Romaine Boats

Work has been absolutely crazy the past couple weeks. From a four day commercial shoot to weeks spent at the editorial and finishing studios I have hardly seen my kitchen. Catered food starts out as a lot of fun. Decadent, delicious and an excuse not to follow my usual healthy routine. But a few days in and I'm DYING to get back to my high protein, low grain, green juice filled diet.

This was one of my first "detox" meals when I emerged from editing. I was so happy to be preparing my own food, especially food that didn't include bread, pasta, and heavy sauces.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
2/3 cup red or regular quinoa, rinsed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/4 in strips
3 green onions, sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp dried dill (or 2 to 3 tsp chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish) 
1/2 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
8 romaine leaves
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Prepare quinoa according to package directions
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick-skillet, head oil on medium. Add chicken and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Stir in onions, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and saute, stirring often and breaking up chicken into smaller pieces with spoon, until chicken is cooked through, about 3 more minutes. 
Stir in peas and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in quinoa. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and top with radishes and cheese, divine evenly.

Artichokes and Parsley with Quinoa

A friend asked for vegan recipes recently and I realized I don't have many. As I'm *mostly* grain free these days (I qualified this sentence because I somehow came home from the grocery store without quinoa and had to substitute with faro) it's hard to also be meat, dairy and egg free.

However, I enjoy being creative and as I also love vegetables (artichokes being one of my favorites) this was a relatively easy feat.

Happy meatless monday!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped spring or sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup chicken, vegetarian chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
5 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add artichokes; sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add broth and quinoa; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 18 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley, rind, juice, and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lentil Salad with Garlic Balsamic

You wouldn't think this is a "hearty" meal just by looking at it. Afterall, it's a salad. But lentils are surprisingly filling and chock full of protein with a whopping 26% of their calories attributed to it. This makes them a great protein source for vegans, vegetarians and anyone who observes "meatless monday."

Lentils are also full of fiber and complex carbohydrates which give you energy. But unlike with starchy sources of fiber like bread, pasta and pizza the energy is slow releasing and won't lead to an insulin spike. However, perhaps the best thing about lentils is they have virtually no fat and very low calories (230 per cup as in this recipe) so they're great if you're watching your weight.

If you ask Dave for his favorite part of this recipe he will say garlic, garlic and garlic. The dressing absolutely makes the salad and I'm keeping it on hand for future recipes. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup dry brown lentils
3 roma tomatoes
2-3 oz. spinach
1/4 cup chives (or shallot or green onion)
2 Tbsp. capers

{For the dressing}
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced


 

Directions
Cook lentils according to package directions, leaving firm, not mushy.
While lentils are cooking, make the dressing: in a small bowl combine all ingredients and whisk.
Roughly chop the spinach and chives, and dice tomatoes. Place in a large bowl.
When lentils are done cooking, drain, and immediately add to large bowl with spinach and tomatoes. The heat from the lentils will slightly wilt the spinach.
Add the dressing and capers and stir to combine.

Grilled Shrimp With Rosemary And Chives

I just returned from a vacation with my family where we ate so. much. good. food. Most of it was prepared at home so it was fairly healthy, and even the food I ate out wasn't typical "vacation eating" as evidenced by this salad :)

The prawns were so good I scoured the internet upon returning home to find a way to prepare them on the grill and I think I found it.

The marinade requires quite a few ingredients but the rest of the preparation is easy. Just be sure to refrigerate shrimp for one hour before grilling.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 ½ lb large shrimp

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in the marinade, cover the bowl, and refrigerate the shrimp for at least 1 hour.

Start the grill. When the grill is hot, place the shrimp on a mesh grate that has been sprayed or brushed with the vegetable oil (or thread the shrimp on skewers), and grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side.

Turkey, Pear and Provolone Salad

I know I can get a little fancy with my time consuming recipes. Funny considering how little time I have to cook. But as I know that parents have even less and tend to resort to such things as microwaving "chicken" nuggets I thought I'd throw you a bone :)

Purchasing turkey breast filets will make this recipe even easier so I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 pound turkey tenderloin
  Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pears, cored (optional) and sliced
4 slices provolone cheese, halved
5 ounces arugula (8 cups)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions
Slice turkey crosswise in eight 1-inch slices. Flatten slightly with palm of hand, then season with salt and pepper. Brush with half of the honey mustard.
In a 12-inch skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook turkey in even layer in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Layer pears on turkey; top each with a half-slice of cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted and pears are warm.
Divide arugula among serving dishes; top with turkey slices. For sauce, whisk remaining mustard and oil along with the vinegar into pan juices in skillet; cook for 30 seconds. Drizzle sauce on each serving. Sprinkle with additional pepper.

