salad

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Like Mother Nature, our lunch this week is caught between two seasons. I was inspired to whip up a healthy lunch salad for the week by some fresh asparagus I picked up at Target, and I decided to mix it with one of my favorite wintry veggies, Brussels sprouts.

I started with a bag of whole wheat Israeli couscous from Bob’s Red Mill. I may be a whole grains loving nerd, but I can browse the Bob’s section at Market Basket for a really long time. I am so intrigued by how many different options there are. Melissa mentioned in a comment that Bob’s products are cheap at Ocean State Job Lot; I need to empty out the trunk of the car and head over there!

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While I was boiling up some water to cook my couscous, I chopped my fresh asparagus and started thawing my Brussels sprouts.

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I also got the oven heated to 425 in order to roast a small head of garlic. I went to a class at Whole Foods River Street last week with Chef Chad Sarno, and he showed us how to roast garlic in vegetable stock. I didn’t have any on hand, so I just filled this little ramekin about 1/4 of the way with water, chopped the top of the garlic off, and popped it in. It worked out really well and didn’t require oil.

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Chef Sarno also showed us how to caramelize onions using a really hot pan, then deglazing it with liquid. I have tried this twice in the past week, and I have made the best caramelized onions I have ever made. Again, you avoid using unnecessary oil here but still get a great result. I am all for oil and other fats, but it’s nice to be able to cut back when you can.

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While all of that was going on, I was stealing bites of asparagus. I can’t get enough!

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When the couscous was cooked, I stirred the asparagus in, letting the heat of the couscous do its thing. I tossed the Brussels sprouts in with the onions and let them cook.

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And then it was time to make the “sauce” for the salad. This might be a really weird idea, but it was delicious. I pureed the Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions with some salt, pepper, olive oil, truffle oil, and nutritional yeast, then tossed the couscous in it until coated.

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This was definitely an interesting dish, and one I would make again. Pureeing the sprouts gave the salad a ton of flavor and nutrition without making it seem overwhelmingly filled with vegetables. It was a good way to use them up!

And it was very nice to have lunch all set for both of us for the next three days!

In other news, you may remember a call for recipes I posted awhile back. Well, the book is now available online:

You can find out more about Where Hash Rules and buy a copy by clicking on the link below.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/144495 or visiting the Amazon page:

Here’s a little bit of information about the book.

Where Hash Rules is the story of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, a cultural landmark in Boston since 1927, with tales and photographs about the many interesting characters who have enjoyed turkey hash and eggs through the years. Named an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation in 2005, the diner has evolved to be as much a part of local folklore as the tea party.

Have a great day, everyone!

Tags: asparagus, brussels sprouts, couscous, Food, healthy, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian, whole wheat

I am pretty proud to stay that we have both been doing a really good job of working out 4-5 days a week, eating healthier, and cutting back on the old wine since 2012 started. I know it hasn’t been that long at all, but we feel great, and since we still allow plenty of indulgences (Hello, Old Fashioned’s, grilled cheese, and fries at Eastern Standard), we can keep it up. My health goal is basically not to be kicked down again this winter by the flu while my husband, who drives two hours a day and works for 12-14, is just to move more. However, if I end up a little faster and more toned, I will take it.

As you might have noticed, I have been blogging a little less (five days a week instead of six or seven) and not always about food. I have also felt that by not having to think of blog-worthy meals, I can focus on fast and healthy. If you have any topics that you are interested in reading about, let me know!

This dinner, which I also ended up eating for several lunches, is worth sharing because it was so delicious, quick, and satisfying.

salsa

We often order burrito bowls from our beloved South End spot, El Triunfo. They’re basically everything but the actual tortilla, which I rarely like, so they are perfect. In order to save some money, I decided to make our own burrito bowls, also known as salads. Winking smile

romaine

My burrito bowl was a pretty easy mix:

Chopped romaine (I so prefer eating salad that is chopped into small pieces)

1 1/2 cups of black beans that had been soaked and slow cooked with chili and garlic powders, canned are also fine

1/2 of a ripe avocado

Homemade salsa

Homemade lime crema – This is why I am blogging about the burrito bowls. It is my new favorite salad topper and veggie dip. I added the juice of a very juicy lime to a cup of Fage Greek yogurt, added a few teaspoons of olive oil to get a more dressing-like consistency, sprinkled in chili powder. . . and wanted to lick the bowl clean!

lime crema

burrito bowl

Bright, colorful, delicious, and full of vitamins, protein, and filling fats – the perfect meal for me.

Have you enjoyed any easy, healthy meals lately that really stood out?

Tags: avocado, burrito, Food, healthy, recipe, salad, salsa, Vegetarian

Clean Up Time

The holiday season probably isn’t the best time to start cleaning up one’s diet, but I am certainly in need of it. It’s not just because we just spent 10 days traveling and celebrating, the past year of craziness has truly caught up with me. Travel, blogger events, the desire to always cook and bake new things, a bunch of illnesses, my nana’s death, topped with truly poor eating habits during my work day have made me pack on the pounds and feel pretty tired. Where cheese and crackers were once snacks or treats, and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches were for weekends (Who am I kidding, I NEVER used to eat bacon!), they have replaced the veggie-filled meals of my past. Instead of eating normal meals, I have been going much of the day without eating, then chowing down on snack foods like chips, then end up too full to eat dinner, then eat more snacks later in the evening. It’s not a good scene, not at all.

On the plane back from Ireland and our first night home, I spent a ton of time planning meals to get back on track. I’m not cutting treats out (just got eight bottles of wine to sample!), I am just adding in more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish into my diet.

I had a major craving for grilled zucchini when we were doing a huge Market Basket haul on Sunday, and a dish Cara made for Elina’s party a few months ago had been on my mind ever since. The zucchini roll-ups, filled with goat cheese, raisins, and pine nuts, were one of my favorite dishes of the night, and for Sunday lunch, I decided to turn the flavors into a warm salad.

zucchini

I started with two large zucchinis, cutting them into thick strips and coating them with olive oil. A hot grill pan did the trick; I just cooked until they were softened, with nice grill marks on both sides.

grilled zucchini

While the zucchini cooked, I rinsed some salted almonds (an accidental purchase) and roughly chopped them, breaking each almond into about three pieces.

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I mixed the almonds with some golden raisins, and topped my cooked zucchini with the mix.

raisins

The finishing touch? A handful of crumbled goat cheese that nicely softened with the heat of the zucchini. All of the flavors in this dish worked together perfectly, and it was delicious, satisfying, and filled that salad void without leaving me cold! One of my problems in the colder weather is finding interesting ways to eat veggies in the winter, and I think using the grill pan will definitely come in handy this year.

zucchini salad

I have a ton more Ireland posts to come, but there will also be lots of home-cooking so that I can be sure to fit in the nutrition I need. After all, I start Boston Marathon training this week!

Tags: Food, goat cheese, recipe, salad, Vegetarian, zucchini

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