LESS-AGNA: a fungi to be around

Unghi Munghi Chicka Chicka Fungi...  it was just a game when I was small jungling balls.  And when I grew older, we had mushrooms but not to the extent we eat them today.  Maybe they weren't readily available.  I really don't know.  It was just sort a side dish to steak at a steak house.  It was also believed that they had no nutritional value.  It is only of late that we learnt more about them.  We were also taught never to pick wild mushrooms.  They look like the good ones but may not be.  Last week I noticed I had beds of large mushrooms under the spruce trees. I asked my gardener if they were edible and he said no.  They must have grown out of the fertilizer he used.  Now there is much ado about mushrooms now that red meat is out, the fat's way down and spiced up, grilled and roasted portobellos have the taste and texture of a thick, juicy steak so you better leave shroom for seconds.

 For years, especially when the kids were small, I made a vegetarian lasagna that the kids really loved.  Times have changed and I am now trying to cut the calories by adding more vegetables and roasting them in the oven first for flavour.  As well I am using Olivieri, whole grain, ready-to-cook, lasagna sheets.  I also add a little balsamic vinegar instead of sugar.
Also, light ricotta cheese is often the choice of the newer cooks and chefs so I am doing a combination of the old 1% Nordica small curd cottage cheese and new light and smooth Ricotta.  But the hugest of ingredients has to be the large amount of Portobello mushrooms in this "Less-Agna" dish.

A word about Portobello mushrooms... they are actually just overgrown cremini mushrooms.  They are an excellent meat substitute for all kinds of dishes.  The Portobello also contains powerful phytonutrients, such as recently discovered lentinan, which seems to protect our DNA from damage.  In short, they reduce the risk of cancer.

My go to spices were the typical Italian mixture of basil, thyme and oregano.  I still like that although Rosemary has made a big rise, my taste buds find that it is used in too large quantities and over power the dish. I also used to make my own pasta sauce very simply with whole canned tomatoes and onions, garlic and Italian spices and salt and pepper.  It was simple and tasty but often runny.
Now I use bought, prepared pasta sauce.  There are so many kinds out there, you just have to find your favourite.

I didn't use parsley then either but maybe it negates the bad breath from the onions.  It is like nature's mouthwash".  It's odour-absorbing chlorophyll will freshen your breath plus it has diuretic properties which will help you beat the bloat so your little black dress will zip up without a hitch or you won't have to wear the elastic-waisted pants ... lovingly called her "eating pants" by a friend of mine.

LESS-AGNA IS A FUNGI TO BE AROUND
makes 8 servings.  353 calories, 9.1 g total fat, 23 g protein, 47 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 19 mg cholesterol, 629 mg sodium

ingredients
3 to 5 cups of  portobello mushrooms cut in chunks
2 medium zucchini unpeeled, cut into 8ths and sliced about 1/2" pieces
1 large red pepper and 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red onion thinly sliced then chopped
1 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of mixed Italian spices
1 400 g container of part-skim ricotta cheese
1 500 g container of Nordica 1% cottage cheese
1/3 cup of minced fresh parsley (although I used scissors and give it a hair cut)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Asiago Cheese
1 large egg
1 package of fresh Olivieri Whole Grain Lasagna sheets
3 cups of your favourite low-sodium tomato past sauce
1 and 1/2 cups of packed shredded light mozzarella cheese

method
1.   spray a large roasting pad with cooking spray.  add mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and Italian spices, salt and pepper.  Mix well, until vegetables are coated with seasonings.  Roast, uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

2.  while vegetables are roasting, prepare cheese filling and if you are using a pasta that requires pre-cooking, do it now.  in a medium bowl, combine ricotta and cottage cheeses, 1/3 cup parsley, parmesan or asiago cheeses, and egg.  Mix well. 

3.  to assemble Less-Agna, spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  spread 1/4 cup of pasta sauce over bottom of pan.  Arrange lasagna noodles, spread 1/2 cheese filling over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the roasted vegetables.  Sprinkle vegetables with 1/3 of the mozzarella.  Repeat layering: noodles,other half of the cheese filling, 1/3 of the roasted vegetables followed by 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.  Last layer: noodles, pasta sauce and remaining roasted vegetables.
sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

4. bake at 400 F for 35 minutes.  Remove lasagna from oven. let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT

I was pretty controlled yesterday knowing that I had a party at night.  This was a wonderful venue of hundreds of acres off a dirt road in Caledon and leading up to a house that looked like The Palace of Versailles.  Even there I managed to eat within reason but the continual refilling of my wine glass paid toll on my tummy today.

