favedish

Taking it easy

2009-05-04T13:08:00.011-04:00

Being at home sick isn't fun for anyone. I have been eating tons of junk and traveling. I now have a sore throat and a general feeling of my immune system being down. Wanting to give my body a little break I am eating clean and simple foods with hopes that any extra energy will be used towards fighting off any sickness. Along with the below two recipes I am eating brown rice and fruit. This is in no way a diet but more of an approach to simple nourishment when you just want to take it easy for a day or so.

Pink Miso and Veggies
6 cups of water or vegetable broth
shitake mushrooms
zucchini
carrot
miso paste
beet greens
swiss chard
spinach
scallions

Bring water or vegetable broth to boil add sliced shitake mushrooms thinly sliced carrots and zucchini to the pot. Simmer for about five minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Take the pot of the stove and stir in about 4- 5 tablespoons of miso paste, you can always add more or less to suit your taste. Lastly thrown in all the greens spinach, beet greens, swiss chard and chopped scallions. These greens will cook perfectly when just left to steep in the hot broth. The color in the stems of the beet greens will turn your soup a pink-ish color.

Amrit Tonic
This has been my go to beverage since I was a little girl. Whenever I feel a cold or sore throat coming on make a big batch of this and sip it through out the day. My theory is that the cayenne pepper gets into your body and heats things up to burn out the bad guys. And no, this is not a master cleanse thing.

Water
Cayenne, dash or two
Ginger, large piece
Lemons, aprox 6 or about 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
Honey, 1 cup

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a dash or two cayenne pepper. I would err on the side of caution and not add too much as it can get pretty spicy.
Peel and slice a whole large piece of ginger and add to the pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. While your waiting juice the lemons. Remove the ginger cayenne water from the heat and pour in the lemon juice and stir in the honey.
Drink warm.
For the vegan version of this just substitute agave for honey.

Thai Night

2009-04-14T14:56:00.005-04:00

I have a friend who used to live in Thailand, he's a chef, a scuba diving instructor, currently studying as a med student, and list goes on. We have begged him for years to cook for whenever he comes to visit New York City. Being that this is New York City most visitors would rather eat out since there are so many great restaurants. This most recent time he visited we were able to get him to do a little cooking for us and it was really special. I have no idea what these two dishes are called but they were both quite delicious. The above is more of a street snack and involves a little of each of the following ingredients lime rind, fresh grated coconut, finely chopped ginger, finely diced onion, dried shrimps, chili, peanuts, and honey syrup.

We also had a Thai coconut shrimp soup. This soup was so flavorful and still very light, it had the perfect hint of coconut and lime and the shrimp were subtly sweet.
My boyfriend also made a Thai chicken green coconut curry that is the best chicken curry I have ever had. For this particular recipe we have to travel down to a specific store in Chinatown that imports a special small round Thai eggplant. And for desert we had sweet sticky rice with mango. This meal was total perfection from start to finish!

One of these days I'll be sure to post the recipe for how to make the chicken curry.

Tuna Tuesday

2009-04-14T13:50:00.010-04:00

Serves two

Oven Roasted Asparagus
1 bundle of asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt/pepper
Parmesan
Lemon

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
Toss the asparagus in a little bit olive oil. Add a little sprinkle of salt and some fresh fresh ground pepper. Lay asparagus on a baking sheet and cook for about 10-12 minute.
Plate and serve with some fresh slices of Parmesan cheese and a lemon wedge.

Tuna Salad

Romaine lettuce
Ortiz tuna in olive oil
Garbanzo beans
Corn kernels
Grape tomatoes
Cucumber
Avocado
Balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
Lemon juice, fresh
Salt/pepper

Slice tomatoes in half and place in bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the tomatoes and a couple grinds of fresh pepper. Add the juice of half a lemon followed by 2 teaspoons of mustard and 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine and taste the dressing. Add more of anything you like until your happy with it. Then add about 2/3 of the jar of tuna to the bowl, this is just about 4 oz. Since the tuna comes packed in olive oil there is really any need to add extra olive oil. If you want to add more oil you can pour a little more in from the jar of tuna. Stir together or mix with your hands so the tuna breaks up into smaller pieces.

In a separate bowl combine lettuce and all other salad toppings add in tuna and tomato mixture, toss and serve.

Beans, greens & grains...Oh my!

2009-04-08T15:23:00.006-04:00

For a Veggie/Vegan friendly variation use vegetable stock and and your favorite meat-free sausage.

Serves 4

1 tbs oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, dry
3-4 cups chicken stock (depending on how soupy you like it)
5 leaves swiss chard, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red kidney beans, canned
1 scallion, chopped
4 sausage links (one per person)
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pot and add garlic, cook for about a minute then add quinoa and stir over heat for another minute. Add one cup of chicken stock, bring to boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in swiss chard until gently wilted and mixed with the quinoa. Next add beans, scallions and 2-3 more cups of chicken stock, depending on the consistency you like. More broth equals more soup and less broth makes for more of a stew like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for another 5-10 minutes or until beans are warmed through. Remove from heat and squeeze in a little fresh lemon juice and give it one last stir.
In a pan cook the sausages until they are nicely browned then remove from heat and slice into pieces and serve over stew.

For this recipe I used Bilinski's pesto romano chicken sausages, but of course you can use whatever sausages you like.

Potage

2009-03-26T15:15:00.007-04:00

Not sure what the weathers like where you are today but here in NYC it's another cold and grey day. You know the kind that makes you long for something hearty and warm in your belly.
Not feeling like doing much of anything, especially not grocery shopping, I made do with whatever I already had in the fridge and pantry. Served by itself or with a leafy green salad and chicken sausage (which is how I had it) it was just what the Dr. ordered!

Quinoa Potage
4 small new potatoes, diced
3 cups of chicken broth (or bullion)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 large leeks (or 2 small), chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
½ cup quinoa
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 large white mushroom caps, diced
Salt and pepper

Bring 1 cup of broth to a boil add all of the diced potatoes along with a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for five minutes. Then with a slotted spoon remove half of the potatoes and set aside. Keep the remaining potatoes and broth boiling for another five minutes. Remove from heat and blend the contents of this pot so that you have a smooth opaque liquid. Set aside.

Heat one teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large sized pot. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Next add the leeks and again cook for a couple of minutes until they have softened a little and become green. Now add the garlic, bay leaf, carrot, celery, ½ cup of quinoa, ¼ teaspoon of salt and couple of grinds from your pepper mill. Give this a couple of minutes to cook together and stir it a couple of times.
Next add the blended potato broth liquid followed by the two cups of plain broth. Lastly toss in the reserved par-boiled diced potatoes that you saved in the beginning along with the diced zucchini and mushrooms. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-03-17T15:56:00.004-04:00

This recipe might appear a little intimidating but I assure you that after you have made it once you’ll see it’s not that difficult. Essentially you are preparing each layer separately and then you can begin to build your Mexican lasagna. For the vegan version omit the chicken and use soy cheese instead.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into arpox ½ inch thick pieces
1 red onion, medium sized, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 lime, juice and zest of
1 green jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbs taco seasoning
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs orange juice
2/3 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
2/3 cups green bell pepper, chopped
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, liquid drained and reserved
16 oz can of fat free refried beans
6 Tbs salsa
4 scallions, chopped, trim and discard 2-3 inches of the green ends
6 oz grated part skim mozzarella
4 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/8’s
salt and pepper for seasoning throughout
8” square baking dish

To marinate the chicken combine the following ingredients together in a bowl.
½ of the chopped red onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, ½ of the chopped cilantro, the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1/2 of a chopped jalapeño, 2 Tbs orange juice, 1 Tbs taco seasoning, 1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour this mixture into a Ziploc bag, add the pieces of chicken to the bag and seal it. Once sealed give the bag a little shake to make sure the marinade is mixed and has evenly coated the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours or overnight if you have time. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and allow the chicken to come to room temperature.

Heat non-stick pan over medium flame. To the pan add ½ Tbs of olive oil, the remaining half of the chopped red onion and 1 clove of minced garlic, sauté for about one minute. Next add all of the yellow and the green peppers, the corn and the tomatoes to the pan. Lightly season with a little salt and pepper and cook all together for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place cooked veggies into a bowl and set aside.

Using the same non-stick pan heat again over a medium flame. To the pan add the remaining ½ Tbs of olive oil, the remaining 1 clove of minced garlic and the remaining ½ of the chopped jalapeño. Cook together for about a minute then add all of the refried beans and the salsa. Stir together and cook for about five minutes. Remove from heat and place refried beans into a new bowl, stir in remaining half bunch of chopped cilantro and all of the chopped green onions. Set the bowl aside for later.

Again using the same non-stick pan heat over a medium flame. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the marinated pieces of chicken to pan. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of taco seasoning over the chicken and a splash of the liquid you reserved from the tomatoes. Cook the chicken for about 2mins each side. You want the chicken to be cooked through but just barely, remember it’s going into the oven and will continue to cook in there. Once cooked remove from the pan and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes. Then shred or chop the chicken into smaller pieces and set aside in a new bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray.
Layer corn tortilla down in the baking dish, next spread a layer of refried beans followed by a layer of vegetable mix, then add a layer of shredded chicken followed by a layer of cheese. Repeat once more only this time leave off the last layer of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

I wait to add that last layer of cheese until the very end. When the cooking time has ended remove and discard the aluminum foil. Scatter the remaining cheese across the top of the dish and place it under the broiler for about a minute or two so that it gets a little bubbly and gets a little browned and crispy.

