Eric's Blog

It’s surprising how popular a tiny little soybean has become.  My poker group actually complains when I don’t serve a steaming bowl full garnished with simple kosher salt.  About a year ago, I saw Edamame Salad at the deli counter of a specialty food store and bought a pound.  After Jana and I consumed the entire container in less than a day, I figured we could easily reproduce it much cheaper than the $8.99 per pound the deli charges. 

Eat this as a side with any type of grilled fish or crab cakes.  Or simply eat by itself as a snack…  I take a small container to work and its perfect when the afternoon munchies attack about 3pm. The recipe below has a bit of an Asian twist, but you could easily use any dressing or marinade of your choosing.  Excellent source of protein, fiber and other essential vitamins.

1 bag (16oz frozen) shelled edamame

1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)

1 ½ cup shredded carrots

1 cup chopped red onion (even though it looks purple to me!)

1 small can (4oz) sweet corn (optional)

1 cup low fat Sesame Ginger dressing (I use Newman’s Own brand)

Kosher salt to taste

As we start to get ready for parenthood in a few months, the one piece of advice we get from absolutely everyone is something to the effect of “enjoy your sleep and leisure time now!”  I’m getting quite worried that my marathon Sunday afternoon cooking sessions will be replaced with poopy diapers, learning to work the breast pump (ha ha) and scrambling for a few bites of protein to keep me from passing out.  So, we are experimenting with dishes that can be easily frozen and re-heated later. 

Since Mexican food is held in high regard in our home and we always seem to agree on cheese, here is my version of a high protein and (relatively) low carb version of the traditional restaurant dish.  They can be a tad bit messy in preparation, but with Jana and I working together (a rarity!) it goes quite quickly.  Not only did we have a great dinner tonight, but now we also have homemade food ready to go when too tired to cook.

1 pound ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 can (4 oz) green chiles

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (juice drained)

1 can (15 oz) refried, pinto or black beans

1 block (8 oz) Monterey jack cheese, cut lengthwise into ½ oz portions

4 oz cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1/3 container Susan Maria’s Cancun chili mix

1 can tomato sauce

1 package wheat/low-carb tortillas (about 12-15 total needed…I used La Tortilla Factory brand, made with whole wheat…50 calories, 10 carbs and 5g protein each)

Shredded cheese (to taste)

In a large skillet brown onions and ground beef.  Drain fat and return to pan.  Add chili mix, diced tomatoes, green chiles, cream cheese, cottage cheese and beans.  Stir all ingredients together in the skillet and cook 10-15 minutes, and then remove from heat.

Very lightly spray/grease three 8×8 baking pans (or you can use one 9×13 and one 8×8 pan).  Also, I use aluminum foil pans if freezing for later. 

In each tortilla, combine 2 pieces of the Monterey jack cheese, appx 4-5 Tbsp of the meat/bean mixture, roll tightly and place into the baking pan. 

You should get between 4-5 enchiladas per 8×8 pan depending on the size of the tortilla used. 

Spoon enough of the tomato sauce on top of each enchilada to cover entirely.  If cooking immediately, top with cheese and bake at 325F for 25 minutes. 

For the pans that we froze, we did not top with cheese, but will add it when we reheat the dish. You can also add more cheese and salsa to taste.

Cross another line item off the Bucket List.  I not only completed my first triathlon, but I came in first place!  Well, maybe I should give you a few more details as that statement can be a little misleading….

Background…

About 3 months ago, I started swimming laps in the pool at the gym, as well as trying out some spin (cycling) classes in an effort to exercise in the comfort of air conditioning (like Mother Nature intended).  After a while, that sort of morphed into a short jog on the treadmill too.  So, after realizing that a Triathlon didn’t necessarily mean 11-12 hours of physical torture, my friend Billy successfully talked me into entering.

I signed up for a local “Sprint Triathlon” which is basically a shortened event from the longer Olympic or Ironman lengths.  The Sprint events are typically held on Saturdays as a warm up for the Olympic races on Sundays.  This event was a .5k swim, 20k bike and 5k run.  In comparison, the Olympic distances are 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run and the Ironman is 3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42.2k run (or a FULL MARATHON  after a 2 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride to us mere mortals).

