One of the ways I'm able to stay on track with my diet is to plan plan plan. This didn't come easily for me. there has been a lot of effort put into this in past failed attempts but I think I have the diet solution that works for me.
My typical day looks like this. There are a few things I have to think about in advance. They are:
Cauliflower Leek Soup
The first thing I make is Cauliflower Leek Soup. This was borne out of my love for Potato Leek Soup which I think I may have perfected (OK Martha Stewart perfected and I stole). In trying to limit my starch intake I was forced to find a substitute. I use 1 head of cauliflower, 1 rutabaga, 1 parsnip and 1 sweet potato in place of potatoes. And I omit the milk and cream since I'm trying to limit my calorie intake as well. Instead of chicken stock I use my homemade vegetable stock (see below) that I made last week and froze. Don't forget to take the stock out of the freezer the night before, it takes a while to thaw!
Vegetable stock
I keep all my vegetable scraps throughout the week and if they start to get old, I freeze them until I'm ready to make the stock. I fill a large stock pot with the scraps then add water until the water line is about an inch from the top. Bring to a boil, then simmer for as long as you can stand to. The longer the better. Strain out the veggies and throw them away. (Put your trash out that day because it will start to smell!) I freeze my stock into old soup containers and I write on the outside in whiteboard marker how many cups it contains and the date I made it. (I make this after the soup because there are so many scraps from the soup. Mine doesn't always get made on Sunday. Sometimes if I'm going to be home one weeknight I'll make so it can sit there a simmer away while I'm watching TV.) You don't need to go out and buy vegetables for a vegetable stock. Keep the scraps of absolutely everything you make: mushroom stems, cauliflower leaves and stems, leek tops, the stem and guts of a bell pepper, carrot peels, onion peels, garlic skins, celery leaves, even the seeds and stems of jalapenos if you like a kick. (Just don't put anymore than the refuse of 2 of them or it may be a bit much!) I also use fruit refuse such as strawberry tops, I use herb refuse like basil stems, cilantro stems, rosemary twigs, etc. If I have veggies that are getting old and unusable (soft but not moldy) I use those as well. This week it was green beans. Get creative! Sauteed Mushrooms
I buy a ton of mushrooms. This week I bought 30 oz. of large white mushrooms (in bulk, not the little packs because they are cheaper.) I'm saving 5 of them for my salads this week (just under 10 oz.) and making the rest into sauteed mushrooms. I cut them into quarters (at least, sometimes sixths if they are large and this week they are.) I add about 1 TBS of coconut oil to a ceramic pan (love my ceramic pan!) and add about 5 oz. of pearl onions and 1 bulb of garlic (broken apart, skins removed) and heat on medium for about 10 minutes. Then I add the mushrooms. Cook on low for about another 10 minutes. (I don't know I never actually look at the clock.) The mushrooms will release their liquid, when it evaporates, you can add some wine if you like, not me I try to keep the calorie count to a minimum. Add salt and pepper though to taste. Then I put them in a tupperware and use a little everyday with my eggs in the morning. I don't incorporate them into the scrambled eggs, I just have them on the side. Yum.
Fish Marinades
I try to buy at least 1/2 the week worth of fish. Sometimes I buy the whole week. I have a simple marinade recipe that I use. I rinse, trim, cut into portions, take out any pin bones and pat dry the fish with a paper towel. I then put the fish into zip lock bags with the marinade and freeze all except tonight's. That way when I leave for work in the morning, I take out tonight's fish and put it in the fridge. When I get home from work it is thawed and ready to go.
Agave Iced Tea
Every week I make tons of iced tea. It's my thing now that I'm not drinking soda. My iced tea has 21 calories per glass (all from the agave). My husband drinks it unsweetened but I can't seem to get there. I make it with 2 teabags of regular Lipton tea (English Tea) and 1 teabag of Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger (to give it flavor). I add the steeped tea to a 64 oz. glass milk bottle I saved and top it up with water. Into the fridge and I'm set for a couple days. (I live in the bay area and we are lucky enough to have Strauss Family Creamery here with glass bottle milk and cream. I saved a couple bottles and they come in handy.) When it runs out, make more.
Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing
This tastes so good! I make up a batch every week for my salads. You can find any homemade salad dressing recipe and make it up in advance. I like doing this because I control the calories and the fat content this way. I'll post a few recipes later for you but to start with here's my Sesame Ginger Dressing. I pour this into my Strauss Family Creamery 16 oz. glass bottle. 1/2 cup EVOO, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS tamari, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 TBS agave nectar, 2 TBS ginger, minced, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 TBS water. Makes 16 servings of 2 TBS each. 147 calories per serving.
OK now I have to go make all this stuff!
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