Let it cool for a couple of minutes and then cut into squares and serve.

GIN GINS WIN

2009-03-13T15:26:00.007-04:00

I am having a little bit of a love affair with ginger at the moment. Last night I made a bunch of triple ginger cookies and today I was introduced to these lovely little bites called Gin Gins Boost. They are soft and chewy and taste like ginger infused caramel. I like them because they have a nice clean taste and are quite satisfying for that perfect after meal sweet that I am constantly searching for. Their catch phrase is "little potion for the motion" because it's supposed to help with motion sickness.

GET YOURS

Wick Fowler's

2009-03-09T11:26:00.004-04:00

I am a big fan of spices, rubs and seasoning mixes. It's the easiest way to add flavor with out extra fat and calories. Last week I went on a hunt for a Mexican type seasoning mix that wasn't full of all kinds of weird hard to pronounce ingredients. There aren't many out there but luckily I did end up stumbling upon this one and it wasn't at a specialty food store either.
I think they have made some recent changes to the design on their package because the one I just bought didn't look like this.

Ingredients: Ground Chili Peppers, Salt, Onion, Comino, Garlic, Oregano

Wondering what comino is? It's just a fancy way of saying cumin in Spanish.

GET YOURS

Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites

2009-03-07T23:34:00.010-05:00

I love Let's Do Organic reduced fat shredded unsweetened coconut.

I add it to my oatmeal in the morning, use it when cooking Indian inspired soups, and of course in macaroons. It's 40% less fat than regular unsweetened shredded coconut. They reduce the fat though a process of steam evaporation. For cooking purposes you can always use this as a substitute. In doing so you'll cut a few calories and fat with out sacrificing the flavor. But, when it come to a fresh piece of coconut meat that's eaten bite by bite all on it's lonesome, well there's just no replacing that.

When I am feeling lazy and want something sweet after dinner I make chocolate almond coconut bites. They literally take less than five minutes from start to finish. There's no measuring going on here just eye ball it. For all intents and purposes the chocolate is the "glue" in this recipe so make sure there is enough chocolate to coat everything.

Here's what you'll need...

Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites

chocolate chips, dark or milk whatever you like

shredded unsweetened coconut

sliced natural almonds, roughly crushed up

piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper

Throw some dark baking chocolate in a bowl and put it into the microwave for about a minute or two. You don't want it completely melted, just about half melted. Give it a stir and the heat will melt the rest of the chocolate pieces. Once it's all smooth and melted stir in a handful of crushed up sliced almonds and pour in a good amount of shredded coconut. Stir all of this together until thoroughly mixed. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper onto a dinner plate and use a spoon to portion out the chocolate mixture into blobs on the plate. Place in the fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes so that it has a chance to harden up. Eat and enjoy!

You can always stir in other things too like raisins, dried cranberries, etc..

Shake Shack

2009-03-03T20:37:00.003-05:00

These shakes are not exactly the nutritional path I long to follow but every now and then you just have to say what the heck. I have not been to shake shack before today but have only ever heard great things from those who have. I happened to be in the neighborhood with my boyfriend this afternoon so we decided to hit it up. Though it was insanely cold here in New York City today we decided to go for the frozen treats. He ordered a vanilla malt shake and I opted for the "healthy" shake called the vitamin creamsicle. Danny Meyer, the owner of this joint, is one of the city's greatest restaurateurs. He is also a devotee of well-known celebrity fitness trainer David Kirsch. This shake combines frozen vanilla custard with David Kirsch vitamin-mineral orange super juice. It tasted just like an orange creamsicle should but as an added benefit was in some way good for me too. The shake shack is a green operation. They also have a well edited wine selection including half bottles of stags leap, frogs leap and opus one to name a few. I plan on returning when the weather gets a bit warmer.

Ike & Sam

2009-03-02T12:10:00.006-05:00

These two little guys make my favorite popcorn. I am generally not a fan of pre-bagged popcorn because it usually has a sorta stale taste. Maybe it's because they are based in Brooklyn that it's so fresh? They make a few different flavors but original sweet and salty is my personal fave. It's not too sweet not too salty, it's light and well it's just perfection! I like that there are a few ingredients. If ever you see this at the store (and I am seeing it all over the place lately) buy some and give it a try.
Most people think that kettlecorn means that the popcorn will be that sweet and salt flavor. In the case of Ike & Sam kettlecorn actually refers to how they cook the popcorn, similar to kettle potato chips. Each bag of Ike and Sam's says kettlecorn followed by the specific flavor.
To my knowledge they have only four flavors.
Light and fluffy = naked popcorn with a touch of salt
Sweet and salty = "kettle corn"
Crunchy caramel = exactly what it sounds like, yum
Kickin' cayenne = I haven't tried it yet, if anyone has please let me know your thoughts

A case of the Monday's

2009-02-21T15:10:00.010-05:00

I am going to put this out there with the hopes that having done so will give me even more reason to stay on track. As of Monday I am making a greater effort to cut out the crap. I have to be honest, I have been on a bit of bender since around thanksgiving. Don't worry I am not going full fledged macrobiotic or anything. I will still be eating poultry, eggs, yogurt, goats cheese and the occasional steak along with the obvious staples; grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. I am doing this not only for myself but also hopefully with my boyfriend. I am figuring that if I make more effort to cook and eat this way on a regular basis maybe he will too? He knows it would be a good idea since fried and fatty foods aren't exactly playing nice with his gallbladder these days. Either way, I have had my fill and am I ready to get off the sugar train, with or without him. Wish me luck and of course I will be posting any tasty new recipes I come across. All of that said.... I am very much looking forward to lunch at Blue Hill tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited that it's not Monday yet!

Current favorite sandwich in NYC

2009-02-20T16:41:00.003-05:00

Alidoro
105 Sullivan St.
Monday-Saturday
11:30am-5:30pm (though by that time of day they usually don't have any bread left)

Home of Italian specialty sandwiches. Don't bother to ask for anything else, anything extra or any modifications. What you see is what you get and boy is it good! They are usually swamped during lunch hours so I suggest getting there around 3pm-ish. All the ingredients are really fresh and while your sandwich might be a little bit more expensive they are quite large and can easily be for two people.

MENU

NOT Just Veggies

2009-02-13T22:39:00.009-05:00

Do you ever find that a whole day goes by and not a single fruit or vegetable has passed your lips? And when you were a kid didn't you always want to be an astronaut?
Just Tomatoes, Etc.! solves the first question and temporarily satiates the second. This company dehydrates, packages and sells pretty much any fruit or vegetable you can think of . My favorite is HOT JUST VEGGIES, it's the same veggie mix as above but with jalapeno added. Keep a tub in your drawer at work and save your quarters for laundry, not for the vending machine.

GET YOURS

lip smackin'

2009-02-06T14:12:00.003-05:00

I live for this stuff. Seriously you could be a total numbnut when it comes to cooking and still pull out a dish that will taste so good you'll surprise yourself!
I put it in soups, grains, marinades, salad dressings, dips, and use as a dry rub on fish and meat.
You can literally use it on just about anything. It's also great because its all natural, no fat, no MSG, no calories, and most importantly low in sodium.
GET YOURS

just...

2009-02-03T10:40:00.005-05:00

I am aware of the fact that we are in a "financial crisis". It seems charities are and will continue to suffer due to the fact that no one wants to spend an extra cent these days.
Even still I have decided to make this the year that I make monthly donations to the things that are important to me. If you only donate five dollars a month to one charity it's better than nothing and you are helping something or someone somewhere. Here are two food related charities I think are important.

Whole Planet Foundation
I am all for eating locally and supporting our own neighborhood farmers but lets be honest, we do not only buy what is local and in season every time we do our grocery shopping. The micro loans are offered to the poorest of the poor, with a focus on women, wanting to finance self-employment projects that will generate income. 100% of your donation goes to the mirco lending programing.

Help the Honey Bees
For some reason our honey bees are disappearing.
People this is not good. You really would be surprised to learn how important bees are in the pollination of our fruits and vegetables. We need them to do their job. Should they disappear entirely I am sure scientists will find a way to artificially pollinate our plants, however, I imagine this would raise the cost of our produce not to mention it's just not what nature intended.

I have also found two websites that can help assist you in finding and donating to charities. One is called Charity Navigator and the other is called Network for Good.
Charity Navigator is a guide to help donors make intelligent charitable giving decisions. Offers financial ratings of thousands of American nonprofit organizations and charities.
Network for Good allows you to keep all your donations organized and under one roof so to speak. For a small fee or percentage they take care of making any distributions to the organizations of your choice whether they're a one time or a monthly donation.

JUNK MAIL = WASTEFUL SPENDING
Best stated by Charity Navigator...
Spreading your money among multiple organizations not only results in your mail box filling up with more appeals, it also diminishes the possibility of any of those groups bringing about substantive change as each charity is wasting a large percentage of your gift on fund raising and overhead expenses.

