I know it’s been cold all around the country, but it seems it’s been especially cold up in the Northeast.  I mean, when you’re wearing two pair of gloves, two pair of pants, two fleece jackets and a winter coat and you’re still numb, that’s not good.  Fortunately, this bitter cold spell is ending and we’ll soon have just regular winter temperatures.  Phew!

Other than practicing yoga in a hot and humid studio, drinking absurd amounts of hot water with lemon and herbal tea, never taking off my Snuggie (just kidding.  I don’t have one, but right now, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea!) and soaking in a bubble bath until I start looking like a prune, the only way I can stay warm physically and mentally is by eating vats of steaming hot soup.  Can you blame me?

Image Credit – mediabistro.com

Last night, I had a big bowl of broth on the brain.  I just couldn’t let it go.  All I could picture was that warm and toasty feeling in my stomach and how happy I would be.  I had to have my soup.  But, just any soup wasn’t going to do.  I had a hankering for Thai.  I needed soup from one of my favorite Thai restaurants, Dok Bua.  It’s just too bad that the timing of my soup hunger had to coincide with the Celtics/Lakers game.  And we can’t forget that I am married to Sport Billy.

Lucky for me, Patrick was also in the mood for Thai.  However, we had to make a deal.  We could have dinner at Dok Bua, but it had to be quick so that we could make it back for the last quarter of the Celtics game.  Done and done.  As long as I could have my soup, I didn’t mind having to rush back home to see the end of the game.  Healthy Chow knows how to compromise!

Dok Bua is a charming, little Thai restaurant in Brookline.  The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is always prompt and exceptional.  While I have many favorites at this place, without question, I had to have my chicken noodle soup (guay-tiow-kai) tonight.  It’s simple, hearty, delectable and a nice bang for your buck.  Plus, soup takes me a good 10 minutes longer to inhale eat than a noodle dish would, and being able to eat slower is always a bonus for me.

Because we were dining on the earlier side, we were one of the only patrons in the restaurant.  Thus, our food was served immediately.  Obviously, Patrick was psyched about this as he was trying his hardest to make the end of the game, and I was psyched because I could finally eat my soup!

My chicken noodle soup was perfect.  The broth base was savory and bursting with flavor from the fresh scallion and cilantro.  The rice noodles were plentiful and the chicken gave this dish just the right amount of protein.  To top off my soup, I was given fresh bean sprouts and Thai basil.  I love adding bean sprouts to my soup as it gives a healthy crunch and adding Thai basil to anything is always wonderful.  It’s fragrant, sweet and has a mild licorice flavor.  It definitely made my soup even better, if that was even possible!

Patrick seemed to really enjoy his meal as well.  He ordered the chicken pad-si-ew dinner special, his all-time favorite.  Pad-si-ew is sautéed wide rice noodles in a spicy and savory brown sauce.  The dinner specials at Dok Bua come with a cup of tom yum soup, two egg rolls, two fried pork dumplings and steamed jasmine rice.  Needless to say, this is a lot of food, but certainly one of the best Thai food deals you can get in town.  Now you know why we love this place!

While my dinner tonight was most enjoyable, it was quickly coming to an end.  The Celtics were up and the clock was ticking.  But there’s always time for fortune cookies.  It’s just the right amount of sweetness to curb my post-dinner sugar craving.

“The future is the most expensive luxury in the world.”
“There is no reference for beauty.”

We got home just in time to catch the last few minutes of the game.  Literally, Patrick was running from the car into our condo building.  I don’t know why, but I thought this was the most hilarious thing!  Unfortunately, our night did not end in a ‘win-win’ situation.  While my giant bowl of soup was able to keep me warm and take some of that chill out of me, the Celtics lost their game to the Lakers by one point.  Oh well.  Nevertheless, we had a great dinner out and this was a relaxing way to end our frigidly cold winter weekend.  When you have wonderful company that warms your heart and a hot meal to warm your belly, how can you complain?  It’s just what the dok-tor ordered!

Better luck next time, C’s!

How do you keep warm during the winter?  Are you a soup person?  What’s your favorite kind of soup?

