A Great Summer Dinner: Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables with Basil Quinoa Salad

Finished product!

 Yet another great recipe on Pinterest...

Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables with Basil Quinoa Salad

This is a super easy recipe with lots of flavor! A few tips I'd like to add:

1. Some toasted pine nuts can add a lot of flavor to the quinoa. I used about 1/4 cup and toasted them in a dry frying pan. A note about toasting these nuts - DO NOT walk away from the pan! They can burn quite easily. In fact, I'm sad to say that I burned my whole first batch. For those of you who have never purchased them before, they can be quite pricey so definitely not something you want to risk wasting.  Many thanks to a dear friend (AS) for the wonderful pine nuts!

Toasting the pine nuts. Second ("un-burned") batch.

Veggies (before the oven). Fresh basil and some mozz.

2. Although we do own a grill I am TOTALLY inept at using it so I broiled the veggies in the oven. 500 degrees for about 6-7 minutes did the trick. I coated the pan with some cooking spray ahead of time. I also opted to add the pearlini mozzarella (upper right of the photo) in order to get in some additional protein.

Some tips not directly related to the recipe....

Shocking, I know, but there are many days when I just don't feel like cooking. What helps?

First, a glass of wine always seems to make the cooking process much more enjoyable and for some reason the "treat" of having a glass of wine helps prevent me from picking at things around the kitchen while I'm cooking! Some good music goes a long way as well - helps to relieve the stress of a long day. Huge fan of Pandora Radio

 but  I find that putting on some good music helps get me motivated! I'm a huge fan of Pandora Radio!

Italian table wine glasses. Love these! Got the whole set from Fishs Eddy in NYC one of my favorite stores!

Recipe of the Week - Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Pizza is somewhat of a staple in our house. Shocked? Actually pizza can be a very quick, easy and HEALTHY meal when not loaded down with a lot of unhealthy ingredients. We always have the ingredients to make a very basic cheese pizza in the house because most ingredients are relatively non-perishable (if stored in the right way).

The recipe for the dough came from a good friend of mine (Greta). 

Ingredients
2 packages rapid rise yeast
2 cups warm water
~2 cups all purpose flour
~2 cups whole wheat flour
~1.5 Tbs. sugar

Instructions
Dissolve sugar in water and sprinkle yeast on sugar water mixture. Let sit for ~20 minutes (the mixture will foam and look frothy). Slowly mix in equal parts all purpose and whole wheat flour until a nice dough forms (you want it to not be sticky). Coat a clean bowl with cooking spray and let the dough rise for an hour (if time, punch the dough down and let it rise a second time).

Note: You CAN make the dough with all whole wheat flour if you prefer but the taste and texture are considerably different.

Once the dough has risen at least once roll out the dough on the counter. We usually brush the dough with an olive oil mixture containing the oil, garlic, oregano, basil and a pinch of salt.  Top the pizza with a think layer of sauce (if you prefer) and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (add some parm if you prefer). We usually top ours with lots of fresh veggies (frozen veggies work well also) or add fresh basil and tomato. I made a pizza recently with goat cheese, arugula and pears so you can mix it up. The one below is a basic tomato with mushrooms (one of my favorites). Enjoy!

New Resource!

50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food

by Susan Albers, Psy. D.

I recently found another great resource that I wanted to share with you all. I just purchased and started reading the book referenced above. So far, I've found it to be quite helpful. Mindfulness, meditation, etc. is an area that I'm interested in learning more about - hoping to expand my horizons in the coming year. We eat for so many reasons beyond fulfilling our physiological and biological needs. We eat because we are happy or sad, when we're stressed or when we're relaxed. Basically, depending upon the individual and/or the situation most any emotion across the gamut could be a trigger or excuse to eat.

If you've got some free time check out this resource and take the first step in overcoming your emotional eating!

Ramekins - Not Just for Sauces!.

Many of us may have ramekins lying around our kitchen that we use for sauces or perhaps to put dry goods (salt, pepper, spices etc.) in while cooking. We often don't think of them (at least the smaller ones) as good serving bowls. The next time you want to enjoy your favorite treat such as ice cream, sorbet or pudding try eating it out of a ramekin. You can find ones that hold between 1/4 - 1/2 cup which is the perfect serving size for such desserts. They also work well for nuts and dried fruit! When you eat these foods out of a smaller container you feel like you're getting more!

The Case for Cookbooks: A dying breed!

In the age of the world wide web and subsequent availability of mass amounts of free information, cookbook sales seem to be on the decline. Why pay for a cookbook when you can get recipes for free online, right? I would actually make an argument to the contrary. Not that I am against using the web to find recipes and cooking tips - believe me, I use it all the time and it is indeed a fabulous! However, I often find using the web to be a bit daunting and overwhelming; quite frankly, it's information overload.

