Wasabi Peas Please

I've mentioned it before, but finding lunch in Little Italy, let alone an affordable lunch, is not that easy. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants. But for me, a full plate of pasta or pizza doesn't really sound that appetizing during the middle of the day. Especially if I plan on NOT having a food coma come afternoon. And although Burger Lounge makes an amazing salad and quinoa patty, at 8 bucks a pop, it's not that wallet friendly. (Tastebud friendly, yes)

So today, finding myself without a lunch, I decided to head down to the 7-Eleven down the street for a soda and some snacks (they have pop chips! my fave!). I know, healthy.

After perusing the aisles for a few minutes, I left with these in hand:

Love.

Wasabi peas! These little boogers claim to be all natural, cholesterol free and MSG free. For a quick snack, not too bad.

Boogers?

The verdict? Love them! They are crunchy, have a nice little kick and pretty cheap. Every once and a while you get one that really clears the ol' sinuses. Fortunately, I had plenty of liquid nearby to extinguish the fire in my mouth.

Wasabi peas: best if accompanied with Big Gulp.

After a few handfuls:

Wasabi face.

Also, don't worry. This wasn't my entire lunch. Just the most exciting part ;)

It Should Be Thursday

At least it feels like it should be Thursday. That would mean tomorrow is Friday and the weekend almost here. Alas, it's Wednesday.

So last night was fun. This morning? Not fun. This girl is tired. And feeling a little blah. And didn't bring lunch today, because that was 5 extra minutes of sleeping (read: playing with Tino)!

I'm bored and sick of climbing on things. Play with me.

So what to do?

Lentil soup and garlic bread! 

Soup is my go-to comfort meal when feeling less than 100%.

Comfort

Rounded out with an always satisfying DC.

Awesome in a can.

What's your favorite comfort food?

Another Friday, Another Lunch

Working from home is great. As if I had to tell you. As I mentioned last week, it 's been a very positive change for me. This week's newly discovered benefit? Convenient whenever-I-want-them lunch and snacks. Today I woke up with a huge craving for Egg Salad. You know the rest of the story...

This is supposed to look appetizing. It certainly tastes appetizing.

Easy, Adaptable Egg Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, hard boiled (I used this method - it never fails!)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 green onions, diced. (I use both green and white parts)
• Non-fat yogurt
• Dijon mustart
• Salt and Pepper 

Directions:

1. Peel and rough chop the hard boiled eggs. Place in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the celery, green onions, 2 or 3 big spoonfulls of greek yogurt, a big squirt of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to the bowl. 
3. Mix/mash all ingredients together until you've reached the desired consistency. (A Food Processor would come in handy here!)
4. Enjoy! (I like it served on toasted bread)

All the ingredients in one bowl. Now mash!

It's that easy. Add more yogurt if you like it less thick, add more mustard if you like that kick. You get the idea. It's so easy!

A few notes. I use greek yogurt because I've simply never been a fan of Mayo. But feel free to use it if you wish. I like that the greek yogurt is thicker, and adds a bit of sourness/tartness to the mix. Also, I've added everything from chopped walnuts, diced green apples, curry powder, paprika, etc. Whatever you have in your refrigerator/pantry is game! I also sometimes switch out the eggs for leftover shredded chicken for, you guessed it, Chicken Salad. Genius.

 

Delish. 

Cheese Please!

Oh that? That's just a piece of focaccia bread with black forest ham and some melted brie.

No big deal.

Do You Quinoa?

I love Quinoa. It is one of the staples of my kitchen. The reason being is that it so versatile and it's a complete protein. Now I love me a good bowl of pasta or rice, but this is just as easy to make and much more nutrient-packed.

If you haven't yet tried Quinoa, you should definitely give it a shot.

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
Quinoa (1 cup dry)
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
2 Cups Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper (or 1 small pepper), Cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Carrots, sliced into 1-inch coins
1 zucchini, sliced into 1-inch pieces ( I like half moons - slice the zucchini lengthwise and then cut into 1 inch pieces)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and Cut all Vegetables and place on a baking pan.
3. With a light hand, drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. Add salt and pepper (and any other seasoning you might prefer) and toss to make sure that the olive oil and seasoning evenly coats the vegetables.
4. Place in the oven to cook for 40 minutes. Tossing the vegetables about half-way through so they cook evenly.
5. Meanwhile (I wait about 20 minutes after I have started cooking the vegetables) rinse the Quinoa and cook according to directions. I make about a cup's worth of Quinoa (dry) so that I'll have leftovers.
6. Combine the Quinoa and Vegetables into one platter and enjoy!
   

It's that simple! This recipe can be amended to whatever you happen to have handy. I sometimes like to add a little lemon juice or lemon pepper to give it all a little kick. Also, the individual amounts of vegetables that I include are estimates. I try to keep them balanced, but if you like some vegetables over another or happen to have extra of something by all means adjust the recipe!

Isn't it Pretty?

Let Them Eat Bread!

One of the recommendations that the lovely folks at CrossFit advocate is that you stick to a more primitive diet, such as the Paleo Diet. Translation: no bread or dairy! This is a struggle for me as my two favorite foods are...bread/crackers and cheese. Luckily for me, I don't really follow a strict paleo diet. I believe everything in moderation is mostly okay. Although, I do try to cut back on my bread and other processed foods intake.

This morning however, I was craving bread. When you are dreaming about bread in your dreams you know you have problems. And since I was short on time, whole wheat toast with all-natural peanut butter it was. And it was delicious! Two pieces of toast and coffee and I was good to go. Should have added some fruit, but I did bring an orange for me to snack on while at work. So not a total loss. For lunch I brought my favorite salad - spinach salad. I added a few pieces of leftover steak from last night and some Creamy Corn and Roasted Red Pepper soup from Trader Joe's. All in all I had myself a pretty tasty lunch. I'm saving my orange for a mid-afternoon snack.

I'm including my recipe for spinach salad, if you care. It's pretty basic and very adaptable to whatever you have in your refrigerator.

Spinach Salad

For the Balsamic Vinegar Dressing:
1 TBSP diced shallot
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss the diced shallot in a bowl. Add Dijon Mustard, Salt, Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar and whisk together. Keep whisking, and slowly start incorporating the olive oil. I pour the olive oil in a slow, but steady stream. It should start to thicken up (this is where adding the dijon mustard is a plus- it helps bind everything together). At this point I usually test it out and determine whether it needs more salt, more vinegar, etc.

I should point out that I like my vinaigrette on the vinegary side, so I add more Balsamic Vinegar and less olive oil. But that's my preference. The great thing about making your own dressing is that you can adjust as you go to account for your own taste. I don't measure anything when I make it, and it always manages to turn out okay...after a few adjustments here and there :)

For the Salad:
Spinach, washed and dried
sliced Red Onion
crumbled Feta Cheese
Sauteed Mushrooms (optional)
Bacon (optional)

I'm not putting specific measurements here. I trust you to use your discretion.

Saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. I cook my mushrooms on medium to medium high for a few minutes, just until they get nice and brown and that mushroom aroma takes over my kitchen. I also cook the bacon before hand and store in my refrigerator to have handy for a quick spinach salad or to add in some pasta. NOTE: it is very difficult to keep cooked bacon in your refrigerator. The bacon monster usually comes and steals it all. It's a problem.