Kale, Chicken and Beet Salad

The kale fairy aka my coworker Alicia made another appearance at the office! I've now made kale chips, kale smoothies, and kale latkes and have come full circle back to kale salads.

I'll warn you that this one is a little time consuming so you may want to save it for a special occasion. (I should have known that it would be based on that "one time" I made chicken noodle soup and vowed never to do it again!)

However, if you have the time and patience to boil chicken, cook quinoa and chop kale leaves (I bought my beets precooked, something had to give) this is a fantastic choice.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 beets (precooked)
1 16 oz boneless, skinless chix breast
1/4 tsp course sea salt, divided
Juice of two lemons
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions
Meanwhile fill a large pot with water. Add chicken and 1/8 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool slightly. With two forks shred chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, 1 tsp water and remaining 1/8 tsp salt until combined, set aside.
Fill a large, deep skillet with 1/2 inch water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add kale and cook, stirring until bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chicken, kale, and beets. Drizzle lemon mixture over top and toss to coat. Garnish with goat cheese and hazelnuts.

Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri

I very rarely eat red meat but when I do I love to throw it on top of mixed greens to "health it up" a little.

Actually, red meat isn't too unhealthy as long as it's eaten in moderation and is a great source of protein and iron. One 3 oz. serving provides 23 grams of the recommended 60 grams of protein per day and 15 percent of your daily iron intake.

You will get even more iron from the leafy greens so you will be feeling pretty damn good about yourself when all is said and done. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 bunch italian parsley (fresh)

2 tbsps fresh oregano (leaves)
3 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (chipotle)
11/2 lbs flank steak
8 ozs baby greens (mixed)
12 ozs fresh mozzarella balls (marinated small, drained)

Directions:

Prepare barbecue or stove top grill (medium-high heat). Combine parsley (with stems), oregano, and garlic in processor; blend 10 seconds. Add 1/2 cup oil, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce; blend until almost smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush grill rack with oil. Sprinkle steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to work surface; let rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss greens in large bowl with some dressing. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle mozzarella over.
Thinly slice steak across grain on slight diagonal. Arrange steak on top of greens. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Poached Egg White and Turkey Bacon Salad

Yes, this was my first attempt at poached eggs....how did you guess? But while my technique may need work it didn't affect the end result which was a delicious and very filling salad.

Vegetarians can of course hold the bacon though you may need to boil a couple extra eggs.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 cup white vinegar
4 egg whites
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp whole grain mustard
4 cups mixed greens

Directions:
Add white vinegar and salt to a large pot of water, bring to a simmer. Slide an egg white into pot slowly; let cook 30 seconds before adding another egg white. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Poach until opaque, 2 to 3 minutes each; with a slotted spoon, move to a plate. In a medium pan over low heat, saute turkey bacon until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together oils, red wine vinegar and mustard; season with salt and black pepper. Nuke vinaigrette 45 seconds. (This can also be done over the stove for those of us who don't have a microwave.) Toss greens and turkey bacon with warm vinaigrette.
Divide greens mixture between 2 bowls and create a nest in each; add 2 poached egg whites to each nest. Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

Chickpea and Mango Salad

I've been eating lots of salad this week as I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow and need to clean out my fridge. (Vegetables are what accumulates in your fridge when you have a biweekly produce delivery!)

The great thing about this salad (besides the mangoes) is that it's extremely satisfying and will keep you full for hours. This is due to the high fiber content of chickpeas/garbanzo beans.

Chickpeas contain 12.5 grams of fiber per cup (50% of the daily recommended allowance.) In addition, 2/3 of the fiber contained in chickpeas is insoluble which means it passes almost all the way through the digestive tract without being absorbed. (Read: good for "digestion" ;) Broccoli and beets operate much the same way. In case you were wondering.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (no thank you)
2 Tbsp mango chutney
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup coriander (I sub'd fennel)
2 15 oz cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 lg ripe mango, chopped
1 5-6 oz package baby spinach
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I sub'd macadamia nuts)

Directions:
In a food processor, puree yogurt, cilantro, chutney, oil, lime juice, coriander, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 pepper until smooth. Transfer to lag bowl.
To the same bowl add beans and mango. Toss until well coated. To serve add spinach and nuts, toss to combine.

Kale and Grapefruit Salad

This salad is perfect for a summer day and couldn't be easier!