My event received entries from both Elite level athletes (those with $9,000 specially equipped bicycles and a private personal coach) as well as the rank and file weekend warriors like myself.  Although I shared the same course at the same time as the Elite competitors, I was judged and ranked in a separate timing pool.

Race day…

We started out bright and early (6am) standing in line with about 300 other crazed individuals wearing tight fitting shorts and holding their entry fees.  I slapped down my money and received a color coded swim cap labeling me as a “newbie.”  Then, I stood still while my bib number was written in marker on each arm and my age and the letter “T” promanately marked on the back of each calf muscle.  Not really sure why that was necessary, but didn’t ask questions.  Worst case scenario, at least I have identifiers if they find me passed out on the road. 

After staging our bicycles in the transition area and double- checking my gear, we made our way down to the swim area (a very large lake in a County park).  The sun started to rise and I was amazed to see people of all age groups and backgrounds.  There were entire families that treated this like a morning at the park, either as competitors or there as supporters.  What I expected to be a hard core athletic event was more like a very large company picnic.  The energy level was high, yet relaxed at the same time.

All the athletes then got knee deep in the water and we received our course instructions.  I was more nervous than anything else about the swim, having only practiced in the controlled environment of the gym pool.  The gun went off and several hundred bodies took off, splashing about like a tank full of minnows.  I quickly got my first taste of competition when swimming became more like wrestling with all the bodies moving in almost zero visibility lake water.  I decided to hold back and let the masses take off and moved off to the side of the pack.  I swam along at my normal gym pace for about 2-3 minutes then stopped to stick my head up and look around.  Somehow, I had managed to pass the first buoy with only 4-5 other swimmers in front of me and what looked to be the last moments of the Titanic behind me.  Wow, was I really doing this correctly?  It appeared the second buoy was still in front of me and I was headed in the same direction as everyone else.  A few minutes later I found myself back at the beach area with my feet able to touch the sandy bottom.  I stood up and splashed my way to the ground course, making a bee line for the transition area about ¼ of a mile away, running among the several hundred cheering families and spectators.

It turns out that getting somewhat dry, putting on your shoes/shocks and shirt while trying to maneuver a bicycle off a rack while simultaneously sucking down a GU energy gel and dodging hundreds of other people trying to do the exact same thing is a sport within a sport!  In fact, at the end of the event you get a timing score for all three of the individual events, as well as your transition times which all run consecutively to reach your final overall time.

Onto the bicycle.  There were only a few dozen people ahead of me at this point, obviously the ones that had mastered how to tie their shoes and hop on a bicycle faster than I did.  I actually passed a few people within the first mile and was feeling like Lance Armstrong until (later) finding out there was a separate event going on simultaneously consisting of just a bike ride and those folks didn’t have the same age and event info written on the back of their legs.  So THAT is why I was labeled! 

Earlier that morning, I wondered just what spending upwards of $9,000 on a bicycle might get you.  Well, the answer is speeding by me on my much more frugal model while yelling “passing on your left!”
 Yep, got passed quite a few times between miles 6 and 12 but at least I felt a little better after noticing that most of them had a much younger age written on the backs of their legs or were one of the Elite level folks.  Maybe this whole branding thing was more of a morale booster by the race staff? 

Off the road and back to the transition area.  I prop my bike on the rack, down a quick cup of water and head out on the run course.  Lots of water puddles and a sloppy mud/sand combo on the course (thanks to a large thunderstorm the night before). Good thing I was wearing my barefoot trail shoes. 

As the run worked its way through the woods I didn’t see many other competitors and started to wonder if all those years hiking and backpacking in the Boy Scouts had been a waste.  Did I really get lost on a simple jogging trail?  I came up on what I thought would be the first mile and was relieved to find a few volunteers holding water cups and shouting words of encouragement.  Wow, only 2 miles left to go. 

Somewhere between mile 2 and 3 I kicked it into high gear, only to find the modern day version of Forrest Gump and his little brother come up on my heels and pass me as soon as we hit a wide spot in the trail.  Whew, ages 24 and 22 on their legs, over 15 years my junior!

