This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Jakes at the Midnight Star restaurant review

Last month we took the family to the South Dakota Black Hills area to see Mount Rushmore, Custer National Forest, the Wind Cave and Jewel Cave, and more buffalo in the road than you can shake a stick at.

My mother-in-law “Nana” came along, too. To celebrate her birthday, we took her to Kevin Costner’s restaurant in Deadwood – Jakes at The Midnight Star.

This was my second time eating at Jakes. Paul and I had visited 14 years ago on our honeymoon. The restaurant is still as wonderful as it was then. The food is top notch, the service excellent, and you don’t have to dress up since many people are in town to ride their motorcyles, even when it isn’t Sturgis week. Many of the local bigwigs eat there, too. (It was rumored that the older gentleman at the table next to us owned several casinos in the area and had just bought another one.)

Eating in Denver at the Democratic National Convention

I’ll be blogging at MOTHERS Book Bag for MOTHERS and the National Association of Mothers’ Centers (NAMC) this week at The Big Tent in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. So, I will be too busy to blog here unless there are some amazing food happenings I feel you need to know about. (You can also follow me on my Twitter feed.)

The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado is one of The Big Tent’s hosts. (Actually it’s in their parking lot.) Their greening mission for the Big Tent is to leave a long-lasting sustainability legacy that will be practiced by our tenants, visitors, vendors, and the community. Guests are encouraged to embrace sustainable
practices on a micro level, which means whenever possible to bring your own re-usable water bottles, beer mugs, coffee cups and utensils. (I’ll have my travel mug, which I can use for water, coffee or beer.)

Eat Locally and Be Green at The Big Tent
The Big Tent is partnering with local restaurants to provide healthy options for our guests. Where possible, meals and drinks are from locally owned and/or organic sources such as Chipotle, Papa John’s, Udi’s Bakery, Wahoo’s Fish Taco, R.W. Knudsen, Heidi's Brooklyn Deli, and 8 Rivers. New Belgium Brewing Company, the greenest brewery in Colorado, will supply beer. (Yay! Their beer is wonderful and one of the best microbrews in Colorado.) Eldorado Natural Spring Water (a local water company) will be available in 5-gallon dispensers throughout the Big Tent. Looks like Illegal Pete’s and Green Mountain Coffee will be supplying the coffee, too.

Biodegradable Tableware
Plates, cups, cutlery and napkins made of corn starch and plant-based materials are being provided by EcoProducts. They will be used for all meals served
in the Big Tent. Food waste and tableware will be composted by Rocky Mountain Recycling, and taken to A-1 organics to be turned into rich topsoil.

Whether you use scallops or red snapper, ceviche is a great summer time dish

On our date to Sugarbeet I had the most marvelous ceviche. It was made with scallops, avocados, lime juice, red onions, red peppers, jalapeños (I think), and pineapple juice. It was served with a large sprig of basil for a garnish and thinly sliced, homemade potato strips (not chips). Some of the scallop slices were white and some were pink. I don’t know if that meant that some were cooked and some were raw, or if the pink ones were marinaded in something different. Either way it was marvelous!

Just by looking at it, I know that ceviche must be a low calorie dish that’s high in lean protein. And this recipe from Relishmag.com that uses red snapper instead of scallops proves it. Each serving is 4 Weight Watchers POINTS

Red Snapper and Mango Ceviche
Serves 6

If you’re worried about using raw fish, microwave it 1 minute before soaking in citrus juice.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces red snapper filets, skinned, sliced thinly into 2-inch pieces (The ceviche I had at Sugarbeet used large scallops sliced into pieces 1/4 inch thick. You could try that or use baby scallops or cooked shrimp from your freezer section. If you use frozen scallops, I would cook them quickly and let cool – seems safer.)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 medium jalapeños, seeded and minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 large mangos, finely chopped (This recipe uses the mango to sweeten the dish. The ceviche at Sugarbeet used pineapple juice.)
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (This is a great recipe to get your daily olive oil requirement in if you’re doing Weight Watchers.)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Combine snapper, lemon and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Toss lightly. Serve within 1 hour.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving: 190 calories, 6g fat, 30mg chol., 16g prot., 18g carbs., 2g fiber, 530mg sodium. 4 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving.

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Get your greens in with green pea soup

Paul and I went out to Sugarbeet for a Friday night date. We sat outside and watched the trains go by. (Sugarbeet is in an industrial area of town.) I had oysters on the half shell, a scallop ceviche, a pea soup with dill, and a raspberry lemonade cocktail (lemon juice, raspberry liquor, and a raspberry vodka) Fabulous!