Namasté,
Nicole

Yup.  It’s really official now.  We’re on the downward spiral.  I know as a Bostonian, I should revel in the fact that the blustering cold will be here soon and the ice and snow will only be a hop, skip and a jump behind.  But, I don’t.  I don’t like winter and I really don’t like winter-esque weather.  This past weekend, we set the clocks back an hour and that means it will be dark at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  OK, that’s a lie.  But that’s what it’s going to feel like!  Can you tell Healthy Chow isn’t really a fan of winter?

That said, in order to keep my heart and soul warm and my mind sane, I have to do things that remind me of the days of summer and that trick me into thinking it’s really not close to freezing outside.  Hot yoga is one way to keep warm but what else can I do?  I guess I could be a snowbird and fly south, but I can’t run away until April.  I could fake and bake and surround myself with heat lamps, but that’s really not my style.  And then I realized something.  I realized that as a healthy food blogger, it is my job to find ways to keep my body and mind well, in addition to finding ways for food to assist me in that mission.  Since I love food and I love the joy it brings me when I can make something healthy and delicious and then eat it, why not put these passions into warding off my disdain for the cold weather?

With that notion in mind, I began flipping through my bookmarked recipes (thanks Lauren!) and did a little searchin’ online.  Finally, I came up with an idea for a dinner that would not only warm my taste buds, but would also help me find that tropical island in the midst of a nor’easter.

Getting Tropical Coconut Chicken & Pineapple Orange Couscous
Inspired by SayWhatYouNeedToSayBlog.com and Cooks.com
Serves 4

For the coconut chicken:

• 1/3 cup of orange juice
• 1 TSP of salt
• 1/3 cup of egg whites
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)
• 1 cup of whole wheat panko crumbs (I used Ian’s Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup of organic shredded coconut (I used Woodstock Farms brand)
• 1 TSP of curry powder
• 1 TBSP of Smart Balance Light, melted
• few dashes dried thyme
• few dashes of crushed red pepper
• few dashes of paprika
• few dashes of salt

Egg wash/marinade for the chicken

The makings for something tropical…

1) In a large bowl or pan, mix the orange juice, salt and egg whites.  Add your chicken breasts and let it marinate for about 15-30 minutes in the fridge.

Soakin’ it up…

2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Once your chicken is done soaking up all the goodness, remove the chicken (place onto a plate) but reserve the marinade.

3) Mix the panko breadcrumbs, coconut, dried thyme, crushed red pepper, paprika and curry together in a shallow dish.

Look at all those colors!

All mixed up!

4) Take each piece of chicken and dredge it into the breadcrumb mixture, being sure to press the breadcrumbs mixture into each piece of chicken.

5) Place the breadcrumb coated chicken onto a foil-lined baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Ready for the oven!

6) Mix your melted butter with your reserved marinade and then pour this entire mixture over your chicken.

7) Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Then, uncover the chicken and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes.

For the dipping sauces:

• a few TBSP of Trader Joe’s Peanut Satay Sauce mixed with a little water (enough to loosen it up)
• a few TBSP of dijon mustard mixed with honey (to taste)

Dippity, dippity, do!

For the pineapple orange couscous:

• 1 cup of whole wheat couscous, dry (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 TSP of Smart Balance Light
• 1/3 cup of orange juice (plus another few splashes, if needed)
• 4 pineapple rings, chopped (8 oz. can)
• 1 TSP of cumin
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, just the leaves
• juice of half of a lime
• s&p

1) Combine the water with the pineapple juice in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil.

2) When water/pineapple mixture comes to a boil, pour in the couscous.  Stir the couscous and drop a lid on the pot.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Let the couscous sit covered for 5 minutes.

3) Once the couscous is cooked, add the Smart Balance.  Give the couscous a stir to melt the Smart Balance and then add the orange juice to loosen. Give the couscous another stir.

4) Add the pineapple, cumin and cilantro.  Keep stirring until well-blended and add more orange juice if still dry.

5) Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

If you look real close, you can see the pineapple chunks! I swear!

There you have it!  While the wind chill factor outside is dropping faster than the pounds on The Biggest Loser, you can have the taste of the tropics in your home.  Because the chicken has been baked in panko breadcrumbs and dried coconut, it tastes as if it’s been deep fried.  There’s just enough crispiness from the breading to add a nice texture to the chicken without making it taste too heavy.  I was quite impressed with Ian’s breadcrumbs.  It was the first time I had ever tried (and bought) one of their products and I was pleased with the results.  The ingredient list in the breadcrumbs is pretty short and recognizable.  Another plus!  The reserved marinade along with the melted Smart Balance helped to keep the chicken moist and lock in the citrus flavor.  And combining the citrus with the coconut really emphasized the ‘island-y’ feel to this dish.  I kinda wished I made myself a fruity umbrella drink to accompany this meal!

