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Meal Planning

January 27, 2014 in Food, Living, recipe by traveleatlove | 4 comments

This is the week, the week where I lace up my running shoes again, the week where we don’t go out for drinks and apps after work every single night. It’s time to stop feeling icky and lethargic and spending tons of money just because it’s cold and dark all.the.time.

I packed my running backpack in NOVEMBER, and the outfit inside has gone unworn. My intention was to take a couple of weeks off after the New York City Marathon to rest but then to start up running again so that I could capitalize on all of the training I did for my best marathon time ever. What actually happened was I got a week-long stomach flu five days after the marathon. The “I can eat whatever I want because I just ran a marathon” attitude went out the window, because I could eat nothing. Once that was over, Thanksgiving and house buying and work weekend events and a nasty fall on the ice happened. And then it was Christmas and family visiting from Ireland. . .

Now it’s just me recognizing my bad habits and hoping I can turn them around. I crave energy and vibrancy, and I hope I can make some good, healthy changes back toward moderation.

 

Monday

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Vegetables

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage - I'd love to add some bell peppers and broccoli to this. It would be a perfect, healthy comfort dish.

(Source)

I want my meals to be healthy but also food that I actually want to eat. I’m so tired of things being healthified with powders and potions to the point where they are too gross to stand. I think a few veggies, like red peppers and carrots, added to this pasta would make it a great, healthy and filling meal.

 

Tuesday

Roast Chicken with Grapes

Roast Chicken with Grapes

(Source)

I have seen this recipe all over lately, and I think it would be delicious wit baked sweet potatoes on the side.

 

Wednesday

Cranberry Jalapeno Salmon Melts

salmon melt

A nice, melty sandwich is perfect for a cold night mid-week. I think these would go great with a spinach side salad.

 

Thursday

Dinner at Beat Hotel! I have been to Beat Hotel for a delicious dinner and again for their great wine list, and I am excited to bring a new friend and wine PR maven there to check it out.

 

Friday

Pizza! I really like Shaw’s Culinary Circle brand pizzas, and a thin crust Margherita with a glass of red and a fire is the perfect way to wind down the week!

 

In addition to the above, we’ll try to get five veggie/fruit smoothies in this week. We have been good about drinking maybe three and then slacking off as we near the weekend. I love the burst of energy I get from smoothies each morning, and heaven knows my body needs the nutrients. Chia pudding will also be thrown into the breakfast mix. Here’s to hoping a refreshed outlook on eating and exercise keep away sickness for the rest of the winter!

What does your meal plan look like for the week?

Tags: comfort food, Food, healthy comfort food, healthy eating, meal plan, meal planning, menu, recipes

Chorizo and White Bean Skillet with Wine

January 24, 2014 in Food, recipe, wine by traveleatlove | 2 comments

There is little better than a hearty meal paired with a good glass of wine and someone you love, a good book, or a favorite TV show. (Hey, I love spending time with others, but I adore my “me time” just as much!) It’s even better when said hearty meal is simple and whipped up from what’s in the fridge. On a dreary recent evening, I took advantage of a few fine ingredients in the house to make a one-skillet meal that included some delicious Spanish wine, in the meal as well as in the glass.

food and wine pairing

This skillet was all about the ingredients. I don’t generally buy tomatoes in the winter, but I had a major tomato craving and went for these beauties from Backyard Farms, a company I came to know through a blogger event a couple of summers ago.

Backyard Farms tomatoes

The other ingredients? A red onion, chorizo, white beans, and whole wheat couscous. I started off by heating the chorizo and onion on medium until sizzling and browning an then added in the chopped tomatoes and white beans, letting everything simmer until combined.

chorizo skillet

In a separate pot, I cooked up the couscous. I just love pearl couscous; it’s a cozy touch to a meal.

whole wheat couscous

The final piece of the skillet was a glug of good Spanish red wine by Pena do Lobo. The grape the wine was made with is Mencia. The wine was lush and fruity with a slight herbal note to it, and it was a nice little addition to the skillet.

Pena do Lobo wine

When all was said and done, we had a nice little bowl of white beans, chorizo, and tomatoes and a soul-warming red wine. Add in a fire, and the night was complete. Meals like this, with a little music for kitchen dance parties, make me want to cook again!

Happy Friday! Do you have any fun weekend plans? In addition to more work around our new house and some projects on the condo we are selling, I have a birthday outing and a brunch outing. Bring on the weekend!

Tags: chorizo, comfort food, cooking with wine, Food, food and wine pairing, food and wine pairings, recipe

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto

November 20, 2013 in Food, recipe, wine by traveleatlove | 5 comments

Just in time for the cold’s latest arrival, I have been spending evenings in one of my favorite ways, sitting in bed with lots of pillows and cook books, bookmarking recipes and getting myself a meal plan in place. We have gotten pretty darn bad with the takeout, frozen food, and snacks as dinner, and I am determined to stop that, especially since we had a recent family health scare.

While browsing through one of my magazines, I found a recipe for broccoli and cheese risotto, and I thought the idea sounded brilliant. I love any recipe that lets me sneak a vegetable in while also incorporating indulgent tastes like wine and cheese.

arborio rice

Now I rarely cook risotto the same way twice, and I definitely cook it by eye. If you are not comfortable doing that, following a recipe, especially when it comes to liquid measurements, is always helpful.

I always start my risotto by toasting the arborio rice in oil with a little onion or shallot, before I begin the process of slowing stirring in liquids. In this case, I got a pot of chicken stock boiling next to my risotto, reduced it to a simmer, and then started stirring it into my risotto, ladle by ladle, stirring until each grain soaks the stock up. About halfway through, I start adding little bits of wine, this time around a Shannon Ridge Chardonnay, until I have used about a cup of wine.

Shannon Ridge Chardonnay

The stirring and adding liquid part of making risotto lasts for a good long time, so be sure to pour yourself a glass of that wine too!

Once the risotto is getting tender, it’s time to add in other ingredients. This is when I added in chopped broccoli, then continued stirring and adding liquid in.

broccoli florets

Kerrygold cheese

When the risotto was to my liking, texture-wise, I added in a grated Kerrygold Dubliner cheese and served the risotto with a cold glass of Chardonnay.

broccoli and cheese risotto

This meal isn’t perfect, when it comes to eating “clean” or healthy, but it was complete and filling and a step in the right direction. Next time I would add a side of steamed spinach or a light salad to get in a little more nutrition.

Now that we are planning on moving to a new home, I am getting excited about holiday decorating and good wine and food at home. Tis the season to be a bit of a homebody, and I am definitely ready!

Tags: cooking, Food, recipe, risotto, vegetarian recipe, wine

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