Tag Archives: new recipe

Vegetable Lettuce Wraps

Posted on June 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

Ingredients:

  • 1/2c diced carrots (about 2 large carrots)
  • 1/2c minced onion
  • 2c mushrooms (I chopped 1c and sliced 1c to vary textures)
  • ~1c edamame beans
  • 1c diced water chesnuts
  • 1T garlic powder
  • 1.5T tamari (or soy sauce of your choice)
  • 1T GF Teriyaki sauce
  • 1 head of lettuce (I used Boston lettuce fresh from the farmers market), rinsed with leaves separated

In a non-stick skillet, lightly saute the carrots, onions, and 1/2T garlic powder over low heat until onions turn translucent (about 5-7 minutes). As they cook, finish preparing your remaining vegetables. Add in edamame, water chesnuts, mushrooms, and remaining garlic powder. Stir and saute allowing vegetables to begin to soften. Add in sauces and stir fry until mixture is cooked to your preference. I let the liquid cook down from the veggies and stir fried until they got a little crust on them.

Arrange lettuce leaves on plate and scoop mixture inside. Top with crushed cashews, wrap, and enjoy!

This makes 4 light servings or 2 dinner-sized portions.

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Feelin Good

Posted on June 14, 2011 | 3 Comments

Thank you all so so much for your kind words, congratulations, and support of my big announcement yesterday. I never expected such a reaction and am really touched by each and every comment, Tweet, and email I received. Thank you!

Sharing the news took a weight off my shoulders and I’ve been feeling pretty good so far this week. The positive thinker in me thinks that by putting out positive news into the universe the momentum is building. It sounds a little cooky but that’s what I’m believing this week :)

Over the weekend I bought myself an early birthday present when I feel in love with this tank top by accident. I rocked it at the gym and am even more in love than when I first tried it on!

Lastly, I discovered a recipe utilizing rice sticks on the New York Times website that I’ve been wanting to try for a few days now. I’ve had some rice sticks in my pantry for way too long and thought this would be the perfect way to use them up.

Rice Stick and Shredded Vegetable Salad

Inspired by this recipe from NY Times Recipes for Health

  • 1.5c thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 1/2c julienne red pepper
  • 1/2c julienne cucumber
  • 7 oz rice sticks
  • 1c shredded carrot (~1 large)
  • 2 T fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
  • ~1/4c cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 2T fresh lime juice
  • 1/2t sugar
  • 2T rice vinegar
  • 1T low sodium GF soy sauce
  • 1T grapeseed oil

1. Place the cabbage in a bowl, salt generously and cover with cold water. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain and dry.

2. Meanwhile, place the rice sticks in another bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 20 minutes or until pliable, while you prepare the vegetables. Drain, and roughly chop the noodles into smaller pieces.

3. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the vegetables, mint and cilantro.

4. Whisk together the lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and grapeseed oil. Toss with the noodle mixture, refrigerate for ~15 minutes to let flavors meld, and serve.

I served this salad on top of butter lettuce with crushed almond slivers and a few cashews and a light drizzle of teriyaki sauce. It was absolutely delicious and left me feeling not too stuffed on a gorgeous summer night!

This recipe yields 6 servings (1.2c each) so you will have plenty of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week!

What’s got you feelin good this week?

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Mmmm, Beefy

Posted on May 23, 2011 | 3 Comments

Day 1 of Positivity = Success! I’m glad I set my intention for the week (kind of like in yoga class) because when the blues start creeping I’ll be able to banish them away!

Yesterday after meeting up with my friend Marci who was in town, I continued on with my walking to run a couple of errands. While on my 11+ mile walk I got a huge craving for sloppy joes. You know, the kind that Mom used to make.

After scouring the internet for the perfect recipe I ended up creating my own based on a few different ones. These were sweet yet savory, had great texture, and had I not gotten full I would’ve seriously contemplated eating the whole batch!

Almost Summer Sloppy Joes

  • 1/2 lb lean grass-fed ground beef (I used 93%)
  • 1/4c chopped onion
  • 1/2c diced bell pepper strips (mine were frozen)
  • 1/4t garlic powder
  • 3/8c organic ketchup
  • 1/2t mustard
  • 1t brown sugar
  • 1/4t apple cider vinegar
  • ~1/2c water

In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Drain off liquid. Optional: spoon mixture onto a paper towel-covered plate to soak up excess liquid and fat and wipe the pan clean.

Return mixture to skillet and add remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to high heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the dish has reached the desired thickness.

This yielded 3 1/3 cup servings clocking in around 150 cal, 5g fat, 8.75g carbs, 5g sugars, and 15.5g protein. Not too bad!

I served my sloppy joe meet alongside some brown rice and roasted okra, green beans, and broccoli. It fulfilled my craving for a home-cooked meal reminiscent of my childhood.

Cheers to a good week continued!

What dishes from your childhood do you crave?

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On Juggling and More

Posted on May 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

Happy Wednesday friends! I’m glad we’ve made it to the middle of the week. It’s been a busy one with lots going on that’s required me to juggle all of my commitments. No complaints though since it involves work, play, friends, and even time to reflect / learn about myself. That last part might sound weird but over the last few days I’ve been juggling a couple of things that have taught me more about myself!

Food has been a priority amidst everything going on though. I even had time to whip up a new recipe on Monday. By making time in my schedule to prepare dinner I avoided feelings of guilt that I should have been doing other things. The new creation – vegan lettuce wraps! And they were delicious.

For lunch I have been a little less on-the-ball. On Monday I was scheduled to go to a Marine One launch and we weren’t allowed to bring any food onto White House grounds. Due to a schedule change the President departed earlier than he was supposed to but I still caught a glimpse from just a dozen feet away!

That meant that lunch was on-the-go. I tried a new place, Devon & Blakely, and was pleased with my meal. I chose one of their small soups (Vegetarian Black Bean) and then a small salad. They have their greens already packaged in small and large containers and then you get to pick the other ingredients you want. I chose carrots, beets, corn, and sliced green olives. Yum!

Lastly, I want to share yesterday’s breakfast as it was a good one. I’ve challenged myself to eat a different breakfast each day this week and so far I’m succeeding in that challenge! I had an egg sandwich on 2 slices of Udi’s whole grain bread. One slice was topped with Trader Joe’s red pepper spread, diced green chiles, and some lite cheddar and the other side got a little sriracha. With some fruit on the side this was definitely a winning savory combination!

With a lot of things to juggle at the moment I’m trying to make sure I eat healthy overall and avoid foods that I know make me sick. This leaves me feeling clear-headed and light on my feet which is exactly what I need to power through the week!

How do you handle food choices with lots of things going on in your schedule?

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