Cook Once, Eat 20 Times

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Sally Squires

Few things taste as good on a brisk winter morning as a steaming bowl of steel cut Irish oatmeal. This whole grain is not only hearty, but it also packs fiber, complex carbohydrates (which don’t raise blood sugar as high as simple carbs) and some protein.

Trouble is that few people have the half hour or so it takes to prepare this whole grain wonder on a busy weekday morning. So here’s how you can have your oatmeal–and eat it too: Make it ahead.

The secret? It takes no longer to cook a full pot of oatmeal than it takes to cook a single serving. On Saturday mornings when I am puttering around the house, I put on a full pot of oatmeal. We eat it for breakfast.

Once it cools, I measure the oatmeal into one cup servings.Each goes into sealable bag. The bags then go into a large plastic bag, which is put into the freezer, where they can remain for up to three months–although we always eat ours before that time.

It’s easy to take out one serving or several. On hurried days, I heat up my oatmeal in the microwave at work for about two minutes on high, then top with a little skim milk, slivered almonds and golden raisins. Yum! A half cup has 150 calories; a cup, 300 calories.

Some Lean Plate Club members say that they add a teaspoon or two of peanut butter for a nutty taste and more protein.Here are other methods to cook steel cut oatmeal. How about you? What do you do to make a tasty, nutritious breakfast easier?

Project Dinner: Blood Orange Chicken with Leeks

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Sally Squires

Cooking on a Friday night can feel like a drag. Or, it can be an opportunity to create and experiment, which is what I did recently after a busy week at work.

Rather than ordering takeout, we decided to make do with what was on hand. SItting in the ‘fridge waiting to be used was a bag of blood oranges. If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating this fruit, you’re missing a lot. On the outside, they look like an orange. On the inside they are true to their name. Slice them open to find a bright red color that rivals the red of a pomegranate. Blood oranges are rich in anthocyanins–potent antioxidants also found in red wine. They also pack fiber and vitamin C.

Scientists are still sorting out the many health benefits of anthocyanins, which may include protecting eye sight and prevention of such diseases as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Now the question was: how to incorporate blood oranges into dinner?

The answer came from the freezer. Inside were chicken thighs, chopped frozen leeks, frozen cubes of garlic and chopped cilantro (a great way to keep these ingredients on hand) plus, containers of cooked wild rice. Voila! The meal came together in a flash.

Step 1: Defrost the chicken thighs in the microwave.

Step 2: While they were thawing, I dropped the cubes of frozen cilantro and garlic into a nonstick pan along with a quick spray of virgin olive oil.

cubes of frozen minced garlic and frozen chopped cilantro

Frozen cubes of minced garlic and chopped cilantro

Step 3: Add the frozen leeks and let the mixture sautee on medium for about five minutes.

Not only do leeks and garlic taste great, but along with onions, chives and scallions, they are part of the group of allium vegetables, which research suggests may be helpful in cancer prevention. They also are low in calories and high in flavor–a great combination.

Step 4: Add the chicken thighs (about one per person) and some Greel Kalamata olives. Squeeze the juice from two blood oranges on the chicken. Simmer covered until the chicken is tender, adding more hand squeezed juice from the oranges as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about seven to 10 minutes.

Step 6: Defrost the frozen, cooked wild rice in the microwave. (Whenever I cook rice, I make the whole bag and then freeze cooked portions for quick use later. )

So how did this experiment turn out? As the flavors filled the house, a family member who had planned on eating dinner out, stopped by the kitchen before a workout and said, “Wow, that smells really good. Is there enough for me to eat dinner too?”

What are you cooking these days that is healthy and great tasting? How are you being creative in the kitchen? We’d love to hear all about it.

Eating On the Road…Again

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Sally Squires

Who says that you can’t eat healthfully when traveling? Wolfgang Puck offers this delicious butternut squash soup, which I savored this week at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. To round out the meal, I added a small Greek salad. Both were delicious and healthy.

“Here’s your healthy food,” the waiter said when he delivered my meal. The guy next to me took one look and declared, “I’ll cancel that out easy. Give me a pizza!”

Ah well, what are your food warrior stories? Are you finding it easier–or harder–to get delicious, healthful food when you travel?

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Monthly Archives: February 2012

Cook Once, Eat 20 Times

Project Dinner: Blood Orange Chicken with Leeks

Eating On the Road…Again