The New Sonoma Diet Book

While browsing Amazon.com for the latest workout videos and diet books, I noticed that Connie Guttersen had updated her Sonoma Diet book.  I have a really loved old copy of the original and was curious about how The New Sonoma Diet book compared.

This book is a great cookbook.   If you will only try some of the recipes, you will see why.   They really are just wonderful – food you would pay good money for at a restaurant.  Connie provides yummy recipes and lists of good foods that can be eaten.  She gives you specific guidelines on how to eat them without having to count calories, fat grams or points.  Cool, huh?

The new book has all the great info as the original – PLUS the meal plans are a little different and there’s new and easier recipes.

One of the nicest difference is during the first 10 days of the diet, called Wave 1,  you can have one serving of fruit a day.   In the old book, fruit was strictly forbidden during Wave 1.  For people who are too busy to cook a lot, there are Cook 1x Eat 2x recipes and express recipes.

 

Since CookNCents is always concerned about the affordability of the food – you will be happy to know that most of the ingredients in the recipes are well-known and easily accessible, affordable foods.  I have to admit that years ago, when I got the first book, I had no clue what a caper was – so there may be a couple of things that are not familiar.   One recipe called for Kalamata olives,  but the recipe would have been no less spectacular with your everyday can of black olives – so don’t worry about making adjustments or substitutions as necessary.

One of my favorite recipes that is in both books is the Black Bean Smoked Chile Spread.  I put it on a low-carb wrap with some lettuce, chicken, and salsa and it’s a super yummier than a burrito lunch.

Black Bean Smoked Chile Spread -  From The New Sonoma Diet by Connie Guttersen,  page 186.

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipolte chile pepper in adobo sauce* (found on the Mexican/international food aisle at my market)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Cook onions, coriander and cumin in oil until tender. Add cilantro.
  2. Pour black beans, water, lime juice, chipolte pepper and salt in a blender, add onion mixture and blend until smooth.
  3. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To make a wrap:

  1. Put two tablespoons of spread on a wrap, top with 3 oz. chicken, 1 cup lettuce or spinach, a bit of cilantro and 1 tbsp of salsa.

 

 

Portobello and Beef Stroganoff

Tonight’s dinner was a lovely Portobello and Beef Stroganoff.

 

 

 

Portobello and Beef Stroganoff

1/2 Package (4 servings) Whole Wheat Pasta (I used Rotini)
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
2 Tbs flour
1/2 large onion, chopped
Tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 oz package portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme
16 oz low sodium beef-broth
1/4 cup sour cream
about a tablespoon chopped green onion

1. Boil pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile brown ground beef in a large skillet, stir in flour and set aside.  In a separate large skillet, over medium heat, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until soft.  Add ground beef to vegetable skillet, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Stir in beef broth and simmer until liquid starts to thicken.   Reduce heat to low, stir in sour cream and green onion.  Mix in pasta and serve.

Servings: 6

10 WW points

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (10.9 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 384.38
Calories From Fat (49%) 188.92
% Daily Value
Total Fat 20.68g 32%
Saturated Fat 7.9g 40%
Cholesterol 61.68mg 21%
Sodium 1257.83mg 52%  (doesn’t reflect that I used low-sodium broth)
Potassium 435.48mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 29.85g 10%
Fiber 4.97g 20%
Sugar 2.3g
Protein 21.06g 42%

Live Below the Line Wrapup

Life got crazy and Living Below the Line = lots of cooking and cleanup! LOL

I am grateful for the resources I have.  Although we ate a lot of biscuits and peanut butter and jelly – I am still so very thankful for the food that we were able to purchase on our meager budget.

It was actually really fun to see what kind of meals I make within our $37.50 for 5 days budget.  I might try to do this occasionally for inspiration, and donate the money I save to charity.

 

Live Below the Line Day 2

Wow, living below the line is really difficult!  Cheap foods require lots of cooking.  I felt like I spent the whole day in the kitchen cooking yesterday.  Where do people who are probably already working very hard to earn a living find the time to cook all day?

I made waffles instead of pancakes this morning, since that’s what the kids wanted and I could use what I had on hand to make them, so it was only a minor detour from the plan.

We’re a little bored with the food.  I think the kids will kill me if I present them with another biscuit.

Here’s a couple resources for inexpensive cooking I like:

HillyBilly Housewife. I’ve used her emergency menu a couple times over the years.

Broke But Still Starvin’ I bought and downloaded her ebook a few years back – I put it in sheet protectors and plan to pass it down to my stepdaughter when she moves out.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

What are some of your tips for cheap cooking? Any ideas for cheap, quick meals?

Live Below the Line Day 1

When I planned my meals, I tried very hard to include things that the family is already familiar with , that we already eat, so today hasn’t been too bad.

This morning, we had oatmeal that was cooked in the crockpot overnight – a pretty typical breakfast for us.

Lunch was homemade biscuits and peanut butter and jelly, with a side of applesauce.  Again, nothing too different than what we’d normally have, although we’d normally have peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread instead of biscuits.

 

 

 

 

Dinner was a chicken and rice dish - I anticipated getting a little pushback on the rice because it has carrots, onion and celery in it, but all the kids were really nice and tried it.  I thought it tasted like rice-a-roni.  I picked the chicken off my leg quarter and mixed it in with my rice.

Tonight I will prepare the pancake mix for tomorrow’s breakfast  and put it in the fridge overnight so we can have pancakes in the morning!

