A great looking smoothie. Now to find some cranberries! Looks like it has gobs of sugar though so watch out for that!
Showing posts with label Recipes and Nutrition Plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes and Nutrition Plans. Show all posts
Can't Believe It's Oven Fried Chicken
When I was a child, my grandmother cooked chicken so many ways and she taught me all of them, but today we are making fried chicken. The first way I learned to make chicken was in a pressure cooker. It was simple-- put the chicken in the basket, lower the basket, turn the knob, and wait for the bell to ding. Perfectly crispy and juicy chicken every time.
The second way I learned to fry chicken was to deep fry it on the stove. (I think the pressure cooker broke because I never saw it again.) Here is a tip: Watch the bubbles. When you first put the chicken in, the bubbles are really large. As the chicken cooks, the bubbles get smaller. That helps you tell which pieces are done. It think it has something to do with the amount of water coming out of the chicken.
Finally, I learned to oven fry chicken. I have been oven frying chicken since I was about 13 years old. It is my preferred method of cooking chicken because I love fried chicken but I HATE (can't emphasize that enough) cleaning up grease. I hate cleaning the splatters! I hate cleaning the pot! I hate trying to find newspaper so I can throw the grease away! I hate the guilt of dumping it down the drain! I HATE CLEANING UP AFTER FRYING!!!
So anywho, I have several recipes for wing sauces on this blog. I put them here to save until I can try them out. Since I missed the chance to join my friend in going out for wings the last few weeks, I decided that there was no better time to try one out. But again, I don't like frying; and besides, I am supposed to be trying to lose weight. Fried chicken is not a part of my lifestyle change.
So today, I oven fried some chicken. Here is the way I got it perfectly crispy and golden brown.
I will be back with the seasoning mix I used. My mother mixed it up in much the same way as my grandmother did. I know it is salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and paprika. I just don't know how much of each. I do know it is about half seasoning salt. The paprika makes the chicken that perfect golden brown you see in the picture!
I thawed the chicken in a bit of salt water.
Then I sprinkled the mixed seasonings generously over the chicken. And I do mean generously! Leave no chicken not red!!
Then I poured olive oil over the seasoned chicken, coating it lightly.
Then I breaded the chicken in the following:
5 T. flour
3 T. panko bread crumbs
2 T. Parmesan cheese
Here is a tip for breading: Put the breading ingredients in a bag and shake to mix them. Then, put the chicken in the mixed breading in the bag. My grandmother used to bread her chicken in doubled grocery bags. Works great and is very economical!
I put the chicken in a greased pan and sprayed the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
I baked the chicken for 35 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Now we all know ovens vary so you may need to adjust the cook time, but this should get you started.
Here are pictures. I served them with garlic green beans.
J
Making Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
Sometimes you just want to try something new! I remember trying coconut milk ice cream sandwiches and liking them. But I know that the processed crap that passes for coconut milk is probably worse than the organic milk we buy so I began to wonder how hard it is to make. Turns out it isn't hard at all and a natural by product happens to be coconut flour! Who would have thunk?
Anywho, apparently, almond milk is made in much the same manner, go figure! So, here are the recipes, I will be trying the coconut milk recipe first as I want to make my coconut pineapple piña colada wings and it seems to be more suited for use in ice cream. (For more ice cream recipes, type ice cream in the search box on this blog. It really is a shame and a bit embarrassing about the ice cream posts, but just in case you and ice cream have the same star crossed love affair...)
It is really quite easy if you have a blender or a food processor.
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes or raw almonds
2 cups water
Soak the coconuts or almonds to soften them. The coconuts will need to soak 2 hours and the almonds will need to soak 8 to 12 hours.
Blend well. This means 3 to 5 minutes in a blender or 2 minutes in a food processor.
FOR ALMONDS: This will yield a very thick almond paste. You will likely want to add about 6 more cups of water to make the almond milk into milk.
FOR COCONUTS: You may want to add 4 teaspoons of sugar if you would like sweetened coconut milk. (Perhaps for a recipe such as the wings linked above.)
