Recipe: Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad

If you don't like beets, no worries! It is just because you haven't had them like this! When I was interning at the Greenbrier, we had a salad similar for a week or so. I had to roast so many beets that it literally took me a good 2 hours of prepping them plus the hour long cooking time.... sometimes more! Luckily, you won't be spending a few hours on this yum salad.

Baby beets are grown year around. The vibrant colors and sweetness of the beets and blood oranges in this salad are accentuated by the creamy-white feta and crunchy nuts. Feel free to substitute baby mixed greens, mache, or frisee for the arugula. Fresh goat cheese works jsut s nicely as feta. In fact, the farmer's market usually has it, and you can taste the difference! No comparison! If you can't find baby beets, the larger ones will do fine. Just take a little longer to roast.

Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad- Serving: Yields 4 (as side salad)

Ingredients:
- 1 # Roasted Baby Beets at Room Temp.
- 1/3 c. Orange Walnut Vinaigrette or Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette (see below)
- 6 c. Baby Arugula, carefully rinsed and dried
- 2 Blood Oranges or Naval Oranges, segmented
- 1/4 c. Crumbled Feta Cheese
- 1/2 c. Spiced Candied Walnuts or if it's fam dinner just toast the walnuts for a few minutes

Method Of Preparation:

1. Cut the beets in half or quarters so that they are bite size. Place beets in a small bowl, add 1 to 2 Tbsp. of the vinaigrette, and toss until the beets are coated. Can be done in advance if desired.

2. Jusst before serving, place arugula in a large salad bowl. Add about 3 Tbsp. of vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat the arugula, then taste to see if it needs more.

3. Transfer the argula to individual plates/platter. Arrange the beets, orange segments, sprinkle feta on top and walnuts over them. Serve immediately.

This is a great salad to do a couple times that week. Roast beets ahead of time, and you have a great snack. Serve the salad twice to the family, and so it really was worth your while!

Orange Walnut Vinaigrette- Makes about 1 1/4 c.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. Good Quality Walnut Oil
- 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbps. Fresh Orange Juice or Blood Orange Juice
- 1 Tsp. Finely Grated Orange Zest*
- 5 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
- 2 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp. Finely Minced Shallots
- 1/4 Tsp. Salt
- 1/4 Tsp. Fresh Black Pepper

*Do a little extra zest and use it on some asian chicken... Try making your own marinade with garlic, orange zest, ginger, soy, and bourbon for later that week. Serve extra orange segments for before dinner or a snack for you!

Method of Preparation:
1. Place all ingredients in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. I say this a great way for the kids to get involved. I typically like to do fresh dressing before I start on dinner itself, so that it has time to sit and let the flavors intermingle. Save left over dressing and store in the fridge for up to 1 month!

If you see things on the ingredients list that you know your family won't eat or get near. Or you thing that buying a couple ingredients will go bad in your house, e-mail me so we can figure out how you can personalize it to you! Happy cooking everyone!

Recipe: Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)

You don't have to be able to pronounce this to make it! Actually, it is easier to make then pronounce! Ha! This is such a flavorful soup, and it is different! A great different! So, light some candles because this tastes so so exquisite!

Tom Kha Gai

Yields 10 Servings

Ingredients:

Amount	Ingredient description
2 tbsp	Lemon grass puree
3 each	Ginger root
2 quarts	White chicken stock
1 lb	Chicken breast
8 oz	Straw mushrooms
2 tsp	Salt
6 tbsp	Fresh lime juice
6 tbsp	Fish sauce
1 tbsp	Granulated sugar
6 cups	Fat-free Coconut milk
6 each	Red bird eye chilis

Methods Of Preparation:

• There are many ways you can steam chicken, but I do that first in in a large stock pot with strainer.

• While chicken is cooking, peel ginger, small dice chilis, quarter mushrooms, and measure out ingredients.

• Pull the chicken out and let cool on cutting board.

• In a large stock pot, add stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Add other ingredients except chilies and coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Small dice the cooled chicken breasts and add to the soup.

• Add chilies and coconut milk and serve.

Hint: When buying stock, refer to the post, All You Need To Know About Stock!

Hint: Steam chicken about 3/4 of the way. You want to finish it in the soup simmering process.

