Cooking From Scratch (AKA No More Processed Foods!)
03-11-2011, 02:43 PM
#51
FitDay Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 10
I'm sorry, I posted my salmon panini in the wrong place...newbie...
Love this thread!!! I started about 2 years ago to learn how to make things from scratch. One Christmas I had to have a Kitchen Aide w/a pasta attachment so I could learn how to make yoke less pasta. Ended up not working and I lost ambition. Now I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the machine!
It all started about 2 years ago, when my husband ordered a goat cheese, pecan, pear, dried cranberry green salad in Fairbanks, Alaska. I'd just gotten my weight down to 158 before leaving on a trip of lifetime...an Alaskan cruise! Fairbanks was the last stop before flying back south.
I turned 40 that year and by June, was fatigued and searching for answers. My first step was giving up the Diet Dr Pepper...then we got a juicer. Found out we CAN get all our nutrition from food! Alaska was fun as we searched for the best dark chocolate at each port! After all, one piece of day is suppose to be good for you! When we returned home that pasta attachment came out and I started making pasta...by this time I learned it wasn't fat free that I needed but the Mediterranean Diet...healthiest in all of the world! The least amount of heart disease and diabetes. We began eating better than ever and guess what? You can gain weight eating really well
It's been nearly a 2 year process but we are a processed food free home. Yes, on occasion we do eat out and I can't control every morsel that my family eats but I typically choose sushi. I will treat ourselves to an occasional frozen yogurt from Costco too!
BREAD:
I live in Mexico and I don't know anyone that grinds their own wheat berry here, but what i've learned is that there is soft(white)wheat berry and hard(red) wheat berry. We can only get soft which is used for pastries. So I have to add wheat glutton or it will crumble apart. I tried grinding tapioca but it didn't work well for me. I add 1/4 cup of wheat glutton to 1 kilo of whole wheat flour. During the holidays, for times sake, my husband bought me an imported bag of Gold's Medal whole wheat flour!! That stuff is great! Maybe that's bread flour??? My whole wheat honey bread is amazing! BUT, I have a new love for sandwiches!!! I recently learned how to make rosemary focaccia bread, whole wheat of course. It's amazing flat bread for making panini sandwiches. Costco here is selling a panini press so we are in "business!" Focaccia bread, in case you didn't know & I just learned, has a similar texture/taste to a sour dough bread but it's easier to make the "sponge."
I love this topic and hope I'll be welcome here as I don't have a great outlet for it and am pretty passionate about the subject.
The only thing I need to learn how to make is mustard and frozen strawberry jam. My raw ketchup tastes like cardboard and the bbq sauce lacks the "liquid smoke" which I can't get and am not sure it's good for us anyway. We strictly use local raw honey except for Thanksgiving through New Years. The only time of year I buy sugar. God made sugar too, it's just not good for us all of the time. Can't very well make powdered sugar from honey either...although I can make powdered sugar. IF we eat it, I make it. Plain and simple though.
One thing has lead to the other. Learning how to make garlic sauce I learned how to make homemade mayo! Wanting to make the ketchup, I learned where whey came from and learned how to make cream cheese & greek yogurt from homemade natural yogurt. Making pasta is very therapeutic too!
The last two processed food items to go was coffeemate. It was replaced with homemade almond milk, which means I learned how to make almond flour with the left over meat...makes yummy hot cakes topped w/raw honey!
And the very last thing was store bought cereal. We buy oat groats. Those are the whole oats before they cut them to steel cut oats or steam and flatten them for oatmeal. I make a creamy porridge with 1/2 whole milk & 1/2 water...good cold or hot. Porridge is the first cereal! Only problem is that we can't get them clean like in the states. We're actually eating bird seed!!!!! I have to spend a lot of time picking out the hull and it takes me 2 hours to pick it out to make granola!
I also make pretzels and bagels
) It's a fun adventure!
Love this thread!!! I started about 2 years ago to learn how to make things from scratch. One Christmas I had to have a Kitchen Aide w/a pasta attachment so I could learn how to make yoke less pasta. Ended up not working and I lost ambition. Now I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the machine!
It all started about 2 years ago, when my husband ordered a goat cheese, pecan, pear, dried cranberry green salad in Fairbanks, Alaska. I'd just gotten my weight down to 158 before leaving on a trip of lifetime...an Alaskan cruise! Fairbanks was the last stop before flying back south.
