Yum Cooking!

Delicious! Made this on Valentine’s and must I say, YUM!

I pulled the original recipe from Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-cordon-bleu-recipe2/index.html

After reading through reviews I grabbed a few tid bits:
– I actually cooked the roulades at say 400-425* for 25-27 min. I like making sure that my meat is WELL done, and the crust browned very nicely like this.
-I used rice flour instead of all-purpose to help with the gluten content (even though I did actually use the Panko bread crumbs, which weren’t bad on my digestion. However, if you are extremely gluten sensitive, there are gluten-free bread crumbs available!).
-Also, with the breading, instead of using garlic and thyme, I skipped completely out on the garlic and sprinkled in some mixed Italian seasoning I already had at home!
-The Gruyere cheese is lactose free and low FODMAP friendly!
-My only problem was the cheese sauce I made. I made the mistake of putting some sour cream in it which did NOT sit well with me. However, the dish as made sauce-free is actually pretty low FODMAP friendly!
-To round out the meal, rice and steamed veggies are a great healthy, and low FODMAP choice.

With all the chicken I had and extra supplies, I decided to take another stab at this recipe, but feeling more confident, take my own spin at it!

And thus was born- Southwest Stuffed Chicken!

Differences:
-Instead of Gruyere, I used mostly Pepperjack with some Monterey Jack.
-Instead of prosciutto, I used BACON!
-I also added in diced green chilies into the mix for a little kick.
-In the breading mix, I skipped out on the Italian seasonings and instead used a Mexican All Spice. (I want to try this with Cheyenne and chili powder next time!)
-For the cheese sauce, I (THINK!) I used appx. 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp rice flour, MAYBE 1/4-1/2 cup Silk lite soy milk, and what was left of our Pepperjack and Monterey Jack cheese. I also added a nice dash of the Mexican All Spice. Started it on VERY low heat, just enough to get the butter melting before slowly mixing in the flour. Let that set for a couple minutes before adding the soy milk as needed to get the cream sauce base. Added cheese until it reached the thickness I wanted. It started out a little stringy, but letting it sit on the low heat for a few more minutes helped. Just watch it to make sure it doesn’t start curdling. I also added in a few of the chilies that were left, too!
-Another random tidbit- I had problems with overstuffing the chicken, but just sayin’… it was still DELICIOUS. Got rave reviews from my fellow taste tester. 🙂
-If you’d rather not add the sauce (if you’re watching calories, etc.) or you have problems with over stuffing like me, Just used the left over stuffings and toss them on top of the roulade!

Now, I realize, this may not be ENTIRELY low FODMAP, but if you’re like me and can tolerate a little here and there, this is a nice break from being super strict! For example, I can handle the lactose content of the pepper/monterey jack cheeses in the second recipe. Also, the gluten isn’t a huge problem for me, so I had some three-cheese texas toast as my side for this dish. Of course, if that IS a problem, Spanish/Mexican rice is a great substitute!

 

Anyway, hope you enjoy the recipes and happy low FODMAP cooking! 🙂

Homemade Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!

Foodie Adventures, a set on Flickr.

I had a blast tonight making these! I had to make little changes here and there (but what fun is cooking if you don’t?), but I think they turned out pretty well!

Definitely spicy, but I think getting the “HOT” not mild Hatch green chiles made a difference!

Anyway, I’m proud of my work and excited to make these again!!!

CALORIES NOTE: [Edit 01/17/12] I put in the recipe on MyFitnessPal and came up with a number- 588 calories for 2 enchiladas made with the extra cheese in my recipe (4 cups as opposed to the 2.5 cups). So, made with the lower lactose content (cutting sour cream, heavy cream, & cheese), these could potentially be a VERY low calorie option! YAY!

Low FODMAP Note- These are definitely gluten-free, but definitely NOT lactose free. However, I did do some math on lactose content, and for two enchiladas it’s (I believe) 4 grams or less if you follow the recipe! (I found a great listing of low FODMAP “Do’s & Don’ts” at theintolerantdiner. According to her listing, heavy cream & sour cream both have appx. 1 g per 1 tbsp, which means 24 g total for this recipe or 2 g per enchilada. Of course, as I note later, I didn’t even use all the cheese/sour cream sauce. And you *could* simply omit the cream from the chicken mixture and just use hard cheese to keep lactose content low. OPTIONS! YAY!)

