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*

top ten ways to eat healthy at the stadium

I end up going to about 30 baseball games a summer (Go Yankees!). Combine that with random other sporting events and that averages out to at least a game or two a week. Eating at the ballpark every time can leave you feeling full, bloated, and downright weighted down. But there are ways to keep it healthy(ier) and still enjoy the game. Here are a few:

10. You need dinner - bring your own homemade dinner! I know it sounds corny, I mean who eats a bowl of rice and veggies at the ball park. You're looking at her. And yes, I feel like I get some odd looks. But in the end, who cares about that.

9. Number 10 doesn't appeal to you - buy Subway. Jared did it, and so can you. Forget the empty calories - mayo, chips, cookies. Stick with the basics - whole wheat, veggies, (meat for you carnivores), they even sell raisins.

8. You have a sweet tooth - bring some in-season fruit. Right now, nectarines, plums, peaches are all in season and ridiculously sweet. Forget the candy - eat nature's candy. Plus, does anyone really get 5 servings of fruit in a day. Probably not, but maybe you can get at least one here.

7. You like to crunch - if you like a crunch and must buy something at the ballpark, go for the peanuts. But watch your portions - that little bag has 7 servings in it (yes, 7... and yes, I can also eat the entire bag). Sure, it is high in fat, but if you stick to the portion size, it's the kind of fat that is good for you - unsaturated and from a whole food. Better yet, bring your own and measure out a portion.

6. You're a grazer - Maybe you don't eat much, but you like to have something to munch on throughout the entire game. Get some popcorn - or better yet, air pop your own, add a spritz or two of butter spray and a little salt. You get a nice flavor, and don't have to pay $6.50 for 50 cents worth of popcorn.

5. You're a sweet-tooth-grazer - Cherries, grapes, strawberries, sweet little bites that you can graze on for the entire game. My favorite are cherries.

4. You didn't bring any food and you don't want stadium food - Chew gum. Sometimes you're not even that hungry, but you just want to keep busy. This is basically a calorie free way to keep yourself busy until after the game, when you can get some dinner.

3. If it's just not a game without a munchie... go with a stadium sandwich. Avoid anything fried. Even a slice of pizza is better than a cheese fries.

2. You want a frozen treat - opt for the lemon ice instead of the ice cream. While it's probably close to the same calories, there is no fat or cholesterol in the lemon ice. And for some reason on a hot day, the citrus always seems more refreshing than a dairy product.

And my No. 1. You need to keep yourself busy, all the time - sunflower seeds. According to David's sunflower seeds, they are "snacktivities." That alone cracks me up. One bag has two servings. It took me until the end of July (about 25 games) to finish one bag. I'm on my second bag now - I hope the Yankees make the playoffs, otherwise I think these seeds might be stale by next April.

*k*

hey lurkers!

I want to hear your vote!

*k*

a stick to your bones, last until lunch breakfast

I don't have a photo of this one, because it's oatmeal. While it tastes good, it's like me - doesn't photograph well. Lots of times, I think people think that they don't have time to make breakfast and so they grab a bagel or a muffin. They taste good, but they are loaded with simple carbs, calories and in the case of muffins, sugar, and fat. Who wants to start their day like that. Try this quick way to have a healthy, whole food, delicious breakfast. Start your day off with a stick to your bones, last until lunch breakfast.

Tropical Oatmeal Recipe
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 banana
1/4 c. sweetened coconut
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. skim milk (or soy milk)

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Watch the microwave so that it doesn't boil over. Let stand 3 minutes. Add more liquid if too thick. Eat immediately.

Modification: Old fashioned (also called rolled oats) are less processed and I usually prefer to use them. However, they need to cook a little bit longer. If you use rolled oats, microwave on 50% for 4 minutes. Use a bigger bowl so that the oats have room to expand.

*k*

a diversion

Every now and then, a diversion is in order. I'll be visiting a friend's house for dinner tomorrow and decided to bring a dessert. I thought of making something healthy, but not everyone likes healthy desserts. I wasn't feeling particularly ambitious, but ended up coming up with something that I thought was pretty interesting. These came out a little more cakey than I had planned, so I am certain that I'll be revisiting this recipe. Here it is, feel free to tweak it.

Cake Mix Blondies Recipe
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
2 containers of snack-pak butterscotch pudding
1 c. chopped walnuts + 1/2 c. reserve
1/2 c. raisins
3/4 c. unsweetened coconut

Pre-heat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients, except 1/2 c. walnuts (keep that for later) into a large bowl and using a spatula, fold the mix together. It will be very stiff. Grease an 8-inch brownie pan and press the batter into the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 c. walnuts on the top. Bake for 45-50 mins. or until done.

