***Thank you again for all your kind words and your concern about my blog and its ‘issues’.  I am so lucky to have such great friends and readers.  I’m truly blessed and so happy to have all of you in my life.  Unfortunately, if you commented or linked back to my blog late Sunday, October 25th or early Monday, October 26th, your comments/linkbacks did not get posted (and I wasn’t immediately notified) due to my hosting provider issues   I just didn’t want you to think that I was ignoring you – that would never happen!  I guess while Healthy Chow was down, she was really out.  But she’s back (fingers crossed) and better than ever!  Thank you again for your patience!***

Yup.  You’ve guessed it.  I’ve decided to dedicate a post about ME.  Gah!  I kid, I kid…

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the second ALLocal Dinner at UpStairs on the Square, in Cambridge.  ALL, meaning, ‘All Local & Luscious’, was hosted by the Local Food Committee of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Cambridge Local First.  Local food leaders and local Cambridge business leaders were invited to attend a dinner that was going to be prepared with ingredients that would be:

• Sourced as close to Cambridge as possible within New England
• Processed by New England artisans and companies
• Delivered by New England-owned distribution companies
• Prepared and served at a Massachusetts restaurant
• Eaten by `Local Eaters’  (Outsiders were welcome, too!)

Not only was this dinner going to be prepared with some of the freshest and finest ingredients in and around New England and at one of the best known restaurants in the Cambridge area, but it was going to be a five course meal to boot!  How could Healthy Chow resist?! Plus this fabulous dinner was an opportunity for me to:

• Support local farmers, fisherman and food artisans
• Share a meal with local Cambridge business leaders and local food leaders passionate about their local community and local food choices
• Raise funds for the work of Cambridge Local First

I’m all about having a belly full of delicious food, but to know that the food that was going in my belly was actually going to be doing some good as well, now that’s a home run (it is October after all, how could I not use that lame pun?)!  And to be considered a local food leader?  Healthy Chow would be honored to call herself that! (*brushes her shoulders with the tips of her fingers*)  Usually, I’m just a food ‘eater’!

When I arrived in Harvard Square, I wasn’t quite exactly sure where this established restaurant was located.  But because it was a lovely fall night (there haven’t been too many of those lately) and your girl was dropped off early again, I decided to take my time finding the place.  After asking about five different people (no lie), I finally found it.  It’s just one of those places that you know you’ve walked by 1,000’s of times, but just can’t seem to pinpoint it in your head.  I should have just followed my nose; the smell from the fireplaces inside were beckoning me to come in.  But not before I could snap a few shots .

UpStairs on the Square had some of the funkiest decorum for a restaurant I have ever seen.  As I walked ‘upstairs’ (about three flights) to the function room where the dinner was being held, the leopard print carpeting grabbed my attention and informed me that this was not going to be any ordinary restaurant.  Inside the function room guests gathered around the lit fireplaces, meeting and greeting others as the libations flowed and were enjoyed.  After checking in and getting my name tag and table number, I looked around for some familiar faces.  Unfortunately, I did not know anyone but this didn’t deter me from introducing myself to some of my table mates, as well as taking some pictures of our beautifully decorated dining room.  The pink and gold painted walls reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, which was quite apropos considering the feeling I derived from the dining room was more fairytale than reality.

As the final guests arrived, I sat down to eagerly read the special menu for the night, but was soon greeted by a familiar face.  Jim Broderick, the founder of Teather™, was seated at the table right behind me.  As usual, Jim was his friendly and upbeat self and we discussed just how excited we were to taste our locally prepared and sourced dinner.  Within a few minutes, the guests were asked to take their seats as our first course was being served.  I think everyone, including Healthy Chow, was ready to eat since it only took one call for all the guests to sit.  To say that the food was being highly anticipated would have been a huge understatement.

To start off our five courses, the first course was Salad of Siena Farm’s Autumn Greens – Fried Green Tomatoes, Cilantro & Lime. The greens were like no other greens I had ever tasted in my life.  I couldn’t believe just how fresh they were and how fragrant they tasted.  Even though the salad was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette, it could have been eaten dry - that’s how truly delectable this salad was!  The fried green tomato was fried in a light batter that was a bit salty on first bite, but complemented the salad greens perfectly.

Our second course was easily my favorite.  We were served Creamy Long Island Pumpkin Soup – Gray’s Rhode Island Cornmeal ‘Johnnycakes’. Holy smokes, this soup was outstanding! With just the right amount of cream and spice, this soup that ate like a meal, warmed the bellies from the inside out.  But the best part was the Johnnycakes.  The table likened the Johnnycakes to be a cross between a hushpuppy and cornbread, but not as heavily fried.  I’m not sure if my table mates were right or wrong, but what I do know is that these golden pieces of goodness were like a dream.  They were so incredibly light and airy, and served as the perfect ’sponge’ to soak up my soup.  The delicately fried fresh sage leaves that garnished this orange bowl of delight were also out-of-this-world good.  I think they might have been there for sheer decoration, but I happily gobbled them up.  They were too tasty to leave behind!  Yum!

