All I have to say is: "Thank God for Whole Foods!"

I am super-excited for this week's menu.  Here's what I plan on having:

Breakfast:

• Arugula and porcini mushroom omelet with gruyere cheese and whole wheat baguette
• Lavazza coffee (legit espresso from Italy! I drink it in France all the time!)

Lunch:

• Brussels Sprouts Lardons
• Figues et melons au basilic (fresh figs and melons with a basil creme fraiche sauce)

Dinner

• Warm Mango-Coconut Mahi Mahi on maches salad
• Dark chocolate caramels with sea salt OR a square of dark chocolate with orange peel

Pics to come soon! Stay tuned!

Je suis de retour!

Wow, it's been awhile since I logged in here!  That's just the product of being way too busy and taking on more responsibilities this year than I had last year...

I have some  good news, and some bad news.

Starting off with the good news: fear not! I am still cooking.  Every week.  What I am not still doing is losing more weight.  I've hovered at about the same weight (which, fortunately, is only one pound over my lowest achievement) because I'm still exercising like a fiend, but ...

Here's the bad news: I can't seem to limit the quantity of junk food going into my mouth (couple that with Halloween candy on every corner at work and at my boyfriend's and I can't say no...). So, the classic problem at hand remains the same: although what I eat is 90% healthy, I have a tendency to eat too much of the other 10%, which is why my weight has remained stagnant.  Although I haven't gained since last I logged, I'm still feeling awfully discouraged that I can't seem to make more progress.  Why?  I have too many moments where I throw my self-control out the window, often with the argument of "I've worked my butt off today, and I've eaten well, and I deserve a treat as a late-night reward before I go to bed."  Sadly, I often have trouble limiting the portion size of said treat.  (Boo, Kemmie. Boo!)

But here is some more good news: I just had a doctor's appointment this week. Here are my stats: although I am 5 pounds heavier than I was when I first moved here, my blood pressure is still low and my doctor told me that I have such an "athletic"-looking physique that she would have guessed I was 20 pounds thinner just by looking at me!  (Hot-damn, that made me feel pretty good!)  She said that ideally, with my height, I might wanna weigh 10-15 pounds less, but she told me that I shouldn't sweat it too much because I am doing all the right things the majority of the time. And, some of that weight gain could also be muscle, in my core and in my legs: when first I moved here, I was pushing 90 pound weights on my lower body and using a 5 pound weight for my core exercises.  Now, I'm pumping 165 pounds on my lower body, and 30 pounds on my core!  Folks, I'm gonna have to attribute my newly-attained sleek physique to weight training. I never thought I would say it, because I did just cardio for most of my life and was happy with it, but wondered why my body shape never really fundamentally changed.  It's all in the weight training.  I do it three times a week for 45 minutes, coupled with 45 - 60 minutes of various cardio exercises that are low impact to protect my leg (elliptical, bike, uphill walking).  I have moved up to level 10 on the elliptical and the bike from level 8, and on the treadmill, I'm pushing as high as a level 15.0 incline from a meager 2.0 incline!

SO: for those of you that knew me before my skiing accident in Norway in 2007, I take huge pride in telling you that I am significantly stronger - stronger than I ever would have imagined - than before it even happened.  I am counting my blessings and thanking Norwegian medicine every day for it, because I honestly never thought I would ever be able to get to where I am today.

Maybe things aren't so bad as I make them out to be... maybe this is the reason I need to be blogging still. Not just to keep myself accountable for my failures, but also to celebrate all my successes which, in my opinion, seem to be outweighing my failures at this point.

I think today calls for another inspirational trip to Whole Foods. I haven't been in two months.  Time to compose the next grocery list and the next week's meals... and the best part about these meals? They're French meals!

A table!

Yours in French culinary awesomeness,
K

Bon apres-midi!

Good news to report: I am down 1.2 pounds.  Would have liked to be down more, but considering I took on a second after-school job this week and had no time to exercise, I am feeling pretty darn good about myself.  This week I am only working 2 days, and then the next week, 3, then two (it's an alternating schedule) so I plan to go on the days I don't work, plus the weekend.  Oh what I will do for an extra buck!  It's tough being a teacher.  But no worry: kitchen is stocked and just gotta get thru one more week before Labor Day Weekend! Looking forward to it, looking ever more forward to getting back to the gym.  Speaking of, I am headed there right now!  Thank goodness... missed it so much!

A plus!

Dear friends of yours truly, "la bloggeuse",

Well, as you can probably tell, it's been awfully hard for me to do a post every day or so with work in the way, eating up the majority of my time.  (Ha! "Eating up..." pun unintended but still pretty good!)

Unfortunately, some sad news to report today.  I had a rough week at work.  Translation: I stopped caring about what goes into my mouth, even though I was still exercising.  Week turned out to have a happy ending on Friday, so to celebrate I just, well, ate more this weekend.  Save today.  But still... oops?