I turned 40 that year and by June, was fatigued and searching for answers. My first step was giving up the Diet Dr Pepper...then we got a juicer. Found out we CAN get all our nutrition from food! Alaska was fun as we searched for the best dark chocolate at each port! After all, one piece of day is suppose to be good for you! When we returned home that pasta attachment came out and I started making pasta...by this time I learned it wasn't fat free that I needed but the Mediterranean Diet...healthiest in all of the world! The least amount of heart disease and diabetes. We began eating better than ever and guess what? You can gain weight eating really well
It's been nearly a 2 year process but we are a processed food free home. Yes, on occasion we do eat out and I can't control every morsel that my family eats but I typically choose sushi. I will treat ourselves to an occasional frozen yogurt from Costco too!BREAD:
I live in Mexico and I don't know anyone that grinds their own wheat berry here, but what i've learned is that there is soft(white)wheat berry and hard(red) wheat berry. We can only get soft which is used for pastries. So I have to add wheat glutton or it will crumble apart. I tried grinding tapioca but it didn't work well for me. I add 1/4 cup of wheat glutton to 1 kilo of whole wheat flour. During the holidays, for times sake, my husband bought me an imported bag of Gold's Medal whole wheat flour!! That stuff is great! Maybe that's bread flour??? My whole wheat honey bread is amazing! BUT, I have a new love for sandwiches!!! I recently learned how to make rosemary focaccia bread, whole wheat of course. It's amazing flat bread for making panini sandwiches. Costco here is selling a panini press so we are in "business!" Focaccia bread, in case you didn't know & I just learned, has a similar texture/taste to a sour dough bread but it's easier to make the "sponge."
I love this topic and hope I'll be welcome here as I don't have a great outlet for it and am pretty passionate about the subject.
The only thing I need to learn how to make is mustard and frozen strawberry jam. My raw ketchup tastes like cardboard and the bbq sauce lacks the "liquid smoke" which I can't get and am not sure it's good for us anyway. We strictly use local raw honey except for Thanksgiving through New Years. The only time of year I buy sugar. God made sugar too, it's just not good for us all of the time. Can't very well make powdered sugar from honey either...although I can make powdered sugar. IF we eat it, I make it. Plain and simple though.
One thing has lead to the other. Learning how to make garlic sauce I learned how to make homemade mayo! Wanting to make the ketchup, I learned where whey came from and learned how to make cream cheese & greek yogurt from homemade natural yogurt. Making pasta is very therapeutic too!
The last two processed food items to go was coffeemate. It was replaced with homemade almond milk, which means I learned how to make almond flour with the left over meat...makes yummy hot cakes topped w/raw honey!
And the very last thing was store bought cereal. We buy oat groats. Those are the whole oats before they cut them to steel cut oats or steam and flatten them for oatmeal. I make a creamy porridge with 1/2 whole milk & 1/2 water...good cold or hot. Porridge is the first cereal! Only problem is that we can't get them clean like in the states. We're actually eating bird seed!!!!! I have to spend a lot of time picking out the hull and it takes me 2 hours to pick it out to make granola!
I also make pretzels and bagels
) It's a fun adventure!
Last edited by funnygirl0940; 03-11-2011 at 02:57 PM. Reason: adding more stories & correcting grammar
03-18-2011, 01:31 PM
#52
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 426
This recipe is very good. you can opmit the butter for lower cals.
Bake tilapia (very good)
Ingredients
• Butter cooking spray
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 lime, finely grated zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large cast iron pan with a nonstick butter spray.
Rinse fish and pat dry; place on the prepared baking sheet. Season each fillet with salt, cracked pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Add fish to the pan. Place a pat of butter on each fillet and cook in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes
Bake tilapia (very good)
Ingredients
• Butter cooking spray
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 lime, finely grated zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large cast iron pan with a nonstick butter spray.
Rinse fish and pat dry; place on the prepared baking sheet. Season each fillet with salt, cracked pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Add fish to the pan. Place a pat of butter on each fillet and cook in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes
03-19-2011, 03:02 PM
#53
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,083
I did homemade graham crackers tonight. The store-bought ones have partially hydrogenated oils and the natural-brand ones are really expensive. i used this recipe:
Graham Crackers Recipe: Graham Crackers Don't Have to Be Square ~ Cupcake Project
They are delicious, but they were kind of a pain. The dough is sticky but has to be rolled out. I'll try again with a bit more flour, or perhaps roll right on the pans as the person who posted the recipe modified for herself. There's also a recipe on the graham flour bag I may try instead. I didn't do that one originally because it called for twice as much butter...
