Super Simple Supper

Last evening I got home after suppertime but was able to have food on the table for the family in about fifteen minutes. Before I left for some errands I put rice in the rice cooker, and that made all the difference.

SUPER SIMPLE SUPPER
For Nutritarians and Those They Love

Rice prepared in rice cooker ahead of time

Three cans black beans
Big dollop of salsa
Sliced lite kielbasa
Diced onion
Diced tomato
Mixture of 2/3 plain nonfat yogurt and 1/3 sour cream

Brown kielbasa slices in a skillet. Combine the cans of beans in a saucepan and add salsa, heating on medium. Meanwhile, dice up onion and tomato (green pepper would be nice, too) and mix yogurt/sour cream topping.

Have diners create their own plates with rice as a base, beans and sausage on the base, and toppings as desired. I used a token amount of rice and mostly beans, with three small sausage slices and lots of tomato and onion, with a squiggle of yogurt/cream on top, and I had a big navel orange on the side.

Verdict: Excellent. Everybody enjoyed it completely, especially as each was able to assemble his or her own plate as desired.

Simple Substitution

I was tempted to have a Wendy's Frosty today at lunch, and when I got home I made an alternative that was very satisfying on many levels. It is utterly simple.

COCOA-BANANA FROSTY

3 frozen bananas, slightly softened
3 tablespoons or so cocoa powder

Combine in the blender until perfectly smooth, then top with nuts if desired.

Verdict: Excellent. I wasn't sure this would quite do the trick for my craving, but it did, really, and with virtue to boot! This makes two good servings.

Side note--I had the Mandarin Chicken Salad at Wendy's, using less than half the dressing, for a total of about 400 calories--romaine and spring mix greens, mandarin orange pieces, grilled chicken breast, sliced toasted almonds, crunchy noodles for the top (only about 60 calories). Not bad for eating out.

Food as Drug

This article nicely summarizes some of the trouble . . . As I've said before, the food does matter:

"Many of us are wired in the brain to eat" from the Edmonton Journal.

(Thanks to www.drsharma.ca )

N-Friendly Fusion

For supper tonight I am throwing together a kind of buffet of Middle-Eastern / Indian items that are nutritarian-friendly, if not purist. I thought I'd share . . .

SPICED LENTILS AND BEEF (beef optional)

Tasty-Bite Madras Lentils (one package)
2 cups cooked, crumbled ground beef (could be substituted with cooked lentils or red beans or TVP if you like TVP)
3 dates, snipped up
3 slivers candied ginger, snipped up (authentically prepared by my friend M. in Jordan!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander (ground my own!)
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Combine with water to a good consistency, heat


LEMONY SQUASH AND TOMATOES

1 bag frozen zucchini and yellow squash slices
1/2 onion, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes (mine were accidentally "chili-ready")
small segments of sliced lemon, with peel
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Combine and heat, adding salt to taste


ON THE TABLE:

Tasty Bite Chunky Chickpeas

Steamed Rice

Cooked frozen green peas

Plain yogurt with cucumber dressing, cilantro (I freeze little patties of pureed cilantro in the summer), and honey stirred in

Sourdough bread (homemade by daughter)

Verdict: Excellent! The lemony veggies with the sweet lentils/meat worked very nicely, and the yogurt sauce was good on the latter. It all worked well together as a meal, and I threw it together in just thirty minutes or so (plus extra time for the rice). This is a good use of prepared items with additions from my own produce and staples.