RECIPE:

2-1/2 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
–I used just one can of Member’s Mark Shredded Chicken Breast
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
–Just got low sodium chicken broth, canned
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
–I actually omitted the oil and just used organic whipped spread!
12 whole Corn Tortillas
–To keep it low calorie, I used Mission Thin Corn Tortillas (80 cal for 2!)
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
–Instead of onion, to make it low FODMAP, I added red/orange/yellow capsicum! YUM!
3 whole 4 Oz Cans  Fire Roasted Whole Green Chiles, Diced
–If you like spice, you can definitely find it here by adding the HOT green chiles! (I used HATCH!)
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
–Everything is definitely “season to taste.” That said, I think I just used what I wanted. haha…
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
–I could only find quart containers of heavy cream, so I actually used whipping cream which is only 30% milkfat (or whatever), but it still turned out really well!
2 Tablespoons Butter
–Again, watching calories & content, I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread. I also used more than this amount b/c this is what I used to soften the tortillas.
2 Tablespoons Flour
–I used Bob Mill’s White Rice Flour for this to keep it low FODMAP.
1 cup Sour Cream
–Found store brand Fat Free Sour Cream which was surprisingly low in calories!
2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
–Alright, here was my big “cheat.” I used extra cheese! But I definitely went overboard. You can get away with using only a 1-1.5 cups honestly.
Salt And Pepper, to taste
–I actually never salted. Just peppered. I also used a dash of chili powder in the sour cream sauce.
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped
–I didn’t use cilantro, BUT I *did* top the enchiladas with cold, fresh diced tomato.

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil (or butter substitute) in a small skillet over medium-high
heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do
not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack
of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil (I used butter substitute!) in separate skillet over medium heat (original recipe used the same oil by draining out any excess). Add onions (Or in my case peppers!) and
jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process.
Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir
together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir,
allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk
together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups
chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir
in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour
cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon
paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one.
Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x
13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra
cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (It took
the original recipe person 40 minutes, and I think mine took about 30ish). Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro (or in my case, fresh tomato!).

NOTES: These were absolutely DELICIOUS! One thing I did notice about this recipe was the amount of sour cream sauce it made… which was a LOT. I think you could definitely reduce that to 1 cup chicken broth, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. Also, if you’re watching calories, try to find a reduced fat Monterey Jack or simply try another cheese that’s easier to find in reduced fat/fat free form. I think next time, I’ll just cut the amount of cheese I put on there since I REALLY love the Monterey Jack taste with this!

January 9, 2012: A New Beginning

In life, there are things that you like to do.

…and then there are things you LOVE to do.

Some may call me foolish for settling into a job that I simply like to do and leaving my passions for my downtime. But you know what? I’m OK with that.

In case you were wondering, one of my absolute favorite things in the world is theatre. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of being onstage and sharing the energy of a performance with an audience.

Thankfully, I have been fortunate enough to be able to take part in this experience many times since moving to Lubbock for college. (And take note, even though this city might seem like a rather unassuming dot in the middle-of-nowhere, Texas, Lubbock actually has a rather large base of people who love to participate in theatre and other arts.)

Before I started grad school in 2008, I had a rather eventful year. I participated in a production at Texas Tech to finish out my theatre minor in my undergrad, I directed a show at CATS Playhouse, performed in a musical with Lubbock Moonlight Musicals, acted in an original production at CATS, and THEN had my first lead role in a musical at Lubbock Community Theatre. This was all back-to-back in the span of February through September.

And then, it came to a rather abrupt halt. Graduate school happened. And as anyone who has experienced the masochistic joys of getting a graduate degree knows… you have no life. Granted, I found ways to do bit roles in little shows here and there when a director called on me to be in their show, but I wasn’t getting to do the kind of theatre that *I* wanted to do.

However, it was interesting… After taking that break, I felt really rejuvenated, I guess? (Maybe it was from lack of being rejected at auditions for so long! Haha!) But I came back strong, auditioned for a few things I felt I was perfect for…. and nothing. Two projects in a row that I was itching to do and nothing.

Finally, I was cast in the musical “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” I worked my butt off on that show. Plain and simple. I loved the music, the book, my cast… It was one of those productions every actor has that they will remember for the rest of their life.

And what I feel was really interesting about it for me was just having the chance to do something I loved and finally have people tell me that I’m good at it.

