Sunday Night Supper

I'm on a 12-week program.

12 weeks to ultimate, beach-ready, totally ripped body perfection.

12 weeks of eating as clean as possible and working out 5 days a week until my triceps are sharp enough to cut glass and I can actually refute my theory that I was born without ab muscles.

12 weeks of 'failure is not an option, for fear of ultimate photographic humiliation forever more.'

Ok, so that last one sounds a little harsh. Full disclosure: 12 weeks from today one of my best friends of all time will be getting married. Just about everyone I've interacted with for the last 10 years of my life will be in attendance and let's just say that despite a full year now of eating well and working out extremely consistently, I still have a ways to go before I'll look my best.

I originally was supposed to start this wedding-ready journey at the start of the year but, well, you could say I gave myself some leeway. So now it's crunch time. One pound a week of puuure bodyfat to burn.

I'll let you know how it goes.



To help the process along, I've limited myself to one night of eating out per week. Not only does it help the wallet, but it keeps you accountable for ingredients, portions, and not indulging in 8 glasses of wine to pass the time.

I'd been dying to make this Spinach and Chickpea recipe I came across on Smitten Kitchen. Besides just sounding delicious, it requires ingredients I almost always have on hand already. Plus it's Spanish (oooh exotic!), vegetarian (vegan, even), and super filling.

I decided to add tofu for a little extra protein (and chunkiness) and to help make it more of a main entree type dish. It worked like a charm. After one bowl I was stuffed and still had enough for 2 more servings. And you know is the kind of recipe that you can just tell gets better after it sits and all the flavors meld together, too.

Needless to say, I can't wait for lunch tomorrow.

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound spinach, washed
1/3 pkg extra firm silken tofu (the kind in the vacuum packed boxes), cut into 1 inch cubes
A hefty 1-inch slice from a country loaf or about 2 slices from sandwich loaf breadcrusts removed and cut/torn into small cubes
1/2 cup (4 ounces) tomato sauce (I used canned pasta sauce and it worked just fine)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, to taste


Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add half the olive oil. When it is hot, add the spinach with a pinch of salt (in batches, if necessary) and stir well. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain in a colander and set aside.

Add tofu cubes to a separate skillet greased lightly with olive oil. Sautee until golden brown on all sides and set aside.

Heat 2 more tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bread for about 5 minutes or until golden brown all over, then the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic, cumin and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more or until the garlic is nutty brown.


Transfer to a food processor, blender or mortar and pestle along with the vinegar, and mash to a paste. *I think I got a tad too generous with the vinegar here, so keep it light as it really came through strong in the final dish. If the paste is dry you can always add a little water to help.

Return the mixture to the pan and add the drained chickpeas, tofu, and tomato sauce. Stir until the chickpeas and tofu have absorbed the flavors and are hot. Season with salt and pepper.


If the consistency is a little thick, add some water. Add the spinach and cook until it is hot. Check for seasoning and serve with smoked paprika on top, or on fried bread toasts (as the Spanish do).

Adventures with Seitan

I'm not vegan. I never have been and most likely never will be (for more than maybe, a week). In fact, I'm not even vegetarian.

I love chicken, and fish, and a good al pastor taco. I was raised by a French mother who made sure traces of brie cheese and saucisson (which I didn't know was actually called 'salami' until I was about 10) ran in my blood at all times. I'm addicted to ice cream, and while I can respect a good soy ice version, you will never get me to give up hazelnut gelato. Ever.

But it's for these reasons I actually really, really enjoy vegan food. There's something so mysterious about a dish that can taste so good while being devoid of all the things that conventional cooking and baking consider 'essentials'. Butter. Milk. Cheese. Bacon. It's fascinating, really. They make cheese out of nuts! They squeeze milk out of beans! They make a substance easily mistakable for meat out of gluten they've squeezed out of wheat and then turned into flour! C'mon, that's gotta easily rival some feats of molecular gastronomy.

This uber-geekiness about food-swap chemistry has given me a serious itch to learn how it all works. I've recently added 4 vegan/veggie cookbooks to my collection, and after spending some time reading through them and picking up the basics, one of the recipes that caught my eye was for seitan.

I've eaten seitan plenty of times, but it would have never occurred to me that it was something I could make at home. Au contraire! This stuff is amazingly simple and consists of a mere two ingredients. It's not the prettiest method of madness, but it's essentially foolproof and can take your veggie home cooking a million different directions.

Last night, the curiosity took over. And so my Adventure with Seitan commenced:

(recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman)

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
  
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 6 cups vegetable stock or water

Put 1 cup of vital wheat gluten in a bowl or food processor. Add 3/4 cup of water and stir or pulse until all flour and water is incorporated. The result will be a big rubbery ball of mass tinted something kind of grayish yellow and certainly not appetizing.

Knead (for what it's worth) for 5 minutes by hand. Apparently this part is very crucial even though you'll constantly be thinking This can't possibly be doing anything beneficial. It is. Or so they say. Once you're finished, place the ball in a bowl covered with a towel to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Once the ball is done resting, take it out and cut it into two separate pieces. Pull and stretch out each portion into a log-like mass as best you can. Don't worry about visuals here. They're not going to be pretty no matter how you try.

