This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

How to lose your job and some weight at the same time

I was intrigued by the new Weight Watchers Momentum Plan especially after I had LaaLoosh guest post about it. Then I received a coupon in the mail inviting me to start going to meetings again as a Lifetime Weight Watchers member. Hmmmm, I thought, maybe I should go to a meeting and check it out.

But when was I going to find the time? Most of the meetings were in the mornings when I was scheduled to be online as a community manager for a social networking site. Then thanks to the economy, I got laid off and had time to go to meetings again. Lose a job and lose some weight, I guess.

Not to worry, I did pick up extra freelance work to make up for the two community manager gigs I lost that week, but it got me thinking about so many others who have been laid off. Yes, I know looking for work is a fulltime job. However, many career advice gurus recommend that if you cannot find a job, you should do volunteer work to keep busy so you don’t get depressed. What’s another  healthy way to keep busy? Exercising and eating right!

5 weight loss snippets - freebies, a contest, and a healthier grapefruit and shrimp recipe

I wanted to share with you five cool things I recently found for people trying to lose weight and get healthy:

1. Click here to download the "Healthy Weight Loss Success" report. This FREE report comes to you courtesy of This Mama Cooks! On a Diet and Menu Planning Central, a wonderful online service that offers a complete menu planning solution including healthy menus, family friendly menus, and vegetarian menus.

2. Discovery Health is looking for contestants for their 2009 National Body Challenge TV show. They need people who are motivated to lose weight and want to do it together like mother/daughter, father/son, co-workers, and people who need to lose at least 100 pounds.

Each person or team will be provided with a professional weight loss program, gym membership and personalized one-on-one instruction with physicians, nutritionists and fitness expert. The journey will be documented on camera for “National Body Challenge” on Discovery Health Channel. Click here to apply.

3. Sign up for a chance to receive a Senseo® Coffee Pod System. Just click here to fill out the quick survey and if selected all you pay a $15 shipping and handling fee. (You'll receive a confirmation e-mail within two to six weeks to let you know if you're selected.) The machine retails for over $70, so you're getting a great deal. If you already have a coffee maker at home, you can use the Senseo at the office or your RV. They make great wedding and graduation gifts, too.

For those on Weight Watchers, coffee is a great way to get your serving of milk for the day. Just use a sugar substitute, a sugar free coffee syrup, and low or no fat milk.

Charlie Palmer's Herb-Broiled Cod

Back in October I wrote about eating at Charlie Palmer's Aureole Las Vegas restaurant in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a Charlie Palmer recipe in last week's Denver Post food section.

Then I realized how easily this recipe for Herb-Broiled Cod fits into the Weight Watchers Flex Plan. Even with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, one serving (6 ounces of fish) plus embellishments is about 10.5 points. That's the wonderful thing about fish - it's very low in points! If you could halve the butter and oil, you could reduce it to 8 points. Perfect!

Herb-Broiled Cod
From The Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen: Splatterproof, Waterproof, Sauceproof Durabook by Charlie Palmer

One Serving
Ingredients:

For the seasoned butter:

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives
• 1 Tbsp mined shallot (about one clove)
• juice of 1 lemon
• freshly ground black pepper

For the cod:

• 1 ruby grapefruit
• 1 orange
• 1 6-oz cod fillet, a thick one
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 Tbsp seasoned butter (see above)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp coriander seed, lighted toasted in a dry saute pan, then cooked and ground between your fingers
• 1 romaine heart, spearated into leaves and chopped
• a few thin slices of red onion

Directions:

1. For the seasoned butter: mix togther all ingredients. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Butter will be good for a wekk or so. Try some of the leftover butter on a baked potato.
2. For the cod: preheat broiler to high. Position over rack about 6 inches from the heat.
3. With a sharp paring knife, peel the grapefruit and the organge, removing all the zest and the white pith.
4. Working over a small bowl to catch the juice, cut the segments of fruit away from the connective membranes. Place the segments in a salad bowl. After all the segments have been cut, squeeze any remaining juice fom the membranes into the small bowl.
5. Season the cod with half of the salt and white pepper. Place the fish on a small, lighted oiled cast iron skillet. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the seasoned butter on top of the fish.
6. Broil the cod until a skewer pushed straight down through the middle of the fish offers no resistance and the flesh flakes easily - about 7 minutes.
7. While the fish is under the broiler, mix the vinaigrette: whisk the oil into the bowl of citrus juice and add the coriander. Season with the reamining salt and pepper and set aside. Place the romaine and red onion into the salad bowl, add a little vinaigrette and toss to coat.
8. Mound the salad onto a plate and place the hot fish on top. Drizzle the remining vinaigrette over the cod.

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Cooking Mama Nintendo video game

Never in a million years did I think I'd mention a gaming video on this blog. But when I read about a game called "Cooking Mama" in Dave Thomas's column in the Denver Post, I had to laugh out loud. As Dave writes:

Anyone who has watched "Iron Chef" knows that Japan long has understood the inherent competition and one-upmanship of the kitchen. Chefs battling it out on TV for a panel of judges fits nicely with the county-fair pie contest or the neighborhood rivalry for the best barbecue.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that someone decided it would be fun to make a video game about cooking.

