End of the holiday season, end of my early January snow bird fleeing flight out west to basically imbibe and eat…a lot.  5 extra pounds later to shift around spandex-ed stretched leggings…enough is more than a bad Jennifer Lopez movie…it really is enough…I need to put a quick kibosh on the winter rear expansion.   I’m not one of those gals that can effortlessly crank up the ol’ dusty $300 juicer and stoically live solely off of vegetable innards for days on end.  I need to chew, dammit…and not nervously grimace when I swallow either.  What works for me is the 5 On, 1 Free-ish, 1 Free Day Model to blubber checking.   It goes like this:  for 5 days you abstain from alcohol, sugar, wheat and red meat (minimal dairy permitted).  You may still moderately eat rice and potatoes…i.e. one serving at dinner and lunch.  1 day per week you can add a moderate dose of something on the no-go 5 day a week list, i.e. a glass of wine, a small dessert, a serving of pasta or bread.  Finally, you have 1 day to eat whatever you want…meaning a serving (or two) of the forbidden 5 day foods/drinks at each meal…this could mean you indulge in pancakes and syrup for breakfast, a bready sandwich at lunch, a plate (or two) of pasta and dessert at dinner–with a couple glasses of wine.  This is a reasonable plan that food worshippers like myself can coexist with.  You still get to enjoy great food but with a grounded consciousness of what you’re putting into your temple.   As for exercise, awesome if you can incorporate a consistent routine into your schedule, but as a lazy New Yorker and Mommy of two, I get my fitness primarily from chasing after my two wee ones and walking around my hood.   The next few blog posts will feature delicious, filling and reduced calorie meals that adhere to the 5 Day On guidelines.  Below are my jammin’ Turkey Tostadas.  Fresh and tasty, they hit the spot.  They are also easily adaptable to healthily feed the kids as well.  I just omit the spice factor.

TURKEY TOSTADA

Turkey Chipotle

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 lb. of ground lean turkey

2 tablespoons of Lea & Perrins

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

6 tablespoons of water

1/2  juiced lemon

1/2 pack of Casa Mexicana Chicken Chipotle Tacos-Tacos de Tinga Mix Pack...this is NOT a sponsored post.  I happen to love this brand of spice seasoning.  They are all natural, food coloring and MSG free.  I easily find the packs at WholeFoods but you can also check out their website at www.casamexicanafoods.com  You can also substitute their Chicken Fajitas Mix Pack.  Good stuff.

For a kid friendly ground turkey filling, omit season packet and reduce water to 3 tablespoons.

Heat skillet and add olive oil.  Mix in ground turkey and add the next 5 ingredients.  Brown and thoroughly cook.

Delicias Corn Tostadas

clock in at just 54 calories a tostada and 2 grams of fat

if Tostadas are not your thang…you can substitute with a corn tortilla which generally run 50-60 calories per serving with around 0.5 fat grams.   The point is to use corn product as opposed to flour.

Pico de Gallo

6 roma tomatoes chopped and diced

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

1/2 cup of chopped yellow or white onion

2 serrano chiles (I like the heat, so I chop mine with seeds–but you can always de-seed and de-membrane to reduce spice quotient)

4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1/2  juiced lemon or one entire lime juiced

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole

1 Haas avocado

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 lemon juiced

1 teaspoon of sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

shredded Romaine or Green Leaf Lettuce

shredded Mexican cheese

Assembly Directions

Plate tostada and add a tablespoon of guacamole and spread evenly.  Add turkey mix and top with shredded lettuce.  Add a heaping spoonful(s) of the pico de gallo.  Finish with a light sprinkling of shredded cheese.  For the kids’ modified version, I omit the lettuce (my kids not so much into the lettuce) and spicy pico de gallo and go with the spice free ground turkey that I prepare first in the same skillet used for the spiced adult turkey mix.

Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

Okay, okay…peeps actually from India (and not merely the Eat Pray Love Ashraming variety), you might want to avert your eyes now–as this is not the most authentically legit curry.  Though, it is a tasty one nonetheless.  Growing up partially in Kenya (with its sizable Indian population), I acquired an early taste for spice driven food with a kick of heat to it.  Compound that biographical tidbit with another, I also happen to have married a Mexican who, with an obvious and innate love of the picante, also spent some time in India (Marketing, not Ashraming, FYI).  Suffice to say, we love curry in these here parts.  So much so, we are making it one of our more serious parenting missions to condition our kids to love the spice and bite.  We will consider ourselves failed human beings if we do not succeed.

 

Eat, Love, Curry

1 lb of chicken breast (chopped in squares)

1 6 oz container of plain yogurt

1 whole lemon (juiced)

 

4 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil

2 large russet potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)

3 carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)

1 onion (finely chopped)

3 teeth of garlic (chopped)

2 tablespoons of fresh finely chopped ginger

1/4 cup of cilantro (chopped)

 

1 packet of Arora Creations Organic Chicken Tikka Masala Spice Blend

1 teaspoon of dry ground coriander

2 teaspoons of turmeric

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

 

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk

1 14.5 oz of tomato sauce

1 cup of water

 

1/2 cup of frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

 

garnish with chopped fresh serrano chiles

 

Marinate chopped chicken breast in container of plain yogurt, lemon juice and 1/4 Arora Spice Blend.  You can do this a few hours before or a few minutes before depending on your timeframe.  Either way, it is delicious.

In a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil and heat on medium.  Add garlic, ginger and onions and lightly saute with 1/4 of  Spice Blend. Mix In chopped potatoes and carrots.  Saute for 2 minutes more.  Remove everything from pot and place to side in small bowl.  Add 2 more tablespoons of oil and heat then add chicken marinade to hot pot.  Lightly brown.  Return previously sauteed vegetables to pot and add can of coconut milk (shake can well before opening and adding), can of tomato sauce and 1 cup of water.  Mix in remainder of Spice Blend and add turmeric, ground coriander and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.  At the 40 minute mark, add freshly chopped cilantro and frozen peas.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This can be served over a plate of Basmati Rice and served with store bought Naan Bread.  Add optional fresh chili garnish to top.

 

 

 

 

 

Burrr, it’s cold out there.  When the thermostat drops, I, personally, like to feed my numb, round face hot and spicy bowls of this good stuff: Turkey Chili.  It’s turkey chili because I–currently (check back with me in 6 months)– don’t eat mammals.  Giving birth and nursing for almost 4 years–calm down, back to back kids (you can now erase the scary image of the Newsweek tribute to vertical breastfeeding from your minds) has given me a slightly higher sense of consciousness concerning my fellow lactat-ers.  I’m aware you could easily make the whole chicken (or turkey) and an egg argument here.  Therefore, If you so enjoy, feel free to substitute any other yummy mammal (i.e. pork or beef) in place of the turkey.  No judgments…unless you’re a heartless carnivore and throw some ground veal in…that said, I might still eat it…as long as we don’t talk about it.

This is a super easy recipe.  I use canned beans and tomatoes. I also pick up a chili seasoning pack.  I like the Spicy Simply Organic brand (available at Whole Foods), but you can use whatever might be available at your local grocer and what hits your own heat quotient.

Ingredients