Food and Fitness Journal | January 17-23, 2015

Saturday, Jan. 17

Breakfast:   cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan de sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly

Ran 3.01 miles with hubby

Post workout drink:   1 cup DOLE Ready Cut Fruit smoothie (strawberries, peaches & banana)

Lunch:   7 pieces of sushi combo
               1 cup rice + sautéed veggies, Sisig

Dinner:   The Kickin Crab  Combo #3, Cajun Fish tacos, Garlic Noodles, Coconut Sea snails
                (my brother's family dinner get together) ... plus Caramel cake from Cabalen :(

MY THOUGHTS ~  drank lots of water throughout the day. I don't like soft drinks and I can certainly manage without it. The day did start out right but since I was anticipating a pig out I'm just glad I was able to go 3 miles this morning. Choice of food wasn't healthy today but will do better tomorrow!

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Sunday, Jan. 18

Breakfast:   cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan del sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly

Ran errands - went out to buy groceries

Lunch:   leftover Garlic Noodles + 4 pieces of Cajun Shrimp

Snack:   4 Oreo cookies

Napped for 2 hours
Woke up and worked out for an hour = 30 minutes jogged on the treadmill + 30 minutes functional training.

SQUATS w/ 15lbs. wts in each hand, 3 sets of 15 reps;
DONKEY KICKS using FT at #4 using foot attachment,
 3 sets of 16 reps

FT Pull Downs at #7, 3 sets of 16-18 reps



HOOKED LEG CRUNCHES using workout bench + 15 lb wts in each hand, 3 sets of 16-18

 

 

Dinner:   1.5 cups Kale Strawberry Pecan salad with
                 baked herb salmon
                 hot tea with Agave nectar and a little Almond milk.

 

 

 

MY THOUGHTS ~ today was indeed much better as far as caloric intake.  Good thing I wasn't hungry much throughout the day and I was able to nap. I love naps! Tomorrow's gonna be an early day at work so I'm happy I got additional rest. I will now prepare tomorrow's breakfast for work :) 100% whole grain old fashion Oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, almond milk and butter. Will include a piece of fruit or fruit smoothie.
 





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 Monday, Jan.19

 

Breakfast:   cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan del sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly

                    Oatmeal, fruit smoothie, water (during first break 7:30am)

 

                                          

 

 

Lunch:   Trail mix

 

Snack:   2 square pieces Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark 60%

 

Dinner:   1 slice pizza + 1 cup Mac n' Cheese

 

 

 

MY THOUGHTS ~ I had a feeling I might not be able to workout because I lack sleep, I was running on 2 hours of shut eye, labored through work today and the drive back home got me drowsy. I will just have to make today my rest day and go to bed early tonight. But before that I gotta prep the ingredients for my smoothie I'm bringing to work tomorrow. I still have some more oatmeal in the refrigerator, gonna bring that for my breakfast as well.

 

 

 

strawberries, blueberries, orange slices and banana

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Tuesday, Jan. 20

Breakfast:   cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan del sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly
                    Fruit smoothie (frozen blueberries, strawberries, orange slices, banana + almond milk)

Lunch:   Chicken bacon ranch wrap = 290 cal.

Snack:   1 old fashion donut

Ugghhh... why were you in our break room Mr. Donut?!

Dinner: Santa Fe style salad = 280 cal.

Jogged almost 30 minutes this evening, I thought I wouldn't be able to squeeze in a workout. I was also able to do some functional strength training and glut and floor exercises for around 40 minutes.

MY THOUGHTS ~ by the time I arrived home it was almost 5pm and I honestly thought that this would end up being another rest day. Fortunately 2 hours after having dinner I wasn't sleepy yet so I turned on the treadmill and jogged. Midway through I realized that I could go on and put in some strength training exercises. I'm so glad before bedtime I got another workout session done today! 

 

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 Wednesday, Jan. 21

 

 

Breakfast: cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan del sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly

                    Oatmeal, fruit smoothie, water (during first break 7:30am)

 

Snack:   6 pieces chocolate truffles

 

Lunch:   finished the rest of my fruit smoothie

 

Dinner:   Caesar salad + 1 piece over roast (leftover from 2 nights ago)

 

 

 

MY THOUGHTS ~ today is the 2nd rest day for the week. I will aim to go to work earlier in order to get back home sooner and storm through another cardio + strength training session.


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Thursday, Jan. 22

 

 Breakfast: cup of decaf coffee, 1 toasted pan del sal with Nutella and strawberry jelly
                   Oatmeal-Fruit smoothie
 



 

 

 

 Lunch:   finished the rest of my smoothie 

  

Dinner:   1 cup Adobo Fried rice + 3 pieces of roast beef + broiled Milk fish belly                   

 

Brisk walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes after mealtime  

 

 

 

 



 

 

 MY THOUGHTS ~ definitely not the day I wanted, had another bad drive and arrived home tired as heck and HUNGRY too :( The oatmeal fruit shake didn't last as long as I thought. I ate dinner fairly early, rest a bit then hit the treadmill for an indoor walk. Will workout for sure tomorrow morning before celebrating hubby's birthday at The Napa Valley Wine Train.