Pour through a cheese cloth* and squeeze to strain. (NOTE TO SELF: Keep the pulp!)
Refrigerate up to 5 days. You can boil it to make it last longer if you want.
NOW, THE PULP CAN BE USED TO MAKE FLOUR.
Simply spread on a baking sheet (which can be lined with parchment paper) and put it in the oven on the lowest setting until it dries out. Blend it until it is finer, and voila! Flour!
P.S. I have read that you can make milk twice from your coconut pulp. So before making coconut flour, use your pulp to make milk again. This time use a 2:3 ration of coconut to water.
*Cheese cloth can also be used. I have also seen bloggers use a cotton pillow case and a 18-24 inch square of 100 percent polyester Swiss voile, which is what I recommend.
Now you can use your milks and flours to make stuff!! Be sure to use recipes that have been tried. Unless you have time, money, and the patience to experiment, in which case, please send me the recipes you make!
Almond flour is good for breading your meats for frying as it less absorbent than the coconut flour. Your coconut flour is better for baking things like breads, pancakes, and cakes. When you bake with coconut flour, you will inevitably have a higher protein food as you need to use more eggs than with wheat flour.
Below are links to some recipes that I want to try myself!
Coconut milk ice cream: http://mamasweeds.com/2013/08/13/homemade-coconut-milk-ice-cream/
Coconut four brownies: http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/62891/Cocoa-Brownies-with-Organic-Coconut-Flour
Coconut flour bread: http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/62722/Home-Baked-Grain-Free-Organic-Coconut-Flour-Bread
Coconut flour pancakes: http://www.nourishingdays.com/2011/11/grain-free-and-dairy-free-fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes-revisited/
Almond milk chocolate frozen custard: http://minimalistbaker.com/dairy-free-chocolate-ice-cream/
I don't know what xantham gum is, but I plan on putting a banana in to thicken and sweeten. Remember that it needs to be slightly sweeter when warm for it to taste right cold!
Nutella using coconut or almond milk: http://allsortsofpretty.com/how-to-make-nutella-and-skip-those-nasty-additives/
FINALLY, THESE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ALMOND OR COCONUT MILK OR FLOUR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ADD THEM ON HERE.
How to make almond butter: http://allsortsofpretty.com/how-to-make-almond-butter/
How to make coconut oil: http://therenegadekitchen.com/how-to-make-coconut-milk-and-oil/
UPDATE: Milkshake using banana as a thickener and base, but it still want to experiment with using the eggs as well! http://allsortsofpretty.com/clean-eating-chocolate-milkshake/
Lifehack 10 Unconventional Diet Tips to Lose 50 Lbs.
This man says he lost fifty pounds in three months using ten nontraditional tips: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-unconventional-diet-tips-how-to-lose-50-pounds-in-three-months.html
A Good Healthy Loaf of Bread
I was wondering how exactly you could make something as basic as bread "low calorie." So I googled it and found this wonderful thread on the topic. The thread discusses the benefits of various flours, how to lower glycemic index, and other health tips for bread baking. http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/17307/how-do-you-make-quotlight-calories-breadquot
I also found some articles about bread makers, in which I think I will invest when I get a house. This first article convinced me: http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/5-reasons-why-i-use-a-bread-machine
Then under the Related Articles, I found help selecting a bread maker machine, beginners tips, and how to convert a regular yeast recipe to a bread maker recipe! Yippee! She also has several recipes on her site as well! Yay!
I do believe the recipe made in the question thread is made in a bread maker, FYI.
Fifteen more easy yeast bread recipes for until I get that bread maker machine: http://www.budgetearth.com/easy-yeast-bread-rolls-recipes/
And for the vegans: http://www.effyeahitsvegan.com/1/post/2013/01/best-effin-rolls-ever.html
And a braid bread that looks simple enough: http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2013/02/18/daisy-braid-bread-fantastic-beginner-bread-recipe.html
And I also found this link about how to make bread in a Crock Pot slow cooker. There is a link to a recipe there as well: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/05/29/crock-pot-bread-baking-fast-bread-in-a-slow-cooker
And one more round up with tips on yeast: http://www.commonsensehome.com/bread-recipes/
And one more round up with tips on yeast: http://www.commonsensehome.com/bread-recipes/
36 Calorie Paleo Brownies
I am a total sugar-freak! I mean, I can't get enough of sweets. In my quest for a healthier lifestyle, I have realized that I just need to learn to eat better. I need to make healthier substitutions that I can live with. I keep seeing these Paleo brownies on Pinterest and wondered how they stacked up nutritionally with more traditional ones. I guess the title of the post gave away the answer.