Ingredients:
1 Ruby Red grapefruit
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, center stems and ribs removed, thinly sliced
1/2 cup hazel or macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Romano cheese

Directions:
Working over a small bowl to collect juice, carve out segments from between membranes; set segments aside. Toss onion with 2 tbsp grapefruit juice; set aside to soften.
In a large bowl gently toss grapefruit segments, grapefruit juice and onion mixture, kale, nuts, salt and pepper until well combined. Top with Romano.

Seven Layer Salad

I fell in love with these salads the minute I laid eyes on them. Very little lettuce and lots of "stuff" just the way I like them!

I assumed that's the way everyone likes them until a friend who is just starting to eat grain free asked for salad recipes. I of course sent her recipes with lots of toppings and very little or no lettuce. She responded "hmmm, do you have any with more lettuce?" Ha.

So *warning* this recipe falls under the "very little lettuce" category. You could even make it with none (gasp!)

Ingredients: (Serves 2-4)
Mixed greens
2 yellow bell peppers, diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

Dressing:
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tsp cider vinegar
1-2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions:
Place a handful or two of lettuce in each bowl. Layer peas, bell pepper, tomatoes and scallions.
Whisk yogurt, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour the dressing evenly over the top of each salad. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon and basil. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Beet, Apple and Arugula Salad

Some people (like me) love beets. Cold, hot, in salads, stews or smoothies... you name it, I like it. Others, like my mom, spend their entire lives avoiding them until they finally find a preparation they like. (One of my recipes of course ;)

If you are an avoider I hope that this recipe will be your turning point. Why? Because beets are a source of: Vitamin A, B, (folic acid) C, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, carotenoids and dietary fiber. (Phew!) They are used to detoxify the liver and spleen and to help balance the blood’s pH balance by reducing the blood’s acidity. (Acidic blood creates a welcome environment for viruses and bacteria to flourish.) But the best news for those who are trying to lose weight is that the cellulose content of beets acts as a bulk residue increasing peristalsis (the muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.) In other words, they keep you regular:-P

Hope you enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 small beets (Trader Joe's has precooked beets if you want to skip a step. Use 2 TJs beets.)
1 granny smith apple, peeled cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1 1/2 packed cups baby arugula, lightly chopped 
goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 small orange, juiced and zested
1/2 tbsp olive oil 
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt
ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat over to 400. Cut tops off of beets and brush off any dirt with a towel (washing them will cause them to boil rather than roast. The skin will be removed and they will be washed after roasting.) Place on a baking sheet wrapped in foil and bake for about an hour.
Take out of the oven and place in a large bowl, then submerge with cold water. Wait about 20 minutes then peel the skin off under water with your hands. It should come off easily. 
Chop beets into bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
Fill the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with water and place a steamer basket in it. Place over medium high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the chopped apples, cover and steam for about 2-3 minutes. (Don't lose track of time or your apple slices will be soggy like mine.)
To make the dressing add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice and orange zest. Add black pepper and sea salt to taste. Add additional orange juice or vinegar to taste. Pour over the beet mixture and toss to coat. Add the arugula and pecans and toss again. Plate and top with goat cheese.

Cantaloupe, Prosciutto, Avocado Salad

If you follow my blog you know I love meat paired with fruit. I don't know what it is- maybe the combination of sweet and savory? Or the fact that such things aren't "suppose" to be combined (ooooo.....such a rebel!) I also love that it includes cantaloupe since, unlike peaches and pineapple, it's hard to find recipes that call for it.

Enjoy!                                                                                             Ingredients: (Makes 2 large salads)
2 cups baby spinach
2-3 slices of prosciutto, torn into bite sized pieces
1 cantaloupe, cut into cubes
1 avocado
1/4 cup diced red onion
handful of raw, unsalted walnuts

Directions:
1. Place a cup of spinach on each plate.
2. Top with prosciutto, cantaloupe, slices of avocado, a sprinkling of red onion, and a few walnuts.
3. Add some freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of dijon vinaigrette. 

Lentil and Feta Salad

Day four of the "salad cleanse" and Dave tells me he's reached his goal weight. Whoa. I guess this plan of ours has really worked! Of course now he has a new goal which is getting a six pack and he's dragging me down (up ?) with him. He has deemed it the "six pact." I don't know that it will require a special diet since we already eat clean but I will update you on our progress if there is any.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups puy lentils (you can also buy precooked lentils at Trader Joes)
2 carrots, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced
4 oz feta cheese
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Dressing:
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
5 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Put the lentils in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minuts until just cooked but not mushy. Drain and refresh in cold water, then drain again and transfer to a large salad bowl.
Add the carrots and celery to the bowl with the lentils. Crumble in the feta and add the chopped parsley.
Make the dressing by beating the vinegar  mustard and oil. Add the dressing to the salad and stir to combien well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Roasted Mushroom Salad

Day 3 of the "salad cleanse." This one is the least photogenic but might be my favorite so far. Portobello mushrooms are awesome because they can be substituted for both meat and bread making gluten/grain free'ers and vegetarians rejoice! And for everyone else they're just a great source of protein and fiber (5 grams/ 3 grams respectively in one cup of chopped mushrooms.)

