a bushel of apples

I went apple picking this weekend. Autumn is finally here, the leaves are changing and the temperatures are cooling and picking apples just seemed like it was the appropriate thing to do. Ok, who am I kidding... I've never gone apple picking, I never thought I would like apple picking, and most days I'd rather be doing something that seems a little more active than that. In the end, I really did have a great time. I can not even begin to explain how different and wonderful these apples taste right off the tree, as compared to in the supermarket. The entire ride home, I couldn't stop daydreaming about what I was going to make with these apples. An apple bread I remember from my childhood, an apple pie maybe, apple tartlets, caramel apples, mmmm.... and with each recipe idea, I thought about all those calories planting themselves right on my ass. And so, I decided some savory recipes might be a better idea. Here's what I came up with:

Cabbage Apple Slaw Recipe

1-16 oz package of tri-color ready slaw cabbage mix (or chop up a head of cabbage)

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tart apple (I used a Winesap apple with the skin on, you can take the skin off if it doesn't appeal to you), chopped

1 english cucumber, chopped

3 tbsp. dijon nayonaise (it's a soy based low fat mayo alternative)

2 tbsp. spicy mustard of your choice

juice from 1 large lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up, chill for about an hour, enjoy.

*k*

My first bad restaurant review

I really hate to do this, but it's warranted. I went to Tiffany's in Pine Brook today for football. If all you care about are the TVs, then this place is fine. There are tons of flat screen TVs, with all of the games and they are easy to see.

If you want service, this place is not for you. We sat down at a table in the bar area and went up to the bar for some drinks. I ordered a club soda with lemon. The club soda was flat. I let them know it was flat and asked if they could try again from a different drink machine. They oblidged, and it was slightly better. We sat there for about an hour and a half getting up each time for drinks - really no problem there at all, I mean the bar was only about 4 feet away. But then a waitress came over (who knew we had a waitress!). We decided to order some food, and I knew immediately she wasn't going to get it right. How, you may ask? Because she didn't write anything down. I don't care how good of a waiter or waitress you are or think you are, write it down for crying out loud. I'm sure that even if you don't make many mistakes, you make more than if you had written it down. I ordered a salad with grilled shrimp and with the dressing on the side. This happens to me all the time, of course it came with the dressing on it. Also, the shrimp were not grilled, they were sauteed. I know, it's kind of picky but when you're at least trying to be healthy, it's annoying to have your efforts thwarted. I should have said something but it was about another 10 minutes before she came back, so I just ate some of it.

The grand finale... since the club soda was obviously flat, I decided to try and get a water with lemon. I mean, how could that get messed up. She comes back, no lemon.

I give up. Don't go to Tiffany's unless you only want to watch the game.

*k*

Gridiron Grub Week 5: The Sandwich, Deconstructed

It's still too hot out to keep the oven on for hours and cook up something warm and autumn-like. So, you'll have to bear with me on this one. A few finishing touches turns a boring sandwich into something you would actually call dinner. Here, I break down the sandwich into five parts and show you how to spice up each one with fresh healthy options:

1. The Bread. Throw away that Wonder Bread already. Not only is it ridiculously processed, and full of "partially hydrogenated soybean oil," it doesn't taste nearly as good as fresh bread. Next time you're in the grocery store or neighborhood bakery, take a look at the artisan bread section and pick one that looks appetizing to you. Artisan bread is handcrafted by skilled bakers using water, flour, salt and yeast. Can't beat that - pure and simple. Personally, I like a good ciabatta with the crispy goodness on the outside and a chewy inside with large pores. If you can't find a good artisan bread, pick a nice hearty bread that suits you. A pita or flat bread also works very nicely. Trust me, it will be loads better than that plain old white (or green....) sandwich bread in your pantry. In fact, if you get really creative, it doesn't even need to be bread at all - it could be a big leaf of romaine lettuce.

2. The Condiments. Don't get me wrong, I love mustard but there are many more options out there. For an Italian flare, try pesto or a sun dried tomato paste. For Mediterranean, how about spreading a bit of hummus, olive tapenade, or baba ganouj on the bread. Asian? You can try a wasabi mixture.

3. The Greens. Sure, I could go to a deli and get some nice shredded iceberg lettuce on my sandwich. But that would be right next to the plain old white bread and we're talking about doing sandwiches right! There are many salad greens out there that can add a little zip to your sandwich. I like adding arugula. It has a peppery, slightly bitter taste and adds some zest. It works best paired with a something that will mellow it out such as some avocado slices or a balsamic reduction. Other choices are mesclun greens, field greens, watercress. Try a few and see which ones you like best.

4. The Filling. Grilled portabellas might be my favorite. But then there are other grilled veggies like squash, big chunks of vidalia onions, or a few slices of thinly sliced grilled eggplant. If you're a meat eater, try to stay away from the processed deli meats and steer more toward things like thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or steak. The filling is [at times] literally the meat of this whole project so don't forget to add some seasoning. You can sprinkle with an Italian spice mix and cook in some garlic and basil, or add a Mediterranean flare by adding a little tarragon. You could also take a trip to the east and cook in some soy and tamarind for an Asian taste, or a dash of curry powder or cumin seed to bring out those Indian flavors. Pick your poison.

5. The Extras. This is where it really gets fun. You can put some fire roasted red peppers (you can easily find these in a jar), maybe some pickled jalapenos or cool cucumbers. Instead of fresh tomatoes, try some sun dried tomatoes. If you're going with an Asian taste, maybe some bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Instead of mayo, some sliced avocados will give a creamy taste to the sandwich without all the "bad" fats.

Let's put this all together now. You're having some folks over and want to have some sandwiches ready. Everyone has their own favorites and things they won't touch. Here are some ideas for a make-your-own sandwich assembly line that you can set up and your friends can make their own:

Breads - pick a variety of breads and have them pre-sliced. There's nothing worse than trying to find the knife, cut the bread and fill up your sandwich when there are 10 hungry guys standing behind you.

Condiments - Put out two or three out in separate bowls, each with it's own spreading knife. These should be lined up right after the bread because it's too hard to spread this on after the sandwich is full.

Greens - I suggest that you pick one or at the most two. Put them in a large bowl next to the bread with some long tongs.

Fillings - About two hours before your guests arrive, grill up some portabellas using a balsamic, garlic and Italian herb seasoning. Cook up your meats using some flavorful spices. Put the goods out, keeping the veggies separate from the meats.

Fixings - Gather a few bowls and line them up like you see in Subway. All the fixings, right there for your guests to pick and choose as they please.

When the time comes, you'll be totally prepared and your guests will be totally impressed.

*healthy foodie*

Bush finally facing in the right direction

I don't generally post too much about politics, mostly because I'm sure there are gobs of people out there who know way more than I do on the subject. But, in reading this article it seems like Bush has finally acknowledged that global warming exists and that the US will take steps to reduce emissions. Great news, and kudos from our UN counterparts.

The thing is, we should have been doing our part long ago - all of us. I'm not saying that we should all be granola crunching, vegan eating, non-leather wearing people. We have to live after all. But, we can be a little more cognisant of doing things that aren't wasteful.

Bottom line is I'm not sure where Bush is really going with this plan - is he for real or is it a stunt to bolster the republican party? Whatever the reason, at least we're moving in the right direction.

*k*

Montclair Ethiopian Restaurant

We have been wanting to try this restaurant for quite some time. It's called Mesob, which is a vibrantly colored woven basket upon which food is served. I've never had Ethiopian cuisine before, in fact, when I'm running down the list of food to try, Ethiopian food isn't on there. I chalk that up to the fact that it's not widely publicized and that there aren't that many restaurants of this type around. It's too bad actually, because the food was absolutely delightful.

