Food for Real

It’s the first weekend in a few weeks that I’ve had the chance to stay home! And as always, when I have a little time on my hands, I cook.

Yesterday, I decided it would be nice to treat myself to a manicure. While I sat in the nail salon, I noticed that one of my favorite channels was on the flat screen right in front of me: The Food Network. Score. I usually hate sitting through manicures, not only because the smell of nail polish gives me a headache, but also because it can be very, very b-o-r-i-n-g. (No pain, no gain I suppose). So when I realized that I could watch some cooking during this necessary task (if you know me, you know I struggle with painting my own nails), I was pretty excited.

I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I became completely immersed in Ina Garten’s Country French Omelet. Of course, I didn’t look up the recipe before I decided to cook it this morning, so I had to adapt my own recipe based on what I saw on TV. But luckily, I found the actual recipe for you, which you should totally give a try!! Or you can try mine if you’d prefer. Here is it (btw, not the healthiest breakfast in the world, but in my opinion, it’s all about moderation and enjoying yourself):

The Spread

*Sidenote: Sorry, these pics aren’t the best b/c I have to use my phone. New digital camera coming soon.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• Turkey Bacon
• Low-fat milk
• Chives
• 1 small yellow potato

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat and lay on paper towel to drain. Don’t pour out fat from pan.
3. Add chopped potatoes to pan and cook in bacon fat for about 8 minutes or until tender
4. Break up bacon into small pieces and put in a bowl. Add the potatoes.
5. Crack the eggs, add just a little bit of the low-fat milk, salt & pepper to taste.
6. Pour out bacon fat from pan and lower heat to low. Add some butter to pan until it melts. Add whisked eggs & milk
7. Add bacon and potatoes to eggs.
8. Chop up some chives and add those in too.
9. Turn off the heat and stick that pan into the oven for about 8 minutes.
10. Take it out of the oven, cut in half, and serve! So good.

Or you can follow this recipe from the Food Network which was my initial inspiration for the dish. You’ll see it’s pretty much the same thing. Enjoy!

Over the week, I decided it was time for a little red meat! I was feeling like I needed a change, so I looked into some Whole Foods recipes and decided to try a few new things! I decided to go for a lean cut (the round roasts being the leanest) of beef, and I kept my portion to about 3.5-4 ounces (about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards). By keeping it lean and portioned out correctly, you can whip up a great helping of protein, some iron, and some B vitamins! Grass fed beef is an excellent choice if you’re in the market for something a bit different. You can find grass fed beef clearly marked in the meat section at Whole Foods.

Here’s the recipe (modified from Whole Foods). This was enough for dinner for two with leftovers!

• Grass fed, lean cut of beef (about a pound)
• Canola Oil (tablespoon) (Check out this cooking with oil guide by Top Chef Marcus Samuelsson!)
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 cups red wine (check out this great cooking w/wine guide from Cooking Light)
• 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley (or more if you like!)
• Chopped chives to taste
• 2 tablespoons of a healthier version of butter (see the one I used below!)

Method:

1. Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper to taste
2. Heat oil in heavy cast iron skillet (or just a heavier one if you don’t have a cast iron) until very hot, but don’t let it smoke!
3. Brown steak on both sides to your liking (I like mine medium to medium-well, so I cooked it for about 6-7 minutes on both sides.
4. Remove the steak and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm
5. Add shallots and brown them for about 1 – 2 minutes
6. Add wine, scrape brown bits from bottom of the pan as you stir the wine.  Bring to a brisk simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the wine is reduced to a glaze.
7. Stir in the parsley and chives
8. Remove from heat and whisk in the “butter”
9. Pour over the steak and you’re done!

I paired this with a Brussels sprouts/apple side, recipe from Whole Foods! Check out this awesome recipe.

And I roasted some small potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour:

1. Wash the potatoes
2. Drizzle olive oil over them
3. Add salt, thyme, and pepper to taste
4. Roast for about an hour.

This was a delicious meal, and because I used a lean cut of beef and a butter substitute, I was able to decrease the saturated fat content of the meal by a lot!