Other charities I like....
PRASAD www.prasad.org
KIVA www.kiva.org
WWF www.worldwildlife.org
HUMANE SOCIETY www.hsus.org
HEIFER www.heifer.org
CANCER RESEARCH www.cancerresearch.org

P-I-N-K-B-E-R-R-Y

2009-01-26T16:57:00.005-05:00

I can seriously do without the Lady Tigra remix on Pinkberry's homepage where she spells out pinkberry about a million times, it's wicked stupid and annoying.
Now that I got that outta my system I would like to rejoice in the fact that they ditched that nasty coffee flavor they used to have and replaced it with pomegranate which is oh so tasty.
This is going to be a problem in the summer. I will totally walk out of my way to get this everyday probably. Who am I kidding, it's already a problem and it's the middle of winter. I guess that's a testament to just how yummy I think it is. I mean look how cute and happy that little guys is.

The good word

2009-01-22T22:34:00.003-05:00

I haven't tried this yet and well quite frankly, I am a little scared too. The last thing I need is a new nut butter in my life. I have it on good word that this is some rockin' stuff. I will of course have my fingers in a jar of this before the end of the weekend.

1/24/09 UPDATE
I tried this today and It's good. Thankfully, I can't see myself eating this by the fingerful right out of the jar but I would definitely spread this on a warm piece of toast or dip some apple or banana slices into this tasty concoction.

Truvia

2009-01-18T14:09:00.005-05:00

This is the newest "natural sweeter" out on the market.
With the masses becoming more aware of their health and well being people are making more of an effort to look at the ingredients in the foods they are eating. Many people are beginning to consciously replace overly refined food items in their diet with more natural and whole foods. In turn food companies are being forced to create foods that are seemingly more natural and less refined. I feel it’s important to do a little research on these new foods that are being offered to us as healthier alternatives. Being a former user of Equal and a current user of stevia I decided to take a look into Truvia. What I discovered is that Truvia is not stevia, it's a new sweetener using stevia.

Stevia has been a battleground for the sugar and artificial sweetener industry for sometime now. Many of the big sugar and sweetener companies have spent a number of years and a lot of money lobbying against the likes of stevia. Imagine what would it do to business if a completely natural no calorie sweetener were readily available? But what if they could find a way to get in on it? This past December (as in last month) the FDA approved the use of a stevia byproduct that was created jointly by companies Cargill (America's second largest private corporation) and Coca-Cola. Stevia, as in the whole plant, continues to be labeled as a dietary supplement and it remains unapproved by the FDA.

Truvia's claims
1) It's not made in a lab like other no calorie artificial sweeteners
2) It's made from plants

Yes there are stevia plants involved. They use a process of steeping the leaves that produces what they have coined rebiana, which allows them to isolate best tasting part of the plant leaving behind the crude unnecessary parts like fiber for example. They further "purify" the isolated rebiana AKA refine it. Technically table sugar is also made from a plant but it’s the refining process that complicates matters and makes it nutritionally undesirable.

Truvia's other main ingredient is a sweet flavored bulking agent called Erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol. Erythritol is made by breaking down food starch into glucose. Then a yeast called Moniliella pollinis is added to the glucose. By way of fermentation, the glucose is broken down into erythritol. The erythritol is then purified into 99.5% pure erythritol.* It does appear to be less harmful than saccharin and aspartame, but it's not exactly what I would call naturally occurring and as far as I am concerned saying this ingredient wasn't made in a lab would be a lie.

Lastly Truvia contains "natural flavors" aka MSG and other things, which if used in certain amounts do not need to be listed according to the FDA. Overall I think it’s certainly a better choice than Equal, Sweet'n'low and Splenda but why not just use stevia it's pure form?

*http://abouterythritol.homestead.com

Perfectly poached pears

2009-01-10T12:08:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite deserts or breakfasts

2 Bosc pears
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
Apple cider
Small baking dish that fits both pears

Preheat 400 degrees. Slice off the bottom of the pears making it flat and place them in the oven safe dish. Add cloves, cinnamon sticks and about 1’’ of apple cider. Bake in the oven for about 50-60 minutes.

Serve by its self or with ice cream, whip cream, crème fraiche or yogurt.

Since this was today’s breakfast I had it with Old Chatham maple sheep’s milk yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Holy chicken sausages

2009-01-06T17:38:00.008-05:00

There's good reason for the rays of light shinning from behind these sausages. It's because they are heavenly! I haven't tried the beef franks yet but any of the chicken sausages are pretty darn tasty. What really won me over while I was deciding whether or not to add these links to my shopping cart was that they don't use pork casing better known as pig intestines. Ick! I think you'd be surprised to know how many chicken sausages come nicely packaged in pork intestines. For some reason that just kinda irks me.
Both natural and organic chicken sausages are made from antibiotic-free, hormone-free, %100 vegetarian fed chickens, preservative-free - no nitrates, no nitrites, no sodium lactate (whatever that is), they are gluten-free and wheat-free, casing- free, and made from skinless chicken leg and thigh meat- no chicken skins, ever! All I can say is that whatever is in them is wonderful.
The only real difference I can see between the natural and the organic sausages is that the organic sausages use organic organic vegetables, herbs and spices.

I think I got these at WholeFoods. You can check Bilinski's website to see where else they are sold.

Two other interesting things I have recently learned about chicken.
1. The leg and thigh meat are as lean as the breast meat. It's is just darker in color because they move those parts and therefore there is more blood circulating in that area.
2. All chicken in the U.S. must be hormone-free and steroid-free as per the USDA. What you want to look out for is antibiotic- free.

Easy does it

2009-01-05T14:31:00.009-05:00

Two of my favorite cookbooks from Jenny White are now available together as one! Seriously, this actually is the best ever. There are pictures for all 400 recipes and each recipe is no more than three or four ingredients not including salt, pepper and olive oil.

Delicious meals don't have to be complicated. Simplicity is key here and each ingredient really has the chance to shine. No matter if you are out to impress others or just yourself now anyone can make a great tasting meal, and I mean anyone!

GET YOURS

Easy oven roasted chicken

2009-01-03T11:16:00.008-05:00

1 free range organic chicken
3 onions
6 small carrots
2 yams
1 lemon
Fresh thyme
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Chicken should be room temperate. Chicken can be out of the fridge for up to 3 hours and remain safe to eat. Anything longer than this is potentially unsafe.

Chop the onions into quarters, the carrots approximately one and half inch long pieces and the yams into approximately two inch cubes. Toss all vegetables plus 8-10 sprigs of thyme together in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Rub 1-2 tbs of thyme leaves underneath the skin covering the chicken breasts.
Rub olive oil all over the outside of the chicken and then place chicken in roasting or large baking dish. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the chicken, then sprinkle on salt and fresh ground pepper. Add vegetables along with the sprigs of thyme to your pan then place in the oven. Cook for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Your chicken is done when the liquid inside the chicken is clear. You can tell this by holding the chicken upright. If the juices run clear you are most likely done, if the juice is pink (with blood) you have a ways to go. Another thing I suggest is that you check the meat between the leg and breast. If this meat is at all pink then your chicken is not done yet. Leave it in the oven and check on it every 5-8 minutes.

Once the chicken is done remove it from the oven. The legs should be very easily pulled away from the body. If the vegetables aren't yet completely tender in the middle and crispy on the outside then you can put the vegetables back into the oven for about another 15 minutes.

Fon-DO!

2009-01-03T11:04:00.003-05:00

Cheese fondue is a must in Switzerland. Soooo good! I like to give my cubes of bread a good soak in the pot and then fish them out.

Breakfast in Klosters

2008-12-29T16:55:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I decided to take a train ride across Switzerland, from Gstaad to Klosters, to visit my dear friend Marie and her husband Johan, brother Sam and parents Monika and Bruno.

While Switzerland is a rather small country the mountains really don't allow for direct travel. But the scenic route isn't too shabby and certainly is nothing to complain about.

Marie's whole family is talented and artistic each in different ways. This morning at my request, Marie's father took a picture of our breakfast which represents a typical Swiss breakfast. Soon after he snapped the above picture he disappeared. About five minutes later he reappeared with a freshly printed photograph that was signed and framed. I know I haven't really given you enough of a back story here but this was a special gift and a very sweet gesture. Also, I can't wait to hang this in my Kitchen so I can think of this visit everyday!

On their breakfast table was a selection of homemade jams made by Monika including plum, raspberry and quince, all of which were amazing! Though I think the plum was really my absolute favorite. There was also coffee (of course!), teas, a couple of different loaves of bread, croissants, ham, cheeses, fruits, yogurts, etc... it was quite a delectible spread with oh so many choices! Naturally, I had a little of everything convincing myself that I must have a hearty breakfast to prepare for the upcoming sledding activities on one of the near by mountains. In reality I really didn't think sledding would actually take any energy whatsoever since you just let gravity do all the work. However, strange as this may sound, it was sort of like doing 45 minutes of really super fun pilates ab work. By the time we finished we were three towns away from where we started!
On my train ride back to Gstaad I found out that Howard, my boyfriends brother, was in the middle of preparing a Thai dinner for us. I love curry's and Thai food in general. Also Howard is an amazing chef and can make just about anything ridiculously delicious. Actually he is the saucier at the Gramercy Tavern which just happens to be one of the best restaurants in New York City. Pretty impressive right?!?! So needless to say this news was the cherry on top of one of the best days ever!

