My Mom left a day and a half ago and I’m still in mourning.

We had such a good time – it was filled with cousins, touring LA (movies, Venice beach, Hollywood Blvd), and many, many amazing meals.

After an amazing last breakfast (bld) and a trip to the airport, I came home utterly bummed and super sad. I ate a brownie for lunch. I sulked around. And then I pulled myself together and made these green beans. Even though I’ve been in a bit of a cooking slump lately, spending some time in the kitchen is always something I enjoy and usually makes me feel better. (If the recipe turns out well, I enjoy it even more!)

These green beans are simply delicious. I had torn out a recipe from Bon Appetit for Green Beans with Miso Butter, but the ingredient list was long and the process a bit tedious for me. I skipped most of the ingredients and process, leaving only my favorite parts. The miso adds wonderful savory flavor to standard green beans and comes together in minutes!

Eat them on a depressing afternoon, a sunny, fun afternoon or alongside some grilled fish, chicken or tofu with a side of brown rice.

Hey Friends! I’m here with another post of daily eats! I mentioned that I’ve been getting more into raw foods again (happens every spring/summer) which is why you’ll see some more raw foods than normal added into the day.

5.14.12 

Morning: For some reason this morning I didn’t feel like coffee so I had some green tea.

Breakfast 1: I got out the juicer (hadn’t used it since we moved to California) and made a lovely green juice. This one contained: cucumber, celery, pear, lemon and spinach. Juicing pros: what leafy greens produce the most juice? I didn’t seem to get much from the spinach…

Breakfast 2: 1/2 pear leftover from juice + almond butter

Workout: I took a 75 minute yoga class and it was perfect – really tough, but in a good way. Some of the people in my yoga classes are amazing and I kind of stare with my mouth open at the ways they can move their body. Someday?

Lunch: Was supposed to be an amazing salad, but my avocado decided it wasn’t quite ripe yet, so I was only able to use a small piece of it. This salad, though not perfect, was still delicious. A bed of herb green mix was topped with tomatoes, goat cheese and seasoned with balsamic + olive oil + salt & pepper.

On the side I had some carrots and celery + hummus and olive tapenade.

Snack 1: bowl of hail merry grawnola + coconut milk

Snack 2: scoop of impromptu ice cream while we were at the bike shop.

Dinner: teriyaki quinoa from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan + shrimp + bok choy. I’m clearly still on a quinoa kick, and this was a fun and flavorful way to have it for dinner.

 With a few bites of cookie and some good old crime drama on TV, I called it a day. My Mom is arriving today and I couldn’t be more excited to see her!

I go through a love-hate relationship with quinoa. I’ll go through phases where I make a batch every week and eat it up for quick lunches or dinners but then I’ll go months without making it.

After a pretty long quinoa dry spell, I needed something enticing to bring it back into my life. And I decided that something would be quinoa spring salad.

I combined cooked quinoa with a bright vinaigrette and then topped it with sauteed leeks and asparagus with some salty feta cheese and shrimp for extra protein and flavor. It was delicious! Since most of it can be made ahead of time, it is perfect for rushed weeknight dinners or packed lunches.

Kitchen24 is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in West Hollywood.

It has a lot going for it – it is within walking distance, has a great outdoor patio and a whole list of fun, creative drinks. Oh, and the food is delicious. (Although, I just discovered this past weekend that they have very few appetizers which is too bad – I love appetizers).

Richie and I went for breakfast on Easter Sunday, I was there for lunch a few weeks ago with a friend from yoga and then we visited with my friend (and baby!) who were visiting last weekend for an early evening snack. So far, everything has been great. The California Eggs Benedict was ridiculous and the Cahuenga Chopped Salad was everything I wanted it to be.

I tend to go through salad phases – I’ll make and eat a salad until I get sick of it and then I’ll have to move on. So this chopped chicken salad, inspired by the one at Kitchen24 has been my latest phase.

All of the flavors and components I need in a salad are there: a combination of greens, salty feta, briney olives, protein-rich chicken, flavorful bacon, crunchy cucumbers and apples all tossed in a tangy balsamic dressing.

I can’t give up avocados.