We looked at the clock and it was about 7:15 pm, on a Saturday night. I immediately thought that we would not be able to get a seat. So we called over there and they said there was a 30 minute wait. I was disappointed but we went anyway. Three minutes later, when we got there, bottle of wine in hand, we were seated immediately. I'm not sure why we were told there would be a 30 minute wait... anyway, all was good. We were greeted with a strong, almost overwhelming, aroma of clove. It did not subside while we were there, but I think I ended up getting used to it.

They have a sampler platter for two on the menu, which seemed perfect because of course there were two of us and we had absolutely no idea what to order. They had a vegetarian sampler platter and a meat sampler platter. Given that I'm a [mostly] vegetarian and Rob isn't, we weren't sure how that was going to work out. They were very accommodating though, we were able to get the meat sampler and substitute some veggie dishes for the meat dishes so we could share most of the meal. Rob's meat dishes were a chicken, beef and lamb. The chicken dish was a little bit spicy and the other two were somewhat mild. On the veggie side, there was a portabella dish and lentil dish, both of which were very spicy; and a collard green dish and a chickpea dish, both of which were somewhat mild. All the veggie dishes were prepared vegan style, a healthful bonus.

As we waited for our order to come out, we talked about what we thought it was going to be like, while we looked around at the other tables, with seemingly experienced Ethiopian food eaters. A few minutes later, they bring out a giant plate with a spongy, pancake looking thing on it and a few other spongy pancake looking things on a plate - then they leave again. So Rob and I are looking at each other and the pancake and wondering what the heck we're supposed to do. Do we eat it now? Are we supposed to be waiting for something else? Was this an appetizer? We each took a small bit of the pancake and noted that it had a little bit of a sour taste and that it was somewhat chewy.

The waitress came back a few minutes later with our main dishes and proceeded to place each of the stew-like food on the big pancake. When she was done, I shyly let her know that we were novices and would like some help understanding the best way to eat the food. She let us know that the pancake was called "injera" and that it was both a utensil and a bread. We were to break a small bit of the injera and use it to scoop up the stew. When we ran out of the pieces of injera that she brought over, we were to eat the injera that was on the plate. Ok, that sounds easy enough, but we got forks just in case. Of course, we ate it all. I want to see if I can figure out how to make the lentil dish or the portabella dish. They were both so good, very spicy and flavorful.

We decided to split a halewa for dessert. This reminded me of Indian burfi. It was a sesame paste molded in the shape of a small slice of cake with pistachios on it. It was also very good, but very rich and sweet. A good dessert to split.

I'm very happy that we stepped outside of our comfort zone and tried this restaurant. I know we will be going back there.

*k*

Milestones

I'm happy to announce that I have reached a few milestones in the past few days. Milestones that I never even imagined when I started on this blogging journey. I can thank my loyal readers, and occasional, but never enough commenters ;) for helping to keep this blog alive and vibrant. Here are the recent milestones:

- over 100 posts
- over 1,000 visitors
- 40 recipes

Thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy the Healthy Foodie!

*k*

Pancakes and Eggs with a little flair

Sometimes we get in a rut and end up staying with the basics. With a little modification, you can turn a basic breakfast into something unique, and some may even call a little gourmet.

Pancakes and Eggs Recipe (with a little flair) - makes 1 serving

Enough of your favorite pancake mix + liquid to make one serving

1 tbsp. wheat germ

2 tbsp. rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats)

4 fresh figs

1 tsp. white sugar

cooking spray

1 tbsp. raspberry preserves (or jam / preserves of your choice)

2 eggs

1 tsp. herbs de provence

1 heaping tsp. white flour

pinch of salt

1 tbsp. milk (or soy milk)

1. Turn on your broiler to high. Put a griddle or a large saute pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Let it stand, dry, over the heat to pre-heat the pan.

2. Mix up the pancake mix as usual. Add the wheat germ and rolled oats and add a little more liquid, as needed to make a thick batter. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

3. Cut off the stem of each fig, and then cut an X in the top of each one. Do not cut all the way through. Place the figs, X side up, on a cookie sheet or other baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle a little bit of sugar atop each one. Put in the broiler and keep a watch on it. As the figs cook, they will open up like a flower. Make sure the sugar doesn't burn. It should be about 7 minutes.

4. Now start making your pancakes. Your pan should be hot and the batter should be a little bit thicker. Pour pancake batter onto your hot surface (pan or griddle), and once bubbles appear on the top, flip the pancakes. I like mine to be a little darker than traditional. If you like that too, then don't flip the pancakes until a minute or so after the bubbles appear. Continue cooking until you have used all of your pancake batter. If you are making a large batch and want to keep the pancakes warm, put them in some aluminum foil and put them on the bottom rack of your oven.

5. Next, in a small bowl, mix 2 eggs, herbs, milk, flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Using a medium non-stick saute pan (I use the same pan I did the pancakes in), take the pan off the heat, holding the pan in one hand and using the other hand gently pour about half of the mixture into the pan. It is extremely important to use a non-stick pan. Swirl the pan around to form a thin coat around the entire bottom of the pan and set back on the heat. Let the egg mixture cook for a minute until it is easily removed from the bottom of the pan and then flip it. Let it cook on the other side. Then remove from the pan and roll up. Do the same with the other half of the mixture.

6. By this time, I hope you took the figs out of the oven, otherwise they will be charred. Arrange the pancakes on a plate, put the rolled up eggs/crepes next to them, top the pancakes with the figs and raspberry preserves.

Serve hot and enjoy.

A few things to note about this recipe -

- I was lucky enough to find a high-protein, low calorie pancake mix in the Whole Foods. If you can locate something like that, you'll be better off in terms of a healthy choice. I added the wheat germ and rolled oats to add some more fiber to this dish. You could also sub oat bran, or other higher fiber grains and put a little bit in the pancake mix.

- Limit the white sugar, and rasperry preserves. Just use a bit to carmelize the top of the figs.

- If you use a non-stick pan, there's no need for any butter or oil. Another way to keep this healthier.

- Use fresh ingredients, substitute egg beaters if you like, you can also use soy milk in place of milk, etc. Feel free to substitute similar ingredients in order to suit your needs. Have fun with it!

*healthy foodie*

Gridiron Grub Week 4: The Chewy

There are a few readers out there who I know are lucky enough to be part of Rob's weekly cookie exploitation, I'm one of them. While I often engage in the cookie festivities, in the past couple of weeks, I have been remiss in my baking duties and have been relegated to licking the the spatula (my favorite part!). I have been trying to avoid taking a dive face first into the cookie jar, so I haven't been championing the cookie baking lately. The cookie baking went from one day a year to a weekly ritual during football season.

This past weekend, Rob was at it again. The fortunate few indulged grandly on Sunday night, leaving nothing but scraps. So for those of you waiting for the Monday afternoon cookies, well it will have to be next week. In the meantime, here's a chance to see behind the scenes.

One of my favorites, the Chewy:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 c. bread flour (all purpose works fine, you'll have a chewier crumb if you use bread flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. (the microwave works too)

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl and add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed.

Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes.

Eat immediately. :)

*k*

AAA

And I don't mean triple A car service... This is kind of our forgotten place in Hoboken, Three A's Restaurant and Bar. We don't go there that often. I seem to remember that the last time I was there, I was not all that enamored with the selection on the menu. But when I wanted to get a big salad, we didn't know where to go, so we went here. You may ask, how do you go out to dinner and just get a big salad. Read on... I didn't get the big salad ;) Either they changed the menu since I was there, years ago now, or maybe they added a few things. Either way, there were lots of options.

