Posts tagged fat free

Okay Blog. I will write you a bit, but then back to my book.

I never get the bloody Fast Reads from the bibliotheque because the only time I can read uninterrupted is in the bathroom and you can only pretend to go to the bathroom so many times a day before the family starts getting worried and then suspicious and then you have a 2 year old and a 7 year old sitting at your feet even when it’s the real deal and that’s just mentally scarring for everybody.

I also have a steadfast and elitist rule to avoid books that are movies at all costs, but the internets assured me that the author of this puppy was thoroughly peeved about the casting choices and the plot seemed intriguing, so I bit the bullet and now here I am, a mere 167 pages into the 541 page beast and only 4 days to go! $1.50/day if I don’t finish in time, oh the humanity!

As an aside, is there anyone who doesn’t find it humiliating to be seen reading a book with movie stars plastered across the cover? Probably. But you’re wrong not to be embarrassed. I am so judging you.

So I don’t feel like writing, I don’t feel like answering emails (even REALLY good ones that I am VERY excited about that I WILL acknowledge first thing in the morning’a’saurus) and I didn’t much feel like feeding my hungry family. But their grumbly-tumblys were interfering with my silent reading time, so I made them this. It is very fast. Make it when you want people to leave you alone.

Very Fast Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch knob ginger, minced OR 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped (stalks peeled and diced too)
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup + water for stir frying

Method

1. In a wok over med-high heat, stir fry onions in water 2-3 minutes until they start to become translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for additional 2 minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients (including the 1/4 cup water), cover and cook until broccoli is tender (about 3 minutes).
3. Serve over brown rice or udon noodles.

And because I want my people to grow up big and strong, I also heated up some Yves Asian Ground Round and let the peeps make Asian-style tacos, which entails rolling said round up in lovely, crispy lettuce leaves.

Okay, this post for sure cost me like $3. I really must depart…NOW

I haven’t posted a recipe in awhile. Not that I haven’t been cooking, but cooking has not been my main concern as of late.

Coming from a long line of procrastinators, it is not surprising that my family is now in a tizzy to see us as much as possible before school starts up again. Nevermind that July sauntered along with nary a visitor to motivate me to vacuum under the couch cushions. Nevermind that I have a list of obligations a mile long to attend to. But family is fun, right? So off we go for an extended stay. I consider anything more than two sleeps to be extended, so three sleeps feels very extended. Very, very extended.

Our diets are vastly different than those of my parents. Luckily, Mom and Dad have been dealing with my dietary peculiarities since I was fourteen years old, so their cupboards are always stocked with vegan luxuries when we come to visit. But as much as I love the occasional pre-made treat of Yves Veggie Lasagnas or It’s All Good Chicken Breasts, nothing beats copious amounts of the home-made goodness that is my favourite Sweet Potato Chilli. Most of the omnivores I’ve made this for like it better than the greasy, meaty stuff, so hopefully I’ll be able to commandeer the kitchen for a bit on Mexican night (Taco Tuesdays, that’s what families do, right?).

I hate bell peppers, but rumour has it that some of you actually enjoy those nasty rascals. Feel free to add them if you want your chilli to be icky. Also, my oldest son thinks toothpaste is spicy, so this is the mild version. When he’s in University I’ll add at least a teaspoon of crushed red chillies and some chopped picked jalepenos.

Sweet Potato Chilli

• 1 small (or half large) Red Onion, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 med-large Sweet Potato (or yam, but yams are so much yammier), diced
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 1 small Zucchini or Summer Squash, diced
• 1 can peaches and cream Corn
• 1 can Chilli Style Stewed Tomatoes (canned plum tomatoes work too, since your going to season it up like crazy)
• 1 can Chickpeas (or black beans, mixed beans, kidney beans (ew!), whatever you like)
• 2 T Chilli Powder
• 1 t Cumin
• 1 t Coriander
• 1/2 t sea salt (add more at the end if you see fit, add less if your chilli powder is particularly salty)
• 1/2 C (or more) Bottled Salsa (I use Pace Garlic Lime Piquante)
• juice of one lime
• big ‘ol handful of cilantro, chopped up real nice like
• Cooked brown rice, enough for the people you are feeding (I do mine in the rice cooker with veggie broth and a bit of cumin to make it smell nice)

Sauté onions and garlic in a bit of water, broth or juice from canned ingredients for about 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add celery, carrots, and sweet potato, adding more liquid as necessary.

Add zucchini, corn, beans, spices and salt.

Add tomatoes and salsa, Cover and simmer for at least 25 minutes, until veggies are tender. If time allows, turn heat right down and let flavours get it on for a couple of hours.

Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve over brown rice. Serves 4-6 depending on how piggy you are.

I want this blog to focus on writing and kids and teaching and the whatnots and what-have-yous of our lives right now, but I feel forces pulling me down a more foodie type road.

I like cooking and baking and reading about other people’s attempts at cooking and baking. I guess a food blog is something that I can do in the meantime,

Today I made slow cooker dahl that I adapted from Harbans Dosanjh’s recipe. Anyone who has ever worked in the University of Victoria Student Union Building has tasted or at least smelled Harbans’ dahl. It is…ahem..dahl-liscious (give me a break, I hang out with a baby, a 2 year old and an almost 7 year old all day).  I try to cook fat free as often as possible (read “all the time”) because I am a fat-a-phobe. I’m getting better and I certainly do not deprive the kids of good brain boosting oils, but I can’t seem to shut down the fat gram adding machine that has been living in my head since 11th grade. I also don’t often have the luxury of time to spend in the kitchen without three little monkeys crawling up my skirt, so this adaptation requires way less fiddling and you get to smell the yummieness  abrewin’ all day long. And my dahl looks and tastes pretty near identical to my favourite SUB lunch (which, other than some pretty spectacular people, is the only thing I’ve been missing about my dearly departed job). Here’s a link to the real deal for all you purists with nothing but time on your hands. Lucky purists.

I may venture into the domain of food photography soon, but tonight all I have is my recipe and this hilarious Andy Capp cartoon. Enjoy!

Lazy Lady’s SUB Dahl (An Adaptation of Harbans Dosanjh’s Delicious Recipe)

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 knob of ginger, diced (about one square inch)
• 1 tsp crushed dried chiles
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika (I didn’t have it, so I used Berbere spice instead)
• 6½ cups water (the first couple times I used a mix of veggie broth and water)

Chuck it all it your slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Adjust seasonings before serving (may need a touch more salt). Serve over long grain brown rice or with warm pita.

(The cartoon is funny because he doesn’t want to go to the theatre, but he has to because she’s making him even though you know that rascal just wants to have a beer with the blokes. Ah, humour. Yeah, I’ll get on those food shots.)