London Broil

September 9, 2017September 9, 2017 jachancellorLeave a comment

We got a London Broil for buy one/get one at Winn Dixie the other day. We decided to have it on Friday evening.

I was off due to Hurricane Irma, and thought it would be a good idea to marinate the London Broil. So I found this recipe at the Food Network, and modified to the ingredients I had on hand.

4 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
top-round London broil

Chop the garlic add salt. Blend together with all other ingredients and place in a large Ziploc.

Marinate steak, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 4 hours and up to 24.

Bring steak to room temperature before grilling. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off, and grill on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, 7 to 9 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let rest on a cutting board or in a dish for at least 10 minutes.

When cutting, hold a knife at a 45-degree angle, cut steak across grain into thin slices.

David’s plate.

While I can’t eat as much as I would like of the steak, having a couple of thin slices is perfect for me and my sleeve. I don’t eat red meat often, so this is a true treat.

So far we are still out of harms way with the Hurricane. Praying for those in its path.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · football · Pimento Cheese · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Pimento Cheese

September 5, 2017September 3, 2017 jachancellor2 Comments

Yes, pimento cheese. Football season begs for pimento cheese. At least in my house. I used to make it a lot. And, then stopped.

Forgot to take pictures of the process, but:

2 blocks of cheddar cheese (sharp, mild or medium), coarsely shredded
1 jar of chopped pimentos (or can get whole or sliced and chop them)
1 Tablespoon ground dry mustard (an absolute must have)
Ground pepper to taste
Red chili flakes or Tabasco to taste
Mayonnaise – to taste (about 1/4 cup for a creamy texture)

Mix everything together, and chill for about 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Serve with crackers or pita chips or chips. Eating from a spoon optional.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Cabbage Rolls · Cauliflower Rice · low-carb diet · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Cabbage Rolls

September 1, 2017August 27, 2017 jachancellorLeave a comment

Cabbage Rolls with a modified filling of cauliflower rice…

I remembered why I don’t make these that often (like every ten years or so)! Head of cabbage – core and place in a large pot of boiling water. img_1641-2 As the cabbage cooks and the leaves wilt (slightly) remove and place in a ice bath. Brown hamburger (or ground turkey), and remove. Shred a carrot (for sweetness), and slice of a purple onion (again for sweetness). I cheat and use the packaged rice cauliflower – super easy. Place in a pan, add the hamburger, onion, carrot, and a teaspoon of garlic. I also added a bit of ground pepper, paprika, and oregano. Stir, and cook until the onion is translucent.Line your crock pot with the odds and ends of the cabbage.With each cabbage leaf, remove the hard stem. Place a bit of the filing in each leaf, roll up like a burrito or egg roll.Place in the crock pot on the extra leaves. Layer until complete (usually two layers). Place another leaf layer in between the rolls.Again, I cheat (too much homework), and use spaghetti sauce. I usually just use whatever is on sale. Pour over the cabbage rolls. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the cabbage is cooked through and everything is tender. img_1656-1 David’s plate. Some of the rolls didn’t stay together. Oops. Still tasted good.My plate. You can not tell the difference from not having rice in these beauties. They are time consuming to make but so worth it.So good.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Chicken Salad · Cravings · Recipes · Stephen · Uncategorized · WLS

Chicken Salad

August 29, 2017January 14, 2018 jachancellorLeave a comment

I had been craving chicken salad from a local restaurant on Sunday. Of course they are closed on Sundays. But, Stephen used to work there, and he was home. I thought that between the two of us we could figure out the recipe (or close enough) for us to enjoy some chicken salad.

They use boiled chicken breast. We didn’t have those, but we had some leftover rotisserie chicken and had a large can of chicken breast. Chopped up both (drained the canned chicken), and placed in a bowl.They also serve this salad with sliced red grapes. We prepped those as well.They use a food processor, and yes, I have one but didn’t really want to use one. I had my old food chopper and made good use of it. This is about one medium sized stalk of celery, minced.They use a yellow onion, I had purple. Minced as well and about 1/4 of the onion is all we needed.About a cup of mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Also, ground black pepper (again, to taste).Another topper is sugared pecans. I always seem to have pecan halves in the freezer (bonus), so I got out about a cup, and placed them in a skillet. I also added about a tablespoon of white granulated sugar, and about two teaspoons of brown sugar. Sauteed until melted, and the pecans are crispy.My plate with 1/2 cup of chicken salad, and a teaspoon (or a little more of the pecans), some grapes, and 3 crackers. So yummy.

Loved that Stephen and I made this, and that I have enough for the week at work.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Chicken · Recipes · Uncategorized · weight loss · WLS

Dijon Chicken

July 24, 2017July 23, 2017 jachancellorLeave a comment

The day ended like it started, crazy. So getting dinner on the table was really a miracle for me. I didn’t take pictures of before or during—completely forgot. At least I got pictures of the final product.