Three A's changed hands a few times several years ago (ok, about a decade now... boy do I feel old) but has been Three A's for quite a while now. They have a bar area that is fairly wide open and caters to the martini crowd on weekends. The restaurant area is a cozy, romantic area with dim lighting, set in the back of the restaurant. I began with a Pinot Noir and paired it with a house salad and a dinner special - grilled tilapia with scallops and shrimp. I was waffling between that and the scallop rigatoni. My dish was fantastic!! And somehow, even after I ordered it, I wondered if I should have gotten the scallop rigatoni. The scallops were cooked to perfection in my dish but it only came with one and left me wanting more. I joked that I would have traded one of the filets for another scallop ;) Rob ordered a special too, the lobster ravioli, which was also very good. It was served in a clear sauce that had notes of citrus.

While the dessert menu looked decadent, we decided against it - trying to stay fit.

Another winner! Check it out.

flavorful rice

This post ties in a few of the previous posts quite nicely - I used my pressure cooker, got rid of some of my rice, and continued my adventures with Indian cuisine. I can't get enough of it actually. I made vegetable biryani using a recipe reprinted from Recipe Delights. If you have been reading for any amount of time, you'll know that I had to make some tweaks to this recipe. Here's what I did:

Vegetable Biryani Recipe (makes about 10-12 servings)
2 c. Basmati rice or other medium grain white rice
3 small red potatoes
2 c. mixed vegetable (I used a frozen vegetable mix w/broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, squash)
1/2 c. french beans
1 c. green peas
1 medium vidalia onion, diced
2 serrano chili, diced
Salt to taste
1 tsp. Red chilli powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. Black pepper powder
1/2 c. plain fat free yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
3 tbsp. Dried fruit and nut mix (I mixed cashew pieces, raisins and dates)

Dice and cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Set aside.

Wash rice well before cooking. Then take rice with 3-3/4 cup water and a little salt added to it and 2 tbsp of dry fruits. Cook it in pressure cooker (wait for one whistle and then switch off the gas). You can also cook it in a pan or do microwave cooking just the same way as you cook ordinary rice.

Cut all the vegetables, except potatoes, into bite sized pieces and saute in a little bit of olive oil. When done, set aside.

Then fry mustard seeds, green chilli, cinnamon and caraway seeds powder, cloves, black pepper powder for about half minute and then add onions. Fry till the color of onion changes to pink.

Add salt and red chilli powder and stir it properly.

Next add yogurt and stir well.Heat it for about 10 seconds.

Add all the vegetables, including potatoes.

Lastly add the cooked rice and mix well with very light hands so that the rice grain doesn't break. Cook for about 3 minutes.

May be covered and kept in fridge for about 5 days.

I did a few things to refine the recipe to my tastes. First, I just about doubled the amount of vegetables in the recipe. I did this so that I would fill up more on the vegetables than on the rice. I also used plain fat free yogurt instead of full fat yogurt. No need to add extra calories. Last, I used less oil. Especially when you're sauting frozen vegetables, there is usually enough liquid in them so that you don't need to add much, if any, oil. You definitely need to add oil to cook the mustard seeds and chili and onions or else they will stick to the pan and get messy.

This is a great dish with a lot of nutrients and balanced food groups - cinnamon, chili pepper, black pepper, cloves, and mustard seeds show up on the healthiest foods list, as do many of the veggies like squash, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, potatoes, broccoli, raisins, and even the yogurt.

Keep your portion sizes measured and enjoy this fulfilling and satisfying autumn dish.

*healthy foodie*

Gridiron Grub Week #3: Seven Places in Hoboken to Watch the Game

Looking for a place to watch the game? Here are pros and cons of 7 places in Hoboken (in no particular order):


1. Hobsons - The best thing about this place is that it's located across the street from the PATH station, so if you come in on the train there is no walking halfway across town to get settled in to watch the games. There are TONS of TVs and NFL Sunday Ticket, so no matter where you sit, you'll be able to see every game. With the clearly marked signs on each TV way in advance of the games' start time, you'll be able to position yourself in front of the game you want to see. Get there crazy early if you want a seat though (before noon), Hobson's gets very crowded early on. The food menu is very limited before 3:30, so unless you want an omelet or a burger, eat before you get there.

2. Black Bear - Located on Washington Street, this bar is a short walk from the PATH train and close to a few parking decks. They have a full menu, a three giant projector screen TVs and a festive atmosphere. There is a lot of room with a downstairs bar area and separate restaurant area and an upstairs bar area. If you're lucky enough to be a woman and upstairs, you don't need to walk downstairs to use the bathroom like the guys do (yay - a plus for us!). The only problem is that there is an annoying DJ who is super loud during commercial breaks.

3. Liberty - On the plus side, the Liberty opens early and has a large circular bar with lots of room to sit around the bar as well as table seating and lots of TVs. The Liberty has a great menu, probably one of the best places for food on this list. I had the shrimp po' boy wrap one time and it was fantastic!! The down side is that if you're coming in on the PATH or live downtown, you either need to take a cab or make it a really long walk.

4. Shannon Lounge: Located on the halfway between Bloomfield and Washington on 1st, this bar is well within walking distance from the PATH. They have a great back room that is giant and has all the games. The only downside is that they don't open until after noon (around 12:30 maybe?) and you have to reserve a table ahead of time.

5. Texas Arizona: If you're a Steelers fan, this is the bar for you. 'nuff said.

6. Scotland Yard: If you're an Eagle's you MUST go here. Why? Because the more Eagles fans that go here, the less there will be clogging up the rest of the bars ;)

7. The Mystery Bar: You heard me, I'm not giving up the name of this bar. I'm afraid that if I do, it will be too crowded and lose its appeal. It has about 12 flat screen TVs, a great menu, cheerful wait staff, and a festive atmosphere that doesn't get too crowded. Sound perfect? Almost, which is why I'm keeping this one to myself.

*k*

zucchini bread I

Zucchini bread is one of my all time favorite cake breads. I have a number of recipes and I constantly try new ones and tweak those to suit. This one is adapted from a Paula Deen recipe (I love Paula, but damn if she doesn't make the most caloric dishes there could be). I'll call this one Zucchini Bread I because I suspect that I'll be posting some other recipes.

Zucchini Bread I Recipe
3 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. water
2 c. grated zucchini
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 c. toasted pine nuts (because that is what I had, use walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, apple sauce, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Using some apple sauce in place of the oil helps to reduce the fat. I don't recommend a complete substitution for the fat though because then the muffins will be dry. Also, the original recipe called for 3 cups of granulated sugar. So if you like it a little sweeter, you can add in the extra sugar. I was trying to go light on the sugar though.

*healthy foodie*

faux-mosas

Rob coined this name and I really like it actually. We made samosas the other weekend, except we tried to cut a few corners in order to speed up the time to prepare. The result - our American version of this famous Indian snack - fauxmosas :)

Samosa Recipe (makes about 6 to 10 depending on size)
3 medium roasting potatoes
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
puff pastry thawed

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cut the potatoes into 1" chunks and boil them or cook them in a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time. Once they are cooked, drain them, keeping some of the liquid so that they aren't too dry.

Keep them in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the cumin, garam masala and chili powder, salt and pepper. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the potatoes so that it forms a thick and chunky mashed potato consistency. Add the frozen peas and allow them to thaw in the mixture. This is now your filling. At this point, give it a little taste and add more of the spices if necessary to give it a flavor that you like.

Unwrap and unroll the thawed puff pastry dough and roll it out slightly to thin it out a little. Cut the puff pastry dough into about 3" x 6" rectangles. Place about 1 to 2 tbsp. of the filling (depending on the size of your square) and fold up the pastry dough around the filling into a square. Press the edges down firmly (you can wet your fingers slightly to help the dough stick) so that they will not separate when you cook them.

Place the samosas into the oven and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry has puffed and is golden brown.

Serve with green chutney.

Green Chutney Recipe
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh mint
1 garlic clove
1 serrano chili pepper (less if you don't want it to be so spicy)
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree on high for several minutes until mixture is essentially liquefied. Chill for about an hour to let the flavors combine.

