Anyone who has been in the food service business for as many years as I had has probably had some dieting issues. My first year of professional cooking was 1975. I was stationed on the Coast Guard Training Ship Eagle. On the three month cruise to Europe and back I went from 155 pounds to about 180 from eating an unhealthy diet and getting virtually no exercise. I was shocked that I could put on that much weight quickly. Luckily I shed it when I was transferred to a different ship and had more of a chance to exercise. I then topped out at about 190 in 1994 before figuring out how to keep the excess weight off for the rest of my life. Throughout all of this gaining weight and losing weight I tried many different diets. The first was the Atkins Diet. Wow, what an example of how not to diet. The Atkins diet is one of the most restricted diet out there limiting you to lots of meat and virtually no carbs that we tend to crave. There are just too many off limits foods that set you up to fail. Then there was the Fatflush Plan. There were some good aspects to that, like drinking lemon water in the morning to help your liver. It too was doomed to failure though. Next was the Eat Right for Your Type Diet. That was the one that thought your blood type determined what you should and should not eat. Once again it was too restrictive and doomed to failure. Last but not least was the South Beach Diet. I have to say it was the best of the bunch, but it too is doomed to failure as there are too many temptations to knock you off course.

Even though I have had my weight under control for the last 18 years I am still very interested in eating healthy and figuring out the secret to maintaining a healthy diet and weight. When a friend told me about The Gabriel Method I was curious enough to check it out from the library. I just finished reading it and believe it to be the best resource out there on maintaining a healthy weight level with or without dieting. It is an amazing story of Jon Gabriel’s journey to find a better method of losing weight. Jon lost over 220 and did it without dieting. Jon says in his book you are not fat because you eat too much. He says you are fat because your body wants to be fat, and not because you are weak or lazy. Jon spells out several reasons your body wants to be fat and how to address those reasons. He lays out the types of foods you should eat to help cut the cravings for the junk food many of us indulge in. He has done extensive research into biochemistry, organic chemistry and biology, and shows you how to train your body to want to eat a healthy diet without feeling hungry or deprived based on his research. There is also instructions on visualizing techniques that help you in the process. While I don’t agree with everything in his book I believe it to be the best resource out there to unlock the key to a slimmer healthier you.  It sets you up to succeed by making sure you don’t go hungry, or feel deprived while changing your eating habits. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you have any desire to lose weight and eat healthier.

The ingredients come together

Salmon Cakes with Chipolte Tartar Sauce

2 cups cooked and flaked salmon

1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons old bay seasoning

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, optional

I go to Alaska almost every summer and catch about a years supply of salmon. I have many ways I cook the salmon throughout the year, and salmon cakes is one of my favorite recipes. I hope you enjoy this method of enjoying salmon to its fullest.

I recommend cooking the salmon the night before, preferably as part of dinner with leftovers in mind. Flake the salmon and remove the bones.

In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the egg with worcestershire sauce, old bay seasoning, bread crumbs, and thyme. If your bread crumbs are very dry add 1 tablespoon of water. Add mayonnaise, and parsley and mix until blended. Add salmon and mix until you can form a cake that holds together. Bake in a 375 degree oven until internal temperature is 145 degrees, about 25 minutes. Serve with chipolte tartar sauce.

Ready to bake

Chipolte tartar sauce.

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 cup minced dill pickles

2 chipolte peppers minced

1 tablespoon sliced green onions, optional

Mix all ingredients until blended and serve on the side, or on top just before serving.

Dinner is served

This is best prepared with leftover plain boiled rice from dinner the night before. I have made this using good old Uncle Ben’s Original Converted rice for years, but mostly use Tsuru Mai brown rice lately as it is healthier.

2 cups of cooked rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup diced or sliced celery

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1/4 cup diced carrots

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1-2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce, depends on how salty you want it

1 egg, optional

In a nonstick pan or wok start out by cooking one beaten egg on medium high heat, in just enough oil(about 1 teaspoon), as if cooking an omelet. When egg is halfway cooked flip over and cook about 2 minutes more.Remove and let cool.

Saute celery and onions on medium heat for 3 minutes in same pan with 2 teaspoons of oil . Add carrots, garlic and frozen peas cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and then chop or slice the cooked egg to get it ready to add to the rice later.

Wipe or rinse the pan and add rest of the oil increase to pan and heat to medium high, add rice when pan recovers its heat as you want the pan to be hot when the rice hits the pan. Break up the clumps of rice and stir often for 5 minutes. Add the vegie mixture and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce stirring well to incorporate thoroughly. Serves 2, but is easily doubled.

