli and cauliflower (in several colors; the colors don’t disappear when it’s cooked). They also have stir-fry combinations and things like ready-to-cook asparagus.
Words of wisdom: If you’re going to cook something with yogurt, add a little flour or cornstarch, or the yogurt will curdle. Unless you don’t mind that, of course.
Both sour cream and hard cheeses, such as swiss and cheddar, in their low fat incarnations tend to break when heated. I don’t seem to have a problem when using Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. But I *think* it’s difficult to heat sour cream to anything above a very low simmer.