Nothing crumby about these!

The ingredients…

And what more can I say about couscous? Couscous takes about a hot minute to cook and soaks up the flavor of whatever you cook it in so well.  I love it’s versatility and the convenience of it.  While I boiled the dry couscous in pineapple juice, the pineapple taste wasn’t overwhelming when cooked.  Plus, the pineapple chunks and orange juice gave the recipe a subtly sweet flavor.  And having fresh cilantro in the couscous was a definite plus. Since cilantro is often used in dishes originating from warmer climate countries, it accentuated the ‘anywhere-but-the-Northeastern-US’ feel. The cumin complemented the cilantro by bringing some much needed warmth to the couscous.  It’s like having heat in a bottle!

So perhaps cooking this dish in the dead of winter or at the very end of fall won’t make the snow on your doorstep or the frost on the windshield of your car disappear, but it certainly will bring a little sunshine to your stomach and mind.  And just maybe for a few moments while you’re eating this meal, you’ll be able to feel the sand between your toes, versus your thick wool socks.  Now the only thing missing is a cabana boy…

Getting Tropical Coconut chicken

Pineapple Orange Couscous

Side of steamed broccoli

All together now…

What do you think of my plate?

Now there’s some Chow!

How do you cope with the winter blues?  Or, do you love the ‘colder’ months?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Thank you so much for your patience.  I’m back and I finally have pictures (and boy, do I have pictures!).  Did you miss me?***

Do you have anyone in your life that is tough to shop for?  Someone who has impeccable taste and great style and has one (or more) of just about everything and anything? A person who is so beautiful that nothing you buy her will compare to her beauty? But this human being is very near and dear to your heart and you love her so much that you want to give her something but you just don’t know what?  Well, ladies and gents, let me introduce you to that person.  That person in my life is Mother Healthy Chow (or MHC for short).

As you might have read from my posts a couple of weeks ago, MHC recently had her birthday.  She turned 39 (*ahem-ahem, cough, cough*) and doesn’t look a day older 25.  Being the good daughters that we are, Michelle and I wanted to get a nice gift for MHC.  But we just didn’t know what?  The woman has too much a lot of clothes, more handbags than she ever can carry, fanciful jewelry, mucho make-up, a collection of shoes that can rival Imelda’s or Mariah’s and two amazing daughters (*pats herself on the back*).  What more could she want or need?

Can’t get enough of this pic!

However, even if a person has just about everything, the person’s gotta eat.  So, instead of taking MHC to the latest and greatest resto in the Boston area, we decided to shake-n-bake things up a bit and do something we haven’t done in awhile and should do more often.  Michelle and I decided to cook MHC a birthday dinner! And because MHC just moved in with her boyfriend, Darrell, we decided to make dinner at their newly renovated home.  There’s nothing like cooking in a brand spankin’ new kitchen!

Because Michelle and I were going to be responsible for cooking the whole dinner and bringing dessert, we had to plan in advance what we were going to make and thus, bring the ingredients.  I’m not quite sure how we decided, but we divvied up the courses as follows: sides, salad and dessert – Healthy Chow and main course and dessert – Michelle.  Yeah, I know dessert is mentioned twice.  That’s no mistake!  We wanted a birthday cake-ish treat for MHC, for candle blowing and wish making, as well as some other goodies, for variety and pigging out’s sake.

Image Credits – fundraw.com

While I was planning the few days prior to the dinner party, I chose to make sides that I felt would go with just about anything.  Because Michelle hadn’t told me what she was making as the main course and I didn’t want to keep annoying asking her, I just went with my gut (lame pun intended)  and selected recipes that were tasty and on the ‘healthier’ side.  Thus, I chose to make two recipes I found from Cooking Light - Creamy Parmesan Orzo and Mustard-Dressed Asparagus.  Both recipes received at least 4 out of 5 stars and very good reviews and comments from readers.  In addition, I had made the orzo recipe a few times before and it was delicious and easy and the asparagus recipe seemed healthy and easy.  Done and done! For the salad, I decided to bring mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, radicchio and frisée) and the ingredients to make a homemade vinaigrette dressing.  So easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!  And for dessert, I just stopped by the store and grabbed brownie bites and chocolate chip ice cream.  You can’t go wrong with warm, soft chocolate baked goods à la mode, right?