Yeah, oops, indeed.  I packed on three pounds this week.  Hoping I can shave it off quickly, because I am approaching the end of my grocery budget and am trying hard to not eat out at all this month (which I have succeeded at doing except for an occasional ice cream).  So, after looking over what I still have at home, and the limited money I have to buy stuff, here's what I've come up with for this week and next to finish off the month:

- Endive, pear and Roquefort salad
- Avocado and grapefruit salad with olive oil and lemon juice
- Ratatouille (vegetable stew) *NEW*
- Leek, potato and zucchini vichyssoise soup (finishing up what I froze)
- Le Puy lentils *NEW*

Also in store: basic staples for dinner egg-white omelettes, French-style sourdough baguette, brie cheese and orange-infused dark chocolate squares for dessert.

LET'S DO THIS!  Nothing a bump in the road can do to set me back!

Bonsoir!

Well, I am headed to bed, but before I go, I just had to share... I finally made some yummy, scrumptious, homemade chocolate truffles!

Boy was that an adventure.  My kitchen was a mess by the time I was done, namely because the recipe called for boiling heavy cream (which I have never boiled before) and it heated up so quickly the saucepan went on overload and it all boiled over, making a mess on my stove (and giving me a long-awaited excuse to take my stove apart and just, erm, clean it...thank God for SOS pads!).

Heavy cream boiling-over disaster aside, the rest was really easy - so easy, in fact, that I was super surprised.  No double boiler, no special instructions on blending the chocolate with the cream, no tricks to master... what more could I ask for?  I made the truffles with my bare hands, too, so needless to say that I thoroughly enjoyed constantly licking them between trays.  (Followed by a thorough anti-bacterial soap-washing, of course!)

I ended up with about 60 truffles, and they are all going to my students (am I just the best teacher ever, or what?!).  Ain't no way I can keep those around here ... they'll just disappear, much to the detriment of my waistline.  They taste great, but next time I'd like to better perfect the synergy between semi-sweet and dark chocolate... the balance isn't quite right, but oh well, it's still a friggin' chocolate truffle, I say!

Ok I really am heading to bed now.  Pic below of the fruits of my labor. :)

Bonjour a tous et a toutes!

Well, it has been a week of back to school madness!  Sorry for being so MIA.  Good news: I am doing something right, because as of yesterday morning I am finally down: two whole pounds!  And, I am feeling a huge difference in my clothes and when I see myself in the mirror.  Super-duper happy, this girl!

Still have a ton left over from cooking last Sunday... have some leftover butternut squash and some leeks I need to make use of somehow... gonna be searching for recipes on that front.  The one thing I am looking forward to doing, though, probably either tonight or tomorrow, is making chocolate truffles!  We have a birthday in class next week on Monday, and I was going to make them for myself, but not like I really need those around ;) I'd rather just share them and keep the calories out!

Got a lot to do today, so I'm gonna sign off for now... and 8.8 pounds later, I'm feeling pretty awesome!

Bonsoir! 

Tonight after 4 hours in the kitchen --- Moroccan Chicken and Vegetable Couscous and Zucchini Vichyssoise soup!  Thanks, Barefoot Contessa! Boy, did I learn a lot... I managed to keep my kitchen clean for the most part but it got really messy, which drove me crazy... doesn't help that I have a super-small kitchen and very little room.

Seriously though - I am not gonna need to go get food for the rest of the
month! I made so much more than I thought I would.  And the best part?  Both are delicious.  I don't have time to put up recipes right now, unfortunately; it's gonna get harder and harder for me to do that unless I copy and paste from the internet because school starts again tomorrow and the infamous 60 hour week is back... I will try to log in and write something as often as I can!  Je vous tiendrai au courant...

PS- all my pants fit again!  I was ten pounds lighter when I bought them last year, but I must have just gained a ton of muscle and lost more fat!
Wahoo!

Bonjour mes chers amis!

Well, it has been a week... if you've been reading my posts, you already know that it has been one of cooking, "cookies", and back-to-school fun.  Unfortunately for me, some of these changes (namely the latter two) have still kept me 1.4 pounds above my lowest point from a few weeks ago.  All is not lost, and granted, it could be worse; but this is certainly still a reminder of what I will be up against for the rest of the year now that summer's over.  This weekend, I have the following agenda to help me get back to where I need to be: exercise, a Whole Foods trip to Memphis, and cooking most everything in bulk Sunday (tomorrow) which I also plan on making a regular habit.  That way, I lose less time during the week to get work done for school.

So, you may ask, what's on the menu for this week?  We have a little bit of the classics, as well as a little bit of the exotic (I have a secret love for North African, especially Moroccan, cuisine):

Menu "la Rentree" ("Back-to-School" Menu):

Dejeuner:
- Moroccan Couscous Chicken Salad
Diner:
- Endive, Pear, and Roquefort Salad with Walnuts
- Zucchini Vichyssoise (chilled vegetable soup)
Dessert:
- Truffes au chocolat faites maison (homemade chocolate truffles - if I have time)

All recipes this week courtesy of Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook - another treasure I found at the Williams-Sonoma Outlet Store!

