Here’s what I’ve been munching on this month!

Smucker’s Organic Peanut Butter

Ok, who does not have a peanut butter craving from time to time? Lately, I’ve definitely been on a peanut butter kick. My favorite way to consume peanut butter is on a pure, plain, and simply peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Nothing beats it. Nothing.

What I love: Smucker’s Organic Peanut Butter (I buy the creamy kind) has just two ingredients: peanuts & salt. If you take any of the regular peanut butter types, you can be stuck with high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, hydrogenated oils, and other ingredients which simply take away from the goodness and flavor of natural of organic peanut butter. I love the fact that this peanut butter is creamy, not too salty, and perfectly natural.

What I don’t like: The fat and calorie content still tends to be quite high, which is true for just about any peanut butter you’re eating. Stick to a tablespoon or two a day and you’re in the clear.

The Verdict: Have some real, natural, organic peanut butter and get a good dose of monosaturated fats (the kind that lower the “bad” cholesterol LDL), antioxidants, and protein as an added side benefit!

Trader Joe’s Sesame Soba Noodles

This is an excellent example of a great, wonderful, and nutritious lunch or other meal-on-the-go. All you need is a microwave and you’ve got yourself a tangy, aromatic Asian meal.

What I love: These noodles are so delicious and filling! They literally keep me full for hours after I eat them. Soba noodles tend to be low in calories as well and this dish doesn’t contain more than 250 of them! The noodles, tofu, and veggies have a wonderful, tangy, sesame flavor that I definitely crave from time to time.

What I don’t like: The only drawback here would be that one bowl of these noodles does contain 25% of your daily sodium allotment. In addition, it is a frozen, not fresh meal, so as addictive as these may be, try to switch things up and eat some fresh foods as part of your meal as well.

The Verdict: Definitely give these a try! As I mentioned, you can find them at your local Trader Joe’s, in the freezer section. They are decently priced as well (under $3.00, I believe), so this makes for a great, cheap, and tasty lunch when you’re on-the-go.

Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar

If you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert, look no further! These bars are a great way to keep calories in check while satisfying your sweet tooth.

What I love: CHOCOLATE! I’ll eat pretty much anything even remotely related to chocolate, but the down side of that is that the calories tend to pile up quickly. This Kashi fruit & grain bar contains only 120 calories in addition to 4g of fiber and 4g of protein. It’s also free of preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavors.

What I don’t like: I can’t believe I’m typing this, but sometimes these can get a little TOO much in terms of sweetness. One of them is definitely enough, but that’s probably a good thing anyway =).

The Verdict: Toss one in your lunch bag or have one for dessert. It’s a lot more satisfying and definitely healthier than some of the other desserts you could be having. Once in a while, you’ve got to indulge, but Kashi makes it easy to do so, even when it feels like you’re being bad. Check out some of their other (less dessert-like) flavors as well.

Right before we left for our trip to Italy in May, I decided that I wanted to try making my own pesto. It turned out great, but while on a food tour in Florence, Italy, we found out that the way I make pesto is actually spot on. It’s made pretty much the same way in Italy. The only difference is that I use fresh lemon juice and the Italians don’t. I think it adds a burst of freshness, but, don’t just take my word for it, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
1/2 lemon, juiced, seeds removed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 3-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. In a food processor, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.

3. Start grinding the mixture together and gradually stream in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. I don’t prefer too much oil in my pesto and this seems works better with the chicken, so be careful with the amount of oil you pour.

4. Once the peso is pasty and smooth, start preheating your grill plate or outdoor grill.

5. Add the chicken to the grill and baste each side with the pesto sauce.

6. Grill until chicken is cooked. Server warm and enjoy!

Don’t eat chicken? No problem! Try the same recipe with grilled tofu instead. This goes great with the heirloom tomato recipe on my site and with some buttery garlic bread.

If you’ve never tried quinoa, you might not know how to cook it at first. Luckily, this grain that is mostly found in South America, is as easy to handle as rice. If you can boil rice, you can cook quinoa. Although you can certainly eat it alone, I thought it tasted particularly good with the corn-avocado salad that I made with it. Quinoa provides a good amount of protein and is also an excellent source of manganese, magnesium, and iron.

Ingredients

1 cup of red quinoa
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the corn-avocado salad:

1 15 1/4 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained or:
4 medium ears of yellow corn, with kernels cut from the cobs
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon of Mexican chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa and cook with 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes in the microwave, or a bit longer on the stove, until all liquid is absorbed. You should be able to use the same 2-1 ratio of water to quinoa as you use for rice.

