Carrot and Orzo Salad with Fresh Dill

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 2” pieces
  
  


• 1 pound orzo pasta
  
  


• ½ cup loosely pack fresh dill, chopped
  
  


• 5 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
  
  


• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
  
  


• 4 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
  
  


• Juice of 2 lemons
  
  


• Zest from the 2 lemons
  
  


• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  
  


• Toss carrots and garlic cloves with 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a small-sized bowl. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until carrots are browned and tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
  
  


• In a small-sized bowl, squeeze out pulp from garlic cloves and discard skins. Mash pulp with the back side of a spoon until it resembles a paste.
  
  


• Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain in a colander (do not rinse) then remove to a large-sized bowl. Toss with remaining olive oil then add carrots.
  
  


• Combine lemon juice, zest, scallions and garlic paste in a small bowl. Mix in dill then pour over orzo mixture and toss until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  

Make 8 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(⅛ of recipe (256 g)): 221 Calories, 5 g Protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 6 g Dietary Fiber, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 62 mg sodium

Spinach Salad with Warm Beet Dressing

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. spinach, thoroughly washed, stems removed
  
  


• 8 oz. fresh beets
  
  


• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  
  


• 2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into small cubes
  
  


• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  
  


• 1 tbsp honey mustard
  
  


• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  
  


• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
  
  


• 4 oz. button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed
  
  and sliced
  
  


• 2 tbsp sugar
  
  


• ½ tsp salt
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  
  


• In a medium-size bowl, fill water and ice then add onions. Let stand for about 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
  
  


• Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes), tossing occasionally, then set the croutons aside.
  
  


• In a small-size saucepan, toss beets in a small saucepan and filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (about 30 minutes). Drain and let cool until easy to handle. Peel the beets and cut into ½” cubes, then set aside.
  
  


• In a small-size saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the honey mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir constantly for about 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining olive oil then reduce heat to low. Add beet cubes and toss to coat.
  
  


• Arrange spinach leaves, onions and mushrooms on plates. Drizzle with the beet dressing and garnish with croutons.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (234 g)): 161 Calories, 6 g Protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 6 g Dietary Fiber, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 511 mg sodium

Cooking With Kaye: Taste Sensations

This week in Cooking with Kaye we talked about the role of grains in the weight loss surgery diet and the new USDA Food Plate. This feature article discusses the importance of addressing the five taste sensations with each meal to avoid post-meal cravings.

A Healthy Plate: Include the Five Sensations of Taste
by Kaye Bailey

At right is a dinner I prepared for our family last week modeled

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Spinach and Pear Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp water
  
  


• 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
  
  


• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 1 tbsp honey
  
  


• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  
  


• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 2 Bosc pears (or Anjou), cored and thinly sliced
  
  


• 8 cups torn fresh spinach
  
  


• ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
  
  

Preparation:

• Combine water, vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk
  
  


• Combine pear slices and spinach in a large bowl.
  
  


• Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and toss gently to coat.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (167 g)): 114 Calories, 2 g Protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 4 g Dietary Fiber, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium

Day 166: WTHeck is going on?

I LOVE donating blood.  I've been doing it for years and try to do it whenever I can.  I'm nearly to the two gallon mark--maybe I've passed it already? I need to remember to check so I can get my license plate holder saying, "I'm a 2 gallon donor."  Call me a weirdo, but I like having that on my car.

Needless to say, I've never had an issue when donating.  Actually, I take that back.  When I was in college, I had an incomplete donation.  Turns out, if it's hot and you are a little low on water before going in, your blood can be too thick and stop flowing...right in the middle of a donation.  Yeah, that happened once, but I've never been turned away...until today.

I sat down behind the private curtains with the lady and she checked all my vitals.  Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, all normal, and then she pricked my finger.  Normally, the tech has to squeeze hard to get a big enough drop to fill up the glass vile.  Not this time.  I noticed she was sucking it up as the blood drop slid down my finger. That caught my attention, but I didn't think it was a big deal.

"Do you usually have a problem with this?" she asked, as the little ball of blood didn't sink in the blue liquid.

"Not usually, but it usually hovers for a sec until in falls to the bottom.  Why?"

She walked over to a machine that was out of my sight, I heard it whirl behind me as I waited.  Soon, it beeped and the tech came back and told me I couldn't donate today but that I could come back in three weeks and try again.

This has never happened to me before and I'm a little frustrated with my body right now as it's freaking out on me.  I have noticed that I've been extra tired lately, I just thought it was the heat and my hubby's snoring.  Guess it was something more.  I've also been a bit more stiff and sore than usual too, I need to research Fibromyalgia more thoroughly.  I'm SO grateful I have the habit of working out every day or who know how I'd be feeling like right now.

Now more than ever, I really need to be stepping it up.  I need to be more balanced in my eating and adding more to my exercise regimen.  It's a reminder to never get complacent.  Health is ongoing and how we take care of our body needs to adjust as our needs do.  It's my journey and I now have an unexpected detour. No worries though, it's all a lesson on adjusting to the unexpected.

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Arugula Salad

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants, cut into ¾” slices
  
  


• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
  


• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  
  


• 1½ cups red cherry tomatoes (or yellow), halved
  
  


• 1 tsp sugar
  
  


• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  
  


• 4 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
  
  


• 3 cups arugula
  
  


• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to broil.
  
  


• Place eggplant on a foil-lined broiler pan and brush with 1 tbsp olive oil then drizzle lemon juice over slices.


• Broil eggplant for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning once until golden and tender, then sprinkle with cilantro.
  
  


• Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil to medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add tomatoes, sugar, garlic and sauté until softened but not mushy (about 1 to 2 minutes). Reduce heat to low.
  
  


• Arrange eggplant on salad plates. Divide feta cheese and mound on each plate on top of eggplant. Divide tomatoes and place on top of feta cheese then top with arugula leaves.
  
  


• In the skillet, under low heat, add the remaining oil and balsamic vinegar and heat through for about 30 seconds.


• Drizzle dressing over each salad.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (396 g)): 181 Calories, 5 g Protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 8 g Dietary Fiber, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 128 mg sodium