Semper Paratus et Coctus

My Juice TrinityI get funny looks when I tell people, “I juice...

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:38:25 -0400

My Juice Trinity

I get funny looks when I tell people, “I juice every day, and I feel great!”. I guess it’s to be…

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Green CleaningBleach rocks. It really does…I mean, what other...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:32:49 -0400

Green Cleaning

Bleach rocks. It really does…I mean, what other magical chemical out there can clean so well, it…

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Food Friday: Matzo Ball Soup!It’s Food Friday! I have a matzo...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:46:59 -0400

Food Friday: Matzo Ball Soup!

It’s Food Friday! I have a matzo ball soup recipe for you today, since it’s tasty, easy to make,…

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Rhomboid ReliefJane couldn’t tell if her back pain was due to...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:02:59 -0400

Rhomboid Relief

Jane couldn’t tell if her back pain was due to rhomboid strain from her workout or from the strange…

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Fit or Fad? Dieting vs. NourishingI wrote this piece for my...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:35:26 -0400

Fit or Fad? Dieting vs. Nourishing

I wrote this piece for my friends over at lernintri.comabout my experiences with dieting and trying…

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Ouch Move: “Yogini”Behind that graceful pose and...

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:49:39 -0400

Ouch Move: “Yogini”

Behind that graceful pose and serene gaze, she’s actually screaming inside…

The Yogini! So…this…

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Dinner tonight: Oven-Baked Breaded Fish, Honey-Ginger-Dill...

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:22:26 -0400

Dinner tonight: Oven-Baked Breaded Fish, Honey-Ginger-Dill Carrots, & Garlic Lemon Butter Whole Wheat Capellini :)

Fish: preheat oven to 350 F; dredge filet in a wash of 1 beaten egg and 2 T milk, then in seasoned bread crumbs. Place on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet; bake about 15 min or to internal temp of 145 F.

Carrots: slice 4-5 whole carrots on a 1/4” bias/angle; toss in a mixture of 1 T chopped dill, 1-2 T honey, 1-2 T olive oil and a sprinkle of ground ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Bake alongside fish on same pan for 15 min at 350 F, stirring halfway through.

Pasta: boil a quarter-sized bunch (when curled between the forefinger and thumb) of whole wheat capellini in salted water 6-7 min or to al dente. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 4 minced cloves of garlic, 1 T olive oil, 1-2 T butter or margarine, juice of half a lemon and a sprinkle of onion powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and dried parsley to taste. Heat bowl in microwave about 15 sec, stir, and continue in 10 sec increments until mixture is hot and melted. Once pasta is drained, toss in the prepared oil-butter-garlic mixture.

Enjoy!

Steak + Guinness = WIN :)

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:27:24 -0400

Steak + Guinness = WIN :)

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatball Marinara, Balsamic Roasted...

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:10:30 -0400

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatball Marinara, Balsamic Roasted Asparagus & Roasted Garlic Cloves!

Coming home from the gym, I’m usually starving and want something fast, but not too damaging to the waistline (fast & healthy aren’t always likely parallels). But, with a little help from a humble jar of ready made pasta sauce, some frozen turkey meatballs, a squash and some veggies, tonight it was very possible.

Sauce & Meatballs: in a pan, sauté a couple minced cloves of garlic and 1/4 c chopped onion in 2 T olive oil over medium heat, 2-3 min or til softened. Add a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, a bag of turkey meatballs, bring to a simmer and keep warm over low heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.

Spaghetti Squash: preheat oven to 450 F. Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon & discard seeds. Rub both cut sides of squash with olive oil, salt, & pepper, then place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes. Use a fork to scrape strands into a bowl (be careful, it’s hot! I recommend holding one side with tongs while scraping). Top with sauce as you would normal spaghetti.

Asparagus: rinse and trim woody stem ends of 1 bunch of asparagus, about 1-2”. Place in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 2 T olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper, then roll around stalks to coat. Roast at 450 F for about ten minutes, stir, and remove from oven after about 5 more minutes or once slightly crispy around edges & tender.

Roasted Garlic: peel the outermost papery layers of one whole head of garlic, leaving cloves and stem intact. With a knife, cut off the top of the bulb about 1-2” or just so the tops of all the cloves are cut and exposed. Place on a square of foil cut side up, drizzle with oil, and seal the foil packet. Roast in a 450 F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, open foil packet to cool about 5 minutes, then simply squeeze out the garlic from each clove.

Tip: take note of the cooking times above. All the oven-based items are cooked at the same temp, so just overlap when you place the items in the oven so everything is done at the same time! :)

Tilapia en Papillote & Brown Rice with Tomatoes and...

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:14:07 -0400

Tilapia en Papillote & Brown Rice with Tomatoes and Peas!

Cooking meats and veggies in a parchment packet (folded similarly to a foil packet) seals in flavors, allows for quick cooking time, and leaves food moist while steaming it with little to no fats added.

Here I seasoned tilapia filets with Mrs. Dash, cut two 1/4” slits lengthwise in each filet, and placed it atop some diagonally sliced fresh carrots on an olive oil greased square of parchment. Fold over several times lengthwise and width wise until well sealed, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 425 F oven for about 12-15 min or until fish reaches an internal temp of 145 F.

For the rice, add 1/4 c frozen peas, 1/2 regular sized can of diced tomatoes with onion & garlic with liquids, 1 small bay leaf, 2/3 c brown rice, a sprinkle of cumin and red pepper flakes, and 1 1/3 c low sodium chicken broth to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover, simmering for 40-45 min or until rice is done and liquids are absorbed.

Tastes good and is good for you…yum!