This is healthier than the traditional fried samosa because it's baked. So you can easily make these at home and save yourself a lot of calories and fat. Also, you can make this recipe a little more healthy by not using the puff pastry. While it works just fine in a pinch, it is a processed food and has quite a bit of fat in it due to all the butter. To make your own dough, use 1 cup of whole wheat flour (Chapati flour), 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and about 1/2 cup of water. Add the water a little bit at a time and mix until the dough forms a ball. Knead it out for a few minutes and then let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the gluten form. After at least 30 minutes, knead the dough for about 3 more minutes. Then roll it out into 1/8" thick, fill with the samosa filling and bake at 375 until golden brown.

*healthy foodie*

Venturing out

Normally when I'm out and about town going out to eat or meeting up with friends, I stick with my familiar Essex and Hudson counties. So when a friend suggested a place up in Paramus, I was quick to accept, get out of my old routine and check out a different place. We went to Biagio's on Paramus Road not far from Garden State Plaza. I passed this restaurant a few weeks ago when we were playing golf at the Paramus Country Club (a great place to play by the way, very nicely kept course and wide fairways).

The bartenders at Biagio's were great, very friendly, joking and sparking up conversation with everyone at the bar. All of the TVs were set to sports, they had both the Yankee game and Met game in easy viewing distance. We ordered the pizza, which my friend said was fabulous, she didn't lie! I rarely take home leftovers from any restaurant and this morning that cold pizza is calling my name :) We also had the Caprese salad and it all tasted so fresh.

While this place is a little off my beaten path, I wouldn't hesitate to stop here after a round of golf or if I was doing my "jersey girl" thing at the mall.

*healthy foodie*

o-hi-o

I was traipsing around Ohio earlier this week, well traipsing really isn't the right word. I flew in and flew out within a 24-hr period. Gotta love work. Anyhow, I was in Dayton for one night and in search of a suitable restaurant to meet our client's per diem and a fun place to get to relax a little bit, we headed out of the hotel in search of a restaurant.

Staying in downtown Dayton, we headed out of the hotel toward Dayton's historic Oregon District (yep, we're still in Ohio, haven't passed the Mississippi and into the Pacific Northwest). The Oregon District is a quaint little area a few blocks long that has lots of shops, restaurants, bars, and even a comedy club. We bypassed all of the, wooed by the lure of every traveler's staple - an Irish bar. Really, how could one go wrong with an Irish bar.

We stopped in the Dublin Pub, which I later found out is affectionately referred to as the DubPub. We walked in, and the 10 of us were seated quickly at a combination of round tables to fit all of us. While the seating arrangements weren't ideal, there was plenty of room and the waitress was quick to fill our pints. They have a large selection of beer, of course mostly Irish beer and the menu even explains the black and tan, the half and half, etc.

Then we got the menus that would be our novellas for the night. I'm not kidding. I wasn't sure where to start. I opened the menu and there was a paragraph for each appetizer, salad and entree. I guess if you have the time to read it all, sure. Despite the rather long menu, there were lots of options and things were easily substituted (cole slaw or salad for fries, etc.) and the food was simple and delicious. If you're ever in the sleep city of Dayton, give this one a try.

*healthy foodie*

Gridiron Grub Week #2: Mediterranean Munchies

Sometimes you just get tired of the same old salsa and chips. You can mix it up and still have great munchies. Here are a few recipes and tips for setting out a Mediterranean themed brunch.

Hummus Recipe (chickpea dip)
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp tahini paste (available in most grocery stores)
1/4 c. of lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)
about 1/4 c. of water (more or less to make a good consistency for dipping)
salt and white pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend for several minutes until completely pureed. Chill for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Baba Ganouj Recipe (eggplant dip)
1 medium eggplant
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp tahini paste
3 tablespoons fat free yogurt or ff sour cream
4 garlic cloves
½ tsp. chili pepper
1 tsp. tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut eggplant lengthwise and brush cut side lightly with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking dish or baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. At the same time, put 4 garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. of oil in a covered baking cup. Roast garlic in the same oven as the eggplant for 45 minutes. Scoop out eggplant from the skin and put in food processor along with the roasted garlic and olive oil, yogurt, chili pepper, tarragon, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Chill for 90 minutes.

By taking it easy on the tahini in these two recipes, you end up keeping the nice mediterranean flavor but without the extra calories and fat. If you eliminate it all together, you won't get the same flavor, but I do it sometimes and it is still good.

Items to assemble to complete your Mediterranean Platter
Pita bread or flat bread cut into bite sized dipping pieces

veggies for dipping like baby carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, julienned squash, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets

kalamata olives

other fun items to serve - sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese crumbles, stuffed grape leaves

*k*

Gridiron Grub Week #1: A trio of salsa

When you're watching the game, munchies are key. But over-do it and your pants don't fit on Monday. Each week I'll post one or a few [healthier] recipes good for lounging around watching the game. Since the first game is on Thursday, I figured that I better get moving - don't forget your picks!

This week's line up is a Tex-Mex theme with a trio of salsa recipes that you can serve with pita chips or baked tortilla chips. Try and make these at least an hour before game time so that the flavors have time to combine. All of these make a medium bowl full - make all three and you'll have enough for about 15 people.

Traditional Salsa Recipe
6 plum tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
about 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped (more or less to taste)
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (more or less to taste, use fresh, not jarred)
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from one lime
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut and remove the seeds from the tomatoes (the seeds will make this bitter). Dice the tomatoes and put them in a bowl, reserving about 1/2 cup of them. With a potato masher, mash up the tomatoes in the bowl for about 2 minutes. Place the rest of the tomatoes in the bowl.

2. Add the onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno and lime juice and stir.

3. At this point, take a taste of the salsa and adjust it with salt, pepper and Tabasco (or another hot sauce) to taste. Chill for at least an hour. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Variation: This will give you a rustic and chunky type of salsa. If you want it a little bit smoother, then you'll have to break out the food processor. You can do everything pretty much the same, except put all of the ingredients in the food processor and use it in pulse mode to obtain your desired consistency.

Smokey Chipotle Salsa Recipe
6 plum tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (they come in a can, the small can has a few peppers in there, use more if you can take the heat), sauce drained
dash ground cumin (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
adobo sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut and remove the seeds from the tomatoes (the seeds will make this bitter). Dice the tomatoes and put them in a bowl, reserving about 1/2 cup of them. With a potato masher, mash up the tomatoes in the bowl for about 2 minutes. Place the rest of the tomatoes in the bowl.

2. Add the onion, chipotle, cumin, and cilantro.

3. Take a taste of the salsa and adjust it with salt, pepper, more adobo if needed, to taste. Chill for at least an hour. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

This next one might seem like it would be too sweet, but we have made this a few times and the combination of sweet and hot makes it hard to resist. Since plums won't be in season much longer, you'll have to make this one soon.

Mango Plum Salsa Recipe
4 plums pitted and chopped (try and find firm plums)
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and chill for at least an hour. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

If you want to round out your menu, you might consider grilling some portobellos with large slices of onions and peppers (could also do steak and chicken) and serve with some tortilla roll-ups. Have some fixings on the side like diced tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa (ahem, above!). You can lay it out on a buffet and have people make their own.

Go Giants!

*k*

under pressure

My hypothesis is that manufacturers are constantly trying to figure out what we don't have and then get us to buy it. In the past two or three years, I have begun to hear my friends talking about a few gadgets of old - pressure cookers and slow cookers. Today is the day I'm going to buy a pressure cooker. It drastically speeds up cooking time for things like beans, potatoes, other vegetables. It even works for meat, if you're into that sort of thing. ;)

The pressure cooker is essentially a physics experiment in action - if you ever wanted to prove Boyle's Law, here it is. Temperatures increase with increased pressure, volumes decrease. In the pressure cooker, as pressure increases, the liquid inside wil boil at a higher temperature thereby reducing cooking time to a few minutes for vegetables.