Gimme some shuga baby

2008-12-29T16:48:00.007-05:00

So I am Switzerland for Christmas....
In preparation for this trip I took a two week break from caffeine, dairy and alcohol and a one week break from all grains and sugar. This was actually an important hiatus since I knew that once here I would go hog wild with the wine, cheese, bread and chocolate. I have to say sugar is really the hardest of all of these to give up. I mean how can you avoid something that looks so very sweet and innocent? These cute sugar cubes are from Co Op which is one of the major grocery stores here in Switzerland.

All I want for Christmas

2008-12-21T19:43:00.004-05:00

is this amazing machine! Automatically steams and adds just the right about of milk to your espresso. And you can set that ratio to your specific taste! Grossed out about the idea of milk going rancid in the pipes that deliver that steamy milk to your coffee? Well worry not they have thought of that too. It's self-cleaning, steaming hot water cleans out all the equipment afterward. SO freakin' genius. Too bad it's so expensive. Maybe next year Santa? I'll be good.

Forgot to mention this little beauty is called the Lattissima and is the child of DeLonghi & Nespresso.

GET YOURS

Big Daddy-O!

2008-12-19T13:33:00.002-05:00

These are the ultimate grown-up Reeses peanut butter cups. It goes something like this...
Under the layer of milk or dark chocolate is peanut butter praline, caramel, and a hand-made graham cracker crust, topped with a little sprinkle of roasted peanuts. Definitely not sugar free but totally heavenly!
The company is also the only organic, fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the U.S.
They can be bought from their website or exclusively at whole foods.
GET YOURS

GORAW!

2008-12-18T00:08:00.011-05:00

Occasionally when I leave the gym I want something sweet to snack on. There are a number of very temping options in the area but I do my best to steer myself in the direction of the health food store instead. Integral Yoga Natural Foods carries a variety of bars from GORAW. To me these bars are truly a guilt-free snack and I find them to be completely satisfying. This is a winning combination that is hard to come by.
My personal favorite is banana "bread" flax. The flax gives it a nice nutty flavor. I love banana bread and this is not so bad considering it has no sugar, no flour and no oil. In fact its ingredients are 100% organic and consist of sprouted flax seeds, banana, coconut and date. I want to try the "granola" bar too now since I just read that it has become their most popular bar.
GET YOURS

Keri's choice

2008-12-17T22:42:00.015-05:00

My job usually takes me to new and interesting places. They don't always have to be far and away or wildly exotic locations. Sometimes it's right here in my very own borough. Did you know if Brooklyn (Kings County) was it's own city it would be the fourth largest cities in the U.S. Crazy right? That said there are many parts of Brooklyn I have never explored.

Recently I was asked to style Keri Russell for Instyle magazine. The story is in the January issue, which is on stands this week, check it out! Did you know Keri lives in Brooklyn? The story follows Keri around to her favorite neighborhood spots, places she likes to visit on a typical weekend here in Brooklyn. I would like to take this moment to also mention she was an absolute dream to work with! Our first location was the corner of Grand Ave. and Lafayette Ave better know as Clinton Hill/Fort Greene. It was there that I discovered two great places right across the street from each other.

Choice Market (318 Lafayette Ave.) was Keri's pick for her favorite bakery/coffee joint. It's an unassuming neighborhood gem and I am thrilled to add it to my list. Everything is proudly on display behind glass cases. The croissants and pastries are picture perfect and look close to those you would find at a true French patisserie. I am sucker for a good buttery croissant and would definitely have a daily habit if this place were in my neighborhood. The very thought of them is making me drool. They also serve "real food" like slow roasted meats and vegetables, cold salads, warm sandwiches and soups. The half chicken on the bone is pretty tasty stuff. From what I have been reading it seems they are opening a new location in Dumbo. Lucky you Lombardo family!

I stumbled upon Grand Dakar (285 Grand Ave.) while in search of a bathroom, one of the many joys of being on location. The restaurant was not open yet since it was still pretty early but the owner Pierre Thiam was gracious enough to let me in. I had some time to kill since Keri was getting her hair and make up so Pierre and I got to talk. He told me about his new book which also happens to be his first book. Wanting to support my new friend I recently ordered myself a copy, which is available on Amazon.

The book it's self is really quite special. Native New Yorker and master of photography Adam Bartos tells us the story of Pierre's family and friends who are all pictured in the book along with photos of the actual dishes. It is very colorful, unpretentious and captures the essence of an everyday lifestyle. Senegalese food is known to have an unmistakable French influence however this book also boasts influences such as Creole, Portuguese and Vietnamese. The recipes are interesting and yet also seem to be very straightforward and uncomplicated. I am looking forward to making any one of these dishes I just can't decide which one to start with! And a little FYI...The majority of Senegalese are Muslim so pork is not really on the menu.

Root down and warm up

2008-12-11T23:15:00.010-05:00

I think it's kind of funny that just as finished writing my last post expressing my dislike of root vegetables I picked up the latest issue of Eating Well and there is a 7-page article called "rediscovering roots". Now I should be specific, I am not prejudice against all root vegetables just some. I love sweet potatoes, carrots and beets. To me celeriac is really best when cooked a la Francaise like a remoulade, gratin, puree' or just simply braised. I have never personally tried to cook celeriac, parsnip, rutabaga, turnips, salsify, burdock or dikon. Pretty much anything you can do with a potato you can do with these vegetables as well.

We know it's important to eat local and to eat in season. According to Chinese medicine cold and raw foods cool down the digestive fire while warm foods heat up the digestive fire. Nature gives us root vegetables in abundance during the winter because they are warming foods and well not much else can grow in the cold. So let's not work against nature this winter and let's try to embrace a root. This means not eating salads for lunch and dinner like you do during the summer months. Let's face it salad's aren't the first thing to come to mind when you think of cozy and warm foods. Also cozy foods don't necessarily have to be things like mac n' cheese you could make a root vegetable gratin instead. Chances are you be equally satiated and won't miss the pasta.

In conclusion, I am thankful that Eating Well has written this article. I am going to do a little kitchen therapy. It certainly helps that all the recipes look very appealing. I suggest you too give an unfamiliar root a try. I am working my way toward total recovery one root at a time.

Mmmmm food

2008-12-10T14:27:00.019-05:00

Firstly, Silkstone slow food now has their website up and running with their weekly menus.
SILKSTONE SLOWFOOD

Secondly, did you know the Essex Street Market is no longer ghetto? When I lived down there I would occasionally be forced to pick up a couple of produce items from there and would literally have to run in and run out with my nose plugged because the place was so foul with the smell of dried fish! I mean the fact that they have a web site blows my mind. I have to go see this with my own two eyes to believe it.
ESSEX STREET MARKET

Thirdly, I want to go visit Saxelby cheese in the "new and improved" Essex Street Market.
I don't mind the stench of cheese. You will find no European cheeses here but the owner seems confidant that she has found the same if not better cheeses here in our very own country!
SAXELBY CHEESE

Fourthly, my good friend, Laura, sent me a link to a Brooklyn based company called Sweet Deliverance NYC and it looks pretty sweet to me. They do ready made food deliveries to Manhattan and Brooklyn.
You pay $150 joining fee for the season to participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) share program. Then of course there is the cost of the meals themselves which vary depending on your needs and wants. Every week they email you a menu of dishes made from local organic ingredients and you choose what you want from it. Voila, delicious food arrives at your door every Monday (or every other Monday). It is not a three meal a day kind of thing it is more a bunch of individual dishes you choose from, including dessert!
SWEET DELIVERANCE

My two cents? Oh, thanks for asking. This is not like the Co-Op because you don't have volunteer. And who has time for that anyways? It's also not like an organic produce delivery services because the food is completely ready made. And it's also not like most meal deliveries services which delivery three to five meals every single morning.

My only issue with organic produce delivery services during the winter months is that they send you a box of mostly root type vegetables. Now that really doesn't interest me. Most of the time you never end up cooking everything before your next delivery arrives. This is because some of the produce in your box might be foreign to you. For instance have you ever once bought a parsnip? What the hell do you do with it? Don't ask me, I don't like parsnips. I am sort of not really into root vegetables or tubers. Maybe one day. Personally, I think organic produce delivery is more genius in the summer and in the fall when there are so many heavenly fruits.

Clean living

2008-12-09T15:51:00.005-05:00

This week I rediscovered something. Just because olive oil is good for you doesn't mean you can or should go crazy with it. SO, I am offering up an alternative for you to add to your cooking repertoire. Use this when you want something "light" or if you are bored with your food being greasy and/or always starting every dish with olive oil.

Get ready, here it comes... BROTH! I know you probably are already aware of this simple cooking method but it's easily forgotten so I just wanted to remind you and myself.

Chicken, vegetable or beef, organic, low sodium or however you like, there are many options for you to choose from when it comes to broth. While making your own broth is probably wonderful, who the hell has time for that? Cooks Illustrated magazine (aka the bible) tested a bunch of the most popular broths out there and named good ole school Swanson organic broth as their winner.