I was so excited for this night!  Not only did I want to show off some of my much improved culinary skills, but I also love spending time with my family and I could not wait to see my mother’s new place.  MHC had just moved into Darrell’s condo, which they recently renovated and enlarged by acquiring the adjacent condo unit.  I’ve always loved seeing the interior of people’s homes, but ever since we gave our place a face-lift, my interest has reached a whole new level of appreciation.

Oh my stars!  I thought the ocean view from the outside of their building was incredible; the interior of their home was absolutely gorgeous! I tried not to have any expectations or visions in my head before arriving in order to be totally surprised and when I walked in, I was blown away.  Not only was their condo ginormous, but every detail was carefully paid attention to and flowed seamlessly to the next.  I felt as if I was flipping through the pages of an interior design magazine.

I lurrrrvvve those bamboo floors!

Absolutely beautiful…

Sparkle, sparkle…

I think the food might taste better coming from this kitchen…

Even the spices are cool, or should I say, ’sah-pie-say’!

Now that’s a closet!

My dream come true!

Even the washer and dryer are stylin’!

Darrell loves his shoes, too…

This closet would suit me just fine

An ocean view…

Simply breathtaking…

After receiving the grand tour and getting my groceries for dinner settled, I nibbled on some shrimp cocktail and chips and salsa.  While we told our mother she didn’t have to do a thing, she naturally put out a spread of appetizers and snacks.  What a good lil’ doobie.

It’s a good thing I had to cook or else I’d be full before dinner…

Snacks and sports…

I was having so much fun chatting it up with the party goers that I almost forgot that we were in charge of preparing dinner.  I could see the hungry looks growing, so I stopped munching (for a few minutes) and got started on cooking.  Since all of my dishes were relatively simple to prepare, I picked the one that would take the longest to make and would be the easiest to reheat.  So, I started on the creamy parmesan orzo.  Having Michelle and MHC (she couldn’t stay out of the kitchen for long, nor did we want her to) by my side in the kitchen was so much fun and so helpful.  While I would read off the instructions, one would hand me the needed ingredient and the coordinating utensil.  It was like having my very own sous chefs!

Stir that orzo, Michelle!

Even the birthday girl isn’t safe from kitchen duty!

Love that green!

Once the orzo was about done, I began on my asparagus dish.  Even though the recipe was for asparagus, I decided to add some zucchini since it would give the dish some variety and because I had some just sitting idle in my fridge.  I know, your girl is so resourceful! The recipe called for the asparagus to be boiled, but because MHC had a crazy-arse steamer built into the stove top, I just had to steam versus boil.  It just seemed so cool and high-tech; I had to give it a whirl.  The vegetables took only minutes to cook and the sauce took an even shorter time to prepare.  The key ingredient to this recipe was no doubt the mustard seeds.  They’re little, but they’re powerful (does that remind you of anyone you know?).

I gotta get me one of these…

The Yellow Wonder…(tee hee)

While I was cooking the vegetables, Michelle and her boyfriend, Jonathan began cooking the main dish – chicken saltimbocca.  Jonathan and Michelle make a great team both in life and in the kitchen.  They love cooking together and testing out new recipes.  I was told by the dynamic duo that the trick to making their recipe was to brine the chicken in salt water the night before.  I guess I’ll take their word for it.  It looked dang good! And just as the chicken was about to be taken out of the oven, I whisked together a simple salad dressing using Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, some chopped shallot and salt and pepper.  As I’ve said before, Trader Joe’s never lets me down and he came through for me again that night.  The Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar was divine! It gave the right amount of citrus and zip to the dressing without making it too sweet or weighing it down.  Another winner from TJ’s!

That’s some kickin’ chicken!

I heart TJ’s

Veggie Might!

Finally, dinner was served! MHC did a fabulous job setting up her dining room table for her first dinner guests and her first dinner guests did a fabulous job of dining.  I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out.  Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful.  Michelle and Jonathan’s chicken saltimbocca was moist and juicy (must be that brining action) and the prosciutto that enveloped it was flawlessly crisped with just the right amount of fresh sage.  Ah-may-zing! And like the chefs who played off of the synergy that was overwhelming the kitchen, the dishes co-mingled with each other fantastically and complemented each other perfectly.

