Day #248 - Tilapia Lettuce Wraps

Look at this colorful dinner!

I took a tilapia filet and sauteed it in some olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning.   I then split the filet in two and made a couple lettuce wraps - green leaf lettuce leaves, thinly sliced yellow onion, thinly sliced red & yellow bell pepper, and a little salsa.

They were like fish tacos, only with lettuce leaves instead of tortilla shells.

Day #247 - Veggie Soup

Tonight I cooked up a large pot of vegetable soup, based on a South Beach Diet recipe.

I started by heating up a little olive oil in the bottom of my soup pot.  I added in some minced celery and onion, pressed garlic cloves, dried basil and oregano, and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes, and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.   I then added chopped baby bella mushrooms, diced zucchini and diced yellow squash, and let cook for another 6-8 minutes.   Next, I dumped in 1 can of lima beans (drained & rinsed), 1 large can of diced tomatoes with the juice, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and 2 cups of V-8 tomato juice, and stirred well.  I let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, then dumped in 1/2 package of thawed frozen spinach.  Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then served up a large bowl for dinner.

It was loaded with healthy vegetables, and a great recipe to keep on hand as we get closer to the autumn/winter months ahead.

Day #246 - Malone's

Happy Memorial Day!

Tonight I went out to dinner with parents and my grandmother.   We went to Malone's Grill & Pub in Crestwood, MO.   It was my first time there.  It looked like your typical bar - sports memorabilia all over the walls, and TVs scattered around showing various sports & news programs.

I decided to give their sirloin steak a try, since that is one item I seem to struggle cooking for myself.  I can never cook a good steak.   I ordered their 6oz sirloin steak, with sides of steamed broccoli and cottage cheese.  (Again, trying to choose healthier options.)

The steak was cooked a perfect medium, just how I like it.  SO juicy and flavorful, and it melted in my mouth.   Best steak I've had in a long time.  The broccoli was also steamed perfectly - still had a little bite to it, and it wasn't mushy.  It was seasoned with black pepper, which was a pleasant burst of flavor.  (The cottage cheese was just normal.)

Thanks for dinner, mom & dad!

Day #245 - Tomato & Cheese

Earlier today, my cousins and I went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens for the annual Japanese Festival.  Do you know how difficult it is to eat carb-free at a Japanese Festival?  Everything has rice or noodles.  I managed to find a vendor selling giant pork kabobs - 6oz of pork, marinated in teriyaki sauce, and grilled to perfection.   Do you also know how difficult it is to take a picture of a pork kabob while trying eating and walking through a crowd at the same time?   Yeah, that's why I don't have a photo of lunch for you.

After a day of walking and fresh air, I wasn't very hungry for dinner.  I pulled out a large beefsteak tomato from my fridge, cut it into slices, drizzled it with balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled it with crushed black pepper and finely grated Romano cheese.    It was refreshing, it was delicious, and it filled me up for dinner.

Day #244 - Incredible Pizza Company

Today is my cousin Matt's birthday, so the whole family (me, my parents, grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins) got together at Incredible Pizza Company for dinner and to hang out.   As I mentioned in last night's post, I'm watching my carb intake, so sadly I wasn't able to eat any of the pizza or pasta available at the all-you-can-eat pizza bar.  But I raided the salad bar.   Pictured above is one of the two salads I ate for dinner.

This salad is romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, green peas, diced turkey, sunflower seeds, and light Italian dressing.   My second salad was similar, only with light French dressing instead of Italian, and ham instead of turkey.

It's not easy staying healthy when dining out, and I had to constantly defend my dinner choices and refuse all the "good" (aka fattening) foods like pizza, pasta, and dessert.  But my willpower felt strong, and I left feeling satisfied instead of full/sick.   It's a good thing I like salads!!

Day #243 - Pork Stir-Fry

Tonight I threw together a pork stir fry, using the leftover pork chop from yesterday, plus red bell pepper, baby bella mushrooms, broccoli florets, sliced yellow onion, edamame, and a little soy sauce.

Since I'm watching my carb intake, I ate two servings of the stir fry without any rice or noodles.   And honestly, I didn't miss them.  I'd rather fill up on the meat and veggies!

Day #242 - Hummus & Onion Pork Chops

Tonight's dinner was based off this recipe I found using the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner app on my cell phone - Pleasant Pork Chops


I started by sauteing some thinly sliced onion and pressed garlic in some olive oil until lightly browned, then removed from the skillet.    I took two pork chops, seasoned them with salt & pepper, and browned them on both sides in my hot skillet.  I then poured in a cup of chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, and 1/2 can of Rotel tomatoes (with juices) into the skillet, covered with the lid, and let simmer for an hour.

After the hour was up, I removed the pork chops and poured in a mixture of Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), red pepper hummus, and the sauteed onion & garlic.  I mixed this together with the cooking liquid, and let this sauce simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

At this point, I put a pan of chopped asparagus and broccoli florets into the oven to roast.   Once the vegetables were roasted, I served my pork chop topped with a large spoonful of the tomatoes, onions, and sauce.   The sauce had good flavor, but it probably would have been helpful if I had read the directions a little closer and let the cooking liquids reduce before I mixed in the hummus & onions.   Mine was still a little runny.