Broghetti

It's an all too common problem these days; I, DH, and SS all need to lose weight. We've all gotten a little too "fluffy" for health and comfort.  DH has finally decided to get serious about it, so I intend to help as much as I can when it comes to preparing meals.  DH, however, isn't wild about veggies, so I've had to get creative.

One of my favorite dishes is fettuccine alfredo with chicken, so I experimented with replacing the fettuccine with zucchini. Oh my, was it good!  I had tried this dish at a Mexican restaurant about a year ago and enjoyed it.  This substitution undoubtedly saved a lot of calories, but alfredo sauce isn't exactly low-cal.  So next, I tried a tomato-based sauce in the zucchini/chicken dish. That worked too; you get your protein and veggies, all in one dish. We all like it, including Ginger and Butch, so it has been added to my repertoire of meals.

Butch and Ginger, riding in the car

Then, more recently, I saw a post on the quilter's forum in the recipe section, about healthy eating for diabetics. The person who posted recommended using shredded broccoli instead of pasta.  That piqued my interest, because DH typically won't eat broccoli. So, the next time I went to the grocery store, I picked up some broccoli slaw. It is mostly shredded broccoli, with some carrots and cabbage. All is cut, cleaned, and ready to use in your favorite recipe. Like the post recommended, I sauteed the broccoli slaw in a tiny bit of oil until it was crisp-tender. Then added my usual spaghetti sauce and served it for dinner. I wish I had thought to take a photo, as it looked almost Christmas-y, with the bright green broccoli shreds topped with the tomato-based sauce. This dish got two thumbs up from DH and SS, and of course, Ginger and Butch, who don't really have thumbs, but who quickly polished off the leftovers. The great thing about shredded broccoli is that it is low-cal. One serving, (three ounces) of broccoli slaw has only 25 calories, according to the package.

Next, I may try a light lime-cilantro sauce, with chicken.