And while I don’t like to brag much, I just want to say that my dishes came out quite well.  MHC loved the creaminess of the parmesan in the orzo recipe and said that the fresh basil was the perfect complement to the dish.  And everyone seemed to really like the mustard sauce on the vegetables.  They said it gave the vegetables a unique flavor.  As for the salad, everyone wanted to know what I used to make the ‘fruity’ dressing.  They truly seemed to enjoy my new found secret weapon from TJ’s and the fact that the salad was tasty without being too greasy or heavy.  Success!

And what would a birthday dinner party be without birthday cake and dessert?  Not a good one in Healthy Chow’s book! Jonathan made a key lime pie that was so light and refreshing, I thought I was having a cocktail.  There was just enough lime to cleanse my palate and the airiness of the filling coupled with the flaky crust was enough for me to want to have seconds.  However, because there were other desserts to sample, I stayed with having only one small (ish) piece and had a scoop of ice cream along with a mini fall-inspired brownie.  I think MHC honestly loved every bite of her birthday celebration.

While receiving a luxurious cashmere sweater, the latest bottle of perfume, a new pair of fall boots, or some fancy handmade jewelry may be a wonderful birthday gift, it’s no match for the gift of time.  Being able to spend time with my mother and sister in her new kitchen laughing, cooking and simply enjoying each other’s company was my favorite part of the night and by looking at my mother’s face, she felt the same way.

Oh, he’s such an angel! Hahahahaha!

Gotcha!

“Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderfuuuuullll?“

MHC is always appreciative of any gift she receives, but I could tell that this time this gift meant the world to her.  She was so excited for us to finally see her new home with Darrell and to be able to see how our culinary skills had developed.  I think it’s always a gift for a parent to see how their children have matured and blossomed, but it’s also a gift for the child to see their parent being happy in their new life.  While it may have been MHC’s birthday, I feel as though I was the one who was showered with presents.  It was a spectacular night filled with giggles, good times and great food.  While it might have been easier to go to the mall or hop online to buy our mother a birthday gift, it definitely would not have been as much fun, nor would it have been as special.  Being able to create a memorable night, such as our dinner party, is something that everyone should try – it may require a bit of time and energy, but what you get back is immeasurable and certainly priceless.  For the person who has everything, it’s definitely something of which they could use more.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?  Or, what’s your favorite secret ingredient to use?

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m a city girl (for now).  I live within walking distance from just about everything I need – a grocery store, restaurants fancy and not-so-fancy, coffee shops (both locally owned and major franchises), a reputable hospital, a couple of malls and most importantly, three different Trader Joe’s.  I’m also steps away from public transportation, so if I can’t get there by foot, there’s always the T.  And oh yeah, the Red Sox play right around the corner from my house.  Needless to say, I live in a great area.

Image Credits – destination360.com

However, while I love where I live and I’m not quite ready for my large house (but a large kitchen would be nice), sometimes I do long for a driveway, my own backyard to hang out in, a basement for storage (Healthy Chow has a lot of stuff) and most importantly, a place to grill.  Don’t get me wrong, I would never say a bad word about my beloved George Foreman grill, but the Foreman just doesn’t give my food that charcoal-y taste.  Don’t hate me, Mr. George Foreman grill, you know I love you…

So the other day when I was rummaging through my freezer, I noticed that we had about a bazillion pounds of chicken breasts (OK, not that many, obvi).  There was seriously a huge mound of poultry just sitting there and it was starting to look a little like Frosty the Snowman (and not in a good way).  That said, when my sister, Michelle, offered (OK, I invited myself) to let us use her grill at her house in the country, I said yes without any hesitation.

OK, so Michelle doesn’t really live in the country.  I like to kid.  She actually lives in Wayland, which is a suburb located only about 20-25 minutes from Boston.  I say she lives in the country because her house has so many trees surrounding it, because there is a lake about 15 yards from her backyard and because she has wildlife such as deer and snakes paying her visits on more than one occasion.  WOW!  Although Michelle doesn’t live very far from me at all, it feels as if our homes are worlds apart in terms of similarities.  So when Healthy Chow gets the chance to cook in a big kitchen, she hops right on it!

