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losing those last 5 {or more} pounds.

August 28, 2012 — 3 Comments

Today, we’re on a health bender. Are you ready?!

“to keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” –buddha

Or better yet – have you ever gone on a health bender that actually works? Please, don’t say the “d” word around these parts. I don’t believe in dieting, and I never will. Dieting is deprivation, and it only lasts until you starve yourself enough to binge eat an entire box of Cheez-Its again.

{That would totally my binge food of choice, anyway. What’s yours?}

When Danielle reached out to me about reviewing her program on my blog, I was skeptical. I’ve done cleanses before, and … well, I’ve done a cleanse before, and it was not for me. 3 days of drinking mostly kale and other vegetables and fruits didn’t seem like a bad idea, but my stomach didn’t agree. Beyond that, I was mentally and physically miserable during those 3 days. And perhaps worst of all, there was no pot of gold at the end of the vicious rainbow. When it was over, it was over – I went right back to my old ways.

Still, when I saw that most people lost an average of 5 pounds on this program, I had to try it out myself. Everyone is familiar with those last 5 pounds. And guess what? It happened!

In Healthy Eats healthy lifestyle, the no-diet diet

greek {chicken} nachos.

August 21, 2012 — 15 Comments

Easy. Healthy. Delicious. And guess what? There’s practically no cooking involved.

Greek {Chicken} Nachos

Summer eating at its finest.

This is … a Greek take on nachos. How fun is that?! I’ve been eyeing this recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook since we began and so I was more than pleased to help fellow member Megan out with her selection when she asked me.

The original recipe is titled Greek “Nachos” with Feta Drizzle, and because I was so into the idea, I stayed pretty true to it. The general theory is that pita chips replace the tortilla chips, and then summer veggies like tomato and cucumber form a salad on top. Mark combines the feta with yogurt to form a drizzle, but instead I opted to melt the feta over the chips with chicken. Hello, store-bought rotisserie chicken! You could brown up some ground lamb instead if you’re feeling extra Greek. And if you want to keep things meatless, add hummus or roasted chickpeas in place of the chicken.

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes cucumbers, feta, greek yogurt, mediterranean, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, salsas + relishes, summer recipes, weeknight fix

loaded {summer vegetable} fried rice.

August 16, 2012 — 5 Comments

I made fried rice once before, and I was very “ehhh” about it.

Loaded {Summer Vegetable} Fried Rice

Now, fried rice is not something to be indifferent about.

No! Fried rice is something to crave. On a bad day, a good day … most definitely a hungover day.

Seriously. This fried rice does it for me. Why? Well, let’s start with the fact that we’re really eating a big bowl of vegetables. I have nothing against eating such things, but other people might – so I know this is a big deal. And as much as I enjoy vegetables, sometimes I’m not exactly satisfied after eating them on their lonesome.

This is a big bowl of vegetables that I’m happy to eat with a hangover. Tell me you’ve got veggies with that going on! No, really – tell me. One can never have too many healthy hangover cures.

In Healthy Eats, Main Dishes, On the Side asian recipes, brown rice, mushrooms, summer recipes, summer squash, zucchini

your new favorite snack bars + giveaway!

July 20, 2012 — 96 Comments

Raw. Organic. Vegan. Gluten-free. Kosher.

Daaaammmmnnn.

These bars have it going on, right?

And more than that, they taste ah-mazing.

I first tried a Pure Bar when I received one in my swag bag at BlogHer Food in Seattle. I was immediately intrigued by the clean list of ingredients and stellar nutrition info. The flavor was Banana Coconut, which of course sounded delish enough – but with all of the healthiness going on in there, could it actually taste good?

Yes. pure organic bars - review + giveaway

This was thrilling news for me, because on extra-busy days (is there such thing as a day that’s not extra-busy? I didn’t think so) bars like this are a life-saver. I’m generally super-picky about ‘em, because I don’t want a lot of preservatives but I also want a good mix of protein, fiber, fat, and calories. Tasting good is an obvious bonus, so Pure Bars are a triple-win!

