On a Roll May 5, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dessert, Dinner, Food, Goals, Motivation, Weight Watchers.Tags: Corn on the Cob, Grilling, Quinoa, Salmon, Success
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More good news at my weight-in today!!! I have officially lost removed 45.6 pounds since joining Weight Watchers. As my leaders says, lost implies that I can find it again, and I certainly don’t want that!
As a reward, I bought salmon from Whole Foods for dinner tonight. I realize that rewarding myself with food isn’t what I am supposed to do… but as my reward is a healthy meal, I decided it would be alright. Just this once.
For my ‘congratulations to myself’ dinner, I decided to grill salmon and corn on the cob with a side of quinoa salad. For a very special treat, a strawberry daiquiri to complete the meal.
This was my first attempt at grilling… and it came out quite well, if I do say so myself! For the salmon, I just put a touch of butter, salt, and pepper. Simple is sometimes the best. The corn was a little more difficult. Mostly because I didn’t realize that it took 20 minutes of presoaking in water. Still turned out to be very tasty, though! The daiquiri was a particularly delicious addition to the evening. I didn’t quite have enough strawberries, so added in some frozen mixed berries. Absolutely delicious celebratory meal!
Summer Time, Summer Time May 3, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dessert, Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Bell Pepper, Grilling, Hamburger, Justin's Chocolate Hazlenut Butter, Quinoa Salad, Strawberries, Summer, Terra Blues
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Nothing says summer like 80* days and grilling. Now, I might not be a huge fan of the heat, but I am certainly a fan of the fire.
Chris decided that tonight would be the perfect night to fire up the grill and make some of the ‘Omaha Steak’ burgers that my grandmother gave us for Christmas. They were perfectly cooked and positively delicious!
To go with the burger, Chris popped an orange bell pepper on the grill. I just love the grill marks! I brought home some Terra Blues as a treat… Chris loves them because they are the official snack of JetBlue! I also made a quinoa salad, which is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1 2/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1 tsp salt (if you want)
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cup corn
- 2 scallions
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 avocado
Directions:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth/water and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer cooked quinoa to mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator.
- When quinoa is cool, add remaining tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, cilantro, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Right before serving, scatter avocado chunks over top.
- Enjoy!
The salad is so delicious and cool. The lime juice gives it a nice freshness. I can definitely see having this in the middle of summer. Absolutely fantastic.
For dessert, I had strawberries dipper in Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter… heavenly!!!
Talk about a summertime treat!
Don’t Get in a Flap April 21, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food.Tags: Chicken Wings, Green Beans, Grilling, Jalapeno, Rum Glaze, Summer
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After a long hiatus, Chris and I decided it was time to crack the wings book open again. This time, it fell open to citrus wings with a rum glaze. Pretty fantastic, and certainly summery for this unseasonably warm weather we have been having!
A little spice from a jalapeno, lots of fresh citrus flavor from lemon and lime juice, a little punch from the rum, and some nice sweetness from molasses in the glaze. There were definitely a lot of flavors going on, but they came together nicely.
A healthy side of green beans… and by side I mean half a plate! Done just they way I like them, ie. a little crunchy. What could be better for a fine spring day?
Spring is in the Air March 4, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food.Tags: Asparagus, Grilling, Wings
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It’s March… and it’s 65*!
That means it is grilling season!!!
I can’t believe that we can light up the grill already. Definitely some crazy weather here in Colorado.
Of course, we decided to celebrate grilling season with wings.
Definitely a fantastic way to fire up the grilling season!
They started off marinating in a bath of wheat beer. Next, hopped in a dry rub of celery seed, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Made their way to the grill to get nice and crispy. Finally they went for a swim in a buffalo/siriachi sauce blend. Sprinkle with cilantro, and enjoy!
Combined with a side of asparagus… perfect for a lovely, springy day!
Grilling Goodness August 25, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Craving, Dinner, Food.Tags: Dinosaur BBQ, Green Beans, Grilling, Mashed Potatoes, Ribs
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It has been hot recently… really hot. The kind of heat that makes you want to throw your oven away and only eat foods that don’t need to touch a pan.
In cases like these, there is really only one option: GRILL!
Chris was in the mood for ribs, so that was the direction we went tonight. I will confess that my plan to not use the oven or stove did not work at all. I baked the ribs for 1.5 hours covered in a Dinosaur BBQ dry rub. Chris made mashed potatoes and green beans- also using the stove.
Chris covered the ribs in the Dinosaur BBQ Honey Garlic sauce before putting them on the grill. Now, I’m usually a fan of their Sensuous Slather, but the garlic and honey sure hit the spot last night!
Healthy Heath 