Yes I realise that I spelled it wrong. In our world (Hubby and Me) it is about the cheese and flavors, not the cooking process. The regular spelling implies that the dish is from the Parma region of Italy. My way implies that it is going to have alot of cheese on it.
Okay some of my recipes are all about the ingredients. This one is all about the process... The ingredients are mostly store bought and pre-made.
Recipe-
One chicken patty per person. (as previously stated for this I really like the Morning Star Farms Chick Patties) A breaded chicken breast or a couple of chicken tenders would work as well.
One can (12 oz) per 2 servings of Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Oregano. (or favorite spaghetti sauce, canned or homemade)
1/2 package (per 2 servings) of favorite pasta. I like Angel Hair.
Sliced Mozzarella (1 slice per chick patty, 2 per for chick breast or tenders)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese per serving. (this will be divided between the chicken and the pasta)
Directions-
Cook chicken according to package. Cook pasta. Remove chicken and turn broiler on. Spoon tomatoes (or sauce) onto chicken, about 2 tbs per chick patty. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over, and lay a slice of mozzarella on top. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese.
Toss remainder of can of tomatoes with hot pasta. Serve 1/2-1 c of pasta and tomatoes cover with Parmesan cheese. Serve melty, cheesey, gooey chicken along side.
Despite the cheese, this is a really light meal. The tomatoes are really fresh, and the chick patties version can be done so quickly that it doesn't heat up the house, those can be microwaved. So this is really good in the summer, too. The tossed tomatoes and pasta is really yummy as a cold lunch the next day.
Variation.
Instead of making pasta, toast a sourdough sandwich roll. Place a bit of tomatoes or sauce on bread and add cheese, broil to melt cheese. Cut chicken in half, place chicken on the sandwich roll. Close and Eat. Serve with a salad, veggies (Veggie Convicts see may post Eat Your Veggies) or french fries.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Food Review....Mock Chicken Patty
I said I would review Yummy foods that are healthy. So here it goes.
Hubby loves Chicken Parmaseana. Whenever we go out he orders that. I knew I could make it better at home. So I started looking for help, I hate frying things, it is messy and time consuming. I looked at frozen, breaded chicken patties, breasts and even strips. They all had upwards of 800 mgs of sodium and at least 13 grams of fat. Every chicken patty we tried seemed to be pressed and molded concoctions of various meat. They didn't taste very good and often had gristly bits.
Then I had a revelation, Morning Star Farms. This is a company that makes vegetarian meat replacements. They are made from Textured Vegetable Protein. Known as TVP to vegans and vegetarians. It is a soy product, but tastes nothing like soy milk, baby formula or tofu. Hubby and I love their ground meat replacer, I like their sausage and my sister loves the buffalo wings and corn dogs, so why not give it a try. They have two Chick Patties products, the Original and Parmesean Ranch. I wasn't sure about the Parmesean Ranch flavor over the Original, because often when things are flavored the flavoring is too much and over powers the food. The Parmesean Ranch was delicious, a nice herby outside and a delicious "chickeny" inside. Either one works perfectly for Chicken Parmeseana, Chicken Parmaseana Sandwiches, or Chicken Patty Sandwiches.
The Original flavor has 540 mgs of sodium and only 6 grams of fat. They come in a package of four, wraped in two sealed plastic packs, to keep them fresh. In the stores that I find them in, they are between $3.50 and $5.00 a package. But if you compare that to the cost of two meals worth of meat, it is reasonable. ( It is just Hubby and I and one patty each is good for a meal.)
They cook up quickly in the micro or in the oven. I usually use a blended cooking method, giving them a minute in the micro and using the broiler to melt cheese and sauce over the tops.
If you haven't tried one of their products I highly recommend starting with these. They taste like real chicken, there are no gristly bits or wierd pressed meat texture. They have a real meat mouth feel, and even look like real chicken patties. (Yes, you can fool your friends.)
Try something new. Love Sara
Hubby loves Chicken Parmaseana. Whenever we go out he orders that. I knew I could make it better at home. So I started looking for help, I hate frying things, it is messy and time consuming. I looked at frozen, breaded chicken patties, breasts and even strips. They all had upwards of 800 mgs of sodium and at least 13 grams of fat. Every chicken patty we tried seemed to be pressed and molded concoctions of various meat. They didn't taste very good and often had gristly bits.
Then I had a revelation, Morning Star Farms. This is a company that makes vegetarian meat replacements. They are made from Textured Vegetable Protein. Known as TVP to vegans and vegetarians. It is a soy product, but tastes nothing like soy milk, baby formula or tofu. Hubby and I love their ground meat replacer, I like their sausage and my sister loves the buffalo wings and corn dogs, so why not give it a try. They have two Chick Patties products, the Original and Parmesean Ranch. I wasn't sure about the Parmesean Ranch flavor over the Original, because often when things are flavored the flavoring is too much and over powers the food. The Parmesean Ranch was delicious, a nice herby outside and a delicious "chickeny" inside. Either one works perfectly for Chicken Parmeseana, Chicken Parmaseana Sandwiches, or Chicken Patty Sandwiches.
The Original flavor has 540 mgs of sodium and only 6 grams of fat. They come in a package of four, wraped in two sealed plastic packs, to keep them fresh. In the stores that I find them in, they are between $3.50 and $5.00 a package. But if you compare that to the cost of two meals worth of meat, it is reasonable. ( It is just Hubby and I and one patty each is good for a meal.)
They cook up quickly in the micro or in the oven. I usually use a blended cooking method, giving them a minute in the micro and using the broiler to melt cheese and sauce over the tops.
If you haven't tried one of their products I highly recommend starting with these. They taste like real chicken, there are no gristly bits or wierd pressed meat texture. They have a real meat mouth feel, and even look like real chicken patties. (Yes, you can fool your friends.)
Try something new. Love Sara
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Yes, even with the gestational diabetes I can have this starch heavy treat. The trick, make everything yourself.
I made a veggie heavy red sauce and my own meatballs.
Here is the recipe.
(WARNING this is not a one pot recipe... But good food is worth a little extra cleanup)
Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (you can change 1/2 lb of that for hot or itallian turkey sausage)
1/2 medium onion diced, fine
3-4 cloves of garlic minced (or 2 tsps of minced garlic from a jar)
1-2 Tbs breadcrumbs
1 egg, scrambled
Herbs (dry)
1 Tbs of Fines Herbs (or 1 tsp each of rosemarry, thyme, savory, and oregano)
1 Tbs of basil
1-2 tsps of pepper
(I don't cook with salt, but if you like salt 1/2 -1 tsp of salt also)
2 Tbs of flour and 1Tbs of breadcrumbs for dredging.
Mix all ingredients, (by hand is really best) the mixture should feel a little moist. I used a deep bowled 1 Tbs measuring spoon, but you could do it with a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon.
The meatballs should be about 1 inch across. Form them with your hands and drop them onto the plate with the flour. Shake them around a bit, just to get them covered, then try to shake off the excess flour. Cook over medium high heat in 1tbs of olive oil for 5 minutes before turning. Cook for another five minutes, cover with blended sauce and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Sauces (yes technically there are two)
1 lg can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained reserve the liquid
3 cans of diced tomatoes, drained reserve the liquid
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot diced (i omitted this )
8-10 mushrooms diced
1/2 med onion diced
3-4 garlic cloves minced (or 1-2 tsps of minced from a jar)
Herbs (same ammounts as above for each sauce.)
2 bay leaves
Sauce 1 (for the meatballs)
2 cans of tomatoes, drained, and reserve the liquid.
1-2 tsps of minced garlic
Olive oil
In a medium pot heat the oil and garlic, for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
In a medium pan combine all the reserved liquid, one bay leaf and the herbs. Reduce, (cook over medium high to high heat for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is reduced.) this concentrates the flavor.
Pour tomatoes and reduced liquid (remove bay leaf), into a blender. Cover, remove small cap or vent the lid and cover with a tea towel. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour 2/3 of this sauce over the meatballs when ready and cook acording to meatball recipe.
Sauce 2
In a large pan. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions. Sautee' for about 2 minutes, add zucchini and carrots, 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 more minutes. Crush whole tomatoes, (by hand, over the pan) and add to veggies. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaf and herbs. Add reserved meatball sauce. Cook over medioum low heat for 20-30 minutes. It will thicken and reduce slightly, stir often. Serve over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash.
For my diet I had 1 c of pasta ( I prefer angel hair, 2 starches), 1 c of tomato sauce (2 veggies), 4 meatballs (4 protein), one piece of whole wheat toast with butter, garlic and riccota cheese, (1 starch and 1/2 milk) and some parmasean cheese on top (1/2 milk).
Super Yummy. Next day, have open face meatball sandwiches with tomato sauce and cheese.
You can eat yummy and eat healthy too..
Love Sara
I made a veggie heavy red sauce and my own meatballs.
Here is the recipe.
(WARNING this is not a one pot recipe... But good food is worth a little extra cleanup)
Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (you can change 1/2 lb of that for hot or itallian turkey sausage)
1/2 medium onion diced, fine
3-4 cloves of garlic minced (or 2 tsps of minced garlic from a jar)
1-2 Tbs breadcrumbs
1 egg, scrambled
Herbs (dry)
1 Tbs of Fines Herbs (or 1 tsp each of rosemarry, thyme, savory, and oregano)
1 Tbs of basil
1-2 tsps of pepper
(I don't cook with salt, but if you like salt 1/2 -1 tsp of salt also)
2 Tbs of flour and 1Tbs of breadcrumbs for dredging.
Mix all ingredients, (by hand is really best) the mixture should feel a little moist. I used a deep bowled 1 Tbs measuring spoon, but you could do it with a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon.
The meatballs should be about 1 inch across. Form them with your hands and drop them onto the plate with the flour. Shake them around a bit, just to get them covered, then try to shake off the excess flour. Cook over medium high heat in 1tbs of olive oil for 5 minutes before turning. Cook for another five minutes, cover with blended sauce and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Sauces (yes technically there are two)
1 lg can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained reserve the liquid
3 cans of diced tomatoes, drained reserve the liquid
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot diced (i omitted this )
8-10 mushrooms diced
1/2 med onion diced
3-4 garlic cloves minced (or 1-2 tsps of minced from a jar)
Herbs (same ammounts as above for each sauce.)
2 bay leaves
Sauce 1 (for the meatballs)
2 cans of tomatoes, drained, and reserve the liquid.
1-2 tsps of minced garlic
Olive oil
In a medium pot heat the oil and garlic, for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
In a medium pan combine all the reserved liquid, one bay leaf and the herbs. Reduce, (cook over medium high to high heat for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is reduced.) this concentrates the flavor.
Pour tomatoes and reduced liquid (remove bay leaf), into a blender. Cover, remove small cap or vent the lid and cover with a tea towel. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour 2/3 of this sauce over the meatballs when ready and cook acording to meatball recipe.
Sauce 2
In a large pan. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions. Sautee' for about 2 minutes, add zucchini and carrots, 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 more minutes. Crush whole tomatoes, (by hand, over the pan) and add to veggies. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaf and herbs. Add reserved meatball sauce. Cook over medioum low heat for 20-30 minutes. It will thicken and reduce slightly, stir often. Serve over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash.
For my diet I had 1 c of pasta ( I prefer angel hair, 2 starches), 1 c of tomato sauce (2 veggies), 4 meatballs (4 protein), one piece of whole wheat toast with butter, garlic and riccota cheese, (1 starch and 1/2 milk) and some parmasean cheese on top (1/2 milk).
Super Yummy. Next day, have open face meatball sandwiches with tomato sauce and cheese.
You can eat yummy and eat healthy too..
