eatingRD.com Food. Fitness. Nutrition. Life!

August 12, 2011

many thanks + stuffed cabbage

Filed under: Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 2:41 pm

Many thanks to all your wonderfully kind words and thoughts about Buster.  We really appreciate it.  We were pretty much a mess this past week, but with time it is getting easier.  I don’t think there can be anything that can replace our happy guy, but we have to just remember all the good times we had for sure.  I have gotten a little back logged on recipes, but I do have one of my favorite cabbage recipes for you!

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January 7, 2011

Beef Stew + wedding news!

Filed under: Comfort foods,Party — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 3:29 pm

Hey there eat in month-ers!  How has the challenge been going?  And if you’re not participating in the challenge this year, how are your goals and planning for the new year coming along?

I truly believe that large goals may seem unattainable at first, but with small, measurable, and realistic steps, it can be done!  Dream big, but start small.  In other news and dreaming big . . . I actually reserved our wedding spot!!! eeeek!  I can’t believe after 4.5 years, it’s actually for real now.  Talk about planning, but I love to plan!   (more…)

April 22, 2010

crockpot meatloaf + a winner!!!

Filed under: Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , — Kristen :) @ 3:30 pm

I’m a big fan of meatloaf because it’s fairly easy to make and leaves you with a butt-load of leftovers which are great for sammies, crumbled and mixed into pasta, or just as is.  This time around I decided to experiment with my original stuffed meatloaf recipe, but in the crockpot.  I think this is now my preferred method!!  I used extra lean beef which is key, so there isn’t too much extra fat in the pot.  It comes out super moist and perfectly formed because the temperature is low enough that the gooey cheese in the middle doesn’t have time to escape like it sometimes tries to do!

Give it a try, this one’s a keeper!   (more…)

February 23, 2010

stuffed flank steak

Filed under: Dinner — Tags: , , , — Kristen :) @ 9:28 am

This is a great recipe for a special dinner and it’s actually pretty easy because I relied on the handy dandy crock-pot!  I actually think this would be great during the holidays too because it’s Christmas-y colors 🙂  So lets get stuffin’ . . . (more…)

January 26, 2010

multitasking

Filed under: Blog,Breakfast,Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , , — Kristen :) @ 8:45 am

Thank you for all your kind words on the site!  I’m super excited and happy you guys enjoy it.  If you haven’t yet, be sure to enter my giveaway for some Mighty Leaf tea and an Anthro mug here.  I first thought I gave the wrong feed address, but it seems that both of the ones below will work when added to your feed.  Please let me know if it’s not updating in your reader so I can remedy.  I’m a computer retard!

http://eatingrd.com/?feed=rss2

http://feeds.feedburner.com/eatingrd

I am having the darndest time getting up in the morning lately!  ugh, 5am is just too darn early and when the alarm goes off I moan and groan wishing I could just stop time for a few more hours.  I’ve always had this fascination with wanting to be able to stop time.  Wouldn’t that be awesome?  ha, in the mean time I’ll keep wishing for that day and get my butt out of bed!  I think it does have a lot to do with not getting to bed till close to 11pm, which I need to fix.

I’ve been trying to get (more…)

January 9, 2010

it’s already Friday?

Filed under: Blog,Breakfast,Comfort foods,Dinner,Favorites — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 12:11 am

Usually the weeks just draaaaag for me, but for some reason this one flew by!  Maybe because it was the first week back?  Who knows, but that’s alright with me.

Oh boy I am sore from kick-my-butt box on Wednesday!  Every little back muscle along my rib cage is sore and of course my bum and abs.  I couldn’t manage to make it to 6am spin this morning, but that’s okay because I want to be ready for our Great Harvest Red Rock bike ride on Saturday!  I’m looking forward to riding the Red Rock loop for the first time.  It’s about 41 miles and Great Harvest is providing breakfast for us before the ride, yay!

Yesterday morning I put all the prepped ingredients in the crock-potfor a stew to be ready for us when we got home.  I’m in love with this new crock-pot and it’s so much bigger than my old one!  I would highly recommend this one because it has several different cooking settings and a probe insert. (more…)

July 20, 2009

can’t forget this one

Filed under: Blog,Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 3:16 pm

There is one recipe from IMG_3741CookingLight I wanted to share with you before I left on my trip, but didn’t quite get the chance to post about it.  It is definitely one that I will make again because it was so easy and really good for dinner and lots of leftover creations (perfect!).

