Happy Diet Anniversary

One year ago today I started eating my CR diet. I was on packaged foods and a big baby about it. Thinking back- I was not too much more irrational than I would be today if I had to go back on the study supplied foods. Sorry CALERIE- it was not that bad, it is just much better to prepare your own foods :)
I will celebrate tonight by finishing my dinner at 7pm and attending a concert where I will drink water only since I have to be at the study center before 7am tomorrow morning after having fasted for 12hrs... fun ay?! At least the concert should be fun!
More updates to come!

One Year

I am approaching the month-long physical for my 1yr anniversary of being enrolled in the CALERIE study. We remember how my 6mo physical went (they said I was eating 400cals over my prescription) so I am going to try to be SUPER adherent this month.
I have been a bit burned out recently and I have not wanted to think about food- at all... That is not good when you need to record everything all the time. I will be attempting to blog more in an effort to motivate additional recording and strict calorie counting.
I have still been cooking and making new recipes and I am trying to put together a binder of my favorite go-to recipes for easy dinner prep... but even that seems like more than I want to do right now... I will post a few new recipes soon.
I have been mostly focusing on my own research and teaching. This semester has been a lot of work so far- and my to do list gets longer and longer each week- which makes graduation seem further and further away.
But I am keeping things going one day at a time and I don't feel overly stressed out- I am just not getting to do everything that may want to... Something that made the cut recently-- the Academy Awards- after a full day of working (on a Sunday!) I set up camp on my couch and watched everything from the red carpet up through the best movie of the year award! Prioritization at it's best :)

Tortilla Soup

This soup was an interesting adventure.... It turned out way too spicy- I needed to add 2x the amount of chicken broth than the recipe called for just to cut the heat and so my guests could survive the meal.
They were good sports about it- I think they remembered my first chili experience... The recipe was called 5-alarm chili and I am not sure if it called for 3 whole habanero peppers or that is just what I used, not knowing any better... Regardless- it was HOT. TE and Kate ate it at a 1:1 ratio of chili:sour cream (I have good, supportive friends!). This meal reminded me of that experience...
It was tasty in the end, but I will have to rethink the adobos and jalapenos next time.

The original recipe was from my favorite chefs at CI, but I modified it (or butchered it) so I could cook it in my slow-cooker. Here it is, in all it's spicy glory!

Tortilla Soup

(makes way more than 12 servings... I overestimated the calories to be 200/cup)

Tortillas
Each soup gets 1 toasted tortilla broken into pieces (60cal each)
Spray with cooking spray/oil and salt
Bake at 350 until toasted to preferable doneness

Soup
1.5lbs bone-in skinless chicken breasts
8c Low sodium chicken broth (that ended up being 16c)
1 large onion, quartered and peeled
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 canned chipotle chili, with 1T adobo sauce
1 chopped jalapeno

Garnish
Lime wedge
1/4 of a diced avocado


Add all of the soup ingredients to slow-cooker and cook for 8hrs+ on low
Remove the chicken from pot and remove all bones and shred chicken
Strain vegetables from broth
Put chicken back into pot, keep warm until ready to serve
Serve with tortilla chips, lime, and avocados and enjoy!

New Year Feast Part 2

Well it is about time I got around to this :)

This was quite the feast to behold. TE made a traditional holiday standing rib-roast which we served with mushroom au jus, mashed potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, sweet carrots, and brussel sprouts. Yum. Thinking about it again is making me very hungry!

No calorie info is stated. Bad night for counting calories...





Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust
Made as stated from epicurious.com

• 1 9- to 9 1/2-pound standing beef rib roast (about 4 ribs), all but thin layer of fat trimmed
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 16 large shallots, peeled

Instructions

Place beef, fat side up, in large shallow roasting pan or on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper. Spread mustard all over beef. Mix rosemary and thyme in small bowl; sprinkle over beef and press lightly to adhere. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Roast beef uncovered 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast beef 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add carrots and shallots to pan. Turn vegetables to coat with drippings; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast beef and vegetables until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare, stirring vegetables occasionally, about 55 minutes longer. Transfer beef and vegetables to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Mushroom Gravy
*I am not sure this is how we made this...

5oz dried mixed mushrooms, soaked in hot water and sliced
3T Butter
3T Flour
3c Beef stock
0.5c Red wine

Instructions
Melt butter in sauce pot. Add mushrooms and cook for 5min. Add flour and mix well. Add broth and wine and cook down. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Yorkshire Puddings
Adapted from Cooking Light Entertaining Guide Cookbook (a gift from Mom!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup 2% low-fat milk (I used skim milk and it was fine)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon pan drippings (reserved from roast) (per muffin)
  
• Vegetable cooking spray

Instructions

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Beat at high speed 15 seconds; set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon reserved pan drippings into each cup. Place popover pan/muffin pan in a 400° oven for 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°, and bake an additional 25 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Sherry Vinegar and Molasses Glazed Carrots

from epicurious.com

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 3 pounds small carrots (5 to 6 inches long), peeled, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more) coarse kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

Instructions

Melt butter in heavy extra-large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, 1 tablespoon molasses, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; sauté until carrots are coated with butter mixture, about 1 minute. Add 4 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar and enough water to almost cover carrots (about 4 cups) and bring to boil. Cover and boil 2 minutes. Uncover and boil until liquid is reduced to syrup and carrots are tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and 2 tablespoons vinegar to carrots and toss over medium-high heat until carrots are heated through and thickly coated with glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley. Season carrots to taste with more coarse salt and generous amount of ground black pepper. Transfer carrots to large bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.