For our main course, we had a choice between a fish or vegan entrée.  I honestly had a tough deciding between the two; you would have thought I was making the most difficult decision of my life.  I finally chose the Gloucester Day Boat Cod – Vermont House-Cured Bacon, Pat Woodbury’s Wellfleet Clams, Native Fennel, Radishes & Spicy Cress.  The cod was exquisite, but definitely did not overshadow the clams.  Hidden inside of these tiny mollusks were bits of bacon that I could have sworn were the equivalent to finding buried treasure.  If I wasn’t sitting at a table filled with strangers, I definitely think I would have licked my plate clean.  However, when I saw the vegan option being served next to me, I began getting entrée envy.  The vegan dish was Savoy Cabbage Beggar’s Purse  – Stuffed with Creamy Westport Macomber Turnips, Bill’s Foraged Mushrooms & Rainbow Carrots, Braised in Col Walker’s Little Compton Tomatoes (sorry, I was a bad lil’ blogger and forgot to snap a photo of this dish; I was too busy eating). If it was acceptable, I would have dug my fork into my neighbor’s plate and had me a taste.  Healthy Chow likes to have a taste of both worlds - literally.

For dessert and our final two courses, we were served a cheese plate of Three Perfect New England Cheeses - Kimball Farms Quince & Native Honey and Baked Spiced Apple – Cinnamon Ice Cream.  Because both courses were served at virtually the same time, I couldn’t decide which to eat first.  The cheese was paired with a drizzle of honey that tasted as if it came straight from the bee.  Dipping the chunks of glorious cheese into this sweet nectar was enough dessert to end the night.  But when you have a warm baked apple sitting right in front of you with homemade ice cream, how can you say no? Well, I certainly did not say no and instead, said yes to devouring the whole bowl.  And yes, it was certainly worth it!

While every single one of the five courses wowed me and had me asking myself why I had never dined at this restaurant before, the speeches and conversation that continued throughout the night were also something that I quite enjoyed.  Because this dinner was a benefit to raise money for Cambridge Local First, as well as to raise awareness for supporting local independents, various speakers spoke throughout the night about some of the upcoming events and projects that were taking place in the Boston area.  For example, the International Day of Climate Action that took place on October 24th, which was organized by 350.org, supporting the world’s greatest bake sale – Pie in the Sky, the importance of 10PercentShift.org and the weekly vegan tasting menus that are available at UpStairs on the Square, who for 27 years has been dedicated to serving the best of local fare.  While my taste buds were being stimulated by the wonderful food being served before me, my mind was certainly not left out.  After listening to the words of the various speakers, I came to the conclusion that I could certainly do more in my part to support local business and to eat more locally sourced food.  My stomach was filled with some of the most extraordinary tasting food I’ve had in quite some time, and my head was filled with some food for thought.  To say the least, I was stuffed.

Because I’m still new to the blogging world, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about the night.  I knew there were going to be some actual prominent leaders in local food and I wasn’t quite sure what I could bring to the table (yes, I meant that one!).  However, the guests that were seated at my table were anything but intimidating.

Fan Watkinson, Co-Chair of SBN Local Food Committee, was seated directly to my left and while she was one of the hosts for the night’s dinner and was responsible for much of the night’s organizational duties, she made it a point to get to know each guest at our table.  Fan made me feel more than welcome at the dinner and in fact, made me feel special.  We talked about my blog, social media and the impact it’s had on business and communication.  Fan is an absolute delight; I was so glad to have had the chance to meet her.  Also seated at the table was Dan Meyers, the Administrative Director of Cambridge Local First.  While Dan spoke to our table about some of the events Cambridge Local First was conducting, he also impressed us with his culinary background.  Dan was a chef in the Boston area and is an avid cook.  We discussed some of our favorite food blogs and how we couldn’t believe just how creative some people could be.  He was certainly one multi-faceted person!  And finally, two ladies from The Fishmonger market in Cambridge, talked about the seafood industry and answered my questions about mercury levels in fish.  They were certainly knowledgeable and informed me of the do’s and don’t’s of ordering seafood at restaurants.  I guess I won’t be ordering seafood on a Monday night ever again, especially after a big storm!

All in all (get it?), the dinner was a huge success.  The room was filled to capacity with guests and the food was nothing short of amazing.  I was so happy to have been a part of such a wonderful event.  To be surrounded with people who have as pure of an interest in food as myself was comforting.  Each guest at my table and at the event brought their own unique personality and contributed to the energetic vibe that circulated throughout the night.  My eyes were opened to a whole new dining experience, as well as my mind was opened to a whole new world of awareness – and there is no kidding around about that.

What was one of the most unique dining experiences you’ve had?  How much of your budget goes to buying from local vendors/businesses?

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

OK, three down and three more to go!  If you read last Friday’s post, you’ll know that I created six different meals made from the ginormous vat of grilled chicken I brought home from my sister Michelle’s house.  I featured the first three meals I whipped up in last Friday’s post and in this post, I am going to show you the remaining three.  Are you ready? Is your tummy ready to grumble?!

So, let’s recap.  I did an easy-peasy grilled chicken with salad greens.  I ‘Greek-ified’ my would-be ordinary pita pocket by adding my version of cool and creamy tzatziki sauce.  And finally, I made my idea of comfort food by combining the grilled chicken with jazzed up tomato sauce, melted mozzarella and whole wheat ravioli.  What could I possibly do with the rest?  Let’s have a look…

1) Grilled Chicken Quesadilla – Very much like Healthy Chow, my husband, Patrick, likes to eat.  And when he’s hungry, his window for going from mildly hungry to starving (remember this post?) is quite the small one, very much like Healthy Chow’s.  So when Patrick needed lunch in a hurry one afternoon, I decided I would make him a healthy version of a quesadilla.  To make the quesadilla, I took a whole wheat pita and sliced it horizontally, resulting in two pita discs.  On top of one of the pita discs, I layered:

• grilled chicken, which I cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup of red kidney beans
• 2 TBSP of reduced fat cheddar cheese

I then took the other pita disc and layered that over the pita with the chicken, bean and cheese mixture.  Carefully, I placed that in my George Foreman grill and grilled it until the cheese started oozing and the top of the quesadilla started getting toasty.

