Category: Food

Anything and everything food related.

500 Calorie Meal In A Hurry

If you’re a fan of Panera Bread, then this article might be for you. Or if you’re just a food person in general. Either way, welcome all! I wanted to broaden my horizons with my cooking skills. I like to think of The Sims as a guide to help me in real life. Like the food that my Sim creates can look very appealing. You really can learn something from video games. Just need to put in the hours.

On To The Meal!

A pastrami sandwich that is simple, yet a little salty, but has a refreshing taste. And if you’re like me, top it off with a dill spear pickle. I’ve had plenty of sandwiches and burgers that dry out my mouth in which the pickle helps wash that down. This isn’t one of those. Maybe it’s got something to do with the spinach and avocado but either way, the pickle was still a delight to have. Toasted buns always seem to give sandwiches that extra kick for looks and style. Although, I may have toasted it too long because when I actually ate the bread, it cut the roof inside my mouth which is still a little tender at the moment. Or maybe I just don’t know how to eat a sandwich.

I wanted to make a healthy meal, despite the high sodium count from the lunch meats and of course, the bacon. But it’s bacon, so you have to. I used salami and pastrami considering when I was grocery shopping, those were on sale at the time(trying to stay on a budget). But you can use just about any sort of meats you desire. Or keep it vegetarian. The options are almost unlimited. And I was able to make this meal around 500 calories only.

Smoothie Time

Just the perfect beverage to compliment a meal on a nice hot day. Cool and healthy. The smoothie that I decided to go with had both fruits and vegetables in it. To keep things simple and easy, I used frozen fruits mostly. Liquid choice, I went with orange juice. You could also use milk, water or any other beverage you like.

So, something that is difficult for me to say. I have a little bit of an eating disorder, so getting the necessary calories I need daily is hard to come by. One method that helps me is being able to drink my calories. The good thing about this recipe is that it comes with plenty of vitamins and nutrients like potassium, calcium and vitamin C. With the orange juice, this only comes out to roughly 200 calories.

Ingredients/Recipe

Total Time: 10-15 minutes

Sandwich: spinach(1oz), avocado(1oz), provolone cheese(1 slice), salami(4-5 slices), pastrami(4-5 slices), bacon(2 slices), and 2 rye bread. Whether or not you decide to toast the bread, I use a little bit of olive oil to help give it that nice golden brown color.

Smoothie: spinach(1-2oz), avocado(1-2oz), frozen fruits(1 cup), and a cup of orange juice. Very quick and easy to make. I pack the spinach in first followed by the liquid and then top it off with the rest and blend to your liking. No need for ice since the fruits are frozen.

And there you have it! A delicious simple meal and drink at roughly 700 calories. Tune in for more updates to see what else I have prepared from my kitchen. I’m David… until next time.(I still haven’t figured out a sign-off catch phrase)

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At Home Chef

Cooking History

Growing up I was a picky eater. Very cautious about what I ate, which could explain why I was almost always very small. Even for most of my 20s I was often mistaken for looking like a teenager. Unless I was a regular at bars, I typically would get carded. Thinking back at it now, it wasn’t such a bad thing. It’s good to look young some times. Just don’t feel it. My physical health could use some work… anyway, cooking! An art-form to say the least. When I was younger all I knew were simple dishes like instant noodles, or eggs. Anything that took little effort. I didn’t develop any cooking skills until I started living on my own. One of my biggest influencers that got me to enjoy my time in the kitchen is Ross. One of my oldest friends to this day. We met back in grade school and he taught me so much of what I know today. Along with some Food Network shows that inspired me. Some of the things he taught me was knowing your utensils, how to use them and depending on what I’m cooking, to use certain types of pots and pans. Anywhere from steaks to sauces, and more. We even made our own homemade pizza once!

Beef and Broccoli

One of my signature dishes. I would say this is a simple, yet delicate recipe to make. Once you can get the flavor and sauce down to your liking, the rest is whatever you want. Meat choice down to just about any sort of vegetables you want to use. That’s the beauty of making a stir fry dish, it’s easy to change so you don’t feel like you’re eating the same meal day after day. What I love about beef and broccoli is how quick and easy it is to make. Good source of protein even though the sodium count can get a little high.

Back when I was still in high school, I remember having a competition with a couple of my friends. We would see who could make the best beef and broccoli. At this point I was still a novice in the cooking world. My dish was really simple. Ross’ rendition was pretty solid. But my old neighbor Jerry, who I spent a lot of my time with growing up, took us to school. He used this sauce I would have never thought to use and it brought out the flavor of the dish very well. I placed last… but I never gave up. I kept at it, trying to perfect this meal to where I wouldn’t need to change anything else.

Prep work of what I used. Approximately 10 minutes.

Heated up garlic and chili oil to start.

Meat went in next. Wanted to get crispy edges before tossing in the veggies.
Veggies in. Letting it breakdown a bit before seasoning.
The finished product. About 10 minutes of cook time.

Recipe/Instructions

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Serving Size: 2

Any choice of meat, I went with beef this time. Used about 10-12 ounces. 1 broccoli head, about 1/3 of a medium onion(I used sweet onion), 2-3 cloves of garlic and a yellow bell pepper.

After cutting the vegetables and meat to your liking, I heated up the pan with about a tablespoon of oil on medium high.

  1. Scooped in some hot chili oil(for extra kick) with the garlic. Mix around for about 30 seconds to a minute.
  2. Toss in the meat. Cook until liking of doneness. About 2-3 minutes.
  3. Next, throw in all the vegetables. Mix it in with the meat stirring often for the next few minutes.
  4. Seasoning. I used about a tablespoon and a half of hoisin sauce, about a teaspoon of soy sauce and fish sauce each. Sugar is optional. Same with Sriracha.
  5. When the juices start to show from the meat and veggies breaking down, I mix in some corn starch and water to thicken the sauce. Results will vary based on how much starch and water you use. And that should be it! Just plating.

The Wrap-Up

Very quick. Very simple. Shouldn’t take more than 20-25 minutes to make. I do on a personal preference like my foods a little bit more salty. So when you’re seasoning, don’t add too much to the dish right away. I was told, “It’s better to under-season than to over-season.” Just a fair warning, when I tossed the meat into the chili oil, it hit my nose pretty good. I don’t remember if I was coughing or sneezing afterwards. Maybe I’ll scoop in the chili oil towards the end. See if that makes a difference with overall taste. One of the things I noticed when cooking this meal was the pan I used. When the veggies went in, I didn’t have room to move everything around. Which is why a wok would work perfectly in this situation or with any stir fry dishes. Something I’ll have to invest in for sure! But for now, this will do. Til next time.

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