This one was really good....
Balsamic Curried Vinaigrette Recipe
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp curry mustard (or 2 tsp dijon mustard and 1/2 tsp curry powder)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed
Salad
2 cup baby spinach
Sliced red onion
cherry tomatoes
1 serving of extra firm tofu
1/2 tsp sea salt
Cut tofu into 1/2" squares. Heat non-stick skillet on high. Add tofu and sea salt. Cook tofu until browned on all sides.
Add tofu to salad items and toss with the vinaigrette.
Enjoy :)
*k*
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
hot day, cool salad
every now and then I get tired of the same old salad dressings. Today was one of those days, and so I came up with this recipe with some things I had on hand. I think it needs a little tweaking but it's a good start:
Cilantro-Mint Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp mint leaves
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
juice from one lime
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high for a few minutes. Drizzle over your favorite salad.
enjoy :)
*k*
Cilantro-Mint Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp mint leaves
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
juice from one lime
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high for a few minutes. Drizzle over your favorite salad.
enjoy :)
*k*
Sunday, June 24, 2007
the extra 15
In the warmer weather, I regularly try and ride my bicycle everywhere. It just helps to keep me moving and stop driving *everywhere*. Like many Sunday mornings, I rode my bicycle to the grocery store. It's not too far, maybe about 2 miles each way. The trip there always seems like it will be a little bit harder than the trip home because there is one fairly long incline for the first quarter of the trip. To start out on the incline without having warmed up is always a challenge.
But today the way home proved to be more difficult. I purchased a week's worth of groceries, which for a single (mostly) vegetarian, consists largely of fruits and veggies that don't fit so neatly into the large backpack that I bring with me. Turned out to be at least 15 lbs. of groceries that I was carrying in my backpack on the ride home. As I was riding, I could definitely feel the extra excertion that I needed to apply in order to get me, the bike and the groceries up the and down the rolling terrain. And it got me thinking to when I was 15 lbs heavier. Is this what it felt like? Feeling a little bit more winded, feeling a little bit more pressure in my legs, I vowed to myself right there that I can't ever let that extra 15 lbs. come back.
So if you're wondering what it's like either to be a little bit heavier or what it might feel like to lose a few, try it. Take a 15 or 20 lb. backpack, wear it around for a little bit and then take it off. It's literally a huge weight removed from your shoulders.
Enjoy healthy, fun food and keep moving
*k*
But today the way home proved to be more difficult. I purchased a week's worth of groceries, which for a single (mostly) vegetarian, consists largely of fruits and veggies that don't fit so neatly into the large backpack that I bring with me. Turned out to be at least 15 lbs. of groceries that I was carrying in my backpack on the ride home. As I was riding, I could definitely feel the extra excertion that I needed to apply in order to get me, the bike and the groceries up the and down the rolling terrain. And it got me thinking to when I was 15 lbs heavier. Is this what it felt like? Feeling a little bit more winded, feeling a little bit more pressure in my legs, I vowed to myself right there that I can't ever let that extra 15 lbs. come back.
So if you're wondering what it's like either to be a little bit heavier or what it might feel like to lose a few, try it. Take a 15 or 20 lb. backpack, wear it around for a little bit and then take it off. It's literally a huge weight removed from your shoulders.
Enjoy healthy, fun food and keep moving
*k*
Friday, June 22, 2007
easiest dinner ever...
didn't feel like doing much for dinner tonight, so I'm posting this very easy, very tasty dish:
Asian Style Mixed Vegetables Recipe
1 bag of your favorite frozen mixed vegetables package (I choose a sugar snap pea, carrots and mushroom stir fry)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tbsp seasame seeds
3 tbsp low salt soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (to taste)
1/2 tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil)
Set oven to broil and put frozen vegetables and garlic on cookie sheet. Grill until golden.
Mix rest of ingredients in a bowl. Add the broiled vegetables. Enjoy.
*k*
Asian Style Mixed Vegetables Recipe
1 bag of your favorite frozen mixed vegetables package (I choose a sugar snap pea, carrots and mushroom stir fry)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tbsp seasame seeds
3 tbsp low salt soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (to taste)
1/2 tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil)
Set oven to broil and put frozen vegetables and garlic on cookie sheet. Grill until golden.
Mix rest of ingredients in a bowl. Add the broiled vegetables. Enjoy.
*k*
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
motivation
I was thinking on my way to work this morning (I know, you saw the smoke...). But really, I was reflecting on some progress that I have been trying to make in terms of healthy eating and exercise and my motivation level. Then I started to think about all the ways that people, myself included, motivate themselves to stay healthy and several questions came to mind:
Why do we feel a need to "motivate" ourselves to stay healthy? It seems absurb. Why is that not innate?
Next, why do we seek out help in motivating ourselves through groups (like weight watchers, or a personal trainer or an on-line forum)? Have we lost the skill to self-motivate?
How do some people become motivators for others and some people become the motivatees?
