Get Her To The Greek

Since the popularity explosion of Greek yogurt, I've made an effort to regularly stock my fridge.  Lower cal, higher protein, and superior texture...  Yeah, it was a given.  What I had yet to realize was how easily other dairies could be replaced with this Grecian gem.

I stumbled upon Jillian Michaels' chicken salad recipe over the weekend and I was pumped!  I love any kind of salad in the summer: egg, tuna, even my food nemesis, chicken.  And when I saw that mayo was subbed out, I was this salad's biggest fan.  I fixed it up on Sunday evening and ate it for yesterday's lunch and dinner and today's lunch - it's that good.  And if you toss the bread and plop it on a bed of baby spinach?  You're looking at three gigantor servings at mere 320 calories a pop.

Dear Blender, I Love You

My mid-year resolution should include blending daily for no other reason than I love it (my blender that is).  It's the one tool in my kitchen that never fails at producing miracles.  And it's the only tool in my kitchen that guarantees vitamin packed-ness with the touch of a button.

I've been randomly craving cream of asparagus soup for too long to have not already posted something.  Perhaps it has something to do with creamy soups and 100 degree weather not jiving.  But more likely, it has to do with forgetting my sporadic craving each and every time I pass through the market's automated entrance.

You'll need:

1 lb Fresh Asparagus, Chopped

3 Leeks, Sliced

2 Garlic Cloves

1 - 16 oz Can of Vegetable Broth

1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp Parmesan, Shaved

Boil asparagus, leeks, and garlic until tender (about 15 minutes).   Blend vegetables until 100% smooth.  Add vegetable broth and yogurt and blend again.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Colorful Coverage

Pictured above is my staple go-to dinner.  And while it happens to be super simple, it also happens to have a purpose - greens for metabolism protection, reds for cancer prevention, and both for heart-disease prevention.  Who knew a ten minute meal could have your color bases covered?

Typically, I wilt spinach leaves with heated red sauce and throw in some gluten free pasta, but tonight I was reminded of my frozen food debacle and decided I wanted to "cream" my own greens.  So much better than frozen!  It might even cook faster than the five to seven nuking minutes required by the previously mentioned frozen fare.

Melt 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a pan.  Throw in a couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves until they are fully wilted.  Sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of sharp white cheese, stir, and voila!

Healthy Pants Pizza

Some days you crave fatty pants pizza, some days you settle for lazy pants pizza, and the other days?  Well the other days you just need healthy pants pizza.

A few weeks ago during one of my all too frequent grocery store trips, I stumbled upon a sample stand.  And if you've been with me to the market, you know that by stumble upon, I mean ran to.  Rarely do I 'stumble upon' a sample stand and think "I'm happy I just ate that".  In fact, before that day, it had never happened - a scrunched face and search for the nearest paper towel is more like it.

To create your own healthy pants pizza, you'll need:
- 1 Eggplant
- Pizza Sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Typical Toppings (I chose spinach, mushrooms, and onions)

Thinly slice eggplant.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place eggplant disks.  Broil eggplant on each side for about 4 minutes or until browned.  Watch closely as they burn easily, especially the ones in the back!  Cover with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and broil another minute or two until the cheese is bubbly.

Merry's Miracle Tart

After being on the road for two weeks, I felt as though I could not eat one more junky bite.  Knowing this, my Dallas friend, anxious to show me a new health hot spot, brought me to Southpaw's Organic Cafe.  She ordered the Dr. Luke sans beast and it looked amazing.  But honestly, I couldn't imagine anything passing through my food abused lips.

In true 'I can't sit still' fashion, I wandered around the store.  I honed in on the refrigerated goods and the word 'raw' immediately came into focus.  I'll take one of these!

At 400 calories for one Merry's Miracle Tart, it's not a guiltless treat.  But knowing that the the ingredients were quality, the fats were good and the taste was to die for, was enough to make me not care.  Rumor has it these bad boys are sold at Whole Foods - I'll keep ya posted!   

Oh No?

Wanting to love something and actually loving it are often disconnected.  As we approached 230 Forest Avenue, it was a place I wanted to love.  The scene was quaint, well styled, well lit, and perfectly packed.  If I could pick one restaurant style that defined me, this would be it - high expectations were instantaneous.

I ordered my favorites, the steamed mussels (and clams) appetizer and Chilean sea bass entrée.  And as I waited for the food to arrive, I wondered if I would soon hit a rock wall of disappointment.  A feeling of ‘oh no!’ rushed over me.

It was a false ‘oh no’ as I was definitely not disappointed.  In fact, there was no room for disappointment between the two complete packages of inner and outer beauty that found their way to my table last night.  Even though 230 Forest Avenue is a little far from home, I am positive it will remain highly ranked on my list of all time favorites! 

Feed Me Now

Cross country flights are brutal, two cross country flights in two weeks - my oh my!    By the time we landed at LAX, bussed to the rental car lot and headed to Long Beach, I was starved.  It took a few minutes to calculate across time zones exactly how long it had been since I'd last eaten.  As the words six and a half hours came out of my mouth, I realized I needed food, now.

I also realized that when I get this hungry it's impossible to figure out what I'm in the mood for.  Sushi within Pacific walking distance?  I wasn't sure it was what I was craving (why isn't that what I was craving?), but I was more sure that sushi was a better decision than my only other option: Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles.  I'm pretty sure I'll never get what all that rage is about.

We plopped into a booth at Bai Plu and embraced the speedy service.  And the sushi?  Quality, quality.  The fortune?  "There is prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you".  An exciting outlook for my next few weeks of traveling adventures!