Finally, the finish line.  All the spectators and families that were previously at the lake front had moved the picnic and were yelling and holding large signs of encouragement.  There was a big formal finish with a large clock and an announcer.  What did he say?  I heard my name and 1 hour, 15 minutes as my time, but what was that afterwards?  First place in my age group (34 and over)?  No way!!  As soon as I regain consciousness and find Billy we’ll have to research that.

Well, it’s true.  In the amateur division of us 100 or so first timers I got 5^th place overall and 1^st place in my age group.  Forrest Gump and his little brother were there receiving trophies too, along with two high school kids that apparently only run/bike/swim in their free time and have no other hobbies as they finished faster than me by 8 and 10 minutes.   So I got beat by a bunch of athletic dudes over 15-20 years younger than me.  Who would have ever guessed three years and 150 pounds ago I’d even consider doing something this crazy.  Well, it’s not that crazy…I’m signed up again for next Saturday!

Not to be outdone by my spouse, I decided to make a chicken and tomato dinner to rival the dish she made for me last month.  We saw a similar meal on the Food Network, but it was loaded up with rice and other ingredients I try to avoid.  Since of course I voted for my version and she voted for her version, we are seeking some impartial opinions to determine the winner.  Note to my mother-in-law:  your vote is NOT considered impartial unless it is for mine!

While I made this recipe using all white meat skinless chicken breasts per my wife’s request, I truly feel it has much more flavor using boneless skinless chicken thighs (or I suppose you could easily use bone-in thighs too).  If you use the breasts, make sure to slice them in half or they won’t be moist enough as the desired consistency is dependent on the juices having a chance to be absorbed by the meat.

1 ½ pounds chicken

1 can (14 to 16 ounce) diced or crushed tomatoes drained

1 chopped shallot or small white onion

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Juice from 1 lemon

½ Tbsp dried rosemary

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup cream (or half and half)

1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan.  Season the chicken with salt/pepper to taste and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes each).  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.  DO NOT drain the oil.  Add the shallots or onions.  Cook on medium high heat for 4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes, lemon juice, chicken stock and cream.  Allow the liquids to reach a simmer (basically a very slow boil) then return the chicken to the pot along with the parsley, rosemary and thyme.  Cover the pan and continue cooking for 45-60 minutes.

Today’s creation was brought about by three things:

#1, it is just too darn hot to cook;

#2, I rode my bike so far this morning I could barely stand up in the kitchen to make lunch;

#3 my dad received a king’s bounty of farm fresh tomatoes from Kentucky and we just can’t eat them quickly enough before they spoil.

With all my outdoor exercise this summer, I crave something cool yet savory when I finally get back indoors and rested.  I saw several summer-inspired recipes in the nutritional section of my running magazines, and they prompted me to get creative with our current tomato supply.

The high protein/ low fat recipe below is a two-part recipe for a Greek yogurt sauce combined with items I already had in the house.  The beauty of this recipe is that it only takes a few minutes to assemble if the dressing is made in advance.  No need to make a special shopping trip for the main dish; just combine the proteins/fibers you have on hand and top it with your dressing.  A green salad with some chicken or fish would work just as well.

Dressing

1 6oz container plain/non-fat Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 teaspoon each Old Bay, yellow curry powder, dried basil, garlic salt and black pepper

Juice from half a lemon

1 scoop Pure unflavored protein powder

Whip all ingredients together in mixing bowl and refrigerate

Stuffed tomatoes

1 can crab meat, tuna fish, salmon or white meat chicken

1 can cooked lentils (drained and rinsed)

1 can garbanzo/chick peas

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp chopped cherry and banana peppers

Hollow out the tomatoes and layer in 2-3oz meat, 1 spoonful each of lentils and chick peas and 1 tablespoon dressing.  Garnish with chopped peppers.

Everyone knows the cliché about Brussel sprouts being the enemy of children and forced upon them by evil stepmothers, right?  Well, I absolutely love them.  Not necessarily the old fashioned boiled method, but add some spices,  roast or pan fry them with a little rendered bacon grease and I’m in heaven. 