This is a great recipe for a special occasion or if you just feel like doing something a little special for dinner that night. I loved having Whole Foods Recipes as a way to learn more about cooking steak, since I don’t have much experience with it! Once I have used a few more recipes, I think I will be ready to make up my own. This is a great way to learn how to cook. Pick one ingredient that seems foreign to you, use a few recipes from your favorite cook book or website (or blog!), and once you become comfortable with that ingredient, you’ll be surprised at how many variations you come up with yourself! And then all of a sudden, you’re making up your own recipes. Pretty cool. Enjoy!

I’ve been cooking and eating a whole lot of quinoa and brown rice lately,  so I decided to switch it up a bit with an udon noodle dish last week! I love to keep it simple and fresh in the kitchen, but this can often lead to predictability as I use pretty much the same ingredients every week: kale, broccoli rabe, asparagus, salad veggies, salmon, chicken, tofu, eggs, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, oranges, apples, strawberries, blackberries, and Larabars. It keeps my grocery list easy-to-remember, but I was starting to feel like I needed something a little different. Hence, the udon noodles. I paired them with a variety of veggies, olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and lemon pepper salmon. The dish was fresh and perfect for spring time (which appears to finally be here, horray!)

Udon noodles are quick-to-cook and go great with just about anything.

The Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil a pot of water.

The Salmon: Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon, sprinkle salt, lemon pepper, fresh lemon juice, some lemon zest, and dill. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.

The noodles: Add them to the boiling water for about 10 minutes. When they are done, add pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil. (doesn’t get easier than that!)

The veggies: Brown some white onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat. Wash, cut and add your favorite veggies and let them soften in the garlic/onion infused olive oil over low heat for minutes, covered and stirring occasionally.

Mix the veggies and noodles on a plate. Put the salmon on top and there you have it! A delicious springtime meal less than 20 minutes later.

Enjoy!

On Valentine’s Day, I decided to whip up a heart healthy meal (get it?) with nothing short of some of my favorite ingredients: salmon, whole wheat orzo, kale, and bell peppers. Studies show that eating omega-3 fatty acid rich fish at least 2 times per week has heart health benefits. Some of my favorite include salmon, cod, Chilean sea bass, and halibut.  The whole wheat orzo is a wonderful way to switch up your whole grains and the veggies are colorful, antioxidant-rich, delicious additions to any meal. Here’s the quick, easy and healthy recipe! Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Orzo

Ingredients:

• Wild Alaskan Salmon
• Greek salt-free seasoning (Julie brought this home, so I’m not quite sure where to get it, but there are tons of salt-free seasonings out there that you could use like herbs & spices or Mrs. Dash.)
• Olive Oil
• 1 lemon
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Whole Wheat Orzo
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 orange bell pepper
• garlic
• A sprinkle of feta cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Spray pan with nonstick spray
3. Put salmon in pan and cover w/a teaspoon of olive oil and the seasoning and some fresh lemon juice
4. Put salmon in oven for about 15 minutes or until the sides turn up slightly
5. Boil water and cook orzo according to directions
6. Brown some garlic in olive oil in a pan, add bell peppers and cook on low.
7. Once orzo is cooked (should take 5 -10 minutes) add it to the peppers and garlic and stir
8. Salmon should be done by now! Pull it out of the oven and top each piece with one thin slice of lemon (garnish)
9. Enjoy!

For those of us living in Boston, it’s been a snowy, icy, wintry mix out there lately. When the winter takes a turn for the worst, my comfort food cravings kick in. So I was thrilled when my roommate Julie sent me a recipe from active.com for Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese, because there’s nothing like a new healthy spin on an old favorite. I’ve recently been researching healthier macaroni & cheese options for Sargent Choice, so variations on the dish were already on my mind. During my research, I found a recipe by Whole Foods Market called “Macaroni and Trees,” which I thought was totally adorable and seemed easy enough to make. I took these two recipes and made a hybrid for Food For Real: Butternut Squash Mac n’ Trees! And for a side dish, I decided to whip up one of my favorite salads: Arugula Salad w/Pear, Cranberries, and Gorgonzola with balsamic vinaigrette.  This combo is perfect for a cold winter night when all you want to do is cuddle up on the couch – especially if you prefer to eat something healthy and satisfying while you’re at it!

The Recipes:

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Trees

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of 1 inch peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 5 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 and 1/2 cups fat free milk
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 tbsp. whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Olive Oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Methods:

1. Combine squash, milk, and stock in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until squash is tender
3. Remove from heat, and mash squash while you stir in nutmeg, cayenne and salt. Season with black pepper
4. Preheat oven to 375F
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
6. Add Broccoli Florets and boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the water with slotted spoon. Keep water boiling
7. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to instructions
8. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the squash mixture with ricotta, cheddar, broccoli, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Mix everything together thoroughly
9. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray and transfer the mixture to the dish.
10. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and a teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle it evenly over the noodle mixture
11. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes so the dish is lightly browned and crisp on top
12. Serve Immediately

For the squash mixture

The Ingedients

Squash, stock and milk - bring to a boil and let simmer

Once squash is tender, mash with a fork and add spices

Mix thoroughly and evenly

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes

Arugula Salad w/Pear, Cranberries and Gorgonzola

This recipe is one of my favorites. It’s simple and healthy and extremely flavorful.

Ingredients:

• Arugula
• 1 pear
• about a cup and a half of dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or store-bought…I used store-bought this time)

Method:

1. Slice pear into small slivers and add to a bowl with the dried cranberries
2. Add arugula to salad bowl and cover with pears and cranberries
3. Add Gorgonzola and mix so the ingredients are evenly spread
4. Add vinaigrette, and there ya have it!

Salad ingredients: Arugula, dried cranberries, sliced pear, gorgonzola cheese

Dinner is served!

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did! It takes a little time to make, so if you’re like me and you’re very hungry when you get home from a long day, I suggest snacking on some fruit while you cook. This time, I kept a bowl of fresh cherries nearby! Other great snacks are some pretzels with hummus or a freshly squeezed vegetable juice.

Fresh fruit is a healthy option for pre-dinner snacking

Be well, and enjoy the day!

Have you recently given a nutrition makeover to an old comfort food favorite?

It’s a very busy time of year! We’re all gearing up for the holidays and some of us, including myself, are finishing up the last three weeks of grad school! Needless to say, this is not exactly a stress-free time. During the cold days of winter and when life gets a little hectic, I often find myself wanting comfort foods; my go-to usually being something of Italian origin.  But these foods often contain some less-than-healthy components like saturated fat, added sodium and/or sugar, and they are typically very high in calories. The good news is they don’t have to be! I tried this stuffed shells recipe below, absolutely loved it and had to share. It’s a bit of a nutrition makeover on a traditional, full fat version, but you would never tell the difference if I didn’t tell you! Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo pasta shells ——– look for whole wheat for added fiber!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil———-About 3 tablespoons for the baked shells and about 3 tablespoons for sauteed garlicky broccoli rabe (Olive oil is amazingly healthy, and while it does contain 120 calories per tablespoon, it’s incredibly good for you and is an essential for a Mediterranean kitchen!)
• 1/2 pound baby spinach ———- You can also just eye ball it, think about 4 handfuls. Plus there’s nothing wrong with left over spinach!
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ———-Do you have a garlic mincer yet? Do it.
• 1/2 pound part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1/4 of a container)——-Full fat has about 20 grams saturated fat per cup. Part skim has 10 grams saturated fat per cup.
• 1/2 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten ——–Keep the yolk. It has a lot of good nutrition like biotin and other vitamins, and one yolk spread through 4 people only provides 50 mg cholesterol each which isn’t bad.)
• 1/2 cup chopped basil and fresh oregano to taste
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce ———-I made my own sauce and froze it and used it again for this recipe. Do you have a favorite pasta sauce recipe?
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Bring a large pot water to a boil. You can salt the water if you’d like. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes). Drain the pasta shells and then put them in a bowl with the olive oil and coat them. Leave them there while you prepare the rest.