The pressure cooker also uses less energy to cook most foods (one point for green), is apparently more hygienic, and better retains the nutrients of your veggies - another plus. I'm not sure yet what my first meal in the pressure cooker will be, but rest assured, you'll be one of the first to know.

*healthy foodie*

bees and their honey

I have been obsessed with reading about CCD - colony collapse disorder - since I first heard about the masses of bee populations dying off for reasons that are befuddling most scientists. I saw this article today on CNN Money, which is probably one of the most informative articles on this subject that I've found in a while.

First of all, to get everyone up to speed, Rob told me about this bee thing a few months ago. He mentioned that bees are dying off at unprecedented rates and that if they all go away, humans would have four years left on this planet. I immediately started researching this all over the web (because we all know if it's on the web it must be true....), and decided that I better start stockpiling. My friends all thought I was crazy when I went out and purchased a 20 lb. bag of rice. Maybe I was and it's definitely going to take me about 10 years to eat it all (even though I make a lot of rice, I don't always post the recipe. Maybe I should and you'll see how much rice I actually have!). Upon further research, I realized that just like Albert Einstein who hypothesized that man would have 4 years left, I was probably taking an alarmist attitude by stockpiling canned goods and sustenance food.

While my worries about humans becoming extinct in my lifetime have subsided, this article solidifies my worry about the fate of our fruit and vegetable crop. Hence, one of the reasons I started my own vegetable garden this year. This article brought to light a few things:

- I had no idea that bee colonies are transported from coast to coast seasonally to assist with the growing seasons of various crops. This seems utterly ridiculous to me. In fact, it's almost as ludicrous as buying an apple that has been hauled from New Zealand. It seems like there would be local beekeepers, but I guess because of the trouble in keeping hives vibrant, many local beekeepers have retired.

- I worry about the crops most at risk, like cherries, oranges, carrots, broccoli, blueberries, onions, garlic, soybeans, apples and almonds. Even if the population of bees diminishes significantly, the price for these staples will become cost prohibitive for many of us to afford. No more blueberry pancakes? *sniff*

- One theory is that the pesticides used on staple crops, like corn and soybeans, may be a cause of the bee die-off. Even if it's not, I suspect that many other things suffer from our over zealous use of pesticides (including our water supply, a post for another day).

- Lastly, I understand that the world has lots of problems, but we continue to subsidize corn and soybean harvesters (whose prime use, by the way, is to feed cattle, not humans), and do not provide any funds to determine what is killing the bees. Sure, we'll have high fructose corn syrup, twinkies and rice, but what about all the other nutritional sources required for our dietary needs.

I'm quite certain that I won't be solving the world's problems with this post, and I'm not even sure what I can do about it. I'm not worried that the bees will become extinct any time soon. I'm also not worried that humans will disappear four years after bees do. But I do worry about the affordability of nutrition, and the not so subtle side effects, like heart disease and diabetes, that will occur from opting for cheaper and, most certainly, less nutrient rich foods.

I'm off to eat a [locally grown] apple.

*healthy foodie*

the mysterious souffle

I saw an Alton Brown show recently that focused on souffles. I usually only make eggs on weekends, and having just saw this show, I thought it would be appropriate to try my hand at the mysterious dish. After creating a whirlwind through the kitchen, this is what I ended up with.

Bruschetta Souffle Recipe

a basic souffle recipe

1/2 cup havarti habenaro cheese

leftover brushetta, drained

To the roux, I added cheese and brushetta. Fold the roux into the egg whiles and bake according to the basic recipe.

I had some trouble with the folding technique. It seems easy enough, and I've done it before with cake mix, muffins, etc. For some reason it felt like the egg whites were much much lighter than the roux and I was having a hard time getting them to combine. Well, this came out pretty good but I definitely need some practice.

*k*

bundt cake madness

I told you that there would be photos of bundt cakes in the near future. Here it is. I have made 3 bundt cakes in as many days. Two for friends who needed comfort food (hence the other comfort food post) and one for an anniversary party. These things aren't too healthy, but they make great gifts. I have modified this recipe to make a chocolate, pistachio and strawberry bundt. Here they are:

Bundt Cake using boxed Cake Mix Recipe - Chocolate
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 package chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Frosting - optional
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, except for the chocolate chips. Beat on low until just combined. Then switch speeds to high and beat on high for about 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. Pour batter into bundt cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until wooden skewer comes out smooth.

Frosting: Wait until cake is cooled. Melt butter and chocolate chips together. While still liquid, brush over the bundt cake.

Pistachio Cake Recipe
Replace chocolate cake mix with yellow or white cake mix
Replace chocolate pudding with pistachio pudding
eliminate chocolate chips, add pistachios (optional)

Strawberry Cake Recipe
Replace chocolate cake mix with strawberry cake mix
Replace chocolate pudding with vanilla pudding
eliminate chocolate chips, add chopped strawberries (optional)
2 cups chopped strawberries
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar

Place strawberries, vinegar and sugar in a bowl and toss together. Let the mixture chill for at least 2 hours. Spoon over cake.

To make this slightly more healthy:
Use low fat or fat free sour cream
Use sugar free pudding
substitute apple juice for the oil (but cake won't be as light)

Have fun with it - use lemon cake with lemon pudding, or vanilla cake with chocolate chips. There are so many variations of this.

crepes and courts

I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the US Open yesterday. If I have not already, I'm quickly turning into a sports fanatic. I like to play and to watch and it almost doesn't matter which sport it is, if I'm watching it in person, I'm into it. Yesterday was a great day to be at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Long Island. It was a little overcast, not too hot, and there were lots of juicy matches. Granted, I'm not completely familiar with many of the entrants, but the competition, endurance and determination is contagious. The highlight match of my day was watching first time US Open entrant, France's Alize Cornet (96) give Serbia's Jelena Jankovic (3) a run for her money. Of course, with a number 3 ranked athlete playing a number 96 ranked athlete, I thought this match was going to be a no brainer. Maybe Jelena did too. Alize quickly won the fans over with her smile and sheer determination. At one point, she looked to be feeling burned out and the crowd exploded into an uplifting cheer. Alize pumped her fists, gave a quick smile and looked to say to herself "yes, I can do this." However determined Alize was, it wasn't enough to get past the number 3 seed. After 3 sets of trading wins, Jelena pulled out the win.

Even though I ate before I went, it was a long day (we were there from 11 until 7!). I definitely got hungry sometime around the middle of the afternoon. We walked through the food court and I must say there were a TON of options. Many more than I would have imagined. They had the traditional ball park fare like hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers. They had Italian specialties like pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, and pasta primavera. They had Japanese fare like soba noodles and sushi. They had sweet and savory crepes wrapped smartly in a carrying container for toting around the park. This list goes on. I opted for an 8-piece California roll and a giant bottle of water - the total came to $14.25. Sure, it's expensive but it's on par with NYC stadium food prices. In the food court, if you're smart about picking your seat, you can get a great view of any one of several giant screen TVs airing the matches from Louis Armstrong Stadium or Arthur Ashe stadium on the parks grounds.

We had a great day, and we'll be back on Sunday for a center court match - that should be fun!

*k*

beware of pick pockets and loose women

I love this restaurant, Oddfellows, in Hoboken. Rob and I had our first date there, so it's always somewhat nostalgic. Their cornbread is out of this world! It's a very casual atmosphere with lots of beer selection, bar games (pool and darts), indoor, street-side and garden seating, pleasant wait staff, great food and reasonable prices. Every time I go there, I wonder why we don't go there more. It is a Louisiana kitchen with lots of comfort food like crab cakes, jambalaya, po' boys, mac 'n cheese, collard greens and other goodies. With any dinner, you have a choice of two sides.