As one of the sides for the quesadilla, I whipped up a quick guacamole by mixing the following:

• 1/2 of a small avocado
• few dashes of dried cilantro
• few dashes of adobo powder
• few dashes of garlic powder
• few dashes of onion powder
• few dashes of cayenne pepper

For the other sides, I used Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat Yogurt (a healthier substitute for sour cream) and organic salsa.  The result was much better than what you’d find at a place that rhymes with ‘Paco Hell’.

¿Qué Pasa? Quesadilla

Look at those awesome grill marks…

Amazing avocado

All together now…

Any one in the mood for a margarita?

2) Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Goat cheese, Dried Figs and Spinach – This sandwich was my favorite.  I loved the combination of the sweet dried figs and creamy goat cheese.  It was definitely what you would call a sandwich! For this meal, I took the grilled chicken breasts and sliced them lengthwise. Then, I began making the marinade for my portobello mushrooms.  I used:

• 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBSP of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic
• few dashes of garlic powder
• s&p

Once my marinade was made, I dropped my two already washed portobello mushroom caps into the mixture.  I let them marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.  While the shrooms were marinating, I started chopping up 1 1/2 dried figs (I used Trader Joe’s Turkish Smyrna dried figs).  Then, I sliced a whole wheat ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise and cut each half into fourths (thus, making four small sandwiches).  I then spread about 1.6 oz. of goat cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand, about a 1/3 of the 5 oz. tube) onto the sliced ciabatta.  Next I layered the chicken pieces, the baby spinach and the dried figs.  While these were resting, I began grilling my portobellos on my George Foreman grill.  It took about 3-5 minutes for my mushrooms to be grilled.  Once grilled, I sliced them into tiny slivers and placed a few pieces on each sandwich half.  Finally, I sandwiched the two pieces of ciabatta together and placed the sandwich onto the Foreman and grilled for a few minutes until the bread started getting toasty (it’s a pretty thick sandwich, so it may take a few extra minutes).

This sandwich made my mouth sing! I loved the warm creamy goat cheese against the crunchy ciabatta with the sweetness of the dried figs, the mellow tasting portobellos and the garlicky chicken.  There was so much flavor in this sandwich and everything blended so exceptionally!

My favorite sandwich

Mushroom madness…

Grilling…

Grilled.

Sliced.

Almost done…

I wish I had one to eat right now…

3) Grilled Chicken with Couscous, Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Cucumber, Tomato, Capers and Feta – For my final dish, I decided to go with one of my favorite grains, couscous.  I love how fast couscous cooks up and how it tastes great with just about anything.  That said, here is what I used to make my couscous salad:

• grilled chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups of cooked and chilled couscous (about 1 cup uncooked)
• leftover sliced grilled marinated portobello mushrooms (how do you like that one, Robin?),
• 1/3 cup of peeled chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup of chopped tomato (with the guts removed)
• 1/2 of a small chopped onion
• 2 TSP of capers
• few dashes of dried dill
• few dashes of dried parsley
• 2 TBSP of roasted red pepper salad dressing (I used Kraft’s, but any vinegarette salad dressing will do)
• feta cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand, fat free)
• s&p

Combine all your ingredients in a large bowl, except the salad dressing.  Blend well.  Once everything is blended well, add your salad dressing and mix again until everything is coated.  Cover your couscous salad and let it sit in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.  Once it’s chilled, it’s ready to eat!

Picture time again…

Getting in the mix…

Time for a stir…

The dressing

Suddenly salad…

Phew!  That was six meals made from cooking just once.  Can you believe it?  I really did enjoy putting my energy into the creativity of coming up with a new recipe versus putting my energy into cooking the chicken.  Having the step of already having cooked chicken was quite convenient.  That said, it’s always best to think and plan ahead.  Cooking more of a certain ingredient or prepping in advance really helps to make cooking more fun and less time consuming.  When you know you already have the majority of the work done for you, it’s easier to make a home cooked meal versus running to get take-out.  It also helps to take the stress out of figuring out what to make for dinner and/or lunch, which leaves you with more time to lounge and hang out in your backyard.  Or in my case, more time for me to hang out at Fenway Park.

What’s your favorite way to make meals in advance?  How do you save time in the kitchen?

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

Sometimes I think I should have dedicated my blog to Trader Joe’s.  I <3 that place!  And, I can’t believe that I only started going there this year.  What the H-E double hockey stick (hi Greg!) was I thinking?  I try to only go there once a week, but it’s hard when there are literally three within walking distance from my house and another that is five minutes from my yoga studio (and I’m at my yoga studio almost every day of the week).  And when I’m in a Trader Joe’s, I try to stick to my grocery list and buy only what I need in order to not overspend and in order to NOT spend over an hour in there.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes, I just have to succumb to the power that is Trader Joe’s.