Here's a recipe from Epicurious and Bon Appetit that comes close to the soup I had. Each portion is 4 Weight Watchers POINTS and seems very easy to make.

Split pea and green pea soup with fresh dill
Bon Appétit, December 2006

Makes 4 to 6 first-course servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup green split peas, rinsed
• 5 3/4 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
• 5 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add leek and bay leaf. Sauté until leek wilts, about 3 minutes.
2. Add split peas and stir to coat.
3. Add 5 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Cover and simmer until split peas are just tender, about 35 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Transfer 1 cup soup solids, bay leaf, and remaining 1/2 cup broth to blender.
6. Add petite peas and 4 tablespoons dill. Puree until smooth.
7. Return puree to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon dill.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

190 calories,
7.4 g fat
7.5 g dietary fiber
7.5 g protein

Weight Watchers POINTS per serving = 4

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Putting on the feedbag in San Diego

As you noticed, I've been too busy to blog here at This Mama Cooks! lately. The reason? I went to San Diego for a blogger event. I have a theory that if you spend X days away from home you spend twice that time packing, unpacking, and making up for all the work you missed. I did work while on the road - from the hotel, the library, Starbucks, and the airport - but not as much as I usually do. That's because I spent most of my time eating.

Here's the slide show:

 

5 tips for eating out when you're trying to lose weight

One of the biggest challenges dieters face is eating at a restaurant. If you're on a diet with a fixed daily menu, it's impossible. It's one of the reasons I gave up doing the Extreme Fat Smash Diet. However, for those of you on more flexible weight loss plans like Weight Watchers, dining out is easier but not without its risks.

All the diets I've been on give you tips for how to eat at a restaurant. You know, things like "order the grilled fish with no sauce" or a "get a salad with dressing on the side." We all know how to follow those strategies. Instead, how about trying a new one:

Plan your restaurant meal before you leave the house

1. Choose the restaurant in advance and make reservations. No restaurants with a buffet or a mascot like Chuck E. Cheese. (Yuck!) Instead, pick a restaurant with a varied menu, so you can find something healthy to eat. Your best bets are seafood restaurants that grill (not fry) their fish, Japanese places for low-cal/high protein sashimi and miso soup, or one with an extensive salad bar. Also, when you make a reservation, your table is ready when you arrive (hopefully) so you don't spend time drinking and snacking in the bar.

2. Plan out your food budget before you go. Calculate how many Weight Watchers POINTS or calories you can use during the meal. Then stick with it!

3. Don’t leave the house famished. Have a light snack, like a piece of high fiber fruit or something with protein in it (nuts or a glass of skim milk) an hour before your reservation. Make sure you've had a few glasses of water or a cup of tea (bring a to go cup in the car) before you leave, too.

4. Get your exercise in earlier that day. If you can manage it, exercise then immediately go out to eat.
(Shower first and change your clothes, please!) That way your metabolism will be revved up and you'll be burning calories at a faster rate while you dine.

5. Go to the restaurant's website to plan what you're going to order. Or have them fax you a menu. Write down what you're going to order and any questions you have for the wait person. (Can I get it with brown rice? Instead of the potato, can I get some steamed veggies?) When you arrive, tell the hostess that you don't need a menu since you already know what you want to order. That way you won't be tempted to sabotage your plan.

For more Five Things/Ways advice articles, click here.

Click here to read how Outback Steakhouse is a great place for dieters, and those on gluten free, diabetic or low carb diets...

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A (food) bender in Vegas

Just came back from BlogWorld Expo 2007 and PostieCon 2007 in Vegas. Yes, I was there to learn more about blogging and social media, but I had a chance to have a few good meals, too. (Diet? What diet?)

My first meal was at the Hilton. I had hoped to have dinner at Quark's Bar at the hotel's Star Trek exhibit. Unfortunately, it was closed so I headed over to the Hilton's open 24-hour restaurant, the Paradise Cafe. Not expecting much, I ordered a Thai Chicken Salad. Unfortunately, I had left my camera at the hotel, because I loved how it was served "spilling" out of a Chinese take out carton placed on my plate. This is cute presentation idea that you could try at home.

The second night there was a party at The Joint at the Hard Rock Cafe. There was a terrific spread of prime rib, and potato dishes in martini glasses (sweet potato with fried chicken strips, purple Peruvian mashed potatoes with bacon, and baby potatoes with crème fraîche and caviar). There was also a decadent chocolate dessert fountain. I used skewers to dip fruit, sponge cake and marshmallows into the rich milk chocolate. And yes, there was an open bar, too.