We always seem to have a debate about side dishes to serve at home.  Sprouts are a good choice for any type of grilled meats, fish, chicken, crab cakes, etc and the wife rarely complains about them!   They offer fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and much more.  I’ve even read some studies about them having anti-cancer properties. 

Pan fried Brussel sprouts with applewood bacon and parmesan

1 lb sprouts (about 1 ½ cup) with stems removed and cut in quarters

2 slices good quality bacon, chopped into small pieces

1 medium shallot or small sweet onion chopped (about ¼ cup)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt/pepper and parmesan cheese to taste

Heat oil in frying pan.  Cook down the bacon pieces for 2 minutes until fat begins to render.  Add garlic and shallots, frying for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the sprouts, salt and pepper and fry until tender.  Depending on your desired consistence (I prefer softer verses crunchy) it should take about 15 minutes.  Flip/stir the pan about every minute.  The sprouts will begin to char slightly, adding a crispy texture.  Serve with a liberal amount of grated parmesan on top.

Have you seen those funny looking “toe” shoes recently?  Well, they are called Five Fingers and I’m the proud owner of a pair.  Long story short, switching to barefoot style running/walking has made a tremendous improvement in my life.  Specifically, it has reduced the pain and tension throughout my legs and sciatic nerves. 

After taking up running at a somewhat serious level last year I began to experience tremendous pain in my right leg, running all the way from my rear end, through my knee and down to my toes.  Sure, I was sore after exercise, but this was truly pain that would not go away and even prevented me from walking normally some days.  I consulted with several medical professionals, including an orthopedic surgeon, two physical therapists and a chiropractor.  For the most part, they all told me the same thing:  my running style causes such a great impact of my right heel on the ground that the shock waves and trauma were more than my body could endure, causing severely inflamed muscles around my sciatic nerve. 

While all the professionals essentially said that stretching the sciatic area was the only possible solution (note:  they never used the word “cure”), I started to do some research on my own.  What if I found a way to run that didn’t involve landing on my heel? 

My brother gave me the bestselling book Born to Run (Christopher McDougall) and I got a copy of The Barefoot Running Book (Jason Robillard) from my local outdoor store.  Of course, there is quite a bit of research available online, both pro and con, regarding the biomechanics of barefoot verses heavily cushioned running/walking shoes.  While both camps make good arguments, I looked at it this way:  humans have been running for millions of years before Nike and Reebok were invented, so why not give it a shot? 

I bought two different brands of shoes (but both with the same Vibram brand rubber sole).  The first pair was Vibram Five Fingers (with the funny looking toes) and then I bought a trail type shoe from Merrell.  I took the advice of both manufactures as well as the books, and started a very slow transition from my regular cushioned sneakers to the barefoot products.  I started with approximately ½ mile jogs, slowly at first (every other day) and now up to 3-6 mile runs, 5 days per week.  I experienced the expected pain in my calves and ankles due to the different running style, but after two months now that has been greatly reduced.  Now, my legs are more accustomed to a forefoot strike verses a heel strike on the ground.  I even run completely barefoot on grass or in the sand when possible. 

I’m now almost exclusively using my barefoot products and only rarely run or even walk in my cushioned sneakers.  I use the Merrell trail shoes when riding my bicycle and while training for an upcoming triathlon. To take it even a step further, if I’m at home I’m completely barefoot.  If I take the dog for our ¼ mile to ½ mile walk, I’m usually barefoot.  If I’m alone for a large chunk of the day in my office, I’m barefoot as well (or most likely just wearing socks).   

While I’m not convinced that barefoot products and the barefoot “style” have absolutely cured me of my aches and pains, they’ve certainly helped.  My rear end, knee and toes no longer ache or “tingle” with pain; my posture and running/walking form has significantly improved, allowing me to breathe easier; my feet actually feel better with the sensation of touching the ground, verses the highly cushioned sneakers.  Oh, an added bonus, my wife said my legs are looking sexy due to the added muscle definition!  J

You don’t have to go all out and completely switch to barefoot shoes, but, for me, it was worth a try.  Take off the padded platform style sneakers and walk in your bare feet.  Try it on grass, on the beach if that is a possibility, or even just around the block on the sidewalk.  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll notice a positive difference too and if that keeps you motivated and moving, any exercise is better than none at all.