For so long, the only place where I could get cast as a leading role was the smallest theatre in town where they had a surprising lack of ingenue aged females. And finally, here I was performing with one of the larger places in town and killing it. AND having people tell me that I was killing it. …I don’t know about you, but “words of affirmation” are probably one of my biggest “love languages.” So, getting that verbal recognition that people saw what I was doing and took notice… it meant so much to me.

Now, here I am. Eight months later.

I’m in my first dramatic production. (Technically, the one show I did at Tech was dramatic, but it involved bunraku puppetry, so really I was only voice acting.) I’ve been doing theatre in Lubbock for five and a half years now and this is my first dramatic production. And that’s DEFINITELY one of the things I am most excited about. I’ve wanted for so long to have the opportunity to not have to traipse around onstage pulling physicality out as a crunch constantly or use the easy switch of the voice to crack up an audience. Now don’t get me wrong, I know comedy is my forte. Being a character actress is definitely my niche. But, pardon my analogy, I don’t want to be just like a Will Farrell or an Ashton Kutcher who does comedy after comedy and then has one moderately received drama and that’s it. I want to be well rounded as an actress. Call me odd, but I’ve always respected John C. Reilly. There’s a fantastic clip from the Oscar’s one year of him singing with Jack Black and Will Farrell. They’re talking about how you have to balance your body of work. And, THAT’S what I want to work towards now.

Coming back to the current production, there’s definitely an excitement. We have such a wonderful, WONDERFUL cast. There had to have been at least 50 people that came out for this show. Maybe even closer to 60.

We have a cast of 8.

Last night was our first rehearsal. Some people I’ve worked with before, some I haven’t. But everyone I know their work. And it’s GOOD work.

I think back to my days in high school playing basketball. I used to HATE playing against teams that were worse than mine. Why? Simply because they didn’t challenge us. Many times, we would sink to their level and come so close to losing games. However, as soon as we stepped on the court with a better team? Immediately, we KNEW that if we wanted any hope of winning that game, we had to step up to the plate and push ourselves harder, and harder than ever before.

I feel like that today. If I want to play at the level these other actors are at, I have to push myself. And I’m ready. This is a challenge I have been waiting for for quite some time. And there are no words to describe my willingness and eagerness to make this happen.

The Low FODMAP Diet Experiment: Day #8

It’s been a week. I don’t know if I should be quite celebrating yet.

It had been rather difficult for me to fully embrace the new diet. There are so many things that I love eating and enjoying and now… I can’t. I’m still having symptoms because I keep cheating, so I’m thinking this week, after counting last week as more of a “transitional period,” I’m actually going to be strict.

My problem mostly right now is a handful of things-

#1.) Not enough protein in my diet. I’m not a huge “meat-eater” and while this isn’t really related to FODMAP, it’s still an issue in my dietary planning.

#2.) I love dairy. Ice cream/frozen yoghurt, milk, and cheese have always been staples in my diet. Giving them up is awful.

#3.) I used to always talk about how I wasn’t a huge carb eater… but now that I’m actually having to watch where my carbohydrates are coming from… wow. Pasta and flour tortillas were big for me. And in the month before (attempting to go) going low FODMAP, I had started eating these “sandwich thins” as part of my weight loss plan. And now, the first loaf of gluten-free bread I tried wasn’t as tasty. I finally found gluten-free crackers, but they’re pretty expensive and I’ve gone through them fairly quickly. I don’t want to eat potatoes because they’re SO high in carbs AND the vegetable spread I use with them is so high in fat & carbs, too! It’s just frustrating. The “gluten-free” part of this I would say is definitely the most taxing for me. My only major triumphs in this area are finding 100% Spelt Pasta, Glutino crackers, eating fruits with carbs.

#4.) APPLES AND ONIONS. These are two of my favorite fruits/veggies. And they’re gone. Along with broccoli and so much more… These were my staple fruits & veggies. And it’s somewhat hard to transition to eating new foods on a regular basis. Plus, I was reading more the other day that I shouldn’t be having TOO many fruits in a day. The excess fructose can build up. AWESOME.

#5.) Eating out. Granted, I’ve only done this twice (Monday & yesterday), and only because a good friend is leaving town and wanted to meet up for a few meals. But still, I found options that were mostly approved: grilled chicken breast, lettuce, corn based tortillas, rice, potatoes… But little things like too much cheese or being fried or needing a condiment I shouldn’t have… It makes it so difficult.

