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Boozy Berry and Cherry Salad

3/29/2015

Even fruit deserves a good salad and this one is one of my favorites. I often make this salad for my relatives for Easter Brunch since it had such a fresh and vibrant flavor to it. The sweet berries make a great contrast to the tart lemon curd dressing. The bonus is that the lemon curd can be saved for some time in the fridge for using in desserts!

Boozy Berry and Cherry Salad

Ingredients

For Salad
1 cup blue berries
1 cup raspberries
2 cups strawberries
1 cup jarred sour cherries
1 cup black berries
2oz Lemoncello
2oz Chambord
1 cup fat free honey Greek yogurt
3 tbsp lemon curd (see below)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger

For Lemon Curd
3 lemons
1.5 cups sugar
1 stick butter
4 large eggs
pinch of salt

1) Mix all the fruit with the Lemoncello and Chambord in a bowl. Place in fridge in ready to use.
2) Zest all three lemons into a mixer and set the lemons aside. Mix in sugar.
3) Add butter until creamed.
4) Gradually add in each egg until well mixed.
5) Add lemon juice and salt until mixed.
6) Pour mixture into a sauce pan on low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
7) Once cooled, mix 3 tbsp of lemon curd with ginger and honey yogurt.
8) Pull out the marinated salad and top with lemon yogurt mixture.
9) Serve immediately.

***Option: Serve the salad without the yogurt dressing and have the dressing in another bowl for guests to top themselves.

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Quick Tips to Improve Your Snacking Habits

3/22/2015

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Snacking can be a great way to curb your appetite between meals and it can be a great source of enjoyment. For a lot of people however, their snacking habits have gotten out of control and it is now a source of stress since it's impacting their health.

It can be hard to turn down those tasty treats but here are a couple of tips to help move your snacking habits in the right direction:

1) Get Rid of Your Food 'Kryptonite'.

We all have it. That one food that turns us into the Cookie Monster. That one food we just can't turn down because it's our favorite or it just tastes sooo good. You buy it because you love it but ultimately you end up eating the whole bag or box on your own because you just can't help yourself. Sure you might say things like "It's for when the kids come over" or "We have guests this weekend." but the majority of that tasty treat will never see your intended guests.

So get rid of it. Take it out of the house and leave it there. I am not saying that this food is forbidden. In fact I encourage you to still eat it but make it an outside of the house treat. The more doors you put between you and it the more time you will have to really think before you grab that snack. Still plan to enjoy it on occasion but make it a planned treat. Rather than getting the big bag of your favorite chips for the house try walking to the store and get the personal sized bag as a treat once in a while. Instead of the container of ice cream for the freezer enjoy a sundae at the shop when you are out with the kids. Or maybe you let yourself get that piece of pie or cake for dessert when you go out for dinner. These things might cost a little bit more than buying in bulk but if you are eating them less often there shouldn't be much of a difference in overall cost.

Treating yourself if perfectly okay but if you are feeling out of control with a certain snack this can be a great way to still enjoy that food but in moderation.

2) Fill up the Fruit Bowl and Lose the Candy Dish.

"Out of sight, out of mind" has some legitimate research behind it. Food researcher Brian Wansink has proven this time and time again with his experiments. For example, he gave candy dishes to secretaries to have on their desk. Some were clear and others were not. The secretaries that could see the candy ultimately ate more. You can apply this tactic at home as well. Get rid of the candy dish on the counter and replace it with a bowl of fresh fruits. This will stop you from grazing on the candies and help encourage you and your family to eat more fruit when you start feeling hungry. It's a small change but it really does work!

3) Store Pre-chopped Veggies in the Fridge.

Snacking habits can be a matter of convenience and while we might have the best of intentions we don't always get to the vegetables in the fridge. Try pre-chopping a variety of vegetables at the start of the week when you have time and keep them in a clear container in the fridge (remember that out of sight out of mind concept from above?). Have at least one favorite healthier dip option right next to the vegetable container for an easy healthy snack. Maybe a hummus or low fat dressing? The choice is really yours but this small change can really encourage people to snack on more vegetables!

4) Try to Make Your Regular Hangout AWAY From the Kitchen

If your living room is right off the kitchen it will be more tempting to wander in when you get a craving and start looking around. If you have another room your can hang out in to play games, read your book or watch a movie that is further from the snacks then try spending more time in there. Better yet, if the craving hits try distracting yourself with another activity like calling a friend or going for a walk. If the craving is still there after the activity then don't feel ashamed if you have the snack. You might really be hungry. Recognize though that you were in control of the situation and were able to wait instead of giving in to the craving right away. This is an important step towards eating more mindfully.

Hopefully some of these tips will help move you in the right direction with your snacking. Every little step counts!

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Weird Food Combinations

3/20/2015

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I have actually tried almost all of these weird food combinations. I still need to try the olives and chocolate and wine and coke. (Maybe an experiment for the weekend?)

I highly recommend the strawberries and balsamic vinegar they mention. It's a great dessert.

One that is not on the list that I have tried and would recommend is a peanut butter and caramelized onions in a sandwich. It's surprisingly good.

Are there any other weird food combinations you have tried that you would recommend?

Happy Friday!