 

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Friday, Jan. 23

 

Breakfast: half up of decaf + 1 pan de sal

 

Worked out for 1 hour alternating between strength training (3 different exercises) on our functional trainer and cardio bursts, jogging on the treadmill on level 5.

 

1) Kettle Bell Side Lifts on 1 Leg, using 20 lb. wts 20 reps/3 sets = obliques + stability
2) Shoulder workout,  refer to @boksantos on Instagram used 5 lb. wts each hand 13 to 15 reps/3 sets
3) Standing Hip Abduction, using functional training at 40 lb. setting 16 to 20 reps/3 sets each leg

 

10 minute jogs in between strength training on the functional trainer x 3 = 30 min.

 

1) Hooked leg Crunches on workout bench, holding 15 lb. dumbbell 16-20 reps/3 sets = Abs
2) Pull Downs using functional trainer at 70 lb. setting 16-20 reps/3 sets = Abs
3) Leg Extensions/Donkey kicks, functional trainer set at 50 lbs. 14-16 reps/3 sets

 

Post workout drink:

 



 



Green Juice

http://cathyelpedes.blogspot.com/2015/01/green-juice-post-workout-drink.html

Lunch:   Hubby's birthday date on the Napa Valley Wine Train





Soup du Jour ~ Tomato Bisque topped with Croutons

 

Fresh Fish of the Day ~ Pan Seared Mahi Mahi in Coconut Curry reduction with baby spinach & sweet potatoes

 

Dessert ~ Tiramisu, Crème Brulee and coffee 

 

 

Dinner:  1 piece of Naan, a scoop of Saag Paneer and a piece of Lengua (beef tongue)

                 Hubby's dinner at home with the family 

 

 

 

 

MY THOUGHTS ~ I knew ahead of time that today would be a pig-out day, good thing I was able to workout in the morning and had a light dinner since I was still full from our trip... and by light I mean "no rice" on my plate.

 

Ending this blog post the only thing I have to say is it is a struggle at times to stay disciplined and I would love to go back to the weight I had in 2011 (115 lbs.)  prior to slowly gaining weight within the past 3 years (currently 126-128 lbs.) due to the lack of time and me feeling fatigue. For me it is a struggle for time to put in a decent workout because my days are wasted on my commute to and from work and I am extremely tired when I get home. I'm on the road for about 4 hours a day and finding a job closer to home has been very difficult the past year. It is taking a toll on my body - the lack sleep, not exercising diligently or not exercising at all and waking up at the wee hours of the night (2:45 am) to get ready for work which is 75 miles away from home. Which is why during my days off I really try my best to get in some exercise. Health is wealth ...

 

Love yourself by eating right and being active.

 

As you can see my past week was nowhere near perfect but I am determined to be a healthier and fit ME this 2015. 

Oven Chuck Roast

 

Ingredients:

3.5 lbs. Beef chuck roast
seasoning (salt, pepper and Italian herbs)
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, chopped
baby carrots
1 large Yukon potato, chopped
ground black pepper
1.5 cup beef broth
1/2 - 3/4 cup red wine, Merlot







 

 

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Season the meat with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and let sit  - I let mine sit overnight. When ready heat skillet to seer both sides of the beef in canola or olive oil  till well caramelized and  develops a  toasted brown crust. Remove from the heat, set aside and ready the aromatic ingredients.

 

 

 

Sauté garlic and carrots with a dash of salt, stir and let cook for a few minutes then add the onions. Cover and let simmer till onions become translucent then add red wine, let alcohol evaporate then add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Let simmer for a few minutes on low-medium heat.

  

 

 

I just placed the meat in a Pyrex dish since I do not have a Dutch oven. Anyhow at this point remove the veggies from the heat and pour over the roast including the liquid.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, when ready place meat inside and let roast for 2 hours. Add in the potatoes and continue to roast covered for another 30 minutes. This totals 2.5 hours where every 30 minutes I suggest basting the meat with the liquid. When cooking time is up, turn OFF the heat and let it sit covered with foil in the oven for half an hour.  

 

OPTIONAL: blender veggies and basting liquid to serve as gravy over the roast

 

 

 

Slice the roast thinly or however you like. Pour the liquid over the meat to retain moisture and arrange the veggies around it.  

PLATE. SERVE. ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Confidentials - Leftovers: Pork Sisig

When you're  pressed for time and cannot prepare a decent meal for the day but you need something on the table rapido, bust out with them leftovers and don't  feel bad about it! :)

It'll take some jazzin up with items you may already have at home in your refrigerator and pantry, a few minutes of your time and Voila! You've got a revamped dish that might just be 'Mom and Pop cafe' worthy!

Last night's leftover: 

Pork Sisig

I placed a single serving amount of leftover Sisig on a plate with a scoop of rice garnished with a couple pinches of crispy fried garlic flakes, topped with one sunny side up egg and cracked black pepper. Prior to plating I reheated the Sisig stove top on a skillet to render the excess fat, discard this. I like to serve this with a side of chili garlic sauce dipping and a tall glass of ice cold water - Sisig is best when heat is mild to moderate spicy. 