Off I go - stay tuned for pictures tomorrow!  A bientot...

Bonsoir!

Tonight I made, as promised, the eggplant and tomato tian.  YUM!  Added some tuna for a little protein.  This stuff is AWESOME.  And packed full of flavor.  Good stuff for vegetarians, too.  (Um, Auntie Kar? ;)  This is enough to serve 4-6!  Bon appetit, recipe to be added this weekend, along with the Mediterranean chicken, too!

Bonsoir a tout le monde!

Today was a better day, though far from perfect.  I was reminded that work is going to be a challenge because there is BAD FOOD. EVERYWHERE.  Especially in the faculty workroom.  Gahhh. I have to stay away from whatever is put in there, I swear.  I am going to try really hard to bring snacks and meals (lunch) that I love but that are good for me so I am not as tempted.  I didn't go hog-wild but I nibbled.  Granted, I only nibbled, but I kinda wish I didn't at all. Ugh.

Tonight I managed to finally execute my long-awaited dinner plans: Mediterranean Chicken!  Turned out splendidly, if I do say so myself.  And took a lot less time than I thought it would. It was so easy! Recipe coming soon... tomorrow night: Eggplant and tomato tian provencal.  I finished my last piece of cherry clafoutis tonight and am gonna finish off the beet and quinoa salad tomorrow, so I need to start restocking my kitchen with more storeable meals in bulk!  Will probably be making a trip to the store before long, too... I'm practically out of everything except some basic staples!

I'm exhausted and I'm hitting the sack.  Bonne nuit!  

Chere bloggeuse,

Well, tonight marks the first (of hopefully few) bumps in the road.  Made cookies tonight with a friend... and was reminded why I don't make them at home.  I consumed more cookie dough and cookies this evening than I have in a good long while...

I do realize that I am human and that everyone makes mistakes along the way in the weight-loss journey.  However, I want so badly to be able to be a person who can take control and indulge without going overboard, which is something that, being a Mitzell, I have struggled with my whole life.  It's so frustrating - one cookie wasn't enough. Or two.  Or three ... and now I feel awful, as I always do. Why isn't this motivation enough in the first place?!

The only good news to report is that I nuked somewhere around 1000 calories working out today (not exaggerating - I counted, included cleaning the apartment for two and a half hours, too) so the damage that could have been done was at least minimalized.  Though I am relieved in that sense, I am also sad knowing that I could have been down tomorrow, when in fact I know I will not be.

Going back to work tomorrow. School's in session again! We have our first classes next Monday.  I'll be spending the week planning.  At least tomorrow is a new day.  And, this is not a destination - it is a journey.  And, I guess not all journeys are perfect.  Which actually reminds me of a French proverb, one of my favorites:  "Quelquefois le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." "Sometimes doing your best [perfection] is the enemy of your well-being."

Did I enjoy the cookies? Yes.  Will this set me back?  Absolutely not. More importantly, will I regret it on my deathbed 60 years from now?  No.  Because I lived a little.  And I guess maybe every once in a while, we do so because subconsciously, we need to.  Do you make a habit out of it?  No - but perhaps realizing that you are human and that mistakes are going to happen isn't such a bad thing when they do happen, because it's expected.  And in any case, all the more motivation to jump back on the wagon the following day.

It may be hard for me to accept that I have these imperfections.  But at least I'm owning up to them and willing to face them.  I am a cookie monster; what can I say? But I know it and am willing to try to keep him from wreaking havoc on my blood sugar EVERY TIME there's a plate of cookies lying around.  If cookie monster was French, though, he would savor one cookie instead of 10... and that's the cookie monster I need to channel into me when cookies are lying around in an environment that is not my own.

So in closing, I'd like to offer this self-made motto to myself: "eat many, feel crumb-y; eat one, and be done!"  And that's just how the cookie crumbles. ;)

Bon matin!

On this wonderful day (my birthday!) I am planning on taking a day trip to Nashville with my parents.  To boot, we will be having dinner at a sushi restaurant, where we can all be reasonable about what we're eating!  (Thanks, Mom!)  First, though, I am off to the gym... I bought a whole new slew of workout clothes.  I was in desperate need --- I still had stuff from my undergrad years at IU --- and ewwww, were they in worse shape than I gave them credit for.  I am my father's daughter: don't replace it until it's been worn out and, in this case, worn out 6 whole years... >.<

(... Okay, maybe I won't do that again, considering they're workout clothes... I'm sure both my mother and sister are mortified.  Of course, they usually always are when it comes to the unpredictable fun tucked away in my wardrobe.  But at least this time I was pro-active and gave myself a makeover on my own!  Even so, I can so see my Mom taking one look at that old stuff and saying, "okay, SERIOUSLY, Kemmie?!")

