QUICK TIP: frozen berries and champagne

Keeping a bag or two of mixed berries in your freezer is always a good idea whether you make smoothies or not.  Bump up a regular glass of champagne with a couple berries and not only will it add a sweet tang but it might even keep your glass cooler (if you magically let it sit around long enough to get warm) 

pickled green tomatoes

In case your stressing about what to do with your end-of-season harvest: 1.) pick the last green tomatoes 2.) wash 3.) slice and salt 4.) stack 24 hours 5.) vinegar 24 hours 6.) drain and pack with hot pepper, garlic, and basil.

healthy office snacks so you can save the bad decisions for 3am on a saturday

Recently, I've found myself chatting about what to snack on in the office.  Healthy snacks so you can make up for situations like the photo above.  Easy, non or minimal prep foods you can pick up at the corner store or CVS that don't require you to spend an entire evening dehydrating fruit to make home-made paleo protein bars.  Unfortunately for me, my supplies have been limited lately, so whenever someone brings in brownies or I see Girl Scout cookies in the kitchen they end up in my mouth before I can even count the calories.  Well, I just made a list of a couple snack ideas (in no particular order) that are easy to find, that help in keeping your metabolism raised, that can curb your appetite, and provide you with lots of nutrients, vitamins, and essential fats. The key is that you still need to ration and diversify your snack intake- eating half a jar of peanut butter (guilty face) will really do you no good, BUT if you have an assortment of these ingredients at your desk or in the fridge, they're great to snack on or even substitute as a lunch. From the list below, think: one hard-boiled egg, one piece of fruit, one string cheese, 5 almonds, a celery stick dipped in peanut butter, and a couple carrots dipped in hummus. THAT is a healthy way to keep you going throughout the day.
Modify, add to, and save this list in your phone so when you're at the grocery store you can remember to stock up on some healthy options.

• celery
• celery dipped in hummus or peanut butter (with no sugar added)
• carrots
• carrots and hummus
• bell pepper strips
• salsa
• hard boiled eggs- sans the yoke
• an avocado
• light mozarella string cheese
• beef jerky (they say only grass fed) 
• turkey jerky
• mixed nuts
• cucumbers
• cucumbers and hummus, salsa, cream cheese
• canned or bagged tuna or salmon (sriracha makes that palatable) 
• good quality dark chocolate (like, not Hershey) 
• lunch meat (turkey, chicken, a good quality ham) 
• sliced cheese (be aware of the fat content) 
• scoop of your favorite protein shake in H20
• berries
• one fruit (orange, banana, apple)
• olives
• dried seaweed
• edamame
• small yogurt
• pickles 
• kimchee
• miso soup mix
• steam-in-bag vegetables
• raw vegetables
• cooked shrimp
• cottage cheese

5 tips to watching your waistline over Thanksgiving.

1. Be smart, avoid the bad snacks and reach for good ones between meals.  Nuts, fruit, veggies. Those cookies look great but so does your waistline. Save the sweets for one indulgent dessert.
2. Watch your liquid calories, from your sodas to the super sweet cocktails and vino. Be careful what of what you’re drinking cause that'll add up faster than you think.
3. Watch out for the super creamy potatoes, extra fatty gravy, and diabetically sweet sauces.  There's usually a healthier option or just use less.
4. Try and get your heartbeat up for a couple minutes at least once or twice a day. If you can’t hit a workout maybe go on a brisk walk after dinner or have an extended roll in the hay. You’d be surprised what a difference that makes.
5. Remember, there are plenty of healthy options on that Thanksgiving buffet. Fill up on turkey, salad, and vegetables and leave the rest for modest tastes.

aim for vegetarian hot dogs

German bratwursts, Italian sausages and anything of the like excluded, I think we can all agree that the only reason anyone eats a hot dog is because it's a vessel for whatever the heck condiment you have withing arms reach.  Should that be the case then substitute any array of vegetarian dogs instead of eating something that's frankly so terrible.  I probably average 0.5 traditional hot dogs a year (what the heck, my parents moved to this country so I could be American) but if I'm grilling on my own the soy ones taste just the same and no one knows the difference. That said, if you're looking for ideas, check out this post from a couple years ago and set up an advanced toppings station at your next hot dog party.