These came out with a very nice crumbly texture (I was trying for dense blondie texture). Maybe a liquid, instead of the pudding, would work for a denser crumb. I suspect that you could increase the temperature to 350 and cook it a little faster. Ideas for next time.

enjoy!

jersey fresh

As I am sure you have figured out by now, I just love this time of year. Everything is so fresh and to me, there's almost nothing better than just picked fruits and vegetables (except maybe just-baked oatmeal cookies).

Someone at work gave me these tomatoes and they really aren't from New Jersey, they are from an upstate New York backyard tomato garden. The fresh basil is from my garden. The two combine into one delicious snack!

Vine Fresh Tomatoes and Basil Recipe (I'm not sure I can even qualify this as a recipe, but try and humor me)

1 just-picked vine ripened tomato (preferably from your own or your friend's backyard. A farmer's market would work too).
6 just-picked basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

1. Slice the tomato into 1/4" thick slices

2. Lightly salt and pepper each slice

3. Place one basil leave on each slice

Eat immediately and enjoy

*k*

couscous

I'm sure that many of you have heard of, seen, and probably even eaten couscous. It's a ground semolina pasta and comes in two varieties - Mediterranean and Israeli. The one on the left is Mediterranean and the one on the right is Israeli. You'll see it in Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, French, and other Mediterranean types of preparations. Aside from the obvious difference in the size of the grain, there doesn't seem to me to be much difference in taste. It essentially takes on the taste of whatever you cook it in.

There are countless recipes for couscous, here's one I made tonight with a touch of Moroccan influence and it's nearly fat free!

Moroccan Couscous Recipe
1 c. Israeli couscous (pearl sized)
2 c. water (or chicken stock or vegetable stock)
1 medium zucchini, cut into wedges
1/2 vidalia onion
1 hot wax pepper, diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 saffron strands
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil

1. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, the 2 cups of water (or stock). Add the saffron, cumin, tumeric and nutmeg. Once the water is boiling, add the couscous and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. After the simmering is done, remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 more minutes.

2. While that is coming to a boil, heat up about 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan. Once the oil is heated (about 3 minutes), add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add the zucchini and onion and saute them until the zucchini is slightly browned and the onion is translucent.

3. Add the zucchini and onion mixture to the couscous. Add, the hot wax pepper, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.


enjoy!

sushi lounge

so we went out to an impromptu dinner tonight. After a quick drink at the Hoboken Dubliner, upstairs bar (the tiki hut was too crowded, unfortunately), we took a trip around the block to the Sushi Lounge for a quick bite to eat before volleyball. I love the Sushi Lounge, they always have an awesome DJ playing techno sounds, but I have to admit it's a little pricey for what it's worth - luckily, I don't usually need to worry about that part :) In the spirit of being healthy, I ordered the Grilled Shrimp Salad. I know what you're thinking, that I ordered it only because there was mango in it - that is only partly true. Anyway, it came out on a bed of julienned green beans, red and yellow peppers and mangoes. Fabulous! (only problem is that I'm not a huge fan of peppers). It was really delicious though, despite the pepper thing.

Rob ordered a red hot roll and a tempura roll. Later, he questioned why he ordered the tempura roll, it was just so-so. The reality is, if you want tempura, order tempura. Don't order a tempura roll. Order something with fresh fish and accouterments that bring out its flavor. Save the tempura for your appetizer. The red hot roll was a tuna and avocado roll with a slice of jalapeno, a leaf of cilantro and a drizzle of hot sauce. Now that is one good roll!

Aside from the good food, Sushi Lounge always has a drink special and it's always something interesting. Tonight was a Strawberry Creamsicle, which sounded awesome, but would not be something my stomach could take before a volleyball match.

hope you try it sometime!

*k*

fast baked eggs

how many times have you tried to make baked eggs, only to realize you have to keep them in the oven at least 30 minutes. Well try this one on for size...

Fast Baked Eggs Recipe
(this recipe is for 1 serving in a ramekin, make as many ramekins as you like)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp herbs de provence
2 slices of smoked salmon
2 tbsp grated cheese of your choice (I used cheddar because that was what was in the fridge)

- put the eggs into a ramekin sprayed with non-stick spray and whisk the eggs for about a minute.
- mix the rest of the ingredients in the ramekin.
- turn the broiler on high
- put the ramekin in the microwave for 30-seconds at a time, for a total of 3 times (1:30), until cooked through.
- once the eggs are cooked through, put the ramekin in the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top is browned.