The frozen chicken breasts were almost completely thawed by the time I loaded them up in my cooler in my car.  By the time we got there, they were just about ready for marination.  We used Italian dressing (unsure what the brand was), some fresh garlic, dried oregano, dried rosemary, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  We let the chicken marinate in that mixture in the fridge for a few hours as we hit the mall.  By the time we got back, the chicken was ready for some country grilling.  You’ll have to excuse Healthy Chow – she forgot her camera at her home in the city and thus, you’ll just have to envision chicken sitting on an open flame.  I would imagine it being something like this:

Image Credits – eHow.com

When I got home, I remembered (finally) to grab my camera and take a picture of the grilled chicken in real life.  I think you’ll be happy with the results.

I told you there was a lot of chicken…

With all this chicken already prepared and cooked, I knew we could make more than a few quick meals out of this platter of poultry.  It was just a matter of how creative I could get.  I had to channel my inner Robin Miller; I knew she was deep down inside there, somewhere.  Here are a few pictures of how my grilled chicken became ‘Quick Fix Meals‘:

1) Grilled Chicken with Festive Salad Greens and Feta – This pretty much explains it all.  For our first meal, we sliced up and heated the chicken and ate it over a humungo salad.  It was honestly put together in a few short minutes.  But the simplicity of this meal was what really made me happy.  Grilled chicken cooked on an outdoor grill is divine.  The chicken was cooked to perfection (Thanks Jonathan!) and was juicy and tasty enough where I didn’t even have to add dressing to my salad.

I let Patrick be in charge of the chicken and I think he may have thought we were having guests over.  Boy, that’s a hecka lota chicken!

The salad contained romaine lettuce, baby spinach, baby carrot slices, cucumber, tomato, grilled marinated eggplant and broccoli slaw.

So simple, yet so good!

2) Pita Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Tzatziki Sauce, Romaine Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber – This was for lunch one Saturday afternoon when we had both had just come home from working out (Healthy Chow – yoga and Patrick – run around the Charles River) and we wanted something quick and on the lighter side.  I remembered recently eating at a Greek restaurant and having tzatziki sauce to dip my pita bread into and I wanted to recreate that for the sauce in our sandwiches.  To make my version of tzatziki, I combined the following:

• heaping 1/4 cup of nonfat plain yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat Yogurt)
• 1/4 cup of chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded)
• 1/2 tsp of chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• few dashes of dried dill
• salt and pepper

After mixing the above ingredients in a bowl, I let it sit and chill (literally) in the fridge for about 30 minutes while we showered and changed for lunch.  Once chilled, I heated the chicken, stuffed each whole wheat pita with romaine lettuce, cucumber and tomato slices and then poured the tzatziki sauce over the sandwich innards.  For a side, I sautéed some summer squash with thyme, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  It was the ideal lunch!

Ready for the tzatziki…

Cool as a cucumber…

Check out all that color, Ma!

3) Grilled Chicken with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Whole Wheat Ravioli – Patrick and I were in the mood for some pasta and gooey cheese every one night but I really didn’t feel up to making anything elaborate.  Ding, ding, ding!  Cue the frozen ravioli!  This was another item that I had forgotten all about until I spotted the bag in my freezer the day I was getting my chicken.   That said, I grabbed my mozzarella cheese, my jarred tomato sauce and my almost forgotten whole wheat ravioli and went to town. While the ravioli was boiling, I heated up the chicken with some melted mozzarella on top along with some tomato sauce that I jazzed up with some dried basil, garlic powder, and dried oregano.

How could I forget I had ravioli?

Hmmm, melted cheese…

Patrick and I shared this plate of food.  I just kept it on one plate for easier picture taking.  Not pictured was the side salad of baby spinach and cucumber we had.  Gotta get in those greens!

There you have it.  The first three meals made from cooking (grilling) just once.  I felt as if these three were all pretty different from one another and definitely ones that could be put together in a matter of minutes.  By having the chicken already cooked, I didn’t have to stress about defrosting it, making sure it was cooked all the way through or having to marinate or season it.  With just a few simple ingredients that I already had on hand in my fridge and pantry, I was able to have my ‘Quick Meal Fix’.