It is interesting looking around at the people.  I doubt that any of them overate.  Cheryl Hickey from entertainment TV fame looking absolutely ravishing.  I happened to be behind her at the buffet table.  I was carefully taking lots of cooked green vegetables and a few slices of filet of beef.  She took 3 small slices of lettuce.  I asked it that was it and she answered, yep.... just air and water.  There is no question she looked amazing and I thought how difficult it would have been for me to do that.

I was reading a tip in the Weight Watchers guide yesterday that says "if it doesn't taste that good, don't eat it"....  meanwhile the opposite is true too... "if it tastes too good, don't eat it.... because it is probably laden with fat, sugar and/or calories".  So what is left.  I still believe in moderation.  It isn't overnight weight loss though!

Vacation State of Mind

As I sat in my kitchen drinking my second cup of coffee with 2 of my mini bananaberry bran muffins, I realized I was not going to Weight Watchers to weigh in today.  The same 2 pounds are up and down now for months and I am going to have to review how to deal with it.  Perhaps, I am not inspired by the meetings there anymore.  Perhaps, dieting is not on the top of my radar screen.  Whatever it is, I will seek out a new modus operendi.  After about a year of walking the walk and following the rules ... on and off, I know the rules of engagement... It is just keeping to it that seems to be the problem. 

You must have heard that eating can be an emotional thing.  I never really thought about it that way.  I love to party.  I eat when I am happy and if I am so upset that I can't eat, I make up for it when the problems have been solved. By yesterday, I realized I was in a vacation state of mind.  It is late June and Herbie Fund has had one event after another.  On the personal level I hosted a baby naming, a birthday party and a Father's Day event all on the same weekend.  All through this last 3 month event period, it was mandatory to keep very organized and to my own credit, each event was a success.

You might ask what is a vacation state of mind.  It is a let down period where you just go aaaahhhhh, similar to what some people feel when they go to the cottage.  The ratrace is behind you and you chill with a glass a wine, some good friends and some snacks before eating that you probably don't need. I can hear people saying right now... so what is wrong with that!  We all need some downtime sometime.
And truthfully, dieting can be somewhat challenging.  It has to be your main focus.  It is the you first theory.  I am a make everyone else happy type of person and don't often put myself first. 

So what am I going to do today that will be a beginning to put me on to the right track.  Let's see what is on my agenda this weekend.  Some people will be sitting by the lake in a Muskoka chair with a glass of wine and some good friends, sipping away while watching the movement on the lake. 
That isn't really my vacation mode.  I will be going to Caledon tonight though for a birthday party of a well-known news anchor friend.  Tomorrow it is the Queen's Plate and lunch in the club house at Woodbine Racetrack.  Those events are always challenging.

So I think I will start with my go-to plan of clearing away clutter or chopping veggies.
Both are therapeutic about putting ones life in order.  I like the vacation state of mind for a change, I just have enjoy it with a little more control.

FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASONING

Hump day is Wednesday.  That is when everything that was in overdrive starts to simmer down and by Thursday people are in the bars and by Friday they have let down their guard.  If you don't believe me, watch for it.  That works the same way with dieting for me.  It seems like I am making dinner or going out to dinner on Thursday and Friday and am not eating alone.  I end up gaining what I had lost from Monday to Wednesday. 

I checked in at Weight Watchers and was really surprised and enlightened about the subject of spicing up your cooking.  When I barbecue chicken or beef, I am using Montreal Steak spice or Montreal Chicken spice.  It works out that both have a high sodium count.  On top of that, there is nothing like a little ketchup, mustard and relish with the burgers.  That may well be my downfall. 

Current dietary guidelines call for a daily max of 2,300 mg of sodium but ideally no more thant 1,500 mg.  I thought I shopped smart and don't buy many processed foods that are in a package.  However, I do buy the local deli's homemade soups and one I love in the summer is Daiter's gazpacho but even to me it tastes salty.  And when I cook, I am using spices but I never bothered to check the sodium content of those spices.

So to start with I went to the grocery store.  I purged the older spices and bought ones with Applewood smoke, chipotle pepper and mesquite, all of which were like 50 - 60 mg of sodium per teaspoon.
Then I considered the ketchup and bought low sodium salsa instead.  I haven't used mayo in ages but checked out the Hellman's low-fat option and found it was way lower in sodium than many bottled dressings. It was never the problem that I didn't buy fresh, whole foods but I was killing them with my spicy kindess of the wrong sort.