Self Rising Pancakes

Self Rising Pancakes

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbs white sugar

1 cup milk

¼ cup liquid shortening

2 cups sifted Washington Self-Rising Flour

1. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk and shortening. Add flour and stir to moisten. The batter should be lumpy. Bake on a preheated griddle until bubbles form; turn and bake on other side until golden.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (4.3 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 415.85 Calories From Fat (32%) 131.05 % Daily Value Total Fat 12.7g 20% Saturated Fat 2.64g 13% Cholesterol 96.7mg 32% Sodium 1020.6mg 43% Potassium 411.27mg 12% Total Carbohydrates 58.97g 20% Fiber 1.69g 7% Sugar 12.43g Protein 15.27g 31%

 

Recipe Source:

http://www.wrmills.com/washington-self-rising-flour/

For our Live Below the Line Challenge, I subbed melted margarine and brown sugar for the shortening and white sugar.

One Pot Chicken & Rice

One-Pot Chicken and Rice

  • 4 chicken leg quarters (about 2 pounds total), patted dry
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced small
  •  2 medium carrots, diced medium
  •  1 1/2 cups basmati rice
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned on both sides, 12 minutes, turning once. With tongs, transfer chicken to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, chard stems, onion, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chard stems and onion are translucent, 4 minutes. Add chard leaves, lemon zest, and rice; cook 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of rice mixture and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (6.9 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 386.43 Calories From Fat (19%) 73.91 % Daily Value Total Fat 8.34g 13% Saturated Fat 2.18g 11% Cholesterol 42.08mg 14% Sodium 443.33mg 18% Potassium 475.77mg 14% Total Carbohydrates 61.65g 21% Fiber 4.13g 17% Sugar 3.44g Protein 15.53g 31%

Source Web Page: http://www.marthastewart.com/851874/one-pot-chicken-and-rice-swiss-chard

** We are using this recipe for our Live Below the Line Challenge.  I will use plain old brown rice, substitute garlic powder, and regular old chicken bouillon.  Martha’s recipe also called for Swiss Chard, but we couldn’t afford that on our Live Below the Line budget.

 

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Split Pea & Ham Soup

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  •  1 tsp vegetable oil
  •  1 lb dried split peas
  •  1 lb ham bone
  •  1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium pot, saute onions in oil. Add the split peas, ham bone, and enough water to cover ingredients; season with salt and pepper.

2. Cover, and cook until there are no peas left, just a green liquid, 2 hours. While it is cooking, check to see if water has evaporated. You may need to add more water as the soup continues to cook.

3. Once the soup is a green liquid remove from heat, and let stand so it will thicken. Once thickened you may need to heat through to serve.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (9.5 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 587.88 Calories From Fat (13%) 74.86 % Daily Value Total Fat 8.39g 13% Saturated Fat 2.43g 12% Cholesterol 62.37mg 21% Sodium 1604.18mg 67% Potassium 1529.74mg 44% Total Carbohydrates 72.21g 24% Fiber 29.6g 118% Sugar 10.77g Protein 56.69g 113%

Recipe Source:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/split-pea-and-ham-soup-i/

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal

  • 1 cup regular oats
  • 4 cups water
  •  1/2 cup milk
  •  1/4 cup brown sugar
  •  1 Tbs butter
  •  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low overnight for at least 8 hrs.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (10 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 183.35 Calories From Fat (21%) 38.87 % Daily Value Total Fat 3.76g 6% Saturated Fat 0.67g 3% Cholesterol 1.85mg <1% Sodium 82.98mg 3% Potassium 243.28mg 7% Total Carbohydrates 32.26g 11% Fiber 2.39g 10% Sugar 18.06g Protein 5.67g 11%

Recipe Source:  http://www.frugalupstate.com/recipes/recipe-overnight-crock-pot-oatmeal/

Vietnam Fried Rice

From our Live Below the Line Challenge comes

Vietnam Fried Rice**

  • 1-3 Carrots, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 tsp Seasoning – Salt
  •  1/2 lbs (raw) Chicken – Breast, cut into small pieces
  •  2 Eggs
  •  2 Onions, cut into bite sized pieces
  •  1 Tbs Milk
  •  2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
  •  1 1/2 cups (prepared) Rice – White

1. Cook rice ahead of time or use leftover rice

2. Stir fry quickly just until vegetables are crisp tender and meat is cooked, if using cooked meat add at the last minute just to heat through. Put mixture in serving dish. Keep warm

3. To hot skillet add 1 T margarine or oil

4. Beat together

5. eggs

6. T milk

7. 1/2 t salt

8. Pour egg mixture in skillet and allow to apread out when partially firm, turn like a large pancake and cook briefly on second side. Remove from skillet and roll up and cut into thin strips. Add egg strips and vegetable mixture to hot rice. Stir gently to combine and return to serving dish. Serve with soy sauce.

9. Option:

10. Add 1-2 cups of bean sprouts with the vegetables.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (8.3 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 401.42 Calories From Fat (21%) 84.97 % Daily Value Total Fat 9.58g 15% Saturated Fat 2.15g 11% Cholesterol 98.91mg 33% Sodium 147.95mg 6% Potassium 567.48mg 16% Total Carbohydrates 66.89g 22% Fiber 5.19g 21% Sugar 6.12g Protein 12.05g 24%

Source Web Page: http://www.recipematcher.com/index.php/recipe/match/Vietnam-Fried-Rice/

**For our Live Below the Line challenge, I had to make a couple small changes.  I will be setting aside either some extra chicken or extra ham from the other recipes this week.  I will use melted margarine instead of oil and add some chopped celery.