Note: Raw chicken chunks(about 1 cup), can be added to the recipe by cooking it in the pan with the vegies. Just start with the chicken and cook for 5 minutes stirring often before adding raw vegies.

If you are like most Americans you had a fair amount of Thanksgiving leftovers. One could write a book about the ways Thanksgiving leftovers are used in the days that follow the big feast. While I don’t want to write a book on the subject I believe it’s time to write a post on Thanksgiving leftovers, and the interesting ways they are used up in our house.

The day after, November 23rd

At breakfast some of the amazing whipped cream with marscapone made into the coffee instead of the usual creamer. No other leftovers consumed at breakfast. Lunch was spent at a restaurant between our shopping during Black Friday madness. Ah, but at dinner came the legendary day after casserole. It starts with a large shallow casserole dish layered with plenty of turkey on the bottom. Then followed by stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, and topped with the fluffy mashed potatoes. Leftover pie with whipped cream was enjoyed again, although it had lost a bit of its magic overnight. All were thoroughly stuffed from this meal.

The dog got large amounts of turkey all day long to help use up the leftovers.

Two days after, November 24th

Breakfast was leftover pecan pie and pumpkin pie with a side of healthy orange and grapefruit slices. Note to self: do not do this next year. Lunch was turkey sandwiches, Smartpop popcorn, and chips for those who were travelling back home on flights to Texas and California. For those of us staying home it was turkey and barley soup that was enjoyed immensely. Pie was eaten by one of us at lunch and the other at dinner. You just can’t believe how big one of those pies can be until you eat the same pie for three days straight with five people helping out. Pie is definitely losing its appeal at this point.

Dinner was sliced turkey breast open face sandwich heated in its own stock served on toast, and then topped with gravy. The forgotten cranberry sauce that became lost in the fridge made an appearance for this meal, and was still tasty. A side of steamed peas was added to get something in the meal that was not leftover.

The dog got turkey for breakfast, but not for lunch after an attempted poo pickup failed on an afternoon walk at the local park. Poo pickup bags were meant for solids, not liquids. There is truth to “too much of a good thing”.

Three days after, November 25th

Breakfast was a bowl of healthy oatmeal. The two small pieces of pie I found in the fridge were tossed in the trash. No more pie! Dog was given a small amount of turkey breast without skin on kibble for breakfast on agreement that it was a trial basis only, not a turkey free for all like the day after Thanksgiving. Lunch was the rest of the turkey soup and homemade bread. Turkey soup is great stuff on a cold day.

Dinner was spent out at our favorite Italian restaurant Cingale, because we had enough of cooking, dish washing, and eating leftovers.

Dog got turkey upon our arrival at home after dinner out due to the afternoon poo walk returning to before Thanksgiving specifications. Our dog doesn’t seem to mind leftover turkey day after day.

Four days after, November 26th

The turkey is just about gone, along with most of the other items that graced our table that day not so long ago. For breakfast we had oatmeal with some of the cranberry sauce on top. Dog had yet another blissful meal of turkey and kibble for breakfast with a touch of turkey stock. For lunch I packed turkey sandwiches with tomato, avocado, lettuce and hummus. If all goes to plan the turkey will be gone after dinner tonight if the dog and us can rise to the challenge one last time. It’s turkey noodle soup for us, turkey and kibble for the dog. The only remnant by tomorrow will be the cranberry sauce which should be finished off in the oatmeal. Then the countdown starts for next year’s Thanksgiving feast. I hope we learn a thing or two from this year’s over indulgences. Yeah right!

Most of us love the approaching holiday seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family gatherings, the office parties and all that good food and cheer. With all that good food some us come out a few pounds heavier by January 1st. The good news? There’s no reason to gain weight if you follow these tips.

1. Start eating healthier now instead of January 2, 2013.

Now is the time to get a jump start instead of another New Year’s resolution.

2. Increase your exercise routine now, and add 2-5 minutes each week until January.

If you add even just two minutes per week to your weekly exercise routine November 15th you will be exercising almost 15 minutes more by January 1, 2013. If you add 5 minutes per week to your exercise routine you would be up to 30 minutes additional workout time by January.

3. Eat more vegetables, and less meat.

Add more fiber now with fresh vegetables as the main part of lunch and dinner. Use olive oil and cut out or reduce butter consumption.

