Dinner for 500

Even with the trauma of Cimzia in my recent history, it's still a pleasure to be strong enough to cook for myself. I was getting very tired of the fatty resources of Stouffers and Michelangelo frozen meals, as good as they were. They're fine in a pinch or on an occasion, but not what I would prefer to eat full time. And that's what I was forced to do when I was not in recovery phase.

Dinner tonight was Yaki Soba Noodles with chicken and vegetables. Yaki Soba Noodles are an Asian noodle found in the refrigerated Asian section of my local supermarket Ralph's. I've not seen it carried at other markets although I'm sure that there are iterations there.

It comes pre-portioned in three packets of noodles and three flavor packets. The idea is that you sautee vegetables, then make the noodles according to the directions, mix them together with the flavoring, and voila! You have dinner. It's as good as it sounds.

I started earlier this afternoon by slicing down a 1/2 frozen chicken breast (it's easier to cut that way than when it's defrosted), then chopping vegetables. Onion, bok choy, water chestnut, carrot, bell pepper, and a Japanese Eggplant. This particular meal is nice because you can put the component parts together earlier in the day and then cook at your discretion.

First I sauteed one chicken breast (cut up) in Pam. It was a large one, so I figure it - at 50 calories per ounce which is a generous allocation - for 400 calories. Then I sauteed the vegetables using Pam, probably a total of 8 cups raw. At 50 calories per cup, the total calories would be about 400 there. The package says that the noodles, cooked, are 260 calories.

That would be consistant with my knowledge of calories which says that 1 cup of pasta is 200 calories, and then adding in the oil and flavoring., so I believe them. That means that the entire wok of food was worth 1000 calories.

I didn't have much of a lunch today, so I ate just a little less than 1/2 of the wok, meaning that I had between 4 and 5 cups of food with the groups of vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and fat represented at about 500 calories. And I have not been hungry for the remainder of the evening.

This state of fullness should only last overnight.