I love my crock pot because you can just throw a bunch of ingredients in one pot and let it do all the work for you so when you get home there’s a nice meal waiting.  The only thing I don’t like about my crock pot is the clean up!!  It’s not the top of the line crock pot mind you, but even the low setting always seems to cook pretty hot and everything always gets stuck and burnt on the sides of it as it cooks down.  This does not change the flavor of the dishes, but I’m left soaking it for a few days and scrubbing like a mad woman to try to get the stuff off!  Any ideas on crock pot clean-up?  I’ve seen those disposable inserts to put in there, but I’m not so sure about light plastic cooking with my food all day.

This is a great multi-use recipe that could be used in different ways.

Slow Cooker Asian BBQ Pork Roast

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

  • 1/4  cup  low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4  cup  hoisin sauce
  • 3  tbsp ketchup ( I just used tomato paste)
  • 3  tbsp honey
  • 2  tsp bottled minced garlic (I used 1 tsp fresh garlic)
  • 2  tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1  tsp dark sesame oil
  • 1/2  tsp  five-spice powder
  • 2 lb boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed (I used a loin roast)
  • 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  I think that 6 hours would have been plenty.

Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.

Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 227 (38% from fat)
Fat: 9.5g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.1g)
Protein: 21.6g
Carbohydrate: 12.7g
Sodium: 561mg

It was so tender and easily shred with the forks . . .

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A little bit of bokeh for you . . . 🙂  I paired it with some sautéed veggies and short grain brown rice.  A nice way to add flavor to veggies is to add just a splash of rice wine vinegar at the end of cooking.  It gives it a brightness that wakes them up.

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All together a wonderful meal that was so easy!

I also made it into a wrap the next day for lunch.  This would also work well for many things like pork buns, a big Asian salad creation, eggs, layered casserole, etc.  You could also make this a bit spicier if you like things HOT!

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How do you handle the major clean-ups in the kitchen?  Do you usually tackle it head on, let it ‘soak’, or find someone else to do it? I myself hate to have dirty dishes just sitting around, but on occasion I just say . . . ahhh I’m letting ‘em soak!

February 17, 2009

many shades of red

Filed under: Blog,Dinner — Tags: , , , — Kristen :) @ 5:12 am

100_2341This Valentine’s Day, we didn’t go all out, but decided that making a nice dinner together would be just the thing.  Baked pasta is one of our favorites, so we made some fresh pasta, with homemade marinara and sautéed veggies.  We paired this with a J. Lohr Cab, which is definitely a wine you can’t go wrong with, especially at about $10/bottle.  It has a little bit of fruit with a nice richness that cabs bring, but not too punchy.  I would say it’s a beginner’s cabernet sauvignon.

100_2330There is just something about fresh pasta that makes it so much better than dried.  This is especially true for the long varieties like fettuccine, tagliatelle, etc. It’s very tender and spongy, and of course very fresh!  It’s not that hard either, check out this post for pictures of the well-method.

For the pasta:

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you could experiment with a little whole wheat too)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1-2 tbs olive oil
  • You could also add frozen spinach (squeezed very dry), beets or spices to make colored or flavored pasta!

100_2328 You mix it all together on the counter top using the well-method and kneed it until smooth.  It is important to let it rest for 30 minutes and then you can shape into anything you like.  We used our mixer attachment for fettuccine this time around.  Or you can simply use a knife to cut them.

For the sauce, we decided we would try to simmer it in the crock-pot all day, since we wouldn’t have too much time once we got home.  It turned out great, and tasted rich with deep tomato flavor.

100_2327For the marinara sauce:

  • 2 cans TJ’s whole tomatoes with basil
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste (about 1/2 small can)
  • 1 jar roasted red bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup sweet balsamic vinegar
  • All your favorite Italian spices.  I used about 2 tbsp italian seasoning (I didn’t have any herbes de provence), 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, pepper, an all-purpose seasoning like mrs. dash, 1 tbsp sugar.  It’s best to taste after it has been simmering for awhile and adjust to your liking.  I just dump them in there and don’t have measurements.

Cook everything in the crock-pot on low all day (about 8 hours) and once you get home, continue to cook but with the lid slightly off to help it reduce some more.  And voila!  How easy is that?!

Then, I sautéed some zucchini and chicken sausage in a pan, put it on top of the pasta with a bit of mozzarella and parmesan and broiled until bubbly and golden.  I call this love in a bowl!

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100_2339For dessert, I made beet cakes from Tyler Florence (more red!)  They actually turned out pretty good and were not too sweet.  Instead of oil and butter, this recipe uses applesauce and low-fat buttermilk.

100_2335They were very moist, almost like Yorkshire pudding  (I could have probably cooked them 45 min), and especially good paired with a little frozen yogurt!  Look at them beets.  When I was younger and ate beets for the first time, my mom had never told me that beets do something to your . . . you know . . . so the next day I ran to my mom because I thought I was dying!  And then she told me, “it’s the beets, silly.”