So instead of breading or frying try poaching in broth, water or wine and don't forget to add fresh herbs and peppercorns. People mostly poach fish and chicken but today for lunch I poached some thin strips of beef sort of like a Mongolian hot pot. Sorry, I didn't take a picture I left my camera at home but was a georgous looking and tasting lunch with bok choy, kale, bean sprouts, mushrooms, ginger and garlic.

If you are unfamiliar with poaching you basically bring the poaching liquid of your choice to a boil, drop your protein into the liquid and reduce to a simmer. Cooking time will vary depending on what you are cooking. I like to cut my red meat into skinny long strips and only cook it for about a minute or two so that it doesn't become rubbery. For more specific instructions click here for HOW TO POACH.

Coconut macaroons

2008-12-04T08:34:00.004-05:00

Adapted from my fave baker Mani Niall of Mani's bakery in LA.

I pretty much follow his recipe except I use Let's Do Organic reduced fat unsweetened organic coconut and add 1/2 a vanilla bean. Oh, and I have used both regular white whole wheat flour from King Arthur and whole wheat pastry flour. Either will do really.

They are in the oven right now and smell so sweet!

Makes 12 macaroons

Parchment paper for baking sheet
1 3/4 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 vanilla bean (cut down the middle and scrape the tiny seeds, discard bean/shell)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the top part of a double boiler or a medium heatproof bowl, combine the coconut, all the maple sugar, the egg whites, vanilla bean, flour, and salt. Place the bowl over medium saucepan of boiling water over low heat. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Cook, stirring often, until the maple sugar is almost completely melted and the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape when a small amount is formed into a mound, about 8 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and place on the baking sheet. Using a moistened finger, press each portion of dough into a kiss-shaped mound about 1 3/4 inches wide at the base.

Bake until the macaroons are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire cake rack. Store the macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature.

I am soooo full!

2008-11-27T20:14:00.003-05:00

Stuffing with whole wheat bread, chestnuts, mushrooms, etc.... Roasted chicken, gratin dauphinois, and green beans.

Apple-cranberry oatmeal crisp served a la mode, of course.

This was our thanksgiving. The below photo belongs to Johan and is from one of his past thanksgivings. I just thought it would be fun to pretend that we had a dining table and table cloths and champagne flutes. Maybe next year.

give thanks people

2008-11-27T17:37:00.002-05:00

A friend of Battali

2008-11-25T23:31:00.005-05:00

Meet sweetiepie.... imagine your 9 years old and piecing together your dream restaurant then add a dash wacky, touch of chic and pinch of over the top.
A giant gold bird cage in the window, pink quilted banquettes, marble floors and bar, mirrored walls and ceilings, soda fountains, ice cream parlor chairs and charming older gentleman with fresh white shirts and little black bow ties.
I can really only liken the expience to having room service at your favorite five star hotel in LA, NY, London or any other cosmopolitan destination of your choice meets Serendipity. Tablewares consist of silver, crystal, linens, and candelabras. The fare is classic American.
I had chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese. The chicken noodle soup was light and not full of sodium with nice sized pieces of shredded chicken, long stands of thin spaghetti and tiny cubed carrots and celery. The grilled cheese was kraft American cheese slices melted on white bread with the crusts cut off. The bread was more toast like in texture and was dry and not greasy like most grilled cheese sandwiches.

So far they have been written up in Vogue and they'll be in the NY times tomorrow so check it out!

Sweetiepie- 19 Greenwich Ave btw 10th and Christopher

A not so random selection of Laura's everyday favorites

2008-11-25T17:39:00.006-05:00

Hemp Milk

Laura actually likes Hemp Dream but I can't find an image of it anywhere so instead I put an image of the brand I like called Living Harvest. It seems they just came out with a new version, which is unsweetened and vanilla flavored. I think it looks better than Living Harvests original vanilla hemp milk because it has virtually no sugar, no carbs and fewer calories. It's good and creamy maybe even a little nutty tasting too.

Unsweetened carob chips by Sunspire

These are a long standing favorite of Laura's. I also kinda like the Vegan carob chips by Sunspire too. I think these might be an acquired taste but they are kinda great for snacking on.

Artisana Raw organic Cashew Butter

Just plain delicious! Laura likes to eat this frozen, straight out of the jar and chip away at it. I am not sure how, but she manages to eat a jar of this in a day or two.

Here is her favorite make at home sweet snackie treat originally found on foodandwine.com.
She says they are "RAWSOME"!

Coconut-Almond Balls with Dried Fruit
1 cup raw almonds (5 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 cup dried pineapple (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted (4 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

In a food processor, pulse the almonds with the salt and vanilla seeds until very finely ground. Add the pineapple and dates and process until the mixture holds together. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cranberries. Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the coconut until coated. The coconut-almond balls can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

These next ones aren't salty nor has Laura ever tried these so they probably shouldn't be included in this post about Laura's favorite foods. But this variation was inspired by her recipe. They are also pretty good, because they have that magical ingredient, Chocolate.

Chocolate Salty Balls makes 10 aprox 20g each
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 dates (50g)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbs agave
2 tbs water
1 scoop protein powder (NOW, unflavored)
Almond extract- about a half of a cap full

Put in food processor, make into balls, and dip into melted chocolate... if you’re into that sort of thing. Refrigerate for about 20 mins or until chocolate hardens. Eat balls!!!

Genji Ginger Miso dressing

Though she usually makes her own salad dressings she has recently come across a ready made one that suits her standards. Genji Ginger Miso dressing is sold in the front aisle of sushi bars @ Whole Foods. I couldn't seem to find am image of this either but after looking around on the Internet this product seems to have a big following. I haven't tried it yet but am going to look for it next time I am at whole foods, or what Laura fondly refers to as "whole paycheck".

Vegetables

As for vegetables... it's all about sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, both treated rather simply. Cut into chunky pieces, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven till cooked and slightly crispy.

Maybe one day she will send me the poem she wrote about sweet potatoes. And might there be a poem about Brussels sprouts in works?

a new fave

2008-11-21T13:05:00.009-05:00

(If you click on the menu it will be legible)

Newly opened this week on Hudson and Gansevoort. This is not a store front but instead is a catering company that delivers their menu from 11-5 each day. It's all local and organic and the menu changes weekly.
Unfortunately their delivery is limited from Houston to 23rd st from the west side highway to 5th ave. So if you are in the hood and you read this give it a try. You won't regret it.

Uh, Puerto Rico - Ohhh!

2008-11-17T12:37:00.001-05:00

Welcoming another new coffee shop to the hood. 636 Grand Street btw Manhattan & Leonard

Brown rice for breakfast

2008-11-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

This concoction came about the other night when I had extra brown rice left over from dinner.
After most meals I am searching for a little something sweet. There was nothing obvious or ready made in the house so I had to be crafty to satisfy my sweet tooth.
I kind of just started looking around kitchen and adding things to the brown rice. Then I started to think about middle eastern deserts like baklava and halva, so I went for sweet, spice and nutty. I have since decided that this can be for breakfast too.

If you have extra time then you can gently toast the sesame seeds and slivered almonds.
Other add-ins could be raisins, currents, dried cranberries, grated apple, walnuts, etc...

Sweet brown rice
1/2 cup of brown rice, cooked
1 tbs agave
1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
pinch of cardamom, ground
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbs coconut, dry shredded
1 tbs flax seeds
1 1/2 tsp tahini
2 tbs slivered almonds

Stir together and enjoy.

Vanilla tofu cream
1/2 cup of firm silken tofu
1 tbs wax orchard fruit sweet
couple of drops of vanilla
zest of half a lemon

Blend and serve. I usually eat with fruit.
If you don't have fruit sweet you can use honey, agave or whatever else.

Eggscellent sunday souffle

2008-11-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

Here I was again ready for another meal and still with the same barren kitchen I had earlier this afternoon. I was having a craving for cheese souffle so I started looking on the internet for a recipe. I decided on an Alton Brown recipe. He is just so precise about everything that I thought it just had to be a good one. Lucky me I had almost every ingredient needed.

I didn't have cream of tartar so I substituted 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. I also used King Arthur white whole wheat flour instead of regular all purpose flour and I only used 2 ounces of cheddar instead of the 6 ounces the recipe called for. I would have preferred to use gruyere cheese but we didn't have any unfortunately, there's always next time and I'll definitely be making this one again. Lastly, I took the souffle out about 7 minutes early. Things usually continue to cook even after the come out of the oven or off the stove top. In my house we like the middle to be a little on the wet side. You can tell how far along the souffle is by shaking the dish from side to side. The more it jiggles the wetter it is and the less it jiggles the more cooked it is.

Butter, room temperature, for greasing the souffle
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups milk, hot
4 large egg yolks (2 1/2 ounces by weight)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar
5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water (5 1/2 ounces by weight plus 1/2 ounce water)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.

Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Happy Birthday Jules!

2008-11-16T18:45:00.000-05:00

Oh such schweetness...

Doing my best Robert Smith impression.

Living for my shirt in case you didn't notice!

The brothers participate in their favorite past time

Marie desperate for a drink attempts to sample Chateau Topolski '78

Keepin' us groovin' all night long

I have no idea what Vaughan was so exited about, probably his beer.

How are you two feeling today?

Chris gets clever!