*enjoy*

simply delicioso... simply

Ok, I'll admit in the first 3 minutes of Ingrid Hoffman's show on Food Network, I was not completely enamored. It felt a little contrived, over-written, maybe even slightly over-rehearsed. But a few minutes into the show and I was kind of hooked. She was making an orange glazed chicken, orange granita and a summery quinoa. It all looked so good! I have all the ingredients for the quinoa recipe and have been thinking about making something quinoa for quite some time now.

I'm interested in quinoa because I've read a lot about its health benefits and thought it would be a tasty alternative to couscous. It's an ancient grain native to South America and popular with the early Incan communities. It has lots of amino acids, helpful in the repair of damaged cells and touted for easing migraines and improving cardiovascular health.

I'll let you know how the dish comes out. :)

a lesson in the use of utensils

This utensil is called a cheese slicer. It was originally invented in Norway because many of the cheeses eaten in the Scandinavian countries are hard cheeses that are eaten atop bread. To use this utensil, lay it along the top of a cheese wedge, with the handle pointing toward you. Firmly press the utensil into the cheese wedge and pull the utensil toward you. This will allow the slicing blade to cut through the cheese and create a nice thin piece of cheese that you can then put on a slice of bread.

Oh, you knew that already? You didn't think this was a pie slicer with a funny opening in the end? That's great!

Now feel free to have a laugh out loud belly laugh at my expense, because until the other day, I had no idea what this was used for.

The "healthyfoodie".... *pshaw* I may have just lost some of my credibility. But at least I'm honest :)

*k*

things you take for granted

I have been remiss in updating this blog, let's just say it's been a bit of a hectic week. I did have the opportunity to visit a (new to me) restaurant in Montclair, Trattoria Rustica located on Bloomfield Avenue near the intersection of Park. It was really fabulous, let me set the stage here. I took my father, his companion and my sister to this restaurant. They live in rural Florida and are used to the Italian restaurants that have linguine w/clam sauce, chicken parmigiana and stuffed shells. Now, there is nothing wrong with that type of traditional menu, some of my favorites actually. That is the type of menu they were expecting, but that is not the type of menu offered at the Trattoria Rustica.

We arrive at the restaurant and I should have known better, it was BYO and I didn't bring anything. So I left my family to look at the menu while I walked around the corner to pick up a bottle of wine. When I came back, my father, who was almost in panic mode, said that I had to explain the menu to them and that nothing looked familiar. It seemed familiar enough to me, but I guess even though the menu wasn't pedestrian, it seemed somewhat traditional to me. They had things like seared sea scallops over escarole and cannellini beans, gnocchi with roma tomatoes and mozzarella, veal milanese, cappellini with mixed vegetables, coconut crusted salmon over orzo. I think that living in an area where there are so many types of restaurants to choose from and many restaurants need to have more unique offerings in order to succeed, I get used to it. In fact, I was in shock when they said they didn't know what anything was (orzo? gnocchi? seems like regular fare to me). I realize now that these are some of the things I forget are not the same everywhere and end up taking them for granted.

On with the restaurant review already... It's a cozy place, and even somewhat romantic with it's smallish tables, and dim lighting. Make a reservation if you plan on going over the weekend. Even though we went there during the week and business was light, I can see how this place would fill up quickly. The wait staff was very attentive and accommodating. They were very willing to answer all of our questions and offer suggestions about the dished being served. The food itself was prepared to perfection and with adequately sized portions (I'm so sick of going out and having gigantic portions served that we don't end up eating). I ordered the sea scallops over escarole and cannellini beans, it was served in a balsamic reduction. The scallops were cooked exactly right, not overdone (which I find sometimes happens when I eat them in a restaurant). My sister ordered the gnocchi and she loved it. She had never had it before and usually orders ravioli or stuffed shells. She was very happy with my suggestion to try the gnocchi as it was a little bit familiar to her. My father and his companion ordered the coconut crusted salmon over orzo. A first for them as well. It was one of the restaurant's specials and the only thing I didn't care for was the sweet chutney that was on top of the salmon. Other than that, the salmon was very nicely cooked, medium rare and held all of its juices.

I will definitely be visiting this restaurant again and I hope you do too!

*k*

looking for a hit at your next bbq?

I had a bbq the other day and wanted to make something beforehand that would already be prepared when my guests arrived so that I could spend more time with my guests and less time over the hot grill. Rob kindly cooked all of the meat, over the hot grill, in the sweltering heat, so I definitely owe him one. I had something similar at a bbq a few days before, so this is what I made beforehand and it was more than enough for my 6 guests:

Grilled Vegetables Recipe (served cold)
1 large eggplant, sliced into rounds
1 bunch asparagus
1 large vidalia onion (or 2 small), slided into thick slabs
4 portabella mushrooms, cut into thick slices

Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Separate veggies into 2 large baking dishes (try to lay them out flat as much as possible, because you'll want the marinade to cover all of them). Pour the marinade over the veggies and make sure they are completely coated. Chill them for at least 1 hr and up to several hours.