Ingredients:

2 portobello mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup large bread crumbs
3 sprigs of thyme, chopped
Mixed arugula, watercress and spinach
salt and pepper

Dressing:
4 oz soft goat cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp milk


Directions:
Put the mushrooms in a roasting pan and drizzle over 1 tbsp of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cook in a preheated oven, 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Meanwhile spread the bread crumbs on a baking sheet with the thyme leaves. Pour over the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden and crispy.
Make the dressing. Put the cheese, oil and milk in a small saucepan and beat over a gentle heat until the mixture reaches a pouring consistency, adding a little more milk if its too thick. (I got impatient and used my immersion blender.)
Arrange a couple handfuls of mixed greens on each of two plates and place a mushroom on top of each. Drizzle with the warm dressing, serve immediately.

Spicy Mango Chicken Salad

Trying to savor every last moment of mango season, I scoured my cookbooks and magazines for yet another mango-friendly recipe. Of course this was a week ago and by last night the groceries I had bought for said recipe were long gone. Lettuce had done double duty in salads and wraps, cucumber slices had been used to flavor water and frozen mango slices had perished in my morning smoothies. But, determined to make this work I grabbed a fresh mango from the produce mart and set out to wing it! Here is what we (Dave was instrumental in this one) came up with....

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts
8 oz Thai Red Curry sauce (Trader Joe's)
 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Mango peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1/2 cucumber (diced)
1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
Greens (I mixed spinach and kale)
Olive Oil

Cut  the chicken breasts into long, thin slices. Saute olive oil in a pan and brown the strips on either side, then add the red curry sauce. Add the yogurt to cucumber, red onion and mango slices and toss gently.
Tear the greens into bite size pieces and arrange on two plates.* Spoon the mango mixture over the top, add the warm chicken strips and serve immediately.

*I massaged a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and flax seed oil into the kale 15 minutes before serving to soften it. I then tossed with the spinach before plating.

Duck, Clementine and Spinach Salad

One of the most memorable traditions of my childhood is my parents taking me out to a "fancy dinner" (it was my choice and could range anywhere from The Olive Garden to Black Angus;) on my birthday each year. I could order anything I wanted and, more often than not, it was a steak. This is something I couldn't get at home and the bright red, delicious slab of cow filled me with wonderment.

Through my teens and early 20s I experimented with vegetarianism but ultimately went back to eating the way I had been raised - mostly lean white meat with red meat on rare (pun intended) occasion. I admit, there is a difference between the taste of a ground beef burger versus turkey burger or carne asada taco versus chicken taco. Hmmmm. . . could the amount of saturated fat have something to do with it?

As discussed here previously saturated fat is one of the "bad" types of fat (transfat being the other) and increases our "bad" cholesterol levels and chance of heart disease. Lean beef (strip steak, tenderloin, T-bone) boasts a whopping 4 grams of saturated fat per 3 oz serving. Meanwhile, the same size serving of chicken contains less than a gram (0.5g) of saturated fat. Clearly the healthier choice, correct?

Enter duck meat. Although no where near the low fat content of chicken, duck (without the skin) contains less saturated fat than beef at 3.4g. In addition, duck contains very high levels of a monounsaturated fat (one of the "good" types of fat) called oleic acid. This is the same type of fat that olive oil contains in abundance and that many studies have shown to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases of aging.*

I found this salad recipe to be a great way to sample duck meat. And combined with the spinach, green beans and olive oil it makes for a very healthy meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)
3 duck breasts (each about 8 oz)
10 oz green beans, trimmed
3 clementines, peeled and segmented
4 cups of spinach

Dressing: Juice of two clementines, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim the skin from duck breasts, place in a skillet and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer the duck to a baking dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from oven, cover with foil and set aside.
Blanch the green beans in lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes until cooked but still firm and bright green. Drain and refresh in cold water. Transfer the beans to a large salad bowl with the clementine segments.
Make the dressing by beating together the clementine juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the spinach to the beans and clementines, drizzle the dressing over it and combine well. Slice the duck meat, combine it with the salad and serve immediately.

*Despite these benefits, meat containing this level of saturated fat should be consumed sparingly (once or twice per week.) 