"Cooking Mama" uses the touch screen and stylus to string together a series of mini-activities that concoct a tasty stew of fun. Whipping the stylus across the screen chops onions and washes rice. Flip a patty of meat, knead a ball of dough, strain a colander of soup or blow into the DS microphone to cool things. Each recipe features a series of steps that allows you to dish up more than 70 meals.

This sounds like a game even a Baby Boomer like me could get into. Well, maybe if I actually had a Nintendo - ha!

If you're into gaming, check out Wiifanboy's review, Peeking at Cooking Mama's potential (and thanks to Wiifanboy for the screen grabs, too.) You may want to look at the Cooking Mama site, though you have to able to read Japanese to figure it out.

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Got ground meat? Boy do I have some ideas for you!

Want to know how to make a cake out of ground meat? Check out today's post, More fun with ground meat at A Readable Feast.

Not only will I share links to Vashti's and Martha's recipes, but give you a few recipes from the 1969 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Ground Meat Cook Book as well.

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Watermelon and feta salad

When this appeared in today's Denver Post, I thought I had to share. As Ray Mark Rinaldi writes,

"This side salad is what we like to call a 'secret weapon' in the land of potlucks. It's the surprise hit of any bring-a-dish event, particularly if the meal is outdoors. The sweet watermelon matches up perfectly with the salty cheese. Slam it together just before leaving the house or bring the ingredients along and toss it all when you get there to keep it crunchiest. Hint: Crumble your own feta to keep the chunks sizeable and do add the red pepper."

Watermelon and Feta Salad
From Big Sky Cooking by Meredith Brokaw and Ellen Wright

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of 2-inch chunks of watermelon seeded (or seedless)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• coarsely ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the watermelon, feta and a few generous grinds of black pepper.
2. For a little more zing, add the red pepper flakes if you like.
3. Serve immediately.

The picture is courtesty of The Domestic Goddess who has her own version of the recipe, but with parsley and olive oil.

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The Denver Post does lamb

Maybe I'm spoiled, but as a kid I grew up eating lamb (not pork) chops. So I take advantage of any chance I have to eat lamb, whether it's at a restaurant or when lamb is on sale at the grocery store.

Last week's Denver Post food section featured award winning lamb recipes from the Colorado Lamb Cookoff in Vail. Second place went to dinner chef Chris MacGillivray, Grouse Mountain Grill in Beaver Creek, for his salt-crusted leg of lamb with mint-garlic relish. His inspiration was simplicity. He said, "It's all about bringing out the natural flavor of the lamb - the bright flavors of garlic, lemon and onion, and some shoestring potatoes tossed with curry."

Indeed the recipe is simple enough for your average home cook to try it. That's exactly what I'll be doing today for Easter dinner along with Giada De Laurentiis Lentil Soup. (Lamb shoulder was also much cheaper than lamb chops. That's why I'm not making Giada's chop recipe.)

I also won't be making the mint-garlic relish or shoestring potatoes (we're having asparagus spears instead). I have a real objection to Americans always insisting that lamb needs mint sauce. Lamb done well (i.e., rare and juicy not well done and dried out) only needs a little salt and pepper. I also have a bottle of Tastefully Simple's merlot sauce, which may be an interesting on lamb as it's rather sweet.

I'm also looking forward to trying a salt crust. I saw this done on Iron Chef, and thought the technique was really cool.

Second place: Grouse Mountain Grill Salt-Crusted Leg of Lamb with Mint-Garlic Relish

Chef Chris MacGillivray is from Santa Fe and has been cooking professionally since he was 17, starting at the Inn at the Loretto and working his way up in New York City and now in Vail. His recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

1. 5-6-pounds leg of lamb, boned, rolled and tied
2. 2 pounds kosher salt
3. 4 egg whites

Relish:

1. 1/2 cup diced tomato
2. 1/2 cup diced red onion
3. 1/4 cup chopped mint
4. 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped (2 tablespoons)
5. Juice of 1 lemon
6. 1 tablespoon olive oil
7. Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix salt, egg whites and enough water to make a pastelike consistency. Place lamb in a roasting pan and cover completely with salt crust mixture, cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 120 degrees.
3. Let rest for 30 minutes while it continues to cook in the crust.
4. Meanwhile, make relish: Mix all ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. When lamb is done, break open salt crust and shave lamb with a slicing knife.
6. Serve with relish and garnish with shoestring potatoes or watercress, and a drizzle of nice olive oil.

Wine ideas: Whether it's the gamey flavor of lamb or the mint sauce that so often comes with it, there's something about lamb that just asks for syrah. When grown in Australia, it's called shiraz, and the grape often picks up a minty note; in France, its homeland, it tends more toward scents of thyme, rosemary and bacon fat. Look for wines from Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas to try the French style.

For all the award winning lamb recipes, go to the Denver Post food section.

(Photo of salt-crusted leg of lamb with mint-garlic relish courtesty of the Denver Post and Glenn Asakawa.)