I have gotten a ton of requests for the quinoa and beet salad recipe, so for your viewing pleasure, I have included it below.  I also included the cherry clafoutis recipe --- it turned out to be like a custard, and surprisingly, it's not too sweet or fat-and-calorie-laden.  If you divide it into eight portions, each comes out to under 200 calories!  A great after-dinner summer treat, especially right out of the fridge!

Beet and Quinoa Salad

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil 

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup dried quinoa, cooked according to package directions

1 pound red beets, boiled, skinned and quartered

1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and minced

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

2 yellow peppers, seeded, sliced into thin strips, and steamed

1/4 cup red onion, peeled and finely diced

2 tablespoons (or more) of coarsely chopped almonds or almond slices

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and season to taste.

2.  Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the beets, mushrooms, avocado, yellow peppers, onion, and almonds.  Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Cherry Clafoutis

preheat oven to 350 degrees
3 cups black cherries (unpitted)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all purpose flour
Powdered sugar in a shaker


ALSO
Electric blender

A 9 inch, lightly buttered flame proof casserole or pyrex pie plate about 1
1/2 inches deep.


Place the above ingredients (NOT THE CHERRIES) in the blender in order given. Cover and blend at top speed 1 minute.  Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter into the baking dish. Place in oven on medium heat for a minute or two until a film of batter has set in the bottom the dish. Remove from heat. Spread the cherries over the batter. Then, pour on the rest of the batter and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Place clafoutis in the middle position of preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The clafoutis is done when it has puffed and browned, and a needle or knife plunged into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Bonjour le monde,

Just HAD to share these pics.  Products of my kitchen today: beet and quinoa salad and cherry clafoutis.  

 

Mouths watering yet? ;)

Bon apres-midi! (Good afternoon!)

What a day yesterday!  And boy, did I turn out to be lucky.  There is much to report, so let's start with my shopping successes...

Went to Whole Foods for the first time in Memphis.  I don't actually remember the last time I was in one.  I was truly inspired: there is so much there that reminds me of a market in France. I'm definitely gonna have to make a regular effort to go this year, perhaps once a month on a Saturday or Sunday morning... the best things I came away with: a vanilla bean pod for baking, dried dessert figs from Turkey, whole organic hazelnuts for snacking (because they trick my taste-buds into thinking I am eating Nutella!) and... drumroll please... Lavazza coffee, direct from Italy and often what I am served in French cafes.  Had my first cup this morning.  I'm sold... no more Starbucks home brews.  It just doesn't compare.  In the words of my French friends, "Le cafe americain, c'est du jus de chaussettes!" (For those of you who are wondering, they liken the taste of American coffee to "sweaty sock juice."  Sadly, this American actually agrees.)

Another hidden jewel in Memphis that was bestowed upon me oh-so-fortuitously: the Williams-Sonoma Outlet Market.  Folks, I didn't even know these even existed.  The only reason I happened to find it was because my iPhone told me it was there when I typed "Williams-Sonoma" into my hand-held GPS.  Boy am I glad I ended up there: EVERYTHING in that store was anywhere from 30-60% off... bakeware, cookware, cooking accessories, spices, kitchen toys and appliances, you name it, they had it, and most of it was half-off.  I have included a picture of my spoils in this blog entry... I even managed to score another French cookbook.  Now, I have everything I need to make almost any French recipe, and from now on I can actually find something I really want to make (like Boeuf Bourguignon) and say to myself, "I can do that," instead of, "gee, I really wish I had the kitchen furnishings for that... and I am NOT using the crock-pot."  Something else I am looking forward to making: an Almond Dacquoise... I have cake icing bags now!

Only disappointment I found (though I wasn't really that surprised): no cannele' molds and no piment d'espelette.  I'm going to have to order those online. Will have to do the same for the madeleines.  The outlet had molds, but they were of a size far too small for my taste.  In any case, I did walk away with about $500-600 of French kitchen-worthy materials for only about $350.  Am I a bargain queen, or what!?

The only other thing I have to report here is my most recent French detox recipe find, which I did actually try after my stomach got so upset from eating cookie dough.  I was surprised how good it was and how much better I felt after having it.  This may even be a sick-day worthy substitute for chicken broth!

Mireille Guiliano's Magical Leek Broth (from the French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook) - copied and pasted from her website

2 lbs. leeks 
Water to cover in a large pot 

1. Clean leeks and rinse well to get rid of sand and soil. Cut end of green parts leaving all the white parts plus a suggestion of green. (Reserve the extra greens for soup stock.) 
2. Put leeks in large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer with no lid for 20-30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve. Place the leeks in a bowl. 

Instructions: 
The juice is to be drunk (reheated or room temperature to taste) every 2-3 hours, a cup at a time. 
For meals or whenever hungry, have some of the leeks themselves, ½ cup at a time. Drizzle with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season sparingly with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley if you wish. 