It was such a nice night that we decided to sit outside in the garden / plaza area. In the spirit of being the healthy foodie, I opted for a grilled seafood platter over a tomato basil sauce with sauteed spinach and button mushrooms. My dish was great. It came with shrimp, scallops and seared tuna. The tuna and scallops were done to perfection, the shrimp were a little overdone but nothing to sneer at. Rob ordered the chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya. He thought it could have had a little more heat (he's also a "pass the fire extinguisher" kind of guy), but the Tabasco and Cajun seasoning that come on every table were enough to sate him.

The decor of the restaurant is thoroughly Louisianan with traditional New Orleans pictures, trinkets and signs. In fact, that is where the title of this post comes from. Definitely an oldie but goodie - we'll be back.

Comfort food

sometimes you just need comfort food. The dilemma is not feeling guilty afterward. We went to Leo's Grandevous on Grand Ave in Hoboken. This restaurant is an old favorite, although we don't go there all that much. It has a very traditional menu, veal parm, chicken murphy, all that great home style Italian food. When we went there tonight, it was really busy - so busy that we didn't get a seat, we sat at the bar instead. The hostess was prompt in offering us a spot other than in the restaurant area and said we could wait there and have a drink or just eat there. It was quieter than the dining room, so we stayed at the bar. I ordered eggplant parm and received a side of pasta with it. Leo has the best marinara sauce ever. Not too sweet, not too runny, not too thick. The eggplant was cooked to perfection, maybe a little more mozzarella than I would have wanted, but overall it was a fine meal. The restaurant is currently under renovation, so if that's going to annoy you, you probably want to avoid it for a little while until the repairs are complete. There's not too much I can say about the decor - it's more like my grandmother's house than the hip bar downtown. But sometimes a casual, low key place is what I'm looking for. You should check this one out.

*k*

remember that giant zucchini?

I tried my hand at the thai curry again, this time worked a little better.

Thai Curry Zucchini Recipe (4 servings)
1 giant zucchini (a medium or two small would work too)
2 plum tomatoes
1 small can bamboo shoots
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp. red curry paste
1 red chili
salt and pepper to taste
tbsp. olive oil
cooked white jasmine rice

1. Cut the zucchini into bite size pieces and saute in olive oil until browned.
2. Meanwhile, put the can of lite coconut milk in a sauce pan , add curry and chili until the curry paste is dissolved.
3. Add the bamboo shoots to the zucchini and then the coconut milk mixture.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve over white rice.

*enjoy*
photos soon

*healthy foodie*

fat free bruschetta

oh so many tomatoes.... this easy recipe will get rid of a few :)

Fat Free Bruschetta Recipe (about 4)
3 tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced or through a garlic press
1 clove of garlic, sliced lengthwise
about 1/4 cup basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
A loaf of long Italian bread, sliced into rounds (the one that looks like a baguette)

Add all ingredients to a bowl, except for bread and 1 clove of garlic. Chill for at least 1 hour. It tastes better if you allow the flavors to combine together in the fridge for an hour or so. When you are ready to serve, slice the Italian bread, rub the sliced garlic clove on the bread and then toast it for a couple minutes until it is barely golden.

Serve the bruschetta atop the toasted bread.

*healthy foodie*

you're just going to have to look at this one....

I've never seen a zucchini this large in my life. The photo doesn't do it justice. I might even consider entering it in the state fair. Is there anyone else out there who thinks a zucchini nearly 2-ft long is kind of crazy?

*healthy foodie*

a taste of india

Over in Jersey City, Newark Avenue between Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue is called Little India. A two block stretch of restaurants, take out, groceries, markets, jewelers, and other shops that cater primarily to the Indian culture. I thought it would be fun to go there for dinner, because I had hoped that it would somehow be more traditional than some of the places that we usually go to. Sometimes I think that the restaurants that are located in retail / commercial areas with lots of other restaurants, maybe trendy or hip areas, tend to be more Americanized. Who knows.. anyway, I felt like getting some Indian food and damn if we didn't find some good food!

The restaurant was called Indian Village (the sign said IVillage), on the corner of Newark and Kennedy Boulevard. This is one of the sit down restaurants in the area and a little more upscale (though it was definitely a bargain). There are a lot of take out places in this area, but we felt more comfortable going to a sit down place. The outside was nice and upon entering, the spicy aroma immediately made my mouth water. We were seated promptly, as there were not that many people there when we were there. It was early on a Sunday evening, not a prime night to eat out. We ordered the Village Chat and Spinach Pakora as the appetizer. Rob told me that he thought my pakora might be better. I'm a bit surprised by that piece of information since I've only made it once! The Chat was very good, some crispies topped with potato, yogurt and tamarind sauce.

Whenever I go out for Indian food, I try and be careful about what I order because it could be lots of calories, fat and sodium. I stay away from paneer, even though it's oh so good. I also stay away from cream or butter sauces and try and stick with things either in a tomato based sauce or a spinach sauce. I ordered Alu Gobi Palak for dinner - potatoes, cauliflower and spinach. It was awesome! I ate it all. I'm paying for it today.

I always feel lucky to live in this area where you can basically get any type of food you want, almost any time of the day. This was a great find. We'll be going back there to try out some other restaurants.

*healthyfoodie*

freecycling is the [new] recycling

It's not really all that new, but while I have been part of their group for some time now, I never had the opportunity to participate. Until now, that is. Freecycle is basically a group of Yahoo groups, all over the country (and maybe farther and wider than that), where you can post:

OFFER - to get rid of your stuff
TAKEN - to announce that you have taken someones offer
WANTED - to request something
RECEIVED - to announce that someone has given you your item

People are posting constantly. I see many things that people want to get rid of, like baby furniture, clothes, electronics, I even saw a car one time. More often than not, there are plenty of folks out there looking to pick up that old junk - you know the line, one man's trash is another's treasure.

Over the weekend, I was looking at bundt pans. I have been wanting one for a while, but not when I saw the price. Granted, I was in William Sonoma where you can't get out of there without spending at least $20 on a coffee cup. I figured there was someone out there who had one they wanted to get rid of and I was hoping for a cake plate as well. So off I went to the freecycle board, posted, received and picked up - all within a six hour time frame. And the pan was brand new in the box to boot. INSANE and wonderful all at the same time.

The next time you're thinking of throwing something in the trash, because you don't feel like driving it down to the Good Will or Salvation Army, put up a quick post. Who knows, maybe you'll be surprised. Similarly, next time you're thinking about buying something that could easily be a second-hand item, try it out. If you take this simple step you too can be part of the thousands of people trying to keep all those things that aren't trash out of our landfills. It may seem like one man can't move a mountain, but collectively we can make a difference and become part of the climate change solution!

Oh, and don't be surprised if you see a few photos of a bundt cake sometime soon.

*k*

103?!?

I found this life expectancy calculator, and it told me that I'm going to live until 103. I guess we all think about how much longer we have in this world, but I never took a test to tell me how much longer it would be. Of course, there are a bunch of disclaimers and I could easily get hit by a car tomorrow (did I just jinx myself?), or contract some ridiculous disease. While it's great to think about living to 103 in the abstract, it means I have 67 more years to tool around this earth, provided we still have an earth. It makes me reflect on what the world was like 30 years ago, what it might be like 30 years from now and how I might fit into all of that as a little old lady. Well, maybe not little, more like Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls - keep laughing, I'll see you at 103 ;)

Living to 103 means:
- at least another 50 years of work (ugh!)
- another 24,455 blog entries (I'm not sure I have that many recipes)
- seeing Lindsay Lohan get arrested for DUI at least 5 more times
- watching the Yankees win another 17 World Championships

It all means nothing unless I keep exercising 5 days a week, eating fruits and veggies for my snacks, don't gain any weight, and don't get hit by a train while text messaging.