Dried fruit & nut bites! A healthy and satisfying snack...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:58:01 -0400

Dried fruit & nut bites! A healthy and satisfying snack mid-morning or between lunch and dinner! :)

Get the recipe here: http://www.wholeliving.com/151439/dried-fruit-and-nut-bites

Roasted veggies! I mixed rutabaga, carrots, sweet potato,...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:53:33 -0400

Roasted veggies!

I mixed rutabaga, carrots, sweet potato, leeks, cauliflower, beets, cannellini beans, EVOO, garlic & onion powder, s&p, and balsamic vinegar together, roasted in a 425 F oven for 20 min, added some chopped bok choy and roasted another 15 min, and voila! Awesomely healthy and astonishingly tasty dinner sure to satisfy after a long day and great workout! :)

Pan-Seared Jerk Grouper & Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Fish...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:00:00 -0400

Pan-Seared Jerk Grouper & Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Fish Sauce Vinegarette!

Fish: heat 3T of oil in a pan over medium heat, sear 2 grouper fillets sprinkled with jerk seasoning, 4 min each side until cooked through and flaky.

Thanks to Crepesofwrath.net for the awesome sprouts recipe they posted, with the vinegarette from the famous Momofuku restaurant—truly addictive!

http://crepesofwrath.net/2013/03/20/momofukus-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Tonight’s dinner of grilled salmon & bok choy with...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:15:33 -0400

Tonight’s dinner of grilled salmon & bok choy with orange-avocado salsa, and today’s lunch of lentil soup and snack of black bean dip!

Get the recipes here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151403/grilled-salmon-and-bok-choy-orange-avocado-salsa

http://www.wholeliving.com/151392/red-lentil-soup

http://www.wholeliving.com/151711/any-bean-dip

Today’s lunch of spicy black bean salad, tomorrow’s...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:58:10 -0400

Today’s lunch of spicy black bean salad, tomorrow’s crispy spiced chickpea snack, and tonight’s dinner of scrambled tofu and collard greens! Yum!

Get the recipes here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151704/spicy-black-bean-salad

http://www.wholeliving.com/130298/roasted-spiced-chickpeas

http://www.wholeliving.com/151703/scrambled-tofu-collards-and-turmeric

Note: changes I made to the tofu dish were to add slices of seeded, de-ribbed jalapeño and creole seasoning in place of the ginger and turmeric

Steamed Broccoli & Squash Salad w/ Tahini Dressing! Get the...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:24:15 -0400

Steamed Broccoli & Squash Salad w/ Tahini Dressing!
Get the recipe here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151380/steamed-broccoli-and-squash-tahini-dressing

Tomorrow’s lunch of sweet potato-celery-apple slaw and a...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:50:08 -0400

Tomorrow’s lunch of sweet potato-celery-apple slaw and a snack of crispy kale…plus today’s snack of pistachio-stuffed dates!
Get the recipes here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151696/sweet-potato-celery-and-apple-salad

http://www.wholeliving.com/151709/sesame-kale-crisps

Note: don’t cook the kale at 200 for an hour like the recipe says…crank it up to 350 and it’ll be done in half the time…just be sure to stir halfway through, don’t crowd the pan or it’ll steam rather than crisp, and keep an eye on it…it should brown at the edges and be crispy, not burnt :)

http://www.wholeliving.com/151444/pistachio-stuffed-dates-coconut

Note: I didn’t add salt because my pistachios were already salted, plus I noticed my food processor was having a tough time with the dry nuts so I added a drizzle of EVOO and scraped down the bowl between pulses a few times—came out delicious!

kcetliving: Container Culture: The Case for an Edible Garden To...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:46:01 -0400

kcetliving:

Container Culture: The Case for an Edible Garden

To start one of these things can be daunting — the information on the internet can be partially accurate at best, and I’ve had my share of nursery employees churlishly tell me that no, I can’t plant peas now because it’s not pea season.

This column will never pea-shame you. It’s meant to offer plain advice to the newbie container gardener that wants to have a crack at planting “real” food for him/herself despite having limited space. It will demystify the gardening process and will never say things like, “Start by soldering your length of galvanized pipe…” It won’t even assume you really know how to water plants. It will educate, demystify, and hopefully, encourage some folks who never considered gardening to think again, because everyone deserves to eat organic food. Plus, you guys, it’s actually pretty fun….

Taylor Orci’s gonna walk you through vegetable growing. Read the first article here!

Today’s minty-pea dip & kale-carrot salad for lunch,...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:36:21 -0400

Today’s minty-pea dip & kale-carrot salad for lunch, and tomorrow’s grapefruit-pineapple-carrot juice! Find the recipes here:
http://www.wholeliving.com/151377/grapefruit-carrot-and-ginger-juice

http://www.wholeliving.com/151442/minty-pea-dip

http://www.wholeliving.com/151383/kale-slaw-carrots-and-peppers

Yes, I’m one of those annoying foodie freaks who are 99%...

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:13:26 -0500

Yes, I’m one of those annoying foodie freaks who are 99% likely to take photos of everything they shove in their pie-hole. They need to create support groups for poor losers like us. Some sort of steps of enlightenment to guide us toward a less annoying practice.

On a brighter note, at least we are (for the most part) enthusiastic about what we eat, where it comes from, and how it’s prepared (hence, more open minded and a little more conscious about food than the average artery-clogged, golden arch-loving bear)—at least my overly optimistic inner-cook sure does hope so.

So, on that note…this was my dinner. Don’t worry, I won’t take a picture of its glorious exit. That’s a whole other group of weirdos that probably should follow some sort of 12-step program themselves. :)