14 Foods You Should Buy Organic

Just saw this article in Eating Well and I found it very useful.  Generally, if I'm on a budget and I have to choose what to buy that is or isn't organic, things like oranges, eggplant or things that get PEELED I will buy NON-organic.  This is a good guide though if you need convincing in one direction or another.

http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/organic_natural/dirty_dozen_plus_14_foods_you_should_buy_organic?sssdmh=dm17.606049&utm_source=EWHNL&esrc=nwewh070512

skinny guacamole

Well, we all love our Skinny Margaritas and whole grain tortillas but look at this great tip I got from June Eating Well magazine.  Replace half your avocado with cooked zucchini to cut about 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving.  I tried and and it tastes great. Its the same color, consistency and even has more nutritional diversity than regular guac.  If you're not making your own I also don't see why you can't mix in half part zucchini into your favorite store-bought brand.  Eat up and stay skinny!

fastest risotto on earth - and it's totally cheating

Every once in a blue moon I end up just having way too many peppers, or pumpkins or something I have to use up.  The easiest thing to do is cook whatever the heck down, maybe throw it in the food processor and make a soup. Freeze it in portion-sized containers and there's dinner when you're in a rush.  Well, having a semi-constant supply of soup in the freezer can make a guy a little creative... just use that instead of water when boiling rice.  If you don't have any frozen (and you probably don't because you're not a crazy person or your mom in the 70's) choose your favorite boxed quart of soup from Trader Joes or Whole Foods, bring 2.5 parts of the soup and 1 part rice it to a near boil then cover and shift off the heat or let simmer for 20 minutes.  If it's too "dry," raise the heat again and add a little more soup, a little too "wet" raise the heat to medium and stir till it's the right consistency (don't let it stick to the bottom!).  Use anything from butternut squash to creamy tomato, this is TOTALLY CHEATING but I love it.  This can be as vegetarian as you want - you decide how much cheese or pepper you want to add at the end.

sometimes the simplest things are best

Can you ask for a healthier, more vitamin-filled breakfast?  I guess it won't work if you're on Southbeach (the diet) but having a spread like this in the morning is so much more refreshing than pancakes, bacon or even cereal.  I luckily work near a grocery store so it's not difficult for me to walk in for a peach, plum and kiwi in the morning, if not an already prepared fruit salad.  Save the chocolate waffles for a treat when you're snowed in and reach for something simple and fresh.

I LOVE hanging out with my parents

This is about 4 minutes after walking into their house. We didnt even make it to the table. 

GOOD FIND: blender bottle

I love this thing.  It's made to shake up your protein mix with water or milk but use it to bring soups to work, to mix your batter for pancakes, waffles or even to scramble a couple eggs without the mess if you're apartment living.  Dishwasher safe and the come in a medium and large size.  I got mine at Whole Foods but I've seen them at GNC and a couple other places where heath and exercise products are sold.

boquerones, marinated white anchovies

don't cringe just cause you hear the word anchovy.  These taste nothing like what you're used to finding in a can and are honestly some of the most delicate and delicious savory snacks you may ever come across. Some of you may know these as boquerones and you'll find them at almost every tapas bar in Barcelona. Making them really isn't that difficult, just salting, cleaning and marinating the fish but at this point you can find them at Whole Foods, Dean & Deluca and a couple other specialty or international stores. Think of these to add to your spread next time you have people over for drinks and appetizers.

Christmas gift ideas?

If you're struggling with that one person who has everything or don't want your $15 tchotchke to be forgotten or regifted, think FOOD & DRINK. A bottle of wine or liquor (stuffed in a Christmas sock is always a great idea) will always be appreciated.  For higher-end friends make your own basket of your favorite cheeses, dried meats and olives, and in the case of an informal Secret Santa or something more casual, you can make you own gift box better than you'll ever find out.  Photographed above was a "Taco Night Kit" that I made for the Komen-DC Holiday party. Other great ideas can be a "Breakfast Box" box of pancake mix, a small bottle of syrup, chocolate chips, raisins, can of whipped cream and a can or two of fresh berries.  Another fun one for coworkers is "The Office Snack Survival Kit."  Instant oatmeal, Top Ramen, Cup-of-Soup, Nuts, raisins, hot sauce, salt and pepper shaker and a box of tea.  Be creative and you'll be surprised. Gifts like this can be lots more fun (and cheaper) than you'd ever expect.

quinoa

So a couple people have asked me recently where to find and how to cook quinoa.  Well, long story short, this is an awesome grain and hot in any restaurant pretending to be healthy.  Find it in bulk at Whole Foods and in boxes in the healthy food section of most grocery stores these days.  It comes in red and white.  The red has a heartier taste but rumor has it that they both carry the same nutritional value.  To cook you do 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa.  Bring to a boil and let simmer, cover it and cook till all the water's absorbed in about 15 minutes.  Use this as a substitute for rice or couscous- its really pretty good.