Stay tuned for my next post, as I will show you part II of 6 Meals Made From 1…

Are you a city dweller or do you live in the suburbs?  Do you like living where you are or do you wish to move elsewhere?

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m not going to apologize, because as we all know, nobody’s perfect.  Plus, we are all human and as humans, we have cravings and temptations.  I am certainly not perfect and I am human.  Phew! Glad I got that off my chest…

So the other day, I had this overwhelming desire to pig out.  I wasn’t having such a fab morning and I felt like I needed to stray from my usual lunch of a gigundo salad.  I wanted some grease and no, I wasn’t hungover.  I just felt like being a ‘bad girl’.  I know, this is supposed to be a ‘healthy lifestyle’ blog and all, and you’re probably saying, “you wanted to turn to food for comfort?”  The answer is yes.  I know I probably could have gone for a long walk or called a friend and grabbed coffee but I wanted to eat.  And eat is what I did.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to have but I wanted to eat something that I wouldn’t normally eat on a ‘regular’ day.  I figured I would start walking down the street and once I saw it, I would instantly know.  At least, I thought I would know.  Holy crap on a cracker, was I wrong!

It was as if I was caught in the crossroads.  You would have thought I was making the biggest decision of my life.  I mean, the Bachelorette had an easier time picking out her man than I did that afternoon picking out my lunch.  There I was – standing in the middle of the street.  Was I going to have my all-time favorite super chicken burrito from Anna’s Taqueria or was I going to get a healthier option from b.good?

After all, they were directly across the street from one another.  It’s not as if I had to walk any farther.  Like I said, total crossroads – as if I were a character in a cartoon…

Image Credits – CATS

I love me a good chicken burrito slathered in guacamole, sour cream, gooey cheese, pico de gallo, dirty rice, black beans and spicy chicken all neatly tucked in a flour tortilla the size of Montana.  All those flavors blend so nicely together as if they were meant to be.  But those burritos usually kill me afterward.  I often times feel way too stuffed, bloated and filled with regret for eating so much.  But if I was going to have a splurge, wouldn’t this be a good choice?

Or, I could opt for having a healthier burger at b.good.  The food there is what they like to consider ‘real food made by real people’.  Their ingredients are all natural, their beef and turkey burgers are house-ground and hand-packed and their french fries are always baked and never fried.  While eating at b.good would probably leave me feeling better afterward, was it going to satiate my comfort food craving?

As I just stood there frozen, I really could not decide which route to take.  I think about five minutes had passed until Patrick said that we only had 30 minutes before he had to be back home for a conference call and I really had to make up my mind.  So, I just closed my eyes and allowed my stomach to choose.

I picked… (or rather, my stomach picked…)

I figured since both restaurants served food that I liked, I couldn’t lose either way.  Plus, selecting a ‘healthier’ option would have left me feeling physically and mentally better post-consumption.  Plus, if I was going to go to b.good, I could have a veggie burger and fries and still be eating a more nutritious meal than if I had a chicken burrito at Anna’s.

Luckily for my stomach (which was growling at this point) and for Patrick, I had a much easier time choosing what I wanted to eat at b.good than I did choosing a restaurant.  I went with the West Side veggie burger with baked french fries and an unsweetened iced tea.

At b.good, you can order either a beef burger, turkey burger, veggie burger or chicken sandwich.  They also have salads, sides such as baked french and sweet potato fries, crisp veggies or a seasonal vegetable that’s organic/local, milkshakes that can be made with ice cream or nonfat yogurt and fruit shakes that are made with nonfat yogurt and fruit juice.  The nutritional value of b.good’s menu can be found both online and at each table.  I really enjoyed that; there’s nothing wrong with being fully informed.

My West Side veggie burger was delicious!  It came with avocado, cilantro, tomato and chipotle salsa all on a whole wheat sesame roll.  The burger itself was soft yet still slightly chargrilled, full of seasoning and quite filling.  I loved how the burger itself still had taste and that it wasn’t the ingredients on top that gave it its flavor.  If I closed my eyes, I would have thought I was eating fries fresh from the fryolator.  They were hot, salty and just what I needed to quiet my screaming french fry craving.

My lunch hit the spot and gave me the comfort I needed without the discomfort I didn’t need.  Usually, when I eat ‘poorly’, I end up feeling sluggish, queasy and sorry.  But with this meal, I felt great.  I felt as if I made a wise decision and while I said earlier that I was going to let my stomach decide, I really went with my head.  I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and left feeling emotionally better as well.

