a lovely light lunch

i think i have figured it out. finally. hopefully (but probably not), the secret to me losing weight!  and that secret is...(drum roll, please) eating a light lunch.  yes, it's true.  i have breakfast down to a science (an egg white sandwich). i have dinner down for the most part. but it is lunch that can stand in the way of making a good decision or not.  especially if i am not at home.  i will be the first to scarf down a costco hot dog if the mood strikes.  god they are good.  i will knock back a moe's burrito and all the chips they serve me.  and that just isn't working for me anymore.  the problem is this.  i leave in the morning to do all of my grocery shopping. i generally finish up around 11:00 a.m.,  by 10:00 a.m. i am seriously thinking about what is for lunch.  so, coming back home and making lunch for myself on top of the day i have ahead of me, well, i sometimes just don't want to go through all of the trouble.   so, i have recently started to make it easy on myself.  i simply make a salad the day before, store it in the fridge and eat it with some piece of protein the next day for lunch. or i will make a huge batch of some sort of lean soup and eat on it for a few days.  i try so hard to eat very healthy on the weekdays and splurge a little on weekends.   and over the past 3 weeks i have really been focused on dropping a few pounds.  i have had a few reunions, my 20 year high school which was last weekend (had such a blast).  and my unc college soccer alumnae reunion coming up this weekend.  it's important for me to look good.  so the past three weeks or so, i have dedicated myself to eating very light and healthy.  in particular lunch.  this is a salad i made today and it was awesome.  i marinated a piece of salmon (yesterday) in miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic.  and served it with a massive salad.  i have lost 8 pounds by implementing this way of eating.  i feel better, i look better, and i sleep better. i think the moral of this very long story is preparation.  if i don't have a game plan, well costco or moe's, your probably getting my business! 

trust me on this one

i try to post photos of food that not only taste good, but look good. this one fails on looking good. but trust me when i say that this has to be one of my favorite mexican dishes i have ever made. truly. it's a chicken enchilada with roasted tomatillo chile salsa. it is so easy to put together and it's not loaded with fat. there are very specific flavors in this dish that go so well with each other. i made a big dish of these enchiladas for a client to have over the weekend. i had a bit of the filling left over and a few tortilla shells, so i made a small batch for myself.  i didn't have any salsa left over which is meant to be poured over top.  i can't even imagine how much better they would have been with it.  here is the recipe.  don't be turned off by the length of the ingredient list, most of it goes in a blender.  the only thing i did differently to the recipe is add corn.  when you check out the recipe, look at the photo too, it will represent the dish much better than the pitiful looking photo i took!

chunky greek salad

 eat one this weekend for dinner.  cleanse.  romaine, peppers, tomatoes (hurry, the season is coming to an end), kalamata olives, baby cucs, feta, and a fantastic home made vinaigrette.

a very tasty chop

i am sometimes challenged with what to cook my clients. the way i operate my business is simple. i decide what i am cooking them and they eat it. i love it that way because it allows me to be creative. but it can also be difficult. poultry, fish, beef, pork???   i came across this pork chop recipe on the food network site. it is a pork chop with a fennel and caper sauce. i thought it was fantastic. i like recipes that allow the meat to simmer in a ton of wonderful flavors. to start, purchase double cut, boneless pork chops. heat a big skillet over medium high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. salt and pepper the chops. once the pan is nice and hot, add the chops and cook for 4 minutes per side. remove them from the pan, onto a plate and cover with foil.  next add the sliced fennel (i used 3 bulbs), 2 shallots, diced, and 1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley.  cook for about 5 minutes until the fennel softens.  then add 1/2 cup of white wine, and (1) 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes.  mix everything together then add the chops back into the pan.  make sure to nestle them in the sauce.  cook for 12-15 minutes.  once the pork chops have cooked through, add the zest of 1/2 lemon, 3 tablespoons of drained capers.  stir to combine.  once you have plated the chops, add a nice sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley on top, and a sprinkle of salt.  this is such a tasty dish, the fennel has such a nice subtle taste.  i served this meal with brown basmati rice and grilled asparagus.  the original recipe can be found here.