C'est dimanche! :)

On this Sunday...

1. Confessions of a cookie dough lover: I indulged myself last night with a package of cookie dough minis (...but didn't finish the package, which I have been known to do before!).  In fact, I couldn't even finish it ... that's a good sign!  Not only am I owning up to it --- I couldn't even finish!  YES!  Even tummy is saying, "NO."

2. I believe that today calls for a Memphis road trip to Whole Foods to buy a few coveted things for my French kitchen: piment d'espelette, cannele molds, madeleine molds... fresh ingredients for this week, too!

But first, I am gymward-bound...

A + (A plus tard --- "see you later")

PS - Anyone familiar with blogger know how to get rid of these irritating white highlights on my entries!? 'Cause I didn't put them there and it's bugging the heck out of me.  Paging the Ben Browns of the world...

Bonjour a tous et a toutes!

Bonnes nouvelles! (Good news!) I have two successes to report today.  YAY!


1. Last night, I was having a MAJOR cookie dough craving around 11 pm on my way back from Starbucks.  Not only did I by-pass the Kroger AND the gas station on my way home, I indulged my sweet tooth on a smaller scale with the rest of my Haribo gummy bears.  Went to bed just as satisfied and happy.

2. I am down a pound this morning!  Since I started this blog, I have lost 6.8 pounds... eating French Food!  Two more weeks until school starts again ... how low can I go? We shall see.


On the menu for this week and hopefully spilling over into next:


Chicken provencal (spices, tomatoes, bell peppers)
Quinoa, beet and hazelnut salad (chock full of other yummies, too!)
Cherry clafoutis (which is like a cherry pudding... I will be using egg beaters.)


I wanted to make canneles for dessert, but I don't have the mold for them, so it looks like I am gonna have to take a trip to the Memphis Whole Foods at some point to not only buy the copper molds but also a few vanilla bean pods.  Will probably also pick up a few madeleine molds while I'm at it... and some piment d'espelette from Basque country that I came to love so dear this summer!


The Chicken provencal and the cherry clafoutis both come from Georgeanne Brennan's most recent cookbook (see list of books I use on right-hand margin of this page).  The quinoa salad comes from the French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook by Mireille Guiliano.


*DID YOU KNOW...?* Don't discard your beet greens!  They are cousins of swiss chard and chock full of even more nutrients than the beets themselves.  Sautee them in olive oil, add some garlic and a pinch of sea salt, and serve with any Mediterranean-inspired chicken or tuna.  The burst of flavor will surprise you!

Bonsoir,

Well, contrary to what you see in the photo below, I ended up not eating the artichoke last night because it was undercooked ... #STEAMFAIL. I improvised though: arugula, tomato and goat cheese salad with balsamic vinegar.  Tonight, I gave the artichokes another try though, and this time they came out great.  I even ate the heart!  Salmon kept really well in the fridge, too ...

Gonna need to go grocery shopping again tomorrow ... I am all out of food!  What's next on this week's menu?  My mouth waters with anticipation just thinking about it! Stay tuned!

PS - I'd really like to get a hand on a good cannele' recipe.  Maybe it's time to ask Julia and consult the Bible of French Food she so graciously blessed our souls with. ;)

Mesdames et messieurs, je vous presente un plat de saumon en papillote aux artichots aioli!  (...Ehbenouais!)

Dear Blogger:

It seems that I have gone MIA for a few days...

Good news: yesterday morning, I was down a half a pound!

Bad news: I made the mistake of buying a pint of one of Ben & Jerry's Greek Yogurt Swirls ... and finished all of it in one sitting because it was so delicious.  Consequence: up 2 this morning. (Whoops.)  Hitting the gym again today (I took two days off) and gonna go hard.  (Lesson: if it's not bought portion-controlled, I have no self control... I hope to change that though...)


Looking forward, however, to tonight's dinner: salmon en papillote and artichokes with aioli.  I even bought a mortar and pestle to make the aioli!  Can't wait.

Here are the recipes (taken, once again, from Georgeanne Brennan's most recent book - note: I am using the aioli from the second recipe for the salmon instead of the bearnaise):

SALMON EN PAPILLOTE WITH SAUCE BÉARNAISE

Here, the salmon is cooked in parchment paper to seal in its flavors and protect it from the direct heat of the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

• For the sauce béarnaise:
• 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar or other herb-flavored vinegar
• 1 Tbs. minced shallots
• 1 fresh tarragon sprig
• 2 fresh chervil sprigs
• 3 white peppercorns, crushed
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
• 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 4 salmon fillets, each 1/4 to 1/3 lb.
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 thin lemon slices

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

To prepare the sauce béarnaise, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, shallots, tarragon, chervil and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to 2 Tbs., about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; let cool.