2. Peel and slice the avocado and set aside. Chop the red bell pepper and cilantro.

3. Mix the corn, black beans, bell pepper, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

4. Toss in cilantro and top with sliced avocado.

5. Combine with the red quinoa or serve separately.

I am totally nuts about this recipe! Maybe because there’s hardly any cutting required and to me, there’s nothing better than fresh, sautéed veggies. Try pairing this with grilled chicken or meat. Goes great with some French or garlic bread as well.

Ingredients

1 pound of heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on the size of the tomato
2 cups of baby spinach, washed
1 cup of crimini mushrooms, sliced
a handful of reduced fat feta cheese
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1.Slice the tomatoes and mushrooms and set aside with the washed baby spinach.

2. Heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes and mushrooms.

3. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes and then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted and the tomatoes start to break down a bit.

4. Turn off the heat and add the feta cheese. You don’t even need to add salt since the cheese will provide the right amount of saltiness to the entire dish. Serve immediately.

This is another FoodNetwork.com recipe that I thought was worth sharing. I tried making this just this morning and not only did it make the house smell amazing, it was really easy to prepare and turns out to be a wonderful dish for entertaining. You can find the recipe for the dish here, but read through some tips on how I made this a bit different:

• I found that you actually need much more bread than the recipe calls for. No matter what kind of bread you choose, use twice the amount, so six slices instead or the recipe will turn out too mushy.
• If you want the recipe to be more like a bread pudding, use the amount of milk recommended, otherwise, if you want this to be a little less mushy, use 2.5 cups of milk instead of 3. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk and this worked just fine.
• I changed this into an organic recipe since I normally buy all the ingredients organic. This obviously won’t affect the taste much, if at all, and you certainly don’t have to buy organic,but I find that blueberries, butter, and milk are good candidates to buy organic because of the amount of pesticides and hormones normally found in them. Besides, you won’t just improve your health, you’ll be helping out organic farmers and the earth as well!

With Father’s day coming up, this isn’t a bad recipe to surprise dad with. Goes great with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I bet you the kids will love it, too.

Summer’s around the corner! That means that if you have an outdoor grill, you better put it to use! If you can’t grill outside, don’t worry. This recipe will work just as well on a George Foreman or grill plate. Check out the red quinoa and corn-avocado salad recipes for easy side dishes to pair with the lamb.

Ingredients

A full rack of lamb
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce:
2 cups of plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
about a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
about a handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Trim the fat of the rack of lamb, if not done already and separate into chops.

2. Put the chops in a large bowl and lightly rub with the finely chopped garlic, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, chopped jalapeño, and salt and pepper. Marinate in the fridge overnight or at least 3 hours.

3. To make the sauce: Throw the cilantro and mint in a food chopper and grind together until finely chopped. Add to the yogurt and add garlic, salt and pepper. Put the sauce back in the fridge.

4. Grill the lamb chops on medium heat on the grill until they are cooked, but tender. Enjoy with sauce on top or on the side.

If you’re looking for something new to do with sweet potatoes, I highly recommend trying this recipe because it’s simple, healthy, and makes an excellent side dish, anytime of the year. You can find the recipe here, but take a look at how I changed things up:

• I used about half the amount of onion and added 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic.
• I sautéed the spinach with the chopped garlic for just about 2 minutes before adding the sweet potatoes to it. This is because the first time that I made this recipe, the spinach didn’t wilt very easily.
• I used orange blossom honey since I think the orange undertones in the honey work really well with both veggies.
• I added a pinch of grated nutmeg. Nutmeg and spinach are just made for each other.

Give this a try, I am sure you’ll love it!

Here’s what I’ve been eating (and drinking) this month!

Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese & Fruit

Cottage cheese is very versatile and can be used to make anything from lasagna to tuna salad. It’s also a really convenient snack and even serve as a light breakfast or lunch with some extra fruit.

What I love: I often eat the Breakstone’s cottage cheese & fruit for breakfast because it keeps me full for a while, plus it’s low in fat and calories and give you 15% of your daily dose of Calcium. My favorite flavors? Pineapple and strawberry!

What I don’t like: The taste of cottage cheese takes some getting used to. It also has its share of sodium so it’s a bit on the salty side, which is why I think the fruit goes well with it. If you eat this for a few weeks in a row, you might get a bit tired of it.

The Verdict: Grab some in the dairy isle and try having this for breakfast with some extra fruit, juice, or tea on the side. It’s a great way to start your day.