spinach orzo salad

ever get tired of the same ole' side dish?  if so, make this.  it's so simple, and it is so good.  boil 1 cup of orzo (it comes in whole wheat, too), in salted water for 10 minutes.  drain and set aside.  i like to drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top while it is cooling, just to ensure it doesn't stay lumpy.  don't know if it really helps or not, but it works for me.  while the orzo is cooking, toast about 1/4 cup of pine nuts for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven.   while that is all happening, chop a good big handful of fresh baby spinach.  i like to use baby spinach almost always when a recipe calls for it because i don't have to remove the stems - who in the heck wants that tedious job?  throw it in a separate bowl from the orzo.  i have found it takes about 30 minutes for the orzo to cool, and you want to serve this dish at room temperature.  if you threw in the spinach, it would wilt, and you don't want that.  or do you???  anyway, zest one lemon, juice one lemon, and toss in about 1/3 cup of good quality feta cheese, not the kind that is already crumbled.  try to get the real stuff that comes in a block, packed in water.  it's just better.  toss all of these ingredients in the bowl with the spinach.  stir the orzo from time to time to loosen it up and to release the steam it is holding.  once the orzo has cooled, incorporate all the ingredients and add enough olive oil so that it is loose.  don't over do it on the olive oil, use just a tablespoon or so at a time.  greasy lips are gross, and fating, and unnecessary.  add salt and pepper to taste.  this is a very versatile meal, add whatever ingredients you see fit.  but this one is a great introduction to orzo.

spicy thai noodles

a client of mine came back from vacationing in aspen, and brought me back a few packages of flavored pastas. it's from a company called pappardelles.  i made this meal for myself and brian on friday night.  we had every intention of going to the market to shop, but a huge thunderstorm came rolling in, so i decided to stay put.  i hate being out in the rain.  well, i guess it's more accurate to say, i hate being rained on.  i love a big rain storm...when i'm indoors.  okay, back to the pasta.  i didn't have a lot to work with.  come friday, my fridge and pantry are pretty much cleaned out. i did have a few items lingering around that made for a fantastic meal.  i had some frozen scallops, half of an orange bell pepper, some edamame, fresh cilantro, garlic, and ginger.  this meal took no time to throw together.  while the pasta was cooking, i seared the scallops, along with the peppers and soy beans in the same big cast iron skillet.  i deglazed the pan after i removed everything with a big pour of white wine, which created my sauce.  dinner was done.  some wine was left over.  and a fantastic evening ensued.

beet salad

i tend to eat in cycles. if i come across a certain recipe, or a particular food that i really like, i eat the heck out if it.  i'm on a beet kick right now.  i think i am just about done with my okra kick.  i ate pan seared okra 5 days in a row.  i loved it that much.  over the weekend, i ate a beet salad with every dinner i made.  i enjoyed this one last night with seared scallops ( and okra).  i don't always see rainbow beets at the market, seems it's the purple beets that are always available, but not many other varieties.  i came across these baby rainbow beets and snatched up two bunches.  i like beet salads with arugula, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.  a simple drizzle of olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.  that's it.  the flavor combination works so well together, nothing else needs to be done to this gorgeous, delicious, healthy salad.  i think people don't give beets a fair try.  maybe they were forced to try canned beets as a child and have sworn off fresh beets because of it.  i roasted some beets for a client last week who told me a while back that she didn't like beets.  i told her she had to try them, that we were having a "taster's rule".  she couldn't balk or complain, because i made sure i told her this with her two young children in the room!  she loved them.  so, for all you people out there who think you don't like something, perhaps a holdover from your childhood . . .  give it another try.  your taste buds do mature.  besides, what is there really not to like about something as simple and healthy as a beet?  be forewarned - eating a lot of beets does make your urine red!

spaghetti squash and meatballs

ever want a big bowl of pasta and meatballs, but don't want that big gut bomb afterwards?  you know what i'm talking about, don't you?  i love, love, love pasta, but try to be sensible about it.  i have pretty much switched over completely to whole wheat, and i almost never use anything other than my homemade tomato sauce, or a simple olive oil and garlic mixture.  never a cream based sauce.  don't get me wrong, i adore cream sauces, so much so i practically lick my plate clean.  but, i have noticed as i age, it just doesn't come off like it used to.  damn aging.  i made this the other night for my clients and they all loved it.  like me, my clients like to eat clean and simple foods.  i rarely ever cook pasta for them, so this was quite a joy for them when i showed up, with what looked like, a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs!  a few (the kids) were a bit skeptical about eating squash, but they actually really liked it.  i started by making a big batch of tomato sauce.  saute one small diced onion, and 3 gloves of garlic in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, for 10 minutes or so.  then add one diced celery stalk, one diced carrot, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.  once all the vegetables are nice and soft, add (2) 32oz cans of whole, peeled tomatoes, 6 basil leaves, about 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, and 2 bay leaves.  cover and simmer for 1 hour.  in the meantime, cut one spaghetti squash in half,  horizontally, and scoop out the seeds.  drizzle a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper on the flesh.  place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes.  once cool enough to handle, grab a fork and scrape out the strands into a bowl.  there you have it . .  a bowl of look-alike pasta!  once the tomato sauce has cooked for an hour, remove the bay leaves and  pour sauce into a blender. blend until smooth.  be careful and not over fill the blender, do this in stages.  also, be careful when blending hot liquids - trust me on this one, it will explode in your face.  been there, done that.  my turkey meatballs are made with 1 pound of ground turkey (not breast- it's too dry),  2 eggs, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, 2 garlic gloves, 1/4 grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  that's it, you can make yourself a delicious, healthy, figure friendly meal this weekend.  have a good one, see you monday!

