Brussels sprouts with bacon

Take Your 100 Calorie Snack Packs and Shove It, Nabisco

15 Brussels sprouts or so
2 strips good, thick cut bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Lemon

Slice the sprouts very thinly using the slicing disc of a food processor or with a sharp knife.

Cook the bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When done, remove bacon and pour off almost all the fat; chop bacon. Put the pan back on the heat, add the sprouts and garlic to the pan, salt & pepper, gently toss, and cover. Cook, removing lid to stir gently every minute or so, about 5 minutes.

Remove lid, add bacon, stir. Taste sprouts for doneness (they should be crisp-tender) and seasoning. Squeeze a bit of lemon over and serve.

2 generous servings
90 calories per serving

Simplest Roasted Chicken

Simplest Roasted Chicken

1 4-pound chicken
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Remove any giblets from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water; dry thoroughly with towels.

Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck the wingtips under. Generously salt & pepper the cavity and outside of the chicken.

Roast for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 4 to 6
Calories per serving depends on which part of the chicken you eat, and how much. Without skin, 1 of the breasts has about 142 calories; one of the thighs, about 109; one of the legs, about 90.

There are 1 million roasted chicken recipes. This is as simple and tasty a chicken as you’ll find. There’s absolutely no reason to futz around with butter under the skin, herbs in the cavity, starting the chicken at one temperature and turning it down later, turning the bird halfway through, etc. If you want to, by all means, do so…but this standby is a wonderful, hearty, simple supper for any busy evening.

For different sized chickens, cook at 400° F for 15 minutes per pound.

Kale with Salmon

2 c shredded lacinato (dinosaur) kale
1 t olive oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
3 oz smoked salmon, flaked
Lemon wedges

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add kale and a tablespoon or 2 of water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not completely cooked (3 to 5 minutes). Remove cover; add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook just until water is evaporated, another minute or so.

Transfer to plate, arrange salmon on top, and serve with lemon wedges.

1 serving
160 calories per serving

Chicken Cabbage Salad

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 c shredded cabbage
Half a jar of spicy pickled vegetables
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
4 T fish sauce
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
4 T red wine or white vinegar
2 seeded jalapeños, chopped
1 T sesame oil
1 t soy sauce

Combine everything but the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients well; pour over vegetables and toss well.

Serves 4
175 calories per serving

Sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic would all be nice additions.

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2/3 c cooked brown rice, cooled
2 c fruit, cut up
¼ c fresh chopped herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon, or a combination)
Juice of 1 lemon, well-reamed
1 T balsamic vinegar
Black pepper (plenty)
Salt (just a pinch)

3 c arugula or watercress

I should really come up with snazzier recipe names.

Combine all ingredients (except greens) in a medium bowl, gently.

Divide greens between 2 plates and top each with half the chicken and rice mixture.

2 servings
200 calories per serving

I used raspberries, a nectarine, and a plum this time. Other berries, apricots, apples, pears, etc. would all work well.

A little thinly sliced red onion or scallions would be good in this.

If you think it needs more zing, try some red pepper flakes. Crumbled blue, feta, or goat cheese, parmesan shavings, or toasted chopped nuts would all be great in this salad, but will add a significant amount of calories. At 200 to start, though, you can certainly afford to add a few.

Thursday, September 3 weigh-in

165. Down 5 lbs from the start, but according to my daily caloric intake I should be losing 2 per week (so I should be at 164). Need to start exercising daily.

Kale Salad

2 cups fresh shredded lacinato (dinosaur) kale
1 T olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 T red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Pine nuts
Parmesan shavings
Lemon

Combine all ingredients (except pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon) in a bowl, gently. Divide between 2 plates. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts and parmesan shavings. Give each a little squeeze of lemon juice.

2 servings
85 calories per serving

Spicy pickled vegetables

5 or so radishes, julienned
1 very large or 2 medium carrots, julienned
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, or one medium bunch scallions
3 whole small Thai peppers
10 peppercorns
1 T sugar
1 T kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a quart jar with tight fitting lid. Fill with white vinegar just to cover. Store in refrigerator at least 2 hours, up to 2 weeks (might last longer, but you'll eat it faster than that anyway).

Great in salads and on sandwiches. Use the pickling liquid to flavor sauces, too.

6 to 8 servings
About 20 calories per serving