HCG Beef Bourguignon

I made a discovery the other night.  This dreamy fiance of mine owns a cast iron skillet.  Not one of those fake ones... this thing is heavy.  It looks like something my mom used to have in the 80's.  I took a stab at a healthy version of beef bourguignon...  it's not quite up to Julia Child standards.  I also added mushrooms. I'm not sure if this is a cardinal sin, but it didn't seem fair not to have them with the yummy onion and garlic. More healthy stuff folks...  if you want to make it more yummy and less than 190 calories... add some red wine and butter.  Mmmm butter.

• 1 package beef stew meat
• 1 cup of beef broth  (I make my own with "better than bouillon."  If you keep it in the fridge you will never have to buy beef broth
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, cubed.
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• thyme
• marjoram
• salt & pepper
• cooking spray

You don't need a cast iron skillet... you can use a stockpot.  You can also get top sirloin and cube it.  Stew meat needs a long time to cook.  Mistake to come later- corrected in recipe.

1. Spray pot with cooking spray and place over medium heat
2. add onions, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until tender.  Add marjoram, thyme and salt & pepper
3. Add beef.  Cook with veggies until browned.  
4. Add stock & red wine vinegar.  Stir in tomato paste
5. Simmer over low heat for at least 3 hours

The timing of it is where I went wrong.  If you choose to cube top sirloin... I'm sure you only need to simmer it for 30 minutes or so.  If you use stew meat... no doubt it will be yummy... but it needs time to break down. If you do decide to use butter & wine you most likely won't need the vinegar.  I just wanted that wine flavoring. The sauce was very flavorful though- and I will make this again. This time when Fiance is in town.  :)  

HCG Chicken Picatta

The original recipe calls for veal... and I'm all about veal... but it is really fatty, and also the store didn't have it.  I decided to try it out with chicken, and I'm definitely not sorry.  Since it's been over two weeks since I've had a carb- I have figured out how not to miss them.  The original recipe suggested pounding out melba toast (which is definitely the least of the carb evils), but I also left that out.  Less than 90 days till my St. Lucian wedding!

• 2 thin chicken breasts
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons capers (without juice)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Paprika to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Season chicken with paprika, salt & pepper.  Spray a pan with cooking spray, and use about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the pan.  Heat pan on medium high heat.  When pan is hot- add chicken, and cook on both sides until brown.  Set chicken aside.
2. Deglaze pan with vegetable broth & left over lemon juice.  Add chopped garlic & bay leaf.  Cook on medium high for 1-2 minutes.  
3. Add chicken back to pan, and simmer on low heat.  Add capers.  Cover if necessary to cook chicken.  

This was pretty good for a low calorie, low carb meal.  If you like lemon and capers- it's definitely good.  I served it with baked asparagus.  Enjoy!

Very Lowfat Bunless Hot-Dogs With Cabbage Two Ways

As you may have noticed- I am suffering through an HCG diet.  This means daily hormone injections and 650 calories per day.  No cheese, no carbs.  It's been about 2 weeks, and I'm down about 12 pounds. Relationship weight is a killer!  This means I have to get extremely creative.  This entry goes against my new granola ways of eating non processed and organic foods... but I have to say... it's my play on my vice.  Hot-dogs.  I am SUCH a hot-dog girl.  I pile on the toppings too.  Let's get after it.

Start here.  You can get almost fat-free hot-dogs at the grocery store, did you know that?!  I lost 10 pounds in college eating only these things and piles of spinach.  Bringing it back baby!

• 2 low-fat hot dogs
• Sauerkraut
• Chopped fresh onion
• Spicy brown mustard
• Fresh cabbage, chopped
• Ground coriander
• Black Pepper

1. Place chopped cabbage in a pot with about 1/2 cup of water.  Add coriander & pepper.  Turn on medium high and steam.
2. Place two hot-dog franks in a pot of boiling water.  Cook until "plump" & done
3. When hot-dogs are ready place on a plate.  Cover with sauerkraut, chopped onions, and brown mustard.  

It's about 120 calories give or take.  Dress the hot-dog how you want, but this is how I like it best.  I think next time it's Chicago style without the bun.  :)

HCG "Friendly" Chicken with Mushroom Gravy & Steamed Cabbage

As you may have noticed, the blogs have slowed down.  This is partly because of crazy travel between the two of us, and also that we both jumped on the crazy diet bandwagon.  We have engagement pictures in LA on April 28th, and both of us need to  drop the last 9 months of deliciousness this relationship has brought on.  :)  If I do post- they will most likely be healthy and boring... but good enough to post right?

The only not so HCG friendly thing about this recipe could be the sodium in the package gravy.  This will prove to be my downfall if anything.  However after 1 week- I am 8 pounds down, so hopefully this one didn't hurt me too badly.

• 1 packet McCormick mushroom gravy mix (any mushroom gravy would be fine)
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 fresh green cabbage, chopped
• White pepper
• Mrs Dash lemon pepper
• Garlic powder
• Ground coriander
• fresh ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

All the spices are too taste.  Since I am spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to make my food more flavorful... I'm using quite a bit.  

1. Season the chicken with garlic powder, white pepper & Mrs. Dash.  Spray frying pan with cooking spray (enough to cook the chicken).  You can also make this recipe non HCG friendly by using olive oil.  Brown chicken on medium high heat
2. While chicken is browning, place cabbage into a sauce pain with about 1/2 cup of water.  Season cabbage with coriander & fresh ground black pepper.  Place burner on medium high to steam cabbage
3. Cook gravy according to package directions.  (It's pretty easy, put 1 cup of water in and bring to a boil, simmer to thicken)
4. Spray another frying pan with cooking spray.  Place sliced onions, mushrooms & garlic in pan, and stir over medium heat.  In order to get the veggies to soften- cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

At this point you will now have 4 burners... but you are about to condense to 2.  :)  As soon as the chicken is about cooked through & the gravy is thickened... place veggies & gravy into pan with chicken & simmer.  Depending on the thickness of the gravy, you probably don't need to cover.

By the time all of this is done, the cabbage should be steamed and delicious.  

My fiance kept saying, "oh my god this is so good..."  It turned out pretty peppery, that's why I didn't put amounts for spices.  Do what works for you.  

Yay for crash diets!