Love Sara
Diabetic Irish Breakfast
Our first morning in Ireland, we went down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The waiter thought we were with a tour group and asked us if we wanted the Traditional Irish Breakfast or eggs and bacon. We hadn't seen any menus, so we kind of assumed "How quaint they only have two breakfast offerings." So we all got the Traditional Irish Breakfast. We were expecting, potatoes (it is Ireland afterall), maybe oatmeal or other poridge, and Irish soda bread. No, No, and No. We got a tray with dry white toast (cold, not refridgerated but not hot). We all got coffee, we had to ask for tea or anything else to drink. The main plate was three kinds of sausage, Black (which I swear is related to blood sausage or scrapple), white (a little more like scrapple than anything) and either one huge or two smaller pork links, 1 fried egg, grilled tomato halves, and three or four sauteed mushroom caps. Needless to say James, the Texan Meatatarian, was happy. Mom and I were a little like "When in Rome.." Both of us knowing coming to the understanding that this vacation was going to be hard on our respective diets.
So, recently I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. For breakfast I can have 2 proteins and once starch. I have been having one piece of whole wheat toast, one piece of vegetarian sausage, and one fried egg. Mushrooms are on my list of foods that I can eat as much of as I want and I like them, so they end up on or in almost everything.
So the Diabetic Irish Breakfast is
One piece of toast.
One fried egg to your liking. One piece of sausage ( I like the patty kind, it layers better)
Sauteed mushrooms, 2-4 depending on size and liking (I slice them up for faster cooking)
Place the toast (buttered if you like) on the plate, place sausage patty, one fried egg, and mushrooms. I recently found that the mushrooms layer better between the egg and the sausage, but if I were serving this I would put them on top. Then I cut it up into bite size squares and eat. Between the whole wheat and the egg and sausage this is really quite filling.
The rest of my breakfast comes as a snack about two hours later, I usually have 1 c of plain yogurt and 1c of strawberries or raspberries mixed in, and another piece of toast.
This is a really healthy and satisfying way to eat, because you eat about every two hours, and your tummy is never not full. That keeps you from snacking on bad stuff or gorging when you are starving. Plus you body and brain always have fuel, so your body never feels like it is being starved, which is what happens when you skip meals. (then the body starts to save all it can)
good luck.
So, recently I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. For breakfast I can have 2 proteins and once starch. I have been having one piece of whole wheat toast, one piece of vegetarian sausage, and one fried egg. Mushrooms are on my list of foods that I can eat as much of as I want and I like them, so they end up on or in almost everything.
So the Diabetic Irish Breakfast is
One piece of toast.
One fried egg to your liking. One piece of sausage ( I like the patty kind, it layers better)
Sauteed mushrooms, 2-4 depending on size and liking (I slice them up for faster cooking)
Place the toast (buttered if you like) on the plate, place sausage patty, one fried egg, and mushrooms. I recently found that the mushrooms layer better between the egg and the sausage, but if I were serving this I would put them on top. Then I cut it up into bite size squares and eat. Between the whole wheat and the egg and sausage this is really quite filling.
The rest of my breakfast comes as a snack about two hours later, I usually have 1 c of plain yogurt and 1c of strawberries or raspberries mixed in, and another piece of toast.
This is a really healthy and satisfying way to eat, because you eat about every two hours, and your tummy is never not full. That keeps you from snacking on bad stuff or gorging when you are starving. Plus you body and brain always have fuel, so your body never feels like it is being starved, which is what happens when you skip meals. (then the body starts to save all it can)
good luck.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Gestational Diabetes
This is all new to me. I now have Gestational Diabetes (GD). It is a problem where the placenta has started to produce hormones in addition to what my body makes naturally. These hormones block the signals that tell my body to produce or use insulin. So, my blood sugar goes up. My blood sugars are not crazy, they for the most part are completely within range 98% of the time. That other two percent are my morning fast readings and the occasional reading post meal that is a little high. The morning fast readings are the ones that the Dr. is worried about. That is the longest period of time that the baby is exposed to these higher sugars. That can cause they baby to grow extra big, have very high blood sugar at birth, or possibly develop diabetes later in life. So we are working on taking care of those naughty morning numbers, with a medication (not insulin ).
