My parents are currently working through a diet which limits the intake of carbohydrates. Bread, pasta, rice, barley, oatmeal, corn, potatoes, sugars, alcohol, and all fruits are now off the menu. This has been somewhat of a challenge for we are a a sturdy, German-American family, and we like our starchy foods. But really, the diet is an attempt to reform the way one approaches food. Protein-rich foods like eggs, meats, poultry, and legumes should be staples of the diet, instead of highly processed flours and sugars. Needless to say, we have been eating a lot of lean meats and fresh vegetables. It's been a challenge to come up with carbohydrate-free meals that are enough to satisfy, but I think I'm getting better and better at it. Here is a sampling of dishes from this past week:
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
1) Soak 1/4 c sprouts in salted water for 30 minutes. Simmer on stove top until bright green. Drain.
2) Heat olive oil in cast iron pan. Cut sprouts into halves or quarters and add to pan. Cover.
3) Let cook until sprouts are caramelized. They should be tender with a light brown coat.
4) Serve HOT. Cold brussels sprouts are not at all appetizing.
Stuffed Peppers
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x9 casserole dish with olive oil.
2) Slice 2 large green peppers lengthwise, removing core, and washing out seeds. Place hollow side up in dish.
3) Heat olive oil in cast iron pan. Roughly chop 1 medium white onion, 1/4 head of broccoli, and a few raw almonds. Add both to pan. Cover and cook until onions are tender and light brown. Remove from heat.
4) Crumble fresh feta cheese into pan, tossing with onions and almonds. Heap spoonfuls of mixture into peppers, sprinkle with ground black pepper. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, then serve hot.
Curried Summer Squash
1) Slice 2-4 small squash lengthwise. Place slices in casserole dish and drizzle generous amounts of olive oil over them.
2) Sprinkle sea salt and curry powder in copious amounts over squash. Coat slices well, and let marinate in fridge for a few hours.
3) These are best grilled, but can be baked in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or so.
White Bean & Parmesan Salad
1) Drain 1 can each white butter beans and garbanzo beans. Rinse well and combine in large bowl.
2) Thinly slice 2 small summer squash or zucchini. Add to beans.
3) Grate 1/2 c fresh parmesan cheese. Add to bean & squash mixture.
4) Drizzle beans, squash, and parmesan with olive oil and juice from 1/2 of a lemon, sprinkle (sparingly) with sea salt and black pepper, and toss until well coated.
In our family there are always hits and misses with veggie dishes, but I think I'm getting to the point of compromise for everybody!
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Quick Update: Prepping for the GGSE
In 6 months or less, I will be leaving for the Great Graduate School Experiment. In the meantime, I have been whittling away at my abundance of free time. Here are some tidbits about my life since I last posted.
Work
-Traveled to Las Vegas for a trade show with my mom's company. It was a blast seeing the lights and action of Vegas, and I really liked working at the show!
-Finally everything is in line for me to become a substitute teacher in the local school district. I have desperately missed working with children, and I'm excited to be able to serve my community in a new way! My first scheduled teaching position is the last week of October, but perhaps I'll find a few other opportunities along the way.
-The daughter of a family friend swims six days a week, and I've been helping to transport her to and from her swim practices. It's a blessing to help out a friend, and spending so much time driving also allows me to take in the beauty of fall in New England.
-November vacation camp with the recreation department is all ready to go. My co-camp director and I are so excited to be offering a two-day camp exploring the origins of Thanksgiving-- including a trip to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts (my future dream job)!
-Still working to get my seamstress business off the ground. Some of my work was on display at the town library between August and October, and my dresses in particular were given a lot of attention. I have made plans to attend a few local craft fairs and markets, and hopefully will be selling some items before Christmas. Look for the Rainy Day Seamstress near you.
-I met and played with some of the children in that I hope to be spending time with come February. The kids are all part of an early childhood program at our local community center, and when my friend Lisa goes on maternity leave in a few months, I will be taking her place for a few weeks.
-Since August, I've been housekeeping for my parents-- cleaning the house top to bottom every week. It's a tough job because as soon as I've vacuumed the dog starts scratching, the cat sheds, the bird molts, and I have to get rid of the dust and grime all over again. But I actually like to clean and organize, so it gives me an opportunity to rid myself of excess compusivity.
-After speaking with the president of the local historical society, I have been given the opportunity to join the board and work with the society on a number of projects. It will be a wonderful chance to work in my field during my year at home.
Play
-In September I had the opportunity to visit some dear friends around the state. I will also be visiting UNH for homecoming this weekend. Hopefully I will be able to see a number of my school friends while I am on the other side of the state.
-I've been working hard to train my little Ollie bird. Since he came to live with us a little over a year ago, Ollie has been a bit wild. Unlike any other bird we've owned, Ollie would eat no "people food", would not perch on a finger, and did not talk or whistle. During the summer I spent hours talking to him, feeding him garden vegetables, and handling him on a regular basis. Within the last month, he has become (almost) a normal bird. He talks endlessly in my voice, scavenges for breakfast cereal and carrots, and will come out of his cage with hardly a squawk. Despite my family telling me that I'll end up a crazy bird lady, I'm very proud of all the work we've accomplished ;-)
-In my really free time, I have been sewing and/or plotting to sew all kinds of projects. It's just about time to think about Christmas, and I'm feeling prepared for the first time in years. Of course, part of that is that I don't have to take any exams or research any theses for the first time in my life, but still, it's nice to feel like I've got a grip on something.