I started by googling Paleo brownies. I was just wondering how they taste and how they compare caloriewise with the standard brownies. According to Calorie Counter, there are 243 calories in a 28 g piece of brownie.
I went on and found this recipe for Flour-less Paleo Brownies and put them into the The Self Nutrition Data Recipe Builder, which calculated them out to be 36 calories, 2.2 g fat, 9 g protien, 2.2 g carbohydrates, and .5 g of dietary fiber. I mean, this even beats most diet foods! (I did substitute 4 egg whites for two of the eggs.)
Hot and Tangy Beef from AllRecipes
I wanted Chinese food today so I made Hot and Tangy Beef from AllRecipes over brown rice.
Chicken nuggets and French fries from Skinnytaste
I recently told someone that I felt that I was having to learn to cook all over again. I was so glad to come across recipes for chicken nuggets and french fries that were a bit healthier.
Simple 100 Calorie Oven Baked French Fries
I modified the Baked Seasoned Fries recipe from SkinnyTaste to better suit my two year old's pallet. I am not sure he would have liked the others, and I wasn't going to buy seasonings that I really wouldn't need outside of that recipe. Check out the recipe that I used below.
Mason Jar Easy Clean-Up, No Spill Smoothies (not a recipe)
Everyone swears by smoothies and in my opinion, they will help me get the fruits and veggies in. Only problem is getting them made, cleaning the blender, and finding something to put them into until I have a moment to drink them, right? Enter the mason jar!
I Hurt My Knee! What do I do with this joint pain?
I hurt my knee. I think it is a torn meniscus or cartilage tear. I don't have health insurance so I can't see a doctor. This leaves me with the Internet. I will be trying the following plan. I won't stop moving though. My workouts help me remember to eat better. I will just be going super low impact.
Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas from SkinnyTaste Recipe Review
I tried the Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas from SkinnyTaste made with the Easiest Crock Pot Salsal Verde Chicken from Skinny Taste!
Change of Plans/New June Challenge
School is about to start back and I need a fitness routine that I can stick to. I am taking two summer school classes so time will be a hot commodity. For this reason, I am rescinding my original June 30 day challenge with the squats, planks, crunches and push ups with additional cardio in favor of a something more compact. I have chosen to do the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Slimdown. That is my new June Challenge. I will post when I feel it is necessary, but it is unlikely that I will post daily.
Wendy's Frosty Recipes
I am an ice cream freak! It really doesn't matter what type as long as it doesn't have nuts and is not a strange color like orange, blue, or rainbow. You cannot imagine how excited I was to find these copycat recipes for Wendy's Frosty only healthier!
There are three different recipes. Two are linked through Pinterest. (Two clicks to the recipe, but it is only fair to the person who developed the recipes.) I will likely use the seconds one as it requires the simplest ingredients, but the protein powder is likely a more advantageous addition than the cocoa powder.
DIY cooking spray
Mix 1 part oil and 5 parts water in a spray bottle. You can use any oil with which you would cook. That's it!
Eating Mexican This Week
In an effort to eat healthy, I will be looking to do more cooking and do so in a way that allows me the knowledge to make informed decisions. First, by cooking, I choose healthy ingredients. Second, by using recipes with nutrition information listed, I can understand my own consumption. So, I will be using these modified recipes to make healthier decisions.
I chose all Mexican dishes because many of the ingredients are common to more than one recipe. This means that if you find yourself at a grocery store, you will need to buy fewer items. (FYI, cilantro and coriander are the same thing and coriander may be cheaper.)
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