Toss cooked shells in olive oil and coat

Put spinach, basil, and oregano into a large skillet and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of water. Cook over medium low heat, tossing occasionally, until wilted. Drain it will and squeeze out excess water with the flat side of a spatula. Chop spinach and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, and egg to make the filling.

Spread a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. And now for the fun part! Fill each shell with the mixture and arrange in the dish in a single layer. I love recipes that include using your hands!  Pour remaining sauce over and around the stuffed shells and top with Parmigiano Reggiano. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then uncover the shells and continue baking until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

After you uncover the shells, brown some garlic in olive oil in a skillet and toss in the broccoli rabe for a side dish. Any dark green leafy veggie is a nice compliment to this dish.

My volunteer taste tester

One serving (about 11 oz) of this meal provides about 450 calories, 8 grams saturated fat, and 29 grams protein. Not too shabby for a nice Italian meal! This is sure to become one of my winter staples. Hope you enjoy it!

I have an addiction…

It’s quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah.” I’ve always liked this food, but lately, my love is growing deeper for it.

Love #1: It’s incognito and kind of mysterious.  What do I mean? Glad you asked. Quinoa is a grain-like food. It looks like you’re typical whole grain cereal, and you would assume it was closely related to brown rice or barely. Wrong! It’s actually more closely related to beets and leafy green vegetables like spinach and swiss chard.

Love #2: Not only does quinoa contain a lot of protein (about 8 grams per cup), but it’s a complete protein with a nice balance of amino acids. This is especially great news for vegans who may be concerned about complete protein intake.

Love #3:  Quinoa is a good source of magnesium, which is a mineral that has been shown to help relax blood vessels. Why are we happy about this? Well if you’re like my roomie Julie and get frequent migraines, this is good news for you. Increased intake of magnesium has been shown to be related to a reduced frequency of migraine headache episodes, so try adding it to your diet and see if those pesky headaches subside!

Love #4 (I think I’ll stop here, because I could probably go on for a lot longer, but we should get to the recipes):  Even though quinoa is closely related to vegetables, it’s still considered a whole grain. Research has shown that eating this type of food  has been linked to protection against atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and premature death. A study from the  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that eating at least 3 servings of whole grains daily is ideal for a protective and healthy diet. With that being said, here are a few things you can do with Quinoa:

Lately, I’ve been using red quinoa, because I think it gives autumn dishes a little something extra in terms of color. I usually cook 1 cup of quinoa in either water, chicken broth, mushroom broth, or vegetable broth depending on the dish. Boil the water or broth, then add quinoa and lower heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until fluffy.

First: Quinoa with the three B’s: Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Beans

Cook the quinoa with vegetable broth for this one.

Add minced garlic and olive oil to skillet and brown garlic on low heat.

Steam the sprouts

Add broccoli and cover for about 3 more minutes.

Add bean medley (I like to use Trader Joe’s marinated bean salad)

Add steamed sprouts to pan for about 2 minutes.

Spread quinoa over bottom of the plate, and top with the contents of the pan, and you’re done! Quick and easy, healthy and delicious!

Second: Wild Baked Hake with Quinoa and Garlicky Kale

Ingredients:

Hake: Bread crumbs, Basil, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Basil, Pepper Salt

Kale: Garlic and Olive Oil

Quinoa: Mushroom Broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and coat lightly with non stick spray. Put hake in the dish and spread olive oil and lemon juice over hake. Lightly sprinkle bread crumbs over the fish. Add chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until fish is flaky and opaque.

Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups mushroom broth.

Add garlic and olive oil to pan and brown for about 2 minutes. Add washed kale and cover until kale is wilted and bright green.