4 out of "5 a day" ain't bad

2008-11-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

Quinoa, isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you have a hangover. The hangover comes courtesy of Jules rockin' birthday party last night. As you can see in the photos above there was a little bit of drinking going on.
But when you wake up at noon and look in your cupboard to find a whole lot of nothing you quickly accept your reality and make the best of it. I rooted through my fridge and grabbed whatever vegetables I had, which were some cherry tomatoes, an eggplant a stalk of celery and a carrot. In my opinion roasting is by far the best tasting way to cook vegetables. This dish tastes quite rich. The eggplant becomes almost buttery and the quinoa adds a creamy nutty flavor.

Serves 2

olive oil
1 eggplant cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 a pint of cherry tomatoes
3 tbs chopped shallots
2 pieces crushed garlic
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup of water

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl toss tomatoes and eggplant in a liberal amount of olive and season with salt (at your discretion). Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

Add some olive oil to a pot and sauté the shallots for a couple of minutes, then add garlic, carrots, celery, 1 tsp of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Cook for about three minutes. Stir in quinoa and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding water. Add water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. When done, the quinoa appears translucent and the germ ring will be visible.

Quinoa is rich in Amino acids (protein), and the protein it supplies is a complete protein. Most grains need to be paired with beans in order to form a complete protein. Although quinoa is technically not a grain, it's a seed, it can be used a substitute in pretty much any recipe that calls for grains. It's also a good source of magnesium, calcium and iron.

Thanks Igor

2008-11-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

At my Gaultier appointment Igor recommended Zibetto's on 6th Ave Btw 56 & 57. It's a tiny very Euro style coffee bar, it actually made me feel like I was in Italy in between shows ducking into any randon coffee bar to get a quick fix. I wish I hadn't been in such a rush or I would have taken it at the bar rather than to go. My latte was pretty perfect. I will definitely go back and even a few blocks out of my way if need be.

Snackimals

2008-11-14T00:59:00.000-05:00

Here's another one I am living for lately. Not to dis on your childhood but these are a million times better than those crappy tasting one that came in the cage box with the the string handle.
THANKS LISA!!!! Will you pay for my gastric bypass after I eat one to many of these?

Cookies and sort of milk

2008-11-14T00:48:00.000-05:00

I love eating babies cookies. For a long time I ate the Nabisco ones that come in the blue box. These are my new faves. They are organic, wheat free, dairy free, soy free and made with whole grains. I like to dip/soak them in Almond milk. So simple yet so good.

All the coffee in New York

2008-11-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning I was heading down to my Paul Smith appointment in Soho when I realized that I no longer know where to get the most delicious latte in the neighborhood.
It has been years since I worked down there and I couldn't really remember where I got coffee back in the day. I would assume it was Starbucks, I used to have a habit. I swore off coffee this past Monday and by Tuesday had a big hot latte in my little hands. A whole 24 hours of coffee abstinence. YAY ME! Can you feel the will power?

Anyways, I was thinking there must a blog about the best coffee joints in various NYC neighborhoods. Right? But how would I go about finding that blog? And it's subjective anyways. So I have decided I will blog about my favorite one off coffee shops.

At my Paul Smith appointment I thought I would asked the locals for their suggestions, specifically asking about the trendy looking place on Houston (at the corner of Greene) called Aroma. They weren't feeling Aroma so much and instead recommended Alessi, that kooky Italian kitchen store. It seems that in the front of their store they have a cafe. Who knew? They serve Joe's coffee and use my favorite espresso machines, FAEMA.

Although it was good I am not quite ready to settle and say it's the best coffee in Soho. What was excited to find was that they sold Amedei chocolate. I don't believe I have seen seen it sold anywhere in NYC since I first heard about last spring. I bought two bars for a total of $19. I know $8 is pretty steap for a chocolate bar but I think it just might be the best chocolate ever. I got the 70% cocoa.
I usually end up eating half of a normal sized chocolate bar in one sitting but with this chocolate two to three squares seems to be all it takes. It is perfectly satisfying, the way a great piece of chocolate should be. Oh, and the packaging is ridiculously chic.

GET YOURS HERE

Yamalama dingdong!

2008-11-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

1 Yam
large, peeled,
cut into thick rounds

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Clove garlic
medium sized, chopped

1/2 Shallot
medium sized, chopped

2 Scallions
cut into 1" pieces

Ginger
cut into matchsticks,
dime sized bundle

Chicken broth, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey, pinch of salt and a dash of pepper

Boil yam slices in salted water for 8 minutes or until tender, then drain and transfer to plate.

Heat olive oil in the pot, add garlic, shallots, ginger and scallions. While these are cooking I like to add a splash of chicken broth to the pan every now and again to keep the ingredients from burning or sticking to the pan, you can can also use water. Just enough to help the cooking process and it evaporates so that it doesn't become soupy consistency. This allows you to use less oil in your cooking. Cook this over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until ginger sticks are tender. Remove from heat add salt and pepper to taste, stir in sesame oil and honey and spoon mixture over the yams.

I think I might be over figuring out what the nutritional information is for everything as it's sort of a pain. All I will say is this is healthy it's just vegetables with a little bit of healthy fat.

The search is over

2008-11-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

I have been looking for a decent set of measuring spoons and have finally found some worth buying. Whenever I find something that I think is just what I have been searching for I buy two. I am kinda picky about the shape and size and depth of my measuring spoons. Oh and just in general I'm little anal retentive too.
Since I sometimes serve myself tablespoons of sticky stuff like the wax orchard fudge or almond butter and I want to be able to get every last drop easily be it with my finger or my maybe my tongue. These seem to be just right shape and size for both spoon licking and finger dipping alike. I like to eat with my hands, luckily I can use growing up in India as my excuse. Although, some don't seem to think this is a good enough reason to continue to eat that way at the ripe old age of 32. To them I say I DON'T CARE!

Another neat thing about these is that they have a couple extra spoons that an average set.
Most don't come with the following extra measuring spoons... a pinch, 1/8 tsp, 2/3 tsp. 1.5 tsp and 2 tsp.
Life is good people, life is good!

It's a problem

2008-11-04T14:13:00.001-05:00

These are dangerous! If only these would come pre-packaged in single serving portions then maybe I wouldn't eat the whole bag in a day! They are heaven and worth standing in the beyond ridiculous lines for.

Gotta love the Frank's

2008-11-01T18:56:00.000-04:00

I think I just spent the whole day drinking again! This morning at around 11am I met my friend Laura at her apartment in the L.E.S. for brunch. She lives at her apartment part time so the kitchen isn't exactly stocked. Laura, Justin (her boyfriend), Rory and Amanda all slept there last night and appeared to be just about as useless as I was looking and feeling this morning. Sadly, I can't even say my exhaustion was the repercussion of all night Halloween partying. Actually I spent last night organizing my mail and bills from the past nine years. I feel like this should be the opening line to a joke, something along the lines of... you know you're over thirty when.... but sadly it is not.

In an effort to get the us to rally Laura brewed us some coffee. Once the coffee was ready it was served sans sugar with rice milk and a side of unsweetened carob chips (which we regularly snack on by the handfuls). What I can say about this experience is that we would probably survive just fine in the wilderness. This is yet another great example of us being able to make the best of a situation with what was readily available. At one point there were about six random mugs and tea cups sprawled out across the kitchen counter and I thought I was reaching into tea cup of carob chips and instead found my hand resting in a tepid cup of coffee which belonged to Amanda.

After a little stroll around the neighborhood we settled in at Frankies Spuntino on Clinton St for a dining extravaganza. Brunch was heaven, especially my french toast which practically floated off my plate it was so light and airy. We totally pigged out and collectively drank a least twenty four Bellini's. I would like to mention that the olive oil from Frankies is really quite good, it has a clean and light but deep grassy flavor to it. You can find it at Whole Foods. It's not exactly what I would call budget but I have no trouble justifying it. I suggest that you do not use it sparingly because it will go bad if it's not used quickly enough. I enjoy the flavor of this olive oil so much that I don't really use it for cooking as much as I do to top finished dishes.

Once we were finished stuffing our faces we stopped by De Vino and picked up four bottles of champagne and two bottles of rosé for a post lunch session on Laura's roof. I mean, that's just how warm the first of November was today in NYC, it was rosé weather! I am back home now with a full stomach and have to say today was a beautiful day and we really took full advantage, thanks for lunch Laura!

Nothing bleak about Bleeker

2008-10-31T14:46:00.000-04:00

I love to stroll down Bleeker Street in search of delicious things to fill my fridge, pantry and ultimately my belly. Bleeker between 7th Ave south and Carmine Street has pretty much everything I could ask for, well except for fresh produce. Ottomanelli's Meat Market, Faicco's Pork Store (which sells so much more than just pork), Murray's Cheese Shop, The Lobster Place and Amy's Bread are all within a few steps of each other. If only every neighborhood had these five shops!

For lunch today I thought I would try something new. I know what you’re thinking...Pasta with meat sauce, Kusum you're a freaking genius! How in the world did I come up with that one!?!? Right? But this isn't any regular meat. It's bison also known as buffalo!

