Ms Lily's Favourite Cakes

My family and I recently celebrated my mom's birthday dinner at Ms Lily's on Houston. If you haven't been yet, get there! The Jamaican-style diner moves fast and serves up delicious fish dishes, Caribbean appetizers, and tasty curry. The bar is wine and beer only, but they've got some quite imaginative "cocktails" that will knock your socks off. Check out our delicious meal if you're not yet convinced...

The Appetizers:

Ackee Dip with Plantain Chips

Corn on the Cob rolled in Toasted Coconut
(My favorite dish of the evening!)

The Entrees

Curried Goat

Vegetable Roti
(Great with the rice to soak up the yummy sauce!)

Steamed fish with dirty rice on the side

Dessert!

We went with Mango Mousse
(evening's special) instead of a cake. So light, so mango-y!

Make a Meal out of Appetizers

Want to have a dinner party without tons of work? So did I! Some appetizers homemade and some simply store-bought and plated--I was able to do about 20 minutes of cooking, and enjoy hours of relaxed conversation with one of my favorite dinner guest. The key is to have a mix of breads/starch, vegetables, meats and cheeses. Hearty enough for a meal, but healthy enough to nibble while you chat. Here's what was served:

• Zucchini Oven "Fries" with Spicy Garlic Aioli (see recipe below)
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears (simply blanch the spears, wrap them, and stick toothpicks)
• Grandaisy Bakery Sesamo bread with brie cheese, olive oil and vinegar for dipping
• Delicious red wine (courtesy of my generous guest)

Zucchini Oven “Fries” with Spicy Garlic Aioli

For the Zucchini Fries

2 Medium Zucchinis

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 tsp dried basil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

For the Aioli

1 Tbs mayonnaise

¼ cup Greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)

1-2 garlic cloves, roasted and mashed

1 Tbs Sriracha sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, then into ¼” diameter spears.
3. Beat egg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 2 Tbs Parmesan, basil, salt and pepper in bowl.
4. Coat each zucchini spear first in egg, then breadcrumb mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet. Once all spears coated, bake for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through.
5. While zucchini is baking, prepare Aioli by combining all ingredients in bowl. Transfer to small dish for dipping.
6. Remove zucchini from oven, sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs grated Parmesan and serve with Aioli.

 

Weekday Breakfast and Lunch NYC Favorites

My time in NYC in drawing to a close (BIG sigh). As I get prepped for a move out west to Los Angeles, I'm getting nostalgic and trying to frequent my go-to favorites over the last few years. I'm excited to share these 2: The Grey Dog and Westville.. These places have sung my breakfast/lunch heart song since the summer I moved here, and continue to do so to this day!

 Having the opportunity to catch up with a busy friend over a late-morning weekday breakfast at Grey Dog is nearly as indulgent as the food itself.  I went with the Morning Gloria muffin and an iced coffee on a warm spring NYC day (the Vegan Pumpkin muffin is also delicious, but go early because they often run out). Friendly indy staff, delicious coffee, and breakfast pastries that are the perfect combo of not-to-sweet and hearty. It's hard to ask for anything more! But you can have it--come back at dinnertime and enjoy their delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, beer and wine.





In case these photos don't say it all--a crowd-pleasing spot to meet for brunch, lunch or dinner. Everything from great burgers and hot dogs to plates of salmon and vegetables to amazing cobbler and cookies. Whatever you do, make sure you get the Market Sides! My mom and I got a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, the daily soup, and a plate of 4 market sides--glazed Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, beets with goat cheese, and roasted fennel with Parmesan. This might be my favorite lunch spot in all of NYC...really going to miss it!

Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Chorizo

Dishing up a plate of the Market Sides!

Urth Caffe

I paid a bit more for lunch at this popular cafe than I'd hoped. But my recent day of lunch and studying at Urth in West Hollywood was delicious and the outdoor pick-me-up I needed. The cost can likely be attributed though to high quality, organic ingredients...and the chance of bumping into a celeb. I'm the kind of person that would rather spend a bit more for something delicious and fresh, than a bit less for something that leaves me groggy all afternoon. The cranberry walnut bread with organic butter that came with my Urth Farmers Salad was a tasty treat as well. And, as always, delicious iced coffee is the key to my heart! Will definitely be back for lunch on their patio in the weeks to come.

Red Meat Causes Death...Fact or Fiction

A recent Archives of Internal Medicine Study found that the more red meat you eat, no matter what the source, the higher your risk of death.

Unsurprisingly, processed meats (i.e. hot dogs) had stronger associations with mortality vs. unprocessed (i.e. steak), suggesting the particularly harmful effects of the preservatives used, including nitrites, sodium, and phosphate additives. The study looked at red meat consumption in relationship to calorie intake, but failed to adjust for individual fat consumption or fat content of meat cuts. So we still don't know if a leaner red meat cut is as harmful as a fattier cut. They were able to show that substituting red meat with fish, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy, whole grains (basically, any healthy food) showed lower risk of mortality--not shocking news given all we know about the benefits of a rounded, plant-based diet.

Summary: It's still ok to eat red meat! Moderation is key. Aim for 1-2 servings per week at most. And, as always, eat your vegetables.

Escondito Falls

This past weekend I went on a "hike" through Malibu's Escondito Falls. While the first two legs offered a rigorous but novice hiking experience, I will go ahead and call the third and final leg an all-out boulder climb (and I'm NEVER one to exaggerate). With shaky legs, we summitted the cliff for a beautiful view of the waterfall beneath and the Pacific Ocean. The next day, I felt not only accomplished, but general body soreness--a hurt-so-good kind of feeling. Not surprising given that just 30 minutes of rock climbing burns nearly 400 calories. If you're not up for the last leg, the view of the second waterfall is still worth the trek.

Climbing out of this cave required advanced shimmying technique.

Shakshouka

This middle-eastern dish of eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce is bubbling hot and perfect for sharing on a cold night! I served it with some homemade whole wheat pita bread and Moroccan Eggplant Salad. It made perfect healthy comfort food as the snow comes down in NYC!

Shakshouka
Serves 4

A mildly spicy, bubbling hot dish perfect for sharing on a cold night.

2 Tbs olive oil
4 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can low sodium or no salt added diced tomatoes

Salt, to taste
4 eggs
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pitas

1.    Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

2.   Add tomatoes and juices, reduce heat to medium, and simmer. Using back of spoon, mash tomatoes while stirring. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

3.   Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

Grain Awards

In the awards season mood and with this recent WSJ article as inspiration, here are some top nominees for healthy whole grains:

 

Best Actor: Amaranth—technically not a whole grain at all! It’s an herb. It’s also delicious and full of essential amino acids, which are lacking in most other whole grains.

Best Quick Cooking: Quinoa—cooks in ~15 minutes, making it a great whole grain substitution for brown rice which can take 45 minutes to an hour.

Best Multi-Tasker: Millet—used around the world for everything from Russian porridge to Roti to brewing beer. Millet takes only about 20 minutes to prepare and has a nutrient profile especially good for women of child-bearing age.

Best Chew: It’s a tie! Farro and Wheat berries. If you’ve been to a shi shi salad bar recently, you’ve probably seen these. And for good reason. They add a vitamin/mineral-packed chew to any number of dishes. Because of their texture and nutty flavor, they also make a great whole grain breakfast option. And, oh how I love healthy breakfast 

Northern Spy Food

It's been open a little over 2 years now. Northern Spy Food continues to be at the top of my list of restaurants to take friends. Delicious local ingredients help them create a rotating menu of seasonal comfort food. Portions are perfectly suited for sharing a variety of starters and mains; trust me, you'll want a taste of as much as possible once you see/smell/taste what's coming out of the kitchen. 

Another reason I love this place? They do vegetables BEAUTIFULLY. For me, there is nothing better than a touch of meat/cheese/decadence with a heaping plate of the healthy stuff. Last night we ordered Kale Salad, Marinated Beets with Goat's Yogurt, Crispy Gnocchi and the Hudson Valley Pork Special, which was pork belly with black-eyed peas and greens. With copious wine and dessert, the whole evening was only $60 a person. Reasonable for such a high quality, delicious meal! 

Kale Salad with Almonds, Butternut
Squash and Pecorino

Golden and Red Beets with Goat's Yogurt--
goat's yogurt was pleasantly surprising

Crispy Gnocchi is a great shared indulgence!

In case you need another reason to exercise...

Irisis was named for its ability to carry messages between body cells, 

after Greek mythology’s Iris, messenger of Olympian gods. 

A study conducted by scientists at Harvard has isolated the protein, named irisis, produced naturally during exercise that helps increase calorie burn. Irisis turns white fat into brown, a more metabolically active fat that helps keep us warm. In short, the hormone increases calorie burn beyond that which we get from exercise alone. While studies are expected to head in the direction of approving irisis for pharmaceutical use, “repeated bouts of prolonged exercise” promote a natural increase in the body’s levels. Summary? Hit the gym 4-6 times per week and aim for 30-60 minutes per session.