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

Japanese chicken soup

Get a big deep pan, drizzle some oil, throw in one whole chopped sweet onion, a chopped thumb-sized piece of ginger, and two small green chilies.  Let that cook covered on low heat (so it would all get mushy, not brown).  At the same time open a pack of 5 or 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs.  I rinse them under water (you should always do that with any chicken) then trim off any fat  you see.  By this time the onions should be translucent  so place the chicken in the pan and raised the heat to medium-high. While  cooking wash two whole containers of quartered white mushrooms, drop them in the same pan, and let that cook covered for another 5, 10 till they get tender and shrink up. Now, by this time the chicken should be cooked so remove it all and with two forks shred the meat and returned it to the same pan. Last add a pint glass of filtered water, about a tablespoon of soy sauce, and about two table spoons of red miso paste. Basically let that all come to a boil, ladle into a bowl and serve with a handful of chopped green onions (some warm French bread on the side might just be orgasmic).

minced pork and legume salad

This was a random creation I don't even know how to describe so you'll just have to read it.  All I have to say is a couple people were over and they went for seconds, thirds and FOURTHS.  So yummy and protein PACKED! Get one can of black beans, one of navy beans and two of chick peas, throw them in a pasta strainer and rinse really well.  Let that completely drain then throw it in a big bowl.  Next get a container of ground pork. Sautee it in a pan (if its super lean you might have to add some oil) with salt and pepper (more salt than you would normally think and probably double the black pepper you would normally use). Chop and mix it and when it's completely cooked throw it on top of the beans.  Drain out any fat from the pork pan then chop an onion, 2-3 jalapenos, some ginger, and 2 carrots.  Sautee that in the same pan.  When it's done add to the mix. Then in the same pan throw in two containers of quartered white mushrooms (or that quantity of your favorite mushrooms), about 1/2 a cup of vinegar, and some salt. Cook till they're all tender then throw in the mix. Then SUPER finely chop like 4-5 stalks of celery and throw that on top, raw. Last, toss one huge handful of chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, juice from 2-3 limes, drizzle good quality olive oil and [preferably sea] salt over the top of everything and serve. 

The key is to cook everything separate and add everything as DRY as possible so its a very loose mixable protein and vegetable filled salad.

coconut curry cauliflower

Fantastic for a dreary winter day.  Sautee some green chili, an onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery. Add a bit of salt or a tablespoon of fish sauce (your choice).  When that's all tender add a whole cauliflower, separated in pieces, two tablespoons of Jamaican curry powder, and a cup or so of water.  Stir then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer.  Once the cauliflower is tender, add a can of coconut milk. If you want this more as a side, let that cook down to your preferred consistency OR if you'd like a chunky soup add another cup or two of water and bring to a boil (just recheck for salt).  Dress with thyme if you have it and enjoy!

quinoa cookies

Y'all know I love my quinoa and holy frijoles, these cookies are fantastic.  A coworker just brought me this gluten free and vegan delight. See her ingredients above then she said: 1.) 350 degrees 2.) milk + flax to sit then add oil + sugar + vanilla 3.) flours + spices (powders) 4.) flakes + apricots + almonds (chunks) 5.) bake for 10-12 minutes

spicy nuts

• May not sound like an idea Friday night but this is a quick and easy way to dazzle some guests who are waiting for their dinner over the holidays. Also nice to have laying around over a few cocktails.  Get a bag of your favorite mixed nuts and dump them in a warm-to-hot skillet.  Toast them just a bit then move'm to a bowl on the side.  Then in the same skillet over medium-to-low heat combine about 2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil), 1/4 cup of water, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, then about 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, same amount of cumin, same amount of chopped rosemary, same amount of salt.  Stir and let it start to get a little syrupy- add a touch of water if it's too thick. When you're ready, slowly add the mixture over your nuts, toss them gently, and serve.  Try a couple spicy combinations too!  Pull out the rosemary and add cinnamon instead! 
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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.

Are hot peppers actually healthy for you?

I get this question all the time. YES. If you eat with me chances are you're eating something spicy- and that's a good thing! according to fitday.com:

Capsaicin 
Chili, jalapeno, habenero and cayenne peppers all contain a chemical component called capsaicin. This is the compound that causes the burning sensation when coming in contact with mucous membranes. It has also been attributed to:

• killing cancer cells 
• reducing inflammation 
• producing fat oxidation which can aid in weight loss 
• helping with gastric relief 
• preventing sinus infections 
• psoriasis relief

REVIEW: Freshii @ 15&K not good news

I hope there are no fans out there.  This is the message I wrote to 11ande@freshii.com

Hi there, 

I was walking down 15th street to get something to eat and noticed your $5 deal sign in the window.  I'd never visited your establishment and thought today might be a nice day to experiment.  Pictured on your $5 menu was a photo of a steak wrap you advertise as your Aztec Burrito.  I ordered it and the very kind woman asked what kind of protein I wanted- I said chicken and she quickly went to work.  When I was rung up I was surprised to see there was a charge for the protein.  $5 would have covered a rice burrito.  Either way, that's fine, $6.49 wouldn't break my bank and I didn't want to make a hassle for your friendly staff.  It was just written no where on the menu in your window or at the register that that was your business model. No worries, I just suggest you make that clearer to not mislead other customers since you strive to "energize people on the go."  Unfortunately though, when I sat down at my desk and bit into my Aztec Burrito I found it filled almost entirely with rice.  Which I guess is fine, a rice burrito- but again, nothing like what I was expecting to see or what was pictured. Now question, do you reuse your rice from the night before or was the brown rice just entirely undercooked and intentionally crunchy?  Frankly, I'd feel better knowing I got last night's rice rather than believing that's the standard on how you prepare your food.  And last, the manifesto on your website claims you use "high-quality, fresh ingredients" and you promote a "health-casual" atmosphere but do you mean that to include mechanically separated and reconstructed chicken? There are air bubbles in the the meat. It's still in my trash can if you need the evidence. I'm just curious to know- I'm not sure, just your reaction and if there's any reason I should return or continue expect a highly superior product from Chipotle or the dozens of other restaurants within a few blocks from your door. 

Thank you. 

Philly Cheesesteak in Philly

Again, if you've read this blog for any length of time, two things I love talking about are cheesesteak subs and  crabcakes... and fish tacos for that matter. But anyway, I was just in Philly a little while ago and went by the market at Reading Terminal Market.  I honestly forgot the name of the place but I went to THE cheesesteak place and ordered the Philadelphia cheesesteak.  Mushrooms, onions and whiz.  OK. I gotcha.  I was delicious, don't get me wrong, but I've come to love so many other tasteful interpretations of the sandwich that I probably will not order this style again.  Who knows, life's a crazy journey. Either way, don't be afraid to order one and Reading Terminal might be my favorite place in Philly for lunch.