And like Heather, while I’m at Trader Joe’s, I like to always try a fun, new item in addition to my ‘necessities’.  But because everything seems so fun at TJ’s, I usually have a difficult time choosing the item (hence, my marathon stays there).  So after walking up and down every aisle at least three hundred times and having at least five TJ’s employees ask me, “are you finding everything OK, ma’am (gag, don’t they know Healthy Chow likes to me called ‘miss’?)?,” I finally settled on this:

Granted, this little item may not be as ‘fun’ as some of the tempting sweets that stare at me from up above whenever I’m in the frozen food aisles, but I’ve never heard of pea shoots and they looked pretty interesting.  Plus, they were organic, nutritious and cheap (I think it was less than $2.50 for this).  Sounds like a winner to me!  I also admit that I just like saying ‘pea shoots’.  I know, I’ m weird like that…

Here are some of the ways I enjoyed my fun, little Trader Joe’s pea shoot treat:

On a salad…(beware, it is a humungo salad…)

Before getting salsa-fied...

And after...along with some whole grain melba toast

Just from another angle...

The pea shoots gave my salad of romaine lettuce, baby spinach leaves, cucumber slices, tomato slices, chopped baby carrots, red kidney beans, adobo powder and salsa a fresh added crunch.  I would say that the pea shoots taste like a hybrid of bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts.  I get so used to eating the same things in my salad, that having something unique such as this diddy made my salad special.  Plus, as noted on the box, these pea shoots have a good amount of vitamin C.  Woot!

In a quesadilla (ish):

In a Joseph's flax pita with mashed red kidney beans, tomato, carrots, baby spinach and a slice of reduced fat provolone (not shown).

All grilled up in the Foreman...

Plated next to a sliced Gala apple

When I pressed my quesadilla in my George Foreman grill, the pea shoots got softened and cooked a bit.  While they were no longer as crunchy, the pea shoots still were crisp enough to be noticed in my cheesy quesadilla.  Actually, they seemed a tad more sweet after being grilled versus when I had them raw in my salad.  This was so yummy and filling! But then again, I think grilling anything in a pita with cheese is divine.

In an omelet (a very large one):

It was quite the stuffed omelet...

I think I've perfected the omelet flip...go Healthy Chow!

Next to an ear of sweet corn...

Take a look at all that yummy goodness!

I think this was by far my favorite way to savor the pea shoots.  As I mentioned previously, when the pea shoots are cooked, they taste sweeter.  However, when coupled with the sweet peas, the taste is sensational! I love egg white omelets in general – they are less greasy tasting than whole egg omelets and allow for the inside ingredients to really shine through.  While my omelet had tomato, baby spinach leaves, adobo and garlic powder and salsa on top, it was hands down the peas and pea shoots that stood out.  This combination of the subtly sweet and savory was a.maz.ing! Not to mention corn on the cob (sans butter) is like summer’s candy (oh, I miss you already, summer!).  Can you tell Healthy Chow had a good time eating this meal?

Well, I haven’t been disappointed by a Trader Joe’s product yet and I’m happy to report, that is still true.  I’m so happy that I selected something from the produce section for my fun, little item versus something from the baked goods (because I was so leaning towards that…).  It helped to show me that eating healthy can be fun and having fun while you’re eating doesn’t have to mean eating crap.  Also, a little treat for myself doesn’t always have to mean cookies, chips or brownies (although those are all wonderful, too!).  I have learned that treating myself to healthy and nutritious foods can be just as enjoyable as having a sugary snack.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love me some decadent cookies and cream ice cream, but life can be just as sweet with some pea shoots.

What’s your ideal breakfast?  Do you like having breakfast foods for lunch/dinner?  If so, what’s your favorite breakfast for lunch/dinner meal?

Namasté,
Nicole

Are there any foods out there that you’ve seen thousands of times and have considered trying millions of times and yet still have not eaten?  Well, there are many foods that fit that description in my life but one in particular is falafel.  I know, I know!  Can you believe it?  Up until the beginning of this year, I had never had falafel.  It’s not as if it doesn’t sound appealing to me or as if I don’t ever go to Middle Eastern or Greek restaurants.  For some reason, when I am having Greek cuisine, I tend to lean towards the salad with grilled chicken or the rotisserie chicken with the hot sides (I don’t know why, but that term always cracks me up!).  I think I order the grilled or rotisserie chicken because it usually is accompanied by vegetables and/or a salad.  For years, all I ever ordered was grilled chicken with a salad because to me, that was what I considered ‘healthy’.  Don’t get me wrong; I know that it is healthy.  However, after many moons of ordering ‘the usual’, I would end up feeling unsatisfied after my meal was finished.  I would start picking at Patrick’s plate and wishing that I ordered something a little more fun or just something different from poultry and leafy greens.

About a week or so ago, while trying to figure out what we wanted to eat, we ended up driving right outside the Boston area.  You see, for Patrick and me, it’s seldom that we have an actual specific place in mind at which to dine.  We usually end up driving around until one of us shouts out the name of a place the other agrees to, or we end up just going to one of our favorites.  That afternoon, we decided to pay a visit to one of our favorites.

Esperia Grill is a Greek restaurant located in Brighton, MA.  It’s owned and operated by a lovely family and that’s just the feeling you get when you’re dining at Esperia Grill – family.  Tim manages the restaurant and does everything from take food orders, prepare the take-out/delivery meals, clean tables, walk the entrées from the kitchen to the tables and of course, schmooze with the guests.  Tim’s wife, Georgia, is the head chef and can also be seen making everything from the fresh Greek salads to the delectable moussaka.  When you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately greeted by either Tim, or one of his sons and the wafting smells from the meat roasting on the tall vertical spit.  Esperia Grill is a place where when you walk up to the counter to order your meal, you immediately start second guessing yourself because everything looks and sounds so wonderful.