stuffed figs

i have a fig tree in my yard.  when i bought my house many years ago, my neighbor use to climb up the tree and pick figs.  wait, back up.  to be completely honest, my neighbor has a fig tree, just a few branches (really, almost all of them) are on my property.  so rightfully it is my neighbors fig tree, i just like to say i have one.  around july, they are almost ready to harvest.  problem is, all of the birds and squirrels in my neighborhood, and a few of the surrounding neighborhoods,  also know i have a fig tree.  they beat me to them every year and on top of that, they poop and drop rotten figs on the windshield of my car.  very bothersome.  after moaning and groaning about it for a while, brian finally suggested that i go to the market and just buy some.  truth is, i don't think i would ever feel comfortable eating the figs from my fig tree, just because of all the rodent germs and potential swine flu.  so i went to the market to pick up a container of black mission figs.  i wanted to get what looked most like my figs so i could eat them and pretend i picked them.  i have never really been that into figs.  i think it stems back to my childhood when a cookie for me was a fig newton.  just gave me shivers thinking about it (thanks mom and dad).  i made the tastiest little appetizers, that have now opened my eyes to these once not so respected fruits. i started by removing the stems.  i then scored the tops with an x  and cut through about 1/3 down.  gently pry the figs open and stuff some blue cheese (or gorgonzola) in the center.  bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until the cheese melts and the figs soften.  i drizzled a bit of honey over the top to balance out the sharpness of the cheese.  delicious.  next summer, i hope, i mean, i will take back my fig tree!

oh, my!

i am always in search of new ways to cook just about anything. once again, i went to lucy's market today and purchased a bag of these amazing looking okra (kim, the owner, has the best produce around, i'm convinced).  coming from the south, the only way we know how to eat okra is fried, deep fried. that's just not an option these days, so i decided to play on the old southern favorite.  the okra i picked up today was gorgeous. i have seen it around in all of the markets and it just didn't excite me. but today it did. i made this for brian and myself, and i am so glad i did. obviously, i cut the okra in half, length wise, because it is pretty that way, and then pan seared them in a cast iron skillet.  i really think the cast iron skillet was the reason for the fantastic result.  i simply heated up the skillet and added about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  while that was getting hot, i cut all the okra and sprinkled each piece with salt and pepper.  when the oil was good and hot, i placed the okra, cut side down in the pan, and seared them for about 4 minutes.  after they got this nice brown (okay black) color i put them all on a plate and sprinkled just a touch more salt.  after tasting my first okra slice, i decided this is my new french fry.  it covers it all.  it's the same shape as a fry ( go with me on this), it's crunchy, i can eat it with my fingers, it's salty, and it's to die for. and it's soooo much better for you!  you have to try this, or your own version.  hurry though, okra season is coming to an end.

wheatberry salad

i'm in love. where has this delicious grain been all of my life? why haven't i heard about it until recently? i went to this fantastic lunch spot called souper jenny - if you live in atlanta, please tell me you know about this place. if you live in atlanta and don't know about souper jenny, you are missing out. my girlfriend made a quick stop in atlanta a few weeks ago, and headed straight there for lunch - it was closed. i think they closed for almost a month. how fantastic is that? she can do that though, because the food she serves is delicious, fresh, healthy, and simple. she knows when she reopens, the line at the door will be there. i went there last week for a quick bite and they were offering a wheatberry salad. it was fantastic. so over the weekend, i made my version. i found wheatberries at whole foods. i picked up some zucchini, yellow squash, a carrot, feta, and basil (my herb garden has expired - it's very upsetting).  boil the wheatberries in enough water to cover them by about 4 inches, for 1 hour, or until tender.  drain and let cool.  i added some feta cheese while there was still a bit of heat, so the cheese would melt.  then i added all the veggies.  i have this really cool kitchen tool that shreds vegetables into small matchsticks.  i used that for both the squash and carrot.  add a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and you have this fantastic, healthy side dish.  if i had a lemon on hand i would have added some zest and a big squeeze of juice.  i can't wait to serve this to my clients, they will go crazy over it.  and so will you.