I'm not proclaiming to know the answers to all of these questions. But I've been making some observations. I'm a big proponent of whole foods (i.e. non processed foods) and I feel like Americans in general eat way too much processed foods, ridiculous amounts of it. If you don't think so, think about what you ate today. Did more than half your food come out of a package? If not, congratulations - you're on your way to breaking the cycle. My theory is that many times we think we are being healthy and therefore the motivation to stay healthy is innate. We think we are doing the right things, but many of us are not.
In terms of group versus self motivation, people who appear to be positive, confident and enjoy life seem to be better self motivators (in general, I'm not trying to make this observation universally). These individuals also seem to be better motivators of others. You know the ones, they are always smiling talking about how great life is. They're full of all those great ideas, like "wow, it's really nice out. Want to go for a 10 mile run with me?!?!" It sounds so exciting, how could you resist. A mile in, your legs feel like spaghetti and your lung has lodged itself in your throat.
Those whose sky is always falling tend to need motivating and I guess that's not such a bad thing. Many have found a way to make money by setting up on-line motivational forums, groups and workout buddies. And many people seem to do reasonably well if they are accountable not only to themselves but to a group helping them find some motivation. This proves to be useful for the short-term, but in the end, the only one who you will ever need to be accountable to in terms of health is yourself.
I think we can all take a lesson from the self-motivators out there - set goals that are achievable and a few that might be a stretch, keep your sights on the goal, stay positive, don't be afraid to make mistakes and most of all - don't give up.
*k*
Why do we feel a need to "motivate" ourselves to stay healthy? It seems absurb. Why is that not innate?
Next, why do we seek out help in motivating ourselves through groups (like weight watchers, or a personal trainer or an on-line forum)? Have we lost the skill to self-motivate?
How do some people become motivators for others and some people become the motivatees?
I'm not proclaiming to know the answers to all of these questions. But I've been making some observations. I'm a big proponent of whole foods (i.e. non processed foods) and I feel like Americans in general eat way too much processed foods, ridiculous amounts of it. If you don't think so, think about what you ate today. Did more than half your food come out of a package? If not, congratulations - you're on your way to breaking the cycle. My theory is that many times we think we are being healthy and therefore the motivation to stay healthy is innate. We think we are doing the right things, but many of us are not.
In terms of group versus self motivation, people who appear to be positive, confident and enjoy life seem to be better self motivators (in general, I'm not trying to make this observation universally). These individuals also seem to be better motivators of others. You know the ones, they are always smiling talking about how great life is. They're full of all those great ideas, like "wow, it's really nice out. Want to go for a 10 mile run with me?!?!" It sounds so exciting, how could you resist. A mile in, your legs feel like spaghetti and your lung has lodged itself in your throat.
Those whose sky is always falling tend to need motivating and I guess that's not such a bad thing. Many have found a way to make money by setting up on-line motivational forums, groups and workout buddies. And many people seem to do reasonably well if they are accountable not only to themselves but to a group helping them find some motivation. This proves to be useful for the short-term, but in the end, the only one who you will ever need to be accountable to in terms of health is yourself.
I think we can all take a lesson from the self-motivators out there - set goals that are achievable and a few that might be a stretch, keep your sights on the goal, stay positive, don't be afraid to make mistakes and most of all - don't give up.
*k*
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
zany zucchini
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. That the picture beside might be a little too risque for a blog about health and food. ;) Well, this is what's going on in my garden right now. I'm totally psyched that the zucchini have sprouted some vegetables. There are definitely some things that I'm learning about as the season progresses:1. Zucchini are prolific producers, two zucchini plants and I already have 8 vegetables on the plant. I can see it now, I'm going to be posting lots and lots of zucchini recipes in the coming weeks. Watch out!
2. Spinach, while it seems nice to have, do not do so well in the mid-season when temperatures are real hot. The leaves burn, and the plant easily bolts. I definitely thought I would have more than one salad from the bunch.
3. Tomatos grow everywhere. I think I saw one coming out of the sidewalk the other day. Four plants turned into 10. Go figure.
4. Hot peppers apparently like to grow one pepper at a time. That doesn't work too well for those of us who like to put heat in everything. I think I need more of these next year.
5. I wish I would have planted more variety. Maybe a few eggplant, or more herbs. I guess there is still thyme, errr, time. (doh! that was a bad pun... I'll end with that) :)
*k*
Monday, June 18, 2007
summer is no time for soup... or is it?
On a hot day, there's nothing better than cold soup. Ok, so it doesn't sound too appetizing when I put it like that. The soup is a chilled tomato soup, gazpacho, and it's completely vegan, fat free, and as far as I can tell, about 100-120 calories per serving. Watch out for the sodium though - it can be quite high if you don't use the "no salt" added varieties of the ingredients. It's unclear where this soup originated, some sources say Spain, others indicate an Arabic origin. But whatever the case, it's a refreshing summer time dinner, that can be a very simple preparation for your family or a simply elegant preparation for a crowd. Feel free to modify this to your own tastes and your own likes.
