I've finally been experiencing the deadly cravings of certain meats.
Craving #1 - My sister-in-law gave me a recipe for a killer Buffalo Chicken Dip. Anyone know a good substitute for the canned chicken that it calls for? I've been thinking about using tofu, but don't know if it will have the same effect as the shredded chicken. Really I only need the meat-substitute as a filler, because omitting the chicken would make the dip too runny. Here's the recipe, if that helps.
Craving #2 is similar to craving #1... Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings. Lately I've had an infatuation with somewhat spicy things. Although, my version of spicy is usually pretty tame to most. But, I LOVE the BWW Mild Sauce, especially in their chicken wraps made w/tortillas, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and boneless chicken wings slathered in the sauce. I know I can buy all the ingredients and make those myself and just get the sauce from BWW. But, help! What's a good substitute for the chicken?
Craving #3 I had was for something that I could actually eat... pizza. This is a craving I get a few times per month. Lately we've been ordering from Dominoes, because we have a buy 1 get 1 free coupon that doesn't expire for like a year, but every time we've ordered from them, I end up feeling completely yucky after eating it. Besides, I've always preferred Papa John's anyway. So, we ordered that instead. I got a plain cheese pizza. It was yummy going down, but again, the dreaded stomachache and day-after-heartburn set in. Conclusion... my body doesn't agree with pizza. It's unfortunate. And what's more unfortunate? That it won't stop me from eating it again. Maybe I'll learn, someday, but for now... baby steps.
In a minute, I'm going to evaluate some new food discoveries I've made on which I like and don't like, but for now, I have another poll (which no one seems to fill out, so I don't know if anyone's even reading this). When I was in Overeating Anonymous HOW, I was taught to "eat around my plate". This concept was to take 1 bite of something on your plate and then move onto the next food item on your plate and take a bite and so on. The idea was that you wouldn't fixate on any one food on your plate. In other words, it would keep you from enjoying it too much. For awhile, I thought the concept was brilliant, but in hindsight, I think it's ridiculous. Shouldn't we be doing exactly that... ENJOYING our food? Maybe if we enjoyed the food on our plate, rather than treating it light a regimen, eating disorders wouldn't be so prevalent? Just a thought. So, the poll is this: what do you think? Is it better to eat all of one thing then move onto to the next food item, or eat a bite of each thing around your plate until all the food is gone?
Now, onto my new discoveries:
1. Raw Red Peppers - I believe I stated in a previous post that I don't like raw red peppers. I was wrong. They have a sweet, watery and fresh taste to them when eaten by themselves. And a surprising spice that comes out when paired with another food. Delish!
2. Quorn - This is a brand name, rather than a food item itself. You can find it in the frozen section by the other vegetarian items. I purchased the "chicken" cutlets, which in fact, do not contain any chicken. Instead, it's a wheat protein. On the back of the package they recommend to heat it in the oven, rather than in the microwave and I must agree with them. The first time I had this, I used the microwave and it got hard and flavorless. Gross. But, since there were 2 cutlets in the package and I only ate 1, there was another left. So, I tried out the oven method... soooo much better!!! It had the texture of a chicken breast and the breading was yummy and crunchy, too! I dipped it in a little BBQ sauce and yum-o!
3. Amish Friendship Bread - I haven't made this in years so when my friend gave me a bag at my mom's group, I was so excited! I cheated, though, substituting a few healthier options and not knowing if it would turn out. It did! I used whole-wheat flour (I would recommend doing 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached white, unless you like dense bread w/a very distinct whole wheat flavor). In place of the eggs, I used the liquid egg whites, found in the dairy section of your local grocery store. Instead of the canola oil, I used butter-flavored grapeseed oil, which I've used in baked goods before. My cousin, who had never tasted Amish Friendship Bread before, said it was the best bread he'd ever tasted.
Slight detour here... in making the Amish friendship bread and in "tasting" my food, I've discovered I don't like the whole wheat bread I've been buying at the grocery store, and I'm really interested in making my own bread now. Anyone have any tried & true whole wheat bread recipes that they'd like to share? Otherwise, I may try out Panera's loaves for sale, since I just learned that they do that (and slice it for you, too!) though it may break the bank!
4. Ok, back to my discoveries. I've never like seafood of any kind, including fish, but since that is a main source of protein for some Vegetarians and since I'm discovering that I like foods I didn't think I liked, I decided I better keep trying it. So, my BFF came into town (she recently moved 2 hours away - boo, hoo) and we went out to eat. Fish tacos always sounding appealing to me, for whatever reason, even though I didn't like fish, so I decided to order them... Tilapia Tacos, to be exact. I heard Tilapia is one of the milder-tasting fish out there, not so fishy-tasting... so I was excited to try this! It wasn't bad, but it still tasted like fish to me. :( Oh well, guess I'll keep trying.
5. Yesterday, I went to Subway. Surprisingly, there isn't much a Vegetarian can order besides the Veggie sandwich or a salad without the meat (can you even do that?). I spotted the Tuna Salad Sandwich on their menu and was hesitant to get it. I like tuna salad, but not a ton of it, but since there weren't many options, I ordered it anyway and there was a BIG helping of it on my sandwich! I ordered it with American Cheese (which tastes much better than the kind you buy at the store in the little individually-wrapped plastic, which in my opinion resembles plastic itself in flavor), lettuce, pickles and mayo (I tend to not be a big raw veggie fan) and I had them toast it. To my surprise, it was so YUM-O! I ate the entire thing, even though I was full 3" into my 6" sandwich. I will for sure be ordering that again!!!!!!
6. Lastly, for lunch today I was looking in my fridge for a protein alternative to the kids' corndogs, which I grabbed the Greek Yogurt I'd bought last week. I was shocked to discover there was something like 14 grams of protein in 1 serving! Needless to say, I'll be eating more greek yogurt as my protein substitutes! And you can buy them in different flavors in bulk at Costco.
In conclusion...
Raw Red Peppers, Oven-Made Quorn, Whole-Wheat Friendship Bread, Subway Tuna Sandwich (toasted) & Greek Yogurt = +1
Tilapia Tacos (from Jake's restaurant) = 0