pretty food tastes better

are you aware of how you plate your food? even if it's just you eating it?  you should.  it will taste better.  i firmly believe that.  there is a sandwich shop walking distance from my house that i have stopped going to because they make sloppy sandwiches.  i've simply had enough.  i really can't understand it either.  why would you take a job, any job, and not do it right?  why would you not take pride in what you are serving your customers?  if i worked behind a sandwich counter i would have a line out the door waiting for my properly prepared, clean, tidy sandwiches!  okay, i'm stepping down now.  just had to get that off my chest.  i made shrimp lettuce wraps recently and my "fixings" were a variety of raw, julienned cut vegetables.  i used jicama, carrot, cucumber, yellow and red pepper, and cilantro (not shown).  i served them in lettuce cups, with a simple sauce made of soy, rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil, honey, and a bit of water.  it's a very light meal - a nice side of some simple carb would be recommended.  i was hungry within an hour of eating this....
speaking of good carbs, check out this blog and learn more about them.  we need them in our lives everyone!

picked from my parent's garden!

how cool is this? a home grown watermelon in the city!  who knew.  my parents live on a lake and they planted a watermelon patch near the lake line.  i have a feeling that had something to do with the success of this beauty!  while they were out of town recently, i went over to their house to pillage, i mean tend, to their garden.  i picked two watermelons, a ton of cherry tomatoes, a few cucumbers, and some basil.  by the way, cherry tomatoes are a real pain in the butt to pick.  they are so small and hide all in the vines.  i don't think i will be planting any of those in the near future.  back to the watermelon.  there must be some way to tell if the melons are ready to harvest.  clearly something i don't know.  i was going to make my client a watermelon soup and had boasted to her about the watermelon i picked from my parents' garden.  how it was going to be the best watermelon she has had...i was so proud.  but when i cut into it, it was white!  so i cut into the second one i picked, white!  i sorta felt bad that i stripped this watermelon of fulfilling its only purpose in life. am i weird?

summer squash

this is such a great side dish for all of the summer squash that is out there right now.  it is a simple saute of yellow squash and zucchini, with garlic and oregano.  salt and pepper, of course.  i like to cut both the zucchini and yellow squash in half moons, it's just the right size to get it in your mouth.  i like full cheeks when i eat, and i try to avoid using my knife to cut my food once it is on the plate.  so, when i am preparing meals, i cut food in a way that is easy to eat.   in a large bowl, combine the squash (one of each), minced garlic (1 good size clove), dried oregano, salt and pepper.  in a saute pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and add the veggies (try to use a large enough pan that the squash is not on top of each other - you want them in a single layer).  don't move the vegetables for about 3 minutes to get a nice brown crust.  toss the pan around cook for for another 3-4 minutes.  i prefer all of my vegetables to have a crunch.  i can't stand over cooked, soggy, mushy vegetables.  guess that's why i have never been a fan of canned veggies???

peaches n' cream

is everyone enjoying the wonderful peaches out there?  man are they good.  i have found that the best peaches are at a farm stand.  i don't know what it is, but i think the farm stand folks now how to handle and store their produce better than the big chain markets.  some fruits are just not meant to be refrigerated.  peaches are one of them.  tomatoes are another.  and i believe that many of the produce is shipped in huge refrigerated trucks. unlike the local farmer who picks their fruit, then packs everything up in their beat up truck and delivers to the local farm stand.  don't take my word on this, it's just what i think.  makes sense though.  i made this individual pie with the best tasting peach i have had so far this summer.  i intended to make fresh whipped cream, but something drastically went wrong.  and to this day i still can't figure it out.  i've made whipped cream several times before, but this one just didn't turn out.  fear not, i just drizzled a bit of the flat cream over the diced peaches and it was awesome.  sorta like when ice cream melts over a hot brownie and you have this nice sweet milky liquid.  yum.  there's not much to this recipe.  all i did was bake an individual pie crust for 15 minutes and topped it with diced peaches, about a 1/2 teaspoon of cream, and a fresh sprig of mint.  didn't even cook the peaches.  it's a great little dessert.  give it a try while you are still able to enjoy the taste of these delicious summer peaches.

and the winner is...

zola!  thank you all for participating in my olive oil sprayer contest.  i picked the winner at random (well, brian actually did), and my artist friend, zola, was chosen.  congratulations!  keep checking back as i want to continue to have random giveaways on kitchen tools i think are essential. 