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Antipasto Salad

3/16/2015

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Spring is in the air and with that lots and lots of fruits and vegetables will soon be on their way. To celebrate I am going to be sharing some of my favorite salad recipes over the next few weeks that I am sure you will love. The first salad is a spin on an antipasto platter. Antipasto is a traditional Italian dish normally served before the main course. It is usually a combination of cured meats, vegetables, olives and cheeses. This recipe takes on a lot of those flavors and puts them into a fresh and tasty salad.

Antipasto Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
8 leaves kale, chopped
4 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
4 tbsp back olives, sliced and pitted
4 tbsp walnuts, chopped
4 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp honey

Instructions
1) Toss romaine and kale together in a bowl and divide onto two serving plates.
2) Top each plate with red peppers, avocado, black olives and walnuts.
3) In a small dish combine mustard and honey. Drizzle over salads. Serve immediately.

*Note: You could add a little chicken or sharp cheddar cheese to this salad for an extra kick!

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How to Make A Buddha Bowl

3/9/2015

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What goes into a Buddha Bowl will vary from person to person but the basic idea is that it is a meal sized bowl of simple healthy foods. Like a layered salad if you will. Most Buddha Bowls I have had were either vegan or vegetarian but you could easily add some lean meats, eggs or cheese to the mix if that is what you prefer.

The reason I love them so much is that they are easy to put together and the sky is the limit as far as what you can put into them. Here is an easy mix and match system below to help you get started. The serving sizes are based on one person but I do encourage batch cooking a whole bunch for easy lunches all week:

Step 1- Pick Your Grain or Starch (1/2 cup up to 1 cup cooked)

Whole grain pasta
Quinoa
Brown Rice
Barley
Roasted Potatoes

Step 2- Pick Your Protein (3/4 cup tofu or beans OR 4oz lean meat OR 2 eggs)

Marinated and pan seared tofu cubes
Lentils
Black Beans
Chickpeas
Boiled Egg, sliced
Baked Chicken or Salmon

***note: beans can be fresh or canned but be sure to rinse them off if they are canned.

Step 3- Pick 3-4 Vegetables from the Options Below (1-2 cups total)

Roasted or Raw Red Peppers
Roasted Onions
Roasted Mushrooms
Sliced Green Onions
Shredded Carrot
Halved Cherry Tomatoes
Corn Kernels
Frozen Peas (thawed)
Sliced Raw or Roasted Zucchini
Sliced cucumber
Broccoli Florets
Boiled Brussels Sprouts, Halved
Shredded Cabbage
Cauliflower
Leafy Greens

Step 4- Add Your Favorite Extras! (optional)

1/4 avocado
2oz cheese
2 tbsp dried fruit (cherries, raisins, cranberries, figs, dates)
2 tbsp seeds or chopped nuts (pumpkin, almonds, walnuts, flax, peanuts)
3 tbsp olives
1/2 cup sliced fresh fruit (apples, pears, berries)

Step 5- Add a dressing (2-3 tbsp)

Balsamic Dressing
Salsa (1/4 cup)
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
Lemon Ginger Thai Sauce
Apple Fennel Dressing
Summer Herb Dressing
Lemon Pepper and Garlic (1/2 clove garlic chopped, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, cracked pepper)

Layer steps 1 through 4 into a glass bowl with a good sealing lid. Drizzle on selected dressing. Now you lunch is ready to go for the morning!

Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

Quinoa + Lentils + Roasted Onions, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Mushrooms + Goat Cheese + Pumpkin Seeds + Balsamic Dressing

Brown Rice + Black Beans + Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Green Onions + Cheddar Cheese, Avocado + Salsa

Quinoa + Tofu + Brussels Sprouts, Shredded Carrot, Broccoli Florets + Almonds + Spicy Peanut Sauce

Barley + Salmon + Carrot, Green Onions, Peas+ Apple Slices, Dried Cherries + Summer Herb Dressing

There are so many other possible combinations so experiment with your favorites!

Happy Eating!

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Little Bugs Making a Big Difference

3/1/2015

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We think of the human population as big but we are greatly out numbered on this planet by a much smaller and more diverse group of living things called bacteria. They are everywhere and are involved in just about every part of our daily lives. They help us break down the foods that we eat and even help us make certain foods like cheese and yogurt. They can keep us healthy or make us very sick and while we have a certain understanding about them there is a great deal more that we do not know.

For example, we have only been able to name and classify a fraction of the bacteria that exist in our world and we only understand how a fraction of those bacteria we can name even work. What we are starting to realize is what bacteria you have inside of you can make a big difference in your health.

This has lead to the creation of things like probiotics and prebiotics which can be taken to replace or feed the good bacteria in your body respectively. Even in this area we are not entirely certain which bacteria are the best to use but it is always changing.

The video below shows some of the powerful ways that bacteria impacts our health and is well worth a watch. I imagine we will be hearing more and more in the area both in supplements and the types of foods we might want to target in our diet in order to to get the best collection of bacteria for our health.

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Boozy Berry and Cherry Salad

Quick Tips to Improve Your Snacking Habits

Weird Food Combinations

Antipasto Salad

How to Make A Buddha Bowl

Little Bugs Making a Big Difference

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