My lesson learned here was that there are always other options to choose from when a choice has to be made – you just have to want to look.  There would have been nothing wrong with choosing a super chicken burrito that afternoon and I’m sure I would have really enjoyed it.  But, I learned that if you just take a moment to fully understand your craving and what your body really needs versus surrendering immediately to temptation, you might make a different decision than you think.  After all, instead of choosing to eat bad, you might be like me and choose to b.good!

What's better than starting a company with your best friend?

If you can't tell, this place used to be a gas station with a garage

What do you do when you have a craving?  Do you fulfill it or do you try to tame it?

Namasté,
Nicole

People always ask me what it’s like to have a twin sister.  They want to know if I like being a twin.  My answer has never been simple.  I actually don’t know what to say since my twin sister is the only sibling that I have and thus, it’s all that I know.  When people used to ask me this question when I was a little kid, my answer would depend on how I was feeling about my sister at the moment.  Being that we were our parents’ only children, shared a room and did every activity together, we had a tendency to fight with each other.  They were never serious arguments.  Just your usual, “shut your mouth”, “you’re dumb”, “I hate you”, and “stop looking at me”.  It was all silly kid stuff.  We were each other’s best friend but also each other’s worst enemy.

Now that Michelle and I are mature adults (ok, that one can be debated), we no longer bicker (as much).  Because I no longer live with my sister and see her on a daily basis, I look forward to the time we spend together.  She’s really the only person that knows exactly what I’m thinking before I can even utter a word.  And I know what her mood is going to be just by listening to her walk.  We can spend hours chatting over coffee about absolutely nothing.  No matter if I saw her an hour ago or a month ago, we still manage to talk to one another as if we were just reunited after a 50 year hiatus.

So when it was our birthday earlier this week, we decided obviously to spend it together.  We didn’t have any particularly special plans or elaborate reservations made.  We just wanted to spend the day together – the only way we know how to be and the only way we, as twins, know how to celebrate our special day.

At noon, Michelle and I met to get pedicures at a local nail salon.  We both were overdue for a good soak, scrub, cut and paint so this was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.  Because it was midday on a Tuesday, the salon was empty so the nail technicians were eager to wait on us and have something to do.  After studying the many wheels of Essie and OPI nail polish, I finally selected Marabou.  I wanted something light and feminine and not too ‘pink’ so this was the perfect shade.  Michelle opted for a light shade as well but wanted something a little more purple.  She chose Violin.  We both giggled at the names and giggled even harder when they scraped the bottoms of our feet (goodness, that is such a weird and ticklish feeling at the same time…TWSS)!

After our pedis, we were famished and decided on Thai for our birthday lunch.  Tantawan in Watertown is a cute little spot that has great prices with friendly and quick service.  We were immediately served glasses of iced water as we studied the menu.  We finally decided to split two lunch entrées: the yellow curry with chicken and the pad-si-ew with beef.  As a complimentary appetizer, we were both served a small cup of vegetable broth soup that had bits of string bean, carrot and baby corn.  It was a good way to settle my growling stomach.  Our entrées were pretty tasty and did the trick.  I wouldn’t say it’s exceptional Thai cuisine but it suited our taste buds just fine.

Free soup

Birthday lunch

Yellow curry with chicken, onion, pineapple, potato, green pepper and carrot – creamy & coconutty!

Pad-si-ew with beef, wide noodles, broccoli, carrot, celery & bits of egg

Healthy Chow’s healthy portion…she was hungry!

After lunch, we headed over to the mall and did a little bit of shopping.  Michelle bought a few summer tops while I opted for a new handbag.  The Chow sisters like to eat but they LOVE to shop!  By this point in the afternoon, we both need a little boost so we decided that iced coffees were a necessity.  They were refreshing and the perfect way to end our birthday afternoon together.  It was a simple, fun and relaxing day.  I’m so glad that Michelle was able to take the day off from work and spend the day with me.  We really do enjoy each other’s company and it’s the best birthday gift I could ask for – any year of my life.

It’s like looking in a mirror…

hugs

Thank you, Michelle!  Thank you for always being there for me.  I love being your twin.

What’s your fondest memory of your sibling?

Namasté,
Nicole