obsessed

not with my dog (well, maybe just a bit, she is adorable), but with washing my hands.  the reason i chose this photo is because i didn't want to post a picture of my hands, a bottle of soap would have been boring, and because i can't even give my cute dog a biscuit after i have been out shopping, without washing my hands.  yes, it's true.  i wash my hands non stop.  do you?  i hope so.  if your in the kitchen cooking, at least.  i wash my hands first thing in the morning before i make breakfast (an egg white sandwich on whole wheat - every single day), i wash after i have separated the yolk.  i wash my hands always before i unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher.  i wash my hands after i check the mail ( remember the postman has touched the mailbox handle - do you know where his hands have been?  do you?).  i wash my hands instantly when i get home from the market, before i unload the groceries, after i have put them away.  i wash, wash, wash.  and i love it.  i can feel rest assured that my clients are not getting ill with these hands.  no way.  i would never send out any food that i wouldn't put in my mouth.  i hope that is how all people in the industry think, and those of you who host people for dinner.  am i obsessive/ compulsive you ask?  yes, i am.  and proud of it!

lemon garlic basil shrimp

this recipe is such a great alternative to shrimp cocktail.   i serve it from time to time to my clients when they are having a small dinner party, it is always well received.  it's simple and fresh tasting.  you start by heating about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large non stick skillet, over medium high heat.  add one clove of minced garlic and stir around for 1 minute.  i used two pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp, and left the tails on.  it's easier for everyone to pick up and eat, plus it looks authentic.  ( i don't know if authentic is the right word here, but just go with it).  toss the shrimp in and add a few big squeezes of lemon juice - about 1/4 of a cup, so maybe 2-3 juicy lemons.  after the shrimp is cooked through, 3-4 minutes, place on a serving platter/shallow bowl.  zest one lemon and add a big handful of chopped basil over the top.  season with salt.   you can eat this warm, at room temperature, or chill it in the fridge and eat cold ( not preferable, though). 

lemon basil water

lazy and tired.  just remember to drink pretty.  lemon peel and basil... (ok, and vodka).  but it's delicious with water, too.  just not as delicious...

tequila-lime chicken

this turned out to be a fantastic meal.  a very comforting meal, packed with flavor.  i am always on the lookout for new chicken recipes.  i feel like i've cooked them all.  so when i came across this recipe, i knew i had to try it.  i adore mexican food, so this chicken dish was right up my alley. it's best to allow the chicken to marinate over night, but i may not want chicken tomorrow. . . . so, a few hours is sufficient.   in a food processor, throw in 5 peeled cloves of garlic, one jalapeno, a big handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup of tequila, the juice of 3 limes, and pulse until combined.  with the motor running, drizzle about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  put 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a zip lock bag and add the marinade.  side note***  i almost always pound my chicken out when i am making breasts -  they cook more evenly.  or you could half the breast horizontally to achieve the same goal.  what is the deal with the enormous breasts these days?  no, not those breasts.  chicken breasts.  seriously, even organic, free range, hormone free boobs are big too, goodness.  so when it is time to start making dinner, take chicken out of the bag and place on the grill over medium high heat.  i pretty much use my indoor grill pan these days.  i think i've gotten a bit lazy about outdoor grilling.  besides, it's too hot.  grill each side for about 4-5 minutes until cooked through.  towards the end of cooking, top with some monterey jack cheese and let it melt.   once the cheese has melted, top it with some chopped tomatoes, and cilantro.  oohh, avocado would be good, too.  i served it with black beans and rice, that i added one can of diced tomatoes and one can of green chiles.  my home version of rotel.

olive oil sprayer (and a giveaway!)

this is an item i think should be in every kitchen. it's an olive oil sprayer. i will admit, they are frustrating at times, but once you have figured it out, you will use it regularly. if you have ever owned one, you know what i am talking about. if you haven't, they seem to have a mind of their own. sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. i have gone through a few and the one shown here i bought at williams-sonoma. it has caused me no frustration. by using the sprayer, you will not over oil your food, you will not add any unnecessary additives or preservatives that you get from using pam, and i think you will begin to replace butter. i make an egg white sandwich for breakfast every morning and using this olive oil sprayer has replaced the need for using butter in my pan.  when sauteing vegetables, it allows for a light coat, rather than a hand pour from an olive oil bottle. it's little things that can begin to reshape your eating habits.  why not start with this?  so, i have a little contest for you all, a little give away, if you will.  i am going to pick a winner at random one week from today.  the winner will receive this brand new olive oil sprayer.  the rules are simple.  on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the greatest), respond in the comment section of this post and tell me how happy you are with what you are doing with your life. you don't have to go into details, just a number will be sufficient. i will contact the winner and get their address and send them this most wonderful kitchen tool.  the winner will be chosen at random and announced monday, august 9th.  good luck!