Country Kitchen (in the city) healthy delicous meal inspiration
asparagus mushroom and Gruyere frittata
Tomorrow’s Saturday and brunch is on my mind. Start the weekend out slow and sweet with a little spring cleaning and a yummy frittata. A frittata is a great way to use up veggie stragglers, aka: the leftover vegetables that didn’t make it in to your weekday meals. There’s one flavor I love in my [...]
superfood snack mix
During the day I work for a totally awesome physical therapy practice in NYC with a beautiful, huge glass jar filled with…. candy! And, while not everyday, I often find myself reaching in to satisfy my craving for something sweet. This week, instead of gorging on Hershey’s and Nestle, I’m filling fists with a homemade [...]
tips: work lunch salad dressing
I’m always finding a way to incorporate last night’s leftovers into a tasty next day work salad. Here, I added a drumstick and asparagus to leafy greens and veggies for a hearty lunch treat. Top it off with a country mustard vinaigrette, for a well rounded balanced lunch. For an easy make-and-take salad dressing, instead [...]
birdloaf with mashed sweet potatoes
Meal planning, for me, is about balance. I eat everything… but in moderation. My mother had high blood pressure, so I learned early on how to forgo salt for other alternative spices. Heart healthy grains and low in fat are two other lessons that were reinforced throughout youth. If you haven’t noticed by now, I [...]
stir it up, steak stir fry
The most time consuming part of making a stir fry is the prep – chop chop chopping the veggies! I always start a stir fry by putting on the rice cooker. Typically, I would have used brown rice, but I was also cooking for the dog this evening and he can only tolerate white, so [...]
chicken milanese with arugula
Fresh, light, delicious and fast. Take thinly sliced chicken cutlets, dredged them in whole wheat breadcrumbs (no need to dip in eggs first) and placed them in a hot pan drizzled with olive oil. Depending on the thickness of the cutlet, cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve over a bed of baby [...]
bowl of spaghetti squash
This meal is straight out of my childhood. My mother was very find of a healthy-eating lifestyle and after I got out of my SpaghettiO’s and mac&cheese phase, I quickly picked up on her style of low-fat, low-sodium, heavy on the fruits and veggies eating habits. But there was NO WAY I was going to [...]
quick breakfast bite
As you may have noticed, I’m a huge fan of brunch but not so keen on the early morning before work breakfast. Lately, however, I have been trying to change my ways and start off the day right with a quick savory bite. I’ve found that I feel more energetic and satisfied (aka. no snacks) [...]
pino mustard chicken with brussels sprout hash
This light and tasty dish looks timely and complicated, but a simple hand-held mandolin slicer helps you speed right through the the prep-work for a delicious dinner for two. Aside from a mandolin slicer and 2 large frying pans, you will need: – 10-12 brussels sprouts – 8-10 small red potatoes – 5-6 baby bella [...]
guajillo chili chocolate melt w/ fresh fruit
Sometimes the simplest treats are the most delicious. For a sweet treat I heated up a circle of Taza guajillo chili chocolate in a pot over low heat. As the chocolate began to melt, I drizzled in about 1/8 cup of low fat milk to keep it smooth. Pour some chocolate onto the plate, dust [...]
pork loin w/ pomegranate balsamic reduction
When the cold weather hits New York, my oven flicks on for hearty roasts (with veggies!!). Start this meal off with a nice sized piece of boneless pork loin. What you don’t eat for dinner will make a fabulous lunch for work tomorrow.. think fall salad: arugula and spinach with leftover roasted potatoes and pork [...]
black mission figs with roquefort and bacon
This one’s so easy, I’ll show it in (mostly) pictures… Apple wood smoked thick slab bacon. Scoop out a bit of the fig center before stuffing with cheese. Top it off, and serve.
chilean seabass with lemon heirloom sauce
Preheat oven to 425. Slice the Chilean Seabass into a two inch wide strip and then cut 1/4 inch deep slices into the top side of the fish, about an inch apart. Place a dab of butter and thyme inside of each sliced section, place atop a broiling pan and place on the top rack [...]
tagliatelle marinara with burrata & cerinola olives
This Italian specialties dish was inspired by a shopping trip to buonItalia in the Chelsea Market. Quite simply, this meal was whipped together in the time it takes to cook marinara. The components are: fresh tagliatelle pasta, marinara sauce (recipe here), burrata cheese (what it it? read about it), shaved Parmesan and Cerinola olives. Mangia!!
hawaiian breakfast
In lovely, small family tradition, this meal transforms last night’s leftovers into a delicious island-style brunch. Years ago, I lived near a little brunch spot in Manhattan Beach, California that was open from about 10:00-3:00 and served Hawaiian Brunch. From what I remember, there were only a few things on the menu… chicken teriyaki with [...]
sesame teriyaki chicken with summer veg
So the real title of this meal should be: Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Fennel Mushroom Peaches – but it was too long for my format! As the only child of a single, working mother, coming of age in the 80′s I ate a lot of meals that started in a box, can or the microwave. [...]
un-smashed fresh-hash & eggs
Another farm fresh (or farmer’s market fresh) brunch in a bowl. For two people you will need: -2 chicken & apple sausages -4 white potatoes -2 cloves garlic -1 medium onion -1/2 tsp ground cumin -1/2 tsp paprika -2 large fluffy handfuls of washed spinach -olive oil -4 eggs -splash of vinegar (for poaching eggs) [...]
