foodie: tomato & okra rice salad

last night i came home from our csa with another batch of juicy, delicious tomatoes. again, looking for creative ways to make use of them, i created this easy, healthy rice salad with tomatoes, fresh okra, and sauteed shallots -- it was simple and satisfying, and went great with the fried tempeh we had.

here's what you'll need for 4 servings...

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
3 ears of corn (kernels off cob)
1 large tomato, chopped
5-10 small tomatoes, chopped
2 okra pods, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
olive oil
herbs (i used about 1/4 cup chopped parsley)

1. as the rice cooks (i used minute rice to speed the process up), prep the veggies.

2. saute the shallot, okra and garlic in a small saute pan with a bit of olive oil until shallots are translucent and okra is fork tender.

3. once the rice is done, mix everything together, and season with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

mangia! mangia!

foodie: almond-flaxseed cereal

lately, this has been my go-to breakfast.  yes, that's right, something has replaced my beloved overnight oats!  but, this hot cereal -- made with almond meal and ground flaxseeds -- it much higher in protein, has great flavor and keeps me from craving lunch at 11am.

here's what you'll need for one serving...

2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
3 tbsp almond meal
1/3 ripe banana
1/2 cup almond mind (or milk of your choice)
cinnamon
nutmeg
1 tbsp peanut butter
chopped cherries

1. mash the banana is a cereal bowl, and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg (however much you desire -- i like a lot of cinnamon).

2. mix in flaxseeds and almond meal until pasty. then add in almond milk -- i like to serve a tablespoon or two of the milk to pour over at the end, but it's your call.

3. heat in the microwave on power level 5 for 2 to 2.5 minutes, take it out and stir.  (it will continue to thicken as it cools.)

4. top with a dollop of peanut butter, more cinnamon, reserved milk, and toppings of your choice.  i used fresh, chopped cherries, but raisins, sliced bananas, or chopped nuts would be great, too!

enjoy!

viva las vegas!

the strip (looking north)

at the beginning of august, craig and i packed our bags and hopped a flight to vegas.  we'd never been to "sin city" before, so we were both excited and wary of what we might find in the middle of the nevada dessert.

we met a couple of our good friends out there, which obviously sweetened the deal.  and after a lot of sun, cocktails and walking, we concluded that vegas is certainly a must-see at least once.  it's like an over-the-top disney world for adults :-)

one of our favorite things we did was a helicopter ride to the grand canyon.  we actually landed in the base of the canyon for a champagne dinner!  it was totally awesome!!

inside the bellagio

the exterior of new york, new york

we had just checked into the flamingo, and wanted some lunch -- we weren't there 5 min when the bartender started dancing on the bar as the wait staff danced in the aisles.  oh, yeah...we're in vegas.

enjoying a "fish bowl" with my ladies (from left to right: me, amy, ashley)

lounging by the flamingo's pool

our ride to the grand canyon

the eiffel tower...sort of...

the luxor

flying over the grand canyon!

view from the bellagio of the strip

more pics of the canyon

mandalay bay's over 21 pool

inside the wynn

craig and me in the base of the grand canyon!

as you would expect, the pics don't do the canyon justice -- it was truly breathtaking.  i'd tell you more about our trip, but as you know..."what happens in vegas, stays in vegas".  lol

foodie: tofu-egg quiche

last night, i came home from the csa with a slew of gorgeous tomatoes.  so, obviously i wanted to include them in our dinner.  i decided to try making a tofu and egg crustless quiche, despite never having made one before.  luckily, it turned out well (hence why i'm sharing it with you all :-)  it was hearty, yet fluffy and had great flavor -- a winner all around!

here's what you'll need...

1/2 block firm tofu
4 eggs
1/2 medium onion
2 shallots
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
1/4 cup fresh herbs (i used basil and parsley)
3-4 garlic cloves
1/3-1/2 cup cheese (i used bleu and mozzarella)
olive oil
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. chop onions and shallots and saute in a bit of olive oil until translucent and lightely caramelized.  season with salt and pepper.

2. while the veggies saute, put the tofu, eggs, herbs and garlic in a blender.  blend until a smooth liquid is formed.  season with salt and pepper and pulse once more.

3. oil your pie plate well with olive oil and then pour in egg/tofu mixture.  top with onions and shallots, tomato slices and sprinkle with cheese.

4. bake for approximately 40 minutes until the quiche puffs up a bit and the edges are lightly brown.  check the center with a knife to ensure it's cooked through before removing it from the oven.

those gigantic green things are slices of (fully-ripe) heirloom tomato

enjoy with a large side salad and even more delicious, heirloom tomatoes!!!  serves 4 for dinner or 6 for brunch.

bon appetit

yogi: 5 yoga poses to boost your mood!

me doing "wild thing" -- wild thing...you make my heart sing...

earlier this week, i was featured on fit bottomed girls' blog.  this fabulously popular blog features stories and practical advice about living a fit, happy and healthy life. the ladies behind the blog tackle everything from workout reviews, to the latest fitness fashion, to the tastiest protein bars -- all of which is delivered with style and sass.

to check out the blog and yoga video that i created for them -- 5 yoga poses to boost your mood -- click {here}!

smile :-)

yogi: why set an intention?

if you've ever wondered why you're encouraged to set an intention or dedication at the beginning of your yoga practice, wonder no more.  watch my 2 minute video that will clear up any confusion :-)

foodie: bruschetta potato salad

i got back from a trip to the csa with heirloom tomatoes, a pint of potatoes, a bunch of fresh basil and a head of garlic (among other things).  inspired by the spoils of my trip, i decided to create a bruschetta potato salad -- it was delicious, super simple to make and craig told me afterwards that it's one of his new favorite dishes!  this one's a winner all around :-)

here's what you'll need for 4-6 servings...

1 pint potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 pint tomatoes, chopped
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup basil, cut into a chiffonade (long, skinny ribbons)
1/8 cup olive oil, plus a tad more for roasting the potatoes
salt & cracked pepper

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1. put the cleaned, cubed potatoes on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  roast for 30 min or until fork tender.

2. while the potatoes cook, prep the rest of the food.  toss the tomatoes, garlic and basil together.  season with salt and pepper.

3. once the potatoes are done, mix them into the tomato mixture and drizzle everything with olive oil.  season with more salt and pepper to taste.

adding the warm potatoes to the bruschetta enables them to soak up all the goodness, and the final drizzle of olive oil really seals the deal.

this dish makes for a fabulous summer side dish or works well as an entree salad over chopped romaine.

bon appetit!