Sometimes its nice to combine the red and white quinoa for some extra color! I usually will do this when I am cooking tofu dishes, and I use 1/2 cup white quinoa and 1/2 cup red quinoa. Quinoa is also great for making salads and mixed dishes.

Be well and enjoy the day!

What’s your favorite food right now? Do you have any quinoa recipes you’d like to share?

Autumn is my favorite season. The Fall weather, colors, fashion, foods – I love it all. The wide variety of fruits, vegetables and spices make this season one of the best for cooking. Here are a few of my favorite autumn foods:

Apples: You know the saying! An apple-a-day keeps the dietitian happy…or something like that. Apples contain antioxidants known as flavanoids…most specifically anthoxanthins (the white pigment). These little gifts are great anti-inflammatory properties and help prevent disease. One apple can contain anywhere between 60-115 calories depending on the size and about 6 grams of fiber (mostly found in the apple skin made of pectin). But really, who cares about any of this stuff anyway? Apples are just delicious and so we should eat them!

Cranberries: These juicy red fruits are in their best form in the months of September – December. Cranberries are packed with anthocyanins – the antioxidants that play an important role in cancer prevention and are responsible for deep red and purple colors in fruits and vegetables. Cranberries are also thought to aid in the treatment of gum diseases, mouth and stomach discomfort, and urinary tract infections. Plus, it’s my favorite color.  (But don’t forget about pomegranate! They both have similar properties and are both excellent autumn fruits).

Pumpkin: Over the weekend, I enrolled in a challenge with my roommate Julie, her boyfriend Thom, and his roommates: We will keep track of how many Shipyard Pumpkin beers we can drink and try to reach one thousand before Thanksgiving! I know, I know, not very nutritiony of me, but it’s still delicious and fun! But pumpkins in general are an excellent fall food. I’m loving  the Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Beta-Carotene content of this food – all great food components that help maintain electrolyte balance, folic acid stores (especially important for mothers-to-be), and our best friends,  antioxidants.

Cinnamon: I sprinkle cinnamon on almost everything during the Fall. And it’s not just the anti-inflammatory properties that I love about this spice. It’s just comforting, and the smell reminds me of Christmas at my parent’s house. I use it in drinks, soups, oatmeal, stir fries, salad dressings & marinades, tea, coffee, you name it!

Kale: I eat Kale year-round, because I personally think it’s the most powerful food ever. However, this deep green, leafy vegetable is most available during the autumn season. In my opinion, it tastes best sauteed in olive oil and garlic with roasted shallots. I like to serve it with sweet potato and  wild salmon. It’s strong nutritional components make it a great healthy choice and can help you fight off those common colds that start to rear up during the Fall season.

Root vegetables: One of the prettiest dishes you can make is a root vegetable medley. It’s somewhat difficult to peel, chop, and roast the vegetables, so it’s probably not an ideal dish to make if you’re in a rush. But if you’re free one lazy Sunday afternoon, try cutting up your favorite root vegetables (mine include beets, rutabagas, carrots, parsnips, and turnips), steam them first for about 6 minutes, then cover them in olive oil, rosemary and thyme, a little lemon juice, salt & pepper and roast them at 400 F for about 35 minutes. Not only is the dish colorful and pretty, it’s also packed with essential vitamins and minerals, and the olive oil gives it a heart healthy kick.

What are some of your favorite Fall foods?

It’s another gloomy day in Boston, but I really don’t mind! It’s kind of nice to feel the chill in the air and a little rain on the skin. Of course, it makes anyone want to stay cozy in bed with a good book, but my triathlon is coming up a week from Saturday, and today is the first day that I will run the whole thing through once. If you read yesterday’s post, you know that this week, I’m trying to eat only whole foods or foods with three or less whole ingredients. I promised to post a few recipes, snacks, and strategies throughout the week to help you do the same. Last night, I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for my friends Julie and Tom:  Parmesan crusted cod w/lemon zest, rainbow swiss chard w/garlic and shallots, and sweet potato.  Here’s the recipe!

My lovely roomies! Bootsy and Julie

Tom & Julie chatting before dinner

Recipes:

COD

• Preheat oven to 350
• Put two plates on the counter. Pour skim milk into one. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese into the other
• Dip cod into milk first (the top side) then put it top side down onto the parm-plate. Make sure entire top of cod is covered in parm.
• Cut up some lemon zest and sprinkle it over the fish
• Sprinkle the fish with lemon pepper.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes

SWEET POTATO:

Usually, I like to bake sweet potato, but Julie and I were pretty hungry, so I decided to take a short cut: the microwave!

• Wash sweet potatoes and pat dry
• Punch holes into the potatoes with a fork
• Microwave for 11 minutes
• Voila, you’re done with the sweet potato!
  
• Add butter or cinnamon or both (Yes, I am a dietetics student, but I think a tiny bit of butter is ok sometimes if your heart is in healthy condition).
  

RAINBOW SWISS CHARD

• Fill pan with olive oil
• Mince garlic, thinly slice shallots. Add to olive oil on medium heat
• Heat the garlic and shallots on medium heat until the aroma is apparent or you can hear the garlic start to crackle

*NOTE: Garlic and shallots are vegetables of the genus allium. The flavor compounds in these vegetables are water-soluble, s0 unless you desire a mild flavor, I suggest using olive oil to cook them (also included in the allium family: onions, leeks, chives).

• Add washed swiss chard and cover the pan for a few minutes, turning the swiss chard over and over again intermittently. Once the chard has wilted a bit and looks covered in olive oil and allium veggies, it’s done.
• Bon appetit!

Cook the leaves and save the stems. They taste like celery and add color to your salad for lunch the next day!

Garlic and shallots in olive oil

Enjoy dinner with friends!

For desert, Tom brought over some delicious stone ground chocolate from a place in Somerville (my home town!) called Taza Chocolate. We had vanilla bean chocolate and almond chocolate. Delicious!

Cooking with whole ingredients is a lot less difficult than shopping for them. Invite some friends over this week and try it out! The best part about cooking, in my opinion, is dining w/loved ones afterward.

Have you been trying to eat mostly whole foods lately? What kind of obstacles are you encountering? I always love hearing from you!

California is such a beautiful state! I returned from my vacation there yesterday morning feeling refreshed and excited despite having taken the red-eye flight. From the wild & and ever-so-chic parties in LA to the enchanted Redwood forests in Marin County and beautiful views of San Francisco, I am totally in love with the west coast. And it didn’t hurt that I had some of the best tour guides a girl could hope for: My good friends Brandon Andrew, Brandon Lehr, Ian Fedorov and lifelong quasi-cousin Danny Osterweil and his parents Jody and Linda.

The food culture in California runs the gamet. In LA, we dined on authentic Mexican one day and then on locally grown, organic food the next. Brandon and Brandon took us to an amazing restaurant called LOCAL where they serve organic, locally grown food in the form of one of the best menus I’ve ever seen. I ordered the Quinoa Burger w/Avocado. The burger is made from quinoa, zucchini, golden beets and pine nuts. So good! The food truck culture in LA is much more common than in any other city I’ve experienced. Normally, I would be reluctant to eat from a street stand  or truck selling fish tacos, but the Brandons assured me that the food was clean and delicious…and they were right!

Greenz on Wheelz! Best Food Truck

The Brandons dining on Burritos at Tacos Delta in Silver Lake, LA

Best Coffee Ever...Intelligencia in Silver Lake

Danny and Brandon A. at late night taco stand in LA

Veggie juice of the day at Local: Beet, Apple, Ginger, Carrot

Quinoa Burger at Local: Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, Golden Beets and Pine Nuts

Brandon and Brandon picked a beautiful spot to live in Silver Lake. Their apartment is comfortable, stylish, artistic and there is a breathtaking view from every window. Naturally, I was drawn to the kitchen where I whipped up dinner the night before Danny and I set out on our drive up the coast to San Rafael. The unique stove, ample counter top space, and view from the kitchen made this one of the most enjoyable cooking experiences I’ve ever had. The menu: Rosemary & Thyme Lemon Baked Tilapia, Whole wheat pasta salad with asparagus, red bell pepper, and garbanzo beans, and garlicky kale. The rosemary came from a bush right outside their front door, and the rest of the food came from a Whole Foods store in Santa Monica.  I dressed the pasta salad in a recipe I made up that night: Spicy balsamic dressing. Here’s the dinner recipe!

