Back in skinny jeans

Burmese desert: Banana Ginger Mandalay Delight

This Banana Ginger Mandalay Delight desert looks so darn yummy. Bananas are high in sugar content, but it's better than eating a Ding Dong. Manja! Manja!

A quick schematic of ingredients in common espresso drinks

With so many coffee drink choices around, how can one keep track? Here's a nifty matrix of 9 coffee drinks created by Lokesh Dhakar that illustrate what coffee drinks are made of like a Cafe Breve, Americano, or Espresso con Panna. So, the next time you're at a cafe and what to try something different, you'll be well educated.

Healthy recipe from 4-Star chef: Roasted Corn and Watermelon Vinaigrette

Blogger: James Briscione, 4-star Chef with a B.S. in Nutrition/Dietetics
Blog: Chef on the market

In the restaurant, when dealing with food safety, we learn all about the ‘danger zone.’ It is the temperature range where bacteria can grow rapidly and potentially make food hazardous. Now that Labor Day (the symbolic end of ‘bathing suit’ season) is right around the corner with the holidays right on its heals, we find ourselves in the midst of a different ‘danger zone.’

In this zone, diets and exercise routines are the ones in danger as the motivation to look good on the beach or at the pool wanes with the summer sun. But there’s no need to slack, this is best time of the year for healthy eating. Farmland across the country is producing by the bushel right now, fields everywhere are full of flavor and nutrition. This is the time to get to your local market or farm stand. You’ll not only be taking care of yourself with delicious, good-for-you food but you’ll be supporting your community and the environment by buying from local farmers.

Here is a recipe takes advantage of some of the wonders your local market is guaranteed to be overflowing with. Plus, it’s a unique, healthy option for your Labor Day cookout.

Roasted Corn and Watermelon Vinaigrette
Serves 6    

½ Seedless Watermelon, cut into a medium dice

4 Ears Sweet Yellow Corn

2 small Kirby cucumbers, seeds removed and sliced optional

2 Limes, juiced (3-4 tbsp juice)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Chives, finely sliced

Cayenne Pepper, or Piment d’ Espelette

Chervil

(cooking instructions after the jump)

Figments of your chocolate imagination

Every time I go to Trader Joes I really have to use Superman iron will to not buy any of those tubs of sweet goodness that stand at attention so deliciously above the frozen foods. Damn TJ's! They put the tubs of candies above my frozen turkey balls, and shrimps because they know I have to look up from the freezer.

You can't walk down the whole aisle with your head down. Oh no! You must look up and see goodies like these Figments, chocolate covered pieces of fig bits. I love figs, and have never seen such a treat before so weakened from the chocolate kryptonite I bought the 11 oz. tub. These Figments were indeed as I had tasted  in my imagination. One ounce of these Figments is 131 calories, so be warned that it will be easy to get carried away with this fig-joyment.

Crunchy snack: Fresh Tomatillo salsa verde and homemade tortilla chips

Normally, I'm a red salsa kind of gal, but I never knew how tasty Tomatillo salsa could be until I ate a homemade batch at a party. Oh my goodness! The salsa was absolutely scrumptious. Who knew that a fruit, also known as husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry could be such a yummy base for salsa.

I've never seen a freshly picked Tomatillo before and thought they were interesting looking. When you peel off the outer husk, there is a sticky film left on the Tomatillo which you need to rinse off before eating.

Since I love Simply Recipes, I used their Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe and made some of the delicious green stuff for a Friday night appetizer. I added a pinch more sugar than the recipe called for because I like a sweeter edge in salsa. For the tortillas chips, I bought some fresh-made corn tortillas at Whole Foods, cut them into chip size, fried them in Whole Foods 365 brand Canola Oil, and sprinkled them with some sea salt.

The end dish was so appetizing, that I want to try the Tomatillo salsa Verde on enchiladas, tacos, fish, and chicken. Yum!

Dinner idea: Butternut squash ravioli with Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies

One day, I'd love to learn how to make raviolis, but for now I'm happy to buy them at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. I know many people on weight loss programs avoid carbs like pasta but not me. I do a great deal of running for cardio and my body needs some floury carbs. Where I do try and cut down calories and fat is in the pasta sauce and cheese topping.