Instead of ordering my usual, I decided to mix it up and order something a bit uncharacteristic for Healthy Chow.  When I was dining at another Greek restaurant earlier in the summer, I had tried the falafel and was impressed by just how tasty and filling this vegetarian dish could be.  After seeing the fresh components for pretty much all of the meals housed in the hot and cold cases at the front of the restaurant, my mind was made-up and the deal was sealed.  I just had to try the falafel wrap (plus, it even said so on the chalk board!).

There are about 12-15 tables at Esperia where guests are able to seat themselves.  Once your food is ready, it is brought over to you by Tim or one of the friendly servers.  Usually at restaurants where you don’t have a designated waiter/waitress, in my experience, the tables are usually left a bit dirty and the dining area itself is a bit unkempt.  However, at Esperia Grill, you could literally eat off of the floor (not that I would have, but I was pretty hungry).  The tables are constantly being maintained and the guests are constantly being catered to.  Plus, the atmosphere is quite eye catching.  The restaurant is well lit and has some unique decorum that will keep you interested until your meal arrives (which is not very long).

My falafel wrap was fala-nomenal (hehehe)!  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but from my previous experiences there, it was sure to not disappoint.  And, I was far from being disappointed!  Just check out those sexy grill marks on my wrap:

Talk about being hot off the press!  My wrap was filled with a thick and creamy garlicky hummus and falafel so rich in flavor, that I wouldn’t even be able to begin to guess what was contained in it.  I’m assuming it was the usual ground chickpeas, breadcrumbs and garlic but everything else I can only conclude as being ‘magic’.  The actual wrap was soft and thin and was the perfect vehicle for my Greek deliciousness.  I really wanted to save the other half for my lunch the next day, but I just could not stop myself.  I savored every last bite!

Patrick ordered the gyro on pita and while his looked as equally as divine as mine, my fork never wandered over to his plate.  I was so completely happy with my meal, that I never once wished I had ordered something else or longed for more food.  I guess it goes to show that when you order something you want versus something ‘you think you should order’, you end up being more fulfilled and simply more full.

I’m so glad that I ventured from my norm and ordered the falafel wrap.  It was such a fantastic treat for me and while it was rich and indulgent, it was exactly what my body wanted that day.  And when you listen to your body and allow it to speak, instead of always letting your mind get the first word, you might just learn something.  I certainly did that night at dinner and to that, I say “opa!”

Random question: Do you ever crave something sweet to eat after having a meal that is loaded with onions?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you ever assume you’re doing something right and you keep doing and doing it until finally one day, you have this inkling to check and you’re totally wrong?  (No?  No one?  Tap, tap, tap, is the mike on?…)

Well, I had one of those moments happen to me the other day and I was completely taken by surprise.  I love eggplant and have always enjoyed making eggplant parmesan, sautéing it and adding it to my pasta dishes and mixing it into a casserole dish.  However, I never knew that it was necessary to ‘prep’ the eggplant before actually cooking it.  My eggplant tasted good (to me, anyway), but something told me that it just wasn’t quite right.  It was either too greasy or had this sort of bitter taste.  But I guess you know what they say when you assume.  Not that this is such a huge tragedy and I made such a grave error, but after poking around online the other day and reading this article, someone finally arrived to a well-lit home.

It was as if the final piece of the puzzle had finally clicked in.  I never knew it was common practice to partially peel the eggplant, I just always thought that people were trying to give their eggplant more of a decorative look.  And the bitterness that I often tasted in my eggplant dishes, I just thought was more of an issue with the eggplant I selected versus my being able to do something about it.  The greasiness I figured was just from me being heavy handed with the olive oil and the other ingredients I was using in that particular recipe.  Nope!

After reading this article, I was quite eager to make a dish with eggplant so that I could put these tips to the test.  I wanted a recipe that would be on the lighter side and one that would showcase the eggplant.  Eggplant parm (or anything parm) is a sure favorite of Healthy Chow’s but sometimes with all the breading and cheese, it’s hard to actually taste the eggplant.  And, I wasn’t quite in the mood for a casserole-like dish just yet.  That said, I decided to make classic grilled eggplant.  It’s healthy, can be added to anything and everything and very simple (plus, I had all the ingredients on hand – bonus!).

If you’re like Healthy Chow and you’ve had less than stellar eggplant in your recipes, I’ve made a quick little tutorial on how to properly prep your eggplant.  And if you’re unlike Healthy Chow and prepping your eggplant was already part of your cooking repertoire, then this will be a refresher for you.

Make Your Eggplant Go from So-So to So Good:

1) Start with a clean eggplant.  Thoroughly wash and dry your eggplant as you would any other fruit or vegetable.

2) Then, with a vegetable peeler, peel off some of the skin.  You want your eggplant to end up resembling a zebra.

3) Next, cut up your eggplant in about 1/3 inch slices.

4) Lay your eggplant slices out on plates, a drying rack (I don’t own one) or in a colander.  I used my new cutting boards.  Then, generously salt your eggplant slices (have no fear, you’ll be rinsing the salt off later).

