cook more, cook healthy

I’m so bad about this! I go to the grocery store feeling all industrious and ready to eat healthy, load up on fruits and veggies, and then… whoops. This week I threw out celery that went wilty, a head of cauliflower that was definitely no longer white, and tangerines that went squidgy. Had good intentions: the celery and fruit were for my work lunches, and the cauliflower was for soup. So much for that, though. (At least I’m not as bad as my roommate; I’ve seen some of her veggies actually turn into brown liquidy goo.)

I think what I need to do is start planning my week’s meals ahead of time. I shop with a grocery list and stick to it pretty well, so I generally don’t impulse-shop, which is good. So now instead of just making a list with no specific goals in mind, an advance meal plan will hopefully keep my produce-murder in check. I also need to work on actually eating the healthy produce I buy for my work lunches instead of veering toward the carbs (which will hopefully help on my weight-loss goal).

Well, this one doesn’t necessarily fall under the “healthy” heading, but I’m still ruling it as better than what I tend to cook for myself, which is boxed macaroni and cheese, canned soup, or ramen noodles for the convenience factor. I think my problem is that I LOVE to cook, but I don’t have that many practical recipes that are simple and easy to throw together (especially when I’m only cooking for one), or that I generally have the ingredients on hand for. Well, my beau was sick last night, and he loves his mother’s chicken and noodles, so I decided I was going to make him some. Tracked down the recipe (if you can even call it that… it’s WAY too simple to be so good) from his brother’s girlfriend and had it ready in 45 minutes. SO much tastier than Campbell’s chicken noodle soup… and I grew up on that stuff!

Just simmered chicken leg pieces (could use breast meat instead, but I was sticking with Mom’s pick) in broth for 45 minutes, then removed the chicken from the pot and cooked some tasty Amish noodles in the broth while removing chicken from bones and shredding into bite-sized pieces. Stir chicken back in and season with salt and pepper; serve over mashed potatoes (which I personally find bizarre, but his whole family eats it that way).

I think I’ll experiment with including veggies and/or herbs next time, but it really is delicious as is. And even easier, this can be done in a slow-cooker if time is a problem! I really should get out my slow-cooker and become friends with it; I only ever use it for pot roasts and mulling apple cider, but I’m sure there are lots of healthy and yummy recipes I could have cooking while I’m at work! I also need to do better at planning ahead and making enough to freeze individual portions whenever I make something that freezes well, like chili. That way I’ve always got something on hand instead of going for the processed, pre-packaged junk.

You know, I could make a lot of excuses for why I don’t cook more. It’s too much trouble to cook for one… I don’t like eating leftovers… shopping healthy is too expensive on my budget… blah blah blah. But the fact is that after losing 50 pounds and keeping it off for a year, it’s starting to creep back; I’ve put back on ten pounds instead of losing the last five that I wanted to get rid of, and that’s just not cool. It’s time to take charge again, so I’m working on collecting easy and healthy recipes. You’d think that with nearly 100 cookbooks, this wouldn’t be a problem, but my criteria are: less than 30 minutes (prep time… I can handle longer cooking times if I can ignore it), translates well to leftovers (can be recycled into other dishes, because I get bored easily), and doesn’t put the squeeze on my wallet at the store (wish I could eat fresh fish five times a week, but $$$ doesn’t allow). Started off last night with one of my favorite concoctions: Baked Chicken Taquitos. A great thing about this recipe is that the liquid left over after boiling the chicken can be used as the basis for a tasty soup later!

Baked Chicken Taquitos:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 pkg.)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. peppercorns
hot sauce to taste

whole wheat tortillas
Mexican cheese blend
toppings of choice

Toss all but the hot sauce into a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for a half-hour. (Let the chicken cool in the liquid for a while before shredding it if you have time; this keeps the meat juicier.) Drain off liquid, reserving for soup or another purpose if you like, and use two forks to shred the chicken. Add hot sauce and additional salt and pepper to taste. Roll a couple of spoonfuls of chicken and some cheese (no science here!) up into as many tortillas as you want (I’ll generally knock back two at a time with a healthy heap of veggie toppings), close with a toothpick, put on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until good and toasty. (I use a spritz of garlic-flavored olive oil spray on top to help them get nice and brown). Serve with whatever toppings float your boat: guacamole and sour cream are delicious but not so healthy; I go for homemade salsa and shredded lettuce.

Next step: packing healthier lunches for work!