B&B: blackberry brunch and ham
This bright and simple bed & breakfast style brunch is comprised of a fried egg and fresh mozzarella sliced perched atop a slice of non-buttered multi-grain toast, with a pickled carrot. On the side are a couple slices of organic uncured honey ham, warmed in a frying pan until lightly brown. The meal is completed [...]
leftovers: asparagus chicken salad
Last night’s leftovers becomes a rockin’ work lunch!! Nothing easier than slicing up a few leftovers, tossing them with some arugula or baby mixed greens, adding a few fresh veggies and rushing off to work… So what was for dinner? Sesame Lemon Chicken with Asparagus . And what’s for lunch? A crisp salad with leftover [...]
15min-din: sesame lemon chicken with asparagus
After a long Monday at work, there’s nothing like a 15 minute dinner to make the night complete. This yummy dish takes about as long to make as a box of supermarket mac & cheese… and not only is it better for you, but it’s tasty! What you will need: a couple of pans, vegetable [...]
work lunch: community salad!
My love of food is no secret here at work… with salad-envy spiking the charts. Every time I prepare a salad for lunch, I make sure to bring in enough to feed (at least) three hungry mouths. Lately, lunchtime salads have become a team effort. Yesterday, my boss whipped out a package of spinach, some [...]
sweet tooth
Every once in a while I crave something sweet: strawberries, plain yogurt and almond pulp in a blender… bzzzzzzz… freeze… then scoop into a dish. Fresh bananas on the side. Easy!!
harissa (turkey) burger
This Moroccan inspired turkey burger is lean, yet still packs a flavor-punch with the secret saute tucked into the patty mixture. For the patties: -1lb ground turkey (or chicken) -1 medium red onion -1 cup mushrooms -3 cloves garlic, peeled -1/2 tsp cumin seed -1/2 tsp allspice In a blender or food processor, mince together [...]
brunch: what’s in the bowl?
So, what’s in the bowl… brunch!! More specifically, hiding under the cumin-topped poached egg is a saute of spinach, dandelion greens, roasted golden beets, a couple sliced caper berries and a smidge of pickled garlic. Once sauteed, I tossed the veggies with some lemon sardine salad dressing (yes, I said sardine… funny thing though, it [...]
chickpea curry with harissa honey cumin bbq chicken
This meal has two intense flavor popping parts: chicken thighs with a harissa honey cumin bbq sauce and a chickpea (plus veggies) curry… and a little Basmati rice on the side to cool off the tongue. Let’s start with the sauce for the chicken: -A few spoonfuls of Harissa sauce (you can make it from [...]
carrot liver dog treats
My spoiled little dog has been getting home cooked meals for a number of years now, but I just began dabbling in home cooked treats. Yes, from pictures alone these little cookies look good enough to eat, but don’t let the pretty pictures fool you. While they might be human grade ingredients these cookies are [...]
brunch: polenta porridge breakfast bowl
Having company is the best… feeding them, while working all day, going out at night and juggling home life, sometimes calls for a bit more creativity, especially if you can’t just hop in your car and run to the supermarket. Shopping, for me, usually involves walking to the train, going into the city (about 20+ [...]
country mustard chicken with buttered cumin carrots
The ingredients: – boneless skinless chicken thighs – Greek yogurt – grained Dijon mustard – lemon – ghee (or olive oil) – good quality salted butter (or butter and salt) – small organic carrots – cumin seed Marinating meats in Greek yogurt is a lickity-split way of tenderizing. This marinade consists of a few spoonfuls [...]
new addiction: homemade pickles
The name of this site implies different things to each person, but you should know.. NO, I was not raised in the country, and YES, I live in the city. When I’m trying to grow strawberries on my fire escape (and they get infested with spiders) or planting herbs in tin cans, do I imaging [...]
the 10 minute brunch
I am in serious need of groceries, but somehow I scraped together a medley of straggling ingredients for this 10 minute brunch… 5 minutes staring at the fridge, 5 minutes whipping it up. So what’s for brunch.. the very last of the arugula, some leftover pico from the taco platter, the last 2 eggs drizzled [...]