5) Now, go catch-up on your Google reader for an hour or so as your eggplant sits in the salt.  Or, go for a speed walk and sweat it out as your eggplant does the same.  Check out those beads of sweat…

6) After you and your eggplant are a sweaty mess, rinse your eggplant under cold water to remove the excess salt (feel free to shower yourself as well ).  You’ll want to sandwich each slice (or a few slices) between your hands to squeeze out all the water.  Don’t be afraid to really press down; it’s important to get out all of the moisture.  This will help in resulting in less greasy eggplant.  Then, lay out the slices between two layers of paper towels and give them a pat down for the final step in the drying process.

7) You’re now done!  Your eggplant has been prepped and it’s now ready for any recipe of your liking.

As I mentioned previously, I decided to grill my eggplant.  But before grilling it, I decided to make a quick balsamic marinade.

For one medium sized eggplant, I used:

• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, Trader Joe’s brand
• 1 TBSP of olive oil
• s&p
• 1 TBSP of chopped garlic (or more if you <3 garlic)
• few shakes of garlic powder
• few shakes of dried basil
• pinch of brown sugar (or dried sweetener of your choice)

1) Get all your ingredients into a large bowl and give it a good stir.

2) Drop your eggplant into the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes (more time for you and your Google reader).

3) After your eggplant has finished marinating, turn on your indoor grill (or you can bake them in the oven).  I used my beloved George Foreman grill.  Make sure to wipe up as much of the marinade as you can with the eggplant slices before dropping them onto the grill.

4) Let your eggplant sit on the grill for 3-5 minutes.  My eggplant wasn’t sliced too thick, so it didn’t take long for it to cook.

5) In a few hot minutes (literally), you’ll end up with this…

I don’t know if sexy ever left, but if it did, those grill marks definitely brought it back…

Paired with a humungo salad…

So so so so so so so good!

So I know prepping the eggplant requires a bit more work than just slicing and sautéing/grilling it, but it’s totally worth it.  My eggplant was cooked to perfection.  There wasn’t a slight hint of bitterness or greasiness.  Plus, because all of the moisture was taken out in the salting and drying process, my eggplant stood up quite well in my George Foreman.  At times when I grill vegetables on my George Foreman, they can end up a bit soggy or mushy.  Not in this instance – the eggplant was firm and almost had the consistency of a piece of meat.  Because all of the moisture was taken out, my eggplant was full of flavor from the marinade and not greasy from the olive oil.  This was  such a good way to bulk up my already large and in charge salad!

I still can’t believe I spent all this time not knowing about prepping an eggplant.  I was honestly taken aback when I stumbled upon this information.  It goes to show that there’s a whole wealth of knowledge available online (hint, hint)…

Random question: What’s your favorite item you buy at Trader Joe’s?  If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area (I’m so sorry), what item do you read about most that people love from Trader Joe’s?

Namasté,
Nicole

People seem to feel badly when they forget your birthday or when they can’t celebrate with you on the very exact special day.  They always say things like, “oh, is it OK if we celebrate it next weekend?” or “sorry, I forgot to wish you a happy birthday on your birthday, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.“  Now I know I mentioned in a previous post that I’m not one who likes to make a big deal about her special day and I’m not one for celebrating for the entire week prior.  However, if someone wants to take me out and shower me with gifts, Healthy Chow says, “heck ya, bring it on!”

That said, my mother and her boyfriend, Darrell, wanted to take me and my twin sister, Michelle, out for a belated birthday dinner.  We’ve all had quite the busy summers, but my mom and Darrell just finished moving and having some home renovations done.  This past weekend was literally the first weekend we were all available.  So, we made the most of it and went to a restaurant that I’ve been dying to try.  Score one for Healthy Chow!

Gaslight is a brasserie located in the South End of Boston.  According to their website, Gaslight:

offers its guests French brasserie cuisine of impeccable quality and improbable value in an informal, old world, is new again setting. With its hand crafted Parisian zinc bar, reclaimed wood floors, mosaic tiles, beamed wood ceilings, nicotine stained walls and antique mirrors, Gaslight’s decor is warm and inviting.

We had 7:30 pm reservations and it’s a good thing we did have reservations because this place was hopping!  When Patrick and I first arrived, we were one of the few guests at the bar area.  But by the time our whole party arrived (which was only about ten minutes later), the brasserie was swarming with diners.  I really liked the vibe and pretended that people were out because they knew it was my belated birthday dinner.  Hahaha!  Full of myself, much?

The atmosphere at Gaslight was really different.  Not that I’ve ever been to France, but the restaurant definitely exuded a funky, hip and French feel.  While the lighting was quite dark (sorry, some of my pics might not be so great), it definitely set the appropriate tone for the ambiance of the restaurant.  Because we had a party of six, we were seated at a large table that was semi-sectioned off from the rest of Gaslight.  However, as my eyes made a quick scan as we were seated at our table, I noticed there were various types of seating such as cafe tables, booths, bar stools and larger tables like ours.  It was quite the eclectic mix and indicative of the menu.

Because I like to be prepared, I looked at the menu online before arriving at the restaurant.  Thus, I had an idea of what I wanted to try and what I was probably going to order for my entrée.  The menu had a vast variety of hors d’oeuvres (appetizers), plats du jour (dishes of the day) , les fruits de mer (seafood), assiette du fromages (plate of cheeses), plats principaux (entrées) and garnitures (trim/sides).  I really enjoyed seeing the selections written in both French and English.  And I think I enjoyed trying to pronounce each item even more (I just want to apologize to the country of France for butchering their lovely language)!