If I haven’t mentioned it publically before, my wife is in a “family way.”  Yep, going to be a daddy in early 2012!  Lots of different emotions going through my head (and heaven knows she certainly has some hormones working wonders on her disposition too)!! Amazingly, with the exception of real sugar, we eat almost the same high protein diet now. 

So far this pregnancy has meant we are both traveling less, exercising more and meticoulously watching what we eat.  I got a nice laugh last night when my gorgeous wife, while literally barefoot and pregnant, decided to make us a meal when I was quite late coming home from the gym.  Considering all the food consumed in our home is usually made by yours truly, this was even more of a shock to me than seeing the first sonogram. 

In all seriousness, our dinner was quite good and in her own words, extremely easy to make.  So with no further ado, Jana’s Garlic, tomato, cheesy chicken:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts (trimmed)

1 package garlic/herb soup mix (any brand will do)

1 medium sized onion (chopped)

1 can diced tomatoes (we prefer the Rotel brand, offering various spice levels)

½ cup shredded cheese (your choice, we used standard medium cheddar)

Sauté the onion using a little cooking spray until softened/translucent.   Set aside.  Combine 1/3 cup water, 1 Tbsp olive oil and soup mix in a bowl.  Place chicken in a shallow baking dish.  Poke holes in the chicken so it can absorb the flavors.  Then pour the soup mixture over the chicken.  Top with the diced tomatoes and sautéed onions.  Bake at 375 for twenty minutes.  Then top with the cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

I just returned from a driving vacation of New England and Quebec with the spouse.  We explored the nooks and crannies of small towns and ate food cooked by grandmothers, the finest French chefs and everything in between.  We had the best that the region had to offer – small batch cheeses, samples of ice cream (was surprised at the amount of sugar free selections), local beers, popular French dishes, and of course, lots of seafood!

While I have always tended to focus my personal travel pursuits around my stomach and palate, I came to a shocking realization this trip…  I no longer feel guilty about ordering the finest that any particular region or establishment has to offer.  By that, I can order a whole lobster and not walk away from the table hungry, wishing I hadn’t paid $24 for a small portion of meat.  In a French bistro, a bowl of mussels in wine and shallot sauce is completely satisfying by itself, without ordering a $50 steak afterwards.  A small sample of local cheese and berries is a great afternoon snack, instead of just an expensive way to get my palate warmed up for a “normal” meal.

In short, my smaller stomach allows me to live even “bigger” than before.  Just recently I was talking with a friend about how my largest reservation prior to WLS was that I wouldn’t get to enjoy food any longer and that my life of fun and culinary exploration was essentially over.  Far from the truth…just ask all the poor lobsters that met their untimely demise the past few weeks! 

Oh, and have you read the nutritional data on lobster meat?  Almost zero fat, high protein, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, B12, B6 and Omega-3 acids.  Throw another one in the pot for me!

Many people, including new visitors to this site and most everyone considering weight loss surgery, ask me what do I eat now that I didn’t eat before surgery?  It has been my observation that people tend to look at post surgery life as a “diet” where you chomp on lettuce leaves and those disgusting rice cakes all day.  That couldn’t be further from my reality.  I’m not on a diet at all.  I certainly have food restrictions and many things I avoid completely (sugars mainly) but the absolute fact for everything I put in my mouth is that I actually want and crave it.  If I don’t truly want to eat something, why waste the limited room in my pouch?

What I have discovered over the past year or so is since I no longer eat a lot of the “junk” foods my palate craves more natural and “healthy” products that I very rarely ate before surgery.  A great example is cottage cheese.  My mother was a healthy eater and usually had a container in the refrigerator, but I can count on one hand the times I voluntarily ate some.  Now, I keep a pint sized container at home and take the 4 pack of individual serving cups with me to work.  Read the nutrition label…this stuff is packed with protein!  I use it as a base for a scoop of tuna salad or the ever popular cottage cheese and sliced fruit dessert plate.  Sure, you could say that is the traditional nursing home delicacy, but there is a reason this stuff if recommended by most all nutritionists.