string bean side

Whether you're grilling or just having a regular dinner you should always ALWAYS have something green on your plate, if not even try and have it be mostly plants.  Whichever way you swing though, people get tired of salads some times and honestly out in the heat they don't always hold up so well.  Try just having substantial vegetable sides that are cold and large enough to substitute a salad.  Get a big bunch of string beans (I know Giant and most grocers even sell fresh bags of them), wash them and remove any stems, then steam them if you like but I prefer to drop them in a pot of salted boiling water for only a few minutes till they're tender - do a taste test to see how al dente you want them, drain them, toss them in a bowl, drizzle some olive oil, a touch of red wine vinegar, a fair amount of chopped garlic and salt to taste.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Fresh healthy and DELICIOUS.

hotdog party!!!!

hahaha that just sounds terrible.  Well listen, it's summer and it seems there's a cookout every weekend.  If you want to change things up a little, set up an advanced hotdog toppings bar.  Grill your Hebrew National,  Soy Dogs, or whatever kind of bratwurst just as you normally would then direct people to a self serve station that would have ketchup, mustard, relish and onion for the old school purists (never imagined anything "pure" about consuming a hotdog) then these are some ideas some friends and I came up with that can also be offered: banana peppers, bbq sauce, buffalo wing sauce, jalapenos, cheese whiz and chili, American cheese, sliced celery, chopped olives, Thousand Island, kimchee, bacon, cream cheese, peperoni slices, pickled green beans or asparagus, sriracha, sour cream, diced tomatoes ... really, the possibilities are endless.  I just draw the line on m&m's and stuff like that.

ps... your hotdog topping bar should be conveniently located next to the make-your-own bloody mary bar...  I'm just sayin.

tomatillo garlic and almond salsa

I totally experimented on a taco night a little while ago and came up with an AMAZING salsa.
Use this to dip chips, throw it on a taco or use as a sauce for fish.  Wash a couple tomatillos, slice them in half and throw them in the broiler with some salt and olive oil till they just start to blacken.  Do the same to toast a couple chopped almonds but be careful they'll only take a minute before they brown.  Dump everything in a blender, add a jalapeño (or 2 depending on your taste), some lime juice, cilantro, a little more olive oil, salt to taste and hit puree.  In the photo above I wanted mine a little more watery so last minute I added a whole raw plum tomato and it was fantastic too.

Sardinian flavors

Sardinia is known for its waters rich with tuna and that very fish has become a staple in traditional Sardinian fare. A common combination of flavors will be tomato, red onion tuna and capers.  Perhaps a little fresh basil or black pepper on top but thats it.  Makes my mouth will water just thinking about it.  It's one of my favorite "sauces" for pasta and that combination might be my favorite topping for a pizza.  So simple and easy but fantastic.

roasted [frozen] corn

I don't THINK I've blogged about roasted corn but either way, SOOO easy for a huge bonus.  Think a toping for taco night or a creative pizza, addition to a salad or a quick side. Grab a bag of frozen corn, throw it in a cookie sheet (do it over aluminum foil if you wanna skip the cleanup), drizzle some olive oil and a bit of salt and throw it in the broiler.  THATS IT.  You really need to watch and open the oven every minute or two to make sure some parts blacken but you don't want bits of charcoal.  Stir it a couple times and as soon as it looks like traditional grilled corn its done.  Mix with salsa, serve as is or use it as an addition from anything between a chicken wrap and a vegetable soup.

TIP: ground beef

Its almost grilling season and I'm just sending out a quick reminder that when buying ground meat you should NOT always be picking up the cheapest deal in town (especially if you like a rare burger like I do).  Many stores are shipping in factory farmed meats from across the country with various fillers and enough containments it could make you go vegan if you read to much about it.  Try to look for labels that read "ground in house"  or at least specify no fillers.  I'm pretty sure some Giant and Harris Teeter grocery stores do.  I know Whole Foods does.  If its not in the cards for you either because of price or availability then just be sure not to undercook your meat (especially for the little kids), and a yummy tip is to season your hamburger meat  with some salt, pepper, your favorite spices, and vinegar or lime juice.  It tastes great, makes a gourmet burger, and the salt, spices and acidity added can kill some bacteria that might be hiding.