Darrell is the king of appetizers and since he and my mother have dined at Gaslight before, we let Darrell take the lead on ordering our hors d’oeuvres (say that three times fast!).  Plus, Darrell speaks French, so it was nice to hear someone actually pronounce the selections correctly (ahem, ahem).  To start,we had two orders of the fried mussels a la greque (Greek style?), two orders of shrimp cocktail and an order of escargots de bourgogne (French Burgundy snails served with garlic and parsley butter).  But before the hors d’oeuvres even arrived, we were promptly served their house bread.  But this wasn’t just any old bread, it was a pipin’ hot fresh baguette served in its own little paper bag.  I usually try not to partake in the bread basket because as you all know, I <3 carbs and can literally inhale a loaf in a millisecond, but this bread I could not resist!  It was crusty, light and airy and probably some of the best restaurant bread I’ve had in a long, long time.  And forget the butter, the bread was so tasty, it was fine au naturale!

Because we were all having such a great time chit chatting with one another and catching-up, we were almost shocked when our hors d’oeuvres arrived.  They seemed to appear on our table within seconds of us placing our order.  I guess time does fly when you’re having a good time.

The fried mussels were delicious.  I think I was expecting more of a mussel in the shell type of dish, but I was not disappointed when I tasted it.  It was quite similar to fried calamari, but not as chewy in texture.  The remoulade sauce had the perfect amount of creaminess and a little bit of a kick and the bed of greens the mussels were served on gave the dish a refreshing and light feel.  Plus, the extra sauce gave me something to dip my heel of bread into.

These were some of the plumpest shrimp I’ve ever seen!  Sometimes, in my experience, the big shrimp can be less tasty and sort of bland tasting.  Not these babies!  Patrick, who could live on shrimp cocktail, was in heaven.  Needless to say, we sat one of the orders directly in front of him.

The escargot were also quite tasty, but nothing spectacular.  I like anything cooked with garlic and herbs, so this little dish was right up my alley.  However, while I’m not a connoisseur of snails, these were just mediocre.  I dipped my bread into the snails and it tasted just like garlic bread

Here’s a picture of my sampling of hors d’oeuvres.  I had maybe one or two more of the the fried mussels.

And if we weren’t full enough just yet, our entrées were then served.  You know there’s a lot of food, when a table that seats six needs to condense plates in order to make room.  I ordered the roasted salmon fillet, which came with garlic braised escarole and vinaigrette of lemon confit.  It was just the right amount of food for my main meal.  Because I had already had a healthy sampling of the hors d’oeuvres, I didn’t have too much room left for my dinner.  Plus, I knew I wanted dessert, so the real estate in my belly was getting tight.  My salmon was roasted to perfection and not the slightest bit greasy.  I’ve ordered salmon that has wronged me on occasion due to the grease factor (sorry, TMI) but fortunately, this was not one of those times.  The escarole was quite simple and served as a light and citrusy accompaniment to my fish.  I really enjoyed the fact that my dish was not served with a rice, potato or some other carb.  If that were the case, I know I would have eaten it and that would have overfilled me.

My mother ordered the rotisserie chicken with sauce moutarde violette and garlic herbes frites.  She said the chicken was delicious, but the herbed french fries stole the show (or plate).  I’m so glad that I was able to sit next to her because it gave me the chance to steal them from her share them with her.

Darrell ordered my second choice, which was the rock shrimp tagliatelle with green onions, smoked ham, and cantal beurre fondue.  He also loved his dish and was happy as a clam (or shrimp) with both the hors d’oeuvres and his selection.  I told Darrell that the sauce in his dish would be great to scoop up with the heel of the bread.  And while I knew that that meant ‘scarpetta‘ in Italian, Darrell informed me that that meant ‘fondue‘ in French.  Merci beaucoup, Darrell! (Funny enough, I told our waiter ‘gracias‘ after he took my order and the whole table cracked up.  Hahaha!)

This picture is going to kill three birds with one stone.  Patrick, Michelle and Jonathan (Michelle’s boyfriend) all ordered the bar steak with caramelized shallots, mustard cream sauce and frites.  While Jonathan seemed to love his meal (he cleaned his plate – atta boy!), Michelle claimed that the sauce was a bit too salty for her taste.  Patrick really enjoyed this selection as well, but thought there were a few too many shallots for his liking.  He also wondered why he had plain frites while my mom’s were herbed.  Don’t worry, Healthy Chow slid him over a few!

Dinner was quite delightful overall.  We all seemed to thoroughly enjoy our meals, but not as much as each other’s company.  I honestly can’t think of a time when I wasn’t laughing or someone else wasn’t cracking up.  The conversation flowed and the relaxing vibe of the restaurant must have seeped into the food.  We were all in such a mellow mood and sat around that table for six for nearly two hours.  What a fantastic way to spend my belated birthday dinner!  I love being able to try new restaurants, and it’s even better when they turn out to be a hit and when I can enjoy them with my loved ones.

Goodness, my mom just doesn’t seem to age – ever!