Next mix up a the veggie stock or water with the 1/2 cup soy sauce in a pot. For 'golden' seitan, mix the stock with 1/2 cup white wine or apple juice and a little salt if you're using water instead of stock.Place both pieces into the liquid and bring liquid to a boil before reducing heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about an hour, turning over a couple times in the process. Once the hour is up, let the seitan fully cool while still in the liquid.

Store seitan in a sealed container with some of the liquid until ready to use.


My attempt didn't come out much prettier than what you see above (yes, that's two blobs, not one).

After a day of rest I removed it from its liquid container and sliced up a few pieces for some Seitan Fajitas:

-Slice off an appropriate portion of seitan and pat down to remove some of the liquid.
-Saute one green + one red bell pepper + half an onion in a bit of olive oil until the peppers soften and the onion starts becoming translucent.

-Add the seitan, cut into pieces.
-Sprinkle on cumin and chili powder (about a tsp). Saute until onions and seitan are both slightly browned.

Place into tortilla and top with cheese (I used Almond-based 'Pepper Jack') and salsa as you like.

Photo courtesy of EcoSalon

'Stress Eating'

Today was one of those days.

It started out just fine - despite the torrential, almost blinding downpours that render LA into utter paralysis. Or the fact that some of us pour souls still have to trek to work on a national holiday.

Usually the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof will put me at ease, zone me out, and perhaps even make me productive. But sometimes a little thing called 'ahh why is today so friggin crazy!' happens and throws you off your rocker. Sometimes, by the end of the day, all you want to do is curl up in a ball, barrel through an entire bag of M&Ms (the BIG bag of course) and zone out to some Jersey Shore. Of course, then all you did was lose a few brain cells and gain 2,000 calories.

So what did I do to re-zen myself?

1) Worked Out
Unless you are absolutely beside yourself in emotion, working out can do wonders for a mini bout of depression. Whether it's distraction, meditation, or getting out aggression, just remember that pumping up that heart rate releases Serotonin (aka your body's natural HAPPY drug!), so guaranteed you'll walk away feeling a buttload better than you went in. So do it. Sweat a little. My method of choice today? 20 minute warmup on the elliptical followed by an hour sesh of kickboxing. There's nothing like punching the crap out of something for an hour to release a little tension.

2) Cooked Up A Frenzy
I'd heard of those crazy women who bake vast quantities of goods in the midst of tragedy. Sadly, although nothing is 'tragic' - I'm slowly learning that I, too, cook to de-stress. Of couse, this doesn't mean I ATE it all. I just had some veggies and other goods that needed immediate action before spoiling set in. Mama said don't think of it as throwing away food, think of it as throwing away money. That wilted bag of salad you never got to? $3.50, sista. So yeah, freeze it, cook it, SUMTHIN. And I did just that.

Today's menu was homemade pasta sauce courtesy of some leftover crushed tomatoes I used in chili yesterday.


14oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 of an onion
3 cloves garlic
small handful of capers
tsp oregano
tsp basil
dash of dried chili flakes
salt
cracked black pepper

-sautee the garlic and onions in 1tbsp of olive oil until onions are translucent
-add crushed tomatoes and stir occasionally as it warms
-add basil, oregano, salt, pepper, capers, and chili flakes to taste.

Puttanesca is by far my favorite pasta sauce, so this definitely has a bit of that mediterranean flavor. The best thing about homemade pasta sauce is you can do whatever the heck you want with it. Add wine, bacon, vodka, cheese, whatever (not all at once, duh). Kinda makes you never want to buy that bottled stuff again.

Next up was crimini mushrooms sauteed in garlic and olive oil with a bit of some leftover zucchini. I like to make my zucchini fettuccine style with a veggie peeler (see below). This little mix is perfect mixed into pasta with a little olive oil and parmesan - or as I like to do it the low carb way - just shred enough zucchini to make a full bowl of 'pasta' and then add that homemade sauce above right on top. Mmm, veggie extravaganza!

And just to mix it up a little with that leftover zucchini:

Crispy Zucchini Chips:

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 egg whites (or egg beaters/replacement)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
cracked black pepper to taste

Prehead oven to 475 degrees
-Mix the bread crumbs with the parmesan and black pepper in a bowl
-Place the egg whites in a separate bowl
-Dip the zucchini rounds into the egg whites and then place in bowl of bread crumbs, fully coating each round with mixture.
-Place onto baking sheet, lightly greased
-Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Take sheet out and flip over each round. -Place back into oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until crispy and brown on the outside. Serve with ranch or marinara sauce.


Of course, I've always said I work the best under stressful conditions. I'd call this a pretty productive and decidedly tasty night. Peace out, stress.



Oh yeah, a little vino always works, too.

Recipe of the Week

Courtesy of one of my favorite inbox delights: The Jillian Michaels Newsletter! I love the idea of pasta alternatives like Tofu Shiritaki noodles, or my new favorite, zucchini! The best part about this recipe is how stinkin' easy it is. Oh, and if you didn't know, you could eat like 8 pounds of zucchini before it would see the light of your hips. But of course, watch the meat and cheese parts of the one below (*wink*).


