Making a Better Effort plus my flounder recipe.
For those of you who have known me for any length of time, you know that before the ligament transplant, I was quiet the active slow runner, dancer, and yoga mama, but due to the ligament transplant and the knee being in such bad shape and then all the meds for that pushing me into a crazy MS flare up that lasted and lasted and lasted, I have been spending a great deal of time sitting on my rear end. And from the sitting, I got a little depressed and soon, I gained fifteen pounds of pure crackers and butters...that's why I tell all the newbies, don't eat the glidder food...it is our down fall.
Well, before my husband's corneal transplant, they did his lab work and his cholesterol and blood sugar were off the charts, which meant we had to work on both to get him into surgery. So, after watching him eat a 12 ounce piece of blood prime rib smother with sauce and buttered bread and vegetables, I said, enough...we are getting our butts out of this nutrition hell hole. After cleansing the apartment of beef, pork, and chicken, we have gone pescatarian. I have been wanting to do this for a long while and have practiced meatless Mondays. Since WLS, I have not been a beef or pork eater because they are so dense and truly hurt my pouch, so going pescatarian for me was easy; however, it is has been hell on DH. LOL. But, we are working through his cravings and it has been seven days since his last piece of non-fish meat. Because we want the fish or seafood to be as appealing to him as the red meat, I only buy fresh vegetables, which with the fish/seafood, is a little expensive, but we don't eat as much. And we are now walking together every evening and we both have noticed our clothes getting all loose up on us. I refuse to weigh until I go to the doctor, because really, that's what got me all messed up before WLS...get on the scales and cry. LOL. So, my goal for the next two months is to move from eating the fish to eating the fish only twice a week and the rest of the time we will eat beans and other vegetables. Before cutting out the meat, I had been eating Tums like candy because of horrible abdominal pain. I was thinking that my ulcerated colon was back and that I was going to have to go through all that revision hell again; however, since cutting out the meat, butter, and cheese, I am happy to report that I have not eaten one Tums in a week.
Not everyone can change their diet so drastically; I know that my anemia will come back full force, but I am meeting with my doctor next week to talk about upping my vit B12 shots and being prepared in case I need iron infusions...but, I am eating beans, which are rich in protein, and I am going to add a little red wine for evening meals so I can get iron that way too...and I always cook the fish in my cast iron skillet.
Oh, and when we walk, we are walking around the courtyard of our college at the university and four times around equals a mile and the last round, I have started running a little and before we end, we walk up the sidewalk hill from hell and back down...so keep your fingers crossed that I can keep this up and get back to running....
YOGA Yall...you know how I love Yoga...well, one of the my new tutors teaches Yoga to old folks so she is helping me get back into it. I keep my yoga mat in my office and after the center closes, she and I get our yoga thang on....so finally, I am making some positive changes that I hope will help me get back into my skinny jeans....and will make my fat jeans my fat jeans again.
So, here is my recipe for the week:
Flounder Steaks:
Ingredients:
Two large pieces of thick flounder
Dusting of flour
Salt, Pepper,
Olive Oil
Sauce:
flour,
pan drippings from fish
1/2 cup of heavy cream mixed with a little water
In a cast iron pan, heat the olive oil...you can use butter or crisco
Gently dredge the salted and peppered flounder in the flour...just barely cover
Place the fish in the hot oil and let it cook on both sides, remove, put in a little pan and put in the oven to finish cooking (I let it finish but you can cook the entire thing on the stove top but after it gets its crisp on, I put it in the oven and let it cook about six minutes at 360)
After the fish, and the vegetable of choice is cooked, make the gravy
Heat the cast iron pan that you cooked the fish in...there will be a little olive oil left and some pan drippings....I added a little butter, not much but enough to absorbed the flour
Put the flour in the hot pan drippings and just like any other sauce or gravy, stir it until it is brown.....
Pour the cream/water mixture into the browned flour and using a whisk, keep it moving on low heat until it thickens. I add fresh parsley and basil to make it tasty.
On the plate, place the fish and your vegetable of choice (I cooked carrots, peppers, and broccoli)
I put the cream sauce over half of the fi****'s so pretty and taste so damn good. I know the cream sauce probably could have been made with a little white wine but sometimes a girl needs something a little more creamy.
It isn't as fishy as say catfish...Also, it has huge flakes of meat as opposed to smaller flakes. It is one of my favorite fish to eat. I love salmon but salmon can be a little fishy. None of my sisters will eat fish or seafood of any kind, for that matter. But, they eat canned tuna and salmon...I never have been able to understand that.
I think eating fish is one of those getting used to tastes. Also, I've noticed that fish fills me up in much the same way as red meat. I cannot eat over three ounces and if I do eat four ounces, I am stuffed and might even get a little sick.
But, if you are not a big fish eater, do you like shrimp or crab? I love shrimp tacos...I even eat shrimp and eggs.
Just buy a few fish here and there and see which you like but I'd avoid really think pieces of fish because they can cook up so quick and get really mushy afterwards, if you're not careful.
Good morning Jeannie,
Your recipe sounds divine. I love fish, and flounder is one of my favorites.
I would never have thought of going pescatarian, but that was because my husband was a meat and potatoes type of guy. But you have inspired me to give this a try. When I go to the store this week, I'm buying fish!
Judy, the reason that catfish tastes "fishy" is because they don't trim it out right. If you cut away all the little red bits (those are the fishy parts) and just cook the solid white parts, you'll love it! The red bits turn gray when cooked, and they don't taste very good.
I love flounder. I love trout. And I ADORE grouper, but it's hard to find except right along the coast. I've always wanted to try that Chilean sea bass, but never have. Anyone know how to cook it?
And shrimp and crab are always good!
Thanks for this morning's inspiration, Jeannie! Proud of you for "making" your hubby switch over from red meat. I never could get mine to do it.
Vickie
