Adventures in Eating Well - Part One

Because of my gallbladder issues, my weight issues and the health risks that go hand in hand with being over weight I am constantly on the look out for better eating options.

Today I am making good ol' fashioned spaghetti sauce and pasta. My favorite thing about spaghetti sauce is that it is essentially a veggie dumping ground. I can add almost any vegetable into the sauce and it makes little difference to the taste. Perfect for hiding extras!

Tonights sauce has chopped spinach, grated cauliflower and celery as it's extras. That is over and above the regulars like tomato, onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Whole wheat pasta smothered in said sauce.... MmmMmm, is it just me or did it just get hungrier in here?

Dishes like this, chilli, homemade soups and stews are perfect for picky eaters and toddlers. As long as you cut everything small enough and don't let it slip about what's really in there. ;)





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Zucchini Frenzy

In an effort to eat better Hubbs and I are looking at new recipes, using foods we either didn't know the best ways to cook, have never tried before or haven't had a taste for.

Last night Tina and Chris stopped by with a bag of fresh zucchinis from their garden and let us have the pick of the bunch. I took the biggest one in the bag then asked about the best ways to prepare and eat it.

One of my favorite ways to eat zucchini is in a chocolate cake, the recipe I'm most familiar with is in my Grandma's Touch cookbook (Thanks, Grandma!). However that would only use up a cup of my massive zucchini. I was looking for a way to cook and eat it as a side dish for supper tonight.

I consulted my sister in law TGrocks, who said in her experience cooked zucchini turns out slimy, but that it does absorb the flavors of whatever your cooking it with. She was right on both accounts. My mom suggested cutting it up and frying it.

I cut up two cloves of garlic, half a white onion and the rest of the zucchini. I tossed it into my cast-iron frying pan with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt and pepper to taste. I fried them until they were soft and then served them with pork chops.

TG was right, they did absorb all the flavors of the garlic and onions. I can't say that I liked eating it like that better then the chocolate cake, but it was definitely a nice flavorful change. I forgot to take a picture during the cooking process, but on the bottom of the plate is the end result.