For those of you who are just starting out with the whole cooking thing, looking for new ideas on the web may be a good place to go occasionally. However, there is nothing like the security of having a collection of great recipes in a readily available, condensed format. Many of the clients that I work with that are trying to prepare more meals at home feel completely overwhelmed by the process of not only preparing meals, but planning and shopping for them. Anything you can do to make this process a bit less daunting will be helpful; I promise.

My suggestion is to spend some time at your favorite bookstore. Grab a good cup of coffee or tea and just sit in the cooking section of the store and peruse the selection of cookbooks. Look for books with recipes that you will actually make. Yes, I know this sounds silly but don't be too idealistic in your selection. If you're like most of us and juggling home life, work and a million other things or if cooking is not high on your list of things you enjoy doing, then choosing "The Gourmet Cookbook" might not be the best choice. Find a book that suits both your taste preferences and time restraints.

Check out the "Resources" section of this blog and "My Favorite Things" for some of my favorite cookbooks and cooking resources!

Living Social Deal for Healthy Olive Oils and Vinegars - Get it while you can!

Today's Living Social deal is for Midtown Olive Press - $15.00 for $30.00 to spend on fresh pressed olive oils and vinegars! I have never visited this shop but it looks amazing! Olive oils are rich in Omega 3s which are beneficial for heart health. I often talk to my patients about creating their own healthier salad dressings at home instead of buying the commercially prepared ones. You really do get what you pay for with regards to olive oils  - the quality and flavor can be far superior depending on what kind you buy. Check out the deal but hurry before it's gone!

Staying Healthy While Traveling

This is the time of year when many of us are taking summer vacations and doing lots of traveling in general. Being out of our normal routine and surroundings can be one of the biggest set-backs to our healthy lifestyles. I've had patients say to me "I only gained 3 pounds while I was away". Doesn't seem that bad, right? Keep in mind you have to eat an EXCESS (i.e. above and beyond what your body needs to maintain its current weight) of 3,500 calories in order to gain one pound of fat. So, if you gained 3 pounds (assuming that it's all fat mass which I'll admit is not a totally fair assessment) you would have eaten an excess of 10,500 calories - the equivalent of about 21 McDonald's Big Macs.

It's definitely OK to splurge a bit on vacation - that's what they are for! However, don't totally fall off the wagon; you'll have to burn off those 10,500 calories when you get home - which is not fun. Here's some tips for staying on track.

1. Don't give up your exercise routine! Most hotels have great fitness facilities that you can use. Also, try to do a lot of walking. Especially if you are in a big city - try walking places instead of taking a car or train.

2. Pack some healthy snacks. Throw some non-perishable healthy snacks from home in your suitcase and purse/carry-on (if flying). Foods available at the airport are usually overpriced and unhealthy - be prepared! If traveling by car, same thing; pack a cooler with healthy beverages and snacks. I pack several single-serving packages of my Heart Healthy Oatmeal (see recipe on blog) in my suitcase - all you need is some hot water (which you can usually get from the coffee pot in the room).

3. Find a grocery store. Next time that you're traveling (especially for an extended stay) find a grocery store nearby where you can pick up some fresh fruit and other healthy items. Many times there is a mini-fridge in the room where you can store perishable items. If no mini-fridge most fruit will last at room temp for at least a couple of days. This will save you both time and money.

Happy and safe summer travels!

Cooking Light now has an App!

Cooking Light is one of my favorite publications/websites. They just released their app! (at least it's the first app that I know of...) You can purchase it for just $3.99. I don't have an internet-capable phone so I can't use it - sigh! Check it out here.

Here's what it promises: "Build a healthy menu or choose one of ours in a snap! Swipe through more than 300 easy, delicious chicken, beef, pork, fish and vegetarian entrées—then add sides and desserts to make healthy weeknight meals you and your family will love"

 If anyone tries it out, let me know how you like it!

The Importance of Setting Boundaries

Today after dinner as I was washing up dishes I heard the alluring call of the dark chocolate hiding away in my pantry. Deciding that I would let myself have 1 block (square) I pulled it out and decided to eat one. As I finished the task of cleaning up the kitchen I suddenly looked down realizing I'd eaten not 1 but at least 4 or 5 pieces. How did all those pieces make it to my mouth without even tasting it? I suddenly realized I'd broken one of my #1 healthy eating rules - I ate in a "no eating zone". For me, the kitchen is one of the easiest places  to give in to temptations so I've made the rule that I will not eat in the kitchen. Whenever I break this rule it's never good - trust me.

What places do you find yourself eating in an unhealthy manner? Your car? At your desk? In front of the television? Bottom Line: It's important to set boundaries. Limit your eating to places where you know you'll actually sit down and appreciate your food not shovel it without even enjoying it.