Once the veggies are chilled, preheat the grill to medium / high. Place the veggies on the grill and grill them for a few minutes on each side until they have grill marks and appear to be done but not mushy. You may want to put the onion in a grilling basket to avoid any grill casualties.

Once all of the veggies are done, arrange them on a serving plate (I put all the asparagus together, all the eggplant together, and so on). Chill the veggies on the serving plate at least 1 hr. or until ready to serve.

You'll need to do this early in the day so that everything is done by time your guests arrive.

enjoy!
*k*

nothing better than beer in the AM

we woke up early. We had to, beer was on the agenda. We decided to take a tour (free!) of the Anheuser-Busch facility. This was a great tour, the tour guides were very knowledgeable and it was entirely free, with beer and pretzels at the end of it. You see the entire brewing process, the clydesdales and dalmataions. If you haven't been there and have the chance to, do it. It's worth the time. Enough of that plug... so we did that and had a great time.

After that, we went over to a butterfly house that was really kind of cool. You end up walking through a greenhouse sort of structure that is filled with lots of plants, flowers and thousands (yes thousands) of butterflies. I was actually a little scared at first, I know that's ridiculous, they are butterflies after all. After that adventure, we headed back to downtown, with a pitstop at Imo's, the signature pizza of St. Louis for 40 years (who knew?). I liked it, but what's with the cheese? The thin crispy crust was great and it had a creamy, gooey, almost liquid cheese that tasted a little like cheddar on top. Definitely never had that before. Next, we went up in the arch and caught a few beers at the mad Hungarian's saloon (Al Hrabosky's Ballpark Saloon). This is a great place to hang out before the game, if you're a Cardinal's fan. HA! Just kidding, it's a great place, lots of sports memorabilia and generally festive atmosphere. At some point we saw a really bad ballgame from really great seats, courtesy of my former boss. The game was delayed by a torrential downpour, and we filled our bellies (at least I did) with lots of ballpark fare. Big plus for the Cardinals stadium - they had veggie burgers, and they were good! The game, on the other hand, was not so good. The Brewers really beat up on the Cards, can't say much more than that.

Our grand finale was to a little hole in the wall called the Broadway Oyster Bar. We saw some live music, a band with a ska influence, and a few disappointed Cardinal's fans looking to forget about the game they just saw. We hung out there for a while before heading back to the hotel. Another big day was coming up.

*k*

a slacker, eh???

now that I've been called a slacker (?!?), I'll have to catch up on all my posting to save face. So onward in the midwest. From Kansas City, we took a short hop across scenic Missouri to St. Louis. It took about four and a half hours and we saw a few cows and corn fields. There was also an inordinate amount of billboards. After checking in and taking a quick look at the view of the ballpark from our hotel, we headed to the arch. It was crowded because one side broke (and we're going in this thing?!). From there, we went in search of the signature food of St. Louis. Yeah, we didn't know what it was either. We later found out that it's toasted ravioli and Imo's pizza.

Off to The Hill, a quaint little neighborhood dotted with Italian restaurants. We followed the footsteps of Rachel Ray and went to Cunetto's. It was funny, it looked like it was dead when we walked in. And then the hostess took us through the bar area around to the dining area and it was packed! We walked through the dining area, around the corner and the place is huge. Much bigger than I anticipated from the outside. The menu was chock full of traditional Italian fare. I asked about the toasted ravioli and was surprised to find out they were meat ravioli. I didn't order any, but my friend did. She described them as not quite fried ravioli, lightly toasted, nice marinara sauce. Way to go Rachel Ray! I ordered a house salad, which was essentially a giant bowl of cheese with some salad in it. Don't get me wrong, I like cheese, but this was a little over the top. If you really love cheese, you would love this salad, and the dressing was good too. Along came our entrees, spaghetti with a garlic, oil and anchovy sauce, and veal saltimbocca. It was generally okay food, but definitely not what we are used to being from the Italian capital of the USA, northern NJ and NY area.

From there, we found a local watering hole called Maggie O'Brien's, because it was touted to have lots of TVs and several satellites. This was going to be the perfect place to watch the Yankee game, and it was. We met some very nice (but very odd) local St. Louisites who kept us entertained after the Yankees started to lose.

We left there and headed back to the hotel, the next day was going to be busy.

*k*