All posts filed under: healthy cooking

san francisco weekend social calendar – june 29 to july 1

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I have decided to include a new entry on my blog called San Francisco Weekend Social Calendar.  The purpose of this entry is to loop you in on what I recommend  to do over the weekend in San Francisco. Tourists are welcome of course. So for this weekend, being June 29 thru July 1, I recommend the following  {click on photo for details}: Friday, June 29, 2012 – AT&T Park For The Garlic Festival. Need I say more, Garlic, The Giants, good times 🙂 Saturday, June 30, 2012 – Private Garden Dinner for 10 at Regazza. This is a special offer which in my opinion is amazing if you have a group of friends on a budget (or not) Sunday, July 30,2012 – Eurocup Final Italy vs Spain (Go Italy!!!) at Lalola Bar De Tapas . Whether you are a fan of soccer (a.k.a. football) or not doesn’t matter. It’s a fun filled experience for sure.

pizza with potato and blue cheese or greek cheese – you pick

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I love pizza and although I watch everything I eat, I do occasionally cheat by going to my favorite pizza place here, in San Francisco and order a slice of their pesto, red skin potato and whole garlic pizza.  It is truly delicious. Lately I have been on a mission to recreate some of my favorite eats at home, so I found a recipe here somewhat similar  to my favorite pizza. The only problem is I hate blue cheese, so I used Greek cheese instead.  Now if I could only learn to  eat just one slice, then I will be  just fine. For the pizza dough: 4 cups (560g) bread flour 2 teaspoons sea salt 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (see Notes) 1 1/2 cup (375ml) water, at room temperature For the topping: 2 medium onions, peeled 1 pound (450g) small, firm potatoes, such as Yukon golds or fingerling 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus a handful of thyme branches 6 to 8 ounces (170g-225g) blue cheese Garlic oil: 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil Additional ingredients you’ll need: …

healthy maybe recipe: lemon almond coconut ice cream sandwich

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I normally don’t indulge in ice cream and only eat gelato in Italy, so when I came across an ice cream sandwich here with lemon, almonds and coconut, I figured it would be as healthy eating as I wanted it to be. A girl should be able to cheat once in a while on a diet plan. Anyway, I figured since I don’t have the patience to make my own coconut ice cream, I can find some at the grocery store, but the cookie part, I have no problem making.  Check it out: coconut ice cream 1 can coconut milk, preferably full fat 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract pinch of salt In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Process according to your ice cream maker manufacture’s instructions. Place in a freezer safe container and allow to freeze for at least 3-4 hours before assembling the sandwich cookies. lemon almond cookies 2 1/2 cups almond flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 …

healthy recipe: herbed ricotta tart

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I’ve never been a fan of ricotta cheese, but since my diet, I experienced it while indulging in lasagna with ricotta cheese. It wasn’t that bad.  So to keep the diet going, while I ween myself off of Nutrisystem, I am looking for ways to incorporate ricotta cheese into my favorite eats. Hence the herbed ricotta tart which, once again, I found on my favorite site here. Check it out and let me know what you think? Oh and if you happen to be on a diet like myself, consider a smaller portion with 3/4 plate full of veggies. (see photo below) half-pound (250g) spring onions (See headnote) 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for sprinkling over the finished tart 8 ounces (285g) fresh goat cheese or fresh ricotta 1 large egg 1/2 cup (125ml) crème fraîche or heavy cream 1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk 2 ounces (55g) spicy Spanish-style chorizo sausage, finely diced salt and freshly-ground pepper one pre-baked 9-inch (22cm) tart shell (see Note) 1. Slice the spring onions into 1/2-inch (2cm) …

healthy recipe: tarte au citron a.k.a lemon tart

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While on this diet, I have a difficult time satisfying my sweet tooth, so since I love lemons and it’s considered an approved fruit to consume while dieting, I decided to search here  for a tart (again my favorite) recipe made with lemons or citron (God, I love the French word for it). Here it goes: One 9-inch (23 cm) tart This makes a modest, but very tasty lemony layer. If you want more filling, feel free to double the recipe; any filling that you don’t use can be spread on toast, fresh biscuits, or scones. You could substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon and if you have Meyer lemons, reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup (65g). You can use a favorite tart dough recipe, or the one I’ve linked to. 1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice grated zest of one lemon, preferably unsprayed 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into bits 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks One pre-baked 9-inch (23 cm) tart shell …

a french cake recipe from my childhood

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When I was little, our extended family had a visiting day once a month, where everyone got together on a specific date and had coffee and dessert. It was the host/housewife’s turn to show off her baking skills and so, she would make a few desserts over a span of a day or two in preparation for the occasion and serve them  in beautiful dishes from her collection of fine china. Being a child, I never turned down dessert and actually behaved during the visit, per my mother’s request,  just so I could earn  my fair share of the goodies.  I didn’t know it then, but I totally appreciated cakes with dried fruits and when we moved to the United States, those recipes and the tradition all disappeared. Fast forward to a hundred years later (being today) I was actually, extremely overjoyed  when I came across here, a recipe similar to or perhaps even the same as the one  my mother and aunts used to follow for the best  dried fruit cake ever. Apricot, Almond …

tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich

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Oh the irony of one day writing about healthy drinking habits and the next looking for grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup recipes (my favorite).  But, I have to justify that my diet includes tomato-ee dishes so although the soup is thumbs up, the sandwich – not so much. However, If this isn’t a problem for you, then please enjoy the recipe I found here and let me know what you think? Tomato Basil Soup 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 – 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes 1 – 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes 2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable) 1 tsp of sea salt 1 tsp of sugar 1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup of heavy cream 3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned parmesan cheese In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute – being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the …

drinking while dieting – does it work?

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At the beginning of this year, I decided to consider following a more regimented diet, to not only lose a few pounds, but also preserve my health. The sad thing is that I decided to give up social drinking as part of that plan. The upside is that  although I feel better, I  am often times tempted to order a drink when in a social setting. So, just to give me the motivation to fight the urges and stay focused, I decided to do some research about drinking while dieting. From what I read, there is a clear message that I need to stay away from most alcohol, even if they are labeled as “low-calorie” or “skinny” drinks.  The true culprit to most drinks are the “carbs” which are often times overlooked. So,  even if I  (we) think we are consuming “diet friendly booze” that is not necessarily the case. For a more elaborate explanation, please click here and here. In the meantime, drink a small glass of wine if you must or simply a tall …

healthy eating: the benefits of beets

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I do everything in my power to eat healthy, even during the holidays, and although I am aware of the health benefits of most fruits and vegetables, it is always good to remind myself (ourselves) once in a while just to stay focused on eating healthy. One of my favorite vegetable is beets. However, the only way I prefer to eat them is if  they are freshly made. The canned version just doesn’t taste good.  The only trouble is they are a bit messy, so if you plan to boil, peel and cut them at home,  be careful as they tend to bleed into most anything. Beets are Low in calories, 1 cup of beets contains only about 60 calories and is cholesterol-free. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber and folic acid according to my favorite site here. Also here is a recipe I have tried at home and do recommend. Let me know what you think? prep time:10 min start to finish:1 hr 45 min makes:6 servings (2/3 cup each) Salad 4 …

healthy recipe: garlic shrimp and grits

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Lately I have honed in on recipes which read gluten free and it’s not because I was medically diagnosed with any stomach related issues, it’s just I find the meals lighter  on the stomach and easily digestable. And, since I am always looking for ways to eat healthy, here is a recipe that I am actually happy to try out this week. Ingredients 3/4 cup instant grits Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact 2 large cloves garlic, minced Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with …