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Baby food

The Denver Post did a wonderful story last week on baby food. While my kids are waaaay beyond the baby food stage, I think I may be able to pursuade them to eat some of these recipes. Just this picture of the Fish Mornay makes me want to try it!

Fillet of Fish Mornay with Vegetables

This combination of white fish and vegetables served in a mild cheese sauce is generally popular with babies and takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.

From First Meals it makes eight portions and is suitable for freezing.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2/3 cup leeks, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped finely
• 2/3 cup broccoli, washed and cut into very small florets
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1/4 pound cod, haddock, hake or sole filets, skinned
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• Sprig of parsley

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/3 cup grated cheddar or Edam cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add leaks and sauté 2-3 minutes.
2. Add carrots, cover with water, and cook 10 minutes.
3. Add broccoli and cook 5 minutes.
4. Stir in peas and simmer 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender (adding a little more water if necessary).
5. Meanwhile, put the fish in a pan with the milk, peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley. Simmer 5 minutes or until fish is cooked.
6. Set aside, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the flavorings.
7. To prepare sauce, melt butter in a pan, stir in flour, and cook 1 minute.
8. Gradually whisk in fish and cooking liquid.
9. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until sauce has thickened.
10. Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until melted.
11. Drain vegetables and mix with flaked fish and cheese sauce.
12. Blend to a purée or desired consistency for young babies. Provided vegetables are tender, this can be mashed or chopped for older babies who are starting to chew. \

For more kid friendly recipes go to the Denver Post website.

See below for an egg-free pancake recipe and some baby food cookbooks recommendations:

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

Forget the jewelry. The best thing about Valentine's Day is the ability to indulge yourself and buy quality chocolate - forget Hersey's.

In Colorado we have four companies that make specialized chocolates:

• Chocolove in Boulder: www.chocolove.com
• P.S. I Love You Fine Chocolates in Ft. Collins: www.psiloveyouchocolates.com
• Renaissance Chocolates in Elizabeth: www.chocolatebeyondreason.com
• Wen Chocolates in Denver: www.wenchocolates.com

To read more about them, see today's Denver Post article, "For the love of chocolate" by staff writer (get this) Ellen Sweets.

More chocolate news: Imagine a dinner featuring chocolates and beer! Will Poole of Wen Chocolates teamed with Oskar Blues Brewery to match mendiants, dark and white chocolate coins encrusted with candied fruit and salted, roasted nuts with B3K Schwartz, Cherry Kreik Ale and Sagebrush Stout; and Savannah truffles, an Eastern European blend of hot red pepper and honey in dark chocolate with Patty's Chili Beer. To see video of the brewers dinner at the Wynkoop Brewery click here.

Finally a recipe: This week's Denver Post features some great chocolate recipes, including tarts, a mole sauce, and a Mexican Creme. I like this recipe because it's supposed to be reminiscent of a chocolate mousse, but it uses mascarpone instead of eggs to get that fluffy mouth feel. (We try to avoid desserts with eggs whenever possible because of my daughter's allergy.) It seems much easier to make than chocolate mousse as well.

Mexican Cream

This rich, chocolaty dessert from pastry chef Anthony Polakowski will remind some of chocolate mousse, only richer and more textured. Servings finished with little shortbread strips (or a pair of shortbread cookies) and a small strawberry, make a delightful finish to dinner. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons Kahlua

1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder

6 ounces melted dark chocolate, cooled

Strawberries or raspberries for garnish

4 shortbread cookies

Directions

Place cream and mascarpone in a mixer bowl. On low speed, beat in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, Kahlua and espresso powder. Whip to a soft peak. Slowly beat in melted chocolate.

Chill 30 minutes. Divide into dessert dishes and garnish with fresh fruit and cookies.

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Holiday madness

Here's my cooking list next week:

• bake 2 dozen cookies for Thursday night
• bake 2 dozen cookies for Friday afternoon
• cut and "glue" with royal frosting at least 24 "houses" made out of graham crackers for kindergarteners to decorate
• prepare 1 English dessert trifle for Friday night (see Joy of Baking for a great recipe)
• prepare 1 large dish of roasted vegetables for Friday night

Plus I have to clean the house for guests arriving Thursday, make sure that my son has one clean pair of dress pants without holes in the knees for Thursday night holiday concert, and grocery shop (including a trip to the health food store) for the week. I have two round trips to take to the airport and my usual freelance writing assignments and charter school duties. So what to do?

Cookie baking drives me nuts. First, I live at over a mile high in altitude, so my baking is flakey at best. Then I swear I'm cursed when it comes to cookies. Just see last year's attempt. However, there were some great recipes for cookies in last week's Denver Post. I'm very tempted to try the Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread cookies by Barbara Ellis. They sound easy, straightforward, and very, very delicious. So do her Santa's Bellybuttons cookies.

Worse comes to worse I can buy store-made cookies or use Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar dough. There's lots of cute cookie projects (like the ones from the US Postal Service's Christmas postage stamps) on the Pillsbury site, too!