Needless to say that because of this GD I am on a new and different diet. Realistically, the ammounts of proteins and veggies are what I should have been eating all along, so this would be an ideal diet for all pregnant women. The catch is the things I am not supposed to eat. I miss my chocolate, I miss being able to have a bowl of ice cream because I want it, and I miss Brown Bag Cookies (a local cookie bakery, super yummy).
All of these food issues, and testing and medicine should go away the day I deliver. But the diet is healthy and working so I will probably keep up with some of it after I deliver.
The diet.
Breakfast is two parts. Part one I get 2 protein and a starch. (usually two eggs scrambled or one egg and one vegetarian sausage and a piece of super whole grain toast) Part two, two hours later, is 1 dairy, one fruit and one starch. (usually 1 c of fat free plain yogurt, 1 c or strawberries or raspberries mixed into the yogurt, and another piece of toast. But it could be grapes, cherries, apple or nectarine, 1 oz of cheese and crackers)
Lunch is 1 dairy, 1 fruit, 3 protein, 2 veggie, 3 starch. Yesterday it was a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, caramelized onions and avocado. Last week it was two open faced tuna salad sandwiches with cheese on top, and fruit and veggies on the side. One serving of veggies is 1/2 c cooked or 1 c raw, so between the fruit, veggies and if I have yogurt or cottage cheese for my dairy, that is four cups of food.
Dinner is 1 dairy, 1 fruit, 4 protien (between 4-6 oz of meat or seafood), 2 veggies and 3 starches(usually 1/3-1/2 c of cooked starches like potatoes, rice, pasta, etc)
I get to eat alot of food. But it has to be in the right portions and the right kinds. Whole grain breads versus sourdough or white. Baked, broiled or grilled rather than fried. I have been doing it for a week now and I am getting really good at "site measuring" my amounts. I have been able to eat out twice now. I can mentally check things off and keep track of my portions.
Speaking of which I have to go make lunch. I will post a few new recipes soon.
Love Sara
Needless to say that because of this GD I am on a new and different diet. Realistically, the ammounts of proteins and veggies are what I should have been eating all along, so this would be an ideal diet for all pregnant women. The catch is the things I am not supposed to eat. I miss my chocolate, I miss being able to have a bowl of ice cream because I want it, and I miss Brown Bag Cookies (a local cookie bakery, super yummy).
All of these food issues, and testing and medicine should go away the day I deliver. But the diet is healthy and working so I will probably keep up with some of it after I deliver.
The diet.
Breakfast is two parts. Part one I get 2 protein and a starch. (usually two eggs scrambled or one egg and one vegetarian sausage and a piece of super whole grain toast) Part two, two hours later, is 1 dairy, one fruit and one starch. (usually 1 c of fat free plain yogurt, 1 c or strawberries or raspberries mixed into the yogurt, and another piece of toast. But it could be grapes, cherries, apple or nectarine, 1 oz of cheese and crackers)
Lunch is 1 dairy, 1 fruit, 3 protein, 2 veggie, 3 starch. Yesterday it was a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, caramelized onions and avocado. Last week it was two open faced tuna salad sandwiches with cheese on top, and fruit and veggies on the side. One serving of veggies is 1/2 c cooked or 1 c raw, so between the fruit, veggies and if I have yogurt or cottage cheese for my dairy, that is four cups of food.
Dinner is 1 dairy, 1 fruit, 4 protien (between 4-6 oz of meat or seafood), 2 veggies and 3 starches(usually 1/3-1/2 c of cooked starches like potatoes, rice, pasta, etc)
I get to eat alot of food. But it has to be in the right portions and the right kinds. Whole grain breads versus sourdough or white. Baked, broiled or grilled rather than fried. I have been doing it for a week now and I am getting really good at "site measuring" my amounts. I have been able to eat out twice now. I can mentally check things off and keep track of my portions.
Speaking of which I have to go make lunch. I will post a few new recipes soon.
Love Sara
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