It was actually really good and definitely worth trying. It's not gamey tasting and is leaner than pretty much any other meat out there. So next time you're really going for it with all other ingredients in your dish you can at least cut back a little on the calories and fat by using buffalo meat.
I shared today's lunch with two growing young men so I didn't bother trying to make it figure friendly or make any effort to figure what the nutritional info might be.
To make this pasta I used tagliatelle pasta and fresh tomato sauce from Faicco's, part-skim fontina cheese from Murray's cheese shop, ground buffalo meat from Ottomanelli's, a splash of heavy cream and a little bit of fresh ground pepper. If there was a produce shop on this little strip of Bleeker then I probably would have also picked up some fresh parsley to add to this. Should you prefer a bolder cheese statement then use fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of the part-skim fontina.

From start to finish this dish took less than 15 mins to make. Start by boiling salted water for the pasta in a pot. In another pan add the room temperature ground buffalo meat and gently brown the meat over medium heat, better that the meat is undercooked than overcooked. Next add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 7-8 mins. Now add the tomato sauce, a splash of cream and some fresh ground pepper to the ground meat, stir together and heat through for about a minute or two. Remove the meat sauce from stove top and stir in grated cheese. Drain the pasta and stir the pasta together with the sauce. Mangia!

PS Forgot to mention... if you are trying to avoid refined flour, as found in the pasta, then serve over polenta instead.

Hi my name is Kusum

2008-10-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

and I am recovering cheese addict. If you have not yet tried this particular goat's cheese, I highly recommend it. As of this past March my cheese intake has greatly diminished since I finally started eating meat! For 32 years cheese was pretty much my one and only source of protein and FAT too! This goat's cheese is great because it makes pretty much anything creamy and delicious. I find that a tablespoon of Chavrie adds the same creaminess to dishes as a serving of sour cream or heavy cream but has 1/2 the calories and 3/4 less fat. I am not a huge fan of reduced fat products because I just think they is something kind of weird about them so instead I use this cheese wherever I would normally use regular cheese, sour cream or heavy cream (except in your coffee because that would just be gross). Some of my favorite ways to eat Chavrie are with black beans in place of sour cream, on a cracker with some jam, stirred it into tomato soup and with fresh chopped herbs on an omelette.

Nutritional info per serving, 2 tablespoons
Calories 50
Fat 3.5
Cholesterol 20
Sodium 120
Carbohydrate 1
Fiber 0
Protein 3

Never did I ever....

2008-10-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

...think I would have a blog or that I would use it as a political platform! These cupcakes and cookies are from Eleni's. I think they made McCain green on purpose.

Oh and yes, they were yummy! You really can't make a cupcake taste quite the same without those two key ingredients, all-purpose flour and sugar. But you know what? I am sure going to try one of these days.

Coverflex lids

2008-10-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

This is totally not my photo, in fact it was pirated off the website where these are sold.
I kind of figured they wouldn't mind since I am try to help bring them some business.
Laura, my very eco-aware friend, introduced me to these. She doesn't have a shred of plastic wrap, Ziploc bags or aluminum foil in her house. She does compost, has a vegetable garden, drives a Prius and uses her Sigg water bottle. I must admit it's pretty impressive to see this lifestyle actually put into practice on a daily basis. I have a hard time living with out my Ziploc bags, plastic wrap and aluminum foil but I am making an effort to not use as liberally.

These little covers are great because they stretch over just about anything. They are made of silicone, they create a complete leak proof seal and can be used in the fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher. I find the small and medium sizes to be the most useful. So rinse and re-use!

GET YOURS HERE

100 Calorie Dark Chocolate Bars

2008-10-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

Just perfect if you have self control. There's really nothing more to say here.

Cut out the crap, NOW!

2008-10-26T14:15:00.000-04:00

These are three NOW products I use practically everyday. They are must haves in my cupboard, so much so that I keep them both at my house and my office.

STEVIA
When you accept that Splenda, Sweet n' Low and Equal are bad for you and you are searching for a natural no calorie sweetener look for stevia. I will not lie, it has taken me about five years of sporadically using stevia to finally fully integrate it into my life as a replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners. In my opinion the Now french vanilla stevia is by far the best tasting one out there. It's definitely not the same as those others sweeteners. It's an acquired taste and has more fiber therefore it doesn't dissolve easily in cold beverages as well as it does in hot ones. When I want to sweeten a cold drink I usually dissolve one or two packets into a tiny bit of warm water first to make a simple syrup and then add it to my drink. It's made from the leaves of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family. Stevia is a good option for those with diabetes, hypo/hyperglycemia or those who wish to maintain their blood glucose levels since it's a zero glycemic index.
I do not recommend trying to use stevia as a replacement for sugar in recipes. That's what the Fruit Sweet from Wax Orchard is for.
GET YOURS HERE

COCOA POWDER
Everyone, myself included, is loving the fact that dark chocolate is now considered to be good for you. The reason is because of the polyphenols in the cocoa bean which are considered to be antioxidant. Antioxidants are important because they basically block and deactivate free radicals floating around inside our bodies. From what I understand free radicals come to exist in two ways, naturally created by the immune system to help neutralize bacteria and viruses and the second because of environmental factors such as smoking, pollution, pesticides etc... A free radical is a an unstable molecule in the cells. Too many unstable molecules are dangerous and are linked to the growth of cancers. Additionally antioxidants are said to help reduce signs of aging.
Here is a list of foods that are rated to be the richest in Antioxidants. To this list I add spinach, pomegranate, goji berries, green tea, white tea, dark chocolate and concord grape juice and I am sure many other foods. Eat a variety of these foods daily and you are already on way to taming those free radicals.
GET YOURS HERE

For the purist, this one's sugar free and dairy free

Simply Hot Cocoa
1 cup soy milk
1 packet french vanilla stevia
3-4 teaspoons of cocoa powder

WHEY PROTEIN
I originally bought this unflavored whey protein because I wanted to add protein to my baking.
But who doesn’t love a protein shake? Especially one that is low in calories, fat, carbohydrates and sugar. This particular whey protein is great for two reasons… the price is good for the quantity and because it’s unflavored so you can use it in many different ways; pancakes, muffins, cookies, etc...
GET YOURS HERE

I start every shake with one scoop of protein powder and one packet of french vanilla stevia, then add whatever else you want and blend.

My answer to a milkshake

Mocha Chocolata Ya Ya
1 scoop whey protein isolate
1 packet french vanilla stevia
1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbs malted milk powder
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup skim milk
add ice and blend

Calories 266
Fat 1
Cholesterol 5
Sodium 126
Carbohydrate 32
Sugar 23
Fiber 2
Protein 34

W.W. Points 5
The Daily Plate

I am no nutritionist but I consider this next one to be good post work out shake. Coconut water is similar to Gatorade. It replenishes electrolytes, re-hydrating the body of fluids lost while sweating. The banana is good source of potassium and sugar which helps to restore glycogen levels and recover muscles. Whey protein is the fastest digesting protein so it assimilates more quickly than eating a solid form of protein such as chicken or fish.

Monkey Money
1 scoop whey protein isolate
1 packet french vanilla stevia
1 Vita Coco water
1/2 frozen banana
3 tbs unsweetened reduced fat coconut
2 tbs PB2
add ice and blend

Calories 322
Fat 8
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 129
Carbohydrate 36
Sugar 24
Fiber 3
Protein 31

W.W. Points 7
The Daily Plate

Tomato Lentil Dal

2008-10-22T14:48:00.000-04:00

Tomato Lentil Dal

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 can 14oz crushed tomatoes (no salt)
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut

Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add onion cook for five minutes stirring as needed.
Add ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander cook for about a minute. Next add lentils, tomatoes and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cook for about 40 minutes, until lentils are soft. Spoon about 2 cups of lentils with a little liquid into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and then return the blended soup back to the pan. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and coconut.

Nutritional info per 1.5 cup serving
Calories 261
Fat 6.25
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 315
Carbohydrate 38
Fiber 17.5
Protein 15.25

W.W. Points 5
The Daily Plate

Wax Orchards

2008-10-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

This stuff is truly genius! I pretty much eat the fudge straight out of the jar. It's really thick and sticks nicely to the back of a spoon, which I then dip into some grated coconut.
I use the fruit sweet in place of sugar when baking. It's made from a blend of pear and pineapple juices. It's diabetic friendly, has less calories than sugar and is sweeter so you use less. Fruit juice concentrates are humectants and help to keep baked good fresher longer.

Use 2/3 cup of fruit sweet for every 1 cup of sugar in your recipes.

GET YOURS HERE

Crystal head vodka

2008-10-21T16:40:00.000-04:00

Is this not the coolest bottle of vodka you have ever seen? Crystal head vodka is unfortunately currently sold out so you probably won't be able to get your hands on it in time for Halloween however, Hi Time Wine is expecting to receive another shipment in about three weeks which would be in just in time to make a pretty cool Christmas gift. My boyfriend, a purveyor of all things cool, bought two bottles a couple weeks ago. I am always impressed by his ability to get his hands on things before anyone seems to know about them.

GET YOURS HERE

Dry roasted wasabi edamame

2008-10-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

These wasabi flavored edamame may have a couple more calories and a gram more fat than the average wasabi peas however, the upside is they are dry roasted rather than fried, have less saturated fat, no trans fats, no cholesterol, less sodium, less carbs, more fiber and a lot more protien than the average wasabi pea. Making your snack time calorie spending a little more nutritous and a little less empty. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, get your snack on.