I had one free night before PostieCon, so I took the monorail over to Bally's, walked through The Paris Casino, and walked by most of the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino to get to Todai, a wonderful Japanese buffet that I had visited before. (I've also been to the one in San Diego.) Even with a bum knee, it was worth limping all that way to enjoy the sushi (the squid and rainbow rolls were specially good). I was in heaven with the dozen plus oysters on the half shell I devoured.

Forget gambling and the shows. Go to Vegas to eat!

(Click here to read about my last culinary Las Vegas adventure at Charlie Palmer's Aureole Las Vegas. )

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The best of Chicago - the Billy Goat Tavern

Are you going to BlogHer '07 in Chicago? If you're a food blogger, you're probably headed to Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill or Topolobampo - if you can get a reservation, that is. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful dinner, but you've hardly had a Chicago experience.

If that's what you're interested in, come hang out with the real Chicagoans at the world famous Billy Goat Tavern. You know:

Cheezborger! Cheezborger!
No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!

as made famous by Second City alum and Saturday Night Live legends Jim Belushi and Dan Akroyd.

The Billy Goat Tavern isn't just another Chicago bar. It was selected Best of the Best by New City Chicago in 2002, and was #2 for Must See Sports Destination in the "Food and Drink" category by CNNsi in 2001. It was also ranked #1 in Citysearch: Chicago's Audience Poll for Best Burger in 2001.

The Billy Goat Tavern was one of five bars nominated as Citysearch: Chicago's "Editor's Pick" for Best Local Tradition 2000 - and boy are Chicagoans all about tradition! It was also one of only 12 bars receiving Four Mugs (highest rating) by The Official Chicago Bar Guide in both 1994 and 2001.

My visit to the famed Chicago icon

My friend Mary, a native Chicago gal, took me to the original Billy Goat Tavern nine or ten years ago. She said it was a "have to" place to go. It's located near the Tribune Towers and Wrigley Building at 430 N. Michigan Ave at Lower Level under the subway tracks.

Yes, the guys at the counter really do say, "Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who's next!?!" It's a bit overwhelming. You don't know if you should order or laugh. I stood there speechless, so Mary ordered for me - cheeps, cheezborger, and Diet Coke.

And the food? A classic, greasy, WONDERFUL bar hamburger. I loved the decor too -  photographs of local celebrities and articles written by Chicago newspaper columnists from the Chicago Tribune and the Sun Times.

I agree with Mary, the Billy Goat Tavern is a have to Chicago place to go.

(And if you're going to the BlogHer conference, there is a Billy Goat Tavern location at the Navy Pier. Click here to see the menu. Even so, try to find time to visit the original just for the ambience alone.)

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Sunset's Soup Social - Split pea, beef and barley soup

I was eating soup at a restaurant the other day and realized what I thought was rice was barley, which was much more healthier and higher in fiber. I should use it more often. This recipe from Sunset magazine's January 2007 article on Soup Socials is a good start. It combines a classic split pea soup with one for beef and barley soup.

Best of all, one cup is only three Weight Watchers Points - so low you could treat yourself to several bowls and a glass of wine for dinner.

Split Pea, Beef, and Barley Soup
Prep and Cook Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Yield: Makes about 8 qts.

Based on a recipe from Lainey Feingold, this soup combines the best qualities of two classic soups: the heartiness of split pea and the rich, nutty flavor of beef and barley.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces
• 5 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large onions, chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups green split peas (one 16-oz. package)
• 3/4 cup dried baby lima beans
• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-in. pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 9- to 10-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, then brown on all sides in two batches. Set aside.
2. Add onions, leek, parsnips, celery, and remaining 3 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Return beef to pot and add split peas, lima beans, and 4 qts. water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Add barley and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in carrots and cook 20 minutes more. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Nutritional information:
Serving size: 1 cup

CALORIES 155 (19% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 0.9g); PROTEIN 11g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; SODIUM 401mg; FIBER 3.8g; CARBOHYDRATE 21g

Sunset, JANUARY 2007

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The Festive Flavors of Spain

Big Bad Dad and I recently attended a cooking class as part of the Discover Spain package at the Omni Interlocken hotel in Broomfield, Colorado. It was my birthday present. Here's the package description:

Experience the Festive Flavors of Spain with mouth-watering cheeses, meats, spices and seafood from a land rich in culinary history and unforgettable tastes. Our chefs have trained under culinary masters from the Castilla y Leon region of Spain and they are ready to share their creations with you. And when you book the Discover Spain package you can learn first hand how to create traditional Spanish Tapas.