Hint; Red bird eye chilis are a little hard to find. Just use a really hot pepper. It brings a kick not fire. I promise! The coconut milk really tones it down.

Hint: You can use button mushrooms for a cheaper mushroom option.

Hint: A great garnish for the soup is cilantro.

Portion Distortion

     When choosing items to eat, do you wonder how much is too much? These days, everyone has their opinions on how to lose weight, find the perfect exercise, and the perfect outfit for your newly sculpted hawt body! I think what works is listening to your body. Being in tune with your body's natural cues will tell you what you need... sometimes professional help is needed to require this technique. It is just as important in listening to what your body needs as it is how much your body needs! 

     Lately, when I have been home alone, those satanic girl scout cookies have been calling my name! On occasion, I will eat 1 or 2. My body wants (not needs) cookies, but I have trained myself to eat what I need. So, when the situation presents itself, and I want a treat, I have the will power to say no more frequently. My self-control comes from a few years of eating mini meals. I eat smaller meals more frequently. My body is at optimum health when I do this. I think we all work a little differently; so, this may not be ideal for you.

     I think we can really benefit greatly by eating smaller portion sizes. This gives opportunity to eat different items versus a large sum of one item. It also promotes a healthy habit of smaller portions.

     Below are 7 categories that list proper food amounts along with an image. This is so that when you are eating, you can better control the portion size. Controlling the portion are going to do a several things for you!

1. For those looking to lose weight, it will keep portions under control.

2. If your body works best when you graze, this will increase your BMR (Baseline Metabolic Rate). BMR is a how fast the body burns calories.

3. If you are also eating 4 to 6 mini meals a day, this will increase your energy level.

4. If you are eating mini meals too, this increase your energy levels.

5. By getting in a habit of eating smaller portions, you are decreasing your appetite.

6. By practicing self-control, you are avoiding falling into emotional eating.

~Serving Sizes~

Vegetables:

• 1 potato = computer mouse

• 1 c. broccoli/carrots = baseball

• 1/2 c. mashed potatoes = light bulb

• 1 c. cooked vegetables = baseball

• 1 c. leafy greens = baseball

Dairy:

• 1 1/2 oz. hard cheese = 3 dice

• 1 c. yogurt = baseball

• 1/2 c. frozen yogurt = light bulb

• 1/2 c. ice cream = light bulb

Meats & Proteins:

• 3 oz. lean beef = deck of cards

• 1/2 c. beans = light bulb

• 3 oz. cooked fish = check book

• 2 tbsp. hummus = golf ball

• 1 oz. lunch meat = cd

• 1/2 c. tofu = cassette tape

• 1/4 c. nuts = golf ball

Grains:

• bagel = 6 oz. can of tuna

• biscuit = hockey puck

• slice of bread = cassette tape

• 1 c. cereal = baseball

• 1/2 c. grains = light bulb

• 1 c. pasta = baseball

• 1 c. popcorn = baseball

• 1/2 c. cooked rice = light bulb

• waffle/pancake = cd

Fruits:

• 1 c./med. apple = baseball

• banana = length of pencil

• 1/2 c. blueberries = light bulb

• 1 oz. dried fruit = golf ball

• 1/2 c. grapes = light bulb

• 1/4 c. raisins= golf ball

• 1 c. strawberries = baseball

Fats & Oils:

• 1 tbsp. butter/dressing/mayo/5 olives = poker chip

Sweets:

• 2 in. sq. brownie = dental floss

• slice of cake = deck of cards

• 1 oz. chocolate = dental floss

•  2 oz. cinnamon roll = hockey puck

• cookie = 2 poker chips

• muffin = hockey puck

• 1 c. pudding = baseball

Mixed Foods:

• bbq ribs = check book

• 1 c. soup/chili = baseball

• 3 oz. burger = deck of cards

• burrito = check book

• 3 oz. chicken parmesan = deck of cards

• 8 oz. pot pie = baseball

• 1 c. french fries = baseball

• sub/hero = check book

• 3 in. sq. lasagna = baseball

• slice of pizza = 2-$1 dollar bills

• 1 c. lo mein = baseball

• 1 c. macaroni cheese = baseball

• 4 oz. nachos = check book

• sandwich = 2 deck of cards