GET YOURS HERE

Nutritional info, per 1/4 cup serving (30g)
Calories 130
Calories from fat 40
Fat 4.5
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 130mg
Carbohydrates 9
Fiber 7
Sugar 1
Protien 14

W.W. points 2
The Daily Plate

Thai style cream corn soup

2008-10-15T23:31:00.000-04:00

Thai style cream corn soup
Serves 4

½ cup light coconut milk
2 tbs chopped shallots
3 cups of fresh corn, cut corn off cob
1 bouillon cube in 2 cups of hot water to make broth
4 slices peeled fresh ginger (about ¼" thick and 1" diameter)
¼ tsp red curry paste
½ lime, zest of
1 whole stalk of cilantro with root, cleaned well
5 kafir lime leaves, crushed
1 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tsp honey (optional)

Begin by adding 4 tablespoons of coconut milk to a pan, simmer on low heat about 1-2 mins or until you smell the coconut milk. Add 2 tablespoons chopped shallots to the pan. The coconut milk should be gently bubbling and will begin to thicken and evaporate. Continue cooking for 2-3 mins stirring occasionally. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk followed by 3 cups of corn kernels, 2 cups of broth, 4 slices of ginger, ¼ teaspoon of red curry paste, zest of lime and 1 whole stalk of cilantro. Next take the 5 kafir lime leaves squeeze them hard into a ball in your hands to activate the oils and add those to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 8-10 mins.

Carefully remove and discard all ginger pieces, the stalk of cilantro and the lime leaves. Spoon corn into a food processor or blender and reserve the majority of any left over broth. Add 1 tsp of seasoned rice wine vinegar and blend. Slowly add back the reserved broth until it's all gone or until you reach your desired consistency, whichever comes first. The subtle sweetness of this soup greatly depends on the sweetness of the corn you use. If your corn is not very sweet you can add 2 teaspoons of honey at the end while blending the soup together.

Garnish with a cilantro leaf.

*NOTE
For this recipe I like to use Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon cubes with sea salt. However I have also made it with chicken bouillon cubes as well and it's equally as delicious. If fresh corn is not in season or you are feeling lazy I see no reason why you couldn't substitute with frozen corn.

Nutritional info, per ¾ cup serving
Calories 187
Calories from fat 24.5
Fat 4.4
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 548
Carbohydrates 37.7
Fiber 3.7
Sugar 7.6
Protein 4.75

W.W. Points 3
The Daily Plate

Easy whole-wheat chips

2008-10-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

Easy whole-wheat chips
Serves 6

1 package of Garden Of Eatin' whole-wheat tortillas (6 tortillas)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Fine sea salt

Brush each tortilla (both sides) with about 1/3 teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle each side with a little salt. Cut into 1/4’s and then 1/4’s again making 16 chips per tortilla. Bake at 350 till gently browned, should be somewhere between 3-5 mins depending on your oven.

You can also make these with cinnamon and sugar, honey and sesame seeds, or whatever else your pretty little heads can think of. If you have a gluten or wheat allergy you can make these with brown rice tortillas instead, Food For Life makes them. Both the whole wheat and brown rice tortillas can be found frozen section at your friendly healthy food store.

I view the olive oil as being fairly negligible since each tortilla has about 1/3 of a teaspoon therefore it's not reflected in the below nutritional information.

Nutritional info per tortilla or 16 chips
Calories 110
Calories from fat 10
Fat 1
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 130
Carbohydrate 22
Fiber 3
Sugar less than 1
Protein 4

W.W. 2
The Daily Plate

Driving miss daisy, ruby and olive

2008-10-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

I spent this past holiday weekend in Southport, CT with Laura, one of my oldest best friends from high school. It's really a beautiful time of year there with the leaves changing and the weather being particularly perfect. Wanting to take full advantage of the great outdoors we made a plan to take the dogs for a hike and drop by my mom's house in Greenwich on the way. I needed to drop off the thai cream corn soup I had made for her. (recipe for that coming soon)

My mom has an amazing little garden at her house where she and her husband David grow a little bit of everything; fruit, vegetables and flowers. I was particularly excited about the watermelons and David was gracious enough to cut one loose for me to take home.

Since we were already in my mom's neck of woods, quite literally, we decided to take our walk on a trail near her house. We did what the country folk like to call "leaf peeping". The dogs ran ahead while we followed behind walking all the way to the water and back. With only a couple of mosquito bites in the strangest of places we bid adieu to my mom and David and headed off to Laura's favorite yoga class.

On our way back home from fun and slightly sweaty yoga class we stopped at whole foods to pick up...well, actually I am not to sure what we went there to get but we of course left with something sweet! ENTER... Laloo’s. Laura prefaced the introduction with "I know this is going to sound gross because it’s made with goats milk..." followed by "but really it's the best ice cream ever".

I am no Andrew Zimmern so goat’s milk ice cream does strike me a little bizarre but it's ice cream so how bad could it really be? I mean it's not like it was goat’s testicles, which seams to be his favorite dish, icky!

Having tried it I too can now say it actually really is the best ice cream. I am officially converted. I wish I could be more articulate as to what makes it so delicious. After all, this is a food blog and just spent my entire entry talking about my weekend and giving very little insight as to what makes this ice cream special. It must be the goat’s milk or it would just taste like any other ice cream right? I kind of think it's somehow creamier and it just sort of tastes sweeter but in a subtle way. It has a very pure taste. It's kind of ridiculous so JUST GO TRY IT! And of course add some PB2 into the mix.

The daily plate

2008-10-12T01:55:00.000-04:00

You may have have been wondering why I include W.W. points and the links for The Daily Plate. Weight watchers because it’s a popular system and the daily plate because I am fan.

I use The Daily Plate not so much for the purposes of counting calories but more as a gauge for eating a balanced diet. I now believe that it is less about how much you eat but rather what you eat. Don't get me wrong portion control is still a good idea, especially when it comes to naughty foods, but as far as I can see no one has ever gotten fat from eating fruits and vegetables. Right?

I am using this to teach myself what a balanced meal and day looks like because when left to my own judgment I end up eating mostly fats and carbs, of course! I aim for a daily breakdown of 40% carbohydrate 30% protein 30% fat and the nutritional pie chart reconfigures itself each time you add or remove a food from your "plate".

TDP also allows you to see how much fiber, sugar and cholesterol you eat too, which are also important if those are issues for you. Or if you have a food allergy it's a great way to keep a food journal to track what might giving you trouble. It also stores a list of all your favorite foods and meals making it quick and easy add things. Oh, and it's free!

check out...The Daily Plate

PB2

2008-10-10T23:02:00.001-04:00

Quite possibly my favorite discovery of the summer!

I have a serious peanut butter obsession and have to really exercise self-control so I don’t end up eating a whole jar in one sitting.

Late one night while trolling the internet in search of a lower fat peanut butter option I stumbled upon PB2. It sounded to good to be true so I placed an order and thought what do I have to lose. Well, it arrived and it didn’t suck, it didn't suck at all, in fact it’s kind of amazing! I am not going to lie it was a little weird at first and did take me a minute to figure out what to do with it.

My daily PB2 applications are as follows; protein shakes, sprinkled on ice cream, mixed with jam on a cracker, on yogurt, etc… As with peanut butter I could probably eat a whole jar of this stuff too.

I highly recommend you give this stuff a try and it is also now available in PB2 Chocolate. Mine is on its way and should be arriving any day now. Fingers crossed that it tastes like a Reeses peanut butter cup.

GET YOUR PB2 HERE

Ingredients: peanuts, sugar, salt

Nutritional info
Serving size 2 tablespoons (12g)
Calories 53.2
Calories from fat 16.8
Fat 1.8
Cholesterol .01
Sodium 77.6
Carbohydrate 3.4
Fiber .48
Sugar 1.6
Protien 5.6

W.W. Points 1
The Daily Plate

Egg white salad

2008-10-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

Serves 2

6 large hard boiled eggs, organic cage free with omega 3
2 tablespoons shallots (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons celery (finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1.5 tablespoons spectrum brand light canola mayo
Salt and pepper to your taste

Hard-boiling eggs
Place room temperature eggs in a large pot; fill pot with cold water covering the eggs plus about one more inch of water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring the pot of water (with eggs) to a boil. Once water has reached a boil allow eggs to cook for 1 minute more. Then turn off stove, cover with the lid and remove the pot from stove. Let the covered pot sit for about 23 minutes. Next uncover, drain hot water and run cold water over the eggs till cooled. Peel eggs and discard yolks.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash well with a fork or wooden spoon. I always find this salad tastes even better the next day.

PAIRS WELL WITH...
Kavli 5 grain crispbread
Sandwiched between two slices of yummy whole grain bread
Lettuce cups

*NOTE
If your not so fond of chopped or sliced raw onions then soak the chopped onion in ice water for about 15 minutes this slows down the compounds that give onions their pungency.

Nutritional info, per serving
Calories 96.75
Calories from fat 22.5
Fat 3
Saturated fat 0
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 280
Carbohydrates 2.9
Fiber .65
Sugar .73
Protien 15

W.W. Points 2
The Daily Plate