Tag: Cooking

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 New York Strip steaks that are about the same size
salt, to taste
onion powder, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
paprika, to taste
1 large or 2 small russet potatoes
3 carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon pepper
10 blades chives
¼ cup shredded Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheese

Directions:
Place steaks on a broiler pan. Sprinkle with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Place in the oven and broil on high, flipping occasionally, until done. (I like mine well done, so there is no pink in the center.) While the steak is in the oven, wash and peel carrots and potatoes. Cut into matchstick strips. Put 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat on medium-high heat for one minute. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook, stirring for one minute. Stir in water. Cover and steam shaking the pan occasionally for 6 minutes or until the water has evaporated. If the carrots and potatoes aren’t soft, add more water and continue cooking. If there is still water in the skillet when the carrots and potatoes are soft, drain the water out of the skillet. Stir in butter and pepper. When the butter has melted, sprinkle with chives and cheese and stir until combined. Have with a glass of water.

Serves: Many

Ingredients:
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
10 pea pods
English cucumber, to taste (Not pictured, because I was out.)
buttermilk ranch dressing, to taste (The brand I buy has 1g sugar in 2 tablespoons.)
roasted and salted sunflower nuts, to taste (The brand I buy has 1g sugar in 1/4 cup.)

Directions:
Wash vegetables. Peel carrots. Chop vegetables and toss with a small amount of dressing. Sprinkle with sunflower nuts. Have with a glass of water. You can eat this salad at home, or take it on the go. If you do take it with you, pack the dressing and the sunflower seeds separately and add them to the vegetables right before you’re ready to eat so the vegetables and the nuts stay crunchy. Great to take to a potluck, so you know there will be at least one thing you can eat without guilt.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 russet potato
1 box frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and cheese sauce
1 serving sliced deli turkey breast, or any cooked turkey (optional)*

Directions:
Scrub the potato and pat it dry with a paper towel. Poke holes in the potato with a fork. Cook the potato on a paper towel in the microwave for 5 minutes or until the skin has started to shrivel like your fingers in the bathtub. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil. Cook broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and cheese sauce according to package directions. Cut turkey breast into small pieces. When cheesy vegetables are done, measure out one serving (according to nutrition label). Refrigerate leftover cheesy vegetables in an airtight container to have as a side with another meal. Mix turkey breast and cheesy vegetables together. Cut the potato in half and score the inside. Top the potato with the cheesy vegetables and turkey mixture. Have with a glass of water. *If you omitted the meat, have with 1 serving (according to nutrition label) of milk.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 apple, preferably Braeburn
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1-1.5 oz. ham steak*

*I like to use a fully cooked hickory smoked ham steak. According to the package directions, it can be heated up in the microwave in a covered dish with 1/4 cup water for 4 minutes. If your grocery store doesn’t sell that, any cooked ham will work.

Directions:
Wash, peel, and chop apple. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook until apples are soft, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Heat ham. When it is time to eat, divide the apple mixture into thirds. Put one third on your plate with the ham. Put the other two thirds in two airtight containers and store in the refrigerator. You can heat these up in the microwave later to have as a snack or a side with a different meal. Have the ham and apples with a glass of water.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 package frozen sweet potato fries
¼ lb. lean ground beef (I buy 93% lean/7% fat)
1 tablespoon ketchup
3 tablespoons water
1 hamburger bun. (I buy a brand that is made with an enriched flour because I haven’t found one I like that is made with whole grains.)*
Pickle spear

*Several months after posting this recipe, I did find a hamburger bun I like made with organic whole grain wheat flour. The bun made with enriched flour is pictured.

Directions:
Look to see how many grams of sugar are in the bun and the ketchup to figure out how many fries you can have without going over 10g. For example, the nutrition label on the products I bought said the bun had 3g and the ketchup had 4g. That left 3g for the fries which equaled ½ serving. Preheat oven. Put the amount of fries you can eat on a baking sheet. Bake according to package directions. Break ground beef into small pieces while browning it in a small skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When the ground beef is no longer pink, drain grease from pan, if there is any. Stir in ketchup and water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid has reduced. Spoon meat onto bun. Serve with fries, pickle spear, and a glass of water.