Lighter Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Light Recipes (a gift from Mel!)

Ingredients

1 pounds peeled parsnips, diced into approx 1in cubes

1 head of garlic, top cut off and drizzled/sprayed with olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2	pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed, peeled, and cut into chunks
3/4	cup 2% milk , warmed
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/4	cup low-fat sour cream

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until a fork can be slipped easily into the center of the potatoes, about 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes.

2. While potatoes are boiling, roast the parsnips and the head of garlic on a sprayed cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10min, toss parsnips only, respray the pan and continue roasting for 5-10 more minutes
   

3. Combine potatoes, garlic (removed from skin) and parsnips in bowl for mashing (I did this by hand, you can use a food processor I am sure) and mash!
   

4. Stir in the milk and melted butter with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Gently fold in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Light New York Style Cheesecake

I made this for the Jewish High Holidays back in the fall. It was to.die.for.
Really.
I am sure the butter, caramelized topping helped matters, but even still-- this was a great cheesecake.
If you are looking for a lightened cheesecake that does not sacrifice flavor or texture- look no further. The chefs at CI know what they are doing. I love them. A lot. Enjoy!

Light New York Cheesecake

From Cook's Illustrated Best Light Recipes
Serves 12

Be sure to use light cream cheese, which is commonly sold in tubs. Don’t confuse light cream cheese with Neufchatel cheese, which is sold in blocks and is higher in fat. Allowing the cottage cheese to drain on towels for at least 30 minutes will ensure a firm cheesecake. You can buy yogurt cheese (also called Labne) or make your own, (see related recipe). If making your own cheese, you will need to allow at least 12 hours for the yogurt to drain. You can substitute fat free cream cheese for the yogurt cheese, but the cheesecake will have a slightly firmer texture.

Ingredients

Crust
9 whole graham crackers (5 ounces), broken into rough pieces and processed in a food processor to fine even crumbs (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound 1% cottage cheese
1 pound light cream cheese , at room temperature
8 ounces drained fat free plain greek yogurt
0.25 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs , at room temperature
Vegetable cooking spray

Topping
1/2c sugar
1/4c water
1 stick butter
4 medium apples peeled and sliced thin

Instructions

1. For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the pan bottom. Bake the crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.

2. For the filling: Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Line a medium bowl with a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels. Spoon the cottage cheese into the bowl and let drain for 30 minutes.

3. Process the drained cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth and no visible lumps remain, about 1 minute, scraping down the work bowl once or twice. Add the cream cheese and yogurt cheese and process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the work bowl once or twice. Add the salt, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and continue to process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the work bowl once or twice. With the processor running, add the eggs, one at a time and process until smooth.

4. Being careful to not disturb the baked crust, spray the sides of the springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the cheesecake reads 150 degrees, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5. Transfer the cake to a wire rack, and run a paring knife around the edge of the cake. Let cool until barely warm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, running a paring knife around the edge of the cake every hour or so. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.

6. To unmold the cheesecake, wrap a hot kitchen towel around the springform pan and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and blot any excess moisture from the top of the cheesecake with paper towels. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges.

7. To make the topping, in a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking until amber in color, 7 to 10 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. Add the butter, stir, and cook over low heat until the butter is melted and evenly incorporated. Add the apples and stir to coat with the caramel. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool before topping the cheesecake.

PER SERVING WITHOUT TOPPING: Cal 340; Fat 13 g; Sat fat 8 g; Chol 85 mg; Carb 41 g; Protein 11 g; Fiber 0 g; Sodium 530 mg

CR in the news

It seems that I can't go anywhere without seeing news coverage about CR and CALERIE!
I was commuting today and the woman across from me was reading the NYT-- and what article was facing me? A report on how CR improves memory in older people (50-70). I have not read the scientific paper yet- but as the article mentions-- the pilot study CALERIE participants had not shown an improvement in memory but the scientific variables are different: CALERIE participants were younger and memory is not tested specifically.

I remember that I did some cognitive testing that did involve some short-term recall both at baseline and at the 6mo time point- and the only thing that I remember was that at my 6mo visit I felt a bit distracted(aka hungry) and I thought it did not go that well... We will see how I fare at my one-year physical.