Crab Napoleon Salad

I tend to prefer my crab rolled in rice, with a side of ginger and a big glass of red wine. But this "salad" was too cool to pass up.

It's also super quick and doesn't require any "cooking" although you will have to toast the pita bread.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 4 inch whole grain pitas
Olive oil cooking spray
4 red vine tomatoes, divided
2 yellow vine tomaotoes
2 tsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp low fat olive oil mayo
1 tbsp grainy or Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
8 oz cooked lump crab meat
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 firm ripe avocado peeled, pitted and sliced into 8 thin slices
Fresh mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a small, sharp knife, split each pita into 2 single layer rounds. Mist both sides of each round with cooking spray and transfer to a large baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a baking sheet.

Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette: Cut 1 red tomato in half crosswise. Over top of a small bowl, squeeze out as much juice and seeds as possible and collect in bowl. With a small spoon, scoop out tomato pulp and add to juice. Mixture should total 1/3 cup. If not, repeat with 1 additional red tomato. Stir in oil and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine mayo, mustard and lemon juice; fold in crabmeat, salt and pepper and set aside. Slice remaining 2 red tomatoes and yellow tomatoes crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.

Divide pita rounds among serving plates. layer each with avocado, yellow tomato, basil, mozzarella, crab mixture, red tomato and additional basil and crab mixture. Drizzle vinaigrette over top and around each, diving evenly. Garnish with basil sprigs. 

Salad in a Jar

I saw these salads in a magazine recently and thought wow, those are pretty. But it didn't occur to me that they are also very functional. Between dressing my salads before leaving the house in the morning (soggy) and including the dressing in a sandwich bag (messy) I don't really have a good method for transporting it. But by layering the ingredients (with the heaviest, least permeable ingredients on the bottom) you can prevent the salad from getting soggy. Also, by simply shaking the jar to distribute the dressing you avoid a mess (and have nothing to throw away.)

If you have a wide mouthed jar you can eat right out of the jar. For narrower jars like the spaghetti sauce jar pictured just shake, then dump into a bowl.

If you're not taking a picture the label doesn't really matter. But to remove it soak the jar in hot water then use isopropyl (rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover) to remove the residue.

Here is one recipe that worked particularly well....

Ingredients:

Champagne Vinaigrette (Trader Joes)
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
Bell pepper
Red onion
Grilled chicken
Spinach

Layer the ingredients in that order and you're good to go!

Zucchini Linguine with Tuna and White Beans

There was a time in the not so distant past that I thought "Carb-free?? You've gotta be kidding!" (Of course by "carb" I meant "grain" although I didn't realize that at the time;) I couldn't imagine depriving myself of big bowls of pasta or sandwiches on thick, sour dough rolls. And, as I discovered on my trip to Brazil last November, there is a REASON I couldn't imagine it.

In a nutshell, refined carbohydrates raise blood-sugar levels, setting up an insulin surge that drives blood sugar down again. This causes rebound hunger which explains why, a few hours after eating a starchy meal, we're hungry again. That insulin spike also interferes with leptin, the hormone secreted by fat cells that should tell the body to stop eating which is why a 90 lb girl can polish off a family sized portion of Fettuccine Alfredo. Lastly, consuming refined carbohydrates increases CRAVINGS which explains why someone who consumes starchy meals regularly feels like she would be "depriving" herself to do otherwise.

In preparation for my upcoming wedding I have been "depriving" myself of grains for three weeks and plan to continue doing so for the next three months (then returning to my grain-in-moderation approach which is about 2-3 times a week). The cravings wore off by the second week and I feel better than I have in months. Oh, and without doing a single sit-up I have rediscovered my abs!

Of course right after I made the decision to go grain-free I came across a delicious looking spinach linguine recipe. I ripped it out of the magazine and just as I was about to file it under "recipes to try in a few months" it occurred to me that I could substitute zucchini for the linguine. And thanks to my future mother-in-law, I actually have the tool to do it:)

So grab your Julienne peeler and prepare for one of the most delicious non-pasta, pasta dishes you've ever tasted....

Ingredients: (makes two servings)
3 Zucchini
8 oz canned tuna packed in oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained'
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cupe chopped Italian leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1/2 thinly sliced lemon

Directions:
Carefully run the Julienne peeler from one end of the zucchini to the other. This will create a half dozen long "noodles." (You can also start from the middle and work outwards to make shorter noodles.) Set aside in a medium sized bowl.
Drain tuna, reserving oil in a large bowl. Whisk juice, garlic, salt and pepper with oil. Flake tuna into same bowl. Add noodles, beans, onion and chopped parsley; toss gently to coat with dressing. Serve garnished with parsley leaves.