Pork Nilaga

This dish is near and dear to me as it was the first I've ever cooked without my mom's guidance or her telling me what to do next. In my sophomore year in college I dared to cook this for my housemates and I'm pretty sure it wasn't as awesome at the time, but since then and several pots later... this is how I cook pork Nilaga for my family now ---

Ingredients:
5 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1 pork cube
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp whole pepper corn
1/4 cup patis (fish sauce)
2 tsp sugar
2 yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
1 pack (approx. 2.75 lbs) pork shoulder country style ribs
1 small cabbage head, roughly chopped
10 cups water, for soup

 

Load pork into an 8 Quart pot or any large pot you have, cover in water, set heat on high and bring to a boil.

When it starts to boil, the fat and protein will surface to the top, skim off as much as you can and toss. Adjust heat to low, add in the garlic, onion, whole pepper corn, pork cube and patis. Cover and let this simmer for about 35 minutes or till meat is tender.

Then add the chopped potatoes, bump up the heat to medium-low, add salt and sugar, let boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes slightly covered.

Turn off the heat, add in the cabbage, mix well and set aside from heat.

one of my "go to" comfort meals rain or shine!

Oven Lechon: Chicken Leg Quarters

Hey everyone! It's been really hot the past week here in the Bay and although salads and light dishes seem more appropriate, I got the sudden urge to brine chicken quarters and roast it in the oven for some homemade lechon. I originally got this brine recipe from my sister but tweaked it a bit for my own personal touch :)

chicken leg quarters

Here's what I used:

1 whole garlic head or 8-10 cloves with the top end(s) slice off

1 large onion chopped in half

1 full carton (2 lbs or 907g) chicken broth

2-3 cups water

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Kosher salt

1/3 sugar

1 tsp whole pepper corn

1 family pack chicken leg quarters 5 pieces (approx. 5 lbs) - Asian grocers sell this chopped and with slits for BBQ marinating but we're using this instead of the whole hen. The slits help make the chicken absorb more flavor faster. 

Combine all ingredients in a pot, on high heat bring this to a boil then turn off and remove from the burner, let cool. Clean the chicken quarters rinsing them a few times and place in big glass mixing bowl. When brine has cooled down and is warm enough to touch, pour this over the chicken pieces covering everything. You may want to flip and dunk the pieces every once in a while. If this is something you are making for dinner, prepare this in the morning for the best flavor. Most of the time I brine chicken overnight but for this portion, it has been soaking for about 6 hours.

chicken brine

When ready line a baking or cookie tray with aluminum foil, spray some Pam and place the chicken quarters. Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Load the tray in and let roast for 45 minutes. Check every 10-15 minutes and baste with it's own juices when you see it accumulate along the sides of the tray. Then lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue for another 10-12 minutes, do not open the oven anymore. When done, turn off heat, remove the chicken from the oven, place on table or counter-top covering with foil allowing to rest for 10 minutes.

Plate, serve and Enjoy!!

F.O.B. Fridays ~ Split Mung Bean Soup

When I was a kid I never did like "munggo" (mung bean soup), I always thought it was yucky, grainy, looked weird and murky. I realized that my first experience eating this dish wasn't pleasant so all my bad thoughts stuck with me till a couple years later. I ate this again (can't remember where) and was surprised that it actually tasted good.... really good! I took a good look at the soup and at the same time each spoonful I put in my mouth I tried to get a sense of the difference. Then it hit me! This was smoother in texture because there was less skins on the beans and floating in the soup.

{note to self}

That gave me the idea to cook this for my family now with the attempt to remove the skins. But one day while I was at an Asian grocery store walking down an aisle, I spotted on the shelf a packet of yellow mung beans. At first I thought it was a different type of mung bean altogether but it was the same bean just skinless and split into halves (happy dance). Since then I've been using this type of packaged mung beans when cooking this soup.

Here are the ingredients:
1.5 cup split Mung beans
1 3/4 lbs. pork belly
1.5 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes,  sliced into wedges (8 per tonato)
1 sweet pepper or banana pepper
1 pack (0.5 lb) frozen pepper leaves, thawed
Kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Patis (fish sauce)

1 tsp sugar

ground black pepper to taste

*optional: malunggay (horseradish) leaves are an alternative leafy greens for this soup dish.

PREP & PRECOOK BEANS:
Soak the mung beans for at least 1 hour. Rinse and boil in 3 cups water in a small pot, simmer on low for 10-12 minutes or until beans are cooked. Water will have reduced to the volume of the beans and will appear almost mushy. Turn off heat and add 1 tsp salt, mix well and set aside. 

PREP AND PRECOOK PORK BELLY:
Cut pork into half inch (or one inch if you prefer) pieces. Saute with 1 tbsp canola oil in a deep sauce pan on med-hi heat, season with 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally while meat is still pink or pale in color. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Then adjust heat to low and cook till a golden brown color, stirring frequently. Spoon out about half of the rendered fat or oil and proceed to sauté the rest of the ingredients.

BEFORE (stir occasionally)

AFTER