4. Start reading a healthy living magazine or health blog.

There are so many amazing resources to help you understand the relationship of food and health. Go to your local library and take a look at the magazine rack. Go online and search out healthy lifestyle blogs.

5. If you watch TV get up and walk in place every commercial break.

This sets into motion a habit that can expand into walking to the local grocery store, or at least taking that parking space farther away from a store instead of getting as close as possible. Walking is great exercise.

6. Take the stairs, not the elevator when reasonable.

If you work in a high rise no need to climb 50 floors, but climb a few when possible then take the elevator the rest of the way. Increase a floor or two each week. If you live in an apartment building walk as many flights of stairs as you can and increase a floor or two per week.

7. Eat an apple for a snack instead of a cupcake.

Cupcakes. Who doesn’t love them? I like to eat one every month or two. However have an apple, almonds, carrots, or other fresh vegetable instead, and feel better about yourself for doing so. It’s important to eat enough throughout the day, and healthy snacks keep you from feeling deprived.

8. Eat oatmeal for breakfast with raisins and a few walnuts.

Oatmeal is great stuff. It adds fiber, and reduces cholesterol for most people that eat it on a regular basis. Skip the milk, butter or cream and just add raisins, walnuts or even a bit of apple juice to make a great tasting breakfast. I like adding cut up fresh apples to the water before adding the oats.

9. Find or start a walking group in your neighborhood.

Walking is better done with two or more. If you can’t find anyone to walk with try meetup.com to find a walking group, and if you don’t find a walking group there start your own. Meetup.com is a great resource for this.

10. Focus on being healthier.

This is a big one. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Visualize a healthier you. Of all the areas of your life, being healthier and slimmer is one you have a great deal of control over. Take charge and make it happen. Visit my blog FastandFuriousCook.com and get the tools for healthier eating by signing up for a free subscription. If I, the overweight chef could do this, I know you can too. I’ll give you lots of ideas for healthy meals that take very little time and effort to prepare using easy to find ingredients. All through the year I’ll post seasonal foods that will have you preparing great tasting, healthy meals for your loved ones. Eating healthy is a lifestyle change. It will take time to work, but it can. Take control now, and live healthier for the rest of the year and beyond.

FastandFuriousCook.com

Way back in 1992 I was overweight and in need of a lifestyle change. This dish and it’s many variations helped get me on track to a healthier lifestyle. I lost 35 pounds in 6o days with the changes I made to my diet and excercise. If you are not eating beans and rice you are missing out on a staple dish in many countries. It’s got pretty much everything a body needs and tastes great. Here is my quick and easy beans and rice for you to try.

Black Beans and Rice

1 can (15 oz) black beans

1 can (15.5oz) diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cooked rice, I use Tsuru Mai California brown rice, but just about any type of white rice is ok.

1 teaspoon McCormick’s Montreal steak seasoning, or Lawrey’s seasoning salt

ground pepper to taste.

Cook rice according to instructions on package. In a 2-3 quart pot cook beans, tomatoes , and seasoning on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for 3-4 more minutes and serve.

Variations:

Use 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder for a southwest version.

Use 1 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Replace black beans with white navy beans.

Serves two, but is easily doubled to serve four or more.

3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 bell pepper cut in 1 inch dice
3 ribs of celery sliced diagonally
1 small onion diced or sliced
2 cloves garlic
1-3 jalapenos or other suitable hot peppers sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of hot garlic chili sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 carrot peeled and sliced optional

In a wok or similar pan heat oil and add onion and garlic. Stir often, cooking for one minute. Add remaining vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add chili sauce, soy sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes until vegies are well coated then serve over rice or rice noodles.

3 cups cooked wild rice blend
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups frozen vegetables
1/4 yellow onion sliced
8-10 button mushrooms sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and bake in a covered casserole dish for 1 hour at 350 degrees, reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake for 15 minutes more.

Here’s a quick stir fry entree that is healthy and tasty.

2 chicken breasts
1/2 yellow onion
3 small cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tsp fish sauce,optional
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp Thai Red Chili paste
1/2 lb fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 to 1 cup fresh basil leaves*

Stir fry onion over medium high heat for 2 minutes.

Add chopped garlic and sliced chicken. Cook for 6-8 minutes stirring frequently.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, red chili paste, fish sauce, and green beans. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add fresh basil and cook one more minute. Serve on steamed brown or white rice.
Serves 4

Note

*Use Thai basil if you can get it.