I bought these Butternut squash raviolis frozen at Whole Foods, and then bought some garlic and red onion, and a can of Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies. I sauteed the garlic and onion in a little Canola oil with a couple dashes of Pasta Spice, added the Diced Tomatoes, and then did a quick simmer. I put a couple tablespoons of sauce on the raviolis, and added a pinch of grated Asiago cheese.

So zesty!

The health benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries have got to be one of my favorite fruits. I especially love big fresh organic blueberries like these in blueberry muffins, and cobbler; not the most skinny of foods but man! the best in memories and comfort food.

Not only are blueberries yummy, they have some fantastic health benefits which include:

• The highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit
• Neutralizes free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body
• Anti-inflammatory, anti-blood clotting and antibacterial effects
• Helps promote urinary tract health
• Been proved to preserve vision. Blueberry extract, high in compounds called anthocyanosides, has been found in clinical studies to slow down visual loss.

Doesn't all those health benefits make you want to sink your teeth into a handful of blueberries? Here is a blueberry loaf I made using a modified version of this blueberry muffin recipe from Simply Recipes. In my version, I cut all the ingredients in half, and used all organic products. I also added a Crumb Topping to my loaf from this recipe at All Recipes. I substituted Pumpkin Pie Spice for Cinnamon. The loaf turned out absolutely dee-lish-ious!

Handful of treats: Yummy chocolate chip cookies

Just because you're dieting doesn't mean that you should deprive yourself of anything sweet and yummy. Yes, you have to cut down and not eat the whole bag of sweets, but a handful of anything is not going to "wreck" any of the weight you have lost.

For my handful of treats, I like to get little chocolate chip cookies, the size of a dollar coin, with walnuts or pecans. I'm one of those people that just loves nuts in cookies. Plus, the nuts are added protein and yes fat, but hey, let's get some positive in. I also look for cookies that do not contain any artificial sweeteners and ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, lard, or "Light" ingredients like anal leakage, Olestra.

Restaurant inspired: Roasted Baby Beat Salad and the health benefits of Beets

Most diet programs tell you you to eat more vegetables which can be a challenge because it can get boring real quick, so I'm always looking for new ways to gussy up vegetables, and make them more interesting.

In this tutorial, Executive Chef Victor Scargle at Julia's Kitchen at COPIA in the gorgeous Napa Valley shows us how to make their yummy-renowned Roasted Baby Beat Salad. The health-giving benefits of beets include:

• High in fiber and rich in vitamins A and C
• More iron than other vegetables, including spinach
• Rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, as well as folic acid, which helps protect you from heart disease and guards against birth defects.
• The beet's red coloring comes from betalains—a combination of the purple pigment betacyanin and the yellow pigment betaxanthin. "The betalain pigments are potent antioxidants," says Irwin Goldman, Ph.D., a beet geneticist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Antioxidants deter the formation of cancer-causing free radicals.

[via Organic Gardening]

Who knew that beets could be so alluring? Most of the veggies used in the dishes at Julia's Kitchen are grown in their organic garden near the restaurant with a yield of 60% in the winter, and 90% in the summer. How yummy! I'm all for places that practice sustainable organic gardening to provide people with vibrant produce to keep us healthy. Right on!

150 calorie delight: Luna Tea Cakes

Luna Tea Cakes from the makers of Luna Bars is one of my recent "OMG! I love this" food finds. Here's why:

• One serving is only 150 calories
• Made with organic ingredients
• Made with tea from The Republic of Tea brand
• Has mood lifting Omega-3
• The package is small enough to fit into a mini satchel. I'm always on the look out for "small" food packaging to put into my small purses.
• It's really delicious!

The Luna Tea Cakes come in three flavors: Vanilla Macadamia, Berry Pomegranate, and Orange Blossom. The Macadamia and Berry are yummy. The Orange is an acquired taste. I didn't care for it because it tasted too much like Tang to me. Of the three, the Vanilla Macadamia (pictured aboved) is my favorite.

If you're looking for a new low-cal afternoon snack, these Luna Tea Cakes are definitely worth trying.