Gazpacho Recipe
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 0 Minutes
Chill Time: 60 Minutes
Total Time: 70 Minutes
2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz cans)
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz cans)
1 can filled with water
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
½ Vidalia onion
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp chopped parsley (flakes ok too)
1 tbsp chopped basil (flakes ok too)
1 can slice mushrooms – optional
½ Serrano pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
In a blender, put 1 can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 can water, 1/2 of the cucumber cut up, cut up onion, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil and pepper. Blend on high until pureed. Pour into large bowl.
Add 1 can diced tomatoes, rest of the diced cucumber and mushrooms.
Chill at least 1 hr before serving.
*yum*
Gazpacho Recipe
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 0 Minutes
Chill Time: 60 Minutes
Total Time: 70 Minutes
2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz cans)
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz cans)
1 can filled with water
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
½ Vidalia onion
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp chopped parsley (flakes ok too)
1 tbsp chopped basil (flakes ok too)
1 can slice mushrooms – optional
½ Serrano pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
In a blender, put 1 can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 can water, 1/2 of the cucumber cut up, cut up onion, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil and pepper. Blend on high until pureed. Pour into large bowl.
Add 1 can diced tomatoes, rest of the diced cucumber and mushrooms.
Chill at least 1 hr before serving.
*yum*
Sunday, June 17, 2007
not just another coffee shop
When I woke up this morning, I realized today is a "Landmark" day. Not because I was going to do something special, but actually quite the opposite. It was going to be an ordinary Sunday morning and that means walking downtown for some joe. Nestled on the corner of Hudson St. and Newark St. in Hoboken NJ, this unassuming coffee house is a mere 100 yards away from the Starbucks, but offers so much more. Friendly baristas, fresh fruit, granola bars and for the occassional indulgance, fresh pastries. Their latte, comes with the "extra shot" so no need to ask. The menu offers espresso, americano, flavored coffees, iced drinks and even frozen hot chocolate (I'm not quite sure what that is yet, but one of these days I'm going to try it). And their service always comes with a smile and some brief conversation about the what's new with you, what's new in town or even the weather. There are a few seats inside and if it's a nice day, you might score a seat outside. It reminds me of a neighborhood establishment of old, and one that I hope will be there as long as I am and more.*k*
new york wineries... nothing to sneeze at
Waking up to head full of allergies, I wasn't sure I was up for the hour and a half ride up to the first of the wineries on our wine tour. Even though I've been to both Napa and Sonoma, some 3,000 miles away, I have never taken the short trip upstate and wasn't sure what to expect in the Shawangunks. We left early, to make our arrival at the first winery at 10 AM. Our goal, to visit 8 in one day. We did it and much to our surprise, we found some very decent wines. My take on this is that if you go to a liquor store, even if it specializes in wine, you're only really going to end up with wines that they bottled thousands or several thousands of cases and then there are so many other wines that never make it to the distributors or to the stores in our area. So, we had a great day, beautiful views, tasty wines and a new found place for a weekend getaway.
Friday, June 15, 2007
poker and pappadam
after getting spanked in the poker tournament, we decided to drown our sorrows in mint chutney. We don't partake in the Jersey City restaurant scene all too often, but I happened to notice an Indian restaurant and I am just a sucker for Indian food. The place is called Amiya and it sits a few blocks in from the Jersey City waterfront in the financial district. Over the last 10 to 15 years, this area has seen a lot of growth and revitalization.
Upon entering, we were greeted with a warm smile and a cozy atmosphere. The waiter was prompt and very open to answering a few questions about the menu. We started with pappadam (we didn't order it, it just kind of came over) and the purple and green sauce. I'm not sure what the purple sauce is but I've had it numerous times; the green sauce is a mint chutney - both are like crack. I just can't get enough.
Then we ordered a potato patty, stuffed with paneer and flavored with fenugreek and other seasonings. For dinner, I had a mushroom, tomato and onion curry and some roti. All of the dishes had a delicate combination of spices to make them flavorful but not overbearing. The service, ambiance, and food were all above average. It's a nice dinner place and by the time we left (around 8:30 pm), the restaurant was starting to fill in quite nicely. It seems like this restaurant would also be a great place for a weekday lunch.
*k*
Upon entering, we were greeted with a warm smile and a cozy atmosphere. The waiter was prompt and very open to answering a few questions about the menu. We started with pappadam (we didn't order it, it just kind of came over) and the purple and green sauce. I'm not sure what the purple sauce is but I've had it numerous times; the green sauce is a mint chutney - both are like crack. I just can't get enough.
Then we ordered a potato patty, stuffed with paneer and flavored with fenugreek and other seasonings. For dinner, I had a mushroom, tomato and onion curry and some roti. All of the dishes had a delicate combination of spices to make them flavorful but not overbearing. The service, ambiance, and food were all above average. It's a nice dinner place and by the time we left (around 8:30 pm), the restaurant was starting to fill in quite nicely. It seems like this restaurant would also be a great place for a weekday lunch.
*k*
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