What's For Dinner Wednesday

Since getting home from California, I've had the itch to get back in the kitchen. I feel like a fatass relative to how I usually feel. I know it sounds dumb, because I'm slender, but you know how you just feel like you're not quite yourself? I'm not in freak out mode yet, because I know I am cleaning my diet up again, and starting PT, so I will be getting a tad bit more physical activity than I HAVE been. Just know that this happens to all of us. Do you guys know that thing that Lauren Fleshman did on her blog about keeping it real? Where she posted a picture of herself looking not so great in workout clothes just to show that not everyone always looks perfect all the time? Well, here's a good example of me:

I even looked thinner there than I think I do now, if that illustrates why I'm feeling kind of out of sorts. My stomach isn't as flat as I want it to be in this pic, and my legs aren't in tip top shape. Oh, and neither is my ass. It's ok though. I have goals, and although they can't be met right away, I know I'll get back to where I want to be sooner than later now that I have a plan. All I've been trying to do with diet this whole time has been to preserve what I've worked for the best I can. With the traveling and surgery, I've been a little bit stressed (although I didn't really think I was until I got back to AZ and realized how much of a toll everything took on me.) The past week and a half or so, I've had this insatiable craving for sweets! I've been popping chocolate chips like I should be popping grapes, and eating Nutella straight out of the jar. I'll have a snack after dinner, and an hour later, I want another, and then another. It's getting out of control. So today, I decided to try getting back into my cooking and healthy diet routine at home. Plus, eating out for meals frequently adds up ($$ and hidden calories), especially in Cali! I had my typical fun yummy salad for lunch with added quinoa, bean, and "taco" almond meat mixture leftover from Pomegranate Cafe.

I had that yogurt for dessert, but realized shortly after that they used sucralose in it so I won't be buying it again. Sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) is now getting a bad rap like Aspartame. The no calorie sweetener preference for health freaks now is Stevia. If you don't mind a few extra calories, use Agave Nectar or honey.

Anyway, I made a really simple chicken dish for dinner. I might have sautéed the ingredients in a different order in retrospect. This time, I put in the chicken, then the mushrooms, then onions. If I had to do it over, I would do the mushrooms and onions first, and the chicken, because I think I overcooked it a little bit. I'd also add more seasonings. I couldn't decide what else to add to the rosemary, salt and pepper, so I just kept it simple.

Like I said, it is super easy to make. You can really tweak it to make it better or to meet your personal preferences in a lot of ways. If you make modifications, I'd love it if you'd share them with me! Here's what you'll need to make this:

Chicken Medallions with Portobello Mushrooms, Rosemary, and Onions

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into medallions (width-wise instead of lengthwise)
• 1 portobello mushroom chopped into half inch pieces
• 1/2 of a yellow onion chopped into inch-long matchsticks
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary minced (about 1-2 teaspoons)
• 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1-2 tablespoons EVOO, coconut oil, or walnut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked quinoa

As I said above, I would first sauté the mushrooms and onions. So heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet to medium/high, then throw in the two veggies and cook about 5-7 minutes. Then, push to the side of the pan, add other half of the oil, and add chicken, sauté until chicken is cooked through. Add rosemary, salt and pepper, then stir everything together and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add vegetable broth to deglaze the pan and make a little bit of a sauce. Deglazing the pan is a sophisticated way of saying "add a liquid and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate what's stuck to it into the sauce." Often, wine is used to deglaze. Imagine searing a filet mignon with mushrooms and onions, then adding a couple of glugs of red wine to deglaze. Rachael Ray does this all the time. For obvious reasons, I must use broth; but feel free to bust out a good dry white wine for this if you so please :-).

Serve on top of cooked quinoa or brown rice if you prefer. I used probably 1/2-3/4 cup of quinoa.

What would a food pic be without my famous photo bomber?!

Apparently, she approves, because it looks like she's jonesin' for a bite!

This was dessert. Strawberries, grapes, blueberries and a plum. Is anyone excited about spring!? I know my Midwesterners are! Spring is bittersweet for us in AZ. Weather is fantastic, spring training starts, and it's pool time! However, it means that hell is just around the corner. You know that feeling when you open the oven and get a blast of hot air? Yeah. That's the summer in AZ. I just stay inside. Unless I'm marathon training. God willing, I will be marathon training this summer, so it's definitely bittersweet for me!

Anyway, the whole point of me saying this is that I love spring and summer fruits! Not as much as honeycrisp apples in the fall, but at least I shave something yummy to look forward to during hellish months. I love watermelon, Ranier cherries, peaches and plums. I discovered my love for peaches and plums last summer. I think I want to go pick peaches this year! Anyone down to go with me?? I also love brewing iced tea in the hot weather. In the glass above is Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage tea brewed outside in the sun today. It's unsweetened and decaf, so I'm good to enjoy it at night. It has so much flavor!

I'm going to enjoy my tea and get some more studying done now. I've been having trouble getting motivated since my surgery, and have been stuck on arrhythmias for like three weeks. It's not my favorite subject. Wish me luck. I hope you guys like the recipe!

Happy Trails!

Stacey

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