A Healthy Pasta Alternative
Craving pasta? Well, even though you've stepped up your workout routine, it's not time to start carb loading yet! I've swapped your usual pasta for a low-carb and highly nutritious version made with zucchini.

Veggie Pasta With Italian Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:
2 small zucchini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, diced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 pound cooked Italian chicken sausage, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Instructions:
Using a vegetable peeler and turning the zucchini as you go, slice the zucchini into ribbons.
In a skillet, over medium heat, sauté zucchini in 1 tablespoon of oil until it's soft and the edges are clear.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in another pan, over medium heat, and add garlic.
Sauté for a minute, then add the tomatoes and oregano.
Simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the sausage.
Spoon sauce over the zucchini. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Makes 2 servings
Nutrition information per serving: 309 calories, 29 g total fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 324 mg sodium.

RAWvolutionary Eating

What's more Vegan than Vegan? RAW Vegan. If you're anywhere in the LA area and know more than, say, 10 people, there's a decent chance you know one of these non-cooked food ninjas. As they say in these parts, Raw is "so hot right now." Cooking pun not intended.

I'm not sure that I could be a faithful follower of a 100% all raw diet (neither could my bank account), but faithfuls will sing the praises of its benefits including more energy, clearer skin, and better digestion. Dreaming of plates teeming with salad and sashimi? Well first of all sorry, sushi's not included. Second, any Raw Foods chef will tell you it's not all as easy (or cheap) as it sounds. But, if done right, Raw food can be made to taste even BETTER than the cooked stuff. Not to mention, your menu choices are so nutritionally dense and vitamin-packed, you'll end up more energized, require less food, produce less cravings, and be free from the toxins and additives you'd get from that bag of Doritos. Mmmm... MSG! (Kidding)

So what is Raw eating exactly? The almighty About.com clears up a few FAQ's here

In short: no faces (or anything that comes from something with a face), no heating above 104 degrees, no oils (unless cold packed), no chemicals or preservatives, and that's just the start of the "No" list. But with the use of nut butters, milks, and cheeses, as well as flax seeds and tons of sauce options, foods like "pizza" and "cheesecake" are far from forbidden. In fact, raw cheesecake might be one of the best desserts I've ever had. Try it. I dare you.



Intrigued and curious? Your local Whole Foods most likely has a few ready-made options to whet your taste buds. If you're in LA, places like Planet Raw in Santa Monica and Leaf Organics have a full menu and classes on 'cooking' raw to boot. Some say that even a 75-95% Raw diet can produce significant benefits than even Vegan diets alone. Perhaps the greatest benefit I've found from my handful of Raw meal adventures: even the biggest Raw smorgasbord will make the words "food coma" a thing of the past.

Pump Up The Jams

First things first, you ain't gonna get your butt moving properly without some good tuneage, and today just happened to be a good day for bootie shakers.

Here's a motivational mix by miss Daisy O'Dell - it's all one track, but hell-ooo, who wants to stop mid-mile to switch to a new song anyway, right? And, for all imperative purposes, it includes the only song to simultaneously get every clubber on the dance floor - "Poison" by BBD. I haven't tested the beats for spinning class just yet, but make of it what you will, eh?

Work Out Really Hard For 30 Minutes - Daisy O'Dell

TRACKLISTING
Let's get physical - Goldfrapp
Body Work - Hot Streak
DO IT LIIIIVE!!! (DiscoTech Mix) - Bill O'Reilly
Boot it Again (Mowgli Mix) - Chemical Brothers
Workout Plan - Kanye West
Dangerous (Night Facilities Remix) - Busta Rhymes
I'm The Ish - DJ Class
I'll House You (Reebok Classic '09) - Kid Sister
Clap That Ass (Tomboy Remix) - Larry Tee
Titts' Diner (Tom's Diner Remix) - Suzanne Vega
Just Fine (Degree's handleitjusfine Remix) - Mary J Blige
Work Is Never Over - Diplo
Get Low (Wax Motif n Hugga Thugg Remix) - Lil Jon
Shake It to the Ground (Air Jared Remix) - Blaqstarr & Rye Rye
Get Up - Technotronic
Ooh La La - The Wiseguys
Leader of the Pack (DJ Kue Remix) - The Shangri-Las
Poison - Tittsworth
An Open Letter To NYC (Chew Fu Refix) - Beastie Boys
I Love NY - Drop The Lime
Say Whoa - A-Trak
B.O.O.T.A.Y. (Krames Edit) - Bangers & Cash
Shuv It (Disco D Blend) - Santogold

Happy sweating!

Say Wha?

Alright, so admittedly, I'm not so sure quite what the format is here, but the idea is to get random, have fun with it, etc. Perhaps the title is fitting - a sortof mish mash, throw it against the wall-type collage of fitness, nutrition, motivation, and my own personal progress along the way.

You know... like nit wit... crazy... uh, get it? Um, yeah.

As a sort of sampling, here's what you might see along the way:

Recipes
Weekly Workout
What I Ate (good AND bad)
General (sensical) nonsense