*healthyfoodie*

wii workouts

I found this article on wii workouts and I just had to laugh to myself. Don't get me wrong, it's a great idea. When Rob first got his wii, I told him it wouldn't be long before wii came out with workout games. So the other day, I stopped over Rob's house for a little while to wait for him to get home. I turned on the wii and played about an hour of tennis (my favorite wii sport, I've been trying to get to pro status) and boxing. The next day, I was so incredibly sore. My arms were killing me, my abs hurt. It was kind of funny, but at least I felt like I went to the gym and it's way more fun than Turbo Jam or Denise Austin.

*healthyfoodie*

I am a tartlette

Well, it's true. I do goofy stuff all the time and when I get into something, I really get into it. I'm pretty psyched about this recipe today and I hope you are too. It's definitely something to do on a Sunday morning though, because who has time to do this on any other day.
You can make the pastry dough ahead of time, bake it until it's almost done and then chill or freeze it until you are ready to use. I made the crusts yesterday, when I had some time, and then did the rest this morning.

Tart Crust Recipe (makes enough for 4 tarts)
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp. plain fat free yogurt
1 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese
1 tbsp. olive oil
about 3 tbsp. ice water

Preheat oven to 375.

The easiest way that I have found to do this is in a food processor. Put everything in the food processor except for the ice water. Pulse it until it starts to form pea sized balls. Then slowly add the water one tablespoon at a time through the food processor feed tube. You probably won't need all of the water. Keep pulsing the food processor until a soft ball forms. Then the dough is done.

Roll the dough into a lag between your hand and cut it into four equal pieces. Shape it into a disc and lay it on a floured work surface. Roll each of the discs out into a circular round that is about 1 inch bigger than the diameter of the tart pan.

Place the crust into the tart pan. Take the excess dough and fold it down along the edge of the crust around rim of the tart pan (but not over the rim, otherwise you won't be able to get the tart out of the pan). Basically, you want to make the edges of the crust a little thicker than the bottom so that it will hold nicely when you take it out.

Fill each tart with either pie baking beads, or rice (I use rice since I don't have the beads). This will keep the crust from rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Tomato, Onion and Goat Cheese Tart Recipe
Basic Tart Crust (above)
4 eggs
1/4 c. skim milk
4 thinly sliced rounds of vidalia onion
1/4 c. diced onion
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
4 tsp. crumbled goat cheese
4 thinly sliced rounds of tomato
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, crack the 4 eggs and add the milk and chopped onion. Whisk until blended. Season with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence.

Remove the seeds from the tomato, and dry the tomato between a few paper towels. If you don't do this step, the tomato will be too wet for the tart.

Put the thinly sliced onion round in the bottom of each tart pan. Then fill with the egg mixture (careful not to over fill - you'll probably have some left over egg mixture, depending on how deep your tart pans are).

Then place one tomato on each tart and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Place the tart pans on a cookie sheet, to avoid any overflow from making a mess in your oven. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes and then remove the tarts from the tart pans.

Enjoy!

date nut pumpkin muffins

I was praying that this recipe was going to come out ok when I put it in the oven. But rest assured, the recipe worked. It's a good thing Rob wasn't here, because he doesn't like when I experiment with the recipe before trying it first ;) I limited the amount of sugar in this recipe, because with the dates and applesauce, there is enough sweetness. If you would like the muffin part of it to be sweeter, you can add about a 1/4 cup more sugar.

Date Nut Pumpkin Muffin Recipe (6 muffins)
1 scoop vanilla whey powder
2 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch ginger
pinch salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp applesauce
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried dates
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (reserve 1 tbsp)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Do not over mix, you only need to make sure the ingredients are combined - no need to break out the electric mixer. Divide into 6 muffins in a muffin pan. Sprinkle the remaining pumpkin seeds on top of the muffins. Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Here is some nutritional content information
Healthy Foodie Pumpkin Muffins: 200 calories, 9 g. protein, 7 g. fat, 22 g. carbs, 4 g. fiber
Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: 470 calories, 6 g. protein, 24 g. fat, 60 g. carbs, 1 g. fiber

Panera Pumpkin Muffins: 590 calories, 7 g. protein, 13 g. fat, 93 g. carbs, 1 g. fiber

Which one will you choose?

*k*

friday night happy hour

Friday nights are made for happy hour, and that's why we went to The Office. No, not the office at work, The Office in Montclair. It's not the hippest place in town, but we just wanted a low-key bar to watch the Yankee game. They have a few flat screen tv's which are easily seen from the circular bar. The bar tenders are up beat, but a little negligent. I like a bar tender that sees an empty beer and offers your a new one. Not one that I have to flag down, each and every time. The Office is not a place I think of when I want to go get some food, but I have to admit, their thin crust Margherita pizza, topped with sliced tomato and basil, was pretty darn good!

So after a few beers, some pizza and a four hour rain delay in the Yankee game, we left. I guess that was a good thing, because they actually did end up playing that game and I hate watching my boys lose in public. I would probably go back there again, if not for the tv screens, the pizza.

*k*

the good 'ole jersey shore

I hate to start off with a little bit of a gripe, but this one has been eating at me. Not sure if you remember last weekend at all, but it was a little chilly. Quite chilly, actually, especially for a summer morning. When I woke up on Saturday, it was a brisk 55 degrees. We were scheduled to play a volleyball tournament at Point Pleasant. So, I got myself together and left the house in warm yoga pants and a fleece sweatshirt. I arrive at Point Pleasant at around 8 am, and pull into the parking area at the north end of the boardwalk. The sign said $18, which seemed very steep to me. I think I remember it being more like $10 or $12. So, I politely asked the young man if the prices had gone up. He let me know that depending on the day, the price varies. If it's going to be a nice beach day, the price gets very high and if it's not going to be such a nice day, the price comes down. I guess this is simple economics - supply and demand, set the price point based on the maximizing profits, etc., etc. But, I couldn't help but be annoyed at what seemed to me, to be an exorbitant parking fee.

Of course, I really had no other choice but to pay it. While it was a crisp, clear day, it ended up being a marginal beach day because of how chilly it was. Until 2 pm, it was way to cold to be on the beach without having a sweatshirt. Lucky for me, I was running around in the sand, so I wasn't too cold most of the time. The good news is that the beach is always a great place to hang out in a very relaxed atmosphere, despite the high parking fee, and here are some great pics of the Jersey shore.

*k*

mango mango

quite possibly the best fruit on earth - the mango. You can add it to savory dishes, sweet dishes, or enjoy it solo. I made this one a while back when we had an impromptu picnic, which I found here. This was a great recipe, and it actually travelled well too. We packed up some containers of food, a bottle of wine and a camera and headed out to the waterfront. We spent the evening enjoying being outside and a great view of Manhattan. Next time you think there is nothing to do, you don't need to look too far.

surprise at the gym

After abs class the other night, I walked down to where cardio kickboxing was going to take place. Imagine my surprise when I saw the group huddled around mats, weights, jump ropes and cards with numbers on them laid out across the floor. I thought for a moment that I was in the wrong class, but the instructor advised that this indeed was supposed to be cardio kickboxing, but that the instructor was not able to teach the class that night. Instead, we would be doing a circuit training workout.

I have been exercising for a long time, ever since I was a child really, and while the thought did appeal to me, I have never done circuit training. A few people left when they heard what was in store. I wasn't thrilled to hear about the change in class, but I was game - I was there to work out after all and I enjoy this instructor's classes. She explained that we would be going through 12 stations, for 2 minutes at each station. The stations included things like - lunges, bicep curls, push ups, tricep kickbacks, jump rope, squats, jumping jacks, etc. Hmmm... I thought, two minutes on each one doesn't seem so bad. But the instructor assured us that we would be feeling it by the 3rd station.