Not just yet. Last week my life changed with a simple little sandwich of whole grain bread + avocado + parmesan – broiled and topped with a fried egg. Thanks to reader Kelli for the suggestion – it is a combination worth trying!

But as much as I loved that sandwich, I needed something new and I had been wanting to combine basil + avocados for quite some time now. Originally I set out to make a avocado inspired pesto, but the feta cheese in the refrigerator caught my eye and I decided that it would be the perfect addition to the spread.

It turned out to be a very tasty addition.

The spread is delicious and so very versatile – it was delicious eaten with crackers and veggies and was just as scrumptious on a burger, I imagine the same would be the case on a sandwich.

Last weekend we had good friends in town and we had a BLAST! We ate great food (Umami, Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR and our neighborhood favorite Basix Cafe), went out on the Sunset Strip (Chateau Marmont, The Standard, The Hollywood Den) and then I needed to detox.

I throw around the word “detox” a lot, but all it means to me, is that I eat well (lots of veggies) and get back into my exercise and real-life routine.

Early AM: Coffee + 1/2 & 1/2 and lots of water.

Breakfast: I tried something new for breakfast today – Rush Bowls. It is essentially like eating frozen fruit sorbet + crunchy granola for breakfast. I preferred the “Power” bowl and Richie preferred the “Yoga” bowl, but they were both very good and are great for busy mornings as the only prep involved is taking them out of the freezer to thaw a bit.

Workout: 45 min spin class. I had a month membership via groupon to UpDog Yoga + Cycling and it is almost over. I loved that I could walk to the studio and that they offered both spin and yoga but the classes are pretty expensive and with my current working situation up in the air/part-time, it probably isn’t very smart to buy a monthly package. (But I want to!)

Lunch: Curried tuna salad over greens + leftover sauteed kale (in coconut oil) + triscuits. This lunch hit the spot and I managed to get in two forms of greens!

Snack: I spent the afternoon sampling Sprouted Cinnamon Raisin Bread (one of my favorites!) and snacked on the natural food version of Ranch Doritos (2 servings?). They are very good – also organic, 100% whole grain and really flavorful.

I stopped by Starbucks to do a little work and wait for Richie to finish up work before picking him up. Can you believe we have been in LA seven months and still only have one car?! I sipped on a green tea + splash of lemonade. (Need to make Michelle’s version)!

Dinner: I had a nice meal of veggies and lean protein planned, but we decided that Japanese-inspired burgers at Fuku Burger would be a much better choice. We have a few groupons for Fuku Burger and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to grab a burger in LA. I had some wine, the Karai “Spicy” Burger (Fuku-patty with pickled cucumbers, avocado cream, finished with habanero kabyaki), and some edamame and fries. I felt pretty full half-way through the meal, so I probably ate about 2/3 of the burger.

I should also admit that the social media geek in me absolutely loves that they have a screen displaying tweets – see me?

Nice detox, huh? I finished off the night with some ginger chews and lots of water.

Thoughts on the day: It definitely wasn’t a “detox” day, but I’m fine with days of not-so-perfect eating. It is the whole reason I started doing daily eats posts – to show you that you can eat a very healthy diet, but still have room for burgers and fries. Being healthy isn’t about being perfect! 

 Happy Thursday friends!

Most of us know that we should be including green leafy vegetables in our diets, but we may not know the what, why and how behind them. A combination of greens is best, so while kale is my absolute favorite, I make sure that I’m getting a wide variety of all of them (and additionally a variety of raw + cooked) in as often as I can! Aim for at least one serving of greens per day.

Greens to Eat:

• Kale, Chard, Collard Greens
• Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage
• Broccoli Rabb, Beet Greens
• Lettuce: Romaine, Bibb, Green/Red Leaf
• Spinach, Arugula, Mache

Why Eat Greens:

• High in antioxidants
• High in manganese, zinc and vitamins A, C, and K
• Good levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium
• Full of fiber
• Can help to promote blood purification
• Can help to prevent cancer

How to Eat Greens:

• Salads
• Sauteed (my current favorite)
• Baked (Kale Chips)
• Steamed
• Recipes to try: creamed kale, spaghetti with broccoli rabe, toasted garlic and bread crumbs, garlic sauteed spinach, rainbow chopped salad

How do you feel about greens? What is your favorite way to eat greens? 

Southern California is known for its lack of real seasons, and I hear time and time again, “I just could never live without the change of seasons.” To which I reply with, “Yes, I know. Seventy-five and sunny most of the year is awful.”

I might miss the seasons (fall and spring only) at some point, but I haven’t noticed yet – I’ve been enjoying the weather just the way it is.

But now that spring has arrived for the rest of the world, it is time to embrace all of the lovely spring foods and produce.

This Spring Chicken Salad is wonderful – it has the bright and light flavors that we love in the spring and is so versatile – serve it over greens, on toasted bread, in a wrap or even mixed into pasta salad! I hear scooping it straight of the bowl with crackers is also delicious…

The inspiration came from Bon Appetit’s Three Pea Chicken Salad – I wouldn’t have thought to add peas to chicken salad on my own, but it was such a wonderful addition. I’m hooked! As an added bonus, this recipe is on the lighter side, without tasting anything like it. Greek yogurt replaces most of the mayonnaise but it isn’t evident at all, in case you live with someone who doesn’t like greek yogurt like me.

Is it really April? I’m still not convinced.

Coffee: I started with some coffee + 1/2 & 1/2 but just wasn’t feeling the coffee so switched to some green tea. Some days that happens – I have no idea why.

Breakfast: I hadn’t had eggs in a few days so I was craving them. Eggs and toast is probably what I would consider my standard/favorite meal to be – anytime of the day! I never get sick of it. Yesterday I had, sourdough rye bread + earth balance + 2 eggs.

I had a busy day of work, spring cleaning and prepping for an exciting interview – cross your fingers!

Workout: This really isn’t a “workout” but I wanted to move a little (but didn’t feel like actually working out) so I went for a short walk to pick up  a few things at Whole Foods. (1.5 miles) The weather in LA was absolutely gorgeous – it felt so good to be outside!

Lunch: Vegetables were, uh, lacking this past weekend so I was needing produce in my life! I had an apple while putting everything together.

Salad: mixed greens + blue cheese + nuts + dried cranberries + champagne viniagrette.

Side: bowl of kale sauteed with coconut oil.

Snack: 2 cups of Movie Theatre Popcorn from Trader Joe’s. I love my popcorn.

At about 6pm I decided I should do my taxes – normally I get them done right away in February, but I’ve been putting them off, mainly because I thought it was going to be a huge pain this year, but it really wasn’t. I have two small glitches to work through and then they are done! (Let’s hope the “small” glitches are just that)!

Taxes –> Wine!

Dinner: One of our go-to meals of late has been turkey meatballs (Trader Joe’s) with marinara. I usually serve mine over greens or vegetables instead of pasta because I never miss the pasta and I’d rather eat really good pasta than average pasta.

kale + 4 turkey meatballs + marinara + green beans

 And 2 ginger chews to finish the night off!

Have you done your taxes? Please tell me I’m not the only procrastinator!

I hope you all are enjoying my simple & healthy meal ideas. The whole purpose is to give you meal ideas that are delicious and nutritious while at the same time satisfying your family and going from the kitchen to table in less than 30 minutes.

Todays meal, Sausage & Peppers, is one that you can go in many different directions with. Richie loves it over pasta, I’m a huge fan of it stuffed in bread, but you could also serve it over brown rice or even use it as a pizza topping or in a calzone.

Serve with a fresh side salad for a complete meal.

The process is fast and simple:

1. Prepare grain component if necessary.
2. Grill or saute sausage, slicing after grilling or before sautéing.
3. Saute peppers, onions and other vegetables, sliced into bite size pieces.
4. Top with “extra flavor” if desired.

Grain:

• brown rice
• whole grain pasta (or a whole grain/white blend)
• sub roll
• on pizza dough or wrapped in it for a calzone

Protein:

• chicken sausage
• pork or blend sausage
• veggie sausage

Vegetables:

• bell peppers
• onions
• mushrooms
• spinach (thrown in at the last minute to quickly wilt)

Extra Flavor:

• marinara sauce
• roasted or canned tomatoes
• parmesan cheese
• smoked mozzarella cheese