Also- I came into work yesterday and my lab mate told me she watched a nightly-news-special (maybe this one?) about calorie restriction. She was upset because (my interpretation of her comment) she thought it portrayed CR as a starvation lifestyle that seemed less than attractive. After reading the show transcript I can agree that I would have had the same reaction. Here is an excerpt that I found to be the most disturbing:

But our record as humans staying on diets is pretty miserable and worsening. So it's a fat chance that we'll all be giving up our passion for greasy junk. We consume tons more calories than we need, but believe it or not there are some Americans who just revel in their hunger.

Meet the members of CRS - the Calorie Restriction Society - a group that has been severely restricting their calories for years now. They are also part of a Washington University study to see if humans "mimic" the monkeys. Does this kind of self-denial makes them live longer, healthier lives?

60 Minutes joined them for what they call "happy hour," consisting of a cocktail of low-calorie soup for starters, and walnuts, and baby food - green bean puree on flour-free bread to top off this feast fit for a flea.

So far the participants have lowered their blood pressure, reduced body fat, and lessened risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. And what's more, to one husband anyway, starvation has its sexy side. "To be honest, if you saw her without any clothes, you'd see she looks pretty darn good, like a woman like of many, many years younger," the man told 60 Minutes.

Where do I begin? I will start with the first paragraph. Yes- it is difficult to give up foods you love. No, you can not eat as many greasy foods as you may want. But if you look at my records, I eat hamburgers, french fries, I drink beer and wine, I even eat doughnuts! It is all about figuring out what food is worth the calories- and if you want it- eat it. Just not every day. And I am rarely hungry. I eat foods that fill me up so that I never feel hungry. I eat junk food when I want it. I would not be able to diet if I felt hungry or deprived. I am a wimp. Also I am not perfect. I think it is unreasonable to expect to be- this is a lifestyle not a diet. If you have a bad day (or weekend, or holiday season) fine, pick back up, go food shopping for the stand-by "favorite" meals, and refocus.

Next let's look at their "happy hour." It seems like a small appetizer for me. I love low-cal vegetable soup as much as the next person- but I use it as a prelude to my meal. Why not serve a virgin bloody mary or a fruit juice spritzer? Walnuts- OK. I prefer almonds, but fine. Green bean puree on top of flour-free bread. UGH! Maybe the green bean puree is tasty (if I can imagine that it was made with some roasted garlic, lemon, and hot peppers- yum!) but flour-free bread? Why bother? Just eat some low-cal crackers... Or use veggies for dipping... Or make your own tortilla chips (corn tortillas (60cal ea) sprayed with cooking spray/oil spray, salted and baked until crispy!). All those seem like better choices to serve a reporter...

We recently had a CALERIE party and the foods there would have been perfect for a reporter to witness. Let's test my memory now of how many good foods they served (feel free to fill in anything that I left out)! I remember an eggplant red pepper dip, turkey meatballs, warm lentil stew, veggies, pita chips, chocolate fiber-one treats (rice-krispie treats made with fiber-one instead), seltzer, coffee, and tea. The best part was that the serving utensils were measuring cups/spoons so you knew how much you were taking, AND the calorie information was printed on the table right next to the foods. Maybe with the study's permission I will share the recipes :)

Finally, yes, these CR practitioners are more healthy than the average American, but at what apparent cost- a life of baby food and low-cal soups? That is why I write this blog- to show people out there (generally my family and the few friends that read my blog) that I am eating "normally" (I would say well!), participating in my typical activities and CR is not as terrible as you might think. It can be done, and it does not relegate you to a life of boring, agonizingly dull food.

My last comment of CR in the press actually comes from a fellow CALERIE participant! I have not met him, but I agree with his commentary. The dietitians/counselors in the study alerted me to this article- and I love there are more participants out there documenting their experiences :)

Phew! This post took me 2 days to write... so much for my free time now that teaching has started up again...

Sesame Crusted Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms

I am starting from the bottom of the list :)

Sesame Crusted Tofu Sticks with Shiitake Mushrooms

Yield- 6 servings (this made 3 "Liz size" servings- double the nutritional information)

From Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Tofu:
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 (15-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 18 sticks (we only had 12 sticks)
  
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 
  Vegetables:
• 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushroom caps (about 10 mushrooms)
• 2 cups (2-inch) sliced green onions
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Japanese sweet and sour sauce (such as ABC sauce; optional)

Preparation

To prepare tofu, combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, and sesame seeds in a shallow dish.

Dip tofu, one piece at a time, in egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Return tofu to egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining tofu, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of tofu; cook 4 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and tofu. Keep warm.

To prepare vegetables, pour pineapple juice into pan. Bring to a boil; cook until juice is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan.

Heat pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add shallots, minced garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green onions, tomatoes, and thyme, and cook 1 minute. Stir in pineapple juice and balsamic vinegar, and cook 30 seconds.

Arrange about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture on each of 6 plates; top each serving with 3 tofu sticks. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sweet and sour sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 253 (29% from fat)

Fat: 8.1g (sat 1.4g,mono 3g,poly 3.1g)

Protein: 12.5g

Carbohydrate: 32.9g

Fiber: 3g

Cholesterol: 36mg

Iron: 3.5mg

Sodium: 846mg

Calcium: 119mg