These are some of my favourite spices that I am going to use more: basil, cinnamon, ginger, horseradish, Italian seasoning, Jalapeno peppers, mint, nutmeg, wasabi, yogurt and za'tar.  I will retrain my taste buds.  Research suggestes that if you cut back on salt over serveral weeks, your taste buts start perceiving lower levels as salty enough. 

Now I didn't get a medal for my prowess in cooking, eating knowing everything about diets.
However, I did receive it last week in a ceremony at the Lawn Tennis Club hosted by Senator Art Eggleton for my service to Canada.

QUEEN'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY MEDAL

The medal I am now working on is a personal achievement of a healthy lifesstyle, weight loss and just ot look better.

Starting from scratch with homemade soups and salad dressings should be a snap with my new Vitamix that my kids bought me for Mother's Day.  Today is the day I will start using it.  Up till now I haven't had a moment to even unpack it.  I was stuck in a salt-pepper-garlic rut.  I am breaking out of it, deliciously!  After all for everything there is a seasoning!

Eating out on Mother's Day

Do restaurants take advantage on people on Mother's Day?  Definitely, I say.  My son, Noah booked the new restaurant at The Trump for 14 people on Mother's Day.  Just over a week prior he was advised it would cost $1,400 for 8 adults and 6 kids.  They had now changed their format to buffet and if you didn't give your credit card prior,  your reservation would not be held.  Well, Noah decided that he would book somewhere else and didn't notify them because they weren't going to acknowledge his reservation without his credit card anyway.  At 10:23 a.m. he had a rude message saying he was 23 minutes late... it goes on but where do restaurants get off on being rude?  Is there such an overwhelming demand that they can offer poor service and still get customers.  It appears so.

The alternate restaurant chosen was Terroni.  The food was very good but the snobbery was intolerable.  With 6 kids under 7 years old, we asked for butter with the bread.  The waitress went back to the kitchen and came back empty-handed saying that they didn't offer butter with bread...and they don't have any.  Can you imagine, an Italian restaurant that didn't have butter in their kitchen?  Can you imagine ANY restaurant without butter in their kitchen?

 

Secondly, Paul and I were the first to arrive.  I was really looking forward to a skim milk latte but they only have 3.5% milk or whole milk.  Now, it is true that some European restaurants don't have skim milk but most will at least have 2%.

 

We already knew, that this restaurant did not serve its pizza cut.  You had to cut it yourself.  We joked we should have brought our pizza cutter. 

 

Okay, let's go forward.  There are not possible changes to the menu.  My daughter-in-law, Melinn asked for a Caprese salad with grilled chicken breast on the side.  Unfortunately, Terroni doesn't have chicken.  There was a Cornish hen on the menu but made their way and it certainly wasn't even offered to her.  When her Caprese salad arrived, it had zero dressing.  When she asked for Balsamic she was told they didn't make it that way.... NO BALSAMIC... NO OIL... NO DRESSING.  And they said they didn't have Balsamic in the kitchen.  Another waiter passed and we asked him and got the same answer.  So my son sarcastically asked for Balsamic and the waiter rudely replied "you know the answer".  Now my other daughter-in-law, Erica had a mushroom salad and it had Balsamic so it was decided to ask for Balsamic for her salad.  Well, that seemed okay.  They could do that.  The poor waitress came back with the Balsamic and in tears.  The kitchen people must have given her shit.  For the rest of the meal she had someone replace her.  By the end of the meal, before we left, she returned to say good-bye, with her eyes red and swollen. 

 

I don't care how good the food is or how great the chef is, it is intolerable to be so arrogant as to say you eat the food my way or the highway.  Consequently, we won't be going back there.

 

I laugh to myself as I read Weight Watchers weekly flyer.  The topic this last week was dining-out do's and don'ts.  It says "Have it your way.  Don't be shy about asking questions and making requests".  In this case we asked for butter because of the children but you should be able to ask for no butter, grilled instead of fried, sauce on the side, double veggie, etc.  It goes on to quote one of the leaders who says "I've been amazed and pleased that waiters do what I ask without hesitation".   Well, I guess she isn't eating out at the restaurants I have and she certainly didn't go out on Mother's Day.