Mmmmm GRITS.

Savory Grits Breakfast...or lunch...or serve it with a salad and call it dinner

This is simple enough I won’t even bother typing a recipe. It’s hot and filling and wonderfully comforting, especially on a cold winter morning.

Fix yourself a couple servings of grits according to the directions on the box. White, yellow, quick, original…your choice.

While they’re cooking, sauté a couple big sliced-up mushrooms in a skillet. Add some garlic, crushed tomatoes, herbs, salt & pepper, or a bit of pasta sauce if you have some in the fridge. Or use the mushrooms & garlic by themselves, that would be great too.

Poach a couple eggs.

Split up the grits into two bowls, top with the mushroom mix, top with an egg or two.

Make a vegan breakfast by skipping the eggs.

Serves 2
250-300 calories per serving, with one egg, depending on how large a portion of grits you use.

Poached Egg & Lardon Salad

I make this for weekend breakfast or brunch a lot. It's also a nice light lunch or dinner, especially if you serve it with a little bread or small pasta dish. (In the photo, I've served it with a small amount of fried potatoes, a tomato, and some apple slices.)

Dressing:
1 T olive oil
2 t red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
Juice of a quarter or half a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Salad:
2 big handfuls mixed greens
2 eggs
3 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and broken into pieces; or, cut into dice, cook, and drain

Set a nonstick skillet with about an inch to an inch and a half of water—and a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar—over heat to boil.

While it's coming to a boil, mix dressing ingredients well in a jar or small cup. Place the greens in a mixing bowl, add dressing, and toss. It's very important not to overdress the salad, since the runny yolk of the egg will also dress it, so keep in mind that you may not need all the dressing.

Divide the greens between 2 plates and top with bacon pieces.

By this time, the water should be boiling. If you don't know how to poach an egg, here's an easy method: crack each egg into a small bowl or cup and tip into the water. Cover and remove from heat. After 10 minutes, the eggs should be perfectly poached. (Me, I just lower the water to a simmer, tip the eggs in, and keep an eye on 'em.) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the water off before topping each salad with an egg. Add a little salt & pepper to the egg if you like.

Serves 2
250 calories per serving

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.

Stuffed Peppers

4 large bell peppers, tops removed, seeded

Filling:
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (more if you want it spicier)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 c cooked brown rice
2 chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
Half c each fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped
Quarter c grated parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a pot of boiling water, submerge the peppers until bright green about 2 minutes. They should be starting to soften, but still hold their shape. Remove to shallow baking dish.

In a nonstick skillet lightly coated with canola spray, over medium-low heat, cook the tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic until soft and sauce-like.

Combine tomato mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Spoon a quarter of the mixture into each pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

4 servings*
240 calories per serving

*Full disclosure: We are now both so accustomed to eating lighter meals that neither of us could finish an entire stuffed pepper (served with cucumber radish salad on the side). We each ate half of one before giving up.

Pad Thai

This recipe is dead easy, fast, and way better than take-out. I adapted it from a recipe from my friend Jesse, who in turn adapted it from Real Thai Cooking (I think). To keep it lower in calories, I reduced the amount of sugar and peanuts, as well as eliminating the oil and cooking it in a large non-stick skillet rather than a wok. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference. If you use a wok, or a skillet that is not quality non-stick, I would definitely use a tablespoon or two of oil, NOT canola spray.

8 oz flat rice noodles (fettucine-style)
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks; or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks (optional)

6 scallions, chopped
Dried Thai chiles
1 12 oz package bean sprouts
½ cup chopped peanuts
Cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
3 T sugar
6 T white vinegar
4 T fish sauce
2 T ketchup (yes, really)
½ T chili powder
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Soak rice noodles in very hot tap water for 20-30 minutes, until just barely al dente. Drain.

In a bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.

Lightly coat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with canola spray. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about 10 seconds (careful not to burn it). If using, add chicken and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer visibly pink.

Add sauce; continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add noodles and cook, stirring, until they have absorbed most of the liquid (5 to 7 minutes).

Add scallions and enough chiles for desired amount of heat; cook another minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in 2/3 of the bean sprouts.

Sprinkle the rest of the sprouts, the peanuts, and the cilantro on top. Serve with plenty of lime or lemon wedges.

4 servings
450 calories per serving

Instead of chicken, you could also use dry-fried tofu or cooked shrimp. If using either of these, add them in at the end of the noodle step, before adding the scallions, just so they heat through. Chopped scrambled egg would be good, too.

Asianesque chicken & rice salad

2 c chopped leftover roasted chicken
3 c leftover rice
2 large carrots, peeled & chopped
1.5 c snow peas, ends trimmed
Chopped herbs (I used cilantro & basil, about 1 or 1.5 cups total), as much as you like

1 T honey
1 T tamari soy sauce
1 T fish sauce
1 T rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime, reamed well
1 seeded, chopped jalapeño
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid; stir or shake well until honey is dissolved and ingredients well combined. Pour over rice & chicken mixture.

Stir gently until combined. Serve cold or room temperature. Good for lunch to take to work/school.

5 servings
260 calories per serving