#6.) Planning out food EVERY MORNING is tedious.

#7.) Eating these certain foods, I’m having a hard time keeping to my low calorie plan recently because I’m getting hungry again so quickly. Despite the fact I’m typically eating a bunch of small meals a day, I’m trying to balance my carbs/fat/protein and just, not. Not doing it well. Ugh… It’s just frustrating.

 

So, there you have it. One frustrated little ginger who WANTS to give up, but WON’T.

THIS WEEK I WILL DO IT. This experiment will not be a failure! I promise!

 

Breakfast:

-Rice Chex
-Silk Lite Soy Milk
-Hormel Turkey Pepperoni’s

Lunch:

-Glutino Gluten-Free Crackers
-Oscar Meyer Rotisserie Chicken Breast Lunch Meat
-Julio’s Mild Salsa
-Peeled Baby Carrots

Snack:

-Kiwi
-Blackberries

Dinner:

-I’m hoping that maybe tonight I can finally try that turkey burger! haha!

The Low FODMAP Diet Experiment: Day #7

WOW.

Has it really already been a week? Well, technically, not an entire week. I still have to make it through the day! haha…

But I have to say, little by little, I’m beginning to feel like I can do this!

I had a HUGE moment of hope yesterday. I had just stepped into my local Wal-Mart to try and grab a few things (some ground turkey breast, a few fruits/veggies, potatoes, etc.) and while walking down the rice aisle, lo and behold… There was a GLUTEN-FREE section! Granted, it was small and a big picked over, but my goodness, did it give me hope! I found some DELICIOUS crackers (Glutino brand) and a gluten-free pancake mix. Granted, the pancake mix I *think* had a small amount of some milk product in it, but when making the mix I used soy milk in the batter, so I don’t think I’ll really have any problems with it. My body can typically tolerate some lactose decently. My biggest cheat with this little impromptu purchase is the syrup. I didn’t have time this morning after cooking breakfast to stop by the store on the way to work to grab the kind of natural syrup I can have on low FODMAP and instead had to use the cheap stuff we already at at the house that contains high fructose corn syrup. I’ve actually managed to completely avoid HFCS this week up until now, so we’ll see if it has any effects on symptoms.

As for an update on “winging it” yesterday, I ended up having a lunch date with a friend and went to a local restaurant that specializes in healthy options. I had grilled chicken breast topped with a bit of mozzarella and diced tomatoes/jalapenos. I only ate a smidge of the salad which was just romaine lettuce with a “Southwest Ranch” on the side, that wasn’t really ranch. But, I had such a small quantity of it that there were no problems. For dessert? No-fat frozen yoghurt with live active cultures, chocolate flavored with fresh sliced strawberries on top! YUM!!!

I didn’t have time for a snack yesterday because of work, so by dinner, I was STARVING! I ended up cheating a smidge and had Annie’s organic gluten-free mac-n-cheese. Again, I used soy milk in making the cheese sauce, so really the only cheating was what lactose was in the powdered mix for that, which I again assume was some small amount because I had no problems. For some protein, I had some grilled lite sausage with orange & yellow peppers left over from the other day, and since I was still quite hungry, I had some soy crisps dipped like chips in Julio’s Mild Salsa. MmmMMmm…

By the way, I’m eating the gluten-free pancakes as I type and they’re actually pretty good! Anyway, on to the food for the day!

PS- If you’re reading this and you’re one of the people who have subscribed or liked any of the posts… THANK YOU! It’s oddly comforting to know that there’s someone out there reading this… someone who’s possibly been through this or seen someone go through it. Anyway, enough with the sappiness. To the food!

BREAKFAST:

-Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix (Bought at Wal-Mart)
-Silk Lite Soy Milk
– All-Whites Liquid Egg Whites
-Pompeii Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-(CHEAT) Great Value Syrup
-Fresh Blackberries & Raspberries

LUNCH:

-Annie’s Organic Gluten-Free Mac-n-Cheese (SLIGHT CHEAT, I THINK)
-Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
-Fresh Baby Carrots

SNACK:

-Glutino Gluten-Free Crackers
-Oscar Meyer Rotisserie Chicken Breast Lunch Meat
-Julio’s Mild Salsa
-Kiwi

DINER:

-Not really sure yet… I’m thinking maybe…
-Grilled Turkey Burger over
-White Rice with
-Italian Cut Green Beans