Bathing in Balsamic
Thursday, September 2, 2010
I'm back!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Unexpected hiatus!
I didn't plan to take a month off... it just happened. Things got a little hectic during this month of May and I finally have the time to get back to blogging!!
Lately, I've been eating the same thing everyday: Sauteed spinach, garlic and egg whites. Very tasty BUT I miss my balsamic vinegar as well as the other delicious flavors that food has to offer.
The other day, I was seriously craving pizza. I could eat pizza every day for the rest of my life and be so content. In trying to stay healthy, I came up with another alternative.: Portobella mushroom pizzas!!!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then start with big portobella mushrooms caps, remove the stem and gills and don't forget to wipe with a damp cloth. Once you've cleaned them, place the portobella caps stem side up onto a foil lined sheet tray.
Next, slice whatever veggies or meats you have on hand; I sliced up green bell pepper and vidalia onions. Sautee the veggies in some olive oil. Season veggies with dried basil and oregano. A generous pinch of each herb will do :) Also, add some grinds of black pepper.
Since you're going to be putting the veggies into the oven, don't sautee for too long. Once my dried herbs start to smell extremely fragrant, remove the pan from heat and fill the mushroom caps with the sauteed veggies.
What's pizza without sauce?! Instead of sauce, I sliced up a Roma tomato I had on hand and placed them on top of the peppers and onions.
You'll notice that I did not use any salt. I saved the salt for the parmesan cheese! On top of the tomatoes, sprinkle some delicious parmesan cheese. Hopefully you have the real stuff- it truly makes a difference.
Place this delicious concoction into the oven for about 20 minutes. The result is something that tastes like a pizza without all of the calories.
I apologize for not having a picture but I was hungry and didn't want to find the camera.
That's it for now folks, have a good night :)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Balsamic BBQ Sauce
After two horrific years in nursing school that packed on pounds, I'm committed to getting healthy and in shape again. Of course, my wedding coming up in less than 11 months is also a *slight* motivator. I'm absolutely being sarcastic. The last thing I want is to look at my wedding photos in 20 years and think about how unfit and unhealthy I was!
The problem for me is that I absolutely must have flavor in everything I eat. Luckily, I found a way to morph this sauce into a BBQ sauce that has slightly less calories. How did I do it?
Balsamic vinegar, when reduced on low heat, turns into a gorgeous syrup that resembles chocolate. Based on this, I decided to omit the brown sugar from the original recipe. Another hidden source of sugar: KETCHUP. I love ketchup and it does as a necessary flavor component that makes the BBQ sauce taste well rounded. Instead of putting 3/4 cup of ketchup as per instructions, I added 1 tablespoon.
I've made this BBQ sauce so much that now, I just start dumping ingredients- except for the ingredients that I know will pack on calories I don't need! I measure those like I'm baking a cake!
I have started taking this approach with essentially everything I cook now. I'm very picky about my salt content. I suppose it was expected after 4 rotations on a cardiac unit. I measure my oils, etc. These small steps have kept my desire for tasty foods satisfied while keeping the calories down.
Well, I guess this wasn't a quick note.... hope you're dealing with your Monday without a case of the "Mundaaays" okay, I'll stop being corny and go make dinner... which is....
PAAV BHAJI!!!! One of my favorite Gujrati dishes.... I guess that will be my next post :)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Balsamic BBQ Chicken Pizza
1. I was craving CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza!
2. I was craving Giada de Laurentiis' Balsamic BBQ sauce (the recipe can be found on FoodNetwork.com).