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I have these little flower baking pans, and here is a picture of my favorite . . . sunflowers!

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All in all, it was a very nice, simple Valentine’s Day!  Do you have any romantic Valentine’s Day stories?

February 5, 2009

R.D. vs. Nutritionist – what’s the big deal?

Filed under: Blog,Comfort foods,Fitness/Health — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 1:57 am

clip_image003The term “RD,” or Registered Dietitian, is different than “nutritionist” contrary to popular belief. A Registered Dietitian has to complete an extensive 4-year degree with an accredited university, complete a 900 hour minimum dietetic internship, pass the National Registered Dietitian Examination, maintain membership dues for CDR (Commission on Dietetic Registration) and ADA (American Dietetic Association), and complete 75 hours of continuing education credits every five years in order to maintain their credential.

Anyone can call themselves a “nutritionist” really, and many states have licensure laws to protect the RD credential. Nutrition information is always changing and RDs are up-to-date on the latest nutritional information backed by sound research and must continue their education and professional development even after graduation.  This information cannot just be given out for free.

To be assured that you are receiving legitimate nutritional advice, it is important you are working with a Registered Dietitian.  It is disheartening when people give out nutritional advice when they don’t have the credential to back it up because it not only discredits our profession, we lose client confidence in spending money for our services.

For more information you can visit the American Dietetic Association.

The Time is Now!

Never before have we seen how important nutrition and overall health is in clip_image002the prevention of many diseases from diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and obesity. Prevention is the key to this puzzle. You are the creator of your world and you ultimately have the power to build the path to health and happiness.  Only you can unlock your potential!

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Oh and here is what I had for dinner . . . . Chili Chicken Tacos!  I featured this recipe on my first ever post titled low and slow awhile ago (at the bottom).  It is just such a great, easy recipe I just couldn’t help it!  You just throw all the stuff in the crock-pot and let it get nice and tender . . . Yum!  I piled the chicken into crunchy corn tortillas with cheese, spinach, avocado and non-fat greek yogurt, and it was just the thing after a long day.  Now I’m off to kick-my-butt box!

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Do you use a crock-pot for speedy weeknight meals?  What is your favorite and why?

December 22, 2008

Worth the wait

Filed under: Blog,Dinner — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 5:42 pm

I decided to try to replicate a dish that I savored at Maggiano’s several weeks ago called Beef Braciole. This dish is to die for and if you ever go there you should give it a try, not to mention their half order portions are big enough for 2! I couldn’t imagine what a full-order looks like.
I found a similar recipe on CookingLight and adjusted it a little bit to satisfy my love for lamb and added fresh pasta. When you say lamb most people get freaked out, but it is so delicious and not too different from beef, with a much better flavor. While this dish does take about 8 hours in the slow-cooker it is sure worth the wait because it has a wonderfully rich depth of flavor. We decided to serve it with red-wine pappardelle. Homemade pasta isn’t really too difficult to make and I highly recommend it over the dried. I will post a pasta and pizza dough recipe soon, Enjoy!

Lamb Daube Provencal with Red Wine Pappardelle

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Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 12 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1.5-lb lamb meat, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes (you could also use chuck roast)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 cup red wine (I used a malbec)
  • 2 cups chopped carrot
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
  • Dash of ground cloves
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles) We made fresh red-wine pappardelle
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and add to slow-cooker.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add lamb to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove lamb from pan and add to slow-cooker.
  3. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits and reduce down for 5 minutes.
  4. Add wine, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) to the slow-cooker, stirring to combine.
  5. Turn slow-cooker on high for 1 hour, then reduce to low for 6-7 hours more. Or you can just cook on low for 8 hours. It just needs to get nice and reduced.
  6. Melt butter in a small saucepan and add the flour. Cook for 3 minutes and add to slow-cooker to thicken it a bit with the lid off.
  7. Serve over pasta, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, or rice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. The possibilities are endless!

Leftovers Idea: This would also be great for the base of a shephard’s pie. Yum!

The “well” method is the best way to make fresh pasta we’ve found . . .

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This attachment makes it really easy to roll the pasta, but they also have countertop versions too . . .

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This dough turned out pretty sticky for us this time around, so we decided to hang it before boiling so it wouldn’t stick . . .

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Here are the Nutrition Facts from CookingLight recipe:

Nutritional Information

Yield: 6 servings (3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)
Calories: 367 (31% from fat)
Fat: 12.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 29.1g
Carbohydrate: 33.4g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 105mg
Iron: 4.3mg
Sodium: 776mg
Calcium: 76mg

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