-Although it's been dreary and grey for the past two weeks, I've taken every opportunity to work in the garden. We haven't got much left, but it makes me feel better to know that my beds and compost will be in good shape for the winter. Considering that I won't have much of an opportunity to garden in DC, I'm hoping that all the houseplants I've been repotting will be able to survive the big move. Most of our houseplants live on the porch during the summer, but I'm slowly collecting them in my room again as the cold nights settle in.
-I'm also spending a lot of time in the kitchen copying family recipes into my new recipe book, trying out said recipes, and preserving whatever has come my way. So far I've put up 12 pints mint jelly, 12 pints plum jelly, 26 quarts dill pickles, 3 quarts pickled zucchini, 6 quarts applesauce, and countless dried veggies, fruits, herbs and tea ingredients. I'm still planning on another 6 quarts applesauce tomorrow.
Wow. That's a long "quick" update. I'll stop now and leave the rest for another day.
Work
-Traveled to Las Vegas for a trade show with my mom's company. It was a blast seeing the lights and action of Vegas, and I really liked working at the show!
-Finally everything is in line for me to become a substitute teacher in the local school district. I have desperately missed working with children, and I'm excited to be able to serve my community in a new way! My first scheduled teaching position is the last week of October, but perhaps I'll find a few other opportunities along the way.
-The daughter of a family friend swims six days a week, and I've been helping to transport her to and from her swim practices. It's a blessing to help out a friend, and spending so much time driving also allows me to take in the beauty of fall in New England.
-November vacation camp with the recreation department is all ready to go. My co-camp director and I are so excited to be offering a two-day camp exploring the origins of Thanksgiving-- including a trip to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts (my future dream job)!
-Still working to get my seamstress business off the ground. Some of my work was on display at the town library between August and October, and my dresses in particular were given a lot of attention. I have made plans to attend a few local craft fairs and markets, and hopefully will be selling some items before Christmas. Look for the Rainy Day Seamstress near you.
-I met and played with some of the children in that I hope to be spending time with come February. The kids are all part of an early childhood program at our local community center, and when my friend Lisa goes on maternity leave in a few months, I will be taking her place for a few weeks.
-Since August, I've been housekeeping for my parents-- cleaning the house top to bottom every week. It's a tough job because as soon as I've vacuumed the dog starts scratching, the cat sheds, the bird molts, and I have to get rid of the dust and grime all over again. But I actually like to clean and organize, so it gives me an opportunity to rid myself of excess compusivity.
-After speaking with the president of the local historical society, I have been given the opportunity to join the board and work with the society on a number of projects. It will be a wonderful chance to work in my field during my year at home.
Play
-In September I had the opportunity to visit some dear friends around the state. I will also be visiting UNH for homecoming this weekend. Hopefully I will be able to see a number of my school friends while I am on the other side of the state.
-I've been working hard to train my little Ollie bird. Since he came to live with us a little over a year ago, Ollie has been a bit wild. Unlike any other bird we've owned, Ollie would eat no "people food", would not perch on a finger, and did not talk or whistle. During the summer I spent hours talking to him, feeding him garden vegetables, and handling him on a regular basis. Within the last month, he has become (almost) a normal bird. He talks endlessly in my voice, scavenges for breakfast cereal and carrots, and will come out of his cage with hardly a squawk. Despite my family telling me that I'll end up a crazy bird lady, I'm very proud of all the work we've accomplished ;-)
-In my really free time, I have been sewing and/or plotting to sew all kinds of projects. It's just about time to think about Christmas, and I'm feeling prepared for the first time in years. Of course, part of that is that I don't have to take any exams or research any theses for the first time in my life, but still, it's nice to feel like I've got a grip on something.
-Although it's been dreary and grey for the past two weeks, I've taken every opportunity to work in the garden. We haven't got much left, but it makes me feel better to know that my beds and compost will be in good shape for the winter. Considering that I won't have much of an opportunity to garden in DC, I'm hoping that all the houseplants I've been repotting will be able to survive the big move. Most of our houseplants live on the porch during the summer, but I'm slowly collecting them in my room again as the cold nights settle in.
-I'm also spending a lot of time in the kitchen copying family recipes into my new recipe book, trying out said recipes, and preserving whatever has come my way. So far I've put up 12 pints mint jelly, 12 pints plum jelly, 26 quarts dill pickles, 3 quarts pickled zucchini, 6 quarts applesauce, and countless dried veggies, fruits, herbs and tea ingredients. I'm still planning on another 6 quarts applesauce tomorrow.
Wow. That's a long "quick" update. I'll stop now and leave the rest for another day.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Late July Apples
Last week, some friends of ours needed help picking early apples that had begun to ripen. In exchange for help picking, we got 2 bushels for our own use. It's taken nearly a week to peel and core all the apples, even with the help of my dad and our handy White Mountain Apple Peeler.
I've made 5 pints of apple butter, 6 gallons of applesauce, and three gallons of freshly sliced apples for pie this winter-- and we're not even finished!
My apron in this picture is a thrift store find of my mom's. Based on the cut and pattern, I believe it was originally hand-sewed in the late 1930's. Aside from being a little threadbare around the edges, it's in perfect condition. One of my sewing projects is to copy the pattern and make a few more aprons for myself with it.
With the smell of applesauce in the air, cool nights and warm days, it is very slowly beginning to feel like late summer. Enjoy it in all its glory while you still can!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)