Horizon organic milk

Organic milk is something that’s fairly new to me, as I previously purchased regular 1% milk. However, it’s becoming more common and the variety of brands is slowly increasing, so I hope that this also means that the number of organic farms are increasing, which will increase supply and hopefully lower prices as well.

What I love: The taste!! Organic milk just tastes much better than regular milk to me. In addition, it has a longer shelf (refrigerator shelf, that is) life since it is pasteurized. I drink a small glass every night to get an extra dose of Calcium in. The great thing about this milk is that it also comes in very convenient on-the-go packages, which are great for you or the kids when you’re on the road.

What I don’t like: Organic milk is still a bit pricey…as much as $1.20 more for half a gallon. However, I think this is a small price to pay for helping out organic farmers, your health, and the environment.

The Verdict: You don’t completely have to move over to the “green” side, but try switching out your regular milk for organic one week and see what you think!

Bigelow Organic Pomegranate Acai Berry Tea

This is one of my favorite new teas! Bigelow is a brand that you can find at almost any grocery store, so this shouldn’t be too hard to find.

What I love: The tea itself provides a good amount of mellow sweetness, so you might not even need sugar in this. Plus, it provides a good amount of antioxidants.

What I don’t like: Not much, really! Don’t try drinking this tea if you need a hefty dose of caffeine, though, it won’t provide it.

The Verdict: Try this as a nice, fruity, and refreshing substitute for green tea. You’ll love it!

When on vacation in Hawaii last year, Anil and I ate these amazing coconut pancakes at a cozy breakfast place on Waikiki beach. The pancakes were actually just regular once you could get at iHop but they came with this fabulous coconut syrup that I could almost drink! That breakfast inspired me to whip up these pina colada waffles…I added pineapple into the mix because coconuts and pineapple are obviously a natural fit. The thing I love about this recipe is that it’s not too sweet, yet it satisfies your sweet tooth. You do need a waffle maker for this recipe. If you need any recommendations, let me know, but I have the Waring Pro Professional Belgian Waffle Maker and it’s fabulous! You can find it on Amazon or Macys.com, in addition to other sites. A waffle maker is a great investment, in my opinion, because it’s pretty easy to use if you buy the right one and is awesome for entertaining. This recipe doesn’t take long to make at all, so get out a bowl or two and get ready for a wonderful spring brunch!

Ingredients (for 2 people, yields about 2.5 to 3 waffles)

For the waffles:

2 cups of Bisquick Hearth Healthy mix
1 1/3 cup of milk – preferably skim or 1%
1 egg
2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons of coconut extract

For the pina colada topping:

One 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained, or fresh pineapple
About 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons of light sour cream
1/2 cup of sweetened coconut flakes
A splash of milk

Directions

1. Add the Bisquick mix to a large bowl and make a small well in the middle. Add the egg, milk, and oil to the middle of the dry mix and mix everything together until smooth.

2. Mix in the coconut extract and set the batter aside.

3. Drain the pineapple, or cut fresh pineapple into small tid bits.

4. Add the condensed milk and sour cream and mix together with the pineapple. You want to make sure that the mixture does not get too liquidity, so use your judgment when adding the splash of milk.

5. Toss in the sweetened coconut flakes and set aside.

6. Bake the waffles on your favorite setting. They should be golden brown, slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside.

7. Top the waffles with the pina colada topping, serve immediately, and enjoy!

If you really want to be adventurous, you can try adding a shot or two of coconut rum to the topping. This will make your topping a bit more watery, so you do need to be careful about how much you add. I haven’t tried this yet, so no guarantees here

I’ve made a few changes to my blog that I hope you’ll like. Here’s what’s new:

Since I’ve been extremely busy over the last few months, I decided to post more recipes that are quick to prepare, since that’s what I’ve been focusing on. Let’s be realistic…whether you work full-time, are a stay-at-home-mom with young kids, or enjoy the best of both worlds, no one has the time to spend endless hours in the kitchen. I thought we could all use a break, so most of the recipes you’ll see from now on are either fast to throw together, or are weekend dishes that are designed to be prepared for when you have a bit more time to spare.

In addition to quick meals and dishes, I also wanted to focus more on healthy products that can be consumed on-the-go or make your every day meals a bit more nutricious. Look out for the “Health Nut Faves of the Month” posts each month to see what I’ve been eating lately.

Finally, I’ll be adding some more cool techie posts where I blog about the latest technologies that make my life a little easier. As you may know, technology is one of the other loves of my life, so I’ll be sharing some more ideas in this category, some which you can even take into the kitchen!

Much more to come so stay tuned!

- Varsha