Combine the infused vinegar and the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl placed over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan. Gently heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick. Stir in the salt. Whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt before adding another. Whisk until the sauce is completely smooth. Use immediately while the sauce is still warm. You will need 1 cup sauce for this recipe; reserve the rest for another use.

Meanwhile, cut parchment paper into four 8-by-11-inch rectangles. Fold the rectangles in half lengthwise and cut each into a heart shape. Lay the hearts flat and coat the inside of the paper with the 1 Tbs. butter.

Place the parchment hearts on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange a salmon fillet on one half of each heart. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper, dot with 1/2 tsp. of the butter and top with a lemon slice. Fold the paper over and press the edges together. Starting from the top of the heart, fold the edges over twice, working your way along the paper’s edge to end with a twist at the bottom (tuck the twist underneath the packet). Repeat to make 3 more packets. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the parchment is puffed and starting to darken, 10 to 16 minutes. Transfer the parchment packets to individual plates and serve immediately with the sauce béarnaise.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking, by Georgeanne Brennan & Sarah Putnam Clegg (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Steamed artichokes with aioli

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium artichokes

1/2 lemon

1 cup aioli* 

*(4 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, 3 large egg yolks at room temperature, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground pepper)

DIRECTIONS:

Working with 1 artichoke at a time, trim the stem even with the base. Snap off the small tough leaves around the base.  Cut off the upper third of the artichoke, then cut each artichoke in half lengthwise.  Rub the cut surface of the artichoke with the lemon half to prevent it from turning brown.

Select a wide saucepan large enough to hold the artichokes in a single layer.  Place a steamer rack in the saucepan and add water to reach the bottom of the rack.  Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover and cook until the base of an artichoke is easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the artichokes to individual plates.   Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled, accompanied by the aioli.

aioli DIRECTIONS:

In a mortar, combine the garlic and salt.  Using a pestle, and working in a circular motion, grind them together until a paste forms.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolk with a whisk or electric mixer.  Very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, and gently whisk until a thick emulsion forms (after about 2 tablespoons have been added).  Then whisk in 1 teaspoon of olive oil at a time until all the oil is used.  Gently stir in the garlic paste.  Season to taste with pepper.  Use at once, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Bonjour!

Took Sunday off from blogging, but I have kept at it nonetheless.

Up .4 pounds today.  My experience tells me this is normal: now that I've lost 5 easily, I will start fluctuating up and down as I go. Ate nothing out of the ordinary yesterday, and I did exercise.  So up or down, I did my body good. :)

Cool stuff to report:

1. The quiche turned out A-MAZE-INGLY.  Delish... can't wait to make it again!  It was a little taste of France on my fork... I literally had memories flashing before my eyes!  (Next time, a rolling pin would probably help - I thought I had one but I didn't so I used my hands and fists to roll out the dough - my grandma Dorry and Aunt Cathy would be proud.  Oh well, tasted the same to me!)

2. *New find* for gourmet chocolate lovers: Ghiradelli Cabernet Matinee dark chocolate squares.  My tongue was doing fireworks... starts out with a hint of blackberry and smoothly transitions to a silky Cabernet grape wrapped in the finest dark chocolatey goodness.  This would pair well with a fruity dessert and/or a glass of cab (duh!).  I am not a huge fan of American chocolate, but this rivals the stuff in Europe!

3. New trick for portion control of those delectable Haribo gummi bears (Mom, this is you): buy a regular bag of them at the store.  Then, buy a small set of the smallest tupperware you can find.  When you get home, put 1 serving (17 pieces) each into the tupperware immediately after you get home.  I did it and so far it's working!  I'm not just grabbing handfuls out of the bag until, oops, I did it again...

4. Made a delicious dish last night: shrimp in butter sauce with garlic and parsely and fresh steamed asparagus.  How much butter, you ask? 1/4 cup. Okay, I hear you: "Yikes! That's a lot of butter! How is that even okay?!" Yes, you use a lot of butter, but the dish is surprisingly light (most of it stays in the pan or on your plate).  Plus, the extra fat (which the asparagus and the shrimp hardly even provide) increases satiety and you're less likely to go hungry after just one serving. (Yes, fear not, the 1/4 cup of buttah goes a long way...)

SHRIMP SAUTÉED IN BUTTER SAUCE

Sautéed shrimp are appreciated all over France, where even small villages have a fishmonger who sells excellent-quality fish and shellfish. This butter sauce, made in the same pan as the shrimp, becomes infused with their sweet, briny taste. Look for fresh or frozen wild shrimp, which have more flavor than farmed varieties. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. shrimp
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To peel and devein the shrimp, carefully pull off the legs on the inside curve of each shrimp. Peel off the shell, beginning at the head end of the shrimp, pulling off the tail. Using a small knife, carefully cut a shallow groove along the back of each shrimp. With the tip of the knife, gently lift and scrape away the dark vein, then rinse the shrimp under cold running water. Drain on paper towels.