When I reached out to the company to get my hands on more, they happily obliged – and what’s even better is that they’re sharing the love with you, too!

In Healthy Eats, Product Reviews fiber, giveaway, healthy, protein, snack, snack bars

grilled chicken salad + blackberry vinaigrette.

July 12, 2012 — 8 Comments

It’s time to get back into the {salad} swing of things!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango, Avocado + Blackberry Vinaigrette

I’m seriously creeped by how long it’s been since I’ve shared one. I’ve had so much going on (just got off the phone with ABC again, NBD) that I’ve been pretty lazy about it. This one‘s been my go-to, because I can toss in a can of tuna and white beans and literally have dinner ready in 5 minutes.

But suddenly, I had a craving for something bigger and better. I’ve been obsessing over blackberries lately, because I’ve had some seriously good batches of them – as opposed to the blueberries I’ve been buying, which have for whatever reason been sour and lame. What’s up with that? For a blueberry-fiend like me, it’s pretty much the worst!

The idea of combining blackberry and mango in a salad just took me over, and from there the avocado was a natural addition. And then, pistachios! My new favorite addition to salads. If you buy them already roasted, shelled, and salted, they’re so easy – and they add the most savory flavor. I especially love them with avocados. Plus, they’re one of the lowest-calorie nuts (they are the lowest, actually, until you get into the roasted/salted world) and they’re super-high in potassium. Love, love, love.

Things didn’t really get good, however, until I decided to turn my happy little carton of berries into a vinaigrette.

In Healthy Eats, Salad Bar avocado, blackberries, dressings + vinaigrettes, main course salads, mango, pistachios, summer recipes

tropical spinach salad with grilled shrimp + feta.

May 21, 2012 — 15 Comments

Spinach and strawberries are a classic combination when it comes to salads, but here – we’re taking that up a notch.

Tropical Spinach Salad with Grilled Shrimp + Feta

I almost skipped out on this week’s recipe for The Food Matters Project, and I’m so glad I didn’t. I’ve had a lot of craziness going on lately, between my trip to Louisville last week, catching up on work, and the ever-insane social calendar. I had a wedding last night, for instance – but I still ~~found~~ made the time to put this salad together yesterday so that we’d have dinner ready for the next couple of nights … and so that I could share it with you, of course!

Who doesn’t love a good main dish salad this time of year? It’s easy, it’s quick, and best of all … it’s bikini season-friendly!

It can be easy to fall into a salad-f0r-dinner rut once you find one you like. I tend toward arugula and store-bought rotisserie chicken with my go-to mustard vinaigrette during those extra-crazy weeks when I can’t even fathom putting more than 2 minutes of thought into dinner. This salad is a little more creative – and yes, it takes a bit more prep – but it’s still super-quick and easy.

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Salad Bar basil, citrus, dressings + vinaigrettes, feta, main course salads, pineapple, shrimp, spinach, strawberries, tropical, weeknight fix

cinnamon-dark chocolate {whole wheat} pancakes.

May 17, 2012 — 5 Comments

It was a rainy weekend and an even rainier Sunday morning, and I couldn’t imagine getting out of bed for any reason other than pancakes.

Cinnamon-Dark Chocolate Whole Wheat Pancakes

Pancakes are a good bet for a morning like this, when you haven’t yet been to the store, and you definitely aren’t considering getting up and going anytime before noon. You can usually make pancakes with stuff you’ve already got on hand. I like to think of them as “pantry pancakes.”

Sometimes, though, I get bored with basic buttermilk pancakes. Even chocolate chip pancakes or blueberry (easy enough for pantry pancakes if you keep frozen blueberries on hand, which, of course, I do) aren’t always doing it for me.

This recipe was inspired by Deb’s recipe for a chocolate chip-sour cream coffee cake over on Smitten Kitchen. I’m still dreaming about making that coffee cake at some point, but in the meantime, I took the components that were singing to me and I put them right into these healthy-ish pancakes. Cinnamon and chocolate, and buttermilk in lieu of the sour cream.

But, really – it was all about the cinnamon. Now, I know what you’re thinking … cinnamon is hardly an ingredient to get hung up on in a pancake recipe. Don’t, like, all pancakes have cinnamon? Well, some do and some do not, but what I was really falling in love with was the idea of making cinnamon the star of the show.

In Healthy Eats, Weekend Brunch buttermilk, chocolate, cinnamon, i heart breakfast, maple syrup, whole wheat

asparagus-white bean soup + pancetta croutons.

April 30, 2012 — 10 Comments

Here we go again with the white beans.

Asparagus + White Bean Soup with Pancetta Croutons

Every time I’m making something and the white beans come out, Dan’s like, “Really? White beans again? What is it with you and these things?”

It’s a good thing that everything I’ve made with them has been delicious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have much of an argument for my continued obsession.

White beans are a perfectly magical ingredient, indeed: They add bulk, protein, and fiber to any meal – especially great for all of my vegetarian friends (you are out there, right?). And for those of us like Daniel and I, who like to go meatless a few times a week. You can easily make this soup totally meatless by omitting the pancetta, but I happen to know there are a few of you (at least one) that eat a mostly vegetarian diet with a speckle of bacon here and there.

These pancetta croutons are seriously insane. Cooking the bread cubes in the pancetta and fresh thyme with the help of a little olive oil, since pancetta doesn’t have much fat to render out, results in the most incredible, salty little flavor-bombs that I think could and should be added to pretty much any soup that exists.

The soup itself is {nearly equally} incredible. Potatoes and, yes, white beans add bulk to the soup and when it’s pureéd, you’ll be tricked into thinking you’re eating a rich, cream-based soup. But guess what, pretties? There is NO cream in this soup, and you won’t miss it one bit. There are a lot of ingredients that add flavor to this soup, like shallots (my addition), garlic, fresh rosemary, white wine, and lemon (also my addition). And then there’s the asparagus, which is roasted before being added to the soup thus bringing out its best side. I saved my asparagus tips and added them as a garnish along with the croutons.

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes asparagus, croutons, leeks, pancetta, rosemary, soups, spring recipes, thyme, white beans

shrimp + white bean cassoulet.

April 2, 2012 — 12 Comments

When my BFF Keely chose “Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables” as her pick for The Food Matters Project, was I surprised?

Nope!

This was one of the first recipes I made from the book, before I even started the project. And, yes, as the saying goes – great minds do think alike.

The first time I made it, I followed the recipe in its original form – filled with white beans, sausage, and tomatoes – which can be found on Keely’s fabulous blog, here. It’s a delicious meal, and I would absolutely make it again. It’s the kind of recipe you can make once and then use the same method again and again with different ingredients. I actually puréed the leftovers the first time I made it, and with the help of a little truffle oil, transformed it into an incredible spread for crusty French baguettes. Oui, s’il vous plaît.

The style of this recipe is similar to last week’s pick, a riff on coq au vin, in that they are both French countryside-esque of meals. It’s hearty, soul-soothing food – and while I’m totally into that in the cooler months, I wanted to brighten things up here, just like I did last week.

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes cauliflower, lemon, one-dish wonder, panko, shrimp, spinach, weeknight fix, white beans

curried tomato soup + hard-boiled eggs.

March 19, 2012 — 11 Comments

This recipe, at first glance, could potentially seem like a very strange idea.

When I read it through, however, I didn’t find it strange at all. I was excited by it. I’ve done curry in soup only once, with butternut squash, and it was pure heaven. I thought, curry with tomato soup? This is totally interesting. In my head, I imagined that the curry would add warmth and depth, and the tomato base would be fresh and bright. Coconut milk would add a silkiness, and I was obsessing over the idea of a hard-boiled egg garnish. That was something that, in my head, made complete sense with tomato soup. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

Everything I imagined was correct, and then some. I am officially in love with this soup.

There are a lot of veggies happening inside, but you wouldn’t know it, because I puréed it into a magical existence. I can’t imagine not puréeing this soup, because when you do, it’s basically a curried tomato bisque. And who doesn’t love a good and creamy bisque?

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes curry, hard-boiled eggs, soups, tomatoes