All posts tagged: eating well

Food: What You’ll Find In My Mediterranean Kitchen

Published by

For every site I find suggesting what constitutes healthy consumption of food, there is another, stating otherwise.  I have to admit. I take all of the information offered with a grain of salt and continue to, simply follow what I’ve learned from generations past about our Mediterranean cuisine and lifestyle. Sure I tweak the recipes a little or experiment with a ‘healthier alternative’, but at the end of the day; I think my grandmother, and my aunts had and my mother has to this day, the secret to the best method of preparing the healthiest of meals. The reality is – the ingredients produced in masses today, no matter organic or otherwise, mostly filled with additives, or certain mystery matters, lacking the pure quality from decades ago, make it difficult to sustain a healthy cooking style. As a result, in some cultures today, we can only strive to learn and do our best with what we have, to  create the healthiest meals possible for ourselves and our family.  Everything else is simply information overload.  Meat: …

Food: Dinner Tonight – Chipotle, Lime Chicken and Fries

Published by

The weather has finally turned for the better in the city – with warm days and SUNSHINE throughout the city and not just downtown. I love this time of the year, when the mornings are crispy cold-ish and the days although shorter are sunny and hot. The only challenge is while other parts of the world are turning to comfort food, or soups to wards off the colder temperatures, we in the city are aiming to cool down by eating all things summer. So I am naturally pretty conscious on how best to proceed with my weekly meal plan, and I think this one will do just fine to half-Keto for me and the original recipe for the family. INGREDIENTS 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped 1 tablespoon honey (cut out for hardcore Keto) 1 teaspoon cumin 2 limes 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated kosher salt and pepper 2 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks  (I can cut this portion out for Keto, but I may just cheat today)  2 avocados, lightly mashed 3 heads romaine lettuce …

Food: London Vegan Eateries

Published by

Before my trip to London for a few days in May, I made a list of restaurants I wanted to try, and out of the list of ten places, we only experienced two – which were mostly based on hype and the food not as spectacular as the menu made it sound to be. So I won’t mention them here. But the following places on this list are ones I intend to try when I return to London in December. You might also find this article interesting – When to buy organic and when not

Food: Dinner Tonight – Chili, Lime, Chicken and Avocado

Published by

Hating the fact, we’ve eaten out for the past couple of nights, because there is no ‘off-switch’ when a colorful oversized menu is shoved in your face by the waiter, who is rattling off the specials and then coming around a few times until order taken,  ‘insisting really’ but pretending not to – for us to order a beverage on happy hour or not. So, this morning on my way out of the door, I announced that we would be dining in – the meal of course would be up to Keto-me.  Kind of like this… INGREDIENTS 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon honey  [omit for my portion] 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano kosher salt and black pepper 2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges  [omit or just one wedge to taste] 2 red bell peppers, chopped into bite sized chunks steamed white or brown rice, for serving  [omit for me for sure] AVOCADO SALSA 1 avocado, diced 1 jalapeño, seeded …

Food: Dinner Tonight – A Twist On Chicken Sandwich

Published by

Just a reminder, our household is one Keto and the rest, anything but – so I am always in search of recipe inspirations to create my own variation of a meal that suits the clan. In this case, tonight’s meal will be chicken sandwiches and chips for them and see below what my meal will look like from the recipe below: I love how easy dinner planning is – no matter the dietary restrictions. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup real maple syrup 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (spicy chili sauce) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil kosher salt and pepper 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped 4 ears corn, kernels removed from the cob (about 4 cups total) (remove this for Keto)  1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup shredded cabbage 1/2 cup fresh blueberries  (remove this for Keto)  4 ciabatta rolls, toasted  (remove this for Keto)  1/2 cup plain greek yogurt  (my cheat but you can remove it for hardcore Keto followers)  1/4 cup basil pesto 1 avocado, sliced {featured image source}

Food: Dinner Tonight – Lemon Chicken – Grilled

Published by

Who doesn’t love grilled chicken? And if you haven’t had a taste of it, consider this recipe – which is pretty keto friendly for those following my healthy eating plan. And really, no side dish needed – in my case – I will be sprinkling shredded parmesan cheese over the top of each bite. And if you are not following Keto, but need to stay healthy in your choice of recipes – then add a simple salad, or steamed broccoli. INGREDIENTS 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) whole chicken or chicken pieces 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  ( I will not be using balsamic vinegar for my recipe)  juice + zest of 1 lemon 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated pinch of crushed red pepper flakes kosher salt and pepper fresh basil for, serving {more} {photo source}  

Food: Dinner Tonight – Korean Grilled Steak

Published by

For fourth of July or anytime, this recipe is an amazing variation to a grilled steak dinner. INGREDIENTS 1 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari 2 tablespoons honey 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 1 inch fresh ginger, grated 4 cloves garlic, grated 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 pounds skirt or flank steak CHIMICHURRI 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 4 green onions, chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lime kosher salt 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds {more}   {photo source}

Food: Summer After Dinner Treat

Published by

I get it – some parts of the bay area as well as cities around the world – the weather is warming up. Not so much in San Francisco – as you may or not know – we experience winter-like weather during the summer months here and actually the locals wear coats, and ankle boots and sometimes even woolly scarves. Not exaggerating. But if you happen to be in a much warmer climate and crave a dessert now and again – the healthier version that is – consider this refreshing recipe: INGREDIENTS: 12 oz mixed frozen organic berries 1 Tbsp lucuma 1 Tbsp cold-pressed sunflower lecithin powder (hexane-free) 2 Tbsp hemp seeds 1 Tbsp goji berries 4 dropperfuls Dragon Herbs goji & schizandra drops ½ tsp pearl powder 1 tsp tremella powder 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee 1 Tbsp C-8 caprylic acid MCT oil 1 dropperful liquid stevia DIRECTIONS: Blend all ingredients on high while strongly pounding with the VitaMix plunger until smooth. Enjoy! {more}

Just A Cake – You Might Say

Published by

I stay away from desserts as much as possible – but when one click leads you to a healthy baking recipe such as this gorgeous take on a cake, you share, you bake, and you indulge: INGREDIENTS: For the cake: 2 cups blanched almond flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup water 1 Tbsp vanilla For the vegan chocolate ganache: 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate 4 Tbsp coconut oil 4 Tbsp maple syrup ½ cup almond butter ¼ cup almond milk or coconut milk {more}

Food: Dinner Tonight: Healthy Lasagna Alternative

Published by

With this managed carb and hardly sugar diet (notice how managed and hardly are inserted) because – trying to avoid carbs is pretty difficult when even the best of vegetables are made up of the worst of carbs and the most of sugars. So, sticking to a list of what to do takes lots of discipline and remembering. This lasagna recipe seems like a great plan for dinner tonight because – everyone in the family can enjoy it. Whether on a diet or not, the alternative is a great meal option to  consider: INGREDIENTS 4-6 small spaghetti squash halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 head garlic 1 pound spicy Italian chicken sausage or 1 pound ground chicken or half ground chicken half sausage 4 ounces pancetta finely chopped 1/2 a sweet onion finely chopped 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon fresh sage 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 tablespoon fresh basil 2 teaspoons dried 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 cup water 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 1/4 cup milk I used 2% 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 3/4 cup provolone cheese shredded 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese fried sage or fresh basil for garnish {more}