In a fry pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the garlic and parsley and turn to coat the shrimp well in the sauce.

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serves 2 to 3.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking, by Georgeanne Brennan & Sarah Putnam Clegg (Oxmoor House, 2009).

I am down a pound and a half from yesterday!  Hooray! ("Youpi!")  That makes for a loss of 5 total.  Awesome.

Today, I am making Quiche Lorraine.  This recipe is taken from the same book as the last.

QUICHE LORRAINE

INGREDIENTS:

 For the tart dough:

·                     2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

·                     1/2 tsp. salt

·                     8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·                     6 Tbs. ice water

    For the filling:

·                     3 eggs

·                     1 cup heavy cream

·                     1/2 cup half-and-half

·                     1/2 tsp. salt

·                     1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

·                     1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

·                     3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

·                     4 thin bacon slices, fried until crisp and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

DIRECTIONS:

To make the tart dough, in a large bowl, stir together the 2 cups flour and the salt. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until pea-size crumbs form. Add the ice water, 1 Tbs. at a time, while turning the dough lightly with a fork and then with your fingertips; do not overwork the dough. Gather the dough into a ball (it should be a little crumbly), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10 1/2-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Drape the pastry over a rolling pin and carefully transfer it to a 9-inch quiche pan or other straight-sided pan with 1-inch sides. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim any overhanging edges or pinch the dough around the rim to form a fluted edge. Line the pastry dough with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake until the crust is set but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift out the weights and foil. Prick any bubbles with a fork. Continue baking until the crust is firm and barely colored, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a bowl, stir together the eggs, cream, half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg and half of the cheese until blended. Scatter the bacon evenly over the pastry crust and pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top. Bake until the quiche is puffed and lightly golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to the wire rack and let stand for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking, by Georgeanne Brennan & Sarah Putnam Clegg (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Ok: on the menu for this week:

1. Quiche Lorraine
2. Herbed butter shrimp with asparagus
3. Salmon en papillote and artichokes with aioli
4. Arugula and fried goat cheese salad with oil and vinegar dressing

Tonight's dinner (a concoction of my own):

Mushroom omelette (serves 1)

10 dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh baby arugula
3/4 ounce gruyere cheese
1/2 cup egg beaters egg whites

Plus: olive-oil flavored cooking spray, fresh cracked salt and pepper

Spray a small pan generously with cooking spray.  Turn heat to high.  Add arugula.  Cook until leaves wilt, decrease in volume and are very tender, about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms.  Stir 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium-high.   Add eggs.  Stir for half a minute, then add the gruyere cheese.  Let cook about 2 minutes. Flip one half onto the other.  Let cook another minute.  Transfer to plate.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Total Calories: 321

For those who are confused as to why I ate an omelette for dinner and not for breakfast: the French always eat theirs for lunch or dinner :)  ("Eggs for breakfast?  How bizarre!")

Bonjour!

Well, it's been an interesting 12 days... surrounded by friends, family, fun, and FOOD.  Lots of it.  In fact, I totally stuffed my face during our reunion.  Cookies, brownies, blondies, cakes, cobblers, ice cream... (tip of the iceberg, really).  I was pretty convinced that I gained about 10 pounds in the last twelve days.  Reality check as of this morning: somehow I managed to lose 1 (?!?). Don't get me wrong, I ain't complainin', but HOW did THAT come about?  Perhaps the fact that I was in Chicago for three days after the reunion, ate right and walked the city all day every day with a friend to make up for the lack of exercise I was getting before?  Whatever it was - I'm a happy girl. Yippeeee!

I've also decided to modify my goals: ideally I want to lose 20-25 pounds, but I will still consider it a victory if I just stick with about 15 more for now (happy weight vs. ideal weight).  It'll be a challenge because I haven't been 25 pounds thinner since high school, but it can be done!  Besides, for every pound I lose, that's 5 pounds less pressure on my knees... good for my right one, which has that infamous titanium bar in it. (What can I say? I am a bionic woman!)

Going grocery shopping soon. Haven't selected the recipes yet... going to do that now and make my list.  Recipe(s) to follow :)  Speaking of following, thanks for following me! :)

Good afternoon!

J'ai de bonnes nouvelles! (I have good news!) I am down 3 pounds; fifteen to go!  (So encouraging given all I ate when I made chocolate chip cookies with my boyfriend yesterday!  We made plans for that before I embarked on my current quest.  But, he's gonna try and help me out too from now on.  Allies! YES!)

Yesterday morning I made zucchini-onion fritters for breakfast.  This recipe hails from Languedoc-Rousillon, in the south of France.  For those of you who aren't fan of veggies, I bet this recipe will turn you on to them. Also, very little carbs in this recipe ... the simple ones come from the veggies, and the only complex ones come from the flour.  I used organic flour. Thinking like the French: no artificial ingredients or preservatives. :)  Bonus: loaded with vitamins and potassium!

Here's how to make them:

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

4 zucchini (about 1 pound)

1/4 yellow onion

1/4 cup of all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 large egg

Extra-virgin olive oil for cooking

Trim the stems from the zucchini and coarsely  grate them.  Peel the onion and grate also.  Using your hands, gently squeeze the zucchini and onion to remove as much liquid as possible.

In a bowl, stir together the grated zucchini and onion, the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.  Add the egg and mix well.

Line a plate with paper towels.  In a frying pan over medium high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Working in batches, drop the zucchini mixture by heaping teaspoons into the oil, spacing them about 1 inch apart.  Using the back of a wooden spoon, press down gently on the fritters and fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes total.  Using a slotted spatula, transfer to the paper towels to drain.  Arrange the fritters on an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining fritters.  Repeat with the rest of the mixture.  It should yield 12 to 16 fritters.

Recipe taken from "The Essentials of French Cooking" by Georgeanne Brennan

NOTE: I use an entire yellow onion in this recipe to add flavor; the natural sugars in onion carmelize and add a nice sweetness to the fritters.  If you really want to make them lighter, use non-fat no-calorie olive oil cooking spray as a sub for the olive oil - very little of the oil is called for anyway, and the fritters are just as good!  Best part?  So low in calories, you could eat 4 big ones (medium-large pancake size) for only 200!  (I make my fritters bigger - they take longer to cook on both sides, though.)  Another suggestion: instead of table salt, go all-out mediterranean and use sea salt!

Tonight: shrimp and asparagus a la francaise!  Recipe on the way later ... as well as my own delish take on goat cheese and salads!

What's next? Well, it's July 4th week.  What does that mean?  Family Party up in Northern Indiana, where I will almost have no control over the food I will have available to me.  New goal this week: maintain my current weight.  I leave tomorrow morning bright and early and then I come back on Sunday, when I plan to go full throttle again with my eating plan.  Wish me luck!

Bonjour!  I am a French teacher... and a complete francophile!  So what's the sitch on this blog?  I have been trying to lose 15-20 pounds in the past year and a half, but I haven't succeeded. So to better motivate myself, I'm gonna put a new spin on my weight-loss plan: all French, all the time!  This blog chronicles my meals, my progress, my good days, my bad ones, and will hopefully keep me accountable for everything I put in my mouth!  An experiment that will hopefully deliver results ... and will hopefully give you some inspiration, too!

Before I continue, I must debunk the following myth: "French food?  But it's so heavy and so high in calories!"  Reality check: NOT all of it is.  Having lived in France many times, I can tell you first-hand that a good 80% of French Cuisine is very good for you, nutritionally balanced, certainly satiating but not heavy at all.  In addition, the French never use any artificial man-made or processed ingredients in ANYTHING they make at home.  Ingredient quality is of utmost importance to the French, and they believe in eating well: a myriad of exploding flavors, tongue-teasing spices, a happy palate and a satisfied (not stuffed!) tummy.  It is never too little or too much - it is just right.

"But what about all those cakes and tartes and pastries?  And the chocolate?!" Sometimes, we just need a little something sweet ... it is very French to end a meal that caters to the desires of one's sweet tooth (and boy, do I have one!!!). Of course, the French tend to be most known for these heavy and much-beloved delicacies the world over.  But, once again, this does not characterize ALL French desserts.  Often, desserts can be rather light.  Some examples include baked pears poached in red wine, fresh figs with creme fraiche and lemon zest, fruit sorbet ... sometimes it may be something as simple as yogurt or morsels of fine, rich cheeses.  For those of you who need those pastries and other goodies, though... there is yet some hope!  Not all come in ginormous sizes.  Francilien profiteroles, fruit tartelettes, Norman sable cookies and Bordelais canneles and rhum babas are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and still satisfy your cravings. (Also, there is never anything wrong with a round of baguette and a spoonful of nutella!)  Bottom line: as long as you pay attention to portion sizes, you can have your cake and eat it, too (thank you, Mlle Antoinette!) for very few calories.

***Note - recipes to accompany each meal post!!!***

Remember that it is also important to stay active; that is very French, too.  Granted, they aren't as accustomed to going to the gym and lifting weights like Americans, but their lifestyles make up for it: they almost never drive and take public transportation or bike during the day; they carry pounds and pounds of groceries when they go to market; they often live in apartments with several flights of stairs; you get the idea.  Since our American society tends not to lend itself to those things, however, I am going to make it a point to exercise regularly.  Cancer and diabetes also runs in my family, so even more reason to couple exercise with sensible (but oh-so-delectable) eating.  Merci, la belle France!

Let's get started. Here are my stats:

6/30/12

Age:  26
Height:    5'8"
Weight to lose: 18 pounds

Workout RX:     Cardio and weight training 3-5 times per week

Allez, on y va! (Come on, let's go!)