5 small meals with BIG FLAVORS

I'd like to lose 15 lbs., but I'd be happy with 10. Hell, I'd be happy losing 5...but how? I almost never eat junk food or fast food. I don't bake or fry (and I don't bring those products home). I don't have a sweet tooth and I maintain a fairly regular exercise routine. In a nutshell, I embrace a pretty healthy food plan that is driven by fresh vegetables. 

O.K., I must admit to the empty calories that come from drinking wine at dinner. So I've now taken to skipping a night here and there. But I'm not happy about that. I recently started to wonder if my problem was that in an effort to eat healthy, I embraced the "balanced" meal theory (particularly at dinner)...a protein, vegetables, a starch...

but like Dr. Phil says:

"how's that working for you?" And the answer would be...NOT!

So, my new food plan is small meals with BIG(ger) FLAVORS. Forget the balance. Just put something really tasty and small on the plate. I already do a lot of bold flavors and finishing touches so I guess the key is to kick it up a notch and narrow it down to one main item with a few garnishes. For example:

Warm Octopus Salad

This was so good and so simple. 1 can Goya pulpo en aceite de oliva (octopus in olive oil) warmed in a skillet with fresh garlic, some grape tomatoes, and minced chili pepper. Add a few stuffed green olives and capers, a squeeze of lime and pour over about 1/4 cup of rice. [The rice was totally not needed, but I had yellow rice left over from Cinco de Mayo which I used as the base.}

Garbanzo & Israeli Couscous Salad

A small amount (like a teaspoon) of minced chorizo sauteed with garbanzo, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and Israeli couscous cooked in chicken broth. Toss everything together and add a drizzle of olive oil. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Adult Chicken Fingers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Trying to make it adult by spicing it up and non-fattening by not breading and frying, I cut 2 cutlets into strips and coated them with a blend of 2 teaspoons no-fat sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon aji amarillo paste (or chili sauce or hot sauce), and a sprinkle of coconut (totally not needed). They were baked in the oven at 375 and served with a cilantro dipping sauce made from no-fat sour cream blended with cilantro sauce leftover from the Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Tomato Surprise

This is sort of a clean-the-refrigerator dish: a piece of leftover chicken, half of a baked acorn squash, a half-cup of Israeli couscous, some leftover raw red cabbage from the Bavarian Burger, and some of the usual kitchen staples like marinated artichokes, dates, capers, toasted walnuts, fresh lemon juice and olive oil. I tossed them all together and stuffed a tomato, topping with a homemade Indonesian Peanut Sauce which someone gave me.

Individual Spinach & Artichoke Omelet Muffin

I'm sending this small meal with BIG FLAVORS off to my friend, Nuria in Barcelona who writes Spanish Recipes. She is currently running an international Blog Your Omelet event. 

For the omelet: Pulse 2 eggs, 3-4 pieces of quartered marinated artichokes, handful of fresh spinach, a few pinches of shredded mozzarella, a couple of teaspoons of grated parmigiano, S&P to taste. Bake in individual (silicone) muffin cups in 350 degree oven until set (about 20 minutes). Add a sprinkle of mozzarella on top and place under broiler for a moment. Let omelet sit for a few minutes before placing on sauce and serving.

For the sauce: Pulse a handful of cherry tomatoes, a few piquillo peppers, olive oil, a small clove of garlic, and a handful of walnuts. 

I think other small plates with BIG FLAVORS include some of these egg dishes I presented before:

Poached Egg Pizzaiolo

A Dozen Good Eggs

2 More Dressed Up Poached Eggs