And finally, what would be a birthday dinner without dessert?  Well, it wouldn’t be complete in my book!  We ordered two for the table to share: gateau aux pommes (apple and caramel cake with vanilla ice cream) and molten chocolate cake with crēme chantilly.  While I wouldn’t kick either out of bed for eating chips (hehehe), the apple and caramel cake definitely reigned supreme.  I think I’m really a sucker for anything à la mode.  But the buttery caramel sauce and the soft cinnamon-y apples was what took the cake (I’m on a roll…).  The molten chocolate cake wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t ‘molten-y’ enough in the center.  I think if we had another scoop of vanilla ice cream for the molten chocolate cake, it would have been much better!

This was our waiter for the evening.  He told me my French was ‘absolutely melodic‘.  I think he might have been lying to me…

And if hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, lotsa gabbing and tons of laughing weren’t enough, I also managed to get a few belated birthday gifts.  My sister and I have had the recent tradition of exchanging ‘mini’ gifts on our birthday.  Rather than buy each other fancy presents on our day, we just give each other a little somethin’, somethin’.  I gave her a cosmetic bag, a toe separator for home pedicures and some trail mix on our actual birthday and that night, she gave me some Trader Joe’s goodies (raw almonds, wasabi, wow! (wasabi peas, nuts and dried fruit mix) and fruit leather – she must think I’m nuts and a bit fruitty).  My mom gave me a cute paisley top along with a card with love (aka cash).  Decent haul, Healthy Chow!

Dinner at Gaslight definitely gets the green light!  It was the ideal place to have a carefree, yet delectable meal.  The brasserie had fast and friendly service, delicious food that was moderately priced, many options to choose from and free parking.  Now that’s a true find in the city of Boston!  I guess that helps to set the tone for your dinner.  If you don’t have to stress about parking, you’ll walk in relaxed, in a good mood and ready to eat.  I was relaxed and in a good mood because I truly treasure the time I spend with my family.  I am so blessed to have such extraordinary people in my life.  These are people I honestly love and adore and want to spend time with.  I’m not sure if it’s my age that’s making me sappier, but I went home pleasantly pleased.  My belly was full, as well as my heart.  While the evening was meant to celebrate my birthday, it was really a celebration of my family.  I may have received some great birthday presents, but it’s the time I have with my loved ones that are my true gifts and ones I’ll cherish forever.

What’s your favorite French food?  Or, French dessert?

Namasté,
Nicole

So if you thought I had a good time at JP Licks, you should seen me on Friday night!  Woot!  And if you thought I looked good eating my oatmeal cookie frozen yogurt, then you really should have checked your girl out on Friday night.  Sssss…

I’m not quite sure if it was the color of my dress or the fact that I was glowing from excitement or if it was just because it was a hot and humid August night, but my cheeks were rosey with delight (wow, that rhymes).  Lauren and I arrived at 7pm right on the dot and were greeted by the lovely HLS organizers (I like to call them the Big 6).  If you’ve never been to the Rustic Kitchen in Boston, it’s a beautiful (and rustic-ish) restaurant located in the Radisson Hotel.  It was also the home to the HLS cocktail party.  The Big 6 did a fine job selecting the perfect establishment for our ‘official’ meet and greet.

So welcoming...

Just lovely...

Hangry Mark was our 'bouncer' for the night

Candid shot...

Meghann & Kelly - blogging sisters!

Caitlin and lady in red...

And if just seeing and meeting all the ladies whom I’ve only known online wasn’t enough adventure for my Friday night, just take a gander at all the good eats that were there.  The place was laid out!

Our menu

Even the napkins were purdy...

Hmmm, look at those salad greens

We had a 'ball' of a time!

A view of it all...

Pizza, pizza!

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I was so busy talking, taking pictures and introducing myself to all the bloggers and readers, my plate only consisted of this:

Delish!

But what I did have was mighty tasty.  The crust on the margherita pizza was crispy with the perfect amount of chewiness.  The tangy-ness from the tomato sauce was also nicely matched with the fresh hints of sweet basil.  The oven roasted ratatoille consisted of zucchini, summer squash, bell pepper and eggplant and was cooked and seasoned just right.  I love it when vegetables are still crunchy and only enhanced enough with seasonings so that their true flavor still shines through.

Like the colors from all the beautiful dishes that were served that night, the ladies of HLS 2009 were vibrant and glistened against the backdrop of the roaring wood-fired ovens and lanterns that seemed to dance along to the beat of the night. There was a definite buzz in the air (and perhaps amongst the ladies as well ) and it was quite refreshing to be surrounded by people so warm, friendly and interesting.  I was just disappointed that I didn’t get to meet and speak to everyone.  Like me, I’m sure all the women had a story to share but I guess I’ll just have to tune in online to learn more about them.  But of the women I did have the opportunity to meet, they were all fabulous and such a pleasure to chat with and to get to know. I know I said it before, but I will say it again, I am truly proud to be a part of such an intriguing and passionate community.

Don't the lights look like floating flowers?

Ali and Kristen

Another pic with the lady in red...

A packed house...

Allie & Heather

Another candid...

Can't you just hear all the excitement?

Lauren and some blog readers

Just the like the once full glasses that were now empty, my tank was out of gas and it was time to go home.  Plus, my feet were yelling at me for wearing those high heels (sorry feet!).  It was time to go home to get a good night’s sleep since tomorrow was going to be another jammed pack day.  If you don’t know by now, Healthy Chow can be somewhat of a dork and she likes to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for big events.  A girl needs her beauty rest, ya know?

Empty!

How much sleep do you need a night?  Can you tell when you don’t get enough rest?

Namasté,
Nicole