4 Boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard
2 T of red wine vinegar
1-2 T Olive Oil
1 T of dried parsley (fresh would be better)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pat the chicken dry. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and coat the chicken. Heat oil in pan, and sear until done. These could have browned a bit more. The vinegar added a nice tang with the mustard, and not heavy in taste.

My plate, with sauteed spinach (my favorite, of course).

I made these again last night, but cooked them in my iron skillet. They browned a bit more, and flavor was better with that searing.

I made a pan sauce from the dripping by adding some wine and butter (1/3 cup wine, 3 pats of unsalted butter), and reduced it by half. It was really nice over rice (again a standard in our house for the family).

Blessings.

Bacon · Bariatric Surgery - My Story · eggs · Quiche Lorraine · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Quiche Lorraine

July 20, 2017July 16, 2017 jachancellor1 Comment

Back to cravings…

I had put the Gruyere cheese on the grocery list months ago, and David did get some for me. I had placed in the freezer (I do this with most cheeses especially if I know that I won’t be cooking it for a while). Well, we had gotten the heavy cream for the liver pate’, and had about 2 cups leftover. Perfect for my quiche.

I found this very traditional recipe on the NY Times Cooking page. I cheated and used a pre-made pastry crust. Pre-baked at 400 degrees F, and then turn down the oven to 375 degrees.

4-5 strips of bacon
1 onion, thinly sliced (I chopped mine)
1 cup Grugere’ or Swiss cheese, cubed (I grated mine – better melting)
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups of heavy cream (or 1 cup each of milk and cream)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Tabasco sauce to taste

Cook the bacon until crisp and remove it from skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat remaining in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until the onion is transparent.Crumble the bacon and sprinkle the bacon, onion and cheeses over the inside of the partly baked pastry.Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste. Strain the mixture over the onion-cheese mixture. Slide the pie onto a baking sheet.Bake the pie until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Let stand five or 10 minutes before serving.

I should have placed this on a prettier plate. I had a very small slice, and none of the crust. I loved the creaminess, and bite of the Tabasco in this quiche. I will be eating on this for lunch this week (so excited!).

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Liver Pate’

July 18, 2017July 17, 2017 jachancellorLeave a comment

So I mentioned the extra chicken livers in the Chicken Livers (Rumaki) post yesterday. I soaked them in some heavy cream for about 1 hour.Sauteed 1/2 onion, and 1 teaspoon garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of butter.Saute until the onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of Sherry, and melt another 3 tablespoons of butter (do not add the butter). Cook out the Sherry (about 5-8 minutes). Add to a blender or food processor, and pulse or blend until chunky smooth.Spread mixture into a mold (lined with clear wrap), and spread evenly.Pour the melted butter over the top, and then cover with the clear wrap.Place in the refrigerator until set (about 4 hours or the next day).Unmold (the butter will break off – discard). Serve with crackers. I love the water crackers as you only get the flavor the topping.This was such a treat, and really nicely flavored with the Sherry and parsley. I will make these again, but again the family was a no. Which is fine with me…more for me!

Blessings!

Bacon · Bariatric Surgery - My Story · BBQ · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Chicken Livers (Rumaki)

July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 jachancellor1 Comment

Again, cravings. Bought and cleaned the livers.

Bacon, slices cut in half. Place a liver in a slice of bacon and roll tightly. Place on a soaked skewer.Repeat…I had enough for the three skewers, and then for the Liver Pate’ (another post). img_1112-1 It was raining so we baked these in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes…applied sauce when half way done. Turned, and sauced again (for about another 10-15 minutes). img_1115-1 img_1122-1

I loved these. I do prefer them on the grill, and a little crispy (if not with some burnt edges). Family really don’t care for the gamy taste that the livers can have. I loved it. Perfect for my sleeve with a ton of protein.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Pork · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Sesame Pork Chops

July 15, 2017July 15, 2017 jachancellorLeave a comment

We seem to be eating a lot of pork lately. This version was okay- less liquid in cooking- and I think it would glaze perfectly.Tamari – or soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and raw sesame seeds. I mixed everything together (except the raw seeds), and marinated the pork in it for about 1 hour. (note: I didn’t measure anything except the sugar – about 1/2 cup loosely packed.)I toasted the seeds in a non-stick skillet on medium-high for 5-7 minutes. Place the pork chops in a oven proof pan (I added some of the marinade), and bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with seeds, and bake for an additional 5-6 minutes.These were juicy, and nicely flavored, just not really glazed. Will adjust the sugar (more), and reduce amount in pan for browning.