Graham Crackers Recipe: Graham Crackers Don't Have to Be Square ~ Cupcake Project
They are delicious, but they were kind of a pain. The dough is sticky but has to be rolled out. I'll try again with a bit more flour, or perhaps roll right on the pans as the person who posted the recipe modified for herself. There's also a recipe on the graham flour bag I may try instead. I didn't do that one originally because it called for twice as much butter...
03-21-2011, 11:01 AM
#55
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4,083
Yep! There are a ton of recipes on the internet as well. I love doing them from scratch because you can modify it to include what you like and leave out what you don't, and put in extras like flaxseed that the processed ones don't usually have. My boy grabbed one on the way out the door to practice and I know it's cliche, but I really feel good about what he is eating when I know what's in it...and what's not.
03-27-2011, 06:09 AM
#56
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,713
This salad is not original, but it's new to me after adapting it to my way of eating from what I saw in my husband's salad at O'Charley's restaurant. DH's also contained dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges and candied pecans and was served with Balsamic vinaigrette. You could add other things you like and use whatever salad dressing you like that fits in with your eating plan. Perhaps some lower fat nuts, if you prefer.
Fresh Spinach Salad with Chicken, Strawberries, and Walnuts
2 cups packed spinach leaves
3 oz. cold boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 large strawberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (200 calories, 20g fat, but nice for Omega-3)
Without salad dressing the above mix came in at about 350 calories, 23.5g fat, 10g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 6g net carbs (carbs less fiber) and 30g protein
Fresh Spinach Salad with Chicken, Strawberries, and Walnuts
2 cups packed spinach leaves
3 oz. cold boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 large strawberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (200 calories, 20g fat, but nice for Omega-3)
Without salad dressing the above mix came in at about 350 calories, 23.5g fat, 10g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 6g net carbs (carbs less fiber) and 30g protein
Last edited by Mern; 03-27-2011 at 06:25 AM.
08-01-2012, 03:43 AM
#57
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 737
Cooking From Scratch
A great crockpot recipe--really filling you don't need anything else. We have even had it for supper with a salad.
TACO SOUP RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons chili powder (I used taco seasoning)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt (since tomatoes and beans usually have salt I would omit this)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz. can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
One 15 oz. can corn, drained (about a cup)
1 15 oz. can beef broth (if using box it's approximately 1cup)
1 bag tortilla chips
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
In large pan, brown beef and drain fat.
Add onions, red pepper, garlic, chili powder, oregano, salt and cayenne to meat in pan. Cook until onions and peppers are softened.
Place meat mixture in slow cooker.
Add kidney beans, tomatoes, green chilies, corn, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Garnish with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese before serving.
Serves 4-6 (very filling)
Nutritional Information: (Based on Individual Serving: 8 oz.)
Calories: 260 Total Fat: 11g Saturated: 4g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 670mg (I use low sodium beef broth and tomatoes so this would be lower)
Carbohydrates: 25g Dietary Fiber: 5g Sugars: 5g Protein: 16g
TACO SOUP RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons chili powder (I used taco seasoning)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt (since tomatoes and beans usually have salt I would omit this)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz. can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
One 15 oz. can corn, drained (about a cup)
1 15 oz. can beef broth (if using box it's approximately 1cup)
1 bag tortilla chips
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
In large pan, brown beef and drain fat.
Add onions, red pepper, garlic, chili powder, oregano, salt and cayenne to meat in pan. Cook until onions and peppers are softened.
Place meat mixture in slow cooker.
Add kidney beans, tomatoes, green chilies, corn, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Garnish with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese before serving.
Serves 4-6 (very filling)
Nutritional Information: (Based on Individual Serving: 8 oz.)
Calories: 260 Total Fat: 11g Saturated: 4g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 670mg (I use low sodium beef broth and tomatoes so this would be lower)
Carbohydrates: 25g Dietary Fiber: 5g Sugars: 5g Protein: 16g