View from the kitchen

1. Cover tilapia in olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Sprinkly fresh rosemary and thyme over fish. Place thinly sliced lemon circle on top of each fillet. Place in fridge for about 20 minutes to let flavors soak in.

2. Boil pasta and blanch asparagus. When they are done, run them each under cold water to stop the cooking. A good trick: add some ice cubes to speed up the cooling process.

3. Rinse garbanzo beans (I usually like to cook them from scratch, but that takes about two hours. When time is a factor, I go with the canned kind. I rinse them as much as possible to get rid of excess sodium).

4. Chop cooled asparagus, and red bell peppers. Add them to a bowl with the garbanzo beans and let sit while pasta continues cooling and drying.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Add Tilapia and bake for 17-20 minutes.

6. Fill pan with olive oil and minced garlic. Once you hear the garlic crackling a bit, add fresh, washed kale. Cover over low heat and stir around occasionally for about 7 minutes or until Kale is soft. (Tilapia should still be baking at this point).

7. While kale is cooking, add veggies to pasta for pasta salad.

Spicy Balsamic Dressing: I did this all from taste, so I recommend doing it the same way. It’s an interesting way to learn about cooking and to discover different ratios of flavors you find more appealing. I started with 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves, then added about 1 and 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar. Then I added salt and pepper and chili powder and a little red wine to taste.  I stopped adding things when the strongest flavors were balsamic vinegar and chili powder with undertones of garlic.

8. Cover the pasta salad in the balsamic sauce and stir.

9. Remove kale from heat and add to bowl.

10. Tilapia should be done cooking at this point. Take out of oven.

Beth, Danny, Brandon A, and Brandon L at the dinner table

Last Step: Enjoy dinner with your friends!

I love cooking healthy meals for my friends and family. Maybe it’s the Italian/Jewish in me, but nothing makes me happier than to see my loved ones enjoying eating well. This meal contains some of the most powerful nutrients and foods. Olive oil is super heart healthy as is fish. Tilapia is always  a good choice because it’s a low mercury fish. Garlic has anti-disease properties, and kale is jam packed with vitamins and minerals. The whole wheat pasta provides an extra kick of fiber, and red bell pepper contains a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene which has been found to have anti-cancer properties.

The next day, Danny and I set out on our road trip to San Rafael. Along the way, we saw some truly beautiful views of mountains, oceans, trees, etc. We listened to good music, kept the windows down the whole time, and filled each other in on the last three years  of life.  Definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had.

On the way, we stopped in the “Artichoke Heart” of the world, Castroville, where we snacked on fried artichoke hearts and cucumber margaritas. What’s a vaca without a little fried stuff and tequila? The artichoke hearts most likely came from the acres upon acres of artichoke crops directly across the street. Yes, please. Thank you.

In my mind, food and fun go together. It just feels so good to exert yourself with experiences like hiking through Redwood forests followed by a dinner of salmon, salad, and fresh greens. Or to run barefoot on the beach followed by a light beer and fresh tacos. California is one of the best places to do this, because the food is fresh, the weather is just right, the beaches are plentiful, and the hiking is beautiful. I’m very much looking forward to the next chance I get to visit again.

What’s one of your favorite food experiences this summer?

What kind of foods do you like to eat and what kind of activities do you like to do on vacation?

When you think of California, what foods come to mind?

I always love to hear from you! Be well, and enjoy the day.