Boy was she right! And evil too... who puts push ups after tricep curls and shoulder raises. My arms were killing me by that point :) I was pretty psyched that I kept up a good clip on the jump rope for 2 minutes. By the end of it all, I was a dripping mess and thinking that it was the best class I have ever taken. I hope they offer it again!

I did some researching and it seems like you can burn upwards of 600 calories per hour during circuit training. I certainly felt like it, and not only that but you gain the benefits of both a cardio workout and a strength training workout. There is a circuit room in my gym, but I was always a little nervous about going in there because I wasn't really sure what I was doing. Armed with this knowledge, I hope I can tailor something for myself, because this was an absolute fabulous workout! If you're interested in learning more, check out this WebMd website.

*k*

gridiron grub

Pre-season is well underway and the holiest day of the football season is just around the corner. What goes better with the football season than eating, drinking and being merry. Whether it's chips and salsa or a gourmet spread, take-out or going out, buds or micro-brews - this is your spot for ideas on what to do for Sunday football. My plan is to post Gridiron Grub on Wednesdays and / or Thursdays each week with great food ideas as well as some healthy alternatives. Stay tuned!

*k*

garden grab bag

Over the past few weeks, I have been trading vegetables with various folks who also have gardens. I have somehow stumbled into this world of growing and trading fruits and vegetables, a culture that I was never aware of until now. Finally, I'm able to offer more than the various ways I try and keep the weeds from strangling my lilies. It's an interesting culture, this fruit and vegetable trade and barter system. I can even see how this may have started in ancient civilizations and grew into a huge system of trading. But now, we go to the supermarket to buy all kinds of items, including the ones we can easily and inexpensively grow ourselves.

About trading vegetables - I grow cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, two kinds of hot peppers, mint, parsley and basil. I have traded for cucumbers, corn, onions, lettuce, and beefsteak tomatoes. With a little investment of time, I feel like I can get a few more folks together and basically start a mini vegetable co-op. I mean, how many cherry tomatoes can I possibly eat? (I'll let you know at the end of the growing season - right now I'm averaging about 20 a day) ;)

I'm sure people already do this - I imagine it like a book club. You meet up, have some coffee, discuss a book and walk away with a bag full of vegetables. And by doing so, you can probably save the time of at least one trip a week to the grocery store, a few bucks on your grocery bill, a few pounds along your waistline, and a few points on your carbon footprint.

the what's in my garden salad recipe

I have been acquiring lots of vegetables lately, which I will post about shortly, and I've been coming up with salad after salad and thought now would be a good time to share. Since this is all about whatever is in your garden, please substitute, well, whatever is in your garden of course!

The Whatever is in My Garden Recipe - about 4 servings

2 small cucumbers

1 ear of corn

lots of cherry tomatoes

some carrots

1 tsp. olive oil

a few basil leaves

1 tbsp. goat cheese (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters, and then into quarter rounds. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Dice the carrots.

2. If your corn is sweet and juicy enough to eat off the cob w/o cooking, then go ahead. Otherwise boil it for a few minutes. Stand the ear of corn on end and slice downward along the kernels to separate from the cob.

3. Toss all ingredients together with the olive oil, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Put in serving bowls and sprinkle with goat cheese (optional).

This no-cook, straight from the garden, crunchy salad is a great way to eat all those vegetables while maintaining their nutrients in their original form (i.e. no cooking, no heating, no destruction of nutrients).

enjoy!

save your leftovers for tomorrow's lunch

I don't always list the number of servings that a recipe makes and I realize that it can be hard to determine how much to actually make whether you are cooking for 1, 2 or a family of 4. I sometimes forget most people probably are not cooking for 1. In that regard, I will be more diligent in posting the approximate number of servings.

I find that if I can remember to maintain an appropriate portion size, I do much better in maintaining a lifestyle in which I do not overindulge. Since I generally cook for one (unless I have commandeered Rob's kitchen to cook a weekend dinner), I need to do a little bit of planning so that I don't end up wasting a lot of food. I think about what kind of week I have coming up - will I be able to bring my lunch to work each day or do I have meetings out of the office? am I going to feel like eating this for dinner for the next 3-days? etc. If I find that I'll need a few planned meals during the week, I'll plan to cook up one big meal that I can eat for a few days.

As I am putting it together, I'm secretly keeping track of approximately how many portions I am making. For example, if I start with a cup of rice, I know immediately that I have at least 4 servings. Add in another several cups of vegetables and I'm up to 6 servings, etc. Before I take the portion I'm going to eat for dinner, I break out each serving and put it in reusable containers. Then, I usually put it in the fridge so that I can easily grab one in the morning before work. Sometimes, if I think it will spoil before I get a chance to eat all the portions, I'll put a couple in the freezer. I try to avoid the freezer though, because many times I conveniently forget that it's in there and cook up yet another big meal (it's been known to happen, sometimes I get carried away).

I find this to be a good way for me to measure out what I'm doing for food and I don't really have to calorie count too much. Now, if you have a big family or want more leftovers, just scale the recipes up to suit your needs. Conversely, if you don't want to eat the same dinner for three nights, feel free to scale it down. If you think this is way to organized, maybe you're right. But it's not all that difficult and it's only once or twice a week? Besides, I definitely feel better knowing what I'm eating and it's easier to stay on the healthy track.

thai eggplant curry over coconut rice

I haven't experimented much with cooking Thai cuisine, not because I don't like it. I guess I just never had the right ingredients or the wasn't in the mood. But tonight was the night. I had been thinking about this since I went food shopping yesterday and picked up some eggplant. This is really as simple as braised vegetables over rice. I have broken it into two recipes, both full of healthy goodness.

Thai Eggplant Curry Recipe
1 medium eggplant, cut into rounds and quartered
1/2 vidalia onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 c. crimini mushrooms, cut into thick slices
1 package Thai baked tofu
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. lite coconut milk
1 c. water
salt and pepper to taste
few basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400. Heat olive oil in dutch oven (or large roasting pan) over medium-high heat. Add onion.

2. While onion is browning, cut up the mushrooms and add them to the pan along with some salt.

3. While the onions and mushrooms are cooking, chop the garlic and then add them to the pan.

4. While the onions, mushrooms and garlic are cooking (see where this is going??), chop up the eggplant and put that in the pan.

5. While the onions, mushrooms, garlic and eggplant are cooking, chop up the tofu and add that to the pan.

6. Let the entire mixture brown for about 5 minutes until nicely browned.

7. Add the coconut milk, water, chili powder and curry and remove pan from heat. Put a cover on your pan or dutch oven and put it in the oven for 25 minutes.

8. Once done, remove from oven, add a few basil leaves and replace cover for 5 minutes.

9. Serve over coconut rice (recipe below).

Coconut Rice Recipe

1 tsp. olive oil
1 c. white or brown rice
1/2 c. lite coconut milk
1 c. water
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut
salt and white pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add rice and saute for about 3 minutes.

2. Add coconut milk, water, coconut, salt and pepper.

3. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

5. Let stand 5-minutes. Fluff with fork.

Mushrooms, eggplant, onions, basil all show up on the World's Healthiest Foods list. With this recipe, you'll also get at least 2 servings of vegetables in for the day, well on your way to meeting the recommended daily 3 to 5 servings. Make sure you use the "lite" coconut milk - it has about 40 calories per serving compared with more than 100 for the regular, or double that for the coconut cream. If you make both the eggplant and the rice, you'll need one can of the coconut milk. Also, take it easy on the olive oil to save a few more calories. Especially in the sauteing part. Since the mushrooms and onions release their own juices, you'll only need a little bit of oil - 1 tbsp is generous. One last calorie saving idea - portion the veggies to rice by 2 to 1 (i.e. 2 parts veggies to 1 part rice).

Enjoy!

*k*