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Delicious, Healthy Dinner in 10 Minutes

January 11, 2012 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 9 comments

I am pretty proud to stay that we have both been doing a really good job of working out 4-5 days a week, eating healthier, and cutting back on the old wine since 2012 started. I know it hasn’t been that long at all, but we feel great, and since we still allow plenty of indulgences (Hello, Old Fashioned’s, grilled cheese, and fries at Eastern Standard), we can keep it up. My health goal is basically not to be kicked down again this winter by the flu while my husband, who drives two hours a day and works for 12-14, is just to move more. However, if I end up a little faster and more toned, I will take it.

As you might have noticed, I have been blogging a little less (five days a week instead of six or seven) and not always about food. I have also felt that by not having to think of blog-worthy meals, I can focus on fast and healthy. If you have any topics that you are interested in reading about, let me know!

This dinner, which I also ended up eating for several lunches, is worth sharing because it was so delicious, quick, and satisfying.

We often order burrito bowls from our beloved South End spot, El Triunfo. They’re basically everything but the actual tortilla, which I rarely like, so they are perfect. In order to save some money, I decided to make our own burrito bowls, also known as salads. Winking smile

My burrito bowl was a pretty easy mix:

Chopped romaine (I so prefer eating salad that is chopped into small pieces)

1 1/2 cups of black beans that had been soaked and slow cooked with chili and garlic powders, canned are also fine

1/2 of a ripe avocado

Homemade salsa

Homemade lime crema – This is why I am blogging about the burrito bowls. It is my new favorite salad topper and veggie dip. I added the juice of a very juicy lime to a cup of Fage Greek yogurt, added a few teaspoons of olive oil to get a more dressing-like consistency, sprinkled in chili powder. . . and wanted to lick the bowl clean!

Bright, colorful, delicious, and full of vitamins, protein, and filling fats – the perfect meal for me.

Have you enjoyed any easy, healthy meals lately that really stood out?

Technorati Tags: avocado, burrito, Food, healthy, recipe, salad, salsa, Vegetarian

Tags: avocado, burrito, Food, healthy, recipe, salad, salsa, Vegetarian

Clean Up Time

December 6, 2011 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 5 comments

The holiday season probably isn’t the best time to start cleaning up one’s diet, but I am certainly in need of it. It’s not just because we just spent 10 days traveling and celebrating, the past year of craziness has truly caught up with me. Travel, blogger events, the desire to always cook and bake new things, a bunch of illnesses, my nana’s death, topped with truly poor eating habits during my work day have made me pack on the pounds and feel pretty tired. Where cheese and crackers were once snacks or treats, and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches were for weekends (Who am I kidding, I NEVER used to eat bacon!), they have replaced the veggie-filled meals of my past. Instead of eating normal meals, I have been going much of the day without eating, then chowing down on snack foods like chips, then end up too full to eat dinner, then eat more snacks later in the evening. It’s not a good scene, not at all.

On the plane back from Ireland and our first night home, I spent a ton of time planning meals to get back on track. I’m not cutting treats out (just got eight bottles of wine to sample!), I am just adding in more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish into my diet.

I had a major craving for grilled zucchini when we were doing a huge Market Basket haul on Sunday, and a dish Cara made for Elina’s party a few months ago had been on my mind ever since. The zucchini roll-ups, filled with goat cheese, raisins, and pine nuts, were one of my favorite dishes of the night, and for Sunday lunch, I decided to turn the flavors into a warm salad.

I started with two large zucchinis, cutting them into thick strips and coating them with olive oil. A hot grill pan did the trick; I just cooked until they were softened, with nice grill marks on both sides.

While the zucchini cooked, I rinsed some salted almonds (an accidental purchase) and roughly chopped them, breaking each almond into about three pieces.

I mixed the almonds with some golden raisins, and topped my cooked zucchini with the mix.

The finishing touch? A handful of crumbled goat cheese that nicely softened with the heat of the zucchini. All of the flavors in this dish worked together perfectly, and it was delicious, satisfying, and filled that salad void without leaving me cold! One of my problems in the colder weather is finding interesting ways to eat veggies in the winter, and I think using the grill pan will definitely come in handy this year.

I have a ton more Ireland posts to come, but there will also be lots of home-cooking so that I can be sure to fit in the nutrition I need. After all, I start Boston Marathon training this week!

Technorati Tags: Food, goat cheese, recipe, salad, Vegetarian, zucchini

Tags: Food, goat cheese, recipe, salad, Vegetarian, zucchini

Tale of Two Seasons

October 28, 2011 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 9 comments

I’m trying to embrace Fall, I really am. I made pumpkin brownies, had a bonfire at a friend’s house the other night, and have made the pretty big switch from cool, crisp white wines to our seriously never ending collection of Cabernet Sauvignon. We went a little Cab crazy over the past few years, and now it’s everywhere! I’m loving the brightly colored mums I see around town, and I really like the creepy feeling that happens around Halloween. I am a big fan of ghost stories, scary movies, and other chilling things.

But I am already over the very dark mornings, being freezing during the work day (I literally wanted to put my feet in the oven after baking the brownies the other day.), and being hungry all the time. And when it comes to food, I never got my fill of tomatoes, fresh salads, cucumbers, and grilled vegetables. With the desire to start eating more healthily (again!), I visited The Fresh Market this Sunday after we dropped the boat off nearby for winter storage (sniffle). I love The Fresh Market and take any chance I can get to visit.

I have been enjoying quinoa lately where I have not in the past. The difference? I really dislike any dry foods like rice and grains, but if I add some sort of nice sauce, I can eat them just fine. With this easy, healthy lunch recipe, I crossed over two seasons and came up with a beautiful result.

A few cups of mini patty pan squashes, cut in half.

Three cups quinoa, juice of one juicy lemon, and 1/4 cup of fruity olive oil

Lots and lots of fresh cilantro

1/2 chopped white onion

A pint of grape tomatoes

Quickly cook the squash until tender while quinoa is cooking according to package directions. Once done, toss all ingredients together. I topped mine with kalamata olives and goat cheese and enjoyed every healthy bite. Yum.

This solved our lunch dilemma for a few days at least, and it was a valiant effort at bringing some fall flavors into our repertoire. Since discovering ways to make myself like quinoa and the like, I am really looking forward to incorporating more of these healthy things into my life.

Do you have any ingredients that you used to dislike that you have changed your mind on?

Technorati Tags: Food, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian