30 Healthiest Ingredients

I found this list from a Real Simple magazine which states "Stock your pantry and refrigerator with these nutritious, expert-recommended foods."  I don't know who these experts are, but this list sounds pretty good to me and I already buy most of this stuff on a weekly basis.

Try adding 1-2 of these ingredients to your shopping cart each week.  While you're at it, as you add one of these items in, try to take out something not as healthy; perhaps a heavily processed item or something high in sugar or fat?  Give it a try and see how it goes.  Soon you'll be eliminating the unhealthy and enjoying the healthy.

1. almonds
2. avocados
3. barley
4. black beans
5. blueberries
6. broccoli
7. bulgur
8. chard
9. chicken breasts (skinless)
10. edamame
11. eggs
12. extra-virgin olive oil (may I recommend finding one that contains olives grown and bottled in Italy...be weary of ones that just say "bottled in Italy" as those could be olives from anywhere).
13. kale
14. kidney beans
15. kiwi  
16. lentils
17. mushrooms
18. oatmeal (steel-cut or old-fashioned)
19. oranges
20. peanut and almond butter (all-natural)
21. pumpkin
22. quinoa
23. sardines
24. skim milk
25. spinach
26. sweet potatoes
27. walnuts
28. wholegrain pasta
29. wild salmon (aim to get sockeye or Alaskan salmon, try to avoid Atlantic salmon, which is basically synonymous with farm-raised.
30. yogurt (nonfat Greek)

Quinoa + Salad

Basil: The Versatile Herb

I bought this basil plant about a month ago and have found myself pinching off it's leaves to add some flavor to most all of my dishes.  Just having it around has made all the difference.  I cut up the leaves and add them to salads, soups, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, entrees, and my personal favorite: cocktails [kettle, polar lime seltzer, muddled strawberry and a few basil leaves].  Plus, it's nice to have some more green in an apartment where no trees are visible.

I tried grilling some peaches to go along with a new pork tenderloin dish I was trying out and I found that adding some shreds of basil really enhanced the overall taste.  Get creative and experiment.  If you love the taste of basil, like I do, you can do no harm.

Basil plants are annuals, so they are only supposed to last one growing season.  Don't be sad when your basil plant doesn't last forever; they are inexpensive and you can go get a new one.  This plant was only $5 at the Union Square farmers market.  They like sunny windows, water every other day or so, and be sure to pinch off the big leaves so the little ones can grow.  Once the basil plant flowers it will probably stop producing new leaves, (this is the end of it's growing period) but if you trim off the flowers, you may be able to trick it into producing leaves a little bit longer.  Go get one and start cooking!

Brekkie: Cereal + Fruit

A week of cereal for brekkie:

 Monday
Cheerios, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries

Tuesday

Barbara's Shredded Oats, banana, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds

Wednesday

Barbara's Shredded Oats, peaches, pomegranate seeds

 Thursday

Cherrios, peaches, strawberries

Friday

Cherrios, banana, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries

Try to find a cereal with at least 3-4g of fiber, whole grains, and limited sugar and sodium.

Cherrios is an easy to please cereal with many of the vitamins and minerals we need daily...I think Cherrios offers more vitamins and minerals than most other cereals and you can be sure it's whole grains too.  Add a bunch of fruit, especially berries, to your morning cereal and you'll get quite a nutritive boost!

 Nutrtion Facts:

1 cup Cheerios:

100 Calories

2g fat (.5 in in each of the healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats)

0g Cholesterol

160mg Sodium

20g Carbs

3g Fiber

1g Sugar

3g Protein

Sidenote:

I only use skim milk with my cereal or nonfat yogurt, 0g of fat vs. 8g of fat.  However, little kiddos should be drinking whole milk to get the right amount of fats need for growth and development; usually from age 1 - 3 years old.  Then, they should gradually change to low-fat and then skim milk once they're older.

Butter+Sugar

Go pick up some corn on the cob at your local farm stand or farmers market today!  The season for corn on the cob usually ends around mid-September, so there aren't many days left to enjoy a summer favorite.

It's a great nutritious and delicious addition to your dinner.  The most common variety of corn I have found around the New York markets is the bi-color variety or "butter + sugar" which has always been my first choice.

Butter + Sugar

When I was growing up in Western Massachusetts, my family would pick up corn on the cob every day from our favorite farm stand, Golonka's, (http://www.golonkafarm.com/).  I think that place is still a local favorite, and I must say, I have never found a better ear of corn.

The Union Square Farmers Market has plenty of stalls offering corn on the cob, and I have actually been pleasantly surprised.  Though they're no Golonka, they are the next best thing.

I like to cook all the ears at once in a large covered pot about 1/4 filled with water to a boil for steam.  Bring the water to a boil before adding the shucked corn ears.  The ears that go in first usually get covered with water and the ones on top are out of the water- it's okay, they will all come out great.  I find it's best to cook them for about 6 to 7 minutes- I like a little crunch.  And the best part is, there is no need to use any butter; just let the ears cool down a bit and chow down.

Nutritional benefits:

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Folate

Dietary Fiber

Vitamin C

Phosphorus

Manganese

Vitamin B5

1 cup of corn is about 177 calories

Lunch at Torrisi

My boyfriend and I went for a long run yesterday morning throughout the city.  We started in Brooklyn, crossed the bridge and did a tour of the southern point of Manhattan before making our way up the Westside Highway and then inward towards SoHo.  Pics from our run:

Brooklyn Bridge

One World Trade Center progress

To reward ourselves, I wanted a chicken parm hero (grinder, if you're from New England) from Torrisi.

Torrisi is a recent hotspot in Little Italy on 250 Mulberry Street.  I like that their lunch hours are from 11 - 4pm so I can still grab a late lunch sandwich at 3:30.  They have some strict policies to be mindful of...no cameras inside, no reservations, no substitutions, only one menu offered for dinner- which alluringly changes nightly.  Dinner is served from 6 - 10pm and they begin taking names at 5:30 in-person for the waitlist.  Their nightly menu is updated online everyday at: http://www.piginahat.com

Taken from their website: Our nightly menu is our only offering for the table; there are no menu substitutions available for vegetarians, children, or dietary restrictions.

Lunch is a bit of a different story.It's counter service with tables (around 15-20 or so) available on a first come first serve basis.  We walked in to the tiny restaurant around 12:50pm and a table happened to be open.  My boyfriend claimed the table and sat down while I waited a few minutes to order with the helpful gal behind the counter.  Order, pay (cash or credit card), and leave your name to retrieve your order when they call you.

$11 - chicken parm hero
$11 - house roasted turkey hero (no onion, no mayo)
$ 3 - whipped ricotta (comes in a little dish with some olive oil and herbs on top)
$ 2 - Dr. Brown black cherry soda

There is a counter by the window with carafes of water, glasses, silverware, various condiments, and napkins for you to help yourself to.  There are no "servers" per se, but there is a "maintainer".  The "maintainer" brings out the food to those people who are dining-in, clears the tables, keeps the carafes of water and supplies full, and answers the phone.  He might do other things too, but that was all I noticed yesterday.  With that said, I was very satisfied with the service.

By 1pm the place was a zoo with the line running out of places to wrap around to and most people began waiting outside.  We got our food within 10 minutes of ordering and were out the door after 30 minutes.  We were hungry and it was yummy.  The bread was fresh, the meat was delicious, the portions were on target- all in all, a great sandwich lunch spot, but try to beat the masses if you're want to make it quick.