ArcaMax

New Taste Buds...

While on this diet I have developed a wholly enhanced sense of taste. For a food writer, that’s saying a lot. I thought my pallet was sensitive and somewhat talented before. Now it’s down-right fine-tuned.

My husband was always the one who could decipher what mystery ingredient was in a dish. That was not a talent I possessed. I was, what I thought, was fairly good, but he was better. He could identify a bit of oregano when I just knew it was Italian. I could taste a wine and know there was lemon, or pineapple or even hints of vanilla. I could tell if a red wine had tannins, plum overtones or even some earthly elements. I thought I was pretty good.

Now, I can tell the nuances in apples. That’s news for me.

I had never been a big fan of apples. My favorite was bananas. They were portable and peelable. I could eat the middle and toss the rest. When it came to apples, watermelon or even oranges, if it squirted juice that got on my face or left me with a sugary “smile” I was not happy. That aversion started as a child at backyard gatherings. When they fed us kids a piece of watermelon it didn’t come with a wet rag. We were expected to eat and enjoy and then go play. I hated having a sticky face and fingers. Big yuk. So after that I didn’t want to bite into an apple either. I hated peeling oranges because they squirted and I had to work around the pith. I had no tolerance for pith, so an orange was a project. I’d rather eat mandarin oranges from a can. I probably sound like a finicky kid and I was never labeled that. I just wanted to eat food that didn’t involve me getting sticky. You can add barbecued ribs to that list too. It wasn’t just fruit. This particular trait has carried on into adulthood too.

With this diet, an apple for dessert has become a mainstay. I can slice it up. I can sprinkle stevia on it, then some cinnamon or better yet, pumpkin pie spice and I feel like I’m almost eating apple pie. My newest discovery is to sprinkle on some vanilla powder that I bought once at a specialty store. Vanilla apples are a real treat.

I was a Granny Smith eater until recently. Early childhood was Red Delicious. I decided I didn’t like the Red Delicious skin. My new “boyfriend”, who became my husband, turned me on to Granny Smith and I was hooked. I baked and cooked with them for decades and was always happy. With the advent of the diet I have expanded my horizons. I’ve tried some Galas. Love the color. Not hooked on the apple. I’d rather decorate with them. Golden Delicious has been a wonder. I love that one because it has a very delicate skin. The skin chews well and doesn’t end up stuck in my teeth. Love that. A mild apple. And my newest favorite is Honeycrisp. It’s the crunch that got me. I bit into that thing and went slightly deaf for a second. The crunch was loud. And juicy! I was standing in the grocery store at a taste-testing table and even though the juice ran down my chin, I was still happy! I bought a bag of those darlings on the spot. I could taste a difference too.

I know the apple experts out there are laughing right now. The variety in tastes in apples has been known long before I went on this diet. Why else would grocery stores stock so many? I’ve always wondered that very thing. I wonder less now.

Update: Down 40 pounds and counting.

Grilled Beef Kebobs with Grilled Green Beans
Here’s another diet recipe I invented last night. I wish I had come up with this kebob months ago! We had, what will probably be our last 70 degree day for the season today. It was fun to go outside, fire up the grill and even eat on the patio. I would have had this dish several times if I had just thought of it sooner!

This is a very easy dish to make. All you to do is plan ahead enough to do the marinade. It’s a tad on the Asian-side, but not outright Asian-tasting. The grilled green beans are better than potato chips and so much better for you! Don’t fret if you don’t like a forward mustard taste. It’s amazing what the grilling does for the mustard.

Makes 3 servings. You can double this to feed a small family

Ingredients:

2Tbl of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp of sesame seeds + more for final prep
2 Tbl of Dijon mustard (sugar free)
1 packet of stevia
1 tsp of crushed pepper (or to taste)
1 lb of steak. You choose the lean cut but if you like your meat really tender you might invest in tenderloin filet. Cut this into 1.5” cubes
12 cherry tomatoes
1 large onion cut into wedges
3 handfuls of green beans (approx 3 cups), trimmed
Olive oil spray

Directions:

Heat your grill to medium

First, get out a medium zip-lock bag. Pour in the lemon juice, the 1 tsp of sesame seeds, mustard, stevia and crushed pepper. Smoosh this around. Add the steak chunks and toss and smoosh until the steak is covered. Place this in your refrigerator at least 2 hours but it can be all day if necessary or even overnight.

Remove the bag from the refrigerator and thread the veggies and meat onto skewers. (see picture).

Sprinkle with a few more sesame seeds

Spray the green beans lightly with olive oil spray and give them a good grate of sea salt.

Lightly spray the grill grates.

Grill the kebobs for approximately 7 to 8 minutes for medium rare or to your liking. The veggies will cook automatically. The onions might get a slight tinge of black to them and the tomatoes will roast and begin to get wrinkly.

While the kebobs are cooking, put the green beans in a grill pan so they won’t fall through the cracks. Grill on the same medium. Toss them periodically so they get grills marks in different places. Cook until crisp tender. As soon as they get even the least bit wrinkled they are definitely done.

Serve together and you have a great, healthy